A Dark and Hollow Star (1) (Hollow Star Saga)

ISBN: 1534453679

Author: Shuttleworth, Ashley

Condition: New

Product DescriptionBeautifully written and deliciously complexI couldnt get enough. -Nicki Pau Preto, author of the Crown of Feathers seriesThe Cruel Prince meets City of Bones in this thrilling urban fantasy set in the magical underworld of Toronto that follows a queer cast of characters racing to stop a serial killer whose crimes could expose the hidden world of faeries to humans.Choose your player.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 princes 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 thats not bad enough, theres 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. Theyre going to need it.From School Library JournalGr 9 Up-Faeries secretly live alongside humans, but an outbreak of magical violence threatens the peace. Humans are disappearing and ironborn, half-fae and half-human, are being magically murdered. In Toronto, ironborn Arlo witnesses a murder and is compelled to find answers. When her uncle the High King refuses to seriously investigate, she teams up with two teen fae and one exiled immortal to solve the mysteries. The faerie fantasy market is saturated, but the distinctive feature of this series starter is the four queer main characters who have a range of skin tones. Numerous secondary characters have diverse gender identities, creating multiple opportunities for deftly handled discussions of respectful pronoun usage, crafted by an author who uses they/them pronouns. Characters are vivid, with motivating, sometimes mysterious, backstories. The high stakes of the plot are balanced with humor, particularly from the irreverent and snarky Nausica. Shuttleworth weaves together multiple mythologies: Greco-Roman Furies and dieties, Irish faerie lore, Western alchemy, the seven sins of Christianity, and the format and tools of modern role player games. The resulting vocabulary may cause confusion, and the complex world-building is accomplished through detailed exposition that sometimes interrupts the plot. While the main mystery is solved, unanswered questions will motivate readers to continue the series. Many young adults will love this novel's stellar queer representation, as well as the oft-repeated refrain that the adults should be the ones handling this mess. VERDICT A promising opener to an urban faerie fantasy series featuring multiple queer identities.-Elizabeth Lovsin, Deerfield P.L., ILa(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Review"Beautifully written and deliciously complex, A Dark and Hollow Star is utterly engrossing. The magic is bloody, the humor sharp, and the murder mystery drenched in violence and intrigue. Like a fallen Fury set on vengeance, I couldnt get enough."-- Nicki Pau Preto, author of the Crown of Feathers seriesThe plot offers high stakes, simmering romantic tension, political drama, refreshingly casual representation of queer and transgender characters, and an intriguing magic system that draws inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons... A gripping flight into fantasy. -- KirkusFirst in a planned duology, Shuttleworths queer urban fantasy debut