Here at the fantasy-hive we don’t like numbers, or stars, or quantifiable ratings – although we do admit we have to give out numerical scores for all of the eventual finalists.

However, rather than put a score on each semifinalist each of our judges is going to rank them as we go through our reviews – inspired by the process used in the SPFBO Champion of Champions contest.

The winning book and chosen finalist will be the one with the best average ranking once all the reviews are done and the judges have ranked all six books. (If there should be a tie on average ranking then the winner will be the one with the most 1st places, if still tied then it will be the one with the most 2nd places and so on.)

This will make for a more dynamic leader table as books can shuffle up or down the list all the way to the sixth and final semi-finalist review.

So on to our fifth and penultimate semi-finalist review of THE HALLOWS where the judges will comment under the headings of worldbuilding, Prose, Character and Plot, before giving their pithy one line conclusions and fitting this week’s semifinalist into our overall ranking table.

Worldbuilding

Theo: It is a gloriously well-developed world, triggering so many associations for me as the author draws on rich veins of creativity. There is a noir Chandler-esque feel to the 1920s style city and the somewhat compromised character of our protagonist Camelia (Cam for short). Then there is the naming convention that the ‘assessors’ like Cam inherit names – like Men in Black had the monikers J and K handed down from agent to agent, but the names are grouped by the centre they work from – either the flower names by the guys from the Garden or the days of the week like Sunday from the Weeklies. It’s those delightful little touches that add texture to the world. And then there is a kind of X-men style distinction between the ‘auld bloods’ and the physically indistinguishable humans. The auld bloods have the ability to harness the drug Hallow to enhance powers – different powers like the strength of the stouts, the speed of the dashers, the luminescence of the shiners, but while Hallow can accentuate those powers, ultimately those auld bloods who use it will find it begins to mutate their bodies into strange forms and their careers into enforced and impoverished retirement. And as with the X-men or the mutants of 2000 AD fame, there is the suspicion and prejudice between the auld bloods and the humans – with fanatical factions within both constituencies advocating for extreme action.  And then there are the nuns of the Providence Company, supporting the auld bloods and smoothing their co-operation and participation in human life. At times it feels as if the ninja nuns of Mark Lawrence’s Sweet Mercy Convent in Red Sister have been merged with the most eccentric of the feisty nuns from Nonatus House in Call the Midwife, with a touch of Miss Peregine’s Home for Peculiar Children thrown in for good measure. Even the incidental locations like the Red Market are rendered in beautiful detail. All in all it makes for a wonderfully layered and immersive reading experience. 

Cat: There is so much going on in this book, I kept thinking I was reading one thing before it turned a corner into another! Initially I got the vibe of ‘Trainspotting’, with Hallow being the drug of choice; but then it does seem to merge into ‘X-Men’, with a bit of Ben Aaronovitch’s gritty city fantasy cop vibe to add spice. But this book is absolutely its own thing, and I found myself applauding that originality throughout the book. A familiar quasi-London, with people acting as they do in their daily lives… but a whole world going on underneath. I think the author has nailed what would happen if such powers became available in this world, as there’s such a great sense of humanity throughout, even as our main characters seem increasingly monstrous or otherworldly.

Vinay: What a fabulously imaginative world the author has created here. A world that has an organized religion which has now become a corporate and  a set of powered practitioners with a X-men-esque vibe juxtaposed with personal conflicts of the heart and a looming age-old conflict means that every page has something new, original and compelling There is a sense of tension that permeates the book especially when it comes to locations, both known and unknown. There is also the nascent stages of industrialization reflected in the cars and industries which lends a distinctive gritty flavor to the worldbuilding which makes this one of the best entries for the competition

Prose

Theo: The prose is very good, full of evocative descriptions and sharp lines. For example this of the gang all dressed up for a celebratory night out. Truthfully they just liked the look of themselves. Granted, Daffodil looked more like he was fighting his suit than wearing it, but still. Or – of the formidable doorman – The term ‘built like a brick shit house’ could have been coined to describe Angeli. He had the look of a man whose shadow could beat you to a pulp. But the beauty of the prose is not so much in its intrinsic excellence, but the way it is merged with and embedded in the worldbuilding and the characterisation. It gives the narrative a wonderfully satisfying coherence. 

Cat: This writing does exactly what it needs to at precisely the correct time. From beautiful, evocative descriptions of drug-induced magic to violent thuds of painful reality, I was swept along with whichever mood the author needed me to feel in that moment. ‘Hallow brought you life until it brought you death. Perhaps that was the problem; it gave you too much life, all at once, more than a body was ever supposed to have.’ This makes the drug desirable even as it implies the constant undercurrent of Possible Death – like a particularly bad skag trip, but more painful. Realistic, stream-of-consciousness thoughts that convey both character and scene brilliantly. 

Vinay: Like my fellow judges, I was carried into this book courtesy of some stunning writing that goes deep and descriptive but never being indulgent about it. The writing does have an almost chameleon-esque quality to it, willing to go slow when it comes to aspects of world-building but otherwise terse but loaded when it comes to personal interactions. The writing is KJ Parker-esque in how many layers are there in every sentence – I loved the writing and even more so, in how it reveals some of the conflicts that Cam goes through. There is also a sly sense of humor that makes its presence felt in lines like these – “For all Sister Ramona was an angel to her flock, she was a devil on four wheels. Camellia made peace with a God that he didn’t believe in several times between the Providence offices and their destination”

Characters

Theo: There are a lot of characters in the story, with the nuns, the assessors, the police and the politicians, but the author does well to give depth and agency to all of them. Even the single appearance extras get the dignity of an eye-catching description full of subtext.

“How can I help?” A small woman looked up at them cheerfully. She had thick black eyebrows drawn on the pencil and more lipstick on her teeth than her lips.

Cam is an engaging protagonist and I loved the way his backstory emerged, teased out on stages until we understood the complexity of guilt that haunted and drove him. The bluntly formidable Daffodil, tortured Forget-me-knot, faithful June and overly curious Tussie all compete for the best supporting character prize, and probably all get it to be fair. I loved this line capturing the essence of Daff and his relationship with Cam.

Daff took another sip. “You know what gets me?” He nodded towards the road. Camelia didn’t say anything. If you spoke too much when Daff was trying to get words out the words would often get frightened away.  

Cat: I fully agree that this cohort of misfits is so well drawn that I felt for all of them as the book went on (which was my downfall when some characters met theirs). We’re allowed to slowly build up what we know about them, almost like new friends, deciding who we prefer more or less. I loved Tussie for all her energy and curiosity, and the badass Nuns were a faction unto themselves! Protagonist Cam is immensely sympathetic, as are his workmates, which subtly added emotional connection until the finale… no spoilers but I felt certain losses keenly, which tells me how much of a success this story is. 

Vinay: I just loved how Holly Tinsley builds up and then exposes layer by layer who Camellia is. While Cam is our key protagonist and our eye to the world, he isn’t the perfect ultra competent lead. He struggles with his guilt, his loss and his inability to ignore things. While he is a bit of a loose cannon, it doesn’t come from a place of willfulness but from being a restless soul. That is reflected in his past and how he finds himself in his current situation. There are also a host of other characters who share a naturally organic relationship with Cam and a deep sense of camaraderie amongst them. The organized corporatized religion part with the ninja nuns enabled a quirky and distinctive sense of personality to each of the nuns and their interactions with Cam. If there was something to quibble, I would say that the rotating list of characters makes if difficult to do true justice to them all – when the twist happens, it took a moment to figure out who the character was and their prior importance 

Plot

Theo: There is an organic feel to the plot, a bit like the Chandler-esque noir-style mysteries that the book as a whole reminds me of. We follow Cam through a series of episodes and incidents that are tied together in the way that feels more like a string of beads, than a weave of entwined threads. There is a satisfying underlying mystery which is mixed in with questions about Cam’s past and about the world’s future for humans and auld bloods, and it all proceeds at a brisk enough pace to sweep one along. However, there was a point where Cam had come across a vital clue and some pages later a character voiced exactly the same question that was in my mind about the serendipity (plot-convenience?!) of Cam discovering the item that had been left for him. The overall story, though, is driven at a furious pace (to match Sister Ramona’s driving) that ensures it is constantly and consistently entertaining.

Cat: Somehow this seemed to be both fast-paced and relatively steady, never leaving the reader lost. Action scenes are like a Guy Richie movie, while the more ‘detective’ noir investigation had me asking questions in a very Sherlock/Agatha Christie style. I think I’ve implied it in every section here, but I was so absolutely drawn into the book that I felt like one of the team, wondering where I would fit into this world and how I’d act in some of the life-or-death situations. Heartfelt, sincere without being sappy, smart and enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages (quite fast in places!).

Vinay: It is a classic case of a simple plot on the surface that reveals a great deal of complexity within. The complexity builds on steadily and seamlessly and its a tribute to the plotting that it never feels secondary to the worldbuilding. As mentioned in the earlier sections, nothing feels wasted or throwaway and all of it serves the plot really well. In a book that is so well plotted, the ending takes a life of its own and moves at a frenetic pace. The plot packs in enough twists to keep the narrative engaging while packing a few surprises at the end – it is never predictable while still keeping a tight control on the narrative. 

Conclusion

Theo: A brilliantly imaginative world peopled by compelling characters in the grip of forces (and drugs) that may be beyond their control.

Cat: Addictive, evocation and emotional, this is superb storytelling that deserves to be recommended.

Vinay: Richly imaginative with a compelling protagonist & fabulous writing, Hallows is brilliantly unputdownable.

And the Current state of play

After with just one semifinalist review left to go our table looks like this

Current Ranking of Books	Theo	Vinay	Cat
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th

So, after an all too short sojourn at the top of the table for THREADS OF MEMORY, we have a NEW LEADER

THE HALLOWS

takes the lead in the race to be the Hive’s SPFBO 11 Finalist with a unanimous average rank of 1.00.

 Tune in next week to see if our sixth and last semi-finalist can snatch the lead!