A Wild and Ruined Song

The Hollow Star Saga #4

by Ashley Shuttleworth

Arlo and her friends struggle to rally against an overwhelming foe before time runs out in this gripping final book in the Hollow Star Saga, the urban fantasy series about fae in Toronto.

Arlo Jarsdel has lost everything. Her family. Her freedom. Her name. And now that she’s sharing her body with Ruin, the formidable titan of devastation, she’s even beginning to lose herself.

In their most dangerous game of deception yet, Arlo has just one goal: destroy the three Bone Crowns corrupting the mortal and immortal realms before her time runs out and Ruin takes permanent control of her being.

With Celadon fighting on the political front against the ruthless High Queen Riadne—now armed with the cataclysmic power of her Crown, the Sins, and Ruin—Vehan and Aurelian are scrambling in secret to build an army to rival Riadne’s infernal forces. Meanwhile, Nausicaä will do whatever it takes to save her girlfriend from obliteration, despite knowing the odds of survival are nearly nonexistent.

When the line between hero and villain becomes blurred, and bonds are put to the ultimate test, it has never been more imperative—or more difficult—to stand united. For this is not the first lifetime that these five friends have faced the evil behind this impending war, but if they can’t find their way back to each other, it might just be their last.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Lesbian, LGBT, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

Ashley Shuttleworth was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia and currently lives Ontario. They have a BA (Hons) in English Literature with a minor in Classical History, and spent some time after uni living and teaching in Seoul, South Korea.

When they aren't reading or writing, their favourite pastimes are going to the gym, playing video games (particularly Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Zelda), and piecing together cosplays for conventions.

Reviews

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series just kinda lost the plot for me. Book one was so strong and I think Shuttleworth is at their best when they’re doing a more urban fantasy mystery. All of the lore and magic system felt disorganized and like they just didn’t quite fit. After the ending of book three I really thought we’d get Arlo in Ruin mode the whole time but that didn’t happen. Arlo being in control for most of the book really killed the tension and momentum. I also started noticing in book three that there would be important scenes that would happen off page, for example the Arlo and Lethe fight where she wins back her memories. I think this series was a little bloated with too many main characters so to wrap up some plots we’ve just gotta cut some scenes. For me this series was at its best when Arlo and Nas were trying to solve murders in Toronto.

[Les · Rating 5 out of 5]

what am i meant to do now? first arcane is over and now this in the same week.
this series is honestly one of my favourites. incredible story telling, amazing writing and unforgettable characters.
i’ll be on the look out for what this author does next (i’m hoping there’s a next) thank you so much for this story. 10/10 if i could.

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does one begin to word a review for their most anticipated book of the year?

Let's start with the cover and how utterly perfect it is. Not only does Arlo look like a BADASS, but she's there, in all her plus sized glory! All on her own. Wielding the most badass cover since Nausicaä's own.

Second, the story.

The second the audio was available last night, I downloaded it to my phone (I've had this baby pre-ordered for more than half the year), and I opened up the eBook copy I also bought and eyeball read and earball read this baby.

This book may be shorter than the others, but HOLY HECK does it pack a punch (literal lol). The pacing is fantastic, the plot fucking amazing.

I got to see all of my favourites again, my girls, my boys, my gender questioning king and his god of a lover. ALL OF THE FEELS WERE HAD.

Watching Arlo lose herself to Ruin was intense, painful, and brilliantly done.

I thoroughly loved the flashbacks to the first named Arlo, too. It was a perfect addition to the story. I've loved the backstories in the other books as well, and this one was so fitting. It was great to also see Alecto too.

And the ending? All of the endings. Holy cow. I'm a puddle on the floor.

And then the acknowledgements. Thank you ebook for having this BECAUSE I'M IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!!!! I literally burst into a fresh round of tears upon seeing that. Because you know I had already been crying before that.

Ashley, the amazing person you are. Thank you for this perfect conclusion to my most favourite series to ever exist.


Content warnings (from the book itself): anger, arson, blood/gore (moderate), body horror (minor),
depression, dissociative identity disorder (similarities), family dysfunction,
genocidal acts, grief (loss of sister/mother/father/family members), mental
illness, murder, parental abuse/neglect, psychopathy, psychological
manipulation, rape (threat/minor scene), suicidal ideation, torture (moderate),
violence (semi-graphic), war.

Rep: MCs: Arlo is cis, white, fat, and pansexual. Nausicaä is cis, white, lesbian. Vehan is cis, white, and bisexual. Aurelian is cis, white, and gay. Celadon is gender questioning, achillean, and demisexual. Lethe is cis, achillean, and aro/demi-romantic. Side queer characters, side POC characters.

[Leyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm somewhat torn about this series now that I have finished it... The worldbuilding and characters are so compelling, I really think this is a YA fantasy worth reading and that many (young) people will enjoy. It's about (older) teens and for the most part I feel like that really comes across, which I liked. I think there's a good amount of queer representation that a lot of teens could feel seen through. Cast is predominantly white though, at least as far as I remember, which with that many characters is kind of side eye worthy.

There are two insanely questionable age gap relationships going on (the classic immortal x teenager thing) and although with one couple the older one does act like an immature and fiery teen, making it a little more ignorable, THE OTHER IMMORTAL FEELS LIKE A FULL BLOWN MAN! I literally thought he was their parents age during the first (two) book(s). An age gap that spans multiple millennia is just not the vibe guys- I'm sorry.

I started reading this for the sapphic couple, and although I think both of them are insanely badass I'm not sure how I feel about their relationship because they just go through disaster after disaster throughout this series... There's barely any opportunity for the reader to see them together or enjoy their happiness, because it's usually snatched away from them a few chapters later. This is seemingly not an issue for the Achillean couples, of which there are also more, and that just irks the shit out of me.

This book starts off with just chapters of everyone being miserable, and although I was still into the story, I would have loved for more Arlo.. She was really the most interesting part of this book and the end conflict was also all about her so I do not understand why we didn't see more of her... The pacing was a bit meh, some parts dragging on forever with others flying by, but not horrendous- I think mostly the issue was that I felt as if we were focusing in on the wrong things.

I still enjoyed this final book and I liked the ending especially, however because I was just not interested in certain POVs I had a lot of time to think about what irks me about this series and I guess it's all coming out in this review.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I try to be full of whimsy and joy, the "and they all played DnD after winning the war" epilogue makes me want to subtract another star

[De1phinium]

Im still reading A Grim and Sunken Vow and I already know I need this book now 🤩

[Dr. Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is incredible. Absolutely loved it to pieces even after putting off every single book. All of the books are pretty chonky, and I know Ashley is going to put all the emotions in the book. I still think this book should've been a little longer, but not because it lacks anything, but because I want more of the characters. The epilogue had me in tears.

The relationships between all the characters is absolutely my favorite part of this series. It's so rich in emotion and depth. And it's not only relegated to the romantic relationships. We see their friendships change and grow throughout this series and I absolutely loved seeing everyone become even better friends.

Also let's talk about Lethe for a minute. He's aromantic allosexual and we get some more insight into his aromanticism in this book. I just loved seeing how Celadon loves him and respects Lethe's boundaries around romance. Wether they call their relationship romantic or queer platonic, I don't care, I just love all of it. Allo aro 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Allo ace. I didn't know I needed this dynamic until it was presented to me.

This series is absolutely incredible and if you want queer fey, pick it up. The relationships and wild adventure of a plot will take you on a journey (you'll probably cry).

[Kissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of the year, with the strongest 5 stars I can give. This series has my whole heart. Can’t begin to say how much I’m going to miss these characters.
“Boy oh boy,” when she said she loved FF7, I should have taken this as an Aerith incoming pain WARNING. Oh the agony. The tears were flowing.
This was a very satisfying and cathartic way to say goodbye. Closing out with a D&D campaign. True to the end.
Ashley Shuttleworth, anything you write next, I’ll be there. You are just the absolute best.

[holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

no thoughts, just vibes

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved. Probably one of the best YA series out there.

[yen nguyen]

wait the cover is actually good. though the placement of the A is weird. the A has looked out of place on all the covers. also the font got less and less spiky and treelike and that's kinda sad. idk if I'm actually gonna read this seeing as the last two books I didn't like but idk I'm a completionist what can I say

[Siri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely would have enjoyed including more scenes that happened off page because I felt like a lot of the action was off page. I also felt that the ending was really rushed. But nonetheless I throughly enjoyed the book. The characters were so well done, the villains were super interesting and complex and I loved the backstories of them. I also loved the take on villains versus heros.

[NAT.orious reads ☾]

Why is every cover in this series of less quality than the one prior?

anyways, currently on book 3 and hope the pace picks up (and the confusion decreases because it has been a long time since I've read book 2)

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

https://aspeccharactersoftheday.tumbl...

Celadon from The Hollow Star Saga is asexual!

[Angelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Of everything I’ve ever done, earning your friendship is what I consider the greatest of my accomplishments."

And so we have come to the end.

(⚠️If you don't want potential spoilers please stop reading here⚠️)


The way that things were left at the end of a Cruel and Fated Light, A Wild and Ruined song picks up and runs.

Arlo, being good to the core sacrificed herself with a somewhat solid plan in place, both for the path and the consequences of her duty, it should all work out - she hopes. The alternative is simply not an option, especially when the whole world is practically hanging in the balance.

As Riadne loses more of herself on her quest to conquer and change the world as it is, Celadon, the very intimidating Lethe, Vehan, Aurelian and Nausicaa along with all their allies fight to stay a step ahead of the destruction, but Riadne doesn't rest and she doesn't hold back, so neither does Arlo or the parasite in the form of Ruin sharing her body - some days are good and some days Arlo is barely herself, drained and trying to stay in control.

Where all the sins are involved and the hunger for power grows, things go downhill fast, but as always,
fighting the good fight,
the fight for people instead of power,
the fight for fairness and humanity,
the fight for peace,
and the fight for a better world, is the one worth fighting.


From the bottom of my soul, I would like to say thank you Ashley for creating this world, these characters and this story that reminds us, that love isn't fickle and friendship isn't weak.

I cannot wait to see what else you create!

[Caterina741 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi ha intrattenuto però secondo me funziona peggio degli altri tre:
-Vehan e Aurelian i miei preferiti da sempre, si riconfermano tali, però forse un po' più di spazio al superamento del trauma non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto
-avere la battaglia finale off-page non mi è sembrata una grande idea
-alla fine c'erano troppi attori coinvolti e non sono stati gestiti bene, forse farla meno complicata fin dall'inizio avrebbe aiutato
-per quanto cerchi di farmela andare bene la differenza di età da Celadon e Lethe non riesco a buttarla giù del tutto. E quella mezza storia tra il primo Arlo e la precedente Alecto non mi sapeva di niente, però questione di gusti

[Jennys Bücherkiste · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was a bit much, I guess?
Ich weiß auch nicht, aber irgendwie hat die Geschichte mich zwischendurch verloren. Normalerweise lese ich Fantasy für die Fantasy und nicht für die Romance, aber rückblickend muss ich sagen, dass mich eindeutig die Romances bei der Stange gehalten haben in den früheren Büchern. Jetzt, wo alle ihr Match haben, war es irgendwie ... langweilig? Ich habe weite Teile nur noch überflogen, weil alles so weit ausgewalzt war, aber irgendwie auch pointless?
Und der Epilog war ridiculous. Charaktere in einer eindeutig DnD-basierten Welt, die sich an einen Tisch setzen und DnD spielen. Ich weiß ja nicht.

[luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine you're gay and you and your partner realize you've reincarnated many times and find that you were straight in one of these past lives yikes

(Stranger things ass ending honestly it's a bit disappointing but I love these characters so much I don't care)

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this was a fantastic read, and such a great end to the series, it was such a wild ride and I loved it!

[Kendall Hoback · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great way to end the series

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’m gonna miss my little found family 🥲

[KayaHaito · Rating 1 out of 5]

Longest review I've ever written, but I'm disappointed and have a lot of feelings. This series started out as everything I typically like - DnD, fantasy, magic, fighting, and queer stories, but I was a big let down. It got increasingly cliche and predictable and by the end, the stakes felt non-existent despite the story's framing of world-ending catastrophe. I'm very bummed because I loved the 1st book, but since then it has all been downhill.

Where do I start?
-One of the main reasons I loved the first book was because of Arlo/Nausicaa's pov; Vehan and Aurelian were nice additions, but not the main draw. But as the series progressed all the male characters became more and more prominent with Arlo and Nausicaa fading to secondary pov's despite being (at least at first) the central characters. I hated Lethe's pov- he was a much more interesting character when I knew nothing about him.... I liked Celadon, but again would've preferred less of his pov and more of the main women.
-Arlo by the last book became non-existent. Her pov's were few and far between and half the time it was also Ruin's pov. She read like she had no agency or perspective and that was a detriment to the story, especially when the premise of the 1st book is that she became a "hollow star" that could literally choose her own destiny and path.
-Grain of salt because I'm extremely picky with romance, but these characters were insta-love in an unbelievable way for me that was so off putting and unbelievable. The love felt juvenile and relied heavily on "soulmates", "fated pair", and "destined loves", which I can get behind, but the writing needs to show that love otherwise I don't buy it. Celadon and Lethe in particular I was thrown by and was by far the weakest, most forced, romance without any substance- they were the couple that loves each other because... "they love each other". I don't see it.
-The writing as a whole was very tell, not show and that's a minus in my book as well. I don't need everything narrated or explained to me, I want to be in the character's head feeling and processing as things happen and see growth in their perspective or insights. The characters just didn't seem to do that (imo) - they are pretty stagnant. Of course, they train and get stronger (or in Arlo's case, she wishes to be strong and then has Ruin possess her...), but I didn't feel growth in terms of their emotions or character. Things are just narrated again like Celadon standing taller or having a broader chest.
-Arlo: Initially I liked the DnD rolling aspect of the magic, but by the end of the story I think it was actually a hinderance. Arlo has 4 wishes that are extremely powerful and just wishes to be stronger which negates the journey of hardwork and perseverance that I think would have made her character more empowering and endearing to follow. How awesome could it have been to see her go from insecure with no fighting skills to having endured hardship and struggle to become her powerful immortal self? The rolling aspect just became too convenient, with no balance of good vs bad luck in her rolls (with the exception of in the 1st book).
-I think I aged out of the audience for this book as well. I read the first book when it came out in 2021... It's YA fantasy and the characters are very immature and speak in pretty juvenile ways a lot of the time (Nausicaa), but I'm fine with that IF the characters grow and learn. With the exception of Nausicaa, all the main characters are young adults some just becoming adults, so it makes sense to be immature, moody, dramatic, etc, but truly the characters felt exactly the same at the start and finish which given all they have theoretically been through doesn't make sense. Arlo I guess becomes more confident in herself and romance, but morally doesn't change her views. She says she doesn't want to be a "hero" and chooses to be a "villain" even as her final choice at the end. It is set up in this way, so I understand why the author did this, but it made everything too predictable with no real lessons learned or growth by the characters.
-Also Arlo casually commits genocide (as Ruin, so I guess it's ok???) to I guess restore balance to the world.... but that's a real shitty message is genocide is ok in the long run for peace at the end. I am vehemently against that. Also the genocide is committed against a non-white civilization (the summer court in South Asia...unless there are only white people in this entire world), but that is glossed over so I guess it's fine??? But also she faces no real consequences of her actions- she does die...but it leads to her getting immortality and all her friends getting what they wanted as well. Having her face no consequences committing a genocide, while there's an actual genocide occurring to POC in the real world is a choice...
-The concept of hero vs villain is brought up a lot in the book, but I don't think the idea of hero vs villain is fleshed out very well. Arlo doesn't want to be a hero because they go through a lot, but also she goes through a lot of shit as a villain too. She is definitely a villain, no mistake about it as she does commit genocide and murder innocents everywhere, but the writing and framing still show her at the hero of the story. I think this is a big flaw because her very serious and terrible action are not addressed at all.
-The pacing of this series in general I think was bad. Why are the 1st 3 books so long (500/600+ pgs), but the last is much shorter? Also conclusion was too short and forced. Riadne just chose to conveniently give up the crown and die? We jump from fight to fight, then to death, Arlo's immortality choice then another battle then epilogue where they are just playing DnD? What about the world consequences? Are the courts rebuilt? How is summer and autumn is they were mostly wiped out? Celadon united a bunch of factions/courts to fight Riadne, but what happened in the aftermath- no way they're all still following Celadon as the 1 ruler?
-There are too many povs other than the main 4 (Arlo, Naus, Vehan, Aurelian) in each story (except the first). Book 2 had Riadne and Azulean(?), book 3 had Lethe and Celadon, book 4 had past Arlo, Celadon, and Ruin. Too many to write well!!! It feels not well planned; like the author discovered that they liked the secondary characters more and wanted to write as them in each story, but I don't think it was well planned/edited. The exposition from everyone else's pov makes big story reveals too obvious. In book 2, the reader knows Arlo is stupid and naive for trusting Riadne because of the chapters in her pov which make Riadne's motivations and personality too obvious. I don't want to be spoon-fed the whole plot! IMO it would've been so much better to sprinkle in little bits of pov here and there, maybe even with whose perspective it is being unclear, that way the reader knows there's something going on, but has to figure out who. Then a larger reveal could've been done at the end after the climax to give the reader confirmation/catharsis in their guesses/hypotheses being correct or not after the climax/cliff hanger. The secondary povs could've easily been short stories written as prequels or as inserts between the main books (idk like past Arlo as book 0.5? or 3.5? depending on where the author wants you to read it).
-This is just my opinion, but I didn't like Lethe as a character- his characterization seemed inconsistent b/w the first 2 books and the last 2, and also I was not interested for hooked by his story. Book 3 was a slog to get through and way too long - again could've been a short stand alone Lethe story where more things could've been developed.
-I feel like Thalo as a character had so much potential and I will forever be disappointed that she was killed off without getting to develop more of Arlo and Thalo's mother-daughter relationship, especially since she was described to be so badass and caring. I also feel like it was a missed opportunity in book 2 to have had the death of the greatest swordsman/fighter (can't remember the quote) be attributed to Azurean. I think it would have been an interesting plot point to have made the best fighter be Thalo, whose destiny was to be the greatest fighter, only to have the destiny be changed by Arlo's choices as a hollow star and using her wish to help Riadne. That would've added a whole other layer of complexity and guilt that I think might've been interesting to read and explore. But also there's so much going on in this series in general.
-I do think the plot and world building bit off more than it could handle (ie. too many characters, too many povs), which is why I think the story really became tell not show. I think better clarity anf world building around the Gods/Titans/immortals would've helped me get into it more as well. There are the big 3 Gods(?): Cosmon, Urielle, and the other one..., then other Gods like Luck and Fate? or are they titans? And wtf is Morose considered? A god or a titan or something else? I could've missed it in the audiobook, but the hierarchical structure of the God-like beings was confusing me. And then there are also Greek Gods like Artemis and Indigenous Gods like Coyote....? I do not understand the relation. Also why write the scenes of Arlo meeting Artemis/Coyote if the magical items she received weren't going to have a function.... Just edit that out then, the audiobooks are almost 24 hrs long.
-In the final book specifically I wish we had gotten more of Arlo's thought process of discovering how she was going to find and destroy the 3 crowns, instead we got it told to us by another character. I think had the story given more of Arlo's struggle to figure out what to do and then the exhaustion of keeping herself alive while fighting Ruin's hold would've raised the stakes and made the story more believable. Instead we got other character's pov of her showing up and losing herself more and more, which is fine, but not interesting or enticing, especially since Arlo is arguably THE main character. I think a missed opportunity would've been to relate Arlo's exhaustion and losing herself to Ruin to depression and how that can feel exhausting and insurmountable. I think it would've also fit with the message that Arlo's friends held pieces of her heart and helped keep her together.
-Since the author made Riadne give up the crown at the end, I wish we could've had some more meaningful build up to that. She spent books 3&4 decaying mentally from the crown's burden, loosing more and more of her grip on reality and her previous personality/ego, so it felt too forced to have her moment of clarity be to give Vehan the crown at the end. If anything, even though I said I hated the multiple povs, here I actually think have little snipits of clarity from her pov would've made that ending way more realistic and maybe heartfelt if Vehan was actually able to get through to her in the end.
-Maybe because I was listening to the audiobook, but the final battle against Ruin was very confusing. The jumping between past Arlo and current Arlo broke the flow of the scene and battle because I kept belatedly realizing that now it was the other Arlo's story.
-Also the timeframe of this book got all jacked up (at least if I am remembering things right). In book 1 it is established that both Riadne and Azurean are hundreds of years old.....but then Nausicaa is 116/117, but then knew the 1st Arlo and Nicholas Flammel who lived during the time of the previous king Pheobus.......... so did I miss something or how the heck is that possible...? Also the way I thought it was described initially in book 1, was that the Flammels were a family from a long time ago (like generations or at least 100's of years ago), but instead in this book makes it canon that Nicholas/Arlo were alive just about 100 years ago.....that's only like 3-4 generations, maybe 5 if all the kids are having kids in their 20's. I think that the author probably wrote it this way to make Arlo and Naus seem even more like they were fated to be together, but this plot hole was a huge negative for me. I think that its ok to write a strong love that isn't tied to the being magically soulmates or fated for each other...

Things that took me out of the story:
-As a Japanese person, having a white girl (nausicaa) bring up her katana collection was gross and off putting. No Asian people in sight, but sure bring up katanas more (eye roll).
-The age gap relationships are weird and the incestuous comments that would randomly appear were terrible. Why even write them in? Just get rid of them altogether.
-The references to pop-culture by Nausicaa were a bit jarring for me and took me out of the pacing of the actual story. Also why mention JKR/HP in a queer book like this when she is so harmful to the trans community....
-The names took me out- main cast Arlo, Celadon, Vehan, Aurelian, Thalo, Nausicaa, etc, but then you have soldier Kyle and a true name Julian.... Why are the true names more basic than the names they go by 99% of the time?
-I like DnD references, but the ones in this series got to be too much, too obvious and too in your face. I don't need narration about it being a "boss battle".
-I think the explaining of sexuality (mostly by Celadon) was also unnecessary, but considering this is YA and the age demographic I guess it makes sense why its written like that.

Overall I'm disappointed because I really liked the set up and the potential from the first book, but the series did not deliver. With all the alchemy magic I couldn't help but also think of FMA: Brotherhood and that was a much better story (& the main characters don't commit genocide). So go watch FMA: Brotherhood instead! Beautiful story in like way less time 😅

[Oscar Penrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to concede that this was kind of weird as a conclusion to the series. I felt like Arlo was the only one who actually did much to advance the plot, the others were kind of just waiting around trying to support her. Which I guess is fair in a very "babe, I'll hold your flower" kind of way but could have probably been worked a little better.
Shoutout to my darling Celadon specifically who honestly didn't do much of use until the very end but spent the first half of the book re-enacting fanfiction tropes with Lethe. Which works for me, sometimes fanservice is fine if I'm the fan that's being serviced to.
I don't know. I feel like this series shone between books 2 and 3 and there was definitely a struggle to pull all the final plot threads together in this final book, but I love these guys so I'm glad they all got their happy ending. The DND thing at the end was kinda corny but also very cute so I don't care. I love whimsy.
All in all I am glad I started following this series when the first book came out, while it could have definitely used some heavier editing and reshuffling from a technical standpoint it's truly brought me a lot of enrichment over the years.

[Monicat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there was more. It was so good. Gimme more epilogue of how they are existing post-events!!! But honestly such a cute end to such a HORRIFYING tragic story. Phenomenal world building.

[rea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my favourite book series ever. Ashley Shuttleworth, I love you to death but omg you know how to hurt a girl. Flowers for you💐💖
-
Nausicaä Kraken is everything I aspire to be.
Arlo + Nos are endgame.
My life is complete.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Wild and Ruined Song wasn't the series finale I was hoping for, but I still highly recommend the Hollow Star Saga.

There's just something about queer fae in Toronto with distinct D&D vibes that just brings me joy as a concept alone. A Dark and Hollow Star brings so much of that Canadian humour, fandom jokes, and queer sense of belonging that I can't stop recommending the series to people four years after I read the first book. In moments, A Wild and Ruined Song reverts back to its core and in those moments, Shuttleworth's writing absolutely shines.

There are chunks of A Wild and Ruined Song where the characters just steal the show. All three of the main couples stole my breath at different points and had me absolutely cheering for their journeys. There were moments where I was scared because as a series finale, Shuttleworth might just kill a character, especially after they had celebrated such joy. I was arguing with myself if Shuttleworth would kill queer characters in a book meant to provide space for queer readers and trying to metagame myself out of the conclusion I was terrified of.

My only issue is that I did not reread A Grim and Sunken Vow before A Wild and Ruined Song and felt lost with regards to the plot at times. There were context clues dropped, but I couldn't figure out all of the previous events - especially when it came to political allegiances and demands. I couldn't remember who was aligned with who, who wanted what, and what restrictions that placed on our main cast. The solution to this, that I recommend to everyone else, is to just binge the whole series in one go.

As Shuttleworth said in the authors notes, their career is just starting and I can't wait to see what's next.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m so sad.

Okay so. Ignore what Goodreads says, I started this book in December 2024, then stopped, then restarted, and now here we are. And the reason it took me so long is because I was…bored? Uninterested? I’m not sure what the right word is but man, for a series I loved so much this was a really disappointing ending.

I think the decision to have a four month jump was really jarring, then barely getting Arlo or Nos POVs was pretty jarring, and then the ending was jarring…It just felt somewhat rushed or unpolished? I don’t usually comment on this stuff but there were so. many. typos in my copy. A frankly inexcusable amount. Where was the editor in all of this?? Why did the book 200 pages shorter than other books in the series not show the final fight????

Don’t even get me started on whatever that was with Riadne. She was literally the villain, she didn’t need that mini redemption.

And the POVs felt kind of weird too. Aurelian felt barely there, Vehan seemed to dominant the story despite barely doing anything, Celadon showed up just to not show up because he’s too overpowered, and it leaves me wondering: so what did we even do? Plus the aforementioned lack of our main character, the story seemed to drag while also rushing towards the end.

I do still have a soft spot for this series so I can’t beat to rate it lower than a three but ugh. Ugh!! This was such a lackluster end to what was an otherwise really good, very fun series.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I........ did not like it. I couldn't really figure out what was going on (or why) for most of the book. For a book that was (seemingly) meant to be about Arlo/Ruin, there wasn't much about that plotline. Way too much of the m/m relationships for my taste. Why was there a sex scene... I don't like men in general lol but it felt out of place both in the book and in the series. It's like vehan and aurelian were for some reason the main characters of the book despite being the 2 most boring people (again - thru the lens of someone who doesn't like men). it felt like the series turned into m/m fanfic which wasn't really the point of it at the start, so they really lost me here.
All that aside - the ending felt incredibly rushed, riadne just like willingly died after barely appearing (despite being the main villain). I get that it's a lot to wrap up but like....what was happening lol. anyway least fave of the series.

[Talia Fomin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the flashbacks with Nicholas Flamel and Arlo. It gave so much context to everything. I would have loved if this was a prequel. There’s so much more that could be done with original Arlo’s story and I would totally read an entire book about it.

As it is, this book seemed rushed and the ending was a hot mess. There was too much trying to be done in this one book and it made it very disappointing. This was my least favorite of the series.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is not a second in the year that I waited for this to come out that it didn't live rent free in my head. I counted down the days meticulously lmfao. While I'm sad to have finished this series knowing nothing else is coming, I am happy to see these characters finally have their happy ending. Which they DO have one I promise even if it seemed bleak as hell at the end of AGASV. I think the author once said she wrote sins not tragedies in response to killing characters so it gave me peace to know that reading this lmfao. I was disappointed to see this was shorter than the previous books, I loved the long 22-24 hour audiobooks so much. Its intimidating but at the same time It always feels like Im sitting down for an adventure full of anything I can imagine. This ones audiobook was 14 hours so about a 10ish hour difference. Not sure on pages, I didn't count. I just love having a book so long that maybe not every single thing that happens matters to the grand scheme of things but its allowed to be there and build character relationships, give you a better idea of who they really are when they aren't literally fighting for their lives, and make you love them even more. It still was there in this book too don't get me wrong, just not as much as I would've liked to see.

There isn't a lot you can ever say about the finale of a 4 book series that wont be spoilers but I can talk about the characters. Nausicaa and Arlo remain to be two of my top favorites. I love that despite dealing with a lot of emotional stuff, Nausicaa remained her same snarky and "will bite if you piss her off" self that she is. She's also my favorite POV just for her inner monologue lmfao. She got a lot of closure In this book and it made me so happy for her, it was something she struggled with admitting that she needed for a long time. Arlo was literally in the trenches and theres not much else I can say about that tbh besides she made me nervous and i was on edge a lot regarding her! I loved seeing Celadon and Vehan's brotherly relationship develop, they deserve to get to know each other especially given that for Celadon, Vehan is one of the few family members he has left. Im glad it was recognized and made important instead of being casted to the side. Lethe was his usual brand of menacing, nothing new to say about him. He just works there and shadows Celadon wherever he goes lmfao. Aurelian really grew into himself and his position, I think by the end he was in a perfect spot all around that made a lot of sense for his character. He's grown so much from beginning of series to end and I went from just liking him to absolutely loving him. And finally we have Riadne, who really surprised me this book. They always talked about the effects the bone crown has on whoever wears it but it was jarring to see it happen to Riadne. A character who we've always known as ice cold, razor sharp in the mind, and very brutally unforgiving, and to see her downfall was both a win and also heartbreaking. It shows us what happens to those who crave power so viciously and wholly that they sacrifice all else to achieve it regardless of the consequences.

In the end, It was a beautiful finale and one I felt like did justice to every single character we met and loved, well worth the wait. Ill always miss this series and world and if Ashley Shuttleworth were to ever write anything else in this world I would be so here for it regardless of what it is. Please read this series if you haven't already or have been thinking about it and hopefully become just as obsessed with it as I am!