Hollow Huntress

The Death Duet #1

by Kathryn Breaux

"Careful of the Grim” is etched into the cold stone walls of the Halcyon City Prison—a warning, threat, and reminder that we all die. 
 
But what about living?
And which one should we fear more? 
 
Mara Castten is an assassin—intelligent, calculated, and lethal. Being the top female angel within her Order demands it. She has built her reputation by being ruthless and wild, earning a nickname widely known and feared by all. 
 
Mara has spent over three hundred nights imprisoned after completing an assignment she should have gotten away with. Now she is shackled—by chains that ground and keep her restrained—while they drain her magic, which desperately yearns to burst free.

Over the past year, Halcyon City has continued to thrive, and the Lyre Order has operated without her. But the unsettling news of another Order gaining prominence is spreading quickly, giving the four Orders no choice but to band together for the first time in centuries.
 
They need her, and in her desperation to be free, she’s willing to do whatever’s asked of her. Or so she thinks.
 
When she returns to civilization, things aren’t quite as they appear, and when she’s forced to team up with someone she’s despised for years, things only get worse. 
 
That always seems to happen when demons get involved. 
 
Now returned to the world she once knew—once thrived in—Mara Castten faces receiving her next assignment. Having taken enough lives to keep the Grim Reaper in business, she’s now being asked to do the unthinkable—kill him.
 
“Careful of the Grim,” they whisper as she walks by,
but…
“Fear the Hollow Huntress,” she’ll make them scream.

Genres: Fantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Dark Romance

651 pages, ebook

Expected publication May 14, 2026

About the author

I’m Kathryn Breaux, the author of the Darkness Series and the upcoming duology, The Death Duet.

My love of reading has ebbed and flowed throughout my life but my love of fantasy has never faltered. Typically, I’m hanging with my family, reading fantasy, romantasy, or thrillers when I'm not writing. But let’s be honest, I’m writing a lot these days.

I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, helping me pursue my dream of being an Author.

I’m thrilled to be reaching for my dreams and I hope you take the leap of faith and chase your own.

Reviews

[Kellie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is currently almost 3 AM as I write this. Just finished this book and I’m wrecked.

To be honest, I haven’t read a fantasy book that has wrecked me in this way in quite some time. I found myself dragging this book out because I didn’t want to be finished.

This book will also go down in history for me as the most highlighted sentences EVER while reading on my kindle. Normally I highlight a few sentences that sit with me, but I was highlighting PARAGRAPHS!!

Set in an urban fantasy setting, with angel and demon assassins working together who have so much bantering and hatred (from one party 😜) left me giddy and excited to keep reading.

This started out with a bang and loved how it unfolded. No confusing world building or hard to pronounce character or cities. Kathryn has such a flow to her writing that I felt as if I was living as Mara.

Normally spice in fantasy books have been so over done, but it was just right.


Crew. He is perfect. How can a demon also have a cinnamon roll interior?!? I fell in love with him the second he opened his delicious mouth.


It ends with a cliffhanger, but Mara, she is such a bada$$ and I cannot wait to see her go full out on those who wronged her.

I feel so lucky to have read this ARC and I will be stalking Kathryn in our street team DMs to get glimpses of updates for book 2.

This will be a duet, which I always love and cannot wait to read what happens next.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Kathryn Breaux and her team for this ARC!

Rating: 6⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

God tier book for me.

This story follows Mara Castten, an angel who is a powerful assassin and forced to work with the demon, Crew Bannermin, who she believes is responsible for killing her father.

This is a world of angels and demons. The story had been engrossed from the beginning. Mara is a multidimensional FMC who displays both her strengths and vulnerabilities. I absolutely love that throughout the story she tries so hard to hide from her emotions, that when they come for her she lets them out. A reminder that women can be both strong and in tune with their emotions.

Crew is a fantastic MMC who is also multidimensional. He has a wicked tongue (in more ways than one), he is a demon and makes sure we remember that, but, he also has a soft side, and I love that about him.

The banter between him and Mara is fantastic. I also absolutely love Mara’s inner monologue. She is very relatable, as a character that lacks much self-esteem. Often feeling like she is to blame for her own situations, and becomes self-destructive in the process. Her behavior is real, and she finds those who help her out of that cycle.

I also absolutely loved the found family in the story. Especially Damien, Locke, and Bronwyn. Their banter is also fantastic.

The plot goes through many twists and turns, with so much flying at you that it’s easy to sympathize with the characters and their own frustrations. But it is paced so well. As is the pacing and slow-burn of the romance that develops throughout the story.

I very highly recommend this book and cannot wait for Book 2!

* Rivals to lovers
* He falls first
* She Falls Harder
* She’s protective
* He’s possessive
* Blood play
* Reaper
* Angels and Demons
* City setting
* One bed
* Forced Proximity
* Betrayals
* “Fuck it” moment
* Banter x 10
* Demon daddies
* Assassins
* Female Rage
* Secrets
* Epic side characters
* Spice

[Alva Schwung · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

Now I’m conflicted?? 🤨

The story is intriguing and the world is genuinely interesting. I love a good urban fantasy, and the whole angels/demons aspect? The Elders and High Elders?? The premise of this book is honestly like? wow. This is GOOD. The plot itself is also very engaging: there’s betrayal, tension, banter, emotional moments, like, it really has all the ingredients ✨

But?? At the same time… something feels off🫠

And I think it’s the language? Not individual words or spelling mistakes. I can overlook that, I truly do not care. But this is more on a sentence level. Something about the structure just feels… unnatural? The word order doesn’t flow the way it should, and it kept pulling me out of the story. Maybe I’m being overly picky (linguist problems, I know 🙃), but it did affect my ability to fully immerse myself.

That said! if you’re not as nitpicky as I am, I honestly think you could find this book AMAZING. So I’m being a generous queen with my rating💆🏼‍♀️👸🏼🤷🏼‍♀️ because at the end of the day? the story is good. And I will be reading book two, so that says something.

Characters?? Let’s talk about them:

Damien– obsessed. He has that perfect chaotic, slightly unhinged rabid dog energy 🫶🏼
Crew – okay, imagine a golden retriever… but make him a demon?? 😭 He’s so unserious, constantly joking. using humor both as a coping mechanism and as flirting. Is that what you expect from a literal demon? Maybe not. Was it refreshing? Actually yes.
Mara– girl… please. Seek help. Therapy is available. Use it💀

Overall, I do think this book is worth reading. Sometimes you just want a bit of chaos, and this definitely delivered on that front.

Thank you very much 🫡✨

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an eARC directly from the author and this is my honest review.

- 🎟️ book 1 of a duet
-☝️ overall, single POV
- 😇 half breed angel assassins
- 🙌 32 year old MFC
- 🗣️ THE BANTER
- 😡 she’s grumpy & 🐓he is a cocky cinnamon roll
- 🔫 Mr. & Mrs. Smith coded
- 🔥 “f**k” it moment
- 🦋 tattoos, one is on his neck 🤤
- 🩸 chosen bond, with blood play soon after
- 🏢 dark urban setting
- 💀 grim reaper, 😇angels, 😈 demons
- ❤️ they apologize to each other 🎉


Overall, this book was 5 stars. The journey was tough and beautiful, with so much meaning intertwined into the story. I could not put the book down and I am looking forward to book 2!

Jumping right in. The book starts off with the MFC in prison, regretting her decisions, and regretting getting caught. It was fun to start the book right at the pivotal moment of her finding out she was leaving prison. During this first chapter we learned that the MFC could easily get sucked into feeling numb, which she did not like, since she had been in the prison almost a year. I found the concept of the preferring pain over numbing quite intriguing and unique, as most MC‘s prefer numbing and avoidance of pain, but here it showed that the MFC was open to feeling the pain. Refreshing take! Although the MFC initially avoided her emotions when she got out of prison, she eventually decided that it was time for her to feel everything. I appreciated her willingness to feel, despite wanting to keep avoiding.

One thing that really stood out to me because it was different was that the MFC did not live in denial about certain things. Specifically, I have been getting so annoyed with books where one of the MCs sees or hears something, and instead of believing it, they say or think “I must be imagining it” and then shake their head. Most people in real life actually don’t think they imagine things, they actually believe they saw or heard something. So, for our MCs to constantly deny something and then justify denying by saying they imagined it, and that happens more than once, is weird. Further, why can’t someone just actually believe they saw something? Why can’t they want to explore it? It just gets so annoying that these characters, who never usually “imagine” things and they’re not imaginable people, can imagine they didn’t see or hear something that was clear. 🙌 That does NOT happen in this book! 🙌 The MFC saw a man in the shadows and she immediately knew who it was. No denying or pretending she didn’t see. Just owned it. Then, when she saw him again, she even thought about how she knew she wasn’t making this up. FINALLY a character who is not “imagining” things. Also, the MFC did not “imagine” the MMC looked at her or was interested in her. She just owned. Again, YES! I loved loved loved this!

What else did I love? ❤️ Well, I absolutely loved the bar scene when the MMC was cocky, arrogant, and witty with MFC, all while the MFC was angry and kept verbally fighting back with him. I loved their banter, it was delicious. I also caught the symbolism of how the demon MMC was downstairs in the basement while the angel MFC was upstairs. During this time, the MMC was trying to get the MFC to come on downstairs with him. Again, I saw this as symbolic of who they were and what was happening more globally between them.

One thing readers, including me, crave is strong, back and forth, flirty yet tense banter. This happened early and often in this book and it was AMAZING. 🤩 After the bar, the banter scenes just kept coming and coming. These scenes made me laugh and brought joy to my soul. I was all for these scenes. The MMC was chill as a cucumber having a great time with the MFC grumpiness, talking back all confident and cocky, whereas the MFC was hot and angry like a pepper, trying to push the MMC away, only egging him on. One of my favorite quotes from one of the arguments they were having early in the book was when the MMC stated, “I don’t take orders from you, at least not yet.“ This was awesome!

⭐️ Alright, now I want to dive into the characters. Since the book is taken from the MFC’s POV, I will start with her. The MFC was a highly traumatized and controlled woman. She did not have a say about much in her life and was abused if she stepped out of line. We learned early that she made a lot of decisions that were selfish, likely born out of trauma and need to survive, and want of approval. She was also a highly emotional individual. She rarely brought logic to the table, and often her emotionally based decisions led to signficantly negative consequences. Prison really changed her and opened her eyes that the man controlling her was evil, leading to her standing up for herself more, fighting back with him, which she was punished for. This MFC had A LOT of anger, rightfully so, and most of the time I loved seeing what she would do with her anger, especially towards those who had harmed her.

Yet, as a book proceeded, I really struggled with the balance of loving the MFC’s feminine rage and irritated with her blind, ignorant rage. She was so angry all the time. When she was angry towards those who had harmed her and was fighting them back, I loved it. However, she had this deep, rooted, rigid and stubborn judgment about the MMC and was unwilling in any capacity to try to change that, despite his MULTIPLE attempts to talk to her. Because of her rigid thoughts and beliefs, she was a violent person who acted in terrible ways, hurting people who did not deserve it. I started getting irritated with her because she just wouldn’t pause and listen. I found that my irritation peaked at the exact same point the MMC’s irritation peaked. He finally broke and called her out for her crap and started setting boundaries with her. He proceeded to call her out after that multiple times and I was so glad he did, including when she tried to gaslight him. He directly pointed out that she was the problem, not him, and I was so glad he did. He did not deserve to be abused by her, especially because he was already being abused by someone else in his life. Although, for a small chunk of the book I became incredibly frustrated with the MFC, I see why the author did this. Writing the MFC this way provoked emotion in me AND this is what made the MFC’s change even more profound.

When the MMC finally had enough, I could not blame him for the boundaries he set. The MFC made it quite clear she didn’t want to be a team with him and she did everything and anything, including shoot and stab him, to get him to go away because she hated him. Then, all of a sudden she felt bad for her behavior, and was surprised that he did not want to be her teammate anymore. I honestly thought, “Too bad MFC, these are the consequences to your abusive behavior.” Although the way the MMC attempted to set boundaries was done in an immature way, it was important for her to finally feel what she made him feel like. Again, I loved that the MMC finally stood up for himself and called her out for her abuse.

After the MMC became mad at the MFC, they both started to change and approach each other with a more opened mind. Then, the MFC regressed back to her old ways, the MMC became mad again, and the MFC again had to learn that her behavior was toxic for both herself and everyone else. The MFC FINALLY developed insight and reflected on herself, deciding to be better. She apologized (yyyeeessss) and became more intentional. As a reader, it was really critical for me to see her not only make a choice to change, but also own her past behavior and apologize. The MFC abused the MMC, including physically and emotionally. This is not something to just move past. It is important to own it and understand the impact of one’s truly nasty behavior on others. Again, the MFC did this and I really appreciated the author taking time to write someone growing in a healthier direction who did not pretend they did not harm someone along the way.

Because of how toxic the MFC’s behavior had gotten, having her reflect, make a choice to change, apologize, be open-minded when her friends gave her feedback, and actually change her behavior was beautiful! Again, her change was profound and I loved watching it. Because you get so frustrated with her, her growth was so satisfying. Again, great job to the author for writing her this way. Now, do not get me wrong, the MFC continued to have big emotions and make big mistakes, but that’s what complex, nuanced characters do and I’m all for it! She couldn’t go from deeply struggling to manage her emotions to having zero issues, that is just not realistic. The MFC made progress over time, learning from her continued mistakes.

⭐️ Now, let’s talk about our MMC. This man also was a highly traumatized and controlled man, as well as was abused when he stepped out of line. He also had big emotions, including anger, but instead of directing that anger outwards like the MFC, he directed in inwards. This behavior is what led to his cocky, arrogant mask, as he was hiding all the pain he was in. The MMC also made huge mistakes in this book and let his trauma and rigid thinking impact him. Just like the MFC, the MMC was a messy and flawed character who also grew a lot in this book. You just wanted to shake him sometimes, but then after he would reflect and recognize his mistakes. He would then also APOLOGIZE, and then do things differently after that. He also continued to be flawed, and again, I was all for it, more realistic. The MCs were both trying to be better for themselves and each other, needing themselves, their relationships, and friendships to do so.

The MMC was a touch her and die kind of guy, but also a loyal cinnamon roll guy to his friends and the MFC. He was fantastic!

⭐️ Moving to the MC’s relationship. I love a story about a couple (who are a good fit) that are loyal to each other, no matter what. Even though these two had a lot of hiccups, they figured it out and became an unstoppable couple. They made a choice to be together and bond, fighting until the very end for each other. This made me so happy and I loved their love.

⭐️ Let’s talk about the side characters:

💫- Damien. I absolutely loved him. I was giggling so much early in the book, especially when he was communicating with the MFC. For example, when Damien had to physically pick up the MFC, he said “Come to daddy.” She sighed and walked forward, thinking “what in the actual f**k is my life?” This was hilarious. After that, he left the MFC some lacey pajamas to wear for the MMC with a letter that he signed “Daddy D.” He was the fun, comedic side character I look forward to and I am so glad the author wrote him. Also, I cannot wait to see how Damien grows with Bronwyn! I loved them together.

💫 - Speaking of Bronwyn, what another fantastic side character. Bronwyn was the MFC’s best friend. At the start of the book, their friendship had been broken and we see the messiness they had to go through to start mending their relationship. My favorite characters are always the ones that are honest and blunt, as well as flirty and fun. This was Bronwyn. Bronwyn called out the MFC for lying and always saying she was fine when she was not. She also called out the MFC for making selfish decisions. Although the MMC played the largest role in the MFC’s character growth, Bronwyn was a close second at supporting, yet pushing the MFC to change.

💫 - Then we have Locke. The mysterious does a lot that we don’t know about yet. I was really thankful that the author made it quite clear, MULTIPLE times that, although he was now bonded to the MFC, it was not a love triangle or anything romantic or sexual. This bond will play a critical role in the next book and it was formed for a reason; yet, readers could see this bond as a why choose decision by the author. Again, the author made it clear, multiple times, that this is NOT that, in anyway, which I REALLY appreciated.

💫 - Shaw. I have to say 1) nice twist on him, the author got me good, and 2) I CANNOT wait to see what happens to him in book 2. The MFC's rage is going to get him and I look forward to reading that!


⭐️ The story. There was a twist around 50% that I didn’t see coming until that chapter. There was another twist around 65%. I will say, these first two twists were not the most shocking, but they were very cool. I feel like the author did a really great job putting little nuggets of truth spread through the book so that, when these twists were revealed, they were surprising, but not shocking. However, I will say, after that, the surprises and twists became HUGE and I did not see many of them coming. There were ones at 67%, 80%, and more after that. This was sooooo good!

This book was a great mixture of plot and action scenes, character growth, and romance. At times the MFC’s struggles and need to grow were more prominent, but then the relationship started to steal the show. However, that sneaky plot would show up and say “nope,” subsequently taking over, pausing the relationship progression. Then, it all became one big jumble of plot, independent growth, and relationship progression. The pacing ebbed and flowed, with the pacing picking up and going by super fast the last 20%.

A big part of the story that I really enjoyed was something I have been wanting in a book for a long time. Specifically I have been wanting more stories where the MCs, who are not supposed to be together, choose to be together and then hide that from the people that tell them they can’t be together. I love the fun games they can play because they really are together, but pretending in front of the powerful people that they’re not. I also really love when this is a mutually chosen decision to hide that they’re together. Usually, books tend to focus on either 1) the MC’s not being together because they “can’t.” And I’m always thinking, why not? Why not be together but hide it? That could create so much more tension, anxiety, and fun push and pull in the storyline. Yet, for some reason, that type of relationship is usually not written, it’s typically the “we can’t be together so let’s not even try, even though we want to be” or 2) they both want to be in a relationship and are willing to try, even if the powers-that-be say they can’t, but only one person wants to hide it whereas the other wants to own their relationship in front of everyone. These two storylines are more commonly written, so I was really looking forward to a book where two people wanted to be together, even if they’re told they can’t, and make a decision to play a game together with the powers people. This was so much more exciting to me! Especially with two really sassy, outspoken, strong characters like this book. I knew this would be a fun ride. Truly, this was the storyline I’ve been waiting for!

Globally, looking at the overall story, there’s so many life lessons. Ownership over self, forgiveness, second and third chances, don’t let trauma control you, stand up for yourself, find those you can trust, loyalty, vulnerability, and so much more!

⭐️ Now, the ending. Wow. That ending had so much action, I could not put the book down. It was shocking, emotional, and devastating. I cannot wait for book 2!



Information for the reader that is not a critique, but something to note.

Readers are really getting bored with these specific tropes for the MCs:
- MMC that is all powerful, special, and the strongest, typically a prince or heir.
- MFC initially is not powerful and typically more “basic,” but we find out she is SUPER powerful, extremely special, and “the one” who will save everyone.

Unfortunately, that is quite close to who the MC’s are in this book. The only difference is that the MFC is not basic, she is a strong and the number one assassin from the beginning, but we learn how much more special she is by the end.


Critique:

I’ve read a few books this year where authors have repetitively used the same word or phrase over 50 times. I truly thought that was bad, but the author used the word “snap“ 250 times. I as so shocked when a person would say something, but the author wrote it as them snapping. I was confused, as I thought it was a conversation but now someone is snapping at the other, why are they so crabby? But, I learned this was just a word the author used constantly and did not indicate someone was actually mad. It was strange to me. I really hope this author takes feedback or has an editor to eliminate the amount of times this is said.

Major major spoiler

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Also, at the end when the MMC is hurt, the two men who just hurt him went where? They just left? Wouldn’t they have wanted to stay around to make sure that MMC died? Why would they let the MFC go near his body and attempt to save him? I did not get this.

[Alaina (Manon Blackbeak’s Version)✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW 🩸

Hollow Huntress surpassed what I expected from a dark urban fantasy. The story is dark, haunting and twisted from the first page to the last and had me instantly and completely obsessed with the setting, the characters and the plot 🌇

Mara, the FMC, and Crew, the MMC, are complex, haunted, unhinged and lethal. They’re each other’s equal and counterpart, two sides of the same coin 🪙
Their emotions had me in a chokehold several times. You see them break, you see them try not to drown in their own darkness, you see them holding on to a sliver of hope, and break again ⛓️‍💥

𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 🖤
🩸 I’m a sucker for female rage, and let me tell you that Mara is the glorious and unhinged incarnation of it
💀 The plot is captivating, unique, twisty, full of political intrigue, secrets, betrayals, revenge and rage. It was perfectly balanced and I was hooked from the start
🔪 Crew might be a morally black, cunning and ruthless bastard, but he’s also a freaking cinnamon roll. He is obsessed with Mara and basks in her violence. The banter made me cackle and the tension was thrilling 💥
✨ Found family is one of my favorite tropes and Kathryn delivered us the perfect band of misfits with two badass women and three demon daddies

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 💔
This story is an endless pit of heartbreak and sorrow. And I would go through it again and again without hesitation to read this story for the first time once more. And sob my heart out again 🫠

[Kaitlin B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinite stars. From beginning to end I was completely invested. I seriously felt so many emotions while reading this book- I laughed some and cried some. When I tell you the characters had top teir banter, I mean it. I have a new book boyfriend and his name is Crew Bannermin and he can be my 6’4 demon daddy anytime 🥵 I loved every character and side character. This book was perfectly written. I never felt confused and couldn’t stop reading.

if you’re into dark urban Romantasy (or wanna dabble) - add to your TBR rn.

Thank you so much for the gifted arc

[Zoe Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

“𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓲𝓶”

Wow. Infinite stars for this book. Beautifully written, twists that keep you hooked and a cliff hanger that makes you mad that you finished the book!

The FMC in this book, Mara Castten is a ruthless angel assassin in the Lyre Order, known as the Hollow Huntress. The name that sparks fear across the city. She’s stābby, sassy and so smart. however, her personal growth in this book was heartwarming. Fuelled by anger for so long never gave her the chance to be happy when it truly mattered. Enter Crew Bannermin, the hot, arrogant, cocky Demon assassin from the Jade Order, who’s got a smart mouth and is utterly obsessed with Mara. He loves her hard and allows her to find her truth and helps her to see what she’s needed for so long and to see the truth.
The side characters in the book are so involved and it’s lovely to read, some are so loveable I’m wondering if they’re going to get their own book! Others, not so much 🤭
This book chewed me up, spat me out and laughed right in my face. My emotions were experiencing whiplash and my blood pressure rose more than not. 100/10 for this beautiful book, thank you Kathryn for allowing me to be an ARC reader, it has been an absolute pleasure and I’m so excited for book 2!! 🫶🏻🖤

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC read!
Snapshot: urban fantasy, FMC assassin, angels & demons, betrayals, power corruption, blood bonds and oaths, enemies to lovers, morally black characters

3.5 stars, rounding down to 3.

The plot, setting, and characters were unique! The world building is straight forward and easy to follow. Loved the diverse characters and especially the villains!

The urban fantasy setting with angels and demons feels a little odd sometimes. Despite them being supernatural beings, it seems that all the angels can do is fly? Besides the hybrid angels' life spans & wings... how are they different from humans?
It wasn't until 80% through the book did we finally see the demons use their actual fangs and claws rather than a gun.

Some of the "reveals" felt too easy. They were predominantly just another character telling them the answer, which wasn't very satisfying.

The transition from enemies to lovers felt a little abrupt and things weren't fully resolved for it to make sense yet. I wish there had been a better turning point in their relationship.

One of my main complaints about enemies to lovers tropes is that the banter ceases to exist once the characters get together. This was not the case! I appreciate good banter and it maintained its pace throughout the book, even after we entered the "lovers" phase. Some cheesy parts but overall, I enjoyed the vibes in this book.

[Hira Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Huntress is everything I want in a dark fantasy and more. Dark, haunting, twisted, and had me locked in from page one.

Mara is the epitome of unhinged female rage and I love her for it. And Crew is a morally grey demon daddy with golden retriever energy. He is so down bad for Mara, even while she hates his existence. Their banter had me giggling, the tension was insane, and there's blood play 👀

My favorite trope in every book is found family and that absolutely delivered here. Daddy D, Bronwyn, and Locke stole the show with their chaos.

But oh my gosh, there were so many plot twists I trusted no one by the end. That ending had me ugly crying and ready to throw my kindle.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“To those who have had their hearts shattered by love and loss. And to those working to put it back together, piece by piece. Broken things are beautiful, too. Remember that.”

Hollow Huntress is a beautiful story with a tragic cliffhanger (which has resulted in me not knowing what to do myself and being in need of the second book like now). Our half-angel FMC, Mara, has been through so much, and her choices might not always be the best, but she’s still fighting. And she even found herself falling in love (one of the scariest things you can do) despite being “broken.”

Hollow Huntress is definitely a hefty read, being over 600 pages, but it’s worth every one! This book will make you feel. Whether it’s anger, hurt, sadness, love, there’s no doubt it’ll make you feel something. Then there’s the banter, the tension, the characters, and the plot. There’s a ton of action and always something going on. Overall, the book is very well done and I have no doubt that anyone who picks this book up will enjoy it.

But if you’re a YA only reader…. move along! There isn’t any spice until about 50% into the story… but there is definitely a lot after 😅. But if that’s your jam then go and pick this book up!

"It feels like when I met you, everything shifted. You are my light, my darkness, and every beautiful shade in between, and my last breath will be dedicated to making sure you know that."

[Maddie Wunsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ARC review.

Thank you to the author for this opportunity.

This book was SO good. Definitely a 5 star read for me. It is a fantastic entry level dark romance/fantasy novel with a heavily emotionally charged storyline.

Mara is a brutal and determined heroine navigating a traitorous world ruled by power and control. The tense tone is present from the beginning chapters and is felt all the way through the novel.

The character development in this book is unmatched. The FMC is flawed in a way that feels compelling, and her overall motivations give the narrative real emotional weight. The relationship and development between the FMC and MMC is sharp, witty and dynamic which keeps the readers invested. It is very much a touch her and die and enemies to lovers tropes which I LOVE.

One critique is the world building definitely takes a backseat to the romance and character development, so if world building is critical for you this is something to flag. I however absolutely love character development and plot and I didn’t feel the world building was critical to this.

This is a fast paced, incredibly difficult to put down book. It is emotionally driven with found family and huge character growth, morally complex and grey characters in a world full of power, politics and control. I CANNOT wait for book two 🩷

Please read this book!!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An urban fantasy about an angel who feels her soul is tainted? Whose life, work and universe revolves seemingly around death? Who harbours a hatred borne from her grief that festers inside of her? And who is then tasked with killing death himself??? With a demon she loathes with ever fibre of her being?? But who can’t stand to see her hurting??? Strap in fellas. This is a fantastic, unique and CRAZY mfing ride.

Mara is a complex female character; she is abrasive, impulsive, bitter and cold. Her experiences have shaped her into a weapon and made her an island, pushing those around her away in order to protect herself. Yet she remains hilarious, sarcastic and sharp, a good time when she can drown out the bad noises - and with a shoot first personality which is ICONIC. Crew is her demonic counterpart, and a dark bag of sarcasm and flirtation, but make no mistake, this is true enemies to lovers, with darkness and secrets and trauma that each wields like a BLADE. This is shoot him because you said you would enemies to lovers, stab him, make him bleed for it enemies to lovers and it is DELIGHTFUL. Special mention to Daddy D for being the most delicious side character, bringing all the humour and warmth that these two broody idiots need to save them from their own angst, trauma and selves.

The final 20% of this book ruined me; the last few chapters left me a sobbing mess, so of course I will be seated for the sequel.

[Erica L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me for an absolute ringer. Initially I wasn’t sure if I was going to love this but then I got so into it I couldn’t stop. This review is chaotic, I know, but as the book progressed I couldn’t stop finding more to write about.

Mara is fantastic. Her hatred, her pain, her love, and her resilience built a beautiful character. Crew… I mean come on. You knew he was drawn to her from the start and as much as I love an enemies to lovers trope, I wanted Mara to stop being such a witch and let him be there for her. Their dynamic is brilliant. Brownie points for the moments with the Grim (crazy twists there) and the remarks he made. That ending left me stunned. Mara & Crew are having a hell of a ride no matter what the circumstances are. Bronwyn, Locke, and Damien are fantastic side characters and truly a family by the end of the book.

Another reviewer mentioned to very distinct things happening around 50% and 65% and oh my gawdddddd. Pivotal points in the book. The first one I did not see coming but I just KNEW the second one was true. I figured it out earlier in the book and it festered until it was confirmed. I hate Shaw - he’s quite literally a devil in angels clothing. I hate that he hurt her. I hate everything that is him. I hate Lowell too.

“Careful of the Grim will be etched on walls. But… Fear the Hollow Huntress will be etched on souls” …. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book. 1000/10 beautiful. This line gave me CHILLS!

[Hannah Lubinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Huntress is action packed while ripping your heart out and stomping on it! That ending has be feeling UNWELL and I’m not okay!!!

Thank you Kathryn Breaux and her team for the eARC! I’m beyond honored and so thrilled I got to read this in advance of its release 😍🥲

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

HH is a dark, urban fantasy with angels and demons, betrayals, assassins, female rage, and found family. Our FMC, Mara, is an angel who is released from prison after almost a year from a job gone wrong. She is thrust back into her angel Order very quickly to take on the most dangerous job - kill the Grim reaper. She is forced to team up with the top assassin in the demon Order and the one she hates the most - our MMC, Crew. From there, the adventures they go on lead to many discoveries about who they are, who their family is, and what is really going on in their city.

Friendships are tested, fates are revealed, betrayals are abound, heartbreak is prevalent and you will be BEGGING for book 2 like me!

Hollow Huntress is a great fantasy for fans of morally grey characters, emotional damage, top tier banter, burn the world for her MMCs, and the maximum amount of female rage.

[Smut S Sisters]

Any fans of urban fantasies like Crescent City and House of Devils, this one is for you. Mix a badass FMC and a shadow daddy, and you’ve got a deadly combination. Everyone is morally grey in this world and there are several delicious plot twists (& spice!). This is book one of this duology and I can’t wait to see how this cliffhanger gets resolved.

Read this for:
-dark urban romantasy
-enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
-angels & demons
-both assassins
-he falls first
-female rage
-shadow daddy
-forced proximity
-“touch them & die”

[Arina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely consumed me. I couldn’t put it down for a second, and even now, five days later, I still can’t stop thinking about it.

If you love “he falls first,” true enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and found family… this book delivers ALL of it perfectly.

And Crew… I have no words. A morally grey demon MMC?? I’m done. I would absolutely crawl for this man. The tension and chemistry between him and Mara… it’s everything.

But it’s not just the main characters. The side characters deserve all the hype too—Damien and Locke??? Oh my god. These men. Their dirty mouths, their banter, their humor—I was giggling every single time they showed up. And Bronwyn? Absolutely amazing. What a badass.

The dialogue is genuinely one of the strongest parts of this book. The banter feels so natural, sharp, and funny, and it balances perfectly with everything else going on—even when the world is literally falling apart around them.

And the plot twists?? Done exquisitely. Just when I thought I had things figured out—I didn’t.

I cannot wait for Book 2!!!

[Nathalie Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book finished me. That’s my review. The sorrow, the heartbreak, the agony, the rawness, the passion, just every emotion i can think of I felt during this read. Books like this are why I read. I wanted to feel more than just love. I wanted to feel all the emotions and that’s exactly what I felt. I love the banter. I love the spice, the tension, & the angst. I am waiting for my physical copy of this book and I cannot wait to have it to add to my collection. Now where is book 2?? 👀 Thank you to Kathryn and the team for allowing me to read the arc of this beautiful tragic story!

[Morgan Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC✨
🤍🪽😈🗡️
This is Book 1 in The Death Duet
OMG 🤯 This was such a good and addictive read! I absolutely loved Mara and Crew’s story! This book has such great tension and banter. The plot twists in this story will have your jaw on the floor! The cliffhanger will have you throwing the book and sitting in silence not knowing what to do next. Mara is strong and independent. Crew is obsessive and protective. They are the true enemies to lovers because they may have tired of 🗡️☠️each other a few times. I can’t recommend this book enough! The next book in the series is not a want but an absolute need!

“Careful of the Grim”

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’M GONNA NEED SOME TIME TO CALM THE FUCK DOWN. I finished this book at 2am and afterwards…I just laid there. Laying in the dark, staring at the ceiling because I’m at a loss for words. My mind is spiraling. I’m yelling obscenities at Kathryn in said LOST MIND—and all around just trying to figure out why my fucking heart was ripped from my chest and stomped on, ran over and then thrown over a god damn cliff. BUT ALL I WANT IS FOR MORE.

Right from the beginning this book had me not only hooked but fucking shackled to it. First off, Mara is a fucking Queen. Her personality and the way she carries herself is PHENOMENAL. Beautiful, humorous, sassy, rebellious and overall deadly. I knew IMMEDIATELY I was going to love her. Right out the gate I knew Crew was going to be a favorite. His cocky demeanor and his charm, humor, and flirtatious comments immediately made me giggle, blush, and have a desire for more. And the way he moved in the shadows—made him a force to be reckoned with. Him being a demon you expect the worst, prepare for the violence but what I was not prepared for, was a demon that has a soft side and I am not complaining.

I love a good angsty banter between characters. Mara and Crew, an angel and a demon, it was absolute perfection. Especially when you can feel that tension through the dialogue. The buildup and slow burn is ALWAYS worth it. And the way this was written was beyond spectacular. And when that spice hit—IT HIT.

Found family—Damien, Locke, Bronwyn—all three of them were the best addition to the squad. They brought sarcasm, unhinged energy, and chaos. The connection between all of them and with Mara and Crew made for a heartwarming turning point. And I truly hope we get even more of them in the future.

Throughout the entire story there was action, drama, assassins, secrets, apologies, violence, betrayal, heartbreak and test of true characters. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed and then a few pages later I freaked out because of what happened next. It was a whirlwind of emotions. I’m in shock over this book and I don’t think that’s going to subside any time soon.

I desperately need book two, IMMEDIATELY. I am obsessed (with 198 highlights on my kindle, you can’t tell me otherwise either). This will become one of my most favorite duets, EVER. And it’s not even complete yet. THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS BOOK FUCKING WAS. This will be added to my trophies without hesitation. Every. Single. Edition.

I don’t know how I’m going to narrow down my quotes for this one. THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING ONES. How do I choose!?? Mind you, I had 198 highlights throughout this book. Phrases, paragraphs, PAGES. I already want to go and read it again.••IT’S A fucking masterpiece••

[Wilde Page Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t say this lightly—this one is going to stay with me forever. I laughed, I cried, and I was on edge through every twist.

The FMC hit way too close to home (minus the whole angel assassin situation). Her struggles felt real, raw, and I felt like I was looking in a mirror a lot of the time. The growth? Incredible. I’m taking notes.

The tension was sharp. The spice was actually spicy. And the side characters? Not side characters at all—they mattered, added depth, tension and I loved them as much as the FMC and MMC (as for which- sigh. Perfect.)

I’ll absolutely be counting down the days until the next book.

[Nikita Ritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review 🖤✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Careful of the Grim will be etched on walls. But…Fear the Hollow Huntress will be etched on souls”

I devoured this book. Everything was written so well—it had me hooked from the very first page.

Hollow Huntress is a dark urban fantasy following Mara Castten, and it delivers on everything: angels, demons, the grim reaper, found family, and unapologetic female rage. Oh—and a true rivals-to-lovers dynamic that actually feels like rivals.

I genuinely couldn’t put it down. One minute I was screaming, the next I was crying, then laughing—and that emotional chaos never let up.

I already need book two. Immediately.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank youuuuu Kathryn Breaux and her team for this ARC!!!

♾️⭐️ read alert! 🚨

The action quite literally starts right from the jump and sucks you in IMMEDIATELYYYY!!!!! Demon and angel assassins working together!?!? OBSESSED!!!!!! The world building is/was done wonderfully, beautifully, while also being fast paced and immersive!

Mara…our angel hybrid FMC!? She’s that GIRL. Shes the devil on your shoulder that you loveeee. What a total badass but a multifaceted: deeply emotional, flawed, smart and witty! Crew… CREW BANNERMIN our demon MMC!?!? Sir!?!? He’s cocky and arrogant (protective and possessive af too) to a fault but what a heart he has. He is as loyal as they come! The absolute LOATHINGGGGG they feel for each other that blossoms into more throughout the story!? Ohhh my heart. Their banter was out of this worlddddd!!!!! And the spice!? Say less.

The Grim Reaper!? The plot twists!?!? THE CLIFFHANGER!?!?!? You wanna talk about female rage!? You will be fighting the urge to not throw something or scream into a pillowwwww!

Highly HIGHLY recommend Hollow Huntress friendssss!

[lyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Kathryn for the arc of this book and having me on your street team!!

Wow. Where to even start?!

This book had me hooked by page 1. Something about it just drew me in and I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about this.

Mara is a badass and I loved her strength and wittiness! Crew was hilarious and I loved how flirty he was with her from the beginning! The tension and yearning was just perfect. & then when the spice hit, omg I was livingggg for it!! So hot!

Highly recommend this book!!

[butterfly_reading_effect · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review thank you Kathryn Breaux 🩶

I need the author to include: emotionally wrecking the reader, in the list of trigger warnings. It is the first time in a long while where I had to close the book compose myself before i could continue.
This is book one of a duet and i need the next book like yesterday.
The world building is done to perfection blending the supernatural world of angels and demons in an everyday urban world setting. Kathryn writes beautifully and within a few pages the world came alive in my imagination.
The story is told from Mara, our half breed assassin angel’s pov and honestly I love her from page one, yes there is some frustrating moments but her witty inner dialogue makes it all worthwhile.

Within the first few pages she is released from prison and we will follow her on assignments as she discovers all is not what it seems to be and there is a lot of sinister things going on behind the scenes.
Much to her dismay she will get teamed up with Crew, our demon mmc, whom she absolutely hates in a true enemies to lovers slow burn as they navigate the elders, fate, the grim reaper and self discovery.

The BANTER is top tier, the snarky comments golden and the spice is spicing
I literally could not put this book down including reading sneaky at work - not recommended for last chapters - people kept asking me what was a wrong as eyes was red and swollen.

The side characters and found family is everything and i cannot wait to get to know them better. Both the main characters has excellent character development.

I can strongly recommend this book if you want to read an epic urban fantasy that will have you laughing, cheering, crying, fanning yourself, shedding tears all while being deeply invested in the story, but be aware it will leave you staring at the wall with a massive book hangover.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:
Wow, just wow. I’m new to this author, I went into this without looking into the book or author herself. I loved every second of this book.
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Angels, demons, hybrids, humans
Forbidden love
She is a human/angel hybrid, he is a demon/human hybrid. They must come together and work as a team to fight the evils lurking around. This one ends on a cliffhanger so be ready to want to read book 2.

[Lisa Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this!! A dark urban fantasy that had me highlighting almost everything that came out of the MMC’s mouth 🥵 and had me crying no less than 3 times by the end of the book.

I was hooked from the first page. This story is full of secrets, betrayals and lies. The banter is top tier. The side characters are exceptional and really helped elevate the emotional depth of the story.

Mara and Crew’s relationship had me giggling during all of their interactions and then had me grabbing tissues during the last 20% of the book.

I am genuinely impressed with how much I enjoyed this story and don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait for book two 😭

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN THIS REVIEW??? This was everything I didn’t know I needed. Crescent city meets assassins and angels and demons.

First 10% of HH: I love Mara and already think she’s super real and relatable, esp how she reacts to others, she’s smart and has a kindness that is hidden underneath all the pain. She is a bada** and I admire her.

Mara has a lot of trauma and trust issues, and rightfully so. And don’t get me started on our beloved MMC, Crew!! He is a flirt but only to Mara and he is such a cinnamon roll (again, only to Mara and his bestiess, but that’s even pushing it). I love their chemistry, banter, and the push and pull between the two.

Throughout the book, I was emotionally distraught and I felt like I was put through the wringer along with our girl Mara. There is so much grief present (in various forms) but Kathryn does a beautiful job depicting it.

The betrayals and twists?? So good!!

All in all, well written, kept wanting to cry and emotionally rage, and I love our FMC/MMC and their found family so much. Also if you want spice, this delivers.

Thank you Kathryn for the eARC!!

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kathryn and her team for the ARC!

The algorithm knows me almost too well, but I can’t be mad when it finds me an absolutely amazing book like Hollow Huntress. This is urban fantasy done RIGHT. Kathryn, you are downright incredible!

From the introduction to Mara, the FMC, while she is in prison to meeting the MMC, Crew, in a wheat field of all places - the book is absolutely nonstop with action and banter and intrigue. OH THE BANTER. Sign. Me. Up.

I want to write so much more but also don’t want to spoil anything. Here are the things you need to know if you are considering reading The Death Duet: Emotional Damage. Found Family. (Seriously - one side character in particular brought the comic relief!) Rage/anger. The Grim Reaper. Chaos. Plot twists. FMC’s internal dialogue. And yes, there is spice!

Drop everything and read this if you have an inkling towards angels/demons. I have already ordered a physical trophy copy.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I have any words for how shattered my heart is at the ending… and I desperately need book two so I can piece it back together.

“You are fucking worthy of love. You are deserving of happiness, and I refuse to let you push me away because you think you aren’t”

Top tier writing. I was absolutely engrossed the entire time. Mara and Crew’s characters and development throughout the story is absolutely amazing. We get trauma woven into these mutli-faceted characters and there is a level of realness that allows readers to relate on a different level. I am an absolute sucker for a good enemies to lovers and this was done with flawless execution.

What to Expect:
🖤Angels & Demons
🖤Assassins
🖤Trauma
🖤Banter
🖤Found Family
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🖤He Falls First
🖤One Bed

[Skyla Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how helpful this review is gunna be on account of I’m still not over the ending?! I need book two like 3 days ago.

Hollow Huntress is a dark urban fantasy that will have you screaming at anyone who will listen. Sorry not sorry to all my friends who got to hear my yap endlessly about Crew & his problematic but sexy dad 😏. The banter in HH had me literally squealing and curling over like a shrimp because it was sooo good. Crew being the sunshine and Mara being the grump ass was just absolute perfection. Him being so down bad for Mara and her slowly starting to realize maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was? MY FAVOURITE TROPE. And the spice?! 🥵🤤🌶️ chefs freaking kiss. It was perfection. And Crews dirty mouth? 🫠

Every side character was so well developed and their personalities so distinct, I truly cannot wait until the next book so I can read more about them, I really hope Kathryn has some big plans for Damien, Locke & Bronwyn because they might be some of my favorite supporting characters.

I truly ate this book up and then as I got near to the end I started taking my time with it because I really REALLY didn’t want it to end. I avoided my kindle like the plague and just daydreamed about Mara & Crew and how they will just fly off into the sunset and everything will be fine. NEWS. FLASH. It didn’t happen. But it’s fine. Everything’s fine.

Okay if you made it this far great job, I could probably keep going but we all have lives to get to and a TBR stack the size of Crew 😈 Read Hollow Huntress. That isn’t a suggestion. That’s a demand. It comes out May 14th and you’re not going to want to miss this.