Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Had this in my library for a while and decided to get around to reading it. This had some really interesting magic/mythos. I really liked how the magical elements and creatures were done and thought they were pretty cool - especially surrounding dreaming.
This was more so fantasy mystery in a contemporary, small town setting. I liked how the characters felt realistic and also how their relationships developed. Kai is an adorable grumpy bean and we're here for his reluctant interactions with humans. The pacing was good and I will definitely be reading the next book to get some more answers.
This was more so fantasy mystery in a contemporary, small town setting. I liked how the characters felt realistic and also how their relationships developed. Kai is an adorable grumpy bean and we're here for his reluctant interactions with humans. The pacing was good and I will definitely be reading the next book to get some more answers.
This was such a unique story. I loved the lore and the hint of mystery.
I loved Kai and everything that came out of his mouth.
Excited to continue this duet.
I loved Kai and everything that came out of his mouth.
Excited to continue this duet.
A dark fairytale mixed in with contemporary elements. In the town of Black Hollow there is a dark secret... there is a mystical figure known as the Dreamwalker that will lure young women into the woods and possess them... but when young girls start going missing and only returning as dead bodies... things start getting weird. Kai, a loner who can also turn into a wolf, is being haunted by an evil spirit. He constantly wakes up next to the dead bodies of the missing girl but he knows for sure that every time he goes to help them he passes out with no memory of what has happened. Miya is a university student who is failing but when she finds one of the missing girls and runs into Kai her life starts going off path. Soon Kai and Miya find themselves constantly drawn to the other and must figure out who is killing these girls and who will be the Deamwalker’s next victim. Throw in a very curious oncologist named Mason who is hellbent on debunking the town’s superstitions suddenly finding his sanity tested when he bumps into Kai and Miya and the mystical beings surrounding them. This was definitely an interesting read and I enjoyed the fairytale-esque feel to the story.
This whole story really makes you question everything. With girls going missing and winding up dead, Miya fears she will be next. When the town's legends become more and more real, the characters are left trying to solve the past in order to save their future.
We got three point of views; Miya, Kai, and Mason. Kai's was probably my favourite. He had some great lines and everything he said had me smiling. I had some mixed feelings regarding Mason at the beginning, but he kind of grew on me.
I loved Kai and Miya! They balanced each other out perfectly and they were super cute. I loved their playful relationship. I'm excited to see what they get up to next!
We got three point of views; Miya, Kai, and Mason. Kai's was probably my favourite. He had some great lines and everything he said had me smiling. I had some mixed feelings regarding Mason at the beginning, but he kind of grew on me.
I loved Kai and Miya! They balanced each other out perfectly and they were super cute. I loved their playful relationship. I'm excited to see what they get up to next!
Not my thing, I was expecting romance or fantasy, but this definitely felt more like a gothic tale you know. I mean, cool story, but not fun
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 to 4 stars. Rounded up to 4.
There were many, many aspects I loved about this book: the ambience/mood, the prose, the mystery, the lore, the suspense, thriller and mild horror aspects. However certain points of the story fell a bit too flat for me, such as when all the major POV characters finally met, the relationship development between the two love interests, and the final stretch to the ending didn't have enough sense of "oomph".
That said, I did enjoy the ending, but I think it could have been more satisfying if the stakes had more weight. I didn't buy into the stakes and the time rush that were established for the conclusion.
Initially, I was vibing pretty well with our FMC until she apparently forgot that she lives in a town full superstitious crazies. I feel the author tried to solve the contemporary fiction problem of "why couldn't they just text/call to resolve the issue" with the FMC's phone being dead all the time and (spoiler)time passing differently in the woods , but I feel that she should acknowledge that she needs to check in with somebody.
I wish we got more scenes with the two love interests before they made a commitment to each other. I did like their dynamic and banter however and they did feel like a good pair. Spoiler thoughts:I think more relationship development would have made the reincarnated and fated lovers conclusion much more impactful
Our 3rd POV character, Mason, had me very invested in his personal journey and the lore of the town. I don't think he should be excluded as his storyline increased the air of mystery and suspense. It was just unfortunate that when he finally met the other two, it felt very rushed as all their individual discoveries "clicked into place" with each other too quickly. And they all just worked together too fast for me personally.
Despite my dislikes, I still feel I enjoyed what I read and will happily move on to book 2. The fables created for this series has me in a chokehold.
I'd recommend this book for someone who enjoys thriller and dark elements to their urban fantasy romances, bad boys with foul mouths, carefully crafted lore and legends, and has the understanding that the book may not be absolutely perfect but still contains those gritty vibes you're aching for
There were many, many aspects I loved about this book: the ambience/mood, the prose, the mystery, the lore, the suspense, thriller and mild horror aspects. However certain points of the story fell a bit too flat for me, such as when all the major POV characters finally met, the relationship development between the two love interests, and the final stretch to the ending didn't have enough sense of "oomph".
That said, I did enjoy the ending, but I think it could have been more satisfying if the stakes had more weight. I didn't buy into the stakes and the time rush that were established for the conclusion.
Initially, I was vibing pretty well with our FMC until she apparently forgot that she lives in a town full superstitious crazies. I feel the author tried to solve the contemporary fiction problem of "why couldn't they just text/call to resolve the issue" with the FMC's phone being dead all the time and (spoiler)
I wish we got more scenes with the two love interests before they made a commitment to each other. I did like their dynamic and banter however and they did feel like a good pair. Spoiler thoughts:
Our 3rd POV character, Mason, had me very invested in his personal journey and the lore of the town. I don't think he should be excluded as his storyline increased the air of mystery and suspense. It was just unfortunate that when he finally met the other two, it felt very rushed as all their individual discoveries "clicked into place" with each other too quickly. And they all just worked together too fast for me personally.
Despite my dislikes, I still feel I enjoyed what I read and will happily move on to book 2. The fables created for this series has me in a chokehold.
I'd recommend this book for someone who enjoys thriller and dark elements to their urban fantasy romances, bad boys with foul mouths, carefully crafted lore and legends, and has the understanding that the book may not be absolutely perfect but still contains those gritty vibes you're aching for
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Super strong start. The world is very intriguing. I liked how the characters instantly seemed like best friends. I loved them. The ending was a bit more challenging to me to understand and it was a bit of a let down.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
•good storytelling and easily to follow story.
•I didn't really feel Miya and Kai's chemistry. Very insta love/insta lust for me.
• besides typical "burn the witch" vibes, original concept.
•really? Mirek's hell bent haunting reason was "He got our girl killed and because I loved her, he must pay" booooring.
•I didn't really feel Miya and Kai's chemistry. Very insta love/insta lust for me.
• besides typical "burn the witch" vibes, original concept.
•really? Mirek's hell bent haunting reason was "He got our girl killed and because I loved her, he must pay" booooring.
The core issue of The Hollow Gods is embodied by the flaws of each of its 3 leads: aimlessness, at times repugnant, and ultimately boring. There are quality components and occasionally entertaining prose, but so much of the story is characters with zero perceivable motivation, making indecipherably arcane decisions, positing questions for the purpose of "witty" or "deep" responses hinting at themes or ideas that are just left presented on the table, never to be expanded upon, and are ultimately forgotten. The themes and iconography have potential as flavorful ingredients, but the broth that should unify this literary stew, and build upon these bits of wasted potential, is soured by the utter unlikability of its cast and imparsability of any thematic statement or point to the damn story.
Not bad, but missing a bit of depth and lore explanation.
This story follows three characters: Miya, an insomniac who is looking for a new purpose in life and finds herself inexplicably drawn to the woods; Kai, a wolf-shifter with a demon spirit haunting his mind; and Mason, an oncologist who recently lost his first patient and is trying to get away from his guilt.
The backdrop is Black Hollow, a superstitious town who believes that its citizens are haunted by a female called the Dreamwalker who kidnaps young women using her wolf servants. Once the young women are returned, they are never the same and end up murdered by male family members (very problematic, not really addressed).
I think there was something really going for this story, but it fell just a bit flat for me. It was hard to follow exactly what was going on in the grand scheme of things, because the book felt a bit too much like a riddle. For instance, it isn't until very late in the book that we actually learn the lore of the Dreamwalker at all, which makes caring about the myth and Miya's growing fear that she's the next victim hard to do.
Kai's issues get lost in the story as well. I wanted more scenes from his perspective, but every time the story switched over to him I felt like we were fast-forwarding just a bit too fast. I think I would have liked for this book to either be longer with more buildup, or perhaps without Mason's character at all. Mason seemed to just be serving as an excuse for the author to explain the town's history and the lore to the reader, but it was a bit ineffective and his presence at the end felt forced.
I definitely want to read the other book in the duology, but I think a bit of reorganization would have done this story a lot of good.
This story follows three characters: Miya, an insomniac who is looking for a new purpose in life and finds herself inexplicably drawn to the woods; Kai, a wolf-shifter with a demon spirit haunting his mind; and Mason, an oncologist who recently lost his first patient and is trying to get away from his guilt.
The backdrop is Black Hollow, a superstitious town who believes that its citizens are haunted by a female called the Dreamwalker who kidnaps young women using her wolf servants. Once the young women are returned, they are never the same and end up murdered by male family members (very problematic, not really addressed).
I think there was something really going for this story, but it fell just a bit flat for me. It was hard to follow exactly what was going on in the grand scheme of things, because the book felt a bit too much like a riddle. For instance, it isn't until very late in the book that we actually learn the lore of the Dreamwalker at all, which makes caring about the myth and Miya's growing fear that she's the next victim hard to do.
Kai's issues get lost in the story as well. I wanted more scenes from his perspective, but every time the story switched over to him I felt like we were fast-forwarding just a bit too fast. I think I would have liked for this book to either be longer with more buildup, or perhaps without Mason's character at all. Mason seemed to just be serving as an excuse for the author to explain the town's history and the lore to the reader, but it was a bit ineffective and his presence at the end felt forced.
I definitely want to read the other book in the duology, but I think a bit of reorganization would have done this story a lot of good.