“It’s as if my love of coffee before was only about it’s potential and I’m finally tasting it as it should be.”
~ These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1), by Lexi Ryan
Hello, wonderful people, happy Saturday everyone, happy 1st of October and happy International Coffee Day! ☕️
I’ve been dying to share this review with you all and since today’s protagonist, Abriella, loves coffee almost as much as I do, the timing seemed perfect. So, here I am to share my thoughts and feelings about the first instalment in Lexi Ryan’s series, These Hollow Vows; the book that sat on my TBR pile for far longer than it should!
“From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this sexy, action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.
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.”
When a book has Seelie and Unseelie faeries, it is loosely based on a classic fairytale, has references of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, political intrigue, morally grey characters and… a protagonist who ADORES coffee AND has red (aka Ariel) hair, well, it’s certain I’m gonna ADORE it, too.
I had received These Hollow Vows almost a year ago, through Beacon Book Box, and even though my Dad had suggested I should read it immediately, I put it aside for a while, for only the stars know why.
What a naive, little human I was…
The book was the PERFECT read for the transition from summer to autumn, with all the whimsical magic of the Faerie Lands, the schemes of the Courts almost palpable as I was turning the pages and the characters, both main and secondary, feeling very, very real!
And that’s what made this book unique to me, aside from its fast pacing, of course.
The fact that the characters were so very well-written, they had depth, insecurities, hopes and fears, and, all of them, seemed like the villain in someone else’s story!
There were twists and turns every other second and, with every revelation, I didn’t know which side to take.
This made the book all the more interesting to me.
Even the love triangle aspect of the story was so well-executed that, despite this being one of my least favorite tropes in a romance (as that’s the subplot of the book), I still fell invested and I wanted to know which Faerie Prince would win Brie’s heart.
So, yes, the pitching of this book as being perfect for the fans of The Cruel Prince and A Court of Thorns and Roses was spot-on! If you enjoyed these series, you most definitely will enjoy this one, too.
5 golden stars for this whimsical beauty, which I suggest you read, if you haven’t done so already. ✨
Would you guys choose to team up with the Seelie or the Unseelie Court, if found in a life-or-death situation?
Have you read These Hollow Vows? If so, what did you think of the book?
Let me know all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section down below.
Thank you all so very much for stopping by once again. It genuinely means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.
Have an EPIC month, awesome nerds, stay safe and stay positive!
Till next time… Toodles! 👑
Victorious Pages 