Loved this book. I’ve been a fan of this author for ages and just finished the Hellequin series before reading this book. The timeline of this book was difficult—best guess is it ran parallel to the final Hellequin book. I had to think back to a few books to remember the scroll and it’s significance to Chloe and how she came to be an Umbra. It would have been less confusing to tie this book in with Scorched Shadows and I believe would have made the book flow better. I am however glad to see that the Hellequin series will continue.

I have never read the series that this was an offshoot of, but I think I might after this series is over. After a little bit of a slow beginning, I found this book to be fast-paced, full of action, and have an interesting plot. I do have to admit that the characterizations were at times a little lacking so I didn’t have as much sympathy for the characters that I would have liked, but it did pick up quite a bit at the end. So much so, that I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, and I came to really like all of the players in the action. And, my favorite character was actually not the protagonist, but her friend Chloe; however, I did like Layla, too. I see a lot of potential for this series, and I see great things coming. Recommend!

I read Scorched Shadows, the last book in Steve McHugh's The Hellequin Chronicles at the end of last year and loved it so much I included it in my list of favourite books of 2017. A Glimmer of Hope is the first in his new series, The Avalon Chronicles which is set in the same world as the previous series but features new storylines and a new cast of characters.
Layla Cassidy has moved to Southampton to escape her past; from a young age her father taught her how to fight and protect herself but he was a vicious serial killer and she fears what his legacy means she may be capable of too. We've all had bad days at work but none quite so bad as the one Layla endures which results in several of her colleagues being brutally slain and Layla herself captured by a remorseless fanatic. She inadvertently activates an ancient scroll and discovers that she has incredible powers but to use them properly she will have to accept the three spirits and demon who now reside within her. As she is suddenly thrust into a world she had no idea existed, she is helped by some characters who will be familiar to readers of the Hellequin series. New readers needn't fear they will be left behind though; they learn alongside Layla as she discovers more about the history of the world she now knows she inhabits and becomes aware of the mythical beings she must now fight with and against.
The whole premise of this world is just wonderful, it's an alternate reality where it turns out that every myth is actually real. Gods and goddesses, sorcerers, witches, werewolves and ogres aren't stories, they exist and some of them want humans to not only become aware of their existence but to become subservient to them. This is a violent and frightening new life for Layla and I loved how she has two battles to face; she must fight against evil creatures who seek to destroy her friends and use her, while also contending with her internal demons - only one of which is an actual demon... Her gradual coming to terms with her strange circumstances is compelling, the darkness that lies within her hinting temptingly at future struggles she may face.
The action here is fast-paced, exciting and brutal but there's a wonderful humour throughout the book too. Layla's new friends might be powerful mythical beings but they are also a bunch of geeks and I loved the pop culture references throughout the book, including a quite brilliantly placed quote from Terminator 2. Layla's story is separate to Nate's but with the two series being set in the same world it was a real treat to meet up with some familiar faces, especially Tommy, Diana and Chloe. I was also thrilled to see the return of my favourite fox-human hybrid, Remy (admittedly the only fox-human hybrid I know but he's such a great character I'm sure he'd always be my favourite!) The events in this book take place just before Scorched Shadows and I'm fascinated to see how things will proceed for both our old and new characters in the future books in The Avalon Chronicles which take place after Hellequin.
A Glimmer of Hope has to tread a tricky line between setting the scene for a new series and being a thrilling adventure in its own right. It succeeds magnificently and honours the legacy of The Hellequin Chronicles while being a thoroughly entertaining and immersive urban fantasy novel in its own right. With its more youthful protagonist it does have a slightly younger feel to it and I think will appeal to YA fantasy fans who may have found The Hellequin Chronicles a bit too violent but it retains the sense of very real danger throughout and definitely isn't for the fainthearted. The ending sets us up perfectly for more despicable villainy, supernatural affairs and desperate heroics and I can't wait to discover what troubles lie in store for Layla next!

Is Layla doomed to become a monstrous killing machine like her father? With her blood spilled on an ancient scroll, Layla will find powers and beings living within her that could easily overpower her very essence…unless she learns to fight back. With evil dogging her every move, she could be used as a tool of destruction, especially if those closest to her are in grave danger.

What Layla needs is A GLIMMER OF HOPE that she will learn to control the powers that live within her. Will she find it? Who can she trust? Where can she run to? With time running out and her powers out of control, the girl who just wanted to leave her past behind and be "normal” is about to discover that “normal” was never in the cards.

Steve McHugh has given his feminine lead a fabulously realistic voice! It is very clear that Layla wants nothing more than to live her life like just like everyone else, in spite of her genetic pool. A quick read that has lots of angst, danger and some very interesting characters. Get through the set up in the beginning and you will find yourself wondering just how you would react to Layla’s predicament.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from 47North!

Series: The Avalon Chronicles - Book 1
Publisher: 47North
Publication Date: April 1, 2018
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Print Length: 362 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Every now and again I love a bit of escapism in a novel and A Glimmer of Hope ticked all the boxes.
Humans are in the minority in this novel. Instead it consists of a variety of monsters from a world that we have all heard about in our childhood. One of the few humans in the novel describes it as dungeons and dragons and I can’t think of a more apt description.
There are many characters, the kindle’s search facility did come in handy at first. Some are good, many not so good. All are willing to use violence, cause mayhem and face possible death for their cause. These characters are more likely to survive injury than humans but there are still ways to kill them. There are quite a few of them I am looking forward to knowing more about.
This book is the first in a series but there is no real cliff hanger ending like in other fantasy books I have read. I am looking forward to the next book though because I enjoyed this book a lot.

Layla Cassidy moves to Southampton, England, and try to forge a new life as an attempt to escape from the legacy of her father who is one of the worst serial killers ever captured. She is going to university, making friends, working at depot ... But troubles find Layla anyway, and she accidentally activates an ancient scroll which gives her a new (inhuman) power.

A Glimmer of Hope is set in the Hellequin Chronicles universe -- with cameos from several key players from those series appearing here -- but with totally different main characters. If you're familiar with McHugh's books, like myself, I think you will be AS entertained with this one.

I thought Layla's background was interesting, and I enjoyed her finding the new power and worked out the kinks of dealing with spirits and demon. I also loved the people surrounding Layla; her newfound friend Chloe, as well as Harry, a 100% human but with brilliant mind in the matter of technology (go human power!). As I said, we had several cameos from Hellequin Chronicles, including Tommy, Diana, Remy, and Dr. Grayson. Nate himself makes a very short appearance, which gives a clue that this series sets before the event in Scorched Shadows.

New sets of villains, new sets of team, but same old ass-kicking, fast-paced urban fantasy. Again, if you're an old(er) fans of McHugh, I think you'll like it. If you're new to McHugh, you're in it for the ride.

Cannot wait for the next book, and luckily it seems to be released within this year as well. YAY!

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a nice continuation of the Hellequin series while being able to focus more on new characters and characters we hadn't heard much from before.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and full of action. I hadn't come across Steve McHugh before but I am definitely going to look at other titles. it appeals to a YA audience better I think, but I have decided that's my fave!!

Layla Cassidy wanted a normal life. She kept herself hidden away from the lime light her serial killer father’s infamy brought. Right up until the day a group of purely evil and the vilest of people found her and took her. Now they want her to help them find her father’s secret where-a-bouts and they are not above using all their evil to force Layla to do it.

Trying to escape, Layla accidently activates and ancient scroll binding her with spirits and a demon’s power. Now she must master the power before it masters her and turns her evil like the rest of them.

A Glimmer of Hope definitely had the snow ball effect for me. It starts out pretty dark, bloody and a bit slow to engage me but soon I found myself caught up the avalanche of mayhem, more murder and mystery… Ultimately, its not my kind of read but I completely appreciated McHugh’s ability to weave such a tale.

I received this ARC copy of A Glimmer of Hope from 47North. This is my honest and voluntary review. A Glimmer of Hope is set for publication April 1, 2018.

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written by: Steve HcHugh
Series: The Avalon Chronicles
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Hardcover: 351 pages
Publisher: 47North
Publication Date: April 1, 2018
Genre: Dark | Occult | Horror

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Glimmer-Hope-A...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-gl...


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I had a bit of a hard time reading this book. It started off really well! Action right from the get go but then all of a sudden it died down completely.

Layla has always had a hard time reining in her anger in a fight. Always blaming her father for the way he was and how he raised her. So when she becomes something even greater than a human she seems to want to fight it. She doesn't want to become a monster like her father. Very adamant she doesn't.

She comes into her powers over time and accepts her new being. But when she does it's like a total personality 180. Like all of a sudden she knows who she is and knows she isn't weak like she'd making herself seem. In all that seems like a great thing but this revelation came within minutes.

The story was super slow. Lots of words but no real description sometimes. It was kinda like page filling. I love the idea of this book but world building was extremely slow for the way it began. It has so much potential so I'm hoping the next one is better.

High octane action and pure fun. This is amazing right outta the gate. Hit the ground running and never stopped. Monsters, mythology, and ancient scrolls - I'm giving the author a high five here.

Layla Cassidy's life is forever changed when she stumbles upon an ancient scroll. She's now on the run and doesn't know who to trust or what to believe. The secondary characters are awesomesauce! Mr. McHugh does an astounding job of giving each of them uniqueness and depth. The monsters are detailed vividly, and you may see them in your nightmares. Layla is exceptional, and this is just the beginning of her journey.

I'm so excited to have a new author to read. This is the first in a new series, but a spin-off, so I can't wait to read them all. Paranormal and fantasy readers must read this!

