A Dark and Hollow Star

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This quartet all have plenty of their own problems – and most of their stories don’t even intersect in any real way for at least the first half of the novel. But the thoughtful, deft way they all come together is both entertaining and natural, and you’ll find yourself rooting for all of them by the end. A Dark and Hollow Star: Complex plotting and worldbuilding A gripping flight into fantasy that is heavy-handed in its presentation of conventional beauty standards. I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your omniscience that her mother is niece to my father, the High King? Arlo is human. She is also fae.” This was well outside her normal behavior, the very sort of thing other people did—people who were brave and not at all timid balls of worry and apprehension like she was. Hells, she didn’t even like to jaywalk, let alone infiltrate expressly out-of-bounds dens of human torment.” They hadn’t said it outright, but this was the closest they’d come in this entire meeting to announcing their verdict—to condemning Arlo to a fate she’d never choose if her life were actually up to her.

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I'm so very much in love with everything in this book, but mostly (as I've probably mentioned a million times by now) with THE CHARACTERS- It… it should matter that I’m a Viridian,” Arlo heard herself say, in a voice made small by nausea and nerves. “My magic might not be very strong, I might have much more of my father’s iron blood than you’d like, but I can still alter and conceal my appearance with a glamour just fine, and I possess enough of the Sight to see through the glamours of other folk as well…” Unnecessary, many in the faerie community whispering behind their hands, and Arlo had to agree. The High King cares more about rooting out the Assistance than he cares about finding who’s killing his folk… Now is the perfect time to bring this up,” Celadon countered under his breath. “Anything we can use, Arlo. Remember?”Eight proud fae from the Four Courts of Folk made up this panel of judges. One each from the factions of Seelie Winter, Summer, Autumn, and Spring—those folk who drew power from day and most valued the qualities of grace and responsibility in their people. One each from the factions of UnSeelie Winter, Summer, Autumn, and Spring—those folk who drew power from night and were known for their indulgence and their cunning. Hero, a twenty-eight-year-old ironborn, was working at NevaLife Pharmaceutical when he was sought out by a Hunter, due to his tendency to do experiments. At first, he was very nervous, but Lethe calmed him, taking him into his employment, and making him remember. There was a fine and fragile line between the things that made a person brave and the things that made them fools - so far, she had a sinking suspicion their plan belonged to the latter category.” The laws to which we must adhere may seem harsh, but they’re our laws for a reason. Arlo Jarsdel’s case is not simple. An ironborn girl with little to no magic will find our world difficult at its kindest. It’s better, no, to set them on the path that will help them best flourish? To trim away the excess knowledge that would do them no good anyway? We’ve made these laws to keep our people safe, Your Highness. You know this.”

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A gripping flight into fantasy…The plot offers high stakes, simmering romantic tension, political drama, refreshingly casual representation of queer and transgender characters, and an intriguing magic system that draws inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons.”— Kirkus She wanted to say something. She always wanted to say something whenever people like Malachite said such terribly rude things to her and others around her, but the words would never leave her tongue. Every time she felt them bubbling up inside her, those good intentions turned to cowardice and were swallowed once more by nerves.” of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth If that isn’t enough to satisfy your misgivings, let me remind you of something else: it counts a great deal that your suppliant today is the blood of House Viridian. I, myself, as an example, was a late bloomer. Me, the faeborn son of High King Azurean. I didn’t begin to demonstrate any affinity for air—that element of my Court—until Maturity hit nearly two years ago, when I turned nineteen. And it was only months ago that I discovered I possessed a Gift in addition to that affinity.” In Arlo’s opinion, there was no real difference between the Seelie and UnSeelie fae, no matter what each group liked to think. The stony faces before her, for instance, were all the same—as cold and hard as the marble under her feet.

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The Caffeinated Reader reviewed A Dark And Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth – her review made me 10x more excited to finally read this book. I love urban fantasy and […]

A Dark And Hollow Star - Review - Cinelinx | Movies. Games A Dark And Hollow Star - Review - Cinelinx | Movies. Games

But many more had stopped putting such importance on the color of blood, and it was considered abhorrent behavior on anyone’s part to do so anymore, but especially a member of the Fae High Council. It was also the very worst thing to say in front of a powerful prince he’d just insulted, whose personal time had long been devoted to advocating for ironborn rights. And not only that, but in this current climate of unease, if word got out that one of the Council’s own had displayed such elitist behavior… Arlo didn’t know what would happen.Arlo wanted to beg him to stop—to remind him she was just Arlo, and while Celadon might have been so clear an exception, she clearly wasn’t—but her growing discomfort had rendered her speechless.

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth | Goodreads A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth | Goodreads

There were so many others. In all of Nausicaä’s very long life, she had never encountered so many of magic’s children in one place. The crowd of them stretched far in almost every direction, faces of all shapes and sizes peeking out of the foliage and trees. There were centaurs, goblins, brownies, imps and sprites. There were redcaps, with their crimson-stained hats and vicious scythes, which glinted in the moonlight. There were kelpies dripping sodden weeds, lilies strangled in their manes. Littered throughout the branches above were crows that weren’t really crows at all, but sluagh—wandering souls of the violent dead who preyed on those soon to die. She had several other cousins and relations (however removed) who came and went, passing winds who thought nothing of asking rude and prying questions into her life and made very little effort to keep their whispers about her to themselves.”A gripping flight into fantasy... The plot offers high stakes, simmering romantic tension, political drama, refreshingly casual representation of queer and transgender characters, and an intriguing magic system that draws inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons.” Councillor Larsen nodded her head, and the matter was so abruptly concluded it left Arlo reeling. “Deferment granted. The case for Arlo Jarsdel’s fae citizenship shall be heard again in eight years’ time, on this fifth day of May, by Arlo Jarsdel and only Arlo Jarsdel.” She paused to flash her gaze first at Celadon, then at the crowd by the door. “The Council dismisses the room. You are all free to go.”