H.M. Long is easily one of my top ten favourite authors after this book, and it's definitely my favourite of what she has published so far. I've been following this series for three years now, and I am so grateful to have received e-ARC's of Temple of No God, and now this one. Here's hoping I can get ARC's of Pillar of Ash and Dark Water Daughter!

This book builds on all the minor issues I had with the previous two instalments to create an absolutely magnificent novel. The wintery atmosphere was incredibly strong and cinematic, the characters journey's were emotionally heightened and charged (to a greater extent), the action was even more cinematic. I could go on forever. It has everything I want from a fantasy novel: a complex and emotional plot, betrayals, gods and cults, believable character relationships, fantastical creatures, and more.

Thray is definitely my favourite main character out of the three books - sorry Hessa! - because I loved how multifaceted she was. She was both a hero and the villain and it made for such an interesting dynamic with the supporting cast to see how she changed her personality and loyalties around them. I highlighted and annotated so many beautiful lines that highlighted her personal and external battles, this book was a wild ride of tender moments and thrilling action. I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words because I enjoyed it that much. She is such a strong person, and the ending made me really upset, even though it's fitting and bittersweet. She knows what she did was wrong but was necessary to herself and the greater good - I hope she makes cameo's in Pillar of Ash like Hessa and co. did here. (The epilogue makes me think she will.)

The attention to detail in these books is wonderful. You can truly feel the temperature, hear the sounds etc., it is an engrossing experience to read a H.M. Long novel. My only wish is that we got to see more of Thray's relationships with Vistic and Arune (an old and new favourite character), and see more of the cult aspect as it was pretty central to the plot resolution. Other than that, this book was an absolute blast. And the best part? You don't have to read any of the previous books because they're all standalones - but I highly encourage you to read them all as they're fantastic.

If you're looking for an action-packed, cinematic, viking-inspired story about immortality, seeking out your fate, magical creatures, cults, and old gods then this is the book (and series) for you!

Barrow of Winter is an adventure fantasy set in a dark and icy region of a world with Viking-esque vibes. It follows Thray, the granddaughter of Winter, on her quest to find out the truth about herself and her half-siblings--most centrally, whether Thray is immortal. Having previously read Hall of Smoke was definitely helpful for understanding the world better, but this book does stand on its own.

Overall I enjoyed this one, especially the intrigue of a world with no daylight. H.M. Long has definitely leveled up since her first book. I found Thray's relationship with Havar dissatisfying--he is supposedly her lover and betrothed, but they have never slept together and she uses him much more than she appears to love him, which made me like Thray a lot less. I also felt like some of the expansive world building I liked in the first book was not particularly present in this one. But I really enjoyed the interesting uses of magic, the setting, Thray's struggles with what it might mean if she turns out to be immortal, and the action, which is slow-burn but excellent.

Thray is the last Daughter of Winter, haunted by the legacy of her blood. When she is offered a chance to go to Duamel, the land her father once ruled, she can’t refuse, even if it means lying to the man she loves and the priesthood she serves.

In Duamel, Thray’s half-siblings rule under the northern lights. An endless winter night cloaks the land, with the people of Duamel teetering on the edge of violence. When Thray’s siblings turn their attention towards the warm, brighter land she calls home, she must harness her own feral power and decide where her loyalties lie.

Wow! I am a huge fan of Hannah’s books and Barrow of Winter is her phenomenal third published novel. This book literally had me on the edge of my seat from the very first line. Packed full of adventure, terrifying creatures, Old gods versus young half-gods, magic, savage battle scenes and a protagonist who struggles to choose between the two sides of her family, Barrow of Winter has it all.

Hannah’s beautifully descriptive style propels you into this world and although it is a standalone novel, I would highly recommend you read her debut Hall of Smoke and also Temple of No God to see Hannah’s world-building ability.

Thray is another fierce female protagonist by Hannah (she ties with Hessa as my favourite characters in the world of the Eangi) and Hannah excels at giving her readers well-rounded and thoroughly fleshed out protagonists.

Fast-paced with an epic conclusion that was absolute perfection, Barrow of Winter is the perfect adult fantasy read for fans of John Gwynne, Margaret Owen and V.E Schwab.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Barrow of Winter is out now! Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the arc.

4.5/5 stars! Wow! This was an exceptional fantasy novel. The cover is what drew me in but the storyline was expansive and intricate and kept me invested in the story. This reminded me of a more complex, grown-up version of 'The Golden Compass.' I loved the wintery landscape and the intricacy between the characters and wildness and the wild. I hadn't read the first two books in this series, which could be helpful for context, but it didn't slow down my understanding of the book. Truly an epic fantasy novel.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Barrow of Winter is the third book in a series and can supposedly be read as a stand-alone. I personally do not fully agree with that.

I felt disconnected from the characters (some of which might have been introduced in the previous books) and the plot wasn’t exciting me either.

Overall this wasn’t the right book for me, but I suspect that fans of the other books in the series will enjoy this one as well.

Barrow of Winter was better than its predecessor, though the experience is lessened by the same unneeded addition.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for the opportunity.

I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)

Release date: 17th of January 2023.

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Out of every series of ARCs that I get lucky enough to review, this one will always have a special place given that it was my first one. It's also a happy coincidence that whenever I read these ARCs, I have to be playing a Norse inspired game alongside it. In Hall of Smoke and Temple of No God, it was Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. In Barrow of Winter, it was God of War: Ragnarok.

Which only serves to enrich the experience so to speak.

In Barrow of Winter the author continues the trend of showing a new angle to the world, while giving us a female protagonist who's compelling enough to want to follow. Thray was someone who interested me very much while I was reading Temple of No God. And I was very ecstatic to see that she was the protagonist of the next standalone book in the series.

She is on the lesser rational side when in comparison to the older Hessa for example, but she did somewhat remind me of the younger one at times. The sense of drive or purpose that governs Thray is very personal in comparison to any other journey we've been on in this world so far, and that was awesome to follow.

Alongside enjoying the politicking angles as well.

The main thing that I enjoyed about this however, is as mentioned earlier, the enriched world building because of it. There are so many things in this world that we have yet to see, from countries to hierarchies, to gods, to entities, to creatures, temples, beliefs and what happened after? as well. H. M. Long takes the time in showing all of this through Thray's journey and it was incredibly fun, while raising a few points of interests as well.

When it comes to battles, and abilities as well, the author is more than capable of delivering something blood pumping. Although in this particular case, I wished for a lot more than the brief scenes of it past the 60% mark. But, I don't doubt that there is a lot more to come.

Despite all of these praises however, there is something that I really don't appreciate in this series as a whole. And it is, without a doubt, the attempts at a romance.

As a hater of that awful genre, I can tell you that Barrow of Winter is not as excessive with it as the predecessor. However, like the predecessor, it still lessens the enjoyment I got while going through it. If the love interest isn't written in very toxic ways, they're written to just be an extra source of an unneeded hindrance to the main character and none of that is fun nor interesting.

Though that's just me.

Regardless, it's a fun book overall. And despite my own lessened enjoyment, I don't doubt that someone who doesn't care as much would enjoy it immensely. I'm very curious to see who are the protagonists in the fourth (final?) book in this series of standalones, because I can think of two pairs that fit after reading Barrow of Winter and it'll be interesting either way.

Definitely looking forward to it, and hopefully it end the series with a bang!

Final rating: 3.5/5

Barrow of Winter is the third book in Hall of Smoke fantasy series set in a tribal world of old and new gods and the peoples who used to worship them until Hessa, the protagonist of the first two books, destroyed the system and killed some gods, making way for one true god and their three primal god siblings. Events take place twenty-five years after the first book.

The protagonist is Thray, Hessa’s adoptive niece. She’s the daughter of Ogam, a winter god killed by his goddess mother, and a human woman. She’s serving as a priestess of the one true god in a small fishing village, preparing to get married, but she is plagued by the question of her immortality.

She’s put herself time and again in situations where she should die. Every time, she’s saved by her grandfather, Winter. So, when people arrive from north to her village and tell her there are plenty of Ogam’s children where they come from and they can give her the answer, she leaves with them, despite Winter’s warnings.

Things aren’t well in the north after Ogam’s death, and Thray’s siblings aren’t what she had hoped they would be. She doesn’t know who to trust and what to do with the answer she finally receives—or how to deal with the way it was delivered. She’s at odds with her family too, Hessa and her brother, for lying about being on a mission from god, so returning home isn’t appealing either. And then she has to choose between her newfound siblings and her homeland.

This was a good book. The pace was fast, there was nothing unnecessary, and the ending was satisfying and conclusive, though rather painlessly delivered. Thray, the sole point of view character, was compelling, even if she wasn’t quite as complex as Hessa as a protagonist, and rather obstinate in her quest. I didn’t share her idea that if she turned out to be an immortal, she wouldn’t be able to love anyone because she would have to watch them die, but that was the only way she was able to see things.

There were many secondary characters, but most of them didn’t have an impact on the story. Bad guys were fairly obvious, but there were interesting characters among them too. Thray’s fiancé was a bit of a bore and only existed to follow her around like a puppy, with no say on decisions about their relationship. Hessa only had a small side role, but it was interesting to see her from the outside, after spending two books watching the events from her point of view.

This was a stand-alone book, and if it turns out to be the last in the series, it leaves things in a satisfying place. But the ending was open enough for new adventures too. I wouldn’t mind reading more.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating = 2.75, rounded up to 3

"'Some of Ogam's Get are 'just' men and women. They live and die like their mothers. But you've yet to learn what you are.'"

Barrow of Winter ("BoW") is the third Hall of Smoke novel, a series of high fantasy novels that can be read as standalones. I have read the first two books (Hall of Smoke & Temple of No God) so can't really speak to what it would be like to read BoW on its own.

BoW is the first book in this series that doesn't follow Hessa, focusing instead on Thray, the daughter of Ogam (son of Winter and Eang who is killed in book one) and Sixnit (Hessa's BFF). While he was definitely an antagonist, I really liked Ogam's character, so was excited to read about his daughter.

The short of it is that Thray has never really felt like she fit in among the Eangen people, given the animosity towards her father's memory and not knowing if she's immortal or not. She does have relationships with those around her, being a beloved niece, a priestess, and engaged, but she tends to hold herself apart. When she gets the chance to follow a newly discovered half-sibling up north to meet the rest of Ogam's children she takes it, under false pretenses. BoW is basically a quest novel, with Thray trying to understand who she is.

Since is the third book in a series and I don't want to spoil anything that isn't spoiled just by the summary, I've posted some random thoughts below.

- Thray isn't as fun to read from as Hessa. They're two very different people so it's not surprising that they'll have different reading experiences, but Hessa is a bit more proactive, so she comes across as having more agency.
- There are some sections that act as flashbacks and I didn't think they were particularly necessary. I understand what Long was doing, but I think it would've been less disruptive to either work these in to the normal text as flashbacks/memories, or just have the book start with a series of time jumps.
- It was really nice to encounter some legacy characters I loved from the first two books.
- The romantic subplot in this is super toxic and it's almost entirely because of Thray. She doesn't treat her fiancé, Havar, well at all and it made it even harder to connect with her character. Now I actually enjoy reading about toxic relationships and think having one falls in line with Long's interesting approach to romantic subplots in general, but the way this one was integrated felt forced. It either should've received less or more priority within the overall story.
- BoW includes the "Prophetic Dream" trope which is a personal pet peeve of mine. I didn't count that against the rating though, just a fair warning to anyone else who finds it annoying.
- I wish the relationship between Thray and Vistic would've been prioritized a bit more, as he's a very interesting character.
- The writing is more repetitive than I remember books one and two being, but that could just be me misremembering.
- Arune is a major saving grace in this novel and I loved him. He was also the only Winterborn who was at all likable, the way Ogam was.
- At 60% into the text I was super bored and pushed forward more out of loyalty to the series than real interest in this specific story.
- Only at like 65% in are there any actual stakes.
- This is going to be vague to avoid spoilers, but there is something that happens to a character that feels completely shoe-horned in to make the rest of the plot make sense. Like, to the point that it feels like this event didn't happen in earlier versions and it was added in to close the plot hole. I understand the decision, but there were probably more organic ways to handle it.
- There is a scene about 75% of the way in that has, BY FAR, the most tension in the novel and it's from the romantic subplot, IE, has nothing to do with the "stakes" of the story.
- There was a background mystery that I honestly hadn't cared enough about to try solving, but the big reveal wasn't exactly a shocker. It did make sense for the storyline though, so take that how you will.
- While the climax of the novel was exciting, it felt a bit anti-climatic given all the buildup. Honestly, this book could've been significantly shorter and that probably would've helped the pacing issues.
- There are a few typos but I assume those will be fixed in the final draft.
- The Epilogue seemingly sets up the next novel.

TL;DR = BoW was not as good as the first two books in the series, but was more "meh" than "terrible" and I do plan to continue on with the series.

This was the perfect wintry read for the turn of a brand new year.

The third novel in the Hall of Smoke series reads as the start of a new duology, and follows Thray, the niece of Hessa (the protagonist from books 1 and 2), who is the last daughter of Winter whose legacy lies in ruin due to his treachery earlier in the series.

As it's been 2 years since I read Hall of Smoke, and a year since I read Temple of No God, some of the events and details were growing a bit hazy, but Long was able to work in the important things in a way that felt organic and not info-dumpy at all—I really appreciated how she managed to sprinkle in context from the conflict with the Old Gods and who specific people were. It helped ease me into Thray's world where she is a grown woman, facing her own challenges and having her own questions about her identity and place in the world.

We get to see Hessa and Uspa and Nui, as well as Gadr and others I grew to love in the first books, which is a treat. And I really appreciated the complex familial themes this third installment grapples with. Thray exists within the question of whether she has inherited any of her father's immortality, and she is scared of finding out the answer. To learn it has the potential to upend everything she has built for herself—her home, her friendships, her priesthood, her marriage to Havar. The latter left me with an ache in my chest for how things turned out. Maybe we'll get to see more in Hall of Smoke 4??

Apart from the themes and characters, the action scenes are awesome, too. I have loved Long's depictions of flawed yet powerful women, and the manifestation of scream power is so much fun. There are also huge bear-wolf creatures, enormous sea serpents, frigid winterscapes, a land of eternal night, enchanted weapons, shield surfing (or sledding). Reading Barrow of Winter offers a few days to explore a bone-cold northern wilderness, take in its northern lights, stay the night in forlorn tombs, and learn whether family is an obligation bound by blood or something other.

It's hard for me to pick which book is my favorite so far—I've loved all for their own themes and contained stories.

Really looking forward to book 4!

I've more or less devoured H.M. Barrows previous works in this series, so obviously I needed to read "Barrow of Winter", especially considering it's Thray's story. Half human, half god, Thray doesn't quite know what to make of herself - but finding out who she is turns out to be more dangerous than she expected. I really liked this newest entry into the Hall of Smoke series, I daresay I enjoyed it more than the second book in the series, which left me a little disappointed.

Thray's story is exciting, the writing as strong and beautiful as ever, the pacing a lot more fast-paced than I'm used to in the series. I actually quite liked that. "Barrow of Winter" is never boring, it kept me on my toes the entire time. Thray is an intriguing protagonist, and I loved how we got a glimpse of already known characters but the story very much focused on Thray and her half-siblings, the Winterborn. She's a complex character, loveable, flawed and lost, and I really felt for her. I also enjoyed the new side-characters.

All in all, I definitely loved this more than the second book, but wasn't quite as blown away by it than I was with the first one. It's a worthy addition and makes me crave even more, and I'm excited to find out what else Long can do with this series.

Barrow of Winter shows Long focusing on the strongest aspects of her writing, balancing periods of introspective isolation in the wilderness with sections of complicated relationships and cultural interaction. Thray is not the most distinctive protagonist - this finding out where you belong narrative is very familiar - but her visceral fear of immortality makes a nice point of difference and there's a real maturity to her relationships. Plotwise, this does feel quite standard, but not in a bad way - the progression feels very natural - and I don't have tons to say on a thematic level, but I enjoyed it enough. I must flag however, that in a very cishet world, the only indication of a gay character is a predatory man - this is now three of three books in this series where homosexuality has been tied to abuse and/or misfortune, where it exists at all, and I am not impressed. Whether intentional or not, this is a pattern that sours my impression of an otherwise swiftly maturing series.