Synopsis
The Hallow serum was once sacred to the Auld Bloods. Used to gain access to their lost ancestral powers, now it is regulated and administered by the powerful Providence Company. Evolved from the echelons of the Auld Church, the company exists to maintain the balance between faith, science and politics.
But keeping the peace between humans and Auld Bloods isn’t easy. Taking Hallow comes at a price. Providence Company Assessor Cam must deal with backstreet bootleggers, burnt-out addicts and floating nuns that won’t stay on the ground.
When a string of Auld Blood deaths appear to have been caused by a corrupted batch of Hallow, Cam begins to suspect all may not be as it seems. Bodies are piling up. Someone is hiding something, and the consequences are becoming monstrous.
Review
I waited way too long to read this book, but what a fun way to start the spooky month off. I really enjoyed myself despite some criticism that usually makes me rate books 3 stars at the most. But I enjoyed its strengths so much that I had to give it a higher rating.
Where it lacked for me a bit was the emotional department. If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you know that I’m all about the emotions. I want to feel something while I’m reading, whether that’s happiness, love, sadness, or fear. I need it to have that depth to really connect with the book usually. While this book had the outlines of the kinds of emotions I like for this type of story and character, it didn’t have quite the depth I am looking for. We found out interesting things about the MC to keep me hooked throughout, but that did make me less attached to him and the supporting characters than I’d like.
Thankfully though, I really enjoyed the plot and setting enough to make me excited about the book anyways. It was so easy for me to picture where this took part or what the characters looked like. I also found the politics and plot really interesting. While some of it was a little predictable (not in a bad way though; I do like some things to play out a certain way that makes sense for the story), other things were really fun reveals. There was a fun variety of characters too and I enjoyed their roles throughout the story.
I struggle to find standalones I really like and while this wasn’t the perfect fit for me either, it still is one of my favorite fantasy standalones so far. I love the author’s other series and will always pick up the next book to see what she’ll surprise me with next.
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