The Hollow Gods by A.J. Vrana

Afternoon BookWyrms,

I was lucky enough to get an E-ARC of this book via BookSirens.com. The blurb drew me to it as well as that striking cover - have a look here - The Hollow Gods Cover. 

What kept me engaged was the story.

I'm all about spoiler free reviews, as you know, so I'm going to give nothing away but I am going to tell you that I got swept up in this tale. Let me share the blurb, from Amazon, first:

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Black Hollow is a town with a dark secret.

For centuries, residents have foretold the return of the Dreamwalker—an ominous figure from local folklore said to lure young women into the woods and possess them. Yet the boundary between fact and fable is blurred by a troubling statistic: occasionally, women do go missing. And after they return, they almost always end up dead.

When Kai wakes up next to the lifeless body of a recently missing girl, his memory blank, he struggles to clear his already threadbare conscience.

Miya, a floundering university student, experiences signs that she may be the Dreamwalker’s next victim. Can she trust Kai as their paths collide, or does he herald her demise?

And after losing a young patient, crestfallen oncologist, Mason, embarks on a quest to debunk the town’s superstitions, only to find his sanity tested.

A maelstrom of ancient grudges, forgotten traumas, and deadly secrets loom in the foggy forests of Black Hollow. Can three unlikely heroes put aside their fears and unite to confront a centuries-old evil? Will they uncover the truth behind the fable, or will the cycle repeat?

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It took me a while to get into this story, as the way it is told had me a little confused at first, but by around page 100 I was hooked. Some books start you off right in the middle of the drama, which this did, and that can be a bit disarming and confusing as a reader but you have to just trust that the author will explain everything in time through the story and this is what happened for me. 

The characters in The Hollow Gods are flawed and fleshed out which I adored - they are relatable and real. Which in fantasy is a must. Miya is someone that I really enjoyed reading about. I liked how we got a sense of who she was from the very first page. I liked how she wasn't perfect - it made me like her a lot more. 

Elements of this story gave me Grimm Fairy-tale vibes - which I adored. I also appreciated the intense mystery and almost thriller like telling of it.

I found the story to be a bit mind bending in places. Trying to keep track on who/what was real, dreamed, imagined was a bit tough but not unpleasant. And it made for an interesting read as I couldn't work out where the story was going for a while. Which I liked because predictable books are boring. 

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will 100% be waiting for book two to come out!

I would recommend The Hollow Gods to those who love fantasy and mystery combined.

Here is the link to pre-order The Hollow Gods as it publishes on the 28th July 2020:

The Hollow Gods - Amazon Pre-Order

Thanks to A.J.Vrana, BookSirens and Parliament House Press for letting me read and review this.

As always, keep on reading,

Lottie