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
After enjoying the first two in H L Tinsley’s Vanguard Chronicles, I was excited to dive into this dark fantasy standalone both for Tinsley’s writing and the phrase ‘floating nuns’, which it’s safe to say I’ve never encountered in a book’s tagline before.
The worldbuilding is vastly different but still has the same flair and darkness that is characteristic of the author’s writing. While it’s still a dark gaslamp world with a noirish touch, there’s a 1920s vibe and magic plays a far larger role. The magic exists in the form of a serum called Hallow that bestows magical abilities upon those called Auld Bloods, who are possessed of powerful magic but are dependent upon the drug to use their powers. The long-term use of those powers eventually leads to warped transformations that result in some delightful body horror elements.
Cam, the protagonist, works for the Providence Company, which is kind of a cross between a church and a company that regulates and controls the distribution of Hallow and deals with any resulting problems. When he’s called on to investigate a suspicious death of someone using Hallow that swiftly turns into a pile of bodies, a mystery unfolds that concerns the Auld Bloods and the religions dominating the setting.
Unlike her previous books, the narrative is tightly focused on Cam’s POV, but we see a lot of his close-knit group of fellow enforcers including Daffodil, Forget-Me-Not, and others. They’re named after plants due to their group being named the Garden Crew, and there are other varied crews within the city depending on the theme of their team. The clever details like this are another worldbuilding element I enjoyed. All the characters are well-drawn and memorable and again, Tinsley uses some great turns of phrase to cement even each minor character in the mind without wasting words.
The Hallows was a compelling read that contained some of the great elements of Tinsley’s other books but with a unique setting all of its own. I’m always a fan of worlds where magical powers have consequences and this is one I haven’t read before. The religious elements add depth and dimension and play into the magic in interesting ways. The character work is well done, and as with her previous novels, the writing is compact but says so much with economic efficiency.
This is a standalone adventure, but there’s so much packed into this short novel that I didn’t feel that we were short-charged – but I wouldn’t say no to a return to this world in future stories!
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