A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth // Book Review

A Dark and Hollow Star drew me in for so many reasons (including but not limited to that cover) and I was so not disappointed by it. It appealed to the fantasy lover in me, as well as the nerdy RPG player, and Shuttleworth does such a good job of pulling all the elements that make an awesome fantasy story together into one magnificent book.

Genre: YA contemporary fae fantasy

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (US), Hodder & Stoughton (UK)

Release Date: February 23rd, 2021

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 prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.

For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.

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. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?

Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Review

Rating: 5/5 stars

There’s nothing quite like reading a book that keeps you eager for the next chapter, and fully lost in the story. This is exactly what A Dark and Hollow Star does, in a way that brings so much to the table. It’s an excellent example of what can happen when a popular concept is taken and life is breathed into it: fae are a staple of YA fantasy, but ADAHS takes those standards and smashes them in a bid for the stars.

There are quite a few different plot threads throughout the book, all tying up at the end in a way that’s satisfactory while leaving just the right amount left unknown for you to desperately want the next book. There was also a cliffhanger that was infuriating in the best way, with just enough hints throughout to make it not feel completely out of place, but shocking enough that until the POV characters find out the information the reader now knows, we’ll be internally screaming. There was just enough information dropped in via a non-POV character chapter, which balanced the angst of not knowing what was happening with the angst of knowing how badly things were going to go, as well as keeping the expansive plot from getting too expansive. The build-up to the climax was handle excellently, and really brought everything together with a bang. And again, definitely lots of screaming at that ending.

The setting takes contemporary fantasy and leans even more on the fantasy element. Partly because of the different characters, we see different views of magic in the modern world and the levels of separation. There’s some really cool blending of magic and modern technology, as is bound to happen in a world like this, and it felt almost like this is actually how things would work. The way the Fae courts were embedded in the world were something I liked a lot, as well as the magical beings, such as the Furies that Nausicaä once belonged to, and I loved the backstory that we got through her POV because of this. I actually want a full guide to the world, because I found it so interesting, but lack of this isn’t detrimental to the book itself. There were some really interesting approaches to magic that had definite inspiration from other media (like a d20 that does some pretty awesome things) which really helped build up the magic in this world. I’m so excited to see how this is all built on in the sequel, because there’s definitely a lot of potential.

ADAHS is told through four POVs, from the four main characters, and while this seems like it could get overwhelming, Shuttleworth does a really good job of balancing the different perspectives and how they contribute to the story. It was abundantly clear how much thought went into each character, because they were all very distinct and interacted with plot points presented to them in different ways. They also balanced each other out really well in terms of characteristics, which worked well with the plot too. Nausicaä, a former Fury, was full of righteous anger, but she was also considerate and honest with Arlo. Arlo, with her perspective as half Fae, brought a different approach than just ‘fight’ and her nerdiness and drive, even when she was having to step out of her comfort zone, made her an excellent main character. Aurelian was arguably the most mysterious of the four, with a lot going on and some very valid reasons for how he acted, but he wasn’t just the stalwart bodyguard – he also loves Star Trek and space so I am contractually obliged to love him. Vehan was a prince, but he was also so caring and so determined, and his drive to find his place in everything really help flesh him out.

There are two main romantic relationships in the book, as well as a variety of familial relationships. Arlo and Nausicaä were instantly drawn to each other, but not in an Insta-love way. Seeing the progression of the romantic tension between them as they had to work together was really cool, and though there was an age difference in terms of chronological time, Nausiacaä was still very much a teenager (who has definitely sung along to at least one MCR song) and it never felt squicky. Vehan and Aurelian were a completely different story, as they were an infuriatingly good combination of childhood friends, guardian/prince, and pining. Proper, ‘can’t be together because of spoilery reasons but we’ll still send each other loaded looks’, having to bridge the gap that grew as our relationship changed because we need to save a bunch of people tension. An honourable mention of Celadon and his awesome cousin relationship with Arlo, because they were the perfect example of a sibling-like bond.

A Dark and Hollow Star is definitely a book you can dig your teeth into for a satisfying meal. It’s got depth and dynamic, with a set up for an epic sequel. It’s not really the kind of book you read when you’re looking for to whet your appetite but not intense, but it will drag you in and not let you out until you’ve torn through it voraciously. It’s difficult for me to put into words how much I loved this book, because there was so much and I can’t actually pick one thing I loved more than anything. If you haven’t already, go find yourself a copy of this book and dig in.

Will you be reading this book?

Marley out!