The Hallowed Ones is a series with two books currently published, with the third expected this year. These two first books are available in the Oyster book subscription in case you’re interested in trying out its month-long free trial.
Titles: The Hallowed Ones/The Outside
Author: Laura Bickle
Buy them on Amazon: Hallowed Ones Hardcover or Kindle; The Outside Hardcover or Kindle
Book Descriptions:
The Hallowed Ones
Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.
The Outside
After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.
And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?
In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?
What I Think:
I have read several Amish themed books, but never ones with this type of plot. I wouldn’t have guessed that the Amish setting would mix well with a thriller end of the world scenario, but the combination provides two great stories. The books show Katie’s struggle with the Amish lifestyle, but always in a way that shows respect for its teachings with a healthy dose of commonsense and compassion that keeps her skeptical of some rulings or people. I particularly enjoyed the role of the Hexenmeister in the books, even if it seems to have a far-fetched connection to Amish tradition. The books are fast reads and entertaining even with their need for a good imagination as you read along. Enjoy!