Reviewed by Janet of the GothicMoms Review Team

I'm always on the lookout for a new Urban Fantasy series to read, and when I read the blurb of A Glimmer of Hope I was intrigued. The thing with first books in a new series is, that there is a lot of information you have to take in as a reader. You are introduced to a new world and have to get used to the writing style of the author. I liked the beginning and was looking forward to seeing what would happen to Layla. She is attacked and brought in front of a mythical creature. From there on she is introduced to a new 'secret' world on earth. While she tries to escape she accidentally becomes a vessel for spirits, which includes having inhuman powers.

Around 35% I still hadn't been able to fully get into the story. There was a lot going on and the world didn't pique my interest as much as I thought it would. As a reader you are introduced to so many characters, which in my opinion slowed down the story a bit. However, the author came up with a very interesting and original world and story. I think the story will pick up more in the upcoming books, and I do want to find out what Layla will go up against next. I am also looking forward to seeing her grow as a character. So there is a high chance that I'll continue this series to see what the author has in store for us.

Although I hadn't read the Hellequin Chronicles, it was no problem to get sucked into this fast paced story. We meet Layla, a kick ass girl, who is currently living with her best friend Chloe near campus. She is almost ready with her study and starting her new life, without her parents.

Her mother has tragically lost her life in a car accident and Layla's father is in jail. She wants nothing to do with him. But then, one day, when she is being chased, she accidentally touches an ancient scroll with her bloodied hand. Thereby, she activates the entities in the scroll. They help her find her way into a world she didn't know exists: magic creatures, werewolves and demons.

Fortunately, kick-ass Layla is not alone. She is helped by her best friend, Chloe, who turns out to be non-human, just like Layla is now. And there are others, who want to help Layla in preventing the dangerous powers from taking over the world, with the help of her father.

With a lot of twists and turns, high explosive action and a lot of corpses, we see how Layla learns to adopt to her new life. With a cliffhanger ending, you can't help but be frustrated in having to wait for the next part.

So, four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Thank you @netgalley for providing me with the ARC of #GlimmerOfHope by @stevemc79.
Layla Cassidy wants a normal life, far from the sins of her father. Other than dealing with some understandable anger issues, everything is going pretty well for Layla. That is until her whereabouts become known to a group of vicious people who want to use her to get to her father.
I read the synopsis for the book and went in with high hopes. The story line was interesting but it just missed the mark for me. I didn’t really like the characters and nothing about the story really pulled me in. Not to say it was bad, it just wasn’t for me. The book is action packed but I felt the story and character development was lacking.
I encourage you guys to form your own opinion. Read the synopsis and if interested check it out when its published on April 1st by @forty7north

To say this book was violent is an exercise in understatement, and the unapologetic glee people took in the violence was a total surprise. That said, I enjoyed the flow of the story, character development was really good as were the interpersonal relationships which were totally believable. If you are looking for a mix of horror and fantasy this book definitely has it all and I'd definitely recommend.

I found this novel a little stuffy to read, what I mean by that is, it was mighty wordy and that took away from the flow of the novel.
The characters were great and well-rounded and had so much to tell. A good read.

The start of this book is really dark, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it. I waited until a third of the way in I started seeing the 'good guys', though even they seemed to be constantly at odds with the dark side of themselves so it was an interesting look at human nature (though most aren't human). The book kept pace all of the way through, the story was uncomfortable in places but always flowed well, I'm looking forward to more in the series.

I. NEED. MORE. This book was so good and I don't want to wait to read more of this series. Steve McHugh is a fantastic writer and I am in love with this book.

I read a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was one very wild book! It is out of my usual genre and was my first Hellequin/Steve McHugh novel. I am surprised to say that I really liked the characters and storyline. The writing style was not as smooth or detailed in some areas as I expected, but my attention to that faded quickly as the overall feel of the adventure was believable enough—once I let myself accept all of the unusual creatures. I wondered about many of the characters that were not described in great length...there were so many interesting mythical beings, which to my knowledge live only in the mind of this author. (It is possible that these creatures and characters were introduced in the Hellequin series and I just missed the prerequisites. However, it appeared that there was a foreshadowing of Dr. Grayson’s species/special powers to be revealed, which I was really looking forward to, but did not happen.) The resolution was satisfying, but gave the indication of a sequel—which I will happily read if it comes to fruition. Steve McHugh has one heck of an imagination!!!

Layla Cassidy tries to forget her father's past as he languishes in a hidden prison. Her dark thoughts make her think she will be just like her father. Evil forces want to use him to further their power. Kidnapped and thrown into a world she could only imagine, she accidentally activates a scroll that can give her immense power. Bloody battles, ogre's, were creatures, and some crossover from McHugh's The Hellequin Chronicles. Nice worldbuilding. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.