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Hall of Mosses #1
Hall of Mosses
There’s a whisper in the forest. Are you listening? Deep in the forest, lost and found amongst the trees, Juniper Tiernan seeks refuge from the world. Safe from the unpredictability of humanity, she finds comfort in her solitude beneath the shelter of the trees. After years of splitting her time between the real world and her earth-made sanctuary, she discovers her connection with nature has taken a strange turn. When the trees begin to speak, her logic suspects lunacy while her heart craves more. She desperately wants to believe the voices are real and recruits the ear of her friend Roscoe, an Olympic National Park ranger, who cannot hear the voices and deems her claims impossible. But as time passes the trees’ grim prophecies come to fruition and Juniper’s claims appear validated. Roscoe is forced to question his initial doubts and both are thrust into undesired roles of responsibility. The world as they know it is shifting and if the whispered predictions are correct, all life on Earth will be shattered. Though the trees guide her to safety, persuading others to follow is a challenge. Unsure how to proceed and ensure the survival of her loved ones, she does all she can to convince them to accompany her to the Hall of Mosses. With fierce determination and a resolute trust in nature, Juniper marches toward an uncertain fate.
- GenresFantasy
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2016
8 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Nicoline Evans
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 22, 2019
This book has a really cool concept and character ideas and a beautiful cover. The author also sells gorgeous character art on her website. But for all that, the execution felt very rough and unpolished and the story didn't really do it for me. Here are some things I would have liked from this story:
Actual exploration of concrete environmental issues. So Juniper is the Champion of the Trees. What does that mean? Well, basically Mother Nature is going to wipe out the vast majority of human life except for seven nature champions and their small followings of people who are "pure of heart" and connected to nature. This whole "genocide by nature"narrative is pretty tough to swallow, but I think it could have been bearable if it had been framed like "the earth is dying and this is literally a last ditch effort to save itself." I would have liked for the trees to talk to Juniper about issues of deforestation and forest degradation, and for the Air Champion to deal with things like the ozone layer depletion. Instead, Gaia's primary gripe with humanity was apparently all the wars and violence, and her answer was...more violence. Without dealing with actual environmental issues, the themes of this book fell flat.
An animal champion. Okay, I know humans are animals but you know what I mean. In all this talk of these major natural disasters meant to wipe out all human life not chosen by the champions, there's no mention of animals. And these disasters would kill them, too. I mean, really, what did the wolves and the pangolins do to deserve this?
Dialogue that had been read aloud. Much of the dialogue in this book felt stiff and awkward, which I might have passed off as a character quirk if it wasn't...everyone. If I can read it silently and think, "This isn't how people talk," the author definitely did not do her due diligence of reading the dialogue out loud to see if it felt natural.
Better formatting. I have a physical copy of this book, and as beautiful as the cover was on the outside, the inside of the book was disappointing. I'm not very picky, but it looked like the author had just printed it off Microsoft Word. Everything was double-spaced, the chapter titles were bland center, bold, and underlined. I assume the font was Times New Roman. And the way the tree spirits spoke, <>, was very awkward.
Overall I think this COULD have been a good book, but it wasn't given the polish it needed and, well, it's out now.
Actual exploration of concrete environmental issues. So Juniper is the Champion of the Trees. What does that mean? Well, basically Mother Nature is going to wipe out the vast majority of human life except for seven nature champions and their small followings of people who are "pure of heart" and connected to nature. This whole "genocide by nature"narrative is pretty tough to swallow, but I think it could have been bearable if it had been framed like "the earth is dying and this is literally a last ditch effort to save itself." I would have liked for the trees to talk to Juniper about issues of deforestation and forest degradation, and for the Air Champion to deal with things like the ozone layer depletion. Instead, Gaia's primary gripe with humanity was apparently all the wars and violence, and her answer was...more violence. Without dealing with actual environmental issues, the themes of this book fell flat.
An animal champion. Okay, I know humans are animals but you know what I mean. In all this talk of these major natural disasters meant to wipe out all human life not chosen by the champions, there's no mention of animals. And these disasters would kill them, too. I mean, really, what did the wolves and the pangolins do to deserve this?
Dialogue that had been read aloud. Much of the dialogue in this book felt stiff and awkward, which I might have passed off as a character quirk if it wasn't...everyone. If I can read it silently and think, "This isn't how people talk," the author definitely did not do her due diligence of reading the dialogue out loud to see if it felt natural.
Better formatting. I have a physical copy of this book, and as beautiful as the cover was on the outside, the inside of the book was disappointing. I'm not very picky, but it looked like the author had just printed it off Microsoft Word. Everything was double-spaced, the chapter titles were bland center, bold, and underlined. I assume the font was Times New Roman. And the way the tree spirits spoke, <>, was very awkward.
Overall I think this COULD have been a good book, but it wasn't given the polish it needed and, well, it's out now.
May 17, 2020
I think this was the wrong time to read this book lol feels like mother nature is getting ready to purge us while we are all on quarantine lol. Anyway....I meet Nicoline Evans at C2E2 and she was super nice. (She did not ask me to write this review btw) I loved her art work that accompanied the series. That's what drew me in. I really loved that her stories included several women of different nationalities.
I enjoyed reading this book. Very interesting concept. My only gripe with it is (Spoiler alert) Juniper nor Roscoe, although given very little time to prepare, never thought to stock up on any kind of supplies! Just the bare essentials would have crossed the minds of someone I think. But oh well. I'm interested to see how this whole thing plays out. I was surprised the apocalypse came within book 1 and didnt get drawn out.
I enjoyed reading this book. Very interesting concept. My only gripe with it is (Spoiler alert) Juniper nor Roscoe, although given very little time to prepare, never thought to stock up on any kind of supplies! Just the bare essentials would have crossed the minds of someone I think. But oh well. I'm interested to see how this whole thing plays out. I was surprised the apocalypse came within book 1 and didnt get drawn out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2021
TW: Book mentions sexual violence
This story takes a little while to pick up, but it was hard to put down once I got into it.
The action and imagery are vivid: a mix of apocalypse horror, nature tranquility, and the empowerment of community and sisterhood.
Juniper is relatable in her struggles with basic human connection after living a life filled with trauma. She is flawed yet finds her footing as a leader as she contemplates the impossible question of who is worthy of survival.
I agree with other reviews that it could be polished regarding character POV whiplash and formatting. Yet, I still got hooked by the action, the concept of a new world order ruled by all-female nature champions, and the moments I asked myself, "What would I do?"
As soon as I finished Hall of Mosses, I knew I needed to read Field of Ashes and Vale of Fire. They just came in, and I did the book delivery happy dance.
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to support a self-published author while escaping to a world that reminds you of the awe and travesty inherent in the power of nature.
This story takes a little while to pick up, but it was hard to put down once I got into it.
The action and imagery are vivid: a mix of apocalypse horror, nature tranquility, and the empowerment of community and sisterhood.
Juniper is relatable in her struggles with basic human connection after living a life filled with trauma. She is flawed yet finds her footing as a leader as she contemplates the impossible question of who is worthy of survival.
I agree with other reviews that it could be polished regarding character POV whiplash and formatting. Yet, I still got hooked by the action, the concept of a new world order ruled by all-female nature champions, and the moments I asked myself, "What would I do?"
As soon as I finished Hall of Mosses, I knew I needed to read Field of Ashes and Vale of Fire. They just came in, and I did the book delivery happy dance.
I recommend this book for anyone who wants to support a self-published author while escaping to a world that reminds you of the awe and travesty inherent in the power of nature.
March 24, 2024
Sadly disappointing. I am a big fan of Nicoline Evans and have read several of her books, and this is the first one I didn't like.
A big issue to start is that it feels like two different books. The first half is about the MC's trauma and past, and the second half is a disaster epic about nature wreaking revenge on humanity, and they barely feel connected. Once the MC's evil ex-boyfriend meets his end, her trauma is barely discussed again. Which is a shame, because it MIGHT have explained why she is so callous about the deaths of others and loyal to the genocidal plants. But none of that is really explored in depth, so instead she just comes across as a self-serving sociopath instead of a morally-complicated messiah. We are TOLD that she struggled over the reality of the Nature Genocide for weeks, but not SHOWN at all.
There is certainly an environmental message to this book, but it's definitely a white westerner's idea of environmental justice. You know, where all of humanity is equally culpable and being really into camping makes you morally superior to the rest of us, regardless of economic factors and inequality. It's hard to swallow that Juniper is Super Duper Speshul because she traipses around in national parks while her nature spirit friends kill millions of people in the developing world who would likely take years to produce the same carbon footprint as her round-trip flight across the US at the beginning of the book.
IMO Nicoline Evans is at her strongest when she is exploring personal trauma and atmospheric magical-realism. The first half is more like this, and I was enjoying it up to that point. But if you take a hard turn into moralizing on the environment, you have to be prepared for said morality to be analyzed, and it just doesn't hold up to scrutiny. She clearly wanted this to be a Blue-And-Orange morality system where nature is a harsh and uncaring mistress, but was unwilling to commit. Are people's auras (which are said to save them if green enough) greener due to their personal morality, sustainability of their lifestyle, or the amount of "nature" in their immediate eyeline? At different times the book says differently, but these are not interchangeable (someone living in an apartment in NYC and taking public transport is living a far more sustainable lifestyle than someone in the suburbs who sees more animals and trees but has a detatched single-family-home and a car). Having your protagonist argue for the merits of millions of people dying (but not HER friends and loved ones!!) is always going to be a hard sell and this book just does not sell it.
A big issue to start is that it feels like two different books. The first half is about the MC's trauma and past, and the second half is a disaster epic about nature wreaking revenge on humanity, and they barely feel connected. Once the MC's evil ex-boyfriend meets his end, her trauma is barely discussed again. Which is a shame, because it MIGHT have explained why she is so callous about the deaths of others and loyal to the genocidal plants. But none of that is really explored in depth, so instead she just comes across as a self-serving sociopath instead of a morally-complicated messiah. We are TOLD that she struggled over the reality of the Nature Genocide for weeks, but not SHOWN at all.
There is certainly an environmental message to this book, but it's definitely a white westerner's idea of environmental justice. You know, where all of humanity is equally culpable and being really into camping makes you morally superior to the rest of us, regardless of economic factors and inequality. It's hard to swallow that Juniper is Super Duper Speshul because she traipses around in national parks while her nature spirit friends kill millions of people in the developing world who would likely take years to produce the same carbon footprint as her round-trip flight across the US at the beginning of the book.
IMO Nicoline Evans is at her strongest when she is exploring personal trauma and atmospheric magical-realism. The first half is more like this, and I was enjoying it up to that point. But if you take a hard turn into moralizing on the environment, you have to be prepared for said morality to be analyzed, and it just doesn't hold up to scrutiny. She clearly wanted this to be a Blue-And-Orange morality system where nature is a harsh and uncaring mistress, but was unwilling to commit. Are people's auras (which are said to save them if green enough) greener due to their personal morality, sustainability of their lifestyle, or the amount of "nature" in their immediate eyeline? At different times the book says differently, but these are not interchangeable (someone living in an apartment in NYC and taking public transport is living a far more sustainable lifestyle than someone in the suburbs who sees more animals and trees but has a detatched single-family-home and a car). Having your protagonist argue for the merits of millions of people dying (but not HER friends and loved ones!!) is always going to be a hard sell and this book just does not sell it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2020
The first half was really boring, the second half was insane. I was seriously considering giving this up in the first half, but around the halfway mark things really picked up. I would rate the first half one star and the second half 3 stars because I enjoyed it ironically. The second half is batshit crazy, but it is extremely enjoyable if you don't get too freaked out by death/apocalypse stuff and aren't taking it too seriously. I did like the message of the main character learning to open up to people for help, but the environmental messages weren't executed well. Overall, if you like stories that are a little extreme, this is for you. But if you want to read something vaguely believable or have an environmental message that actually makes sense, this isn't for you.
Three stars because I enjoyed in a "This is laughably insane" way and there was obviously passion in it. I love the authors writing style and will probably read her books that are not in this series when she publishes them.
Three stars because I enjoyed in a "This is laughably insane" way and there was obviously passion in it. I love the authors writing style and will probably read her books that are not in this series when she publishes them.
June 4, 2018
I love to see a new writer taking a chance to publish a book and try to get it in the hands of readers. Ms. Evans may be young and inexperienced, but her story was well researched, kept the reader motivated to the next chapter and the ending was perfect. I can do the casting for the movie from her description of the characters in the bar including Juniper with a hint of a New York accent on some key words. Looking forward to reading another one of her books this year. I already know an eighteen year old young lady I am going to pass this book on to read. Books are made to be shared. I love when someone suggests or shares something with me. I have a busy life, but even if you read one or two books a year, reading takes you places and keeps you sharp. This book is great for young adults to turn them into readers, reminding me a little of the stranger things series on nexflix, but better because it is about nature and our planet in trouble.
December 24, 2023
I thought that the overall story was very captivating. Nicoline is an excellent detailed writer. Describing the characters, their clothing, the world they are living in; she did beautifully. The only critique I have is that the dialog that would take place between the characters seemed a little too formal and didn’t have a unique personality/quirk that would differentiate each of the characters. For example, Eshe being from Africa, her speaking could have been written in a broken English to give her that “accent”. I feel like that would have helped give the reader a more immersive experience into the world that these Champions are working so hard to help save.
Wonderful and easy read.
Wonderful and easy read.
November 3, 2024
The story idea is great. The art is great. It's written in a way that is easy to see in your minds eye. However, there were a lot of parts that were rushed. For example, (SPOILER ALERT) when some of the families reunited, it was not detailed at all. There wasn't enough description of each families reactions, it did not allow the reader adequate time to feel the joy and relief of the moment. That was the most regrettable specifically rushed part.
The main character seemed "too special" and it didn't feel like she had enough realistic struggle figuring out how to meet expectations, everything came too easy to her.
