Thalo and Celadon looked eerily alike, despite the fact they were only first cousins. Her mother looked so much younger than her forty-two years, and with the same twilight-glow complexion, willowy height, russet hair, and lovely features as Celadon, it was a fair assumption to make that they were siblings, when in fact it was the High King and Thalo’s mother—the princess Cyanine—who were brother and sister.

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth | Goodreads A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth | Goodreads

Working to conceal her wince, Arlo forced her gaze level with the Council’s collective stare. Her eyes—as bright and hard as jade—were one of the few things about Arlo that made it impossible for anyone to refute her ties to the Viridian family. But in moments like these, she wished she’d inherited her mother’s skill for cutting those green eyes into a glare. The mystery is fantastic and I loved the different POVs though we are mostly learning things through Arlo’s over the others. As we’re piecing together things it just makes the stakes rise even higher and by the end of the book I had no idea what to do with myself. LIKE HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL?! And now I really want to roadtrip to Canada and take the book with me lol. 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. Now is the perfect time to bring this up,” Celadon countered under his breath. “Anything we can use, Arlo. Remember?”

A Dark and Hollow Star: Complex plotting and worldbuilding

A gripping flight into fantasy... The 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 Cruel and Fated Light is the sequel to the f/f, m/m YA Urban Fantasy, A DARK AND HOLLOW STAR. It follows Arlo, Nausicaa, Aurelian, and Vehan as they delve even deeper into the plot of philosopher’s stones and scheming immortals, in the home of a queen with secrets even deadlier than she is. I can’t remember the last time I full on belly laughed while reading a book (okay it was probably the infamous Daevabad potato head line but still, that was a while ago) and this book had me do it more than a couple of times.

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

You’re right. He’s nowhere near fabulous enough. He can be my slightly inferior but equally arrogant son, Legolas.” They hadn’t said it outright, but this was the closest they’d come in this entire meeting to announcing their verdict—to condemning Arlo to a fate she’d never choose if her life were actually up to her.

A Dark and Hollow Star: Multiple slow burn queer romances

I knew right then and there, I'd Yes,” said Gavin Larsen, Nayani’s husband and Seelie representative of Summer, looking nothing but amused by the proceedings. “And what is Arlo’s decision?” Vehan turned to stare at her, mildly incredulous. Nausicaä, meanwhile, could hardly contain her laughter. “Okay, folks, if we come across anyone, make sure to also ask for directions to the nearest bathroom on top of whether they’ve been murdering children to make philosopher’s stones and kidnapping people and why.” The cast of characters was GREAT (though admittedly Aurelian was a bit of a weak link though I have incredible hope that he’ll win me over completely in the next book). They were all quite varied from each other and I’ll be real I would totally want to spend the day with Arlo and her cousins, but not her mom, because her mom terrifies me lol. No one thought twice about Celadon deciding rules were meant for other people, but from Thalo, who was the High King’s Sword—General of his Royal Guard—and Head of the Falchion Police Force, they expected a little better. “Until then,” Larsen continued gracefully, “we shall withhold her adult status in the Courts and allow her to continue as she has lived these past eighteen years—a probationary member of the folk and a spectator only in our affairs until her next Weighing.”