Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an excerpt in exchange of an honest review.

When I first heard of this book, I was overly excited to when I got accepted for the arc of this book? I couldn't wait to start. For the first 20-30%, I had to check a few times in what the plot was again because I kept getting confused but no way shape or form did that affect my enjoyment for this book. The plot was engaging and grew as the book went on, grew towards the end where I wasn't expecting it. I'm personally not a fan of faeries plot/worlds as they tend to all blend into one at one point but Shuttleworth makes this incredibly engaging and fun to read with both the characters, the setting and the story itself. The characters I really liked (Nausicaä....hmu), there was not one I preferred one POV over the other which usually happens when it comes to multiple POV's for books. I see this will have a sequel so I will wait (im)patiently for it to release. I don't have a huge amount of things to say but I did really enjoy this book for sure.

Content Warnings: murder/death, serial killings, depression, human trafficking

If you want a campy, hella queer, fae story that is super reminiscent of YA from the past decade, this is absolutely a story for you. A Dark and Hollow Star follows four queer teens navigating supernatural life. We have a prince and his guard, an immortal being with dubious intentions, and a half fae girl desperate to stay in the world of magic who cross paths when a string of murders crop up and no one seems to want to get involved. What they discover will shake the magical realm to its core.

I initially picked up A Dark and Hollow Star because its pitch is fantastic and appealed to that nostalgic YA bone I apparently still have. City of Bones meets The Cruel Prince set in Toronto with an entirely queer cast of MCs?? Sign me the f up.

Objectively speaking this book needs a little work-specifically in regards to the world building. You can tell this is a debut novel because Ashley Shuttleworth just packs way too much information, much to the detriment of the story. The pacing, plot, and even sometimes the characters get sidelined all so the reader gets told about the various abilities each subsect of fae contain. This persistence lasts right up until the end, whilst during the climax the story was getting undercut by world building interjections. I liked some of the concepts but found the execution lacking.

I also think this needed to be way shorter for what it was. At times the story felt like a giant prologue. So much of the beginning felt unnecessary and did little other than to dump a bunch of
information. Say what you will about classic ya fantasy (which there are plenty of critiques), those books got moving with a quickness that A Dark and Hollow Star desperately needed. I think this story could have easily been 150 pages shorter and the story would not have changed in any significant way.

Subjectively speaking this was a lot of fun. As soon as we got to the meat of the plot, I was in it. Broody characters with witty banter, a dangerous mystery driving the plot forward, a truly ridiculous villain/climax (which I say fully as a compliment). I especially liked our characters and their developing romances. The story could have benefitted from the two different story threads coming together sooner, because I found all of the different character interactions highly entertaining. I also happened to really enjoy the setting. This is incredibly niche but having a fantasy book set in a city I'm familiar with was really enjoyable. Also, the ending, while incredibly campy did actually hook me and I am willing to pick up the sequel to see where the story goes.

I predict this will be a super polarizing book. Depending what you value in stories this could really be your thing or supremely not. And I, of course, find myself in the middle.

*2.5 stars*

Unfortunately, this arc was so badly formatted that i could not focus on the story. I enjoyed the beginning and will definitely get the final copy (i already preordered it!). still, i would like to thank you for providing me with this e-arc and i look forward to finishing this book.

“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."

Oh my god, this book was absolutely amazing!!

First of all, Can I just say that we almost NEVER get (good) fantasy books that take place in Canada, let alone Toronto? So, thank you Ashley, for giving me a book that I can read and proudly tell people it takes place in the city I live in, it's honestly amazing.

Okay, Now for the actual review. I will probably ramble a lot in this one because I have a lot to say but just note that if you want a more professional, to-the-point kind of review, you should read the one on my blog.

The Writing

The writing in this book was fantastic. It was atmospheric and very descriptive, it made me feel as if I was in the forests and the clubs with the characters. The book itself follows four different characters. Arlo, Nos (Nausicaä), Vehan and Aurelian (I will dissect them individually later on in the review), some already knew each other and some did not. Throughout the book we travel between the minds of these four characters and it's great to see that the author actually took the time to make the writing different for each character. What I have found in books with many perspectives is that it feels as if I’m reading the book from one perspective that has many names. The actual writing itself does not feel very different. This book, however, has very distinct writing for each character. This helped with the character development and resulted in me, getting really attached to these characters (not that I’m complaining!). I also loved getting those short, little excerpts from Hero, it's really cool that we get to see the other side of the plot. The book itself is very fast-paced and the writing kept me engaged at all times. I liked that Ashley was not afraid to change the way they wrote between the chapters. (you’ll see what I mean once you read the book). I think that’s all I have to say about the writing, just know that it's beautiful, engaging and very, very descriptive.

“Toronto was vicious elegance too. From way up high, the city looked like an open maw. Night draped ebony velvet over the fang points of its numerous buildings, disguising their promise of death, and the many glowing lights woven into this deceptive veil reminded Nausicaä of the souls the stars kept watch over. It was beautiful. It was deadly.”


The World-Building

Obviously, I have read many books with Fae and their worlds, but I specifically liked this one for many reasons. In many other books (with faeries), the fae courts live beside the humans, where there is not much interaction between them and the mortals. In this book, however, the fae world is set in the middle of Toronto, which is a city filled with humans. I find it really fascinating that humans have no idea that the Fae live within them, hidden beneath glamour. Like “The wolf in a sheep's skin”. Anyway, I know I say this in every single review that I write, but I’ll say it again. The world building is one of the most important aspects of a fantasy book, it is the foundation that the rest of the book is built upon. If the foundation is not good then the entire building will not be strong. Likewise, if the world-building is not well developed, the entire book becomes a mess. Thankfully, that was NOT the case with this book. The Fae courts were described well and by the end of the book, I understood a lot about this Fae world and the connections within it. I cannot wait to read more about the courts and the politics of it in the next book(s).

The Plot

Gosh, I loved this plot so much. There was always so much going on, internal and external conflicts. The build up towards that climax was really well written and the climax itself ended on a good note. I’m going to keep this short because I don't want to reveal spoilers. Basically, it's engaging and fast-paced with many unexpected plot twists (and lots of dramatic irony!). And now, I sound like a simp but I'm not even mad.

The Characters

Ahhh, what can I even say? These characters are literally so amazing, I have no words. Each individual character was so different and they were all so intriguing put together. I loved the character development that happened in just one book and I'm glad Ashley spent so much time writing about the characters, it helped form a strong connection.
I’m going to talk about each character individually now because I have a lot to say about each one.

(Nos) Nausicaä

Ahh, I love Nos so much, she’s such a strong character, both physically and mentally. After she was exiled from her kingdom and tethered to the mortal world, Nos has made a name for herself. She is just so honest and straigh-forward, it's actually really refreshing. She is also the girl on the cover and can we just admit that she’s really pretty? Anyway, we get lots of development on her character through her interactions with the other characters in the book. She’s like a teddy bear under all those weapons (well at least for one person anyway). In the next book, I really want to see more about her past and her relationships with her sisters and mother. I'm also really interested in seeing the reason she was actually exiled.

Arlo

Arlo is such an amazing character (my little cinnamon roll!). She is soft-spoken but she has a really fierce personality and she isn't afraid to do what is right, no matter how hard it might be. Throughout the book, Arlo is put into so many difficult situations that you would think she would get tired and lost, but they just made her stronger and more determined. I loved her relationship with her cousin and everyone else in the book. She never judged anyone and was always honest and open. I can’t wait to get more of her in the next book!

Aurelian

Aurelian was a great character to read about. He has a facade of strength and stoic calmness, in reality, he is strong and calm but he is also so sweet. Because of a certain someone, he has to act a certain way around Vehan and it's so frustrating. He has such thoughtful opinions and is actually such a sweetheart. His relationship with Vehan is soo cute and I just love how honest he is. I want to say more but I’m not going to because I don’t want to reveal any spoilers. In the next book, I want to know more about his past and his feelings.

Vehan

Ohhhh, My beautiful little summer prince. Okay, well he's not very little but I still love him so much. He is such a wholesome character, I swear we do not deserve him at all. He is strong but he is also not afraid to show his emotions and he doesnt lie to himself (especially about his feelings…). I like that he didn't use his status as a prince to undermine anyone or act condescending towards others. He was very open towards the other characters and he welcomed them with open arms. Again, not gonna say much but in the next book, I want him to be a little more confident and believe in himself more, also not let a certain someone decide who he is.

Okay, i had to make a cinnamon roll chart for all my little friends so here is that, I wasn’t entirely sure where to put Vehan, so please feel free to disagree and tell me what changes you would make :)

Looks like a Cinnamon Roll, is a cinnamon roll : Arlo

Looks like a Cinnamon roll, could actually kill you : Vehan

Looks like they can kill you, is actually a Cinnamon Roll : Aurelian

Looks like they could kill you, could actually kill you : Nos (Nausicaä)

And that's it! I recommend this book to anyone who liked fantasy that has lots of diversity and rep. The writing is great, the plot is engaging and the characters are good enough to die for. I literally do not have patience for the next book, I don't wanna waitttt till next year to read it!

"A Dark and Hollow Star" by Ashley Shuttleworth makes a draw-dropping entrance into the genre of young adult fantasy. A perfect mix of fantastical creatures, a wide cast of LGBTQ+ characters, murder, and tons of butt-kicking action scenes that create a highly addictive and thrilling read.

The story takes place on earth, where humans are blissfully unaware of The Folk (fey, trolls, and other fantastical creatures) until a series of unexplainable, ritualistic murders occur across the city of Toronto, Not only does this breach the rule of allowing no harm to come to humans, these gruesome deaths threaten to reveal the existence of faeries.

Shocked by the little action being taken to protect humankind and conceal faerie identity, four teenagers take it upon themselves to hunt down their mystery killer to prevent the destruction of the human and faerie realms. As if their mission isn't dire enough, a war is brewing between the mortal and immortal realms with the fate of both in one of their hands.

While the beginning was a little tough to get into (due to the number of POV switches and the level of detail that went into explaining the immortal realm's existence and function), it was smooth sailing from there. An incredible amount of time and research went into the creation of the immortal realm as it drew on popular works of fiction regarding fantastical creatures and mixed them with the author's own imagination. The result was an immersive and complex system that felt incredibly tangible as the story progressed.

On top of it all, Shuttleworth created some wicked, cut-throat characters who do an amazing job of representing the LGBTQ+ community without falling into cliches, stereotypes or just fall flat in general. Each one is given an incredibly distinct voice with their own complicated backstories that add so much to this novel in general. They are honest, genuine representations of people who have their own personal struggles, have forbidden love, stir up all kinds of trouble, and embark on dangerous journeys while coming to terms with who they are. A beautiful combination of romance, fantasy, murder mystery, and coming of age.

The only "issue" was the villain. Without going into detail (to prevent any spoilers for those interested in reading this novel) the villain in this story was very reminiscent of villains that arise in many young adult fantasy tales. There are so many different kinds of "evil" and "twisted" out in the world, it feels disappointing to have a villain that falls a bit flat. They lose their ability to instill fear in the reader and instead become a replica of previous villains with the same goals. It felt like the author could've taken this idea further and given the villain more agency over what made them so dark and twisted.

Overall, "A Dark and Hollow Star" is an amazing novel that has burst onto the young adult scene with all the confidence of Nausicaä Kraken. Likened to "The Cruel Prince" and "City of Bones," this novel is bound to be loved and enjoyed by the fantasy audience. Pre-order the book now or save the date as Ashley Shuttleworth's "A Dark and Hollow Star" is predicted to be released on February 23, 2021.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a free e-arc of this story in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5*) A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth was such a wild ride, and I was and will be there for the rest of it!

Set in Toronto, Ontario, this high fantasy YA, follow our four queer main characters. There's Arlo, the great niece of the High Fae King, who also just so happens to be ironborn (half fae, half human). There's Nausicaa, a former fury. Vehan, a fae prince and Aurelian, a fae guard. Together, they follow clues to solve a string of murders, with numerous supernatural factors coming into play and trying to disrupt their path.

I absolutely loved the diverse cast, and representation! Like hello? Can Aurelian and Vehan get married right now, I need my babies together. AND Nos and Arlo, two badass queens together? Had to love them.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that the author cut out chapters that would've been filled with boring explanation, and simply placed mere sentence explanations in the following chapter. This not only allowed the plot to build up rather quickly but it subtracted the boring-filled parts from the story.

The one thing I would have loved even more was if there were MORE scenes with Cel!!! I'm filled with so many questions, why was he always so distracted? Will these be answered in the next book??

But all in all, I absolutely loved this book, and I am so excited for the upcoming sequel!

I quite enjoyed this book, as a Canadian reader there isn't many times that you see a story take place in a Canadian setting much less fae, so when it was based around Toronto, streets I have been on, it was enjoyable to be able to envision the setting.

The characters of this book, although there was quite a few of them, but the more the merrier in my mind, were still enjoyable and the story in the description was compared to the cruel prince where there was not many LGBTQ+ so seeing this was a new insight to the fae that was promised.

I do recommend this book for anyone looking for a modern day fantasy mixed with a little bit of crime. it was a very fun read and look forward to seeing other books written by this author!

I loved this book! First off, I want to say that the LGBTQ+ representation in this novel is amazing and extremely well written. The only reason I am not giving the book 5 stars is my hatred of one of the tropes used in this novel. Other than that, this book has everything I love in fantasy novels, mystery, magic, sarcasm, and fae, what else do you need?

The prologue opens up to an introduction of Hero, an ironborn who's magic has been bound by the Council, being approached by a mysterious man who says that he can fix his magic. Then, the POV changes and we are slowly introduced to our main group of characters. Arlo, Nausicaa, Vehan and Aurelian. The story is told through all of their perspectives and each play an important role in solving the mystery of why someone is targeting and killing Ironborn children and teens.

Arlo, the 18 year old ironborn half-fae outcast of her royal fae family, is the one character that I don't like. She is the "Bella Swan". She isn't anything special and no one pays attention to her. She is unsure of herself and super indecisive. Although she does have moments of decisiveness and "braveness" throughout the book. She was not my favourite character POV to read through. Nausicaa is a tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge. Until she is forced to get involved in this mystery. She is not a good person. She does things for herself and to make the Immortals regret not Destroying her when they had the chance. She is strong, fierce and the sarcasm rolls off of her. She's someone you want on your side and not to have scorned. Vehan, the dutiful prince of Sidhe Summer, is determined to earn his place on the throne and prove himself to his mother, Queen Rhiadne. He is sweet, valiant, and noble, but he loves too much and too deeply, especially for his former best friend made Steward Aurelian. Aurelian is the prince’s brooding guardian and former best friend, burdened with a terrible secret is the typical I put up a don't care front because I care too much bad boy. Leishde and foreign, This tattooed man is anythinng but the typical steward that the Sidhe Summer court expected. These four are all brought together by the murders of the ironborn teens and the group dynamics and sarcasm are to die for.

This plot is original, setting up for the continuation of the series, and the pacing is great. If you love Shadowhunters and the Folk of the Air series, you will definitely love this Urban Fantasy. I will definitely be on the look out for information on the next book in A Dark and Hollow Star series after this one is published on February 23.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster CA and Ashley Shuttleworth for sending me a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I want to start this review by saying how excited I was for this book. I loved that it was set in Toronto (where I am from) I love that it was about Fae and the story really caught my attention.

I also want to say some of the issues with this book, might have come from the formatting of the ARC I received.

But I struggled hard to get through this book. I think there were too many characters for my liking. I prefer book from one point of view. I also wasn’t attached to any of the characters and think that was also because there were just so many of them.

With so many points of view it was hard to develop any sort of connection with the characters. It was also a struggle to keep track of who was who. Maybe there will be a list in the physical copy to help with that, but it was confusing to say the least. I really liked Arlo and I wish the book had focused more on her. I understood wanting to get all the different perspectives, but I am a character driven reader.

I also struggled because the chapters were very long, but that is a personal preference.

There just wasn’t anything that grabbed my attention from the beginning and by the time the story picked up I wasn’t invested and truthfully I was really confused. I understand having to build a new world and make a new Magic system but I felt like it could have been scaled back in order to make it easier to understand and expand in later books.

I really wanted to enjoy this book and perhaps I came in with too high hopes, but it wasn’t the book for me.

Though it may sounds like I didn't like the book, I am giving it 3 stars. There were a few times that I was really interested and invested (mostly during Arlo's sections) and I believe there is some potential for a series. I also didn't want to take away marks because of personal preferences and formatting issues.

I was immediately intrigued when I heard of Ashley Shuttleworth’s (they/them) debut YA novel, A Dark and Hollow Star. Not only is it set in Canada—which is rare enough on its own in YA—it’s compared to The Cruel Prince; when I hear a queer title comp’d to The Cruel Prince, I’m in. Overall, although there were places I felt could have used a little more polish or a little less infodumping, this was a solidly entertaining read with lovable characters and promise for a dark and dramatic sequel to come.

Although the novel opens with Alecto the Fury’s exile to the mortal realm for eternity, the majority of the story focuses on Arlo Jarsdel, a mortal girl of combined fae and human heritage known as an ironborn. Though she’s related to the royal family of one of the fae Courts, she lacks the magical ability and power that would grant her elite status in the fae realm. Witnessing a violent, traumatic event sets her on a path to find answers—both about the worlds which she has straddled her entire life and about herself. The novel has four rotating POVs: Arlo, Nausicaä (formerly Alecto), Vehan, and Aurelian. Nausicaä stole the show for me in every scene she was in, but I loved all four of the main cast and never felt as though I wanted to speed through their POV chapters to get to someone else’s.

This novel scratched my itch for the abundance of Fae Stuff (TM) that pervades YA, except make it very, very queer. Once of the reasons I was interested in this was for the trope of younger mortal meets enigmatic and slightly problematic immortal… but sapphic, y’all. The fae themselves were the perfect combination of Preternaturally Attractive but Scary and there were lots of different types seen aside from the population of the Fae Courts (i.e. changelings, goblins, etc). I have a soft spot for urban fantasy, so the combination of the fantastical elements mixed with Toronto scenery really worked for me. Often in YA I ask myself, “Where are the adults around here?!” when it comes to the adventure and drama that 17/18 year olds are asked to handle on their own, but this novel actually acknowledges the absence of adult figures which I appreciated.

And you know what? Literally every main character is queer, and that’s beautiful to me. Arlo is questioning (but will be confirmed pansexual later according to the author), Nausicaä is lesbian, Vehan is bisexual, and Aurelian is gay; the latter three labels are used on page in this first novel. Sexuality and identity isn’t a source of strife or made into a Huge Deal—it’s just queer fae teens doing the sorts of things one would expect in a darker toned YA fantasy novel, and I love that for all of us. Plus, it’s shaping up for some WLW/MLM solidarity, which brings joy to my pansexual heart.

There were a few things I feel could have been executed a little more smoothly. Some of the worldbuilding was shoehorned in to the detriment of the story pacing. The plot was fairly predictable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I would have liked a little more mystery given that a murder mystery drives the bulk of the action. The dialogue felt too juvenile in places, even accounting for the fact the cast is all teenagers (or teenage adjacent). Finally, while I thought the pop culture references were cute given the fact it’s an urban fantasy novel, I could have done without the multiple Harry Potter references at various points in the novel.

A Dark and Hollow Star delivers an intriguing, action packed story with the additional bonus of all protagonists being queer and a Canadian backdrop. If you want a fae-infused YA urban fantasy with lovable characters and dark overtones, I can solidly recommend picking this one up. I’ll be on the lookout for book two as soon as its available because I definitely want to see more of this world and these characters.

I really loved the idea of this story, I loved the characters (Arlo was my favourite), I love the mystery of the iron born murders, the modern day set up with technology but also an underground fae world.

However, I think the author tried to do too much. This is a detailed world, with fae history and structure the audience needs to know, to try to do that and also tell the story through 4 different POV's, 3 of whom have not met previously, makes for a very, very, long introduction. I found myself 30% through the book and the gang hadn't all met each other and each had only just started to be concerned with the murders. Without the group coming together I found I was very interested in certain characters story lines but not at all others.

This story would have probably been a 5 star for me if it was told from 1 characters POV.

A really fun murder-mystery following a possible serial killer amongst the faerie folk. A group of “young” fae get together to find the source of these terrible events. While at first, I struggled a little with the protagonists, I slowly started understanding them, their experiences and emotions, personality and beliefs, which made it even more interesting when they would cross paths! My favorite character would have to be Nausicaä, the chaotic neutral Fury, who is just trying to entertain herself to fight the boredom of being immortal.

I really enjoyed reading the chapters in Point-Of-View style from various characters. It’s always fun to follow a handful of different stories that eventually merge into one single plot.

As always when diving into a new fantasy universe, it’s a whole new world to learn about. Once the framework has been set, you can finally delve into the plot. Unfortunately, it felt like the adventure started about half way through the book in this case.

I would have loved to have character summaries, at the start of the book, or perhaps even small “family” trees at the end, to present the various factions, royalties, deities, and so on.

I look forward to the next book in the Dark And Hollow Star series, when I’ll be able to focus more on the story and characters after having been introduced to most of the lore and world-building in this first tome.

Special thanks go to the netgalley team and the publishers for providing me with an ARC. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts by page 118: As I am reading this I am overcome with the soul-filling sensation that I am discovering a new favourite. There is nothing quite like the buoyant see sensation of discovering a new world for the the first time that feels this well rounded. This real. I want to dive in, I want to visit. I want it curl up in a cozy chair in Celadon's room, and play a video game with Arlo and sweet little Elyas.

As with my eventual favourites, as I read it I am dying to know what happens next - so I can't put it down. But, I also know I'll always long for how it felt to submerse myself in these characters for the very first time, so part of me wants to make it last.

To be clear, this is a rare feeling for me. One I really only got with my major favourites that I reread frequently - Throne of Glass, The Infernal Devices, Shades of Magic, Nevernight, DOSAB, Six Of Crows, to name a few.

Even as I flip a page, I already miss what I just read.

This book is told from multiple perspectives. Each narrator is different enough to be distinct right away, which helps keep them straight even if you're not great with POV jumps. They all start in different locations, which I find beneficial.

I like that world background is given out in snippets, instead of a large overwhelming info dump at the beginning like some books do.

It allows the world to build in my mind slowly, while I become more and more invested in the characters. Info is mostly given in relation to the characters and how it effects them, not just tossed out for the sake of existing, which makes it easier to remember.

Thoughts by the end: This book has great LGBTQ+ representation as well! Which I super appreciate as a Bi woman. Non-binary deities, gender fluid characters, bisexual men, lesbians, gay men, yayyy. Jack pot.

I enjoy that the romances didn't feel forced or "insta lovey". The storyline building with Vehan and Aurelian is very intriguing to me! Oh the longing, ohhhhh the secret yearning! Fill my cupppppppp!

And ooooo that epilogue!!

(I reviewed on Goodreads but the link wouldn't load up on here)

This has to be one of the best books I’ve read so far this year!! This novel was on my TBR list and I am so fortunate enough to receive an arc! Let me just say OMG! You will be in love with the world that Ashley created! I would also like to say there are trigger warnings at the beginning of the book which I appreciate as well! Some authors leave them out so I’m very great full that she included it! This is easily a 5 star book!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and write a proper review using quotes :)

Unfortunately i DNF this book pretty early on. I gave it 3 stars so it doesn't effect the rating too much since there's only 3 other reviews at the time of posting this.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of A Dark and Hollow Star in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, this book is probably the most 'pandered to me' book I have ever read so when I tell you it goes too far with said pandering, I really mean it. Queer toronto fantasy? My literal dream come true. But a lot of the marketing features (especially Toronto) very quickly begin to feel really forced which was extra strange considering from what I understand, the author is an Ontarian. For starters, about a third of the book is set in Nevada (we'll get to that shortly) which doesn't mean this can't be marketed as a Toronto story, but it does highlight how much this book wants you to know we're in Toronto. We get a few necessary references to Nevada in those scenes, but whenever we're in Toronto its awkwardly name dropped constantly. Keep in mind I read an ARC so this might change before publication, but you can only read phrases like "Toronto's CN tower" so many times before the attempts to pander ruin immersion.

I'm torn on the plot here because was it full of holes? Yes. Kind of. They were more character development things than plot things though. Did those character inconsistencies mostly concern my favourite character so I was way too willing to ignore them? Also yes. Honestly, I think the plot would have just been way better if we focused on Arlo. I'm not saying it has to only have 1 perspective, but we're given so many that all the mystery driving the plot forward is effectively removed and it also makes it really hard to connect to her storyline. At over 500 pages, this book probably can't get much longer, but I think cutting a few of the peripheral perspectives (i.e. Nevada scenes) or even just spending less time with those could have given room to develop Arlo, her family, friends, and love interest.

A lot of Arlo's life felt half developed (we open on her talking about her human-school life then basically never go back to it, then move onto her interacting with her Dad who's MIA for most of the book, and her also-mostly MIA Mum pops in at the very end for a scene that doesn't really work since she wasn't built up). Cutting peripheral scenes doesn't only fix the "accidentally-giving-away-the-whole-plot" issue, but could have given Shuttleworth space to really develop Arlo into a distinct character readers could have gotten more invested in.

I'm being really negative, but it's not because this is bad, it's because it was so close to being great that I'm really frustrated. I'm still glad I read this, if for nothing beyond the fact that I finally got to experience the sapphic equivalent of "hot, broody 100 year old being who looks like a teen so its okay for you to have a crush on them" trope. I formally apologize for bullying the straights for falling for those characters because I definitely did here.

This YA fantasy thriller steeped in royal politics immediately pulled me immediately. I had so much fun with this story and loved the characters and the many relationships. At times I found some of the characters hard to keep track of, which meant that some of the plot points didn't land for me. I was confused about the rules of the magic system (maybe they were kept vague to match Arlo's lack of knowledge of the whole situation? maybe they'll be expanded on in the next books?) and found some of the events too convenient to be conceivable. However, I was deeply invested in the characters and loved Arlo and Nos and cannot wait to read the next book! 3.5 stars