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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hollowed is a standalone Gothic Fantasy/ Sleepy Hollow reimagining. You'll see several familiar names but this book has a unique plot. It's what I'd call a light spooky read. There's a dark vibe but honestly, it wasn't as dark as I expected (not necessarily a bad thing). The Horseman definitely wasn't what I imagined. There's mystery, mild action, and some twists to keep you intrigued. If you're looking for a lightly spooky read with the tropes below, look no further!
•Fake Marriage
•One bed / one horse
•Who Did This to You
• Low spice 0.5
•Fake Marriage
•One bed / one horse
•Who Did This to You
• Low spice 0.5
Meh, could take it or leave it, I was really intrigued at the beginning but it just fell flat and became really tedious for me.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I wanted to love this, as much as I love the source material, especially with a blending of retellings together with folklore mixed in, but there's just so much I cringed at while reading.
The writing style was one of the best parts of the book, but it's very raw. VERY raw. There's a time when you want to break up the dialog by adding narration, but then there are times when it's not even a conversation anymore because the dialog is broken up too much. Trimming the thoughts more would make the flow much better.
There were many scenes that were written in detail that just honestly didn't need to be drawn out - instead, it's ok to add a recap of the day, bringing in how the characters felt, highlights, and note-worthy changes that were important instead of detailing the whole conversation, or feelings, or actions that just don't matter.
If the above is trimmed, it would have then helped give room for more development of the story.
Something that really drived me nuts was how easy all conversation and information was, there was no resistance to the characters - Alexander and Katrina - to getting to know each other more, which made their romance less of a slow burn and too predicable. I would have loved more time of them navigating the waters together, vs just jumping straight into problem solving. Give us a trail to follow, without blazing it for us.
Legend of Sleepy Hollow is also about Dutch settlers. Dutch, not Irish. Why does this matter? Because it's already taking a classic and turning it on its head, with leaving only names and location related to the original. Making all folklore Irish was a poor choice as it discounts how much amazing Dutch, germanic, nordic folklore that could have been chosen instead to keep MORE of the original classic in the story.
This was a valiant effort and the overall story was conceptually great, but there's so much that can be improved on additional drafts if given the chance. I also just wish more of the original was included....
The writing style was one of the best parts of the book, but it's very raw. VERY raw. There's a time when you want to break up the dialog by adding narration, but then there are times when it's not even a conversation anymore because the dialog is broken up too much. Trimming the thoughts more would make the flow much better.
There were many scenes that were written in detail that just honestly didn't need to be drawn out - instead, it's ok to add a recap of the day, bringing in how the characters felt, highlights, and note-worthy changes that were important instead of detailing the whole conversation, or feelings, or actions that just don't matter.
If the above is trimmed, it would have then helped give room for more development of the story.
Something that really drived me nuts was how easy all conversation and information was, there was no resistance to the characters - Alexander and Katrina - to getting to know each other more, which made their romance less of a slow burn and too predicable. I would have loved more time of them navigating the waters together, vs just jumping straight into problem solving. Give us a trail to follow, without blazing it for us.
Legend of Sleepy Hollow is also about Dutch settlers. Dutch, not Irish. Why does this matter? Because it's already taking a classic and turning it on its head, with leaving only names and location related to the original. Making all folklore Irish was a poor choice as it discounts how much amazing Dutch, germanic, nordic folklore that could have been chosen instead to keep MORE of the original classic in the story.
This was a valiant effort and the overall story was conceptually great, but there's so much that can be improved on additional drafts if given the chance. I also just wish more of the original was included....
I really enjoyed this sleepy hollow fantasy re telling! I loved Katrina she was such a strong character and had been through so much in her life and had such great growth in this. I loved how she has a disability with her hearing too and thought the representation was done really well. I loved her and Alexander chemistry as well, I loved how well they fit together and he was such a great person for suppose to being the scary headless horsemen that protected the town. I loved the sleepy hollow town setting and the mystery aspect the magic and over all was just a fun read!
i'm a longtime lover of sleepy hollow. i love the original tale and the tv show (ft the handsome tom mison). when i heard about "hollowed" i got so damn excited. i couldn't wait to see my favourite characters come alive once again. (and to meet some entirely new ones).
i read hollowed in about 2 days. it's not a record for me, but it was still a decently quick book to get through. the pacing was excellent. it slowed down at the right times (for information consumption) and sped back up right before you could get bored.
as for the characters, this book follows katrina. i enjoyed hearing the story from her side of things. she definitely makes for an interesting character. the inclusion of hard of hearing rep was a nice touch. it wasn't briefly mentioned and forgotten about either.
the romance was a bit of a surprise for me. i was expecting her to get with a certain somebody (you know, because she does in the source material and every remake since). i did like the romantic subplot and who she got with. however if you're loyal to the legend of sleepy hollow, you'll probably be a bit disappointed. i also struggled with how ichabod was no longer the good guy that we know and love of him, and instead was somewhat of a bully.
it's also worth pointing out that the romance is very clean. if you're looking for erotica type "spice", you won't find it here. it's one of the things i loved most about this book. there's definitely some, but it's minimal. and slow burn.
i read hollowed in about 2 days. it's not a record for me, but it was still a decently quick book to get through. the pacing was excellent. it slowed down at the right times (for information consumption) and sped back up right before you could get bored.
as for the characters, this book follows katrina. i enjoyed hearing the story from her side of things. she definitely makes for an interesting character. the inclusion of hard of hearing rep was a nice touch. it wasn't briefly mentioned and forgotten about either.
the romance was a bit of a surprise for me. i was expecting her to get with a certain somebody (you know, because she does in the source material and every remake since). i did like the romantic subplot and who she got with. however if you're loyal to the legend of sleepy hollow, you'll probably be a bit disappointed. i also struggled with how ichabod was no longer the good guy that we know and love of him, and instead was somewhat of a bully.
it's also worth pointing out that the romance is very clean. if you're looking for erotica type "spice", you won't find it here. it's one of the things i loved most about this book. there's definitely some, but it's minimal. and slow burn.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
slow-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
‘Hollowed’ is a dark gothic retelling of Sleepy Hollow; with a romance subplot and told through the perspective of the fmc only.
Before this I hadn’t read anything or heard much on the tale of sleepy hollow and the Dullahan. But I can honestly say that it intrigued me enough to go research it for myself.
Jessica is a new to me author, and while I struggled to get through this book at some points I still enjoyed it. So, I think it’s safe to say I’d like to read more of her work.
The beginning of ‘Hollowed’ had a strong start, it wasn’t too drawn out and we got enough information and build up on the fmc’s story and life to understand her.
Katrina is a young woman who has only know cruelty from those who we’re supposed to love and protect her. So it was nice to see her character arc come to life and develop. We watch as she struggles with getting a grasp on her powers to then gaining more control and coming into her own. At first her confidence is basically non existent but by the end Katrina is finally able to understand her own worth, which for me was one of my favourite things!
Alexander, has been alone most of his life, but he’s know to others as the Dullahan—or his moniker, the Headless Horseman—he’s the protector of sleepy hollow. One of the things I loved about his character is that he was the complete opposite of what the town portrayed him to be (something to be feared). From the first moment we meet him Alexander is kind and gentle. He immediately cares for Katrina and I found that refreshing.
The romance in this book was merely a subplot as there was little of it, mostly the plot focused on the fantasy aspect. This isn’t bother me much, I enjoyed it. However, it would have been nice to have a little more smut, but it wasn’t required as the few closed door scenes within the story were sweet and wholesome moments between the main characters.
…but seeing Katrina slowly fall in love with Alexander was written so well. It was gradual and not rushed at all; not allowing it to take over from the story and world building. Sleepy Hollow was a true slow burn, in both sense of plot and romance.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hollowed is a dark fantasy sleepy hollow retelling. 19 year old katerina van tassel has been tormented by her parents and town of sleepy hollow all her life. her magic never taught to come into fruition. she is chosen as the next sacrifice to the headless horseman to ensure the protection of her town.
this reimagining creates an interesting magical town full of complicated politics and relations. the overall concept of the book hooked me in, though i am unsure of the execution. there were points that i thoroughly enjoyed but i also found it severely lacking in several places.
the author empowers katrina in this story whereas in the original i don’t believe she even had any true dialogue and everything she done narrated by a man. i just wish the author took it a step further. the story takes place all within a week and katrina goes from barely having any control over her powers to defeating the antagonist and saving them all. i wanted more depth to her uncovering her true potential and actually embracing it because even by the end katrina was still doubting herself.
i loved the mental health representation but it often felt played up way too much. it was constantly being brought up and mentioned over and over again and those spaces could have been filled up with more to build up the plot and move it along.
i have conflicted feelings about the headless horseman. i was honestly expecting more. there were several points in the story where his characterization felt completely askew. one moment he is soft and caring and the next he’s harsh and infantilizing katrina.
i was excited to read a retelling with the horseman has the love interest. but the romance fell short. i wanted more and the moments we had were rushed and felt incomplete. i have seen quite a few people advertise this book as spicy and it’s really not. the spice was not even in the room with us.
as i mentioned, i did enjoy reading it. i adore the legend of the headless horseman and have been waiting for him to appear as the romantic lead. i binged it in near two days. but at the end of it all, i just had hoped for something a bit more exciting.
this reimagining creates an interesting magical town full of complicated politics and relations. the overall concept of the book hooked me in, though i am unsure of the execution. there were points that i thoroughly enjoyed but i also found it severely lacking in several places.
the author empowers katrina in this story whereas in the original i don’t believe she even had any true dialogue and everything she done narrated by a man. i just wish the author took it a step further. the story takes place all within a week and katrina goes from barely having any control over her powers to defeating the antagonist and saving them all. i wanted more depth to her uncovering her true potential and actually embracing it because even by the end katrina was still doubting herself.
i loved the mental health representation but it often felt played up way too much. it was constantly being brought up and mentioned over and over again and those spaces could have been filled up with more to build up the plot and move it along.
i have conflicted feelings about the headless horseman. i was honestly expecting more. there were several points in the story where his characterization felt completely askew. one moment he is soft and caring and the next he’s harsh and infantilizing katrina.
i was excited to read a retelling with the horseman has the love interest. but the romance fell short. i wanted more and the moments we had were rushed and felt incomplete. i have seen quite a few people advertise this book as spicy and it’s really not. the spice was not even in the room with us.
as i mentioned, i did enjoy reading it. i adore the legend of the headless horseman and have been waiting for him to appear as the romantic lead. i binged it in near two days. but at the end of it all, i just had hoped for something a bit more exciting.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes