A Dark and Hollow Star

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Save, of course, that she is fae, and born of one of the Eight Founding Houses,” Celadon replied irritably. If the most recent case had indeed occurred right here in Canada—in territory that belonged to UnSeelie Spring—their government could no longer afford to do nothing. The Fae High Council would be forced into searching out possible culprits; they had enough to keep them occupied without grilling Arlo for what was now twice as long as her Weighing should have taken, but throwing their failures in their faces and rushing them along probably wasn’t the best way to force their meeting’s conclusion—certainly not, given the look on most of the Councillors’ faces.

A Dark and Hollow Star” by Ashley Shuttleworth Book Review: “A Dark and Hollow Star” by Ashley Shuttleworth

Councillor Larsen nodded her head, and the matter was so abruptly concluded it left Arlo reeling. “Deferment granted. The case for Arlo Jarsdel’s fae citizenship shall be heard again in eight years’ time, on this fifth day of May, by Arlo Jarsdel and only Arlo Jarsdel.” She paused to flash her gaze first at Celadon, then at the crowd by the door. “The Council dismisses the room. You are all free to go.”There were so many others. In all of Nausicaä’s very long life, she had never encountered so many of magic’s children in one place. The crowd of them stretched far in almost every direction, faces of all shapes and sizes peeking out of the foliage and trees. There were centaurs, goblins, brownies, imps and sprites. There were redcaps, with their crimson-stained hats and vicious scythes, which glinted in the moonlight. There were kelpies dripping sodden weeds, lilies strangled in their manes. Littered throughout the branches above were crows that weren’t really crows at all, but sluagh—wandering souls of the violent dead who preyed on those soon to die.

A DARK AND HOLLOW STAR | Kirkus Reviews A DARK AND HOLLOW STAR | Kirkus Reviews

I mean, I can’t even begin to describe my euphoria when I first heard the premise of A Dark and Hollow Star. (Though if you want some idea, please scroll to the bottom of my review and take a gander at my yelling and spluttering!) And lastly there's Aurelian Bessel—this guy . . . he acts all grump and uncaring, but to find out the truth about the why behind it and know it's because of that MONSTER... All eight of these representatives had been chosen to uphold the High King’s laws. Not one of them was known for displays of compassion. Facing them now for their judgment drove home that this meeting was little better than a formality: all eight minds had already made their unanimous decision on the matter of Arlo’s “suitability” for the magical world long before she’d come to plead her case. Anyways, Arlo is definitely the quiet and reserved type around others, but with those she loves... let's just say that she's very fierce and annoyingly persistent when she wants something. In the eyes of the High Council, the only thing that mattered was that half of Arlo’s heritage was human. The fact that the other half had come directly from a royal fae family— the royal family, the family that currently sat as head of the magical community above even the heads of all the other Courts—was actually a mark against her. The fae were quite proud of their undiluted bloodlines, and the very long line of the Viridian family comprised only that—fae. There were no faerie relatives—those folk who possessed some animal or natural trait like bark for skin or leaves for hair. The Viridians certainly had no human relatives either, not until Arlo’s mother had married one, and then shortly after had given birth to Arlo. At least Arlo herself looked similar to the fae; she shuddered to think how much worse she’d be treated right now if her magical heritage came from anything else.

Toronto’s one of the most multicultural cities in the entire world. It is a space that is defined by the interweaving of peoples, a place that resonated so deeply with me for its expansiveness. But many more had stopped putting such importance on the color of blood, and it was considered abhorrent behavior on anyone’s part to do so anymore, but especially a member of the Fae High Council. It was also the very worst thing to say in front of a powerful prince he’d just insulted, whose personal time had long been devoted to advocating for ironborn rights. And not only that, but in this current climate of unease, if word got out that one of the Council’s own had displayed such elitist behavior… Arlo didn’t know what would happen. No,” Celadon continued on, “I only came to collect my cousin. It is her birthday, after all, and her family would like to spend what little time you’ve left her now to celebrate this fact.” He lifted his watch higher to exaggerate this point, then shook his head despairingly. “Apologies for the interruption, Councillors. I wish every one of you a wonderful night.”

A Dark and Hollow Star - AudioBB A Dark and Hollow Star - AudioBB

Vehan is the Crown Prince of the Seelie Court of Summer, who wants to do his best to protect the people he will someday rule over. With the help of his future steward and current (sort of) best friend Aurelian, he’ll attempt to investigate the ironborn murders on his own, which may lead to dangerous consequences for them both. What Arlo chooses to chase is her prerogative—and is, in fact, the law you seem to set your store so firmly by. You’ve already stripped her of one avenue by forbidding alchemy, the talent that would have come most naturally to her as a child of both magic and iron. No doubt she’s demonstrated the minimum requirement of aptitude in other areas to satisfy the lofty standards of our government? And you may dismiss it as common, but I would stake my life on her ability to sense another’s magical signature as far beyond what you, the Council, are collectively able. However scant, everyone in possession of magic must be granted the protection and guidance of the Courts should they choose to submit themselves to our rule. It’s her choice, Councillors, not yours—something you all seem to have forgotten.” edit 06/20: I'm very excited for the world to meet Arlo, Nos, Vehan, and Aurelian, my chaotic children who've come to mean so much to me, just like this story, which is very long and very busy (thank you final Fantasy) and at times was very painful to write, but I’m fiercely proud of what it levelled up to become. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Also, I get asked fairly often what sort of queer rep is in this, so for your curiosity: She could take the boon of common citizenship and allow her life to get on with itself as originally planned. She wouldn’t hold the glorious rank of fae, or be allowed to study at fae universities, or take a position in the palace any higher than general help. But she’d at least have a place in both her parents’ worlds, and with all her memories intact. Councillor Sylvain shot up from his seat, a blue flush bleeding through his glamour to heat his face. “High Prince Celadon!” The Councillor’s words were more like thunder.

A Dark and Hollow Star: Complex plotting and worldbuilding

Be that as it may, this counts for very little where Miss Jarsdel’s power is concerned.” Arlo’s stomach took a dive for the floor. Gaining momentum, Chandra continued, “Her father’s blood dilutes too much. She has magic, yes, but so little of it that she may as well not have it at all. While our deliberation might seem like prejudice to you, Your Highness, you must understand that there is much more for Miss Jarsdel to gain in pursuing her humanity than there is for her in chasing the formidable shadows of her mother’s family.” In Arlo’s opinion, there was no real difference between the Seelie and UnSeelie fae, no matter what each group liked to think. The stony faces before her, for instance, were all the same—as cold and hard as the marble under her feet. Shifting broke out in the stands as the Council no doubt realized where Celadon’s argument was leading. Arlo was just as uncomfortable. In terms of characters, I loved all four of our main perspectives and really enjoyed reading from them all. I particularly loved Arlo and Nausicaä, who we spent slightly more time with, as I felt I got a chance to know them better but I hope to be able to say the same for Vehan and Aurelian as the series progresses. The character dynamics were so much fun and definitely my favourite part of the story. I loved the banter between them all, as they went from reluctant allies to friends, as well as the blossoming relationships – particularly between Nausicaä and Arlo, who had the sweetest dynamic, even if they started out with a murder accusation. And just because I love them so much, here’s a wee bit about each of their characters: