Its a beautiful thing to see when an author clearly loves a genre and has a field day with infusing the story with great character, after great character. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Although I struggled to get into it at the start, once the story really got going, I was totally invested in the characters and the outcome of their investigation. They currently live in Ontario, Canada, with their cat named Zack and a growing collection of cosplay swords. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courtsuntil a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world. Its for all the reasons youd expect, great backstory, incredibly clever and snappy dialogue, her brashness, and her complicated yet necessary vulnerability. The only question is: which way? Theres so much going on there I dont even know where to start unpacking it, but as things unfold, it becomes clear everyone has things in their closet theyd rather not get out. The only question is: which way? As each of the characters investigates the murders, they eventually end up crossing paths and, as expected, team up. I love slow-burn romances, so I didnt mind this, but if youre the kind of romance reader that does, keep that in mind. bookending Goodreads Description:The ironborn half-fae outcast of her royal fae family. In this books case, and this is not a slight whatsoever, I think the journey is more important than the destination. Nausicaa an exiled fury with a heart full of vengeance. (LogOut/ And they might all have feelings for each other. The ironborn half-fae outcast of her royal fae family. Zehan, a prince of the Seelie Court of Summer, has some serious mommy issues thanks to his queen mother Riadne Lysterne. Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. Its unfortunate to hear that the story itself fell short. I havent counted, but it seemed like there were a lot more chapters from Arlos POV than the others. Subscribe to receive weekly lists of must-watch movies and info about our exclusive giveaways! The ironborn half-fae outcast of her royal fae family, A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge, A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne, The princes brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret. Yes, the city of Toronto is under siege from all sorts of mortal and immortal types in this new book from Canadian author Ashley Shuttleworth. Read by Vikas Adam, Natalie Naudus, Neo Cihi and Imani Jade Powers, By clicking 'Sign me up' I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the. Check out my rating system here! Do you ever see a book cover and think whoa, thats hot.. The way the world building interrupted conversations for several paragraphs made it feel disjointed and I found it hard to get into many of the early scenes as they didnt flow. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible.

The characters werent particularly likable and the story was just so much. Thanks! I do think the magical die could have been interesting if they had been integrated more subtly. I was rooting for Hero as a villain tbh. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. shuttleworth hollow At this point, I cant even remember anything of this book, which is likely not a good sign. Not really my kind of book so I think I would give it a pass. ibanez hollow as200 prestige controls artstar sunburst guitar electric body dark brown yellow A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge. Now, in lesser hands that could be disjointed and messy, but Ashley shows great skill here as a first timer as the book flows beautifully. The synopsis certainly makes it sound cool! Looking for more book reviews? A Dark and Hollow Star is Ashley Shuttleworths debut novel and its a queer fantasy with elements of a murder mystery. But it doesnt sully the ending one bit which does have a surprise or two. I loved the mix of fantasy and modern-day technology and pop culture references. Four teens with claims to the faery world come together to investigate a series of murders. The story is in multiple POVs and third person, which just adds to the story. Its so weird and took me out of the story. Even the villain wasnt that intriguing, since we get random chapters from his POV. For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. Nausicaas pov is especially illuminating. Prince Vehan and Aurelian bring more questions than answers to the plot, but I felt like their perspectives set up future plot points. The focus on world building also meant I felt more distanced from the characters at the start, who were well-written, but felt side-lined by the world building at times in the first half. Its set partially in Toronto and partially in Las Vegas, homes to two of the Fae courts. Theyre going to need it. These breaks keep you whizzing around different locale (mostly two), keeping tabs on various would-be heroes until the team comes together, which does happen late in the book. Im sorry you didnt like it that much and I definitely agree with what youre pointing out, I just hope I wont feel that way about THIS book haha! If thats not bad enough, theres a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. Weve followed four characters through the book, but two of them are completely missing from the ending. Shell do almost anything to ensure the success of her court, and that includes manipulating Zehans personal life, namely Aurelian. Arlo is half-fae, so of course she has reason to be concerned especially when the murders start up in Toronto. The princes brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret. Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Overall this story was great. Content Warnings:Death, murder, slight gore. The world building in A Dark and Hollow Star is very well done. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. We also may use affiliate links in our Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Change). Another aspect of A Dark and Hollow Star which felt forced was all of the pop culture references. We dont have a new person in the world that acts as our proxy to the world. A soft magic system can be confusing so I can understand why it mightve been frustrating to read! Every single character has something or someone to fight for, and while these motives may not be rational by your standards or mine, they are powerful agents, nonetheless. (LogOut/ I also adored the chemistry between Nausica and Arlo and how it built up slowly over the course of the book. Its enough to know exactly who he is, but not enough for us to get invested. A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne. The characters are moving through a world they know, so we often get terms and rules thrown at us from nowhere. The ironborn half-fae outcast of her royal fae family. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to fans of The Cruel Prince Series and ACOTAR, A dark and Hollow Star, ashley shuttleworth, Book blog, Book review, Chaotic characters, faeries, fairies, Fantasy romance, lgbtq fantasy, LGBTQ+ read, queer fantasy, queer romance, reading blog, young adult fantasy, young adult literture. I really liked the setting. The only question is: which way? A Dark and Hollow Stars plot was also quite messy. Ah, I still need to read this! Im just barely scratching the surface here as this book has all of these things plus a really fun murder/mystery plot that involves titans, the 7-deadly sins, immortals, conspiracies at all levels of the courts, and enough pop culture references to throw a Philosophers Stone at. Not the one I usually pick but the story had my interest. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Overall this isnt a bad book, it just lacked a certain spark for me. I wanted to love A Dark and Hollow Star, with its all-queer cast and serial killer plotline. The different types of faerie, the Courts, and immortals, the way its all hidden alongside our world, was depicted so vividly. studs schematic supports hollow panel death side star rebrickable lego Great review. Well, one looks like a Fae teenager, but shes actually a centuries old Fury who has been banished to the mortal realm. It was full of queer characters and it has an amazing urban fantasy setting. It also meant the book had a slow pace in the early parts. , QOTD: What new books are you excited about this month?

This is going to be a must-read for 2021. If that makes sense? The plot offers high stakes, simmering romantic tension, political drama, refreshingly casual representation of queer and transgender characters, and an intriguing magic system that draws inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons., First in a planned duology, Shuttleworths queer urban fantasy debut combines figures from Greek myth and European folklore with elements of tabletop RPGs.Shuttleworth sensitively tackles the plots darker elements, including trauma and suicidal ideation, tempering them with tenderness and wry wit. And kudos to editor Sarah McCabe as well. Illumicrate Daughter of Smoke and BoneUnboxing. Unfortunately, Vehan loved him too.. He turned out to be a total pill. when characters let us down . Ashleys keen sense of their characters magic and constitution as they move through this mortal world is nothing short of astounding. Great review either way!! This month is Disability Pride Month and I've spent all of this month so far trying to work out what I want to say in this post, and I'm still not sure what the right words are. Back Cover Summary: The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones in this thrilling urban fantasy set in the magical underworld of Toronto that follows a queer cast of characters racing to stop a serial killer whose crimes could expose the hidden world of faeries to humans. I wanted to like this book.

Why did he not get a bigger part in the book? Ah man, it does sound like it had a ton of potential, but when a plot gets messy, its tough to connect. I have to say, Aurelian and Vehan seemed to fade into the background as the book went on, with Arlo really feeling like the main character for most of the book, rather than the story being split between them more equally. Check out my review directory! Aurelian and Zehans relationship is waaaaayyyyyy more complicated, and thats setting aside this cosmic, high-stakes, incredibly dangerous, winner-take-all quest theyve really stumbled into. I dont know. The princes brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret. The romances slow and doesnt have a resolution, so it will probably build in future novels. Audiobook review - Breathe and Count Back From Ten , QOTD: Are there any books you would love to see made into a film or TV show? This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courtsuntil a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.

document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But, yeah, theres no denying Nausica is sweet on Arlo and Im here for it. A review of Enchanting the ElvenMage, Elves are baddies too: Review for Deal with the ElfKing. The DnD angle was taken even further when Arlo is gifted a special die, which conveniently lets her win at challenges. I felt completely immersed in a world which is familiar yet unfamiliar our world but with faeries roaming the streets. You would of course expect trolls, faeries, and deities to have a symbiotic relationship with their environment, but Ashley makes you feel the air shift around Nausica as her true form is revealed, smell the fae fragrance as Arlos skills increase, and sense what Aurelians lesidhe magic can sense. I love these characters too, but I found Nausicaa and Arlos POVs more compelling. However, as much as I loved learning about the world, it felt very overwhelming. Shes sarcastic, chaotic and sassy in the best way, and every scene she was in was made ten times better by her presence. A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge. The writing wasnt bad, but it needed some more editing. , MINDWALKER by thekatedylan Digital products purchased from this site are sold by Simon & Schuster Digital Sales Inc. I hope this week has been treating you well. And yet. Weekly lists of must-watch movies and exclusive prizes. Back then, I didn't know anyone else who was chronically ill, didn't have any stories to read with characters like me, and it was lonely. Hi friends! A Dark and Hollow Star isnt the sort of book Id immediately pick to read but overall sounds like it was good. Sorry it didnt work that well. After the fantastic final showdown, we get one chapter from Arlos perspective and an intriguing epilogue. It was just overly wordy. As for the core four, Arlo, Nausica, Vehan, and Aurelian, I cant imagine not liking any of them and all contribute to their story in their own unique way.



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