Title: The Thirteen Hallows
Author: Michael Scott & Colette Freedman
ISBN: 9780765328526
Pages: 352
Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Sarah Miller is going about her day when she sees an old woman being attacked.  Little does she know that, in running to the woman’s rescue, her life will be changed irrevocably.  The woman, Judith, is a Keeper of one of the thirteen Hallows, a group of ancient and powerful artifacts that some will stop at nothing to obtain.  Sarah finds herself embroiled in a deadly supernatural battle with no knowledge of how to stop it.

Review:

The Thirteen Hallows is a mix of urban fantasy, the supernatural, and ancient history.  The Thirteen Hallows derive from Welsh history, and Scott and Freedman have brought them into the modern day setting with their novel.  As a result, the book is imbued with a fascinating mythology, one that any history lover will appreciate.  Setting the book inside existing legend gives the book a certain gravitas it would not have been able to create on its own.

Because Michael Scott is the author of some fantasy books aimed at young readers, some have assumed that The Thirteen Hallows is written for the same audience.  However, that is not the case.  This book is aimed at adults.  There is a lot of sex and violence in this book, gratuitous amounts in my opinion, so don’t give this book to your child on an assumption.  The gory depictions in this novel are difficult to stomach, and I’ll admit, I skimmed more than one stomach-turning scene.

Still, despite my distaste for the sheer amount of violence in this book, I did enjoy it quite a bit.  As discussed previously, the history is fascinating.  The main character, Sarah Miller, is appealing, and it’s really interesting to see how the Hallows change her over the course of the novel.  She is definitely not the same person at the end as the beginning, and I loved witnessing that development.  I will admit that I wished the book focused more on the history, less on the action, but The Thirteen Hallows is a novel that doesn’t let up for a second.

It’s clear that The Thirteen Hallows is the first in a series, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.  Scott and Freedman have set up a fascinating premise in this book, and I look forward to delving more into the hallows in future novels.  If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, I’d definitely consider checking this book out (at least, as long as you aren’t faint of heart).

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