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Hollow Folk #3
The Dust Feast
Only days have passed since Vie Eliot’s murderous half-brother—a dangerous, out-of-control psychic—was stopped from killing the people Vie loves most, but Vie is ready for his life to return to normal. He has plans. Big plans. Make the cross country team, pick up his grades, and spend a lot of time with his boyfriend. On the day of cross country tryouts, though, Vie finds one of the teachers dead—and Vie refuses to believe that the death was a suicide. As he searches for the killer, or killers, he discovers that a conspiracy exists in the small town of a conspiracy that might be older and deeper than Vie first suspects, a conspiracy of drugs and human trafficking that might also be tied, in some way Vie can’t quite understand, to his own abilities—and to the other psychic abilities in his town. When the murderers turn their attention to Vie, though, he discovers that his powers might not be up to the task. He faces ghosts, ancient monsters, and even an evil substitute teacher, but unless he can confront his past, and the trauma that lies there, he might not manage to save the people he cares about. He might not even survive himself.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2017
27 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Ashe
135 books1,796 followersI'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 28, 2020
4.5 stars and my favorite so far. This deserves a lot better review than I'm going to give but I'm super tired and can't think right now. I've been sitting on this for two days and don't have my thoughts any more in in order so....
I thought Vie had been physically *and emotionally* threathened before but there were places in this book where I was seriously doubting he was going to make it. I know he's tough and he's strong but he's still a kid. However, when he needs it most, Vie gets help from some unexpected places, and I mean, Then there is the fact that Vie's own power is growing and like with any muscle, the more he flexes it the better he gets at controlling it. Mostly though, he's finally able to deal with his past in a way that lets him move forward, in several ways, and this makes him more powerful than anything.
As emotionally distant as Vie has *tried* to be, this book has all the feels, and not just with Vie and Austin. *sigh* I love the evolving of all Vie's realtionships and his slow but sure emotional growth *though he has got a way to go yet* but in this story I love him and Austin so much. Austin really cares about Vie, both the good and the bad and tries to make sure Vie has what he needs to make it through. ❤️
Vie finds out that what's going on in Vehpese is so much more than Mr Big Empty and has been happening for more years than he could have guessed. Inevitably, when everything blows up this time, it goes BOOM in a big way. I read this with my heart in my throat, because I just knew someone wasn't going to make it. And someone didn't. And then at the end, Vie finds out that things are far from over. 😬
Gregory Ashe continues to impress me. His wrting is amazing, every damn time, and his plots make it impossible to put the book down. The pacing is perfection, whether it's heart-pounding action or sweetness between Vie and Austin. His characters climb right in your heart and stay there. Also, keep in mind that GA writes gay fiction. There's romance though it's not the whole focus, and since this is YA, what sex there is in the story is not explicit and just about completely off-page but not once have I missed it in this whole series.
This is a genuinely kickass series and I'll be moving on to The Mortal Sleep very, very shortly.
I thought Vie had been physically *and emotionally* threathened before but there were places in this book where I was seriously doubting he was going to make it. I know he's tough and he's strong but he's still a kid. However, when he needs it most, Vie gets help from some unexpected places, and I mean, Then there is the fact that Vie's own power is growing and like with any muscle, the more he flexes it the better he gets at controlling it. Mostly though, he's finally able to deal with his past in a way that lets him move forward, in several ways, and this makes him more powerful than anything.
As emotionally distant as Vie has *tried* to be, this book has all the feels, and not just with Vie and Austin. *sigh* I love the evolving of all Vie's realtionships and his slow but sure emotional growth *though he has got a way to go yet* but in this story I love him and Austin so much. Austin really cares about Vie, both the good and the bad and tries to make sure Vie has what he needs to make it through. ❤️
Vie finds out that what's going on in Vehpese is so much more than Mr Big Empty and has been happening for more years than he could have guessed. Inevitably, when everything blows up this time, it goes BOOM in a big way. I read this with my heart in my throat, because I just knew someone wasn't going to make it. And someone didn't. And then at the end, Vie finds out that things are far from over. 😬
Gregory Ashe continues to impress me. His wrting is amazing, every damn time, and his plots make it impossible to put the book down. The pacing is perfection, whether it's heart-pounding action or sweetness between Vie and Austin. His characters climb right in your heart and stay there. Also, keep in mind that GA writes gay fiction. There's romance though it's not the whole focus, and since this is YA, what sex there is in the story is not explicit and just about completely off-page but not once have I missed it in this whole series.
This is a genuinely kickass series and I'll be moving on to The Mortal Sleep very, very shortly.
October 19, 2022
[4.6] so i finished this book....but more aptly put, this book finished me 
my favorite so far despite the memory wipe of a certain ily amongst other slips because the whirlwind of feels and emotions swept me away at neck-breaking speeds and flung me into the stars ✨
Vie'sharem (though this makes more sense than you'd expect, iykyk) motley crew of companions, or as i like to call them in my head "the reluctant guardians of Vehpese," grows ever larger as twisty twists continue to - you guessed it - twist with a few shounen reminiscent elements thrown in the mix.
----spoilers (however vague) incoming----
a teacher found hanging in his classroom, the unexpected return of girls previously presumed dead, a labyrinthine web of corruption and conspiracies and the dangerous monsters in the shadows behind it - who thought Mr. Big Empty would turn out to be the least of their concerns?
in my pursuit of answers, i'm once again saddled with a fresh onslaught of questions, completely clueless how GA is planning to let us off this carousel of pain. the thing is though, if my graceless trudging through The Mortal Sleep is any indication, i'm also too keyed up to keep my eyes on the prize. the sense of dread sure is immobilizing.
but back to the story at hand. most riveting was Vie's modest (but steady) growth both in confronting parts of his past as well as his evolving interpersonal relationships. Sara (*drowns in tears*), Becca - heck, even River. love the development to bits. also, Temple Mae is bae and not only because it rhymes.
i genuinely adored how this book gave Austin his chance to shine. there has been an inherent bias toward Emmett throughout the series - GA's favorite only one bed trope was reserved for him, Emmett has greedily hoarded the scarce opportunities to get in touch with Vie's vulnerable side, and even the spirits deign to ship it - but this book solidified the fact that Austin brings a form of stability to Vie's life that Emmett is currently unable to offer. who knows, maybe i'm pushing this point for the sake of being contrarian, but while most vulnerable moments with Emmett are wrecking ball accidents, with Austin, it feels like more of a conscious choice.
the momentous moment when Vie shows him his scars? broke me to pieces and glued me back together 😭😭😭
whether they end up as the endgame couple or not is anyone's guess, but for the time being, i'm more than happy to root for Vie's rock, Austin the underdog.
that being said, the reeling insight into Emmett's memory when Vie had his infection knocked me clean off my feet.
le sigh, good ol' Greg and his overly precise emotional punches to the gut 🤧
ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ
ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ
my favorite so far despite the memory wipe of a certain ily amongst other slips because the whirlwind of feels and emotions swept me away at neck-breaking speeds and flung me into the stars ✨
Vie's
----spoilers (however vague) incoming----
a teacher found hanging in his classroom, the unexpected return of girls previously presumed dead, a labyrinthine web of corruption and conspiracies and the dangerous monsters in the shadows behind it - who thought Mr. Big Empty would turn out to be the least of their concerns?
in my pursuit of answers, i'm once again saddled with a fresh onslaught of questions, completely clueless how GA is planning to let us off this carousel of pain. the thing is though, if my graceless trudging through The Mortal Sleep is any indication, i'm also too keyed up to keep my eyes on the prize. the sense of dread sure is immobilizing.
