If you’re looking for a book that will leave you gutted and raw by the end, then look no further. This book is a swirling vortex of evocative romance and tensions running so high it’s a wonder how I was able to keep still long enough to finish it. This alluring fantasy is everything I was looking for and more. It’s treacherous and lovely, and the more you find out about the faerie world Brie has spirited herself into, the more you’ll wonder what the ultimate end will be for her. It’s not a story that I was expecting at all, and I honestly cannot wait to find out what will happen next. The ending was absolutely stunning and I highly encourage you to read it, if you’re looking for your next romantic fantasy read.
These Hollow Vows is centred around Brie, a young woman who hates the fae and would rather starve than accept their help. However, their help is exactly what she needs when her sister is sold off to the sadistic king of the unseelie court to pay a debt. She’ll do whatever it takes to get her back, making a deal with the king in order to steal three magical relics from the seelie court. In order to gain access to the seelie court, she presents herself as a potential bride for Prince Ronan. She soon finds herself falling for his charms, but she won’t let anything stop her from saving her sister. Brie will accept help from Finn and his group of unseelie misfits, at the risk of falling for his seductive charm. She’s trapped between two courts, loyalties, and hearts. She’ll have to decide which path will lead to her success or ultimately spell her demise.
Brie’s story begins with theft. She’s clever and fierce, and seems to know just enough magic to help her get out of some tricky situations. Unfortunately, she’s not able to get out of them all, like the debt she owes her aunt for taking her in along with her sister. Despite her limitations, she longs for the moment when she and her sister can be free from all of it. There’s no doubt about her strength, but she’s also a young woman who desperately needs something to go her way. As she quickly finds out, life can be so much crueller than it can be kind. She’s someone who doesn’t trust easily, but when she does it’s with a ferocity that makes her blind to faults…and you can’t help but feel like it will land her into trouble.
Her emotions also drive the story quite a bit. Her worry for her sister makes her impulsive, while her developing love makes her reckless. Brie’s anger and rage envelop her in a darkness that seems to be vengeance itself. My favourite Brie is definitely the one at the end of the book. The way she experiences her emotions at the end of the book and the actions afterward are so incredible. I have literally gone back to read it again and again because I can’t get the scene out of my mind.
The majority of this story takes place in the faerie world, between the seelie and unseelie courts. Ryan manages to create this gorgeous illusion of a place that’s full of enchantment and magic, but Brie will have some wicked and dangerous encounters with some of the more dangerous creatures of faerie. I loved how she incorporated the banshee as someone who heralds the death of a person, and creatures who will turn your memories into reality. This world is glittering with incredibly sharp edges, and it doesn’t take much to draw blood here. While it makes Brie powerless in some situations, she does have a secret trump card that raises more questions about her past and what it might mean for her future.
As you all know, my penchant for romance knows no bounds, and I think readers will have a hard time choosing between Ronan and Finn. There’s your traditional gentle prince with a fierce devotion to the woman he loves and then there’s the rogue-ish prince who wears an easy smile while battling the demons haunting him and his people. There is a moment where the line seems to become blurred and it seems like Brie might be coerced into consent, so if you’re sensitive to this it might be a little shocking. However, I do think the scene plays out well (but this is my opinion of course) despite this, but the ultimate question really is, has Brie put her trust in the right person?
You’ll be kept on your toes throughout the book and then have the rug pulled out from under you, leading to an ending that will both anger you and delight you. It’s an ending that also happens to be a turning point and in combination with some of the spoilery things that happen in the book, you have to wonder what path Brie will take next. You’ll want this on your list if you love fae romance, fantasy, and betrayal. You’ll definitely get all three in spades. I do wish that we’d had a little more interaction with Brie and her sister, since she’s part of the driving force for Brie’s actions, but I’m curious if she might pop up more in the next book.
These Hollow Vows is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 20th 2021.
Will you be picking up These Hollow Vows? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
