@XpressoTours, @hotchoc84 (Charlotte), @ShaynaGrissom/, #Fantasy, #YoungAdult, 4 out of 5 (very good)

Hell is divided into seven regions. The first region is designated for the purest of souls, the seventh is for the evilest. There was once a king of Hell, but the steward family has ruled for centuries. 

Nora, the stepdaughter of the steward is undone when her mother and step-father take away her beloved tutor, Peter. When Nora confronts the steward and her mother, the discussion is heated and ends with the steward in inexplicable pain.

Shortly after, Nora finds herself in the Starry Wood. Peter told her of the perils within the forest, and it’s not long before the inhabitants of the wood find her. 

A giant hunter named Aegis comes to Nora’s aid. He is drawn to Nora, compelled to protect her from the steward’s assassins, the giants, and the evil souls who escape the seventh region. 

Together, they travel the seven layers of Hell to discover why the steward is so threatened by a teenage girl.

I read The Kitchen House, and heard Kathleen Grissom speak then at our town’s Author Lunch. When Glory Over Everything became available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I knew from her talk that Grissom was working on a sequel to her bestseller, and I was curious to see if it could be as compelling — for me, the title itself was inspiring. I am not sure, without re-reading Kitchen House, but I might venture to say that Glory Over Everything was even better. It may be because there is an established sympathy for the characters, and Grissom does not need to work so hard to reacquaint us with them. Of course, this also means that the unsavory characters are back again with a vengeance, and along with them an overwhelming sense of dread and despair. The story itself is wholly new, and the characters are alive on every page, well-developed and carefully drawn. The various storylines offered a look at the moral divide between the north and the south, but also acknowledged when those lines were not so stark, and tended to blur into each other.

What I liked most about this novel was that while it would be tempting to tell this story from a position of moral high ground, Grissom does not offer stereotypes spouting platitudes, and everyone does not always live happily ever after. Her characters are shown close-up, with the grime behind their fingernails and sweat-stained clothes. They are not all pretty, and they are not all good, but they are all so very real. And they will make you laugh, cry, despair, and finally, hope.

This book was engaging from start to finish. I listened to the audiobook. I'm fairly new to the audiobook world but this has been the best narration that I have heard thus far!. The novel is not the typical slave novel; it actually focuses on a little Irish indentured servant and her struggle to find her place. The characters in the novel seemed so real and at times, I couldn't stop listening. The plot kept my attention from the beginning. I can't say enough about this novel; just go read it! I cannot wait to read the sequel. I miss them, lol.

Review coming soon...I have to gather my thoughts. 

Back in business, baby!!!! There have been so many jaw dropping moments.  I don't want it to end.