Barrow of Winter (The Four Pillars)

My goodness, what an AMAZING book!!!I’ve been a long time fan of H.M. Long’s books set in her bespoke viking-inspired fantasy world, where gods and humans aren’t so far apart from one another.Barrow of Winter is the newest addition to this universe (which I got the honor to review in exchange for an ARC) and follows Thray, the adopted niece of Hessa, the protagonist from the first two books, and the daughter of Ogam, the wintry son of Winter and Eang.This book had a lot of elements that I love from this series - great characters, additional worldbuilding that is creative and enhances the plot, action scenes that draw you in, and overall, a great story that follows a Hero’s Journey theme. This book had all of those things, all while building up to an exciting conclusion.Thray is a flawed but compelling heroine - she yearns to find herself and figure out where she stands: with the gods or humans? You want to root for her, even when she catastrophically messes up, and her character development throughout the whole story really drew me in.It was, all in all, a wonderful read 🤍Barrow of Winter releases on January 31st - run, dont walk, to your local bookstore for a copy!

I don't think I'll ever get enough of H.M. Long and her snowy, hauntingly beautiful landscapes, her spellbinding prose, or her fierce women warriors. Barrow of Winter was absolutely gorgeous and had me up late at night, waking in the wee hours of the morning to finish. Loved this book SO VERY MUCH!

Thray is a demi-god, a daughter of Winter, who serves as a priestess for a local clan. But when unexpected visitors arrive on their shores and offer her a chance to visit the northern land where her father once ruled, she realizes this may be the only chance she has to learn about her bloodline. She travels with a couple of her demi-god siblings and learns that there are many more who rule the northlands. Upon her arrival, Thray finds herself torn between her former loyalties, her siblings, and the secrets and power struggles she becomes immersed in as she learns that her southern homeland may not be as safe as she always believed.Apparently, this is book three in a series, though that certainly wasn’t mentioned on the site where I requested it. It does make me wonder what my experience would have been like if I’d read the preceding books. That being said, I still quite enjoyed it, so I guess this can be read as a standalone with minimal issues!The world building was fascinating and well incorporated. Details surrounding the immortals, demi-gods, and religion were included throughout the plot and descriptions in ways that brought the world to life. I enjoyed the mythology of this fictional world and how thoroughly it was incorporated into the lives of the characters. I also enjoyed how well the setting and the dangers of the terrain/weather were utilized to add to the tale. The author did an excellent job with the atmosphere, creating an immersive story.This was by no means a quick read though. And not just related to length (it’s not that long), but more related to the pacing of the plot. It’s slow. There’s not much action, though there is some scattered throughout. The book is much more focused on Thray’s character, the intricacies of being a demi-god, and the power struggles related to that, especially surrounding having siblings who are 100+ older than you. It also emphasized politics, religion, and conflicting loyalties and desires. It took me a little bit to get into the read as I was expecting a more fast-paced, action-filled read, but once I adjusted my expectations, I quite enjoyed this read.If you enjoy slower fantasy reads that focus on worldbuilding more than action and are set in a Norse-like world, then this would be the read for you. My thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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.