Book Review: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth
I discovered A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth through a Twitter thread dedicated to sapphic 2021 releases. Or it might have been while flipping through catalogs on Edelweiss. I cannot remember, but this book is the best thing to happen to me this year. This book was everything I had been looking for: a compelling fantasy with a sapphic romance at its center. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I got my pre-order early, so I’m extra grateful that I can publish this review on RELEASE DAY! So, without further ado, let’s do this book review. ♡
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth: Fast Facts
Release Date: February 23, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 499
Genre: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, young adult
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Content Warning: provided at the beginning of the book!
Synopsis
The “ironborn” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family.
A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge.
A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne.
The prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.
For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.
Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?
Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.bookshop | indiebound | indigo
— i.
Magic had its rules, and woe betide anyone who tried to sidestep them.
Where should I even begin? It is rare for a series to have a strong first book, but A Dark and Hollow Star exceeded every expectation I had. And my expectations were relatively high. There are four main characters—Arlo, Nausicaä, Vehan, and Aurelian—and they are all so different. They have their own backgrounds and personalities, but they all share one thing in common. They want to find out who is behind the ironborn murders. To have four main characters with their own POVs can be risky, but Ashley Shuttleworth pulls it off flawlessly. Each chapter builds the protagonists, making it so easy to fall in love with them.
Arlo, an ironborn from the UnSeelie Spring Court, is an eighteen-year-old trying to figure out the next chapter of her life. Until she finds herself in the middle of a mystery regarding ironborn murders. She isn’t your typical YA fantasy heroine, and that makes her more relatable and a better character.
Throughout the novel, Arlo struggles with her self-worth. Is she worthy enough to be a hero? Like those you find in fairytales, mythology, and children’s books? Can she save the Mortal Realm from more ironborn murders? She is genuinely scared of getting involved, and she certainly does not dive headfirst like heroines usually do. Arlo doesn’t need to be warrior-like or recklessly courageous 24/7. Even when she is in danger, she relies on her intelligence and instincts.
Arlo doesn’t make decisions lightly, but a driving force of her choices—and her character—is her heart. She cares about everyone, from her closest friends and family to complete strangers. Her empathy knows no bounds. It stands out more than any other characteristic, followed by her resourcefulness, making her an amazing heroine. I’m tired of seeing the same lead over and over again—a strong warrior who never questions what to do, can easily take charge, and saves the day without breaking a sweat. Even the main characters from my favorite fantasy novels have this type of heroine. I love how Arlo is different without making her any less of a hero, even if she doubts herself sometimes. I could go on forever, so I’ll leave it here. But I’ll say it one more time: I really love Arlo Jarsdel.
Like Arlo, Vehan also comes from royalty, as a prince from the Seelie Summer Court. Vehan might seem like a conventional character, but he certainly isn’t. Even though Vehan is a prince, he struggles with his mental health. He is determined to solve the ironborn murders because he relates to the half-fae, half-human beings.
Vehan empathizes with the way fae treat and stigmatize ironborns. His mother treats him harshly; Aurelian, his best friend, has pulled away from him; and everyone else adores Vehan as a means to an end. Ultimately, the Seelie Summer Court pressures and expects a lot from Vehan. Solving the ironborn murders is Vehan’s way of facing his depression and dark thoughts. If Vehan is trapped, the best he can do is fight for his kingdom and his people, regardless of their magical status. It is truly noble of him, and I hope to learn more about his character in the sequel(s).
— ii.
Nobody cares! People are dying and nobody cares. An entire community of people made to feel that they don’t matter—it makes me sick. It eats at me, because feeling that? The soul-crushing hopelessness that drowns everything else inside you and tells you you’re totally and completely alone, that you’re nothing but a tool, a means to an end, a burden, and no one will really miss you when you’re gone? I know exactly what that’s like.
Then there’s Nausicaä, also known as my precious murderous child that I will protect at all costs. I have made myself the president of her defense club. Nausicaä has quite the backstory. A former Fury, she was exiled to the Mortal Realm for killing several people as an act of vengeance. Nausicaä committed this act on behalf of her deceased sister, Tisiphone. Her painful past shapes much of who she is today, but it doesn’t make her a typical antihero. Like Arlo, Nausicaä loves deeply, even if she is more selective about who she cares for.
Nausicaä owns who she is and what she has done without being afraid of consequences. She is a survivor who doesn’t take shit from anyone and doesn’t care what people think of her. Nausicaä is smart, sassy, and a queen of sarcasm. She’s also a lesbian—if I weren’t rooting for her and Arlo, I would absolutely marry her. Yes, I’m aware Nausicaä is a fictional character, but I also do not care. I love her so much.
Finally, there is Aurelian, Vehan’s bodyguard. He is the most mysterious of the four characters. We don’t know much about him, and what we do know, we can deduce from the page. Ashley Shuttleworth captured Aurelian beautifully by showing us who Aurelian is without divulging too much into his past. There is still a lot more to learn about him, but we already know he is fiercely loyal, sensible, and intelligent. Aurelian also cares deeply, even if he does not show it the same way the other characters do. He is a mystery of sorts, but when we find out why he stayed away from Vehan, my heart broke. Over and over again. This boy cares so much, and it’s heart-breaking that Vehan doesn’t know. There is so much miscommunication between these two, but more on that when I talk about the dynamics.
The secondary characters in A Dark and Hollow Star are terrific and crucial to the story. No character felt misused or unnecessary. Even minor characters contributed to building the narrative, and the pages do not feel cluttered with extra characters. I don’t want to talk too much about the villain because of spoilers, but I will say this—I loved how the antagonist’s story unraveled, learning about them in fragments.
Even when we think we know everything, Ashley Shuttleworth incorporates one last plot twist regarding a character. I literally screamed, flopped on my bed, and stared at my ceiling for the next twenty minutes, just contemplating life after that final twist. Every character is genuinely integral to this story, and when you think someone isn’t important, think again.
— iii.
A sidhe prince, a lesidhe guard, an ironborn girl, and a former Fury—they seemed less like a serious investigative team and more like the lead-in to some terrible joke.
There were so many strong aspects about this novel, but I think the dynamics have got to be my favorite element. The story hinted continuously at the two main romances, with two tropes that could not be different. But they work, and I am rooting so hard for both of these relationships to work out.
First, there is Arlo and Nausicaä, who are rivals to lovers. I wouldn’t say enemies, but they certainly get off to an extremely rocky start. Yet, something continuously draws them to one another. Their chemistry is off the charts. Usually, I’m picky with the rivals to lovers trope because I find that writers often translate this trope to “hate but also lots of sex” or add an abusive, toxic power imbalance to the relationship that doesn’t sit well with me. But Arlo and Nausicaä are so different, and to read their story unravel is probably the best thing to happen to me this year. By reluctantly spending more time together, they instinctively start looking out for each other.
Arlo and Nausicaä soon discover that their first impressions of one another were so wrong, and then feelings begin to develop, even if Arlo wasn’t 100% aware. Nausicaä sure as hell was, and appointing herself as Arlo’s personal bodyguard… please, I just love them so much. This devoted, supportive, and protective sapphic love is what I had been looking for in fantasy stories for such a long time, and I’m so glad I found it.
The second central romance is between Vehan and Aurelian, best friends to lovers. But in reality, it is a little more complicated than that. In recent years, Aurelian has kept his distance from Vehan to protect him from a horrible secret regarding his mother. Of course, this makes their dynamic extra angsty since it seems their relationship goes from best friends to almost strangers to a mix of both to lovers. That is just so chaotic in the best way, and I am here savoring every moment of it. I’m imagining the moment when they realize their mutual feelings, and… good lord, I am so ready for that. Friends to lovers is probably my favorite romance trope, but Ashley Shuttleworth found a way to put a unique spin on it for readers who don’t particularly care for the trope.
As for the non-romantic dynamics, they were equally compelling. Arlo’s relationships with her cousins, Celadon and Elyas, were everything to me. Significantly when Elyas helped Arlo channel magic with the die—I love how her little cousin, who is just a kid, helps her become more confident with her abilities. The dynamic between the four main characters was also one of my favorites. The banter was fun and exciting, and I felt that you could see how their group falls together, despite being completely different people.
For the sequel(s), I would love to learn more about the dynamic between Arlo and her mother and Vehan and his mother. Based on how this story is progressing, I think mother-child relationships have the potential to be a thoroughly explored theme, something I find is rare in the fantasy genre. There are just so many unique aspects to the novel’s dynamics, and these aspects further strengthen the relationships, making them compelling, complex, and alluring at the same time.
— iv.
In the simplest of terms, you are at a crossroads, Arlo. Fate has already decided on your future, but there are certain moments in your life—such as now—where she gives you the chance to choose the path you’d like to take to get there.
For an urban fantasy novel, there was so much world-building. Of course, the backdrop for A Dark and Hollow Star was Toronto, but there is an element of high fantasy since the mortal and immortal realms are separated. I hope to learn more about the Immortal Realm in the future, whether through flashbacks of Nausicaä’s past or current scenes set in the Immortal Realm. But on a personal note, it was so fun reading a fantasy story set in Toronto. I understood all the references, and I think I felt more a part of the narrative because of the relatability. I loved the mention of Timbits.
But the detailed world-building really helped me grasp what precisely this fae world entails and how it is different from other novels. At times, I found there was so much world-building that it threw the pacing off. Often, these moments seemed to have one information dump after the other, and it would hinder the narrative for a bit. But in the long run, it didn’t affect my opinion too much since most of the information was fascinating, even if it wasn’t always 100% necessary.
— v.
It was Arlo’s choice.
She would have to be the one to decide the shape her future was going to take.
She didn’t want to be a hero, she didn’t want to die, but would her life really be worth living if it meant never taking part in things, regardless of the risk?
As for the storyline itself, I find it challenging to write a fantasy series these days rooted in genuinely original faerie lore. However, Ashley Shuttleworth has accomplished this feat. They incorporated Greek Mythology with fae lore and magic, creating a unique spin on faeries and fantasy as a whole. As a result, I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the entire novel, and while fantasy is my favorite genre, it is hard to find narratives these days that are different from other fantasy series. A Dark and Hollow Star is undoubtedly creative and original, and I did not feel like I was reading previous stories blended into one, but rather, a unique tale all on its own.
And, of course, the plot was riveting. From the first chapter, you want to know more about Nausicaä and then Arlo. I think following Arlo for most of the book is what kept the plot consistent and compelling since she was the one who went to the Faerie Ring, met Luck, and received the magical die. You want to know who is behind the ironborn murders, how a Reaper is involved, and why Luck is fascinated by Arlo. And when the mystery slowly pieces itself together, it is gratifying in every possible way. The pieces fall together, and everything makes sense, rather than feeling like the answers came out of left field. Well done!
— vi.
For a people who it pains to tell lies, you’re very bad at admitting truths.
The quality of the writing was stunning. There were so many thoughtful quotes through the dialogue or the narrator, and it further pulled me into the novel. One of the reasons why the overload of information at times did not bother me too much is because Ashley Shuttleworth writes so well. They craft even what seems unnecessary into riveting material, so even if it does not contribute much to the current plot point, it does not bother you whatsoever. Seriously, where did they learn how to write like that?! It is truly a gift, and I cannot wait to read more of their talent in future books.
— vii.
You won because of me. You’re a very clever girl, Arlo Jarsdel, and I was testing that. From here on out, that die won’t be so easy to wield. There are rules, and I had to see if you have what it takes to think on your feet and face down a situation you never in your wildest dreams could hope to survive on your own. I told you, didn’t I? Something is coming. Something big. Something that requires the sort of nerve you only find in heroes, without the stagnation of their short-lived roles. I want to make sure you’re ready.
Overall, I had extremely high expectations for A Dark and Hollow Star, and the novel has surpassed all of them. It has everything I have dreamed my ideal fantasy story would have: a complex and beautiful sapphic relationship, stunning dynamics in general, complex characters, and a compelling and original narrative that kept me begging for more right until the very end. And that ending! How am I supposed to wait at least a year for the sequel?! It is safe to say I’m currently on an intense A Dark and Hollow Star high, and I couldn’t be happier. Other than a few instances where I felt the world-building was too much that it threw off the pacing/the slew of information dumps, this book was perfect. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re looking for a new fantasy series to read with kickass LGBTQ+ representation.
Final Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
— viii.
Arlo thought on the kiss they’d shared just that night. She had no idea what it meant, what she herself wanted it to mean, but she knew with absolute certainty that Nausicaä was important to her.
They were a team, if nothing else, and just as Arlo wouldn’t have made it out of that factory without Nausicaä, she was starting to realize Nausicaä wouldn’t have fared too well without her. Nausicaä would need the luck that had saved them both now more than ever if what this deity—Titan?—told Arlo was true.
A dark and hollow star.
Arlo didn’t understand it yet—this compulsion inside her to look at Nausicaä in a way she’d never looked at anyone else, and come away breathless. What she did understand was that wherever Nausicaä went, she was going to follow.
I want to hear from you guys! Is A Dark and Hollow Star on your list of highly anticipated novels? If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, are you interested? If you started the book, what do you think so far? When you finish the book, come back here and tell me all your thoughts—I’d love to have someone to talk to about four badass LGBTQ+ faeries. But if this book is not on your radar, tell me about your favorite underrated fantasy novels! I’m always looking for more books to read.
If you missed my last post, you can check it out here!
