The Thirteen Hallows - Book Review

The Thirteen Hallows (Thirteen Hallows #1)
by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman

What is it about:
The Hallows. Ancient artifacts imbued with a primal and deadly power. But are they protectors of this world, or the keys to its destruction?

A gruesome murder in London reveals a sinister plot to uncover a two-thousand-year-old secret.

For decades, the Keepers guarded these Hallows, keeping them safe and hidden and apart from each other. But now the Keepers are being brutally murdered, their prizes stolen, the ancient objects bathed in their blood.

Now, only a few remain.

With her dying breath, one of the Keepers convinces Sarah Miller, a practical stranger, to deliver her Hallow—a broken sword with devastating powers—to her American nephew, Owen.

The duo quickly become suspects in a series of murders as they are chased by both the police and the sadistic Dark Man and his nubile mistress.

As Sarah and Owen search for the surviving Keepers, they unravel the deadly secret the Keepers were charged to protect. The mystery leads Sarah and Owen on a cat-and-mouse chase through England and Wales, and history itself, as they discover that the sword may be the only thing standing between the world… and a horror beyond imagining.

What did I think of it:
I found this hiding among the YA books, but the pricing immediately told me it couldn't be YA (And no: the back of the book didn't mention the nubile mistress). Why is it that YA books are usually more expensive than Adult books? Anyway: apparently this book is New Adult, but I can't say I noticed it.

That being said: it's a cool read.

It's very different from what I expected. I expected it to be more grounded in Fantasy, but apart from the Hallows and some supernatural things, this feels more like a mystery/thriller than Fantasy or even Urban Fantasy.

I will confess that fact threw me a bit, but once I got used to it I very much enjoyed the story.

The Hallows and their history are intriguing, and I could sympathize with Sarah, who gets swept up in things she doesn't know anything about. There are some dreams and flashbacks that slow the action down, but not annoyingly so.

The story seems a bit black and white, but this is the first book in a series, so maybe further in the series it will get different.

All in all I thought this was a fast and entertaining read. I might pick up the next book if I come across it.

Why should you read it:
It's a really enjoyable (paranormal) mystery/thriller