What do you think?
Rate this book
Faraman Prophecy #1
Halls of Law
Now in paperback, the first book in the Faraman Prophecy epic fantasy series introduces a world of military might and magical Talents on the brink of destruction--and two unlikely heroes may be its only saviors.
Seventeen-year-old Kerida Nast has always wanted a career in the military, just like the rest of her family. So when her Talent is discovered, and she knows she'll have to spend the rest of her life as a psychic for the Halls of Law, Ker isn't happy about it. Anyone entering the Halls must give up all personal connection with the outside world, losing their family and friends permanently.
But just as Kerida is beginning to reconcile herself to her new role, the Faraman Polity is invaded by strangers from Halia, who begin a systematic campaign of destruction against the Halls, killing every last Talent they can find.
Kerida manages to escape, falling in with Tel Cursar, a young soldier fleeing the battle, which saw the deaths of the royal family. Having no obvious heir to the throne, no new ruler to rally behind, the military leaders will be divided, unable to act quickly enough to save the empire. And with the Halls being burned to the ground, and the Talents slaughtered, the Rule of Law will be shattered.
Seventeen-year-old Kerida Nast has always wanted a career in the military, just like the rest of her family. So when her Talent is discovered, and she knows she'll have to spend the rest of her life as a psychic for the Halls of Law, Ker isn't happy about it. Anyone entering the Halls must give up all personal connection with the outside world, losing their family and friends permanently.
But just as Kerida is beginning to reconcile herself to her new role, the Faraman Polity is invaded by strangers from Halia, who begin a systematic campaign of destruction against the Halls, killing every last Talent they can find.
Kerida manages to escape, falling in with Tel Cursar, a young soldier fleeing the battle, which saw the deaths of the royal family. Having no obvious heir to the throne, no new ruler to rally behind, the military leaders will be divided, unable to act quickly enough to save the empire. And with the Halls being burned to the ground, and the Talents slaughtered, the Rule of Law will be shattered.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2017
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Read
August 19, 2017DNF. I'm just not feeling this book at all. Time to give up.
August 4, 2017
Halls of Law by V.M. Escalada
****4****
Kerida Nast only ever wanted to be a soldier, having come from a family of soldiers. When it is discovered that she posses the Talent however her entire life changes. Talents reside within the Halls of Law and assist the Polity in ruling the country. However Talents are alone and apart from the rest of society, including even their own families.
I think the things that struck me the most with this book was the culture/world building. It was very simply done but very well done. Kerida comes from a culture of relative gender equality where either one can rule or lead armies. It does however lean slightly towards Matriarchal rather than Patriarchal as most of the people in real positions of power are currently women. The invaders into Kerida's home world come from a very Patriarchal society, to the point where only men can rule, wield weapons and even use magic. They view any woman with magic as a witch and seek to remove them from society as they are tainted. Their magic even allows them to influence others to their way of thinking, which is particularly scary.
I found the magic system was pretty unique also which is hard to find these days. And I liked that the magic system had limitations to it. Kerida is kind of an exception to the rule being a particularly powerful Talent but even she needs training and has limits to what she can do without it.
The set up the governing body within the country took me a while to get use to, especially since I am not militarily savy and all of the ranks had their own terminology. It did help to set the culture apart in a fairly simple way however.
I liked the characters, especially Tel and Wynn (I always appreciate a bit of humor in difficult situations), and who can't love a baby griffon (aka a grifflet).
The beast was simultaneously the most terrifying and the most adorable thing she had ever seen.
I'm curious to see how the story continues in the following books.
****4****
Kerida Nast only ever wanted to be a soldier, having come from a family of soldiers. When it is discovered that she posses the Talent however her entire life changes. Talents reside within the Halls of Law and assist the Polity in ruling the country. However Talents are alone and apart from the rest of society, including even their own families.
I think the things that struck me the most with this book was the culture/world building. It was very simply done but very well done. Kerida comes from a culture of relative gender equality where either one can rule or lead armies. It does however lean slightly towards Matriarchal rather than Patriarchal as most of the people in real positions of power are currently women. The invaders into Kerida's home world come from a very Patriarchal society, to the point where only men can rule, wield weapons and even use magic. They view any woman with magic as a witch and seek to remove them from society as they are tainted. Their magic even allows them to influence others to their way of thinking, which is particularly scary.
I found the magic system was pretty unique also which is hard to find these days. And I liked that the magic system had limitations to it. Kerida is kind of an exception to the rule being a particularly powerful Talent but even she needs training and has limits to what she can do without it.
The set up the governing body within the country took me a while to get use to, especially since I am not militarily savy and all of the ranks had their own terminology. It did help to set the culture apart in a fairly simple way however.
I liked the characters, especially Tel and Wynn (I always appreciate a bit of humor in difficult situations), and who can't love a baby griffon (aka a grifflet).
The beast was simultaneously the most terrifying and the most adorable thing she had ever seen.
I'm curious to see how the story continues in the following books.
August 18, 2017
Originally published at Reading Reality
If you are looking for a new epic fantasy series to sink your reading teeth into, and where you can get in at the very beginning without having to read through a huge pile of doorstop-sized books, Halls of Law is definitely a winner.
It’s also an epic fantasy for the 21st century, where we have an absolutely marvelous heroine’s journey from the outset, as well as a hero’s journey that looks like it will take us to some fascinating places.
Our point of view character is Kerida Nast. All her life she’s wanted to be a soldier, just like everyone else in her family since pretty much the dawn of time. But unfortunately for Kerida, and it looks like fortunately for the rest of Faraman Polity, Ker is a Talent, definitely with that capital T, and Talents are special.
Ker turns out to be a lot more special than most.
Talents in the Faraman Polity are psychics, born with a gift that seems to be a lot like psychometry. When a Talent touches an object, they can read the entire history of that object, AND, most importantly AND, they can read the current status and even whereabouts of all the people who have been involved with that object. And they can read people the same way.
No one can hide the truth from a Talent. Which has made the Talents, over time, the instruments and enforcers of the rule of law. They are the law.
But in order to be impartial enforcers of the law, Talents are separated from the rest of the Polity. Once their gift is discovered they are taken from their families, not just for training, but for life, and forced to cut all ties to the rest of the world and renounce all titles and inheritances.
Ker finds it a cage, sometimes gilded, sometimes lined with shit. Or at least with encrusted oatmeal. But just as she realizes that she can make a new and good life for herself within the ranks of the Talented, disaster strikes, and she is forced to combine her new abilities with her old skills as a soldier.
And that’s where this utterly marvelous story truly takes wing. On the back of a griffin.
Escape Rating A-: This is a terrific story, but I have to say that it isn’t really anything truly new in the realms of epic fantasy. For those who have read a fair bit in the genre, there are plenty of recognizable tropes. However, those tropes are put together in some unusual ways.
Throwing more than a bit of The Handmaid’s Tale into a completely epic fantasy setting gives the story many of its chills, and makes the evil that our good Kerida fights particularly malevolent. Her enemies, the Halia, seem to embody the worst of everything that makes Men’s Rights Activists so foul, while embodying their deep misogyny into an epic fantasy setting and adding a few additional twists to make things that much scarier, and the stakes that much higher for our heroes.
But in the best heroine’s journey tradition, the story follows Kerida as she discovers who she is and what she is capable of. She finds herself at the center of events that will not just hopefully drive out the enemy, but also re-shape her world for the better. If she survives – and succeeds.
An outcome that is never certain. When Halls of Law ends, Ker has merely completed the opening stages of the prophecy that she and her companions must fulfill. And the odds are firmly stacked against them.
I can’t wait to find out happens next!
Reviewer’s Note: V.M. Escalada was billed as a debut author in the material I received for my Library Journal Science Fiction and Fantasy article, Galaxy Quests. I chose to read Halls of Law because the information provided about the book sounded so good, and the book certainly was good. I’m glad I read it. But, and for me this feels like a very big but, V.M. Escalada is not, after all, a debut author. Rather, this is a new pen name for author Violette Malan. I loved her Dhulyn and Parno series, which begins with The Sleeping God. I’m thrilled to have something new by her, because I wondered where she went. But a new pen name does not a debut author make, and I feel like I was misled in the materials for that article, and that I, in turn, misled the readers of the article. Next time I’ll do more research.
If you are looking for a new epic fantasy series to sink your reading teeth into, and where you can get in at the very beginning without having to read through a huge pile of doorstop-sized books, Halls of Law is definitely a winner.
It’s also an epic fantasy for the 21st century, where we have an absolutely marvelous heroine’s journey from the outset, as well as a hero’s journey that looks like it will take us to some fascinating places.
Our point of view character is Kerida Nast. All her life she’s wanted to be a soldier, just like everyone else in her family since pretty much the dawn of time. But unfortunately for Kerida, and it looks like fortunately for the rest of Faraman Polity, Ker is a Talent, definitely with that capital T, and Talents are special.
Ker turns out to be a lot more special than most.
Talents in the Faraman Polity are psychics, born with a gift that seems to be a lot like psychometry. When a Talent touches an object, they can read the entire history of that object, AND, most importantly AND, they can read the current status and even whereabouts of all the people who have been involved with that object. And they can read people the same way.
No one can hide the truth from a Talent. Which has made the Talents, over time, the instruments and enforcers of the rule of law. They are the law.
But in order to be impartial enforcers of the law, Talents are separated from the rest of the Polity. Once their gift is discovered they are taken from their families, not just for training, but for life, and forced to cut all ties to the rest of the world and renounce all titles and inheritances.
Ker finds it a cage, sometimes gilded, sometimes lined with shit. Or at least with encrusted oatmeal. But just as she realizes that she can make a new and good life for herself within the ranks of the Talented, disaster strikes, and she is forced to combine her new abilities with her old skills as a soldier.
And that’s where this utterly marvelous story truly takes wing. On the back of a griffin.
Escape Rating A-: This is a terrific story, but I have to say that it isn’t really anything truly new in the realms of epic fantasy. For those who have read a fair bit in the genre, there are plenty of recognizable tropes. However, those tropes are put together in some unusual ways.
Throwing more than a bit of The Handmaid’s Tale into a completely epic fantasy setting gives the story many of its chills, and makes the evil that our good Kerida fights particularly malevolent. Her enemies, the Halia, seem to embody the worst of everything that makes Men’s Rights Activists so foul, while embodying their deep misogyny into an epic fantasy setting and adding a few additional twists to make things that much scarier, and the stakes that much higher for our heroes.
But in the best heroine’s journey tradition, the story follows Kerida as she discovers who she is and what she is capable of. She finds herself at the center of events that will not just hopefully drive out the enemy, but also re-shape her world for the better. If she survives – and succeeds.
An outcome that is never certain. When Halls of Law ends, Ker has merely completed the opening stages of the prophecy that she and her companions must fulfill. And the odds are firmly stacked against them.
I can’t wait to find out happens next!
Reviewer’s Note: V.M. Escalada was billed as a debut author in the material I received for my Library Journal Science Fiction and Fantasy article, Galaxy Quests. I chose to read Halls of Law because the information provided about the book sounded so good, and the book certainly was good. I’m glad I read it. But, and for me this feels like a very big but, V.M. Escalada is not, after all, a debut author. Rather, this is a new pen name for author Violette Malan. I loved her Dhulyn and Parno series, which begins with The Sleeping God. I’m thrilled to have something new by her, because I wondered where she went. But a new pen name does not a debut author make, and I feel like I was misled in the materials for that article, and that I, in turn, misled the readers of the article. Next time I’ll do more research.
March 20, 2018
Maybe I came into this with my expectations too high. I mean, a story about a nation with people capable of discerning objective truth, invaded by a militaristic, misogynist force that can overwrite the minds of otherwise-rational people... seems kinda timely, doesn't it? Like there's some sort of commentary or intelligent discussion to be had there?
But no, this book just feels like typical YA. Young girl gets superpowers. Her life is turned upside-down. She meets a cute man and they have belligerent sexual tension. Everyone bends over backward so that the special girl gets to save the day, because thus is the prophecy. (This argument is literally, explicitly used multiple times - "Why don't you just do X obvious, simple thing?" "Because the PROPHECY.")
I will say in the book's favor: Kerida, the protagonist, is actually pretty cool. Her motivations and decisions are believable, she does things on her own rather than having to be pushed into them, and despite having Prophecized Power(TM), she develops said power in a believable way, and when she runs up against her own limits it feels justified.
But every other character (especially the male lead) feels like cardboard. There are multiple mentor characters who are distinguishable only in which power they are The Best at. Support characters have backstory elements added and forgotten as the plot demands. A thirteen-year-old character, initially pointless and later essential to the plot, flipflops between acting like a scared infant (literally "afraid of grown-ups") and acting like a wise, seasoned leader of humanity seemingly at random intervals.
I think the decline in quality actually coincided roughly with the point midway through the book where it went abruptly (jarringly even) from Kerida-specific third-person to narration from multiple viewpoints - at times those alternate viewpoints feel like they were added in later to fill plot holes. Right about where I stopped reading and started skimming, Kerida falls into a pit in a cave, a character outside the cave learns of this fall, a few other perspective shifts happen, and then Kerida is saved from her fall by *the very same person who, moments ago, was outside the cave, hearing she was in danger.* He apologizes for taking so long. He needed to get underneath her to catch her, you see. Everyone acts as if that explains everything.
Three stars because I picked this up not knowing it was YA, and I generally am not a fan of YA, so I felt I should cut it some slack. Would have been two stars otherwise.
But no, this book just feels like typical YA. Young girl gets superpowers. Her life is turned upside-down. She meets a cute man and they have belligerent sexual tension. Everyone bends over backward so that the special girl gets to save the day, because thus is the prophecy. (This argument is literally, explicitly used multiple times - "Why don't you just do X obvious, simple thing?" "Because the PROPHECY.")
I will say in the book's favor: Kerida, the protagonist, is actually pretty cool. Her motivations and decisions are believable, she does things on her own rather than having to be pushed into them, and despite having Prophecized Power(TM), she develops said power in a believable way, and when she runs up against her own limits it feels justified.
But every other character (especially the male lead) feels like cardboard. There are multiple mentor characters who are distinguishable only in which power they are The Best at. Support characters have backstory elements added and forgotten as the plot demands. A thirteen-year-old character, initially pointless and later essential to the plot, flipflops between acting like a scared infant (literally "afraid of grown-ups") and acting like a wise, seasoned leader of humanity seemingly at random intervals.
I think the decline in quality actually coincided roughly with the point midway through the book where it went abruptly (jarringly even) from Kerida-specific third-person to narration from multiple viewpoints - at times those alternate viewpoints feel like they were added in later to fill plot holes. Right about where I stopped reading and started skimming, Kerida falls into a pit in a cave, a character outside the cave learns of this fall, a few other perspective shifts happen, and then Kerida is saved from her fall by *the very same person who, moments ago, was outside the cave, hearing she was in danger.* He apologizes for taking so long. He needed to get underneath her to catch her, you see. Everyone acts as if that explains everything.
Three stars because I picked this up not knowing it was YA, and I generally am not a fan of YA, so I felt I should cut it some slack. Would have been two stars otherwise.
August 1, 2017
Pros: excellent world-building, great characters, interesting plot
Cons: a few points drag
Kerida Nast was born into a powerful military family, so she’s not happy when it’s discovered that she has the Talent and must leave her family and join the Halls of Law. Flashing objects and people allows Talents to know truth in matters of judgement. Just as she comes to terms with her fate, a foreign invasion takes place, upending her life and forcing her to flee or die. She joins up with some defending soldiers and along the way uncovers a prophecy and a people long believed to be myths.
The world-building is excellent. I loved how the Talent and jewels work. It’s very creepy how the jewels can be used to twist people’s beliefs, emphasizing certain truths at the expense of others. There are a fair number of terms to learn, but you come to them organically and they make the world feel expansive. I loved that women were so prominent in the power structure of the Faraman Polity. Seeing the invading force’s attempts to subjugate the native customs to fit their own belief system was terrifying.
Kerida’s a great protagonist. I loved that she learns a lot through the book. She’s practical and makes hard decisions about her own survival, leaving her feeling ashamed by her lack of heroism. She has a lot of responsibility placed on her and does a remarkable job, despite not being fully trained. I thought the supporting cast was great, especially the archer Wynn. Seeing some of them jeweled was tough because I liked all of them.
The story’s pretty interesting, with a lot of unanswered questions to take up in the next book. I’m hoping the griffin has a larger role.
There are a few points where the story drags a bit as the characters travel a lot over the same territory.
On the whole I really enjoyed this and eagerly await the sequel.
Cons: a few points drag
Kerida Nast was born into a powerful military family, so she’s not happy when it’s discovered that she has the Talent and must leave her family and join the Halls of Law. Flashing objects and people allows Talents to know truth in matters of judgement. Just as she comes to terms with her fate, a foreign invasion takes place, upending her life and forcing her to flee or die. She joins up with some defending soldiers and along the way uncovers a prophecy and a people long believed to be myths.
The world-building is excellent. I loved how the Talent and jewels work. It’s very creepy how the jewels can be used to twist people’s beliefs, emphasizing certain truths at the expense of others. There are a fair number of terms to learn, but you come to them organically and they make the world feel expansive. I loved that women were so prominent in the power structure of the Faraman Polity. Seeing the invading force’s attempts to subjugate the native customs to fit their own belief system was terrifying.
Kerida’s a great protagonist. I loved that she learns a lot through the book. She’s practical and makes hard decisions about her own survival, leaving her feeling ashamed by her lack of heroism. She has a lot of responsibility placed on her and does a remarkable job, despite not being fully trained. I thought the supporting cast was great, especially the archer Wynn. Seeing some of them jeweled was tough because I liked all of them.
The story’s pretty interesting, with a lot of unanswered questions to take up in the next book. I’m hoping the griffin has a larger role.
There are a few points where the story drags a bit as the characters travel a lot over the same territory.
On the whole I really enjoyed this and eagerly await the sequel.
August 15, 2018
What a cliffhanger. I'm so glad that I have book two ready and waiting, though if book two has as terrible a cliffhanger, I might wait for book three to come out because sheesh, the drama! the Romance! The life and death situations!
In other news, I want a baby griffin please.
Kerida's story is one that fans of First Green Rider from Kristian Brittian as well as the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey fans will definitely enjoy. It's got some of the same elements-traveling by horseback to survive enemies that are chasing after the main character for reasons unknown except they end with her head beneath that of an ax.
Can I say, I HATE the Hillarians (spelled right?-I don't have the book with me to check). They're system of getting rid of women because they've been controlling men with their witchcraft in their bodies, and keeping only a few that can be nothing but cattle is utterly ridiculous. I am seriously hoping that Kerida can defeat these arrogant hateful men with their idiotic system.
They are capturing men of high power and brainwashing men with a red jewel that completely changes the mans thoughts, actions, and makes them into an entirely new person that also hates women and witches that Kerida has always known as "Talents".
It's a complex, exciting, dramatic filled world-building that I really loved and enjoyed. I read through the book the entire day yesterday because I could not put it down. It was intense, and exactly the kind of thing that I love to read. Adventure, fantasy, a very slow burn kind of romance where both are oblivious of the other loving them kind of plot.
5/5 stars, and I'm off to get book two and start in on it immediately!
{Review also posted on my blog}
In other news, I want a baby griffin please.
Kerida's story is one that fans of First Green Rider from Kristian Brittian as well as the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey fans will definitely enjoy. It's got some of the same elements-traveling by horseback to survive enemies that are chasing after the main character for reasons unknown except they end with her head beneath that of an ax.
Can I say, I HATE the Hillarians (spelled right?-I don't have the book with me to check). They're system of getting rid of women because they've been controlling men with their witchcraft in their bodies, and keeping only a few that can be nothing but cattle is utterly ridiculous. I am seriously hoping that Kerida can defeat these arrogant hateful men with their idiotic system.
They are capturing men of high power and brainwashing men with a red jewel that completely changes the mans thoughts, actions, and makes them into an entirely new person that also hates women and witches that Kerida has always known as "Talents".
It's a complex, exciting, dramatic filled world-building that I really loved and enjoyed. I read through the book the entire day yesterday because I could not put it down. It was intense, and exactly the kind of thing that I love to read. Adventure, fantasy, a very slow burn kind of romance where both are oblivious of the other loving them kind of plot.
5/5 stars, and I'm off to get book two and start in on it immediately!
{Review also posted on my blog}
June 3, 2017
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of adventure, interesting characters, magic, peril, friendship, and excitement. I really wanted to know more about the characters, their journey, and their world--which meant I had a very hard time putting the book down. The plot, character development, and world-building was all very good and caused me to stay up too late reading more than once.
Ker, the main character, was a strong female and it was very easy to relate to her journey. As she moved from soldier to Talent to something more, I stayed engaged and wanted to follow along. Tel was a great character as well, and I really enjoyed the secondary characters. The world she lived in was a bit confusing at the beginning but then I was able to slip right in and felt like I had a good understanding of the conflicts, culture, and issues facing Ker and her friends. The storyline was exciting, and I kept checking my progress to see how far along I was in the book because I did not want it to end.
My only issue with the story was that Ker's relationship with Tel felt a little one-sided. I had a sense of Tel's feelings for her growing, but not really much from Kerida's point-of-view. Even once they had been caught by their enemies and Ker realized how Tel truly felt about her, it almost seemed like she didn't care or found it to be a hindrance. I really wanted to see more of how her feelings for him grew and changed, even if she didn't realize it was more than friendship until she was faced with losing him. That would have made their captivity and all that happened after even more poignant. I knew she cared, but it almost felt like she was taking him for granted, or helping him out of duty. I just needed a little bit more out Kerida in regard to Tel.
Overall, I think this was a great book and cannot wait to return to their world. I am very interested to see what happens to Kerida, Tel, and all of their friends. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of adventure, interesting characters, magic, peril, friendship, and excitement. I really wanted to know more about the characters, their journey, and their world--which meant I had a very hard time putting the book down. The plot, character development, and world-building was all very good and caused me to stay up too late reading more than once.
Ker, the main character, was a strong female and it was very easy to relate to her journey. As she moved from soldier to Talent to something more, I stayed engaged and wanted to follow along. Tel was a great character as well, and I really enjoyed the secondary characters. The world she lived in was a bit confusing at the beginning but then I was able to slip right in and felt like I had a good understanding of the conflicts, culture, and issues facing Ker and her friends. The storyline was exciting, and I kept checking my progress to see how far along I was in the book because I did not want it to end.
My only issue with the story was that Ker's relationship with Tel felt a little one-sided. I had a sense of Tel's feelings for her growing, but not really much from Kerida's point-of-view. Even once they had been caught by their enemies and Ker realized how Tel truly felt about her, it almost seemed like she didn't care or found it to be a hindrance. I really wanted to see more of how her feelings for him grew and changed, even if she didn't realize it was more than friendship until she was faced with losing him. That would have made their captivity and all that happened after even more poignant. I knew she cared, but it almost felt like she was taking him for granted, or helping him out of duty. I just needed a little bit more out Kerida in regard to Tel.
Overall, I think this was a great book and cannot wait to return to their world. I am very interested to see what happens to Kerida, Tel, and all of their friends. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
August 1, 2018
Book One in the Faraman Prophecy skillfully creates and shatters an established world, leaving the survivors to find their way in the wreckage. Escalada has a talent for world building while at the same time not explaining the world as if to an outsider. The reader is immersed in a new world, one whose sights, scents, and sounds are as organic as the people who populate it. All of the characters, especially Kerida, are multidimensional and complex. They have their strengths and weaknesses, their talents and blindspots. Escalada is excellent at making sure none of her characters is fully "just" one thing or another. Just when you are sure you can classify all the invaders as "evil"- and my skin crawled with some of the scenes when the invader mages "purify" and "pacify" locals- you find some level of sympathy, or at least humanity, in the main enemy as embodied in Shekayrin Svann. There are Faraman men on willing to join the invader Halians without considering what that means for their world, particularly the women, and then right at the end Escalada gives a surprise twist among the Halians that promises more complications, uneasy alliances, and gray areas to come in Book Two.
Halls is a fast-paces, intense, and absorbing story and I was sorry when I reached the end and had to leave it and the characters I'd come to know and love behind. I loved how we learned things through the characters, not ahead of them, and that those characters were not the leaders but more of the 'everyday' or lower level people dealing with the upheaval after it happens.
V.M. Escalada creates a world of swords and magic, griffons and soldiers, heroes and everyday people trying to get along, harsh difficulties and the warmth of friends becoming family. Readers who enjoyed Class Moss' From Unseen Fire, David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar, will love the new world of Halls of Law and be waiting eagerly for the next book in the series (Gift of Griffins, release date August 7, 2018).
Halls is a fast-paces, intense, and absorbing story and I was sorry when I reached the end and had to leave it and the characters I'd come to know and love behind. I loved how we learned things through the characters, not ahead of them, and that those characters were not the leaders but more of the 'everyday' or lower level people dealing with the upheaval after it happens.
V.M. Escalada creates a world of swords and magic, griffons and soldiers, heroes and everyday people trying to get along, harsh difficulties and the warmth of friends becoming family. Readers who enjoyed Class Moss' From Unseen Fire, David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar, will love the new world of Halls of Law and be waiting eagerly for the next book in the series (Gift of Griffins, release date August 7, 2018).
May 21, 2020
An alright book overall.
Magic system is interesting. The main character is well done but secondary ones, especially the soldier boy, not so much. The antagonists are as shallow as can be, nothing to expect from them.
A few weird points distract from the story. There is a strong emphasis on gender throughout the story. I must assume that this is a desperate attempt at some originality since the opportunity is not used to discuss any gender issues. It only serves as an excuse to put women in 100% of the positions of power. I'm not sure this world would be suited to the task anyway since everybody seems hellbent on standing their ground and not communicating. Kinda feels like modern politics.
Another thing that bothers me is that throughout the whole book very little is accomplished and it feels like we return to status quo but with a new character added. So this whole slug was an excuse to recruit an inconsistent teenager to the party.
Magic system is interesting. The main character is well done but secondary ones, especially the soldier boy, not so much. The antagonists are as shallow as can be, nothing to expect from them.
A few weird points distract from the story. There is a strong emphasis on gender throughout the story. I must assume that this is a desperate attempt at some originality since the opportunity is not used to discuss any gender issues. It only serves as an excuse to put women in 100% of the positions of power. I'm not sure this world would be suited to the task anyway since everybody seems hellbent on standing their ground and not communicating. Kinda feels like modern politics.
Another thing that bothers me is that throughout the whole book very little is accomplished and it feels like we return to status quo but with a new character added. So this whole slug was an excuse to recruit an inconsistent teenager to the party.
July 30, 2017
The first book in this new fantasy series starts off with a young girl who grew up wanting to be a soldier only to be taken against her will and placed in a Hall where she will be trained in the use of her Talent. Before long her new life is disrupted as her homeland is thrown into chaos by an invading army.
First the things I liked. I thought the writing was smooth and very readable. That helps keep the story moving along pretty well, there were only a few places where I felt the pace dipped slightly. There was also some interesting world building, as I read I wanted to know more about the different aspects of the Faraman Polity.
One of the things that caught me a little off guard was that the tone read as very YA. Nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't expecting that going in. While I mentioned that there was some interesting world building, I would have loved to see more of that in this book. At times the plot felt a bit as if it was occurring in a vacuum because I didn't see a lot of how it was impacting the greater kingdom as much as I would like. I also would have liked to see a bit more time spent on descriptions, as I read I wasn't always able to picture what was happening very well.
Overall this was a decent first book in a fantasy series, although I would definitely classify this as YA fantasy. There were some things I didn't love but it's obvious the author has some skill as a writer.
I was given this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
First the things I liked. I thought the writing was smooth and very readable. That helps keep the story moving along pretty well, there were only a few places where I felt the pace dipped slightly. There was also some interesting world building, as I read I wanted to know more about the different aspects of the Faraman Polity.
One of the things that caught me a little off guard was that the tone read as very YA. Nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't expecting that going in. While I mentioned that there was some interesting world building, I would have loved to see more of that in this book. At times the plot felt a bit as if it was occurring in a vacuum because I didn't see a lot of how it was impacting the greater kingdom as much as I would like. I also would have liked to see a bit more time spent on descriptions, as I read I wasn't always able to picture what was happening very well.
Overall this was a decent first book in a fantasy series, although I would definitely classify this as YA fantasy. There were some things I didn't love but it's obvious the author has some skill as a writer.
I was given this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2017
When I pick up a new fantasy novel, I really want it to stand out. With this book, it was good, but nothing I hadn't read before. I loved the whole Halls of Law vibe. It reminded me of Robert Jordan's A New Spring, with all the classes of magic and how they have to learn to wield their power. I also enjoyed the characters. They showed a lot of depth and class through the whole story. I gave the book three stars because I was entertained through the whole book, but I was hoping for something more.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
December 4, 2017
I enjoyed this book. Some things seemed to happen very easily, and others weren't quite explained fully (for example, the prophecy we never actually hear) but the story was fast paced and kept my interest.
December 18, 2020
Sets up the potential for a series very nicely; needs more separation of the individual characters, as they seem to fall into either good guys or bad guys without differentiation beyond that. Loved the very end with the overarching theme revealed.
July 15, 2017
I won this book through Goodreads. Wow. Really exciting. I could not put it down. Loved the characters and the storyline. A must read!
July 31, 2017
A well written and interesting science fiction/fantasy novel. I really enjoyed reading this, and would recommend it to fans of this genre.
September 27, 2017
Good story, slow at times but overall a good read.
Review to follow
Review to follow
October 16, 2017
Highly recommend this debut into a new series. The story and characters are highly engaging and I had a hard time putting it down. Can't wait for the next one!
October 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book enough to want to continue the series.
September 11, 2019
What a great book. Can't wait to read the second one.
January 1, 2021
So good! Like Game of Thrones, but with different sorts of magic and conflict. Love the female protagonist and the mystery around historical elements of the land.
November 16, 2023
DNF Page 174.
This is a soft DNF, I didn't hate this book at all, I just wasn't feeling it, I have no plans to try and pick this book back up again, but who knows.
This is a soft DNF, I didn't hate this book at all, I just wasn't feeling it, I have no plans to try and pick this book back up again, but who knows.
December 22, 2023
World building was shallow, obvious character arcs, characters were well written and the pacing was good.
July 3, 2020
A good start to a series. Interesting worldbuilding and characters. I look forward to reading more of the series.
September 21, 2018
Interesting premise with the main character caught between loyalty to her military family and the Halls of Law (a magic institute)--and then boom! the entire country is invaded. Some nice plot twists and cool magic. I liked how Flashing grew more and more useful as Kerida's skill grew.
October 26, 2017
Rapid Fire Review: Halls of Law tells the story of a reluctant heroine with rich world building, uncomfortably recognizable gender-based issues wrapped up in a prophecy that makes this journeyman's tale stands apart. It was a surprisingly quick read for almost 500 pages.
I loved how Escalada used the ever-controversial theme of women in power and a woman being a power to weave together the threads of political drama, social hierarchy, and knowledge of self to create a unique story and set the stage for some serious digs at the patriarchy.
It's difficult for me not to get excited about a book with a well-executed coup-even if it is the bad guy's plan. And there's a magical Griffin...seriously.
The role propaganda plays throughout the book and the fact it's worked into the very bedrock of an entire empire's beliefs about the source of magic creates more than one fascinating twist and turn along the way. That misogynistic drive in action calls to mind both the Salem Witch trials and the Inquisition without taking anything away from the uniqueness of the world-building here. There's nothing trite or affected or off-putting about the allegory Escalada's set up and I enjoyed every word of it.
V.M. Escalada pulls the best elements of the fantasy genre to anchor her story firmly on the adventurous side. The magic system particularly isn’t unusual, but its application in this world as the Rule of Law is pretty brilliant and excellently lays the groundwork for a great beginning to a new series.
This review was originally posted on Shelf Envy head on over to read a more detailed review!
I loved how Escalada used the ever-controversial theme of women in power and a woman being a power to weave together the threads of political drama, social hierarchy, and knowledge of self to create a unique story and set the stage for some serious digs at the patriarchy.
It's difficult for me not to get excited about a book with a well-executed coup-even if it is the bad guy's plan. And there's a magical Griffin...seriously.
The role propaganda plays throughout the book and the fact it's worked into the very bedrock of an entire empire's beliefs about the source of magic creates more than one fascinating twist and turn along the way. That misogynistic drive in action calls to mind both the Salem Witch trials and the Inquisition without taking anything away from the uniqueness of the world-building here. There's nothing trite or affected or off-putting about the allegory Escalada's set up and I enjoyed every word of it.
V.M. Escalada pulls the best elements of the fantasy genre to anchor her story firmly on the adventurous side. The magic system particularly isn’t unusual, but its application in this world as the Rule of Law is pretty brilliant and excellently lays the groundwork for a great beginning to a new series.
This review was originally posted on Shelf Envy head on over to read a more detailed review!
October 27, 2017
Really wish you could give half stars because 4.5 seems like the correct rating in my mind. The magic powers in the book are very interesting and unique. Definitely a type of magic that I have not come across before. The main character (Ker) is great in my opinion and does a lot for making the book enjoyable. I also enjoy the whole premise of magic and soldiers, and the uneasy truce between them. It is very believable and helps make the trials faced in the book a lot more realistic.
The book is a little on the YA side, which I am fine with but it caught me off guard. Also wish that a map was included, but I am just picky like that. The world's layout seems intriguing, but without a map it is hard to tell for sure. Some of the side characters seem a little shallow. They have potential, but I don't believe they are given enough time or development. That could change with the next book though.
The book is a little on the YA side, which I am fine with but it caught me off guard. Also wish that a map was included, but I am just picky like that. The world's layout seems intriguing, but without a map it is hard to tell for sure. Some of the side characters seem a little shallow. They have potential, but I don't believe they are given enough time or development. That could change with the next book though.
May 13, 2019
I received this book in a monthly book box. It was a decent read and a different story line than I have read in the past. Good characters and decent writing. I will not be reading the second book now but later down the line I may get to reading it.
May 10, 2023
I loved the predicaments the characters were placed in, and I loved the main character's personality. The story is really entertaining too.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews