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.
This was a highly anticipated read for me. I’ve been on a sport romance, new adult, sexy kick for a few months now it’s great to take a break and go back to my roots, YA fantasy. I was surprised by the little bit of spice added (and I mean LITTLE BIT, I’m not delusional here I know it’s not much) and was pleasantly surprised that the love triangle in done in a way that as a reader I fell for Finn, obviously, but reading as Brie I don’t know who I would have trusted; the man I’ve know and loved for two years, or the mystery man that makes my heart skip a beat? It’s a story you’ve heard a hundred times but I really enjoy the way Ryan writes. I was entertained honestly from page one and I preordered book 2 immediately upon finishing THESE HOLLOW VOWS.
I’ll start somewhere I don’t typically start: the world building. I love a map at the beginning of a book to spell it out for me placement wise, and I really liked the use of magic and descriptiveness to visual the world that Brie is experiencing. I loved the courts, Unseelie v Seelie, as well as the human world. I was able to get a clear sense of how drastically different these places were. The world of the fae is wicked, tempting, and everything I imagine a far world would be truthfully. It’s like Ryan stepped into my mind and took charge. The complex, political intrigue and the magic surrounding almost everything was beautifully woven together. I devoured the idea of magic and power in this story and how it was used.
The characters are each so complex and interesting beyond just “they’re handsome/pretty and they are powerful.” No, there is so much that these characters hide from each other, and themselves that every page is intoxicating, leaving the readers wondering what is real and who can really be trusted. Finn is brooding, mysterious, and the type of book boyfriend I constantly find myself falling for. He’s sarcastic, he talks to Brie like an equal as opposed to some stupid girl, although we find out later he hides more secrets than it appears. He is a presence that you can’t shake once you meet him. Unfortunately, I do like Sebastian too but for a totally different reason. I don’t find him attractive in the way I find Finn but I think his protectiveness over Brie is something that should be noted. Regardless of the end and how the reader will feel about him, he warned Brie from the very beginning not to enter the far world. He tried to keep her away and I truly believe if she listened she may not be in the same situation with him she is at the end of the book. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m tip toeing around it but I will say this: I do not think Bash is an evil character. I think sometimes a person is put in a position, which could have been avoided if Brie listened and stayed in the human realm, and has to make a very difficult choice. Brie is fabulous. She is strong but not without weakness, she is beautiful but not without flaws (like her butchered hair and scar), and she is loyal, possibly to a fault.
I think that if you are a fan of YA fantasy, love triangles, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, any of the classic tropes, you will enjoy this story. Ryan’s writing makes the world and characters come to life. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.
Rating: 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment