The Heir to the Hollow is a gripping, action packed and emotionally layered fantasy with vampires, magic, the supernatural, two MMC’s, soul bonds, deep found family, destiny, prophecy, emotional depth and even familiars in the form of a pug and a bookstore cat. It is the type of book that pulls you in straight from the first chapter and lingers on your mind long after.
Set in a gothic atmosphere it follows Seraphina who starts out as an anxiety riddled girl grieving the disappearance of her mother. Early on she uncovers files that lead her on a journey of discovering herself, her power and the world she belongs to. Alongside her are not one but two MMCs, an unshakable group of friends and two emotional support animals.
Our first MMC, Nikolai, is a broody heir to the vampire throne. Defined by self control and strength, he is initially burdened with the obligation of carrying out his fathers power hungry and unethical plans to watch and eventually capture Seraphina. The second MMC, Silas, is a protective and selfless dreamwalking guardian trapped in a different realm. This was my first MMF romance and it was a refreshing difference from my norm. Intense, emotionally charged and nuanced, the bond between them was beautifully written and balanced within the story.
I loved the writing style and pacing of the book, its action packed and somewhat fast paced but not lacking in depth or detail. It’s the type of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat; easy to get lost in and hard to put down.
I really appreciated how well developed and immersive the world building was. There’s even an addendum at the end with details and lore, and a few pictures sprinkled throughout the pages. Paired with descriptive writing, the story was easy to visualize and explore. I am a big fan of extra lore and this book delivered exactly that and left so many seeds of more yet to come.
I also really liked the found family and how it grows and solidifies throughout the story. It was wholesome and unshakable even under extreme circumstances and there were so many characters I fell in love with by the end of the book.
I have to warn, there is a huge twist in the final chapters that I didn’t see coming at all, and it ended on a gut wrenching cliff hanger with just enough hints to leave your head spinning with theories!