All Things Halloween - These Hollow Vows

These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, # 1)

By: Lexi Ryan

Publication: July 20, 2021 by HMH

448 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--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.

I got Beneath These Cursed Stars for review before reading this book or series. And I loved it but felt like I was missing information. I knew immediately that I would go back and read These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds. So I got this from the e-library. I got the audio version which allowed me to dive into this book sooner than I normally would have.

Abriella is basically a servant for her aunt and cousins. She and her sister are basically orphans. Her mother left them uncharacteristically. Their uncle took them in, but he has since passed away leaving their aunt to care for them. They have a debt to pay off, but they are barely keeping their heads above water if not constantly getting behind. Abriella will do whatever it takes to keep her sister safe, but some things are just out of her hands. Their aunt sells Jasalyn to King Mordeus, a fairie king known for his cruelty. Aribella knows she must go get her back. 

Another fae court is opening the border between the realms in hopes of finding a human wife for a fairy prince. Fae have difficulty breeding, and children seem to come more easily for human women. Abriella uses this opportunity to find a way to stay in Fairie safely. It just so happens that the prince looking for a wife is none other than Sebastian, Abriella's best friend whom she's had a crush on for years. She is faced with Sebastian's lies for about two years. Finding her sister comes first, but Sebastian aka Prince Ronan has resources at his disposal that Abriella doesn't have. The only trouble is that she's made a deal with Mordeus. Her sister's life in exchange for returning some relics back to the Seelie court. 

On her first night in Fairie, Abriella runs into a friend of Finn who is the nephew of Mordeus. Finn is trying to remove Mordeus from the throne of the Seelie court as he isn't the rightful heir. Finn and Abriella have an instant connection that Brie doesn't understand. And she doesn't quite trust him. Since I've read Beneath These Cursed Stars I already know who Brie ends up with. I look forward to These Twisted Bonds knowing what must inevitably be coming.

There are twists and turns. Mostly I knew they had to be coming since I know where things stand as of the first book in the spinoff series. But getting there is just as confusing as if I didn't know what to expect. I kept wondering how what was happening would lead us to the end result I know is coming. I would recommend reading these books in the order they are published if you can.

These Hollow Vows easily gets 4 Stars. If I were reading this in order, I might have rated it even higher. I'm not sure if the frustration I felt was due to knowing how things should end in the series overall which is where Beneath These Cursed Stars starts or if I would have felt the same frustrations without knowing the intending ending. Either way, I recommend this book, and I can't wait to dive into book 2. Have you read (or listened to) These Hollow Vows? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.