I adore Guillermo del Toro and was really hoping for more of a horror. If you are looking for a supernatural story this is the one for you! This just wasn't the perfect fit for me but it was still very entertaining. The narration was excellent and we had distinct voices for different characters.

This audiobook was received as an ARC from Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so captivated by this story that listening to it made it more enjoyable. Having loved The Shape of Water, I was not expecting anything less from Guillermo del Toro. I could not help but be mesemrized at the career path of Odessa and the triumphs she had along the way of figuring out what was happening in the world. Also, the voice of Brittany Pressley was very soothing and refreshing to hear which made the story come to life even more. Our community will be fascinated and appreciate this book a lot.

We will consider adding this title to our Audiobook/Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

An entertaining and gripping supernatural story. I loved the plot, the characters and the world building.
The voice of the narrator was a plus for an immersive experience.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Well, this marks my second audio ARC from NetGalley - and I do think that the sound quality of the narration is related to their app, not the performances themselves and I didn't find it as distracting as I did with the first book that I listened to.

I am a huge fan of Guillermo Del Toro - I love his movies and I really enjoyed his previous trilogy with Chuck Hogan and their take on vampires. So, as soon as I heard that a new series was starting, I was super excited! And I definitely enjoyed this - but I really do have to concede that this is not their most original tale. It really owes a lot to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Pendergast series - Hugo Blackwood is just a more supernaturally charged version of dear Aloysius. And though there are some haunting and unique imagery - the villain seems to owe a lot to the presence in that old Denzel Washington movie, Fallen...

The two FBI agents, Odessa and Solomon, don't exactly break any molds for character, either - though that isn't to say that they aren't likable. I did like them both, really. And despite the book really reminding me so much of other things - it reminded me of other things that I like, so I still found myself listening to this one at every opportunity. And I do plan on following the series - I have faith that it will get only more creative from here on out! It definitely held my attention from start to finish and I liked the variety of the timelines - from 16th century London, the 1960s Mississippi back country and the present NYC/NJ area. Like the duo's previous novels, this one has a lot of cinematic flair and I imagine that this would be quite entertaining if adapted to the screen. The audio performance is good - though not really a standout performance.

I thought this was a really interesting premise for a book. Hugo Blackwood a solicitor and acquaintance of John Dee must stem the tide of occult beings passing through a crack in our dimension from outside astral worlds. The main enemy are the Hollow Ones, entities which feed on the monements just before death. Specifically violent death. Blackwood teams up with FBI special agent Odessa Hardwicke to take on the entities. I can’t wait for the next book in the series. Blackwoods backstory and long life leave a huge opportunity for different tales to be told. A good beginning.

I'm no stranger to the name Guillermo del Toro having been a fan of his movies for years now, although I have to say this is the first time I'm reading a book written by him.

The Hollow Ones is a melting pot of horror and the supernatural with healthy dose of action to keep the reader or in my case the listener glued throughout the narration. I have enjoyed this book tremendously and I think besides being an engaging story, Brittany Pressley narrator extraordinaire made the book came alive. She is brilliant and wonderful, her voice is perfect for this book.

Thanks NetGalley for this advance copy of the audiobook, the views above are all of my own.

I both listened and read The Hollow Ones (THO) by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the print copy and Hachette Audio via NetGalley. This book literally scared the tar out of me, mostly because the very thought that some of the most hideous acts committed by humans could have been driven by demon possession seemed almost a feasible idea – at least while listening/reading to the book while home alone! YIKES!  Del Toro & Hogan do have this effect on me, they have the ability to make horror all to realistic with the way it’s interwoven into real life. 

THO begins when FBI agent Odessa Hardwicke is forced to shoot her fellow agent and partner, Walt, a well-respected man in the bureau, just as he’s about to murder a child. She is shaken to the core by the event and put on desk duty while the incident is being investigated. While she’s on desk duty she meets Earl Solomon, a retired FBI agent who’s just had a stroke. When she tells him of the strangeness that occurred after she shot Walt, he directs her to leave a very specific letter in a mailbox and await an answer. Hugo Blackwood is the man who contacts Odessa, he is mysterious with an air of someone not of this time about him. And this would be correct, he’s been fighting The Hollow Ones for centuries. A sort of curse that I’ll leave the reader to discover. The characters are very well fleshed and emotive, drawing me in so that I became emotionally invested in their plight. The pacing is so quick, the reader is thrown in to the action immediately and the story never really lets up until the end! I flew through the book and audio in just a day! The story is told in past and present, mostly between Solomon, Odessa, and Blackwood but we get some insight into the demon, through his thoughts of gleeful destruction and ghastly acts of horror. THO is, indeed, a story of good vs. evil and a centuries long battle faced by Hugo Blackwell against the four Hollow Ones that escaped the realm. 

Brittany Pressley does an outstanding job narrating this! Her voice is extremely rich & pleasant but it’s the alternate characters of the book where she excels, those that require a bit more talent than just a pleasing voice. 

The Hollow One’s is a spectacular start to what I’m hoping will be a series and I’m looking forward to the next book to see just where the authors take us on this journey.