but back to the story at hand. most riveting was Vie's modest (but steady) growth both in confronting parts of his past as well as his evolving interpersonal relationships. Sara (*drowns in tears*), Becca - heck, even River. love the development to bits. also, Temple Mae is bae and not only because it rhymes.
i genuinely adored how this book gave Austin his chance to shine. there has been an inherent bias toward Emmett throughout the series - GA's favorite only one bed trope was reserved for him, Emmett has greedily hoarded the scarce opportunities to get in touch with Vie's vulnerable side, and even the spirits deign to ship it - but this book solidified the fact that Austin brings a form of stability to Vie's life that Emmett is currently unable to offer. who knows, maybe i'm pushing this point for the sake of being contrarian, but while most vulnerable moments with Emmett are wrecking ball accidents, with Austin, it feels like more of a conscious choice.
the momentous moment when Vie shows him his scars? broke me to pieces and glued me back together 😭😭😭
I thought about [...] how he had looked at my private scorecard of burns and scars and told me that he thought I was beautiful. And I thought about how I love him, loved him so that it ate up all my breath like a fire, loved him so that it set pins and needles in my skin, loved him so that I could tell him the truth, the truth I hadn't ever told anyone, and he hadn't run away.
whether they end up as the endgame couple or not is anyone's guess, but for the time being, i'm more than happy to root for Vie's rock, Austin the underdog.
that being said, the reeling insight into Emmett's memory when Vie had his infection knocked me clean off my feet.
It was the pain Emmett had felt, the instantaneous regret even as he made the decision, that was so awful. I'd made some fucked up choices in my life, but never with the coldly calculating brutality I had felt in Emmett. It was how much it hurt him, though, and the fact that he did it anyway, in spite of the pain, that shocked me. There was a relentless drive in Emmett towards self-harm, and it masqueraded as self-protection. That was a nightmare combination.
le sigh, good ol' Greg and his overly precise emotional punches to the gut 🤧
ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ
Mr. Big Empty - 4.5⭐
All the Inside Howling - 4⭐
The Dust Feast - 4.6⭐
The Mortal Sleep - 3.25⭐
ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ･｡+☆+｡･ﾟ
March 8, 2018
WOW what a series. I have been consumed by these books and really put the last few days on hold so that I could get to the bottom of these mysteries! Vie is a brilliant character - balls of steel for sure. His love for Austin really blossomed in this book and he was able to reconcile his feelings for Emmett. Seriously, they’d make a perfect ménage but no cigar in this PG series. This is all about emotion and connection- there is no heat, steam or anything remotely passionate but in saying that the reader certainly understands there’s a lot of romance going on. In a book so dark and gritty, sweetness remains. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I sure hope a book 4 will be created after the little cliffy at the end ! Bloody great read
January 28, 2018
I powered through this entire series, I am glad I picked It up. Although it was longer and I felt at times it could have been edited a little - it held my attention though the series, I was on the edge of my seat and had no idea what was going on, who to trust. It’s a paranormal, a bit of mystery, coming of age, but more. The characters show a lot of depth, through the series I like the where they end up, the way the problems are handled IMO is done very well, much more true.
January 26, 2023
Yup, this is me dishing out 5 stars like there's a knife to my neck (which is kind of how I feel as I'm reading these books). This series is amazing - the setting, the characters, the complicated relationships, the beautiful friendships, the mystery, the paranormal elements that keep getting bigger and more detrimental...I could go on and on. One more book left in the series and I'm itching for it, so I'll leave this review here with one parting thought: can someone please get Vie a cell phone?
February 8, 2023
2nd read: Feb 2023
Ouch. I almost chewed right through my lip during the last 25%. Again. 😵
I still love reading Vie’s POV, even though I find him frustrating AF sometimes — especially when his inner horn dog activates in life-or-death situations. 🙄
Mostly, I wanted more Emmett. 💔 I understand him better now, and the few glimpses I saw of him here HURT. Vie’s ‘dismissal’ of him HURT. Can’t you see that he needs you?!
Ain’t that the truth. 😭 That poor boy.
Ok, now for the last one. Come on, shatter me completely.
***
I LOVE this series! I love Vie’s narration; from the first book, it’s been so different and fresh and honest - it’s like an emotional bomb. I love that it has such a strong female supporting character - Becca. I love that each book is more engaging than the last, without becoming predictable or repetitive. In The Dust Feast, the storyline gets even more complex and layered. I didn’t expect the plot to take such a serious turn as to include though. Added to all the shit already hitting the fan for Vie & Co., it amped up the level of angst even more and kept me on the edge of my seat.
When it comes to romance (and that’s my one complaint - I’d kill for more romance in this series! 😩), the love triangle is killing me. The push-pull dynamic between Vie and Emmett was frustrating from the start, but here it started to annoy me. I know - YA is famous for pining and emotionally-constipated kids, but still. Emmett is such a beautifully complicated character - the comparison to a black hole is terrifyingly accurate - and I’d really like to see more of him that just these few glimpses. Every time he appears on-page, I get this impression that he’s Vie’s missing piece, his soulmate, and vice versa, and that all would be well between them if they could just get a break from all the drama and figure it out. And then, he goes and does something stupid and auto-destructive, and I want to strangle/cuddle him. Really, between that and Vie’s tenuous hold on his temper, they’re a matched pair, even though no one in their right mind would call them healthy with all that emotional codependency.
Then, there’s Austin. He was such a tool in the first book, it was easy to overlook him, but he changed so much since then. He really showed his true colors here, and he shined - he’s not perfect, but he’s such a kind, loving guy. It took me some time to get used to him - he’s just too wholesome for my tastes - but I finally accepted him for the band-aid for Vie’s battered heart that he is, and I feel like shit for hoping things would work out for Vie and Emmett in the end.
Man, I thought I’d never have to pick a ‘team’ in my books again. I’m a grown-ass woman, damn it, and I like romance in my books to be straightforward, thank you very much. 🙈
Ouch. I almost chewed right through my lip during the last 25%. Again. 😵
I still love reading Vie’s POV, even though I find him frustrating AF sometimes — especially when his inner horn dog activates in life-or-death situations. 🙄
Mostly, I wanted more Emmett. 💔 I understand him better now, and the few glimpses I saw of him here HURT. Vie’s ‘dismissal’ of him HURT. Can’t you see that he needs you?!
There was a relentless drive in Emmett towards self-harm, and it masqueraded as self-protection.
Ain’t that the truth. 😭 That poor boy.
Ok, now for the last one. Come on, shatter me completely.
***
I LOVE this series! I love Vie’s narration; from the first book, it’s been so different and fresh and honest - it’s like an emotional bomb. I love that it has such a strong female supporting character - Becca. I love that each book is more engaging than the last, without becoming predictable or repetitive. In The Dust Feast, the storyline gets even more complex and layered. I didn’t expect the plot to take such a serious turn as to include though. Added to all the shit already hitting the fan for Vie & Co., it amped up the level of angst even more and kept me on the edge of my seat.
