I am not a pretty thing to be manipulated. I am darkness, and the power rushing through my veins is stronger than ever. This is what it's like to be fae and have magic. Magic is life."
As we approach the summer solstice and the sabbat of Litha, my reading choices always become a wee bit fae and I am drawn to all things faerie. This book has been on my shelf for a while and I have been saving it for the longer summer days. Having never read any of Lexi Ryan's books before, I went into it without knowing if I would enjoy her style of writing and I am happy to say that I did.
These Hollow Vows is an adventure romance, with an engaging heroine and two very alluring faerie lovers, setting up a perfectly enchanted love triangle. Personally I preferred Finn to Sebastian, but I am more drawn to bad boys, especially in literature where its safe to love them! Finn is a dark Prince of the Unseelie Court, while Sebastian is the golden heir to the throne of the Seelie Court. Both of them are trying to help the protagonist, Abriella, find her sister who has been sold to the fae.
Abriella is a strong character, reminiscent of Merida from Disney's Brave, and the novel is told entirely from her point of view. She is both a provider and a protector, who would do anything to save her sister Jas, even if that means betraying the man she loves. With a deep distrust of all things faerie, Brie is sure that she would be able to see right through any faerie glamour - a theory that is put to the test as she travels through the fae realms, seeking Jas.
But Abriella is not like other girls who would swoon just to meet a faerie prince - she is a thief in the night, a nocturnal creature with the uncanny ability to blend unseen into the darkness around her. Using this gift, she must seek out three items from the Golden Palace of the Seelie Court and take them to the King of the Unseelie Court, in order to have her sister returned to her safely. She will need all her nerve, for it is a task that will put both her skills and relationships to the test.
These Hollow Vows is a character driven novel, so while I was hoping for lavish descriptions of the faerie realms, the world building is kept to a minimum, allowing the reader to build their own visions instead and the characters to move the story forward. Personally, I would have preferred more descriptions of the fae world, such as those found in the novel The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long, but this omission didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book at all.
Overall I liked the novel and I have enjoyed spending time in this fae story, where the three impossible tasks of traditional fairytales has been recreated in a new and intriguing way. It does end on a cliff-hanger, but the sequel to this duology is published next month and I for one, simply can't wait to read it and see how this story evolves and concludes. But why wait until next month? These Hollow Vows is out now and is the perfect read for the summer solstice. Just don't drink the faerie wine!
Blessed Be
Marie x
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