I couldn't finish listening to this. The narrator was annoying and it was difficult to get past that without distraction. The story was good, but I would have enjoyed it more without her gruff male voice impersonations.

So I have mixed feelings about this one. There were many things I liked about it, such as the occult stuff which was very interesting, I can always go in for a bit of that. I loved the character of Odessa, strong and curious, someone I’d like to read more of, and found the secretiveness of Blackwood really intriguing. The general plot was great and at times I was really wrapped up in the story but occasionally I found the writing a bit stilted. I also felt the odd bit of violence seemed a bit gratuitous, without giving too much away, the baby for example.
Overall I will carry on reading the series (I assume it is the start of a serious) as now the world and characters have been set I think there’s a lot to develop here.

This seems to be setting up for a series of supernatural detective hijinks and I'm here for that if that's the case, but   the two main characters here were annoying and somewhat flat.

I was given an early copy of this audiobook from Hachette Audio through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Hollow Ones wasn’t what I was expecting, but what I got was absolutely a pleasant surprise. What begins as a very Stephen King-esque thriller reminiscent of The Outsider quickly pivots to a sprawling and mystical urban/historical fantasy. The book clips along at a brisk pace from the beginning. This pacing, as well as Brittany Pressley’s fantastic narration, make for a particularly enjoyable audiobook experience. 

Narrators make or break audiobooks, and Pressley absolutely does the former here. She has a great range of character voices, male and female, and she brings the perfect balance of measured inflection to the narrative voice of the story, avoiding both the bored sound of a narrator who’s too flat and my personal pet peeve of over-inflection (which all too often makes third-person narration sound like a first-person character voice).

I went into this book expecting straight up horror, but The Hollow Ones tell a rolicking (and occasionally grisly) adventure tale across three timelines that spans nearly 500 years. The main story follows FBI Agent Odessa Hardwicke, who while responding with her partner to a rampage murder, is forced to turn her gun on him when he suddenly turns sagavely violent. 

In the aftermath of the shooting, Odessa is set on a trail of similar rampage killings perpetrated by people with no violent history and to a very mysterious man named Hugo Blackwood. But I think it’s more fun the less you know about him going into the story. There is also a secondary timeline that follows one of the first African-American FBI Agents as he investigates a lynching in the deep south in 1962. This b-plot was actually my favorite part of the book, and offers some of its creepiest and most mysterious moments. That’s not to say the main plot suffers, I just really latched onto Agent Solomon’s story from the outset.

The Hollow Ones is full of magic, incantations, possessions, rituals, and all manners of the Arcane. The third timeline actually involves historical occult philosopher John Dee in 1500s London. It’s dark, magical, and treads the line between thriller and fantasy in a unique way.

The book sacrifices some of its mystery for the sake of fleshing out its world and inviting the reader into it. This makes it read much more like a fantasy novel than a more traditional mystery/thriller. The authors don’t seem interested in leaving breadcrumb after breadcrumb or making the reader doubt what they’re seeing, which I see as a genre choice. This is a work of fantasy (and the first in a series) and the authors clearly want the reader to understand the world they’re creating, even if it comes at the expense of some of its potential “big reveals.”

I’d absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes urban fantasy. In the end, it’s just an absolute blast. It isn’t a huge book, coming in at just over 300 pages/9hrs, and I can think of a better weekend escape, especially if you like to escape to the supernatural.

I have enjoyed other works by Guillermo del Toro so I went into this as a fan anticipating a good read. I was not disappointed.
The story is compelling--a mixture of police procedural, black magic, suspense, time-shifts, fantasy, and mystery.
The characters have been developed to a believable extent. There isn't one moment where I thought "he/she wouldn't behave like that." 
The narrator is excellent. The shift in character voice and tone made it easy to follow.

Spoilers:

Again--I felt the motivation for the characters to be very believable. And I am trying to be vague here because I don't want to give too much away. But the way the FBI agents acted and the amount of punishment they placed on an agent who saved a little girl's life felt overblown. Unfortunately I could also see that happening in real life under similar circumstances.

My first audiobook ARC! Thanks NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing the advanced copy

I really admire Guillermo del Toro. I think he's absolutely brilliant, and I love watching him (with the highest level of envy) show off his horror collection. But for some reason I just don't love his novel writing. Since his books are almost all coauthored, I can't ascertain how much he actually writes himself, and it's quite possible that he's the idea guy while someone else puts his creative energy on paper. However, I can say with certainty this book has almost identical vibes to The Strain (likely due to teaming up with Chuck Hogan again), and I think that if you enjoyed that trilogy then you would really like this book as well. I preferred that this one had less "technical" writing, fewer points of view, and characters whose fates I actually cared about. The three timelines were easy to follow and gave the characters a lot of depth, and they came together superbly at the end.

Now this is a just a personal preference thing, but this type of writing really isn't my style. I think a lot of people would love this book, particularly readers who are fans of Stephen King's descriptiveness, and I would still recommend this book to those who enjoy the genre. My 3 star rating isn't bad because I did like the book, but I didn't love it, and that's solely a reflection of my personal tastes and not the quality of the work. I would rather watch Idle Hands, or an episode of Charmed or Supernatural that contains a similar theme. Maybe that makes me a dumb dumb, but don't judge me, k? It's rude.

As for the audio format, Brittany Pressley is the reason I requested the ARC to begin with, and she did a wonderful job narrating as usual. She kept me hanging in there when I would start to lose focus or get bored. She's so good at becoming her characters that she is Odessa, and I refuse to see anyone but her play Odessa should this become an on screen adaptation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for the advance listening copy of this one, and to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

I'll be honest. I saw del Toro's name, and that's all I saw. Don't need any more information, you got me, and I am sure to love it. Spoilers, I did. 

Everything changes for Odessa Hardwicke when she is forced to turn her gun on her partner who gets suddenly violent during the apprehension of a rampaging murderer. It's completely justified, but Odessa must ride a desk until a full investigation is conducted. During this time, she is tasked with returning personal items to a retired officer who is dying. The agent suggests she find a mysterious figure called John Blackwood, who may know something about that fleeting thing Odessa thought she saw jumping around before she shot her partner.

I had so much fun listening to this book. It was a lovely companion to my hours of Animal Crossing these past couple of weeks. As mentioned before, I'm a huge del Toro fan and was sold at his name alone, but the world building, demonic lore, and suspense of this one kept me fully enthralled to the end.

I was so happy to be able to do it on audio. Brittany Pressley did an excellent job. I often lose the thread of stories narrated by men, and Pressley did a great job giving life to not only Odessa, but the other characters (primarily male) as well.

This one's already out, so if you're like me and itching for those spooky Halloween vibes, give this one a go. Check your local, indie bookseller or check with your library to snag a copy.

This has not be reviewed yet. Audiobook technical issues that stop the book from playing past the intro.  NetGalley is aware but as of 7/31 I am still not able to play past the introduction. 

I will say that so far I like what I heard but wish I could finish the rest of the audio. I don't think I will get that opportunity before this is due. I'll update if I do.

Another stellar pairing of Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan, who brought us The Strain Trilogy. This book is in the same genre as their previous books, thriller mixed in with Sci-Fi.

If you have ever seen the move Fallen with Denzel Washington, you will start to feel a very similar vibe with this story. Odessa Hardwicke is an FBI agent. She and her partner Leppo walk into the unthinkable at the start, and Odessa is forced to shoot and kill her partner. As he is dying, an aura comes off of him, which Odessa cannot explain.

Odessa quickly starts investigating similar incidents and brings in outsiders who might be familiar to what is occurring. In comes Blackwood, who you will get his backstory, does not seem to age, and has been following this phenomenon for many years.

What ensues is a creepy thriller, almost borderline horror. Del Toro is a master at making his writing very cinematic. I can picture everything they are trying to convey in my head. If you are fans of his previous works I do not think you will be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The scare and mystery factor are high in this story. The character of "Odessa" is intelligent and tough and able to lead this eerie tale of the occult.  Brittany Pressley is a fairly capable narrator, with a commanding ability to carry multiple characters voices, with distinct efficiency.  Highly recommended.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes edge of your seat excitment. I think the narrator did a great job reading this book and was one of the reasons I couldn't put it down.

This was my first NetGalley audiobook and I can’t say that I’ve started my audiobook reviewing life on the right foot. Though The Hollow Ones starts with a bang it soon turns into and underwhelming and frankly, not too original story about evil spirits. Much as I tried, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and I couldn’t have cared less about any of their fates, which I think we can all agree is not a really good sign in a story about people possessed by demons. The story is told in three different timelines and though, fast-paced, the plot is basic AF in all of them. Both characters and plot are massively underdeveloped and I’m not sure if some plot points and secondary (but important) characters weren’t properly explained and introduced or I may have dozed off for a little bit while listening, that’s how thrilling it was.

The audiobook itself is pretty good. Brittany Pressley does a good job with the acting although in some parts I found it to be a bit overdramatic. Also, I’m not the biggest fan of her male southern voices and accents.

Our main character FBI agent Odessa's life completely changes when she's forced to turn her gun on her partner, who turns suddenly, violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. 
At his death she thought she saw a presence leave his body and it has haunted her ever since.
Odessa is forced in to taking a desk job whilst the investigation takes place and accepts her orders to go clear out the office of a retired agent Solomon. As they talk, a knowledgeable Solomon questions her and nudges her in to admissions hinting at his thoughts on the whole situation. Through a letter she is asked to post by him she then meets Hugo Blackwood occult detective on a mission to rid the world of hollow ones who can take over bodies and control them and the action ramps up to a whole new level as they work together to save the community and capture the evil spirits.
I really enjoyed the characterisation from smart, strong, confident Odessa to Hugo Blackwood and his innocent lack of modern technology knowledge which added a nice touch of humour. 
The time scale switch was mastered succesfully with ease and I found it easy to follow. 
Although the narrator did a good job with the different voices and especially accents I do think this story would have benefited from the addition of having a male narrator as it took some getting used to at the beginning after recently listening to another audio in the same genre where they had done this. 
But overall a audio book I enjoyed listening to and would recommend.
My thanks go to Netgalley, the publishers and authors in providing me with this advanced audio edition in return for a honest review.