The main character seemed "too special" and it didn't feel like she had enough realistic struggle figuring out how to meet expectations, everything came too easy to her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2018
I met Nicoline at BookCon 2018 and purchased this book there.
The story was pretty good, though pulling in so many other characters in half way through the book meant a little lack of depth and a bit of reader whiplash. The characterization was very good. I wanted to be with these people. The settings were vivid. I sort of love and hate the elements of nature at the same time. I’m interested to see where this series goes.
I could see this made in to a TV show or mini series I would enjoy watching.
The story was pretty good, though pulling in so many other characters in half way through the book meant a little lack of depth and a bit of reader whiplash. The characterization was very good. I wanted to be with these people. The settings were vivid. I sort of love and hate the elements of nature at the same time. I’m interested to see where this series goes.
I could see this made in to a TV show or mini series I would enjoy watching.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2022
I rather throughly enjoyed this! It took me from the middle of the book to really get into the story. The beginning is on the slow side for me. However I'm thinking the author intended for the reader to understand the main characters first beforehand. It also jumps around from the main storyline to other small characters which threw me off sometimes since I was more heavily invested to the main storyline. The world the author creates is very different and intriguing to me. Basically a throwback to before technology took over. Will definitely be looking forward to reading more of this series.
December 29, 2024
This was a really refreshing and interesting read! I loved the premise and it was different than anything I’ve read. Unlike some other reviews, I found this to be a fast read. I think it picks up pretty quickly and jumps right into the magical aspect of the story. The MC was easy to feel for and want to root for. The romance was definitely rushed but honestly a subplot so I wasn’t too bothered by that. I’m looking forward to getting the other books in the series! I also had the pleasure of meeting the author and it was amazing seeing her love and passion for her books!
September 6, 2019
I met the author at NY comic con a few years ago and loved the books. I’ve been patiently waiting for more in the series.
Juniper is a great character. She’s over come a lot and is strong and dependable. I loved Roscoe too.
I thought the plot was really interesting. Did some of the family stuff need to happen to keep the book interesting? I don’t think so. It did get a little long. And sometimes the author is repetitive. But I still love it.
Juniper is a great character. She’s over come a lot and is strong and dependable. I loved Roscoe too.
I thought the plot was really interesting. Did some of the family stuff need to happen to keep the book interesting? I don’t think so. It did get a little long. And sometimes the author is repetitive. But I still love it.
June 18, 2024
I enjoyed the authenticity of the FMC with regard to her experience and response to trauma, her family members and ex boyfriend. To read a little of her healing journey added depth of character. Giving 5 stars because I find where she started and her connection to nature to offer a lot to consider with the current addiction crisis.
The connection with nature, appreciation for earth and the balance of everything was refreshing to see in a romantasy style novel.
The connection with nature, appreciation for earth and the balance of everything was refreshing to see in a romantasy style novel.
January 5, 2024
I follow Nicoline on social media and know from photos she enjoys nature. So when we see the MCs life as at home in nature, specifically in the PNW, I could picture this as a kind of personal narrative of the author in way. Plus having hiked some of the locations I could see the peace the MC found out in the wilderness.
This story had an interesting take on Armageddon.
This story had an interesting take on Armageddon.
January 15, 2024
I love Nicoline’s books, but I think this has become my new favorite. This book had action and hooked me from the beginning. Such an interesting concept and a prequel to Evo: The Elements, there were some expectations. However, there were twists and surprises.
August 19, 2017
Excellent read. It was interesting yet complicated enough. The characters were developed wonderfully. She is a great writer.
September 15, 2020
The first part of this book was just bad. Poorly written, overly depressing, and boring. The second half had a good plot that just never fully panned out.
November 1, 2021
Poetic and entertaining. I enjoyed the read and plan to explore more of the author's books.
March 2, 2022
I absolutely loved this book!
December 22, 2023
I didn't even make it that far into the book. I shut it and don't intend to finish it. The hate projected to one person is almost too much. I will never know why, but I was annoyed.
June 5, 2024
I have the same feeling as most of the other negative posts. I got 80 pages in to this book and could not waste anymore time reading it.
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May 26, 2021I loved it so much! I think it is my favorite book that isn't a graphic novel! I have the whole seiries and getting ready to read book two, Hall of ashes! The detail this book goes in just makes it feel like I am really there. Can't wait to start book two.
May 26, 2020
Y'all. THIS. BOOK. Not only is this concept something so different, so new, so inspiring, IT'S SIMPLY THE BEST BOOK EVER. A diverse set of women coming together through the unification of the earth? Worshipping Mother Earth? I'm LIVING FOR THIS BOOK. If it became a movie, I think I would die. It would be so so sooooo amazing. And Imma cosplay as Juniper next year at BookCon because my tree-loving ass was all for this.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews