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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
aebennettwrites's review against another edition
5.0
(4.5/5 stars) There were a lot of unexpected elements in this book, which I really enjoyed. The story starts out as a classic "our heroes go on a quest" fantasy, but then it evolves into rich character studies that kept me engrossed. Carl, Sinnie, and Finn are fun characters to get to know, and each grows in their own way during this tale. Though this tale wasn't as epic as I imagined, I would recommend it to any fantasy lover!
bardbrojosh's review against another edition
4.0
A interesting fantasy read that does well to start building it world in this first book with rich and detailed descriptions. Big fan of the main Trio and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
jon_mckenney's review against another edition
4.0
An impulse buy I was kinda worried about, but a very enjoyable read. Very different than what I’ve read for years, proper, capital F, Fantasy. Interested in reading the rest of the trilogy at a later date.
dinipandareads's review against another edition
3.0
This cover kept making me think that I had chosen to read a supernatural horror so it was a wonderful surprise to find (and eventually remember) that this was actually a fantasy with supernatural elements! I didn’t have any expectations going into this but I’m glad to say that I ended up enjoying it.
I do read a lot of YA fantasy so this was already different to my regular reads, but I liked the plot, world building and characters and was quickly pulled into the story. That said, the pace was rather slow, especially half-way through, and required a bit of push for me to continue. A lot of the book is spent on the road ‘journeying’ from one location to the next and it was a great way to not only get to know the characters, but to also learn about the world. I enjoyed learning about the folklore full of ‘creatures of old’ that humans used to scare their children. But we quickly learn that these creatures don’t just exist in myths and I found myself becoming even more intrigued with the story! Aside from the Maer, there are encounters and mentions of vampires, dragons, and ogres, amongst other unfamiliar mythological creatures. One aspect I wish we learned more about was the history of this world — the politics, the government, and especially the magic — but as an introduction I thought the world building was done well.
Hollow Road seems to me the beginning of a series of adventure filled tales of three friends who end up being more like ‘small town heroes’ in this realm. I’m a sucker for great friendships in stories, so I really liked Carl, Sinnie and Finn and I appreciated that we get all of their perspectives. Finn was my favourite character though! They’re all flawed and face personal situations that were relatable. There were moments of envy between them but they are without doubt a group of friends who truly trust and respect each other, even if they might not always agree. They have distinctive voices that made it easy to know whose chapter you’re reading, but I wish that we got more development in their characters. While I liked them, I didn’t really feel connected to them and wished they’d been more fleshed out.
My favourite part of the story was learning about the Maer. The descriptions made them seem like werewolves, but more human and less animalistic. I loved that they had their own language, culture and history, and I appreciated the gradual change in mentality of the characters as we learn that Maer are a lot more humanlike than the myths led people to believe. There was a good message about accepting others despite obvious differences. I wanted to spend more time with the Maer and to also learn more about their origin, but I do have a feeling that’ll happen in the second book, so I’m looking forward to that! Plus, the story ended with a rather cryptic message from one of the characters and I’m really curious to see what surprises lie ahead.
I do read a lot of YA fantasy so this was already different to my regular reads, but I liked the plot, world building and characters and was quickly pulled into the story. That said, the pace was rather slow, especially half-way through, and required a bit of push for me to continue. A lot of the book is spent on the road ‘journeying’ from one location to the next and it was a great way to not only get to know the characters, but to also learn about the world. I enjoyed learning about the folklore full of ‘creatures of old’ that humans used to scare their children. But we quickly learn that these creatures don’t just exist in myths and I found myself becoming even more intrigued with the story! Aside from the Maer, there are encounters and mentions of vampires, dragons, and ogres, amongst other unfamiliar mythological creatures. One aspect I wish we learned more about was the history of this world — the politics, the government, and especially the magic — but as an introduction I thought the world building was done well.
Hollow Road seems to me the beginning of a series of adventure filled tales of three friends who end up being more like ‘small town heroes’ in this realm. I’m a sucker for great friendships in stories, so I really liked Carl, Sinnie and Finn and I appreciated that we get all of their perspectives. Finn was my favourite character though! They’re all flawed and face personal situations that were relatable. There were moments of envy between them but they are without doubt a group of friends who truly trust and respect each other, even if they might not always agree. They have distinctive voices that made it easy to know whose chapter you’re reading, but I wish that we got more development in their characters. While I liked them, I didn’t really feel connected to them and wished they’d been more fleshed out.
My favourite part of the story was learning about the Maer. The descriptions made them seem like werewolves, but more human and less animalistic. I loved that they had their own language, culture and history, and I appreciated the gradual change in mentality of the characters as we learn that Maer are a lot more humanlike than the myths led people to believe. There was a good message about accepting others despite obvious differences. I wanted to spend more time with the Maer and to also learn more about their origin, but I do have a feeling that’ll happen in the second book, so I’m looking forward to that! Plus, the story ended with a rather cryptic message from one of the characters and I’m really curious to see what surprises lie ahead.
ws_bookclub's review
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Full of excellent, deep character-growth, The Hollow Road perfectly explains the term, “the joy is in the journey.” Three childhood friends have the somber task of returning their dead friend’s body to his home. At the same time, the friends take it upon themselves to figure out the truth behind some troubling rumors. In essence, most of the book takes place during that journey, and I loved that concept. It’s been way too long since I’ve read a book that plays out like that.
In a way, the plot followed behind the characters. And what characters! They are deep, complex, and ever-evolving. Even Carl, who I loved to dislike for a good chunk of the time, had layers upon layers to his personality. While they were all fantastic to read, my favorite was Finn. He just clicked for me. I also thought it was pretty cool that one of the characters was a circus performer. That’s incredibly creative and unique.
I liked that the magic was less present than in some other fantasies I’ve read recently. It’s there-Finn himself is a mage-in-training-but it’s not flashy or over the top. It’s clear that it is meant to play second fiddle to the characters’ growth, and to the folklore surrounding the Maer themselves. The Maer were fascinating, and I found myself curious about them from the get-go.
The Hollow Road is a slower book, without any unnecessary action beats (not to say there aren’t any, just that each has a purpose). Each scene is written with a goal in mind, and I never felt like the author rambled or wandered from what he wanted to convey.
This book is perfect for readers who like well-rounded characters who grow throughout the story, not only separately but together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/11/12/the-hollow-road-by-dan-fitzgerald/
Full of excellent, deep character-growth, The Hollow Road perfectly explains the term, “the joy is in the journey.” Three childhood friends have the somber task of returning their dead friend’s body to his home. At the same time, the friends take it upon themselves to figure out the truth behind some troubling rumors. In essence, most of the book takes place during that journey, and I loved that concept. It’s been way too long since I’ve read a book that plays out like that.
In a way, the plot followed behind the characters. And what characters! They are deep, complex, and ever-evolving. Even Carl, who I loved to dislike for a good chunk of the time, had layers upon layers to his personality. While they were all fantastic to read, my favorite was Finn. He just clicked for me. I also thought it was pretty cool that one of the characters was a circus performer. That’s incredibly creative and unique.
I liked that the magic was less present than in some other fantasies I’ve read recently. It’s there-Finn himself is a mage-in-training-but it’s not flashy or over the top. It’s clear that it is meant to play second fiddle to the characters’ growth, and to the folklore surrounding the Maer themselves. The Maer were fascinating, and I found myself curious about them from the get-go.
The Hollow Road is a slower book, without any unnecessary action beats (not to say there aren’t any, just that each has a purpose). Each scene is written with a goal in mind, and I never felt like the author rambled or wandered from what he wanted to convey.
This book is perfect for readers who like well-rounded characters who grow throughout the story, not only separately but together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/11/12/the-hollow-road-by-dan-fitzgerald/
jmkemp's review
4.0
Hollow Road is the start of a heroes' journey. We meet three protagonists, Carl, Sinnie and Finn. They've been tasked with returning the body of one of their peers to their hometown. Each of the three has been away following their chosen profession, soldiering for Carl, circus entertainment for Sinnie, and learning to be a mage for Finn.
They're given the task of taking Theo's body to their hometown by their friend's father, a rich man who pays them handsomely, and hints at trouble on their three day journey down the Hollow Road. The source of the trouble is alleged to be the legendary Maer, although plenty of tales of the Maer are told no-one any of the three protagonists knows has every actually seen one.
Hollow Road is set in a sort of mediaeval world, with just a small sprinkling of magic. It's pretty low fantasy from the perspective of the story. There are no flashing lights or fireballs when Finn uses magic, just some unusual effects. Carl is equipped with a suit of chain mail, a shield and sword, very like a Saxon/Norman warrior might have been. Sinnie shoots a pretty normal sounding bow.
What becomes apparent as the story moves on is how much of the folklore of the Maer, and other creatures, has been forgotten, and how human stories dramatise themselves over time. Hollow Road is the beginning of a trilogy, and we can see the main characters eyes being opened to a larger world than they'd previously believed in. How much the rest of the human realm will react calmly and accept the new normal remains to be see, but I'm now looking forward to reading the sequel to Hollow Road when it finally comes out!
They're given the task of taking Theo's body to their hometown by their friend's father, a rich man who pays them handsomely, and hints at trouble on their three day journey down the Hollow Road. The source of the trouble is alleged to be the legendary Maer, although plenty of tales of the Maer are told no-one any of the three protagonists knows has every actually seen one.
Hollow Road is set in a sort of mediaeval world, with just a small sprinkling of magic. It's pretty low fantasy from the perspective of the story. There are no flashing lights or fireballs when Finn uses magic, just some unusual effects. Carl is equipped with a suit of chain mail, a shield and sword, very like a Saxon/Norman warrior might have been. Sinnie shoots a pretty normal sounding bow.
What becomes apparent as the story moves on is how much of the folklore of the Maer, and other creatures, has been forgotten, and how human stories dramatise themselves over time. Hollow Road is the beginning of a trilogy, and we can see the main characters eyes being opened to a larger world than they'd previously believed in. How much the rest of the human realm will react calmly and accept the new normal remains to be see, but I'm now looking forward to reading the sequel to Hollow Road when it finally comes out!
zurfloo's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
cassidee_omnilegent's review
4.0
Slow burning but full of heart! I love stories like this. Though our tale unwinds slowly, our three main characters keep us on track. There were plenty of fights to keep the battle-hungry readers satisfied while weaving the web of storytelling around us. We are submersed in lore about the Maer (which sound a bit like Bigfoot or a Werewolf when folktales are uttered throughout the novel). There is more than meets the eyes to these supposedly savage and mythic brings.
I found it funny that while our author is spinning his story, it is almost too easy to forget that this quest started as a means to bring their friend to rest. Throughout the novel, our main characters are charting a coffin around. With all of the action and banter, it’s easy to forget how the tale begins, in the best way possible. Just a truly fun read!
I found it funny that while our author is spinning his story, it is almost too easy to forget that this quest started as a means to bring their friend to rest. Throughout the novel, our main characters are charting a coffin around. With all of the action and banter, it’s easy to forget how the tale begins, in the best way possible. Just a truly fun read!
dinipandareads's review
3.0
This cover kept making me think that I had chosen to read a supernatural horror so it was a wonderful surprise to find (and eventually remember) that this was actually a fantasy with supernatural elements! I didn’t have any expectations going into this but I’m glad to say that I ended up enjoying it.
I do read a lot of YA fantasy so this was already different to my regular reads, but I liked the plot, world building and characters and was quickly pulled into the story. That said, the pace was rather slow, especially half-way through, and required a bit of push for me to continue. A lot of the book is spent on the road ‘journeying’ from one location to the next and it was a great way to not only get to know the characters, but to also learn about the world. I enjoyed learning about the folklore full of ‘creatures of old’ that humans used to scare their children. But we quickly learn that these creatures don’t just exist in myths and I found myself becoming even more intrigued with the story! Aside from the Maer, there are encounters and mentions of vampires, dragons, and ogres, amongst other unfamiliar mythological creatures. One aspect I wish we learned more about was the history of this world — the politics, the government, and especially the magic — but as an introduction I thought the world building was done well.
Hollow Road seems to me the beginning of a series of adventure filled tales of three friends who end up being more like ‘small town heroes’ in this realm. I’m a sucker for great friendships in stories, so I really liked Carl, Sinnie and Finn and I appreciated that we get all of their perspectives. Finn was my favourite character though! They’re all flawed and face personal situations that were relatable. There were moments of envy between them but they are without doubt a group of friends who truly trust and respect each other, even if they might not always agree. They have distinctive voices that made it easy to know whose chapter you’re reading, but I wish that we got more development in their characters. While I liked them, I didn’t really feel connected to them and wished they’d been more fleshed out.
My favourite part of the story was learning about the Maer. The descriptions made them seem like werewolves, but more human and less animalistic. I loved that they had their own language, culture and history, and I appreciated the gradual change in mentality of the characters as we learn that Maer are a lot more humanlike than the myths led people to believe. There was a good message about accepting others despite obvious differences. I wanted to spend more time with the Maer and to also learn more about their origin, but I do have a feeling that’ll happen in the second book, so I’m looking forward to that! Plus, the story ended with a rather cryptic message from one of the characters and I’m really curious to see what surprises lie ahead.
I do read a lot of YA fantasy so this was already different to my regular reads, but I liked the plot, world building and characters and was quickly pulled into the story. That said, the pace was rather slow, especially half-way through, and required a bit of push for me to continue. A lot of the book is spent on the road ‘journeying’ from one location to the next and it was a great way to not only get to know the characters, but to also learn about the world. I enjoyed learning about the folklore full of ‘creatures of old’ that humans used to scare their children. But we quickly learn that these creatures don’t just exist in myths and I found myself becoming even more intrigued with the story! Aside from the Maer, there are encounters and mentions of vampires, dragons, and ogres, amongst other unfamiliar mythological creatures. One aspect I wish we learned more about was the history of this world — the politics, the government, and especially the magic — but as an introduction I thought the world building was done well.
Hollow Road seems to me the beginning of a series of adventure filled tales of three friends who end up being more like ‘small town heroes’ in this realm. I’m a sucker for great friendships in stories, so I really liked Carl, Sinnie and Finn and I appreciated that we get all of their perspectives. Finn was my favourite character though! They’re all flawed and face personal situations that were relatable. There were moments of envy between them but they are without doubt a group of friends who truly trust and respect each other, even if they might not always agree. They have distinctive voices that made it easy to know whose chapter you’re reading, but I wish that we got more development in their characters. While I liked them, I didn’t really feel connected to them and wished they’d been more fleshed out.
My favourite part of the story was learning about the Maer. The descriptions made them seem like werewolves, but more human and less animalistic. I loved that they had their own language, culture and history, and I appreciated the gradual change in mentality of the characters as we learn that Maer are a lot more humanlike than the myths led people to believe. There was a good message about accepting others despite obvious differences. I wanted to spend more time with the Maer and to also learn more about their origin, but I do have a feeling that’ll happen in the second book, so I’m looking forward to that! Plus, the story ended with a rather cryptic message from one of the characters and I’m really curious to see what surprises lie ahead.
wittyandsarcasticbookclub's review
5.0
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Full of excellent, deep character-growth, The Hollow Road perfectly explains the term, “the joy is in the journey.” Three childhood friends have the somber task of returning their dead friend’s body to his home. At the same time, the friends take it upon themselves to figure out the truth behind some troubling rumors. In essence, most of the book takes place during that journey, and I loved that concept. It’s been way too long since I’ve read a book that plays out like that.
In a way, the plot followed behind the characters. And what characters! They are deep, complex, and ever-evolving. Even Carl, who I loved to dislike for a good chunk of the time, had layers upon layers to his personality. While they were all fantastic to read, my favorite was Finn. He just clicked for me. I also thought it was pretty cool that one of the characters was a circus performer. That’s incredibly creative and unique.
I liked that the magic was less present than in some other fantasies I’ve read recently. It’s there-Finn himself is a mage-in-training-but it’s not flashy or over the top. It’s clear that it is meant to play second fiddle to the characters’ growth, and to the folklore surrounding the Maer themselves. The Maer were fascinating, and I found myself curious about them from the get-go.
The Hollow Road is a slower book, without any unnecessary action beats (not to say there aren’t any, just that each has a purpose). Each scene is written with a goal in mind, and I never felt like the author rambled or wandered from what he wanted to convey.
This book is perfect for readers who like well-rounded characters who grow throughout the story, not only separately but together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/11/12/the-hollow-road-by-dan-fitzgerald/
Full of excellent, deep character-growth, The Hollow Road perfectly explains the term, “the joy is in the journey.” Three childhood friends have the somber task of returning their dead friend’s body to his home. At the same time, the friends take it upon themselves to figure out the truth behind some troubling rumors. In essence, most of the book takes place during that journey, and I loved that concept. It’s been way too long since I’ve read a book that plays out like that.
In a way, the plot followed behind the characters. And what characters! They are deep, complex, and ever-evolving. Even Carl, who I loved to dislike for a good chunk of the time, had layers upon layers to his personality. While they were all fantastic to read, my favorite was Finn. He just clicked for me. I also thought it was pretty cool that one of the characters was a circus performer. That’s incredibly creative and unique.
I liked that the magic was less present than in some other fantasies I’ve read recently. It’s there-Finn himself is a mage-in-training-but it’s not flashy or over the top. It’s clear that it is meant to play second fiddle to the characters’ growth, and to the folklore surrounding the Maer themselves. The Maer were fascinating, and I found myself curious about them from the get-go.
The Hollow Road is a slower book, without any unnecessary action beats (not to say there aren’t any, just that each has a purpose). Each scene is written with a goal in mind, and I never felt like the author rambled or wandered from what he wanted to convey.
This book is perfect for readers who like well-rounded characters who grow throughout the story, not only separately but together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/2020/11/12/the-hollow-road-by-dan-fitzgerald/