Team Fanfiaddict is back with another SPFBO XI finalist review, this time for The Hallows by H.L. Tinsley. Let’s see what the judges had to say!
Will Swardstrom: The Hallows by H.L. Tinsley is an interesting book with an interesting premise, but for me it kind of took a while to rope me in. The opening chapter was action from the jump, but without any context of who the characters were, what the stakes were, and what kind of world they were living in, it felt very confusing in the moment. Within a chapter or so after the initial action, Tinsley did drop info nuggets about our characters and what was happening, but it almost felt like a “too little, too late” situation. I pressed on and found myself around the halfway point before too long, catching breadcrumbs about the characters, the backstory of the world, and the mystery that Cam is trying to solve along the way.
Just a few days before I read The Hallows, I had just finished Robert Jackson Bennett’s A Trade of Blood, which is probably the best fantasy murder mystery series out there right now (all three books are a 10/10 for me). There are some similarities and common DNA between the two books, but just that there is a mystery to be solved in a fantasy world with hidden magic and powers. While there is a mystery at play in The Hallows, we don’t often get to sit long enough with important information or events to really let it simmer.
A little after the halfway mark, I felt that Tinsley really got to cooking with her story. The protagonist, Cam, was really working hard on their case, digging hard into what was happening, leading to the unexplained deaths. For about a third of the book, I felt some serious momentum and one thing in particular, bumped this book up a percentage point or two for me — a character named THE LORD OF SPIDERS. Man, that is a killer character name and he lived up to the hype. The scene between Cam and the Lord of the Spiders was tense and was truly one of the best parts of the book, evoking a Silence of the Lambs vibe.
While I was enjoying the book leading to the climax, the book’s ending had the feeling of an over-stuffed Marvel movie — you know what I mean…aliens, robots, or general bad guys are everywhere — hitting, punching, kicking, shooting — you name it. The heroes are overwhelmed with only one way out.
Overall, I had moments of The Hallows I enjoyed a lot, moments that were fine, and moments that were a tad forgettable. The world-building was great and I’d love to dive deeper into more lore behind what’s going on, but the characters were a little thin and lacked a personal connection to me.
Michael Vadney: The Hallows is a dense, ambitious fantasy that blends faith, science, and politics into a world that feels richly layered from the very first pages. The Hallow serum, once sacred to the Auld Bloods and now regulated by the powerful Providence Company, is a fascinating central concept, and the tension between those who see it as divine and those who see it as a tool of control gives the story a thematic backbone that runs deep. Cam is a fun protagonist to follow, and the investigation at the heart of the story keeps things moving with genuine intrigue.
The side characters are colorful and distinct, adding personality and texture to a world that already has a lot going on. There are some genuinely beautiful emotional moments scattered throughout, the kind that catch you off guard and remind you why you’re invested. The themes are where the book really shines. Tinsley explores the intersection of faith and science, government and society, and where all of those forces land in the life of an individual. These ideas are delivered with real thoughtfulness and give the story a weight that elevates it beyond its genre trappings.
Where the book challenged me was in its pacing and delivery. There is a lot of worldbuilding and a large cast of characters introduced quickly, which makes for a dense read that demands your full attention. Some of the more important scenes are covered in narrative summary when it felt like they deserved to be shown in full, and the prose can swing between moments of real beauty and stretches of blunter delivery. The twists and turns are interesting in concept, but they tend to arrive without much foreshadowing or seeding, which makes them feel more like surprises than revelations. I enjoyed them in the moment but found myself wishing they had been set up more carefully so they could land with that satisfying click of everything falling into place. Despite those rough edges, The Hallows is an interesting and worthwhile read. The world is compelling, the investigation is fun, and the thematic ambitions are genuine and well-considered. Tinsley is tackling big ideas here, and readers who enjoy dense, politically charged fantasy with something real to say will find plenty to appreciate.
Dave Lawson: The Hallows is a dense urban fantasy with some really cool things going for it. You can tell Tinsley is a talented writer and the worldbuilding is impressive considering the short page count. This is definitely a sink or swim type book, and while I mostly floated, there were some parts where I was a little overwhelmed by how much was coming at me, both in in-world language, fast-paced events, twists, and turns. What helped me stay grounded was the excellent cast of characters and lots of very good dialogue. I enjoyed Cam, but the pacing was a bit too fast for me at times. There were several moments where things happened without much warning and I had a bit of a case of whiplash. I did also feel like some scenes didn’t get the time they needed and ended up more like summaries. In the end, I enjoyed the read and will definitely seek out Tinsley’s other series!
Isabelle Wagner: I really enjoyed this one despite some criticism that usually makes me rate books a bit lower. But I enjoyed its strengths so much that I had to give it a higher rating.
Where it lacked for me 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, fear, or something else. I need that 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 the depth I was hoping for. We found out interesting things about the MC to keep me hooked throughout, but I was 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 story anyways. It was so easy for me to picture where this took place 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), it also had some great 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.
With that, we have a new score to report!
The Hallows receives a 7!
We’ll be back with more reviews and scores soon!
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