When it comes to romance (and that’s my one complaint - I’d kill for more romance in this series! 😩), the love triangle is killing me. The push-pull dynamic between Vie and Emmett was frustrating from the start, but here it started to annoy me. I know - YA is famous for pining and emotionally-constipated kids, but still. Emmett is such a beautifully complicated character - the comparison to a black hole is terrifyingly accurate - and I’d really like to see more of him that just these few glimpses. Every time he appears on-page, I get this impression that he’s Vie’s missing piece, his soulmate, and vice versa, and that all would be well between them if they could just get a break from all the drama and figure it out. And then, he goes and does something stupid and auto-destructive, and I want to strangle/cuddle him. Really, between that and Vie’s tenuous hold on his temper, they’re a matched pair, even though no one in their right mind would call them healthy with all that emotional codependency.
Then, there’s Austin. He was such a tool in the first book, it was easy to overlook him, but he changed so much since then. He really showed his true colors here, and he shined - he’s not perfect, but he’s such a kind, loving guy. It took me some time to get used to him - he’s just too wholesome for my tastes - but I finally accepted him for the band-aid for Vie’s battered heart that he is, and I feel like shit for hoping things would work out for Vie and Emmett in the end.
Man, I thought I’d never have to pick a ‘team’ in my books again. I’m a grown-ass woman, damn it, and I like romance in my books to be straightforward, thank you very much. 🙈
August 24, 2020
“And I thought about how I loved him, loved him so that it ate up all my breath like a fire, loved him so that it set pins and needles in my skin, loved him so that I could tell him the truth, the truth I hadn’t ever told anyone, and he hadn’t run away.”
Review to come which will sound like every review I write of Gregory Ashe’s books because I’m a broken record with no new thoughts left. 😂🤷🏻♀️
Review to come which will sound like every review I write of Gregory Ashe’s books because I’m a broken record with no new thoughts left. 😂🤷🏻♀️
July 25, 2021
So, here’s a funny story. I’ve known about this book forever, but it wasn’t until part-ways through reading this book that I realized what the title actually was?? I’m talking for YEARS now I thought this book was called The Duck Feast, and it is most definitely NOT. It just never went into my brain that there is no duck involved. So there’s my fun experience with this book. This book is called The DUST Feast.
A note. This review will contain spoilers because I want to talk about things. Including who is the presumed endgame ship for this series and the spin-off series, Flint and Tinder. I have THOUGHTS, and I guess it’s going to happen here. I don’t think it’ll be the last time I talk about it.
I might be missing something, but off the top of my head the content notes for this book include homomisia, kidnapping, mentions of child rape, human trafficking, suicide, violence, murder, intimate scenes of self harm (cutting), corrupt cops, fatmisia, mentions of drug use, mentions of torture, and mentions of teachers attracted to their high school students.
LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD, THIS IS THE LAST WARNING
There’s a lot happening in this book, but I need to get this off my chest - the love triangle in this series. We have Vie, our protagonist, in love with 2 boys. There’s Austin, a football player and rich boy who was awful at first but turns out to be kind of sweet after he came out as gay, and there’s Emmett, a very rich boy who is an asshole a lot of the time but can be really sweet underneath his hard exterior and is publicly bi.
This thing is, this series isn’t really a romance in the way where you knew going into Hazard and Somerset or the Borealis Investigation series who was the endgame. Because this series introduced a love triangle, I was SO SET on this ending in a polyam. But sadly, this series is not headed in that direction, confirmed by the author.
Vie initially chose Emmett. He’s still choosing Emmett, if we’re being honest. Everyone thinks he will choose Emmett in the end, but after a solid rejection multiple times, Vie has gone with his second choice - Austin. Austin even KNOWS he’s the second choice. The thing is, I don’t hate Austin. I wish him the best. But there’s just so many things throughout the series now that suggests that Vie and Emmett are meant to be in the long run? Maybe not while they’re still in high school and still have all of their own shit to figure out. But one day. Emmett says he’s playing the long game with Vie and what’s to say we don’t get another sequel of books after The Mortal Sleep, that’s set after the Flint and Tinder series, and we find out Vie and Emmett really ARE meant to be?
Let’s face it. I am in DENIAL. Firmly in denial-land. Not leaving anytime soon. This ties into my feelings on who Emmett presumably ends up with in the spin-off series and I am currently NOT HERE FOR IT.
The Flint and Tinder series is a dual POV book series between Emmett and Jim. And this could be confusing at first who Jim is because there’s actually two Jim’s in the Hollow Folk series. One’s a cop and the other is a high school English teacher. In this case, it appears the Jim in question is Mr. Jim Spencer - Vie’s high school English teacher.
So, let me back up just a little.
This book picks up pretty closely after book 2 ended, and basically Vie has barely gotten any sleep at all. But it’s one bad thing after another for Vie because next thing he knows, his Chemistry teacher Mr. Warbrath hanged himself in his classroom and Vie and his friends found the body. It comes to light that maybe Mr. Warbach is involved with a human trafficking ring and raping children.
Like I said, this book is dark.
Well things escalate and Vie winds up in a very life and death situation where he almost gets frozen to death from poking around trying to solve the case of Mr. Warbrath’s death because he’s not convinced it’s a suicide. This leads to Vie being saved by Mr. Spencer - Jim - because it turns out he ALSO has powers (it’s the ability to conjure fire). And to save Vie from hypothermia and his stubbornness about not wanting to go to a hospital, they wind up cuddling. But doing so naked. “Just” to warm Vie back up. At school. (It’s a weekend so nobody’s around, but that’s beside the point.)
Jim is 15 years older than Vie and if his powers are fire and exuding warmth that’s higher than your natural human’s body heat, why did he have to be naked for it?? Sure, maybe he’s all wet from picking Vie up and dragging him out of the cold, but still? I know we see Jim pushing Vie away when Vie goes in for a kiss, and we see Jim trying to set boundaries, but you’re telling me Jim is just a bastion of innocence? Vie has mentioned before how whenever he’s near Jim, he feels happiness and goodness come off Jim and I am not understanding that at all. Throw in the fact that the spin-off series is with an 18-year-old Emmett and a former teacher??? (Apparently Jim is no longer teaching in the spin-off.) I get that age gap romances are a thing and all, but if the older character knows the younger one while that younger character was underage AND the older character was in a position of power over the younger one??
I’m not a fan.
Look, I love Gregory Ashe and have read many of his books now, but this doesn’t sit well with me at all.
I like Austin fine and I think he’s good for Vie now, but if we’re talking about the long game, I don’t know. I think when everything is done and settled and they’ve both gotten lots of therapy, Vie and Emmett could certainly be happy together. Because Jim seems like an awful choice for Emmett when an age appropriate Vie (and if I’m being honest, Austin as well!!!) is right there.
As for things I liked in this book, I love that we see Tyler and Hannah again. Becca is still the best thing that ever happened to Vie even though she needs a break too. Learning some of Sara’s history was interesting, but I feel like her forbidding Vie to swear to be very strange if she works in fast food. The surprise reveal about Kaden was very unexpected and I honestly don’t know what to think about all that. I have a hard time liking him after everything. Then there’s poor Colton getting left in the dark about everything (even if I don’t think much of him either). It was nice seeing Vie being able to really talk with his half-brother, even if it’s from the ghostly in-between.
I will say there’s an element added into this series which has me side-eyeing the way this story is going. Native American characters are added to this series, and kind of as the big bad villains of the story? Or at least, it feels that way. We have two characters who are in pretty much in charge of the human trafficking and deaths and drugs running through Wyoming and Montana, and they’re what really ties together the story of Mr. Big Empty and the overall series. And then there’s Vie’s social worker who knows everything that’s been going on in town and does nothing, and really messes with Vie’s head and psychic abilities with no explanation at all. The rep in these books already haven’t been the best. We have Vie’s co-workers at Bighorn Burger who speak nothing but Spanish and are 2D caricatures rather than fleshed out characters. And now we have this. I don’t love it.
I also have minor complaints which is really nothing in the grand scheme of things, but I need to say it.
If Austin is on the football team and Vie has been in town since the start of the school year (it’s now October in this book), why have we heard nothing about football games or anything like that going on at school? I get that Vie has bigger problems, but his own boyfriend is on the football team. Doesn’t Austin want Vie to attend some games? Doesn’t Austin have football practice?
Then there’s Vie trying out for cross-country and making the team. Does he ever go to practice? Shouldn’t they have practice every morning? I know this book takes place in the span of a week or something, but it’s suspect he’s still on the team after not showing up at all.
What happened to Agatha (Luke’s friend at school and kind of Vie’s friend from book 1)? She literally just disappeared from the series and we never heard about her again. She was all over book 1. If she got pulled out of school because of what happened to Luke, that would be something. But nope, she vanished and nobody mentions her. Ever.
Also, I know Vie doesn’t have a car but how does he know where everything and is able to walk to all those places without some sort of map? How small is Vehpese REALLY?
And did Vie really save up all his money to ask Austin to homecoming? Does he have any money left? Did Sara wind up helping him open up a bank account?
And lastly, if Sara’s buying Vie all this new stuff like clothes and all, why doesn’t she (or even Vie’s rich friends like Austin or Emmett) buy him a cell phone?? Or even a pre-paid phone? This book takes place in 2017, not the Middle Ages.
Anyways, I do love the series and the characters, which is why I feel so strongly about so much. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also have complaints. I’m interested to see what the next book brings since it‘s the longest at nearly 600 pages. I feel like I’ll still be in denial about who Vie ends up with, but I hope Vie and Austin can have an uneventful and peaceful homecoming together.
A note. This review will contain spoilers because I want to talk about things. Including who is the presumed endgame ship for this series and the spin-off series, Flint and Tinder. I have THOUGHTS, and I guess it’s going to happen here. I don’t think it’ll be the last time I talk about it.
I might be missing something, but off the top of my head the content notes for this book include homomisia, kidnapping, mentions of child rape, human trafficking, suicide, violence, murder, intimate scenes of self harm (cutting), corrupt cops, fatmisia, mentions of drug use, mentions of torture, and mentions of teachers attracted to their high school students.
LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD, THIS IS THE LAST WARNING
There’s a lot happening in this book, but I need to get this off my chest - the love triangle in this series. We have Vie, our protagonist, in love with 2 boys. There’s Austin, a football player and rich boy who was awful at first but turns out to be kind of sweet after he came out as gay, and there’s Emmett, a very rich boy who is an asshole a lot of the time but can be really sweet underneath his hard exterior and is publicly bi.
This thing is, this series isn’t really a romance in the way where you knew going into Hazard and Somerset or the Borealis Investigation series who was the endgame. Because this series introduced a love triangle, I was SO SET on this ending in a polyam. But sadly, this series is not headed in that direction, confirmed by the author.
Vie initially chose Emmett. He’s still choosing Emmett, if we’re being honest. Everyone thinks he will choose Emmett in the end, but after a solid rejection multiple times, Vie has gone with his second choice - Austin. Austin even KNOWS he’s the second choice. The thing is, I don’t hate Austin. I wish him the best. But there’s just so many things throughout the series now that suggests that Vie and Emmett are meant to be in the long run? Maybe not while they’re still in high school and still have all of their own shit to figure out. But one day. Emmett says he’s playing the long game with Vie and what’s to say we don’t get another sequel of books after The Mortal Sleep, that’s set after the Flint and Tinder series, and we find out Vie and Emmett really ARE meant to be?
Let’s face it. I am in DENIAL. Firmly in denial-land. Not leaving anytime soon. This ties into my feelings on who Emmett presumably ends up with in the spin-off series and I am currently NOT HERE FOR IT.
The Flint and Tinder series is a dual POV book series between Emmett and Jim. And this could be confusing at first who Jim is because there’s actually two Jim’s in the Hollow Folk series. One’s a cop and the other is a high school English teacher. In this case, it appears the Jim in question is Mr. Jim Spencer - Vie’s high school English teacher.
So, let me back up just a little.
This book picks up pretty closely after book 2 ended, and basically Vie has barely gotten any sleep at all. But it’s one bad thing after another for Vie because next thing he knows, his Chemistry teacher Mr. Warbrath hanged himself in his classroom and Vie and his friends found the body. It comes to light that maybe Mr. Warbach is involved with a human trafficking ring and raping children.
Like I said, this book is dark.
Well things escalate and Vie winds up in a very life and death situation where he almost gets frozen to death from poking around trying to solve the case of Mr. Warbrath’s death because he’s not convinced it’s a suicide. This leads to Vie being saved by Mr. Spencer - Jim - because it turns out he ALSO has powers (it’s the ability to conjure fire). And to save Vie from hypothermia and his stubbornness about not wanting to go to a hospital, they wind up cuddling. But doing so naked. “Just” to warm Vie back up. At school. (It’s a weekend so nobody’s around, but that’s beside the point.)
Jim is 15 years older than Vie and if his powers are fire and exuding warmth that’s higher than your natural human’s body heat, why did he have to be naked for it?? Sure, maybe he’s all wet from picking Vie up and dragging him out of the cold, but still? I know we see Jim pushing Vie away when Vie goes in for a kiss, and we see Jim trying to set boundaries, but you’re telling me Jim is just a bastion of innocence? Vie has mentioned before how whenever he’s near Jim, he feels happiness and goodness come off Jim and I am not understanding that at all. Throw in the fact that the spin-off series is with an 18-year-old Emmett and a former teacher??? (Apparently Jim is no longer teaching in the spin-off.) I get that age gap romances are a thing and all, but if the older character knows the younger one while that younger character was underage AND the older character was in a position of power over the younger one??
I’m not a fan.
Look, I love Gregory Ashe and have read many of his books now, but this doesn’t sit well with me at all.
I like Austin fine and I think he’s good for Vie now, but if we’re talking about the long game, I don’t know. I think when everything is done and settled and they’ve both gotten lots of therapy, Vie and Emmett could certainly be happy together. Because Jim seems like an awful choice for Emmett when an age appropriate Vie (and if I’m being honest, Austin as well!!!) is right there.
As for things I liked in this book, I love that we see Tyler and Hannah again. Becca is still the best thing that ever happened to Vie even though she needs a break too. Learning some of Sara’s history was interesting, but I feel like her forbidding Vie to swear to be very strange if she works in fast food. The surprise reveal about Kaden was very unexpected and I honestly don’t know what to think about all that. I have a hard time liking him after everything. Then there’s poor Colton getting left in the dark about everything (even if I don’t think much of him either). It was nice seeing Vie being able to really talk with his half-brother, even if it’s from the ghostly in-between.
I will say there’s an element added into this series which has me side-eyeing the way this story is going. Native American characters are added to this series, and kind of as the big bad villains of the story? Or at least, it feels that way. We have two characters who are in pretty much in charge of the human trafficking and deaths and drugs running through Wyoming and Montana, and they’re what really ties together the story of Mr. Big Empty and the overall series. And then there’s Vie’s social worker who knows everything that’s been going on in town and does nothing, and really messes with Vie’s head and psychic abilities with no explanation at all. The rep in these books already haven’t been the best. We have Vie’s co-workers at Bighorn Burger who speak nothing but Spanish and are 2D caricatures rather than fleshed out characters. And now we have this. I don’t love it.
I also have minor complaints which is really nothing in the grand scheme of things, but I need to say it.
If Austin is on the football team and Vie has been in town since the start of the school year (it’s now October in this book), why have we heard nothing about football games or anything like that going on at school? I get that Vie has bigger problems, but his own boyfriend is on the football team. Doesn’t Austin want Vie to attend some games? Doesn’t Austin have football practice?
Then there’s Vie trying out for cross-country and making the team. Does he ever go to practice? Shouldn’t they have practice every morning? I know this book takes place in the span of a week or something, but it’s suspect he’s still on the team after not showing up at all.
What happened to Agatha (Luke’s friend at school and kind of Vie’s friend from book 1)? She literally just disappeared from the series and we never heard about her again. She was all over book 1. If she got pulled out of school because of what happened to Luke, that would be something. But nope, she vanished and nobody mentions her. Ever.
Also, I know Vie doesn’t have a car but how does he know where everything and is able to walk to all those places without some sort of map? How small is Vehpese REALLY?
And did Vie really save up all his money to ask Austin to homecoming? Does he have any money left? Did Sara wind up helping him open up a bank account?
And lastly, if Sara’s buying Vie all this new stuff like clothes and all, why doesn’t she (or even Vie’s rich friends like Austin or Emmett) buy him a cell phone?? Or even a pre-paid phone? This book takes place in 2017, not the Middle Ages.
Anyways, I do love the series and the characters, which is why I feel so strongly about so much. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also have complaints. I’m interested to see what the next book brings since it‘s the longest at nearly 600 pages. I feel like I’ll still be in denial about who Vie ends up with, but I hope Vie and Austin can have an uneventful and peaceful homecoming together.
July 31, 2021
Let's get the big thing out of the way first : I had let Ashe off the hook up until this point regarding a few inconsistencies in this series, mostly because at the time I thought there might be an explanation later revealed, but there wasn't, but this most recent one.. I can't let go. Near the beginning of the book the current couple get into an argument over whether or not Vie even likes him -- and in talking it over with the other member of the sorta-love triangle, he admits that he hasn't put it into words, or admitted that he loves him.
Except there was a whole big love speech at the end of book two. So like.. what? I'm so confused. I honestly thought this would turn into a big denial thing or trying to play it off as something else but nope, it was as if it had never happened. Most of the other bits? I could ignore. They were pretty minor editing things but between that and the weird time inconsistencies in this one? Supposedly days after book two but then the phrase "a few weeks" would get thrown around.. well, yeah, I had to say something.
That said, I am still somehow really really enjoying this world. Like, I shouldn't be surprised, I obviously am seriously hooked on this author, but honestly, other than the side eye over the Big Villain (who is now Slightly Less Big Villain because we have a bigger one to contend with), I have really loved how he's unraveled and unveiled this paranormal world. It's so much more than I expected it would be after book one. There were even some non-paranormal reveals and twists to this one that I appreciated because I definitely thought things had gone sideways with a certain member of law enforcement, and I was sad about that, but then things worked out okay. Phew.
Also, this particular Scooby Gang gets a few new members in each book and I'm so here for an ensemble friend group; bonus points when there's a few awkward dynamics and not everything is sunshine and rainbows (though I love those kinds of groups, too). I'm also really here for Vie being called out on his softness all the time. I love that. I love that he has these friends, these people who love him, and his relationship with Sara might be my new favourite thing, even moreso than his relationship with Becca, because.. well. He deserves that.
Still mad about the ages though. I did promise I wasn't going to get over it; and I won't.
Except there was a whole big love speech at the end of book two. So like.. what? I'm so confused. I honestly thought this would turn into a big denial thing or trying to play it off as something else but nope, it was as if it had never happened. Most of the other bits? I could ignore. They were pretty minor editing things but between that and the weird time inconsistencies in this one? Supposedly days after book two but then the phrase "a few weeks" would get thrown around.. well, yeah, I had to say something.
That said, I am still somehow really really enjoying this world. Like, I shouldn't be surprised, I obviously am seriously hooked on this author, but honestly, other than the side eye over the Big Villain (who is now Slightly Less Big Villain because we have a bigger one to contend with), I have really loved how he's unraveled and unveiled this paranormal world. It's so much more than I expected it would be after book one. There were even some non-paranormal reveals and twists to this one that I appreciated because I definitely thought things had gone sideways with a certain member of law enforcement, and I was sad about that, but then things worked out okay. Phew.
Also, this particular Scooby Gang gets a few new members in each book and I'm so here for an ensemble friend group; bonus points when there's a few awkward dynamics and not everything is sunshine and rainbows (though I love those kinds of groups, too). I'm also really here for Vie being called out on his softness all the time. I love that. I love that he has these friends, these people who love him, and his relationship with Sara might be my new favourite thing, even moreso than his relationship with Becca, because.. well. He deserves that.
Still mad about the ages though. I did promise I wasn't going to get over it; and I won't.
August 23, 2020
4,5/5
Après ma lecture du deuxième tome, j'ai du enchaîner avec la suite, impossible de ne pas faire autrement ! Difficile également de poser ce roman... j'ai du me résoudre à fermer ma liseuse à deux heures du matin car mes yeux se suivaient plus, c'est dire lol
Dans ce troisième tome, la tension monte d'un cran au-dessus, c'est le moins que l'on puisse dire.
Je me suis sentie encore plus proche de Vie, où on ressent encore plus sa fragilité. Mon dieu, quand je pense à certains passages, un en particulier où il est question de cicatrices, me retourne complètement. Ce passage est sublime et est, je pense, un moment clé pour ces deux jeunes hommes dont il est question.
Je me suis sentie plus proche aussi du couple formé par Vie et Austin. J'ai eu l'impression de réellement voir Austin, voir vraiment son envie de se rapprocher de Vie, même si par moment il est agacé par son comportement. Jusqu'au deuxième tome, même si j'aimais la relation entre Vie et Austin, je sentais Vie plus en phase avec Emmett, comme si lui seul pouvait le comprendre. Gregory Ashe m'a prouvé l'inverse ici. J'ai tellement aimé Austin !
Que dire d'Emmett ? J'avais autant envie de le prendre dans mes bras que de le secouer par moment ! C'est un personnage tellement intéressant, intriguant. Je suis plus que ravie que l'auteur ait décidé d'en faire un spin-off !
Les personnages secondaires sont aussi bien développés et présents, même ceux qu'on ne croyait plus voir ^^ Mention particulière aussi pour Sara, sa délicatesse et tendresse envers Vie est belle à voir.
Concernant le(s) mystère(s), tout va tellement plus loin ! En fait, tout part dans tous les sens, de l'action, des rebondissements. Fantômes, pouvoirs, révélations, bon/mauvais flics, kidnappings, trafic de drogues et autres... C'est incroyable ce qu'il se passe dans cette petite ville en l'espace de peu de temps et donc en quelques pages.
Si jusqu'à présent, je lisais « tranquillement » les péripéties de Vie et de sa petite bande, ce tome-ci m'a vraiment scotchée, tant au niveau de l'histoire que dans le développement des personnages et de la psychologie. Bref, encore du grand Gregory Ashe !
Après ma lecture du deuxième tome, j'ai du enchaîner avec la suite, impossible de ne pas faire autrement ! Difficile également de poser ce roman... j'ai du me résoudre à fermer ma liseuse à deux heures du matin car mes yeux se suivaient plus, c'est dire lol
Dans ce troisième tome, la tension monte d'un cran au-dessus, c'est le moins que l'on puisse dire.
Je me suis sentie encore plus proche de Vie, où on ressent encore plus sa fragilité. Mon dieu, quand je pense à certains passages, un en particulier où il est question de cicatrices, me retourne complètement. Ce passage est sublime et est, je pense, un moment clé pour ces deux jeunes hommes dont il est question.
Je me suis sentie plus proche aussi du couple formé par Vie et Austin. J'ai eu l'impression de réellement voir Austin, voir vraiment son envie de se rapprocher de Vie, même si par moment il est agacé par son comportement. Jusqu'au deuxième tome, même si j'aimais la relation entre Vie et Austin, je sentais Vie plus en phase avec Emmett, comme si lui seul pouvait le comprendre. Gregory Ashe m'a prouvé l'inverse ici. J'ai tellement aimé Austin !
Que dire d'Emmett ? J'avais autant envie de le prendre dans mes bras que de le secouer par moment ! C'est un personnage tellement intéressant, intriguant. Je suis plus que ravie que l'auteur ait décidé d'en faire un spin-off !
Les personnages secondaires sont aussi bien développés et présents, même ceux qu'on ne croyait plus voir ^^ Mention particulière aussi pour Sara, sa délicatesse et tendresse envers Vie est belle à voir.
Concernant le(s) mystère(s), tout va tellement plus loin ! En fait, tout part dans tous les sens, de l'action, des rebondissements. Fantômes, pouvoirs, révélations, bon/mauvais flics, kidnappings, trafic de drogues et autres... C'est incroyable ce qu'il se passe dans cette petite ville en l'espace de peu de temps et donc en quelques pages.
Si jusqu'à présent, je lisais « tranquillement » les péripéties de Vie et de sa petite bande, ce tome-ci m'a vraiment scotchée, tant au niveau de l'histoire que dans le développement des personnages et de la psychologie. Bref, encore du grand Gregory Ashe !
July 29, 2020
5 Stars!
And it keeps getting better! My favorite so far!
ALL the emotions in this one. It broke my heart and then put it back together. There is so much happening that I read this in one day because I could not put it down. I finished it about 4am this morning then started the 4th and last book right away. But eventually daylight shown and I had to force myself to sleep some. The struggle was real y'all. But man I really enjoyed this one. From the mystery to all the feels that were happening between Austin and Vie. I said in my last review that I wanted Austin to be Vie's forever and this book just sealed that for me. I LOVE them together. Their relationship sprouted some major wings in this book and took flight into the we are official and serious and there might have been 3 words that were spoken. Maybe... I'm not a spoiler which makes writing reviews a struggle sometimes.
With this book we really get deep into the mystery of what has been happening in this town and it goes back way further than when Vie showed up in this small town. It's about so much more than his ability and Mr. Big Empty. There are dirty cops, human trafficking, kidnappings, and drugs running through the small town of Vehpese. And this one really leaves you wondering who you can trust; if this person is truly wanting to help Vie or if they are conspiring against him. It's really hard to tell with some of them. Which just shows how great the writing and story-telling is. All I know is that this one totally had me hooked.
Vie really gets vulnerable in this book. He's been a bit vulnerable in previous ones, but this one, he really knocks all his walls down for Austin. It was like I had been holding my breath the whole time and finally let it out when he told Austin about his scars. It was a pivotal moment in the book and for them in their relationship. They had some really great moments in this one. Some other great moments come from Sara. I adore her and what she is doing for Vie. He lets his guard down for her too and boy does it make this gal a bit emotional when he does with her. He tells her about his past and she handles it with care and love and doesn't make him feel ashamed. There are so many monumental moments for Vie in this book which is why I think it is my favorite. So far... lol.
The ending was AWESOME!!! So much happened and so many showed up to fight the good fight. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading that ending. I do mean literally. I about fell off my recliner I scooted so far up in it, lol. I'm a klutz on my best day so.. Anyway, I was completely enthralled and glued to the pages. I was tense with anticipation on how it would all end. I was thrilled when a certain someone met their end. I was also a bit scared one of the characters I love was going to be taken out. Told you. Totally on the edge of my seat read.
I honestly can't imagine how much more Vie can endure. But he's strong and one of the most complicated and loving characters I have read in a long time and I am gonna be very sad when I finish the next book knowing his story will be coming to an end.
If you haven't read this series I HIGHLY recommend you do. I can't believe it has taken me this long to get to them. I'm so thankful Greg sent me copies to read so I have a better understanding when I read his upcoming book, Ember Boys.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
And it keeps getting better! My favorite so far!
ALL the emotions in this one. It broke my heart and then put it back together. There is so much happening that I read this in one day because I could not put it down. I finished it about 4am this morning then started the 4th and last book right away. But eventually daylight shown and I had to force myself to sleep some. The struggle was real y'all. But man I really enjoyed this one. From the mystery to all the feels that were happening between Austin and Vie. I said in my last review that I wanted Austin to be Vie's forever and this book just sealed that for me. I LOVE them together. Their relationship sprouted some major wings in this book and took flight into the we are official and serious and there might have been 3 words that were spoken. Maybe... I'm not a spoiler which makes writing reviews a struggle sometimes.
With this book we really get deep into the mystery of what has been happening in this town and it goes back way further than when Vie showed up in this small town. It's about so much more than his ability and Mr. Big Empty. There are dirty cops, human trafficking, kidnappings, and drugs running through the small town of Vehpese. And this one really leaves you wondering who you can trust; if this person is truly wanting to help Vie or if they are conspiring against him. It's really hard to tell with some of them. Which just shows how great the writing and story-telling is. All I know is that this one totally had me hooked.
Vie really gets vulnerable in this book. He's been a bit vulnerable in previous ones, but this one, he really knocks all his walls down for Austin. It was like I had been holding my breath the whole time and finally let it out when he told Austin about his scars. It was a pivotal moment in the book and for them in their relationship. They had some really great moments in this one. Some other great moments come from Sara. I adore her and what she is doing for Vie. He lets his guard down for her too and boy does it make this gal a bit emotional when he does with her. He tells her about his past and she handles it with care and love and doesn't make him feel ashamed. There are so many monumental moments for Vie in this book which is why I think it is my favorite. So far... lol.
The ending was AWESOME!!! So much happened and so many showed up to fight the good fight. I was literally on the edge of my seat reading that ending. I do mean literally. I about fell off my recliner I scooted so far up in it, lol. I'm a klutz on my best day so.. Anyway, I was completely enthralled and glued to the pages. I was tense with anticipation on how it would all end. I was thrilled when a certain someone met their end. I was also a bit scared one of the characters I love was going to be taken out. Told you. Totally on the edge of my seat read.
I honestly can't imagine how much more Vie can endure. But he's strong and one of the most complicated and loving characters I have read in a long time and I am gonna be very sad when I finish the next book knowing his story will be coming to an end.
If you haven't read this series I HIGHLY recommend you do. I can't believe it has taken me this long to get to them. I'm so thankful Greg sent me copies to read so I have a better understanding when I read his upcoming book, Ember Boys.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2020
4.5 Stars
April 2, 2020
Actual rating: 4,5
This was my favourite book in the series so far, I guess.
You know these books, where you think you got everything figured out? Well, let me tell you, that I never figure anything out in this series. 😂 It’s always a huge surprise for me. This book was no different. Total mindfuckery and these new superpower elements...omg!
I loved Vies character development in this one which lead to his relationship to grow, which I very much approve off. (Austin Fan since book 1!!!)
But can you please finally stop hurting him Mister Ashe?! That would be nice, thanks.
I’m fearing the worst for the last book...I don’t want to read it....
This was my favourite book in the series so far, I guess.
You know these books, where you think you got everything figured out? Well, let me tell you, that I never figure anything out in this series. 😂 It’s always a huge surprise for me. This book was no different. Total mindfuckery and these new superpower elements...omg!
I loved Vies character development in this one which lead to his relationship to grow, which I very much approve off. (Austin Fan since book 1!!!)
But can you please finally stop hurting him Mister Ashe?! That would be nice, thanks.
I’m fearing the worst for the last book...I don’t want to read it....
May 7, 2018
Vie attracts danger like a giant magnet pulling in a thousand sharpened knives all narrowing into a bulls-eye. There is simply no rest for him as he prepares to take on an ancient evil and it's insanely deadly minions.They all want him alive which maybe worse than death.
August 8, 2025
Best of the series thus far. While the overarching crime/ paranormal arc is still incredibly grim, Vie being in a supportive foster home means he is no longer subjected to the kind of prolonged, relentless physical and emotional abuse that he suffered in books 1 and 2, making it good-harrowing rather than "my god, stop"-harrowing. The ties Vie made, however reluctantly and tentatively, in the first two books -- especially with Becca, who shone in book 2 and is a steady, somewhat under-used presence in this installment -- are deepening and, while Vie remains at some level unconvinced that they can be real and lasting, are at least giving him support and comfort. We finally get some explanation as to what's going on with all the disappearances and all these powers, and we get some much-needed clarity on some of the more baffling parts of book 2 (concerning River's powers). And we see many of the more peripheral characters coming together to face this threat (and their own demons), although we end with the feeling that Vie, still, stands very much alone.
This would have been a five-star read were the Vie-Austin relationship better developed. Maybe this is just me not preferring love triangles, but I feel like GA finds Emmett a much more compelling character -- he is a much more compelling character! -- while Austin just seems dull by comparison. (Also, a lingering pet peeve from book 2: you can't give someone endless shit for missing your birthday IF YOU NEVER TELL THEM IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! Seriously, people are acting like this is the worst crime ever committed, but literally no one actually gave Vie, the new guy in town, the GUY WITH NO PHONE AND LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS, a head's up about it, so they can cut the crap. Also, the fishing thing felt very, "I'm gonna make you do this new thing you've never done before that's going to make you extremely self-conscious, even though I know you hate being observed, and then get annoyed when you're not thrilled about it" passive-aggressive. Vie. You can do better.) I just feel like we're being told the whole time how great Austin is and how much Vie loves him, but there's no spark there -- we just have to take it on trust, and I'm not convinced. And I don't think it's down to GA writing fade-to-black: for one, Holloway Holmes was also ftb, and those two had HEAT; and for the other, Emmett and Vie have had way better chemistry the entire time, and they haven't had sex. To me, this reads as a case of an author just clicking better with one of the characters/ love interests than the other, which -- given that Vie and Austin have been together for two whole books now -- makes the whole love geometry exercise a bit of a drag.
So: in an inversion of my usual GA reading, I am way more into the crime and pnr bits than the romance bits. Still obsessively reading this straight through, but oh, how I wish the romance arc was better.
This would have been a five-star read were the Vie-Austin relationship better developed. Maybe this is just me not preferring love triangles, but I feel like GA finds Emmett a much more compelling character -- he is a much more compelling character! -- while Austin just seems dull by comparison. (Also, a lingering pet peeve from book 2: you can't give someone endless shit for missing your birthday IF YOU NEVER TELL THEM IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! Seriously, people are acting like this is the worst crime ever committed, but literally no one actually gave Vie, the new guy in town, the GUY WITH NO PHONE AND LIMITED INTERNET ACCESS, a head's up about it, so they can cut the crap. Also, the fishing thing felt very, "I'm gonna make you do this new thing you've never done before that's going to make you extremely self-conscious, even though I know you hate being observed, and then get annoyed when you're not thrilled about it" passive-aggressive. Vie. You can do better.) I just feel like we're being told the whole time how great Austin is and how much Vie loves him, but there's no spark there -- we just have to take it on trust, and I'm not convinced. And I don't think it's down to GA writing fade-to-black: for one, Holloway Holmes was also ftb, and those two had HEAT; and for the other, Emmett and Vie have had way better chemistry the entire time, and they haven't had sex. To me, this reads as a case of an author just clicking better with one of the characters/ love interests than the other, which -- given that Vie and Austin have been together for two whole books now -- makes the whole love geometry exercise a bit of a drag.
So: in an inversion of my usual GA reading, I am way more into the crime and pnr bits than the romance bits. Still obsessively reading this straight through, but oh, how I wish the romance arc was better.
June 16, 2018
yeah ok this series has totally consumed me for the past three days - the last time this happened was with Foxhole Court.
I said in my first review that this reminded me of FC and it still does: it is in the characters and their growth, it is in the not skirting the dark and real problems the MC is facing, it is in the difficult development of relationships that are more like pulling teeth than growing friendly. On the other hand the mistery, the thriller aspect reminded me of I Hunt Killers, another favourite of mine: in the tight plot, in "the what, shit that didn't happen and the who? what?" moments and the building up to what we think is a solution and then it isn't.
I am hoping there are more books in this: it doesn't end on a cliffhanger but most certainly on a whole lot of more coming Vie and Austin's way.
Two things:
1- there were throughout the series some mispellings that kind of took from the general enjoyment of the story. Sometimes Emmet and Austin became interchangeable and that irritated me. When a story is this brilliant I find that I am less inclined to forgive the incorrect spellings etc
2- this series is tagged M/M romance: this is misleading. This series is suspense/thriller/mistery/supernatural/coming of age - there are romantic developments but they serve as countepart to the actual story but to tag this romance is somewhat reductive.
I would also underline that Ashe manages to accomplish what many m/m authors do not: he wrote a thriller/suspense novel whose characters orientation is just who they are: two boys in love with each other who navigate the hurdles in the plot and grow together without the fact that they are both boys being turned into a spectacle.
I highly recommend this series and I do hope there's more to come
I said in my first review that this reminded me of FC and it still does: it is in the characters and their growth, it is in the not skirting the dark and real problems the MC is facing, it is in the difficult development of relationships that are more like pulling teeth than growing friendly. On the other hand the mistery, the thriller aspect reminded me of I Hunt Killers, another favourite of mine: in the tight plot, in "the what, shit that didn't happen and the who? what?" moments and the building up to what we think is a solution and then it isn't.
I am hoping there are more books in this: it doesn't end on a cliffhanger but most certainly on a whole lot of more coming Vie and Austin's way.
Two things:
1- there were throughout the series some mispellings that kind of took from the general enjoyment of the story. Sometimes Emmet and Austin became interchangeable and that irritated me. When a story is this brilliant I find that I am less inclined to forgive the incorrect spellings etc
2- this series is tagged M/M romance: this is misleading. This series is suspense/thriller/mistery/supernatural/coming of age - there are romantic developments but they serve as countepart to the actual story but to tag this romance is somewhat reductive.
I would also underline that Ashe manages to accomplish what many m/m authors do not: he wrote a thriller/suspense novel whose characters orientation is just who they are: two boys in love with each other who navigate the hurdles in the plot and grow together without the fact that they are both boys being turned into a spectacle.
I highly recommend this series and I do hope there's more to come
May 6, 2023
A sample of the gorgeous writing: “But mostly, I thought about Austin. I thought about his mussed hair and his calfskin Oxfords and his eyes like the ocean in a beer commercial. I thought about how he hummed One Direction songs when he thought I wasn’t listening. I thought about how he didn’t like baseball but pretended that he did, and about how the calluses on his hands felt against the bare skin of my chest, and how he had looked at my private scorecard of burns and scars and told me that he thought I was beautiful. And I thought about how I loved him, loved him so that it ate up all my breath like a fire, loved him so that it set pins and needles in my skin”
February 2023. Book 3 in the MM paranormal romance mystery series about a depressed psychic teen investigating missing persons’ cases that are always more than they seem and struggling to manage his relationships and get tthough the day.
Another gorgeously written, emotionally wrought, dark, and sometimes funny novel in the series. While the mystery and related crimes are the darkest yet, the main character is in a much better place both physically and emotionally, and there’s some great emotional and character growth in this one.
Can’t wait to read the 4th one, maybe Sunday when I have time to recover from it. Read this one in paperback from the library (I requested the whole series), as this series isn’t available in audiobook.
“The Dust Feast” by Gregory Ashe. Book 3 of 4 in Hollow Folk.
February 2023. Book 3 in the MM paranormal romance mystery series about a depressed psychic teen investigating missing persons’ cases that are always more than they seem and struggling to manage his relationships and get tthough the day.
Another gorgeously written, emotionally wrought, dark, and sometimes funny novel in the series. While the mystery and related crimes are the darkest yet, the main character is in a much better place both physically and emotionally, and there’s some great emotional and character growth in this one.
Can’t wait to read the 4th one, maybe Sunday when I have time to recover from it. Read this one in paperback from the library (I requested the whole series), as this series isn’t available in audiobook.
“The Dust Feast” by Gregory Ashe. Book 3 of 4 in Hollow Folk.
December 27, 2019
~ 4.5 stars ~
Trigger warnings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Secret Santa is so, so awesome!! I woke up this morning to find this book in my inbox and now the series is complete and I can start reading it :)
Thank you so much!!
Trigger warnings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Secret Santa is so, so awesome!! I woke up this morning to find this book in my inbox and now the series is complete and I can start reading it :)
Thank you so much!!
April 21, 2020
this one was intense and dramatic but I loved it
November 14, 2020
This has definitely been my favourite instalment so far. All the action towards the end was brilliant, and I’m happy to see Vie opening up to Austin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2023
RTC when I figure out what I just read 😵💫😵💫😵💫
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
TWs: Suicide, Murder, cutting/self harm. Graphic violence and homophobia
Vie in a nutshell
“I’d spent the last sixteen years trying to survive. I hadn’t grown up with time to go fishing, or with time to learn how to ride horses, or with any of that.”
This book was BRUTAL. Honestly, how much can Vie endure? It’s almost cartoonish at this point, all the violence happening against him.
He should trust no one.
You learn more about Vie’s past with Gage and his time in Oklahoma. We learn more about Sara and her past and how it intersects with future events. This gets into the background of why this town is so fucked up. Dystopian to the extreme.
This is like Veronica Mars meets Supernatural. A mystery with lots of death and destruction.
Off to read Book 4 which maybe was afterthought book because there’s a 2 year time gap in writing time. 🧐🧐🧐
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
TWs: Suicide, Murder, cutting/self harm. Graphic violence and homophobia
Vie in a nutshell
“I’d spent the last sixteen years trying to survive. I hadn’t grown up with time to go fishing, or with time to learn how to ride horses, or with any of that.”
This book was BRUTAL. Honestly, how much can Vie endure? It’s almost cartoonish at this point, all the violence happening against him.
He should trust no one.
You learn more about Vie’s past with Gage and his time in Oklahoma. We learn more about Sara and her past and how it intersects with future events. This gets into the background of why this town is so fucked up. Dystopian to the extreme.
This is like Veronica Mars meets Supernatural. A mystery with lots of death and destruction.
Off to read Book 4 which maybe was afterthought book because there’s a 2 year time gap in writing time. 🧐🧐🧐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
Omg the cliffhangers on these books are killing me, y'all. I feel bad for all those who read these books while they were released and am blessed to be able to pick up the next one immediately to read.
So good, so scary.
Also, the rather overarching theme that "love conquers all"? Wasn't expecting that, but do sort of adore it.
One of the things I love most about GA's stories is the character growth. And while, yes, Vie still has so many issues that he needs a passel of therapists for the rest of his life, he -- and the others -- have grown so much since the first book.
Per previous books, this one was still super dark. The locker scene about 38% through between Vie and Austin almost eviscerated me. And the trafficking themes were especially horrifying.
One more go...I'm both excited and terrified lol.
So good, so scary.
Also, the rather overarching theme that "love conquers all"? Wasn't expecting that, but do sort of adore it.
One of the things I love most about GA's stories is the character growth. And while, yes, Vie still has so many issues that he needs a passel of therapists for the rest of his life, he -- and the others -- have grown so much since the first book.
Per previous books, this one was still super dark. The locker scene about 38% through between Vie and Austin almost eviscerated me. And the trafficking themes were especially horrifying.
One more go...I'm both excited and terrified lol.
December 5, 2019
‘‘The calluses on Austin’s palms were familiar now. In at least one way, they were like my personal tally of scars: they were a sign of the places we had been, the things we had done, the people we had become.’’
This one hurts. A lot. But because this book is brutally dark and full of angst, the sweet moments were much more tender and made me so damn happy. I’ll say it again and again but I freaking love Vie.
This one hurts. A lot. But because this book is brutally dark and full of angst, the sweet moments were much more tender and made me so damn happy. I’ll say it again and again but I freaking love Vie.
May 2, 2021
This book did not work for me as well as the previous ones. I did like some points in the story but I ad issues with others. I also found the V/A/E thing a bit tiring and the end felt like a scene from an "X Man" movie.
I will continue to book #4
I will continue to book #4
June 18, 2024
2024: 5.0
M/M, Bi
Okay I’m not fancy with the gifs, so instead I want you to use your imagination
Remember that scene from the Endgame when The Collector is doing those weird little claps and shouting “Magnificent!”?
That is all
M/M, Bi
Okay I’m not fancy with the gifs, so instead I want you to use your imagination
Remember that scene from the Endgame when The Collector is doing those weird little claps and shouting “Magnificent!”?
That is all
August 26, 2021
определённо моя самая любимая часть из серии 💀💀
August 19, 2020
Just as good as the previous books, but noticeably more typos than usual for Gregory Ashe.
May 7, 2020
All the Inside Howling (Hollow Folk #2)
The Dust Feast (Hollow Folk #3)
by Gregory Ashe
**********************************
4 stars
Both books are long (338 pgs, 567 pgs respectively), but the stories kept me engaged. Book #2 took a bit to get going, but don’t give up on it!
Vie-alongside bf Austin and friends Becca, Emmet, & Kaden-continues his quest for Mr. Big Empty. And he’s getting answers. But with more answers, more questions emerge. And Vie often gets himself in near-death situations!
If you enjoy YA, paranormal mysteries with romantic elements and a variety of entertaining secondary characters, this series is definitely for you