Hallow

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.