THESE HOLLOW VOWS (These Hollow Vows #1) by Lexi Ryan
“I am a great thief. I can steal just about anything. But a faerie prince’s heart? I wouldn’t know where to start.”
THESE HOLLOW VOWS left me with mixed feelings
There are some things I didn’t like about THESE HOLLOW VOWS but I also can’t stop thinking about the story and it’s characters. I actually enjoyed Bries character even though I didn’t always agree with her choices. I also enjoyed the love interests while reading the book but ended up disliking them once I finished it. Both the writing and world-building were good.
Synopsis
Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.
Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie’s only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.
Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.
Review
I really like both covers (UK and US). I think they are stunning. They each give off a different vibe. Once you’ve read THESE HOLLOW VOWS, you’ll understand the UK cover a bit better! I like it when the characters are on the cover of the book (as is on the US cover) because it helps me when reading the story. I’m a very visual person so seeing these characters and knowing what they’re supposed to look like was really fun.
A lot of people are comparing THESE HOLLOW VOWS to ACOTAR and TCP, which I can totally see. I honestly don’t know if it’s because the storylines are so similar or if the stories are just all about fae.
Anyways, let’s talk about the plot. I have mixed feelings about THESE HOLLOW VOWS. There are some things I didn’t like about the book but I also can’t stop thinking about it? It’s a really weird feeling. Let me explain.
The beginning of the book was very slow and I did not like it at all. It reminded me a lot of the series ‘Carnival Row’ which I didn’t particularly care for. After a few pages it does pick up and become interesting but to me it still wasn’t really clear which direction THESE HOLLOW VOWS would go take. I was really excited for the quest Brie embarked upon but it ended up being really disappointing. She even retrieves one item by just…. asking for it.
I feel like Brie often forgets about her mission and gets carried away. I also didn’t like the fact she called some random people she met a few times her ‘friends’.
Some of the ‘plot twists’ were very obvious and didn’t surprise me at all. Some of them were good and interesting and others were a bit unnecessary in my opinion. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending purely because I saw it coming. Even though the plot of THESE HOLLOW VOWS was predictable from the beginning I did enjoy seeing everything unfold.
I did like the authors writing style. The world-building was good and I liked the writing. The pacing was sometimes too slow (like the beginning) and sometimes I felt like everything was going too fast (the ending when Abriella/Brie retrieves the last items).
I liked Brie and Jasalyn. I hope we’ll get more Jasalyn in the sequel. I ended up not caring for the love interests. I did like them throughout the book (both of them) and actually was rooting for them, but after that ending I really dislike them. I feel like they both treated Brie very poorly. However! Surprise surprise, I actually didn’t mind there being a love triangle in this book? I feel like it worked out and I’m really happy about that! I do feel like I already know which love interest is going to be picked though.
While I expected more of THESE HOLLOW VOWS, I still really want to read it’s sequel.
Would I recommend it?
Even though some things were off, I would. I am looking forward to this sequel because I want to know how it all ends!
eArc provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Details
Trigger warnings
Death, death of a parent, mature content, drugging (faerie wine), war themes, homophobia (mentioned), kidnapping (mentioned), confinement, blood, violence
Representation
?
Genre
Fantasy (young adult)
Pages
448
Publication date
July 20th, 2021
Publisher
Hodder & Stoughton
About the author
Award-winning author Lexi Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of hot contemporary romance and sexy, action-packed YA fantasy. Her books have sold over a million copies. A former English professor, she considers herself lucky to have traded stacks of grading for emotionally charged storytelling. She is happiest when at home in Indiana with her husband and two children, where you can find her lifting weights, reading copiously, hanging out with her family, and thanking her lucky stars.
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