Temple of No God (The Four Pillars)

4.25.Long’s second novel is an enjoyable continuation of Hessa’s arc, and I think it offers a fantastic setup for HOS3, with the whole conflict surrounding the Iskiri. I did find the subplot with the character of Mrandr super fascinating and especially liked the situation with Uspa. It’ll be neat to see how she develops in the next book.I remember it taking nearly one-third of the way through Hall of Smoke for it to really capture my attention; that wasn’t the case in Temple of No God. Right away, I was sucked into the story, and I think the more mature themes of marriage, parenthood, duty, and loss resonated more with me. Hessa is 30 now, which is still several years younger than I, but I was able to relate to her insecurities and hopes at this stage of her life more so than the last book.One of the major themes I appreciated about this installment was the need to create purpose for one’s life, and then to just live it. Not dwelling in the past.I was also glad to see romantic tension in this book; relationships are a normal part of the human existence—even if that human has godlike qualities—and I thought it helped ground Hessa, making her more relatable.I also liked the introduction of Nui. I very much enjoy animal companions in books, and Nui offered just the right amount of puppy mischief for a world grappling with political strife and mysterious death magic.We do get to see some creatures and beasts, which is always a treat. My only qualm is I want more of it!The chapters were snappier in this book which helped with pacing and keeping me hooked, and I really enjoyed the fight scenes. I wanted more of the bigger battles, which I thought Hall of Smoke did really well, but I suspect we’ll see more of that in the next one.Overall, Long is a talented writer with a knack for balancing the broody and forlorn with the action, and I’ll be anticipating HOS3.

This was a great sequel, and I already have the next book on my shelf. I love the viking vibes, the warrior spirit, the world, and the character development. The relationship between this found family, especially Hessa and Imir, is amazing!

Temple of No God is the follow-up to H. M. Long’s excellent Hall of Smoke. It is fantasy set in a pre-industrial, tribal world that resembles partly ancient China, partly native American cultures, and partly ancient Rome, with a unique pantheon thrown in the mix.At the end of the first book, Hessa, the last remaining priestess of warrior goddess Eang, killed all the false gods, hers included, and freed an ancient god Thvynder. This book takes place ten years later. Hessa is the High Priestess and the leader of her people. They’ve had a chance to rebuild their villages, but every year, she leads her tribe to raid the border areas with Arpa, the old enemy of her people, now in disarray without gods and the emperor who gets his power from them.Then a new god arises in Arpa, and with it a possibility that there will be an emperor once more. Hessa’s god sends the people who worship them to Arpa to make sure the right person is crowned as the emperor. The book is one long campaign that ends at the temple of no god in the middle of the Arpa empire, where the divine coronation is to take place.This was a good book. Well-written and well-paced, with a straightforward plot that was easy to follow. The chapters were short and there was nothing unnecessary.But it wasn’t as great as the first book. Nothing was truly at stake, despite the possibility that the rebuilt empire would ignite the ancient warfare. Hessa, the sole point of view character, had nothing to lose. The need to keep her people safe was a good incentive to take on the campaign, but it wasn’t enough to carry the plot.The first book built on Hessa slowly realising that the goddess she had worshipped and killed for was false, and the reader was taken on a journey of revelation and growth with her. Her rage and need to revenge the people she loved drove the plot.This book had nothing. The gods are gone and so is Hessa’s rage. She’s a ghost of her former self. There’s no fervour and nothing drives her. The emotional bonds she formed in the previous book are on the background, and the few scenes where she shows affection to her family members feel tagged on. She never has to act on any of her beliefs and she isn’t tested. Not even coming face to face with her former torturer elicit a proper reaction from her and she’s perfectly willing to go with him simply because he has lost his memory of the events.The emotional payload here is about Hessa’s marriage. Between the books, Hessa has married High Priest Imnir, an odd choice that made me wonder if I’d missed a book because he wasn’t in the first one. We learn nothing about him and don’t have a chance to form an emotional bond with him when we already learn that the marriage is failing.Imnir is struggling with the loss of his first family, which drives his actions, but which have no emotional meaning for the reader, as we haven’t been there. Hessa, secure with her family and tribe, has nothing to contribute to his struggle. She wants family and children, but not so much that she would force him to confront his grief that is over a decade old already.We catch up at the tail-end of the marriage, without witnessing the good there might have been and what has been lost. Hessa’s dithering between letting him go and trying to make the marriage work has no meaning. Imnir’s actions fail to make the impact they’re supposed to, because Hessa doesn’t truly care and so the reader doesn’t care. Compared with the betrayals of Hessa’s goddess in the first book, the lack of emotional impact becomes even more pronounced.Nevertheless, the book was satisfying enough, even if it was light compared with the first. Hessa wasn’t all-powerful, despite the magic she carries, and the solution at the end that worked best for her people came with some personal sacrifice for her. It would’ve meant more, however, if the author had concentrated on the friendships formed in the first book instead of the emotionless marriage. The ending left me feeling good for having read the book, but nothing much else. It doesn’t seem like there will be more books, but I’m sure I’ll read them if there are.

‘Temple of No God’ by H.M. Long is listed as a standalone sequel to ‘Hall of Smoke’. Yet given that its protagonist and narrator, Hessa, remained the same, even if ten years have passed, it really didn’t feel especially standalone.While Long does include a useful glossary of names after the main text, I felt that she was light on providing background on previous and interlinking events. This left me struggling a little in the beginning even though I enjoyed reconnecting to Hessa’s voice and Long’s storytelling style.There was plenty of action that quickly proved immersive. I also enjoyed seeing how Hessa’s various relationships developed including with her new canine companion, Nui.Overall, I found ‘Temple of No God’ a well constructed epic fantasy and am looking forward to the two further novels set within this fascinating world.

Arrived on time and well packaged.Bought for my daughter who has started reading the series and finished book 1. The book arrived quickly and in perfect new condition. Everything as expected and per item description.No complaints.5*Thank you 😃