Black Hollow is a town with a dark secret. For centuries, residents have foretold the return of the Dreamwalker–an ominous figure from local folklore said to lure young women into the woods and possess them. Yet the boundary between fact and fable is blurred by a troubling statistic: occasionally, women do go missing. And after they return, they almost always end up dead. When Kai wakes up next … Kai wakes up next to the lifeless body of a recently missing girl, his memory blank, he struggles to clear his already threadbare conscience.
Miya, a floundering university student, experiences signs that she may be the Dreamwalker’s next victim. Can she trust Kai as their paths collide, or does he herald her demise?
And after losing a young patient, crestfallen oncologist, Mason, embarks on a quest to debunk the town’s superstitions, only to find his sanity tested.
A maelstrom of ancient grudges, forgotten traumas, and deadly secrets loom in the foggy forests of Black Hollow. Can three unlikely heroes put aside their fears and unite to confront a centuries-old evil? Will they uncover the truth behind the fable, or will the cycle repeat?
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Have you ever finished a book and thought, how do I write this review? Well I’m left with that thought after reading The Hollow Gods. It is a complex, hard to pin down genre. I guess maybe dark urban fantasy/horror…but then there is just so much more to it. It is filled with fables, mythology, nightmares and woods that are like a maze, that make you loose direction and time. The woods and the willow tree are so much more than they appear. Inside there are werewolves, a dreamwalker, a raven and so much more. The world building is amazing!
I loved Kai, he is rude, moody and violent. But there is so much more to him, as Miya finds out. Miya is a badass heroine, but she’s also flawed and real. Mason is a grieving doctor who has come to the small town to recover from the trauma of losing a patient. He is trying to prove that the fable the village believes is not real. He feels he will end his grieving this way. The characters are so well written that I became emotionally tied to them.
I was drawn to the book by the amazing cover. I love ravens and the cover of the book, with the raven and it’s purples and black, is beautiful and unique!!! Like the story. It is truly a unique story, not really comparable to any that I’ve read. It is beautiful and horrifying at the same time. And it leaves you with a hangover, unable to stop thinking about it.
‘The Hollow Gods’ is the first book in ‘The Chaos Cycle duology’ by A.J. Vrana, and I was lucky to receive a copy of this book by Parliament Press Books in exchange for an honest review.
I have an obsession with contemporary fantasy/paranormal books, so the cover alone drew me in.
The book focuses around the small town of Black Hollow, a town which is plagued with myth’s, fables and folklore. Rumours of a ‘Dreamwalker’ who steals young women in the woods if rife, and it’s unfortunate that despite attempts to dispel such a notion, girls continue to go missing.
The book is told from differing character perspectives, and your interest is instantly captivated when ‘Kai’ wakes up with no recollection as to why he feels disorientated, or why there is a dead body beside him. Not just any body, but the body of Black Hollow’s latest victim.
You also are introduced to Miya, a girl who is failing university and is starting to experience some very strange going’s on, and Mason an oncologist who has escaped to Black Hollow in an attempt to have some respite from his profession, and to overcome the death of one of his patients.
Each are in the search for answers, and with the aide of each other, will they be able to get to the bottom of the secret that weaves it’s way into the forest and shadows Black Hollow?
I did think initially the pace was slower than what I am used to, but the more I read the more captivated by the mystery, plot and characters I became. Lots of interesting exchanges between Mira and Kai to keep you entertained and a hint of romance.
I would recommend to all dark fantasy readers, or those who love reading mysteries or folklore. It was an unexpected read for me, and I am interested to see what else this author publishes.
This was such a long book but I didn’t realized how fast it ended. Pages just flew by.
The story is presented through the eyes of three characters that we get to understand and to love.
There were no dull moment and I must admit that was one of the most entertaining book I read this year. It keeps you on your toes and always trying to guess what happened in the past that led to such a present.
At first I thought that Miya was a quiet and fragile girl but she proved to be bold, strong and confident in herself. A little lioness
Loved the way Kai and Miya nicknamed each other . And others too
Kai, he is such a strong guy (his soft spot is Miya) but also very very funny. I laughed so hard reading this book. Learned some new cusses too. This one is the best:
“I will fuck the sun out of your sky if you don’t get out of my way,”
Mason is quite inquisitive and makes for a good detective. He is determined to discover the truth behind the local legend and doesn’t quit even if his sun is defiled.
Haven’t figured out the reason he was chosen for this. But we’ll probably find out more in the next book.
By the end of the book we get to find out the answer to Miya’s question:
“Was the Dreamwalker coming for her because she wanted to disappear? To get away from her life and live in some distant fairy tale? Miya had always yearned for something more.”
If you like dark, funny, action packed and fast paced books this one is for you
Loved it and can’t wait to read the next book (I understood that it’s a duology).
Thank you BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Confusing and convoluted.
Full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3413844298?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
I thought this was a really great book. The story is very well written and the character work is really good. The story is interesting and really pulled me in. I had a hard time putting this book down and definitely recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.