If I had to use one word to describe The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman, it would be "squicky." I did read the whole thing . . . but now I kind of want to wash my brain.
To briefly summarize, the Thirteen Hallows are artifacts that were used thousands of years ago to seal demonkind into a prison. The demons have been biding their time, waiting for a human to come along who is brilliant, ambitious, and ruthless, and who will collect and activate the Hallows, releasing the demons. That time has come -- the current Keepers of the Hallows are all growing old, and are unable to protect their artifacts any longer. When one young woman, Sarah Miller, stops what she thinks is a mugging, she is caught up in the danger and horror of what's happening with the Hallows, and her fate becomes inextricably linked with theirs.
First of all, the good: this book is definitely gripping. Even when I halfway wanted to put it down, I kept reading to see what would happen.
But that's about all of the good that I can think of to relate. The writing, while not cringe-worthy, was nothing out of the common run, and the characters all seemed a little flat to me. Moreover, I am not a fan of thrillers or horror, and this book contains elements of both. Let me put it this way: a book that uses the word "abattoir" several times to describe various scenes is probably not my thing. Multiple descriptions of gristly murders and kinky rituals had me nearly putting the book down at several different points. So, if your taste is anything like mine, I'm definitely not recommending this book. On the other hand, the reviews I read were generally positive -- so those who enjoy gore-spattered fantasy/horror/thrillers will probably love this book.
I'll leave them to it -- and be a little more selective of my reads in the future.
(Reviewed from a copy borrowed through my library system.)
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