A Dark and Hollow Star (The Hollow Star Saga #1) by Ashley Shuttleworth Book Review

Title: A Dark and Hollow Star
Author: Ashley Shuttleworth
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: February 23, 2021
Pages: 512

Choose your player.

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.

Pre-order it on Barnes & Noble or Amazon 

My Thoughts

**Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for sending me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review!**

This story follows four teens, Arlo, Nausicaӓ, Vehan, and Aurelian, all from different origins as they each set out to investigate the mysterious dead bodies that keep turning up when no one listens to them. 

There was nothing she could do, and she would lose her nerve if she didn't keep moving. Head down. . . Don't attract too much attention. 

An interesting string of events causes the four teens to cross paths and team up with each other to discover the unknown culprit that is somehow related to all their investigations. Will they be able to find the answer before it's too late? 

The sight reminded Vehan of some cosmic, ethereal garden the way hyacinth blue and verbena purple swept through endless orchid black, those stars like glittering dew on their petals.

Star Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5) 

Taking place between Canada and the fae world, I enjoyed reading about the magical setting that was carefully crafted and well thought out by the author.

One small take that I do have is the ending. I understand that there is another book coming but I wanted to have an ending with one last chapter on Vehan and Aurelian to wrap things up. Other than that, everything else was awesome.

I was super excited for this book and so lucky to have received an early copy thanks to the publisher. A Dark and Hollow Star is a fantasy book that truly stands out from others. I haven’t read The City of Bones or The Cruel Prince (they’re both only TBR) but I can tell you that this book is equal to all the good things I hear about them. It's a must-read of 2021!

About the Author

Ashley Shuttleworth is a young adult fantasy author with a degree in English literature and a slight obsession with The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy. They currently live in Ontario, Canada, with their cat named Zack and a growing collection of cosplay swords.