Review of Hallow by Olga Gibbs

About

“Being one of the most formidable archangels with the power to end the world doesn’t serve you well if you don’t know how to use it.

Thrown into a battle of courts and factions, tangled in a web of intrigues and palatial games, naïve Ariel is surrounded by powerful angels, chasing their own agendas.

There’s no one she can trust. Everyone stands to gain something from her death.

To avoid the bloody battle that Baza brought to her door at Uras, Ariel retreats back to Apkallu (Earth) to find her sister, but the Heavenly battles and intrigues she flees follow her, as Baza’s immense hold on Apkallu forces Ariel and Rafe to make uncomfortable choices.

Ariel’s fight for survival is far from over and it looks like it’s going to be a deadly one.“

Stats

Kindle Edition
301 pages
Published May 1st 2019 by Raging Bear Publishing
Original Title Hallow
ASINB07NY44KY7
Edition Language English
Series Celestial Creatures #2

My Thoughts

Essentially, Hallow is a story about family and the lengths we go to protect those of us we love. Hallow begins as we re-join Ariel and protector Rafe back on Earth. Ariel is still battling to accept herself and what fate has thrust upon her. The new parts of herself are extraordinary and take some getting used to. At this point in the story, if you haven’t read book 1, Heavenward, you should. Although it is not necessary, I think it tends to fill in a lot of plot chunks and character traits that you are not familiar with. Plus it will give you a better grounding on Ariel’s situation.

Unlike the first story, Heavenward, Hallow takes place on Earth, and I think that it starts to tie up some of the loose ends from the first novel. However, this book is transitional. It is setting up the other books in the series; there will be four total. I am not going to give away the plot; just know that not everything is settled with a neat bow. Ariel hits rock bottom in this story. She dragged through muck and mire. Only as she has lost much of who she is can she embrace who she has to become. It is a pretty exciting character arc, and I am looking forward to where it ends up. There are so much development and excitement to come for Ariel as the series progresses.

Narrative style-wise, I found the first few chapters challenging to get through. Olga has a particular highly detailed way of writing that can be a challenge for some readers. This book feels more settled in this style, and Olga feels more comfortable with the characters. It is almost as if the characters have matured and rounded out. If you can make it through the first chapters and can get used to that highly detailed style, I promise you will be in for a wild ride of a story and will enjoy it. You will get hooked, give it a swing.

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Procurement

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest review.

About the Author – Olga Gibbs

Olga Gibbs lives in a leafy-green town, nestled amongst the green fields of West Sussex, England. She was writing from the age of fifteen, mainly short stories and novellas and was a guest columnist for a local newspaper. When she is not dreaming up new adventures for her imaginary friends, she does outreach work with teenagers.

She is currently writing a third book in the “Celestial creatures” series and another stand-alone psychological crime thriller book