What do you think?
Rate this book
Hallowed
Avenel was once a fabled assassin known as the Blade of Elyria. Ever tight-lipped about her past, she retired from a life of death to wander the world alone. Deena is a sheltered teenage girl unaware of her extraordinary heritage. Raised alone by her mother, she has never been far from home.
Their paths cross in Deena’s secluded village, when tragedy obliterates Deena’s home and leaves her orphaned. The two begin a journey across the continent, bound together by Avenel’s promise to keep Deena safe. They encounter allies, both new and a biological father, a bastard prince and his friends, estranged family, and a physician who claims to be a member of a long-dead race. Each has regrets and painful memories of their own, memories that Deena soon discovers she can relive through dreams.
When a prophesied sign of the end of the world appears, their journey becomes about more than just the fate of a single girl, and the secrets between them may be enough to save the world — or end it.
Their paths cross in Deena’s secluded village, when tragedy obliterates Deena’s home and leaves her orphaned. The two begin a journey across the continent, bound together by Avenel’s promise to keep Deena safe. They encounter allies, both new and a biological father, a bastard prince and his friends, estranged family, and a physician who claims to be a member of a long-dead race. Each has regrets and painful memories of their own, memories that Deena soon discovers she can relive through dreams.
When a prophesied sign of the end of the world appears, their journey becomes about more than just the fate of a single girl, and the secrets between them may be enough to save the world — or end it.
505 pages, Paperback
Published July 25, 2023
16 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 30, 2024
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely! 🔥
Hallowed by Y.R. Liu shows a lot of promise!
While there are plenty of tropes, and quite some flaws, the overall tone and voice kept me well entertained all the way through.
I enjoyed the main character. A somewhat naive girl who is definitely more passive and following along than having agency is usually not my type, but it was organically written and really fit her backstory. She is quite brave, and for once we have a young heroine, who does not have a love interest!
The side characters were a bit stereotypical, with the cold hearted assassin and so on, but there were a few nice surprises! Like a prince who is actually kind, and aman on power who is definitely on the spectrum. He's not a major character, but I enjoyed reading about someone who needs a clear rhythm to their day!
This book could have been quite a bit shorter, if you took out detailed descriptions of people who are only minor aide characters and such, and could be amazing if you instead added a bit more depth to characters and world building.
But even as is, this is a very enjoyable read that I breezed through in no time at all! While some bits are pretty predictable, it did catch me by surprise a few times, which is rather rare these days!
Even more impressive, seeing the author only has two books listed so far.
Hallowed by Y.R. Liu shows a lot of promise!
While there are plenty of tropes, and quite some flaws, the overall tone and voice kept me well entertained all the way through.
I enjoyed the main character. A somewhat naive girl who is definitely more passive and following along than having agency is usually not my type, but it was organically written and really fit her backstory. She is quite brave, and for once we have a young heroine, who does not have a love interest!
The side characters were a bit stereotypical, with the cold hearted assassin and so on, but there were a few nice surprises! Like a prince who is actually kind, and aman on power who is definitely on the spectrum. He's not a major character, but I enjoyed reading about someone who needs a clear rhythm to their day!
This book could have been quite a bit shorter, if you took out detailed descriptions of people who are only minor aide characters and such, and could be amazing if you instead added a bit more depth to characters and world building.
But even as is, this is a very enjoyable read that I breezed through in no time at all! While some bits are pretty predictable, it did catch me by surprise a few times, which is rather rare these days!
Even more impressive, seeing the author only has two books listed so far.
June 22, 2024
Against the backdrop of a prophesied end of the world, a found family of societal rejects searches for their place in the world.
Although this hints at overused tropes, the book takes a unique approach on this theme. I would describe this as a cozy, melancholy slice of life.
While it appears to be an adventure fantasy, I would approach this more as a character study. Initially, I felt the characters lacked voice or emotion but after finishing, I realize that might be the whole point. Deena and Avenel have built walls around themselves so they will often play it down when something happens to them. Their relationship dynamic is interesting to experience and the group banter offers some fun. Overall, this book has an impact on me. It has a unique charm that I can’t put my finger on yet.
There are flaws, results of writing techniques I don’t agree with. Especially in terms of pacing and development. There’s a few chapters that feel jarring or even dragging, especially the “going from place to place” scenes. I think those can be edited down to be less. At some point we’re also introduced to a lot of characters that don’t have a big role to play. I often wondered why there’s so much time spent on them, while it could’ve been spent on more world building. In finishing this, however, it might be a reference to the state of life, it just moves on whether you like it or not. And there are a few times where the telling would really take the upper hand, instead of showing.
The final third act, however, sets the tone and has boosted my appreciation. The pacing goes up, the writing improves, and there’s a lot more at stake. I don’t say this a lot but I would recommend sticking this one out if you’re having doubts. It really takes a turn and in the end and the pieces fall together.
I’d put this in a category of books that lack focus here and there, have room for improvement and editing, yet they’re enjoyable. Also, the author wasn't kidding when she mentioned she writes sad books... damn.
While it appears to be an adventure fantasy, I would approach this more as a character study. Initially, I felt the characters lacked voice or emotion but after finishing, I realize that might be the whole point. Deena and Avenel have built walls around themselves so they will often play it down when something happens to them. Their relationship dynamic is interesting to experience and the group banter offers some fun. Overall, this book has an impact on me. It has a unique charm that I can’t put my finger on yet.
There are flaws, results of writing techniques I don’t agree with. Especially in terms of pacing and development. There’s a few chapters that feel jarring or even dragging, especially the “going from place to place” scenes. I think those can be edited down to be less. At some point we’re also introduced to a lot of characters that don’t have a big role to play. I often wondered why there’s so much time spent on them, while it could’ve been spent on more world building. In finishing this, however, it might be a reference to the state of life, it just moves on whether you like it or not. And there are a few times where the telling would really take the upper hand, instead of showing.
The final third act, however, sets the tone and has boosted my appreciation. The pacing goes up, the writing improves, and there’s a lot more at stake. I don’t say this a lot but I would recommend sticking this one out if you’re having doubts. It really takes a turn and in the end and the pieces fall together.
I’d put this in a category of books that lack focus here and there, have room for improvement and editing, yet they’re enjoyable. Also, the author wasn't kidding when she mentioned she writes sad books... damn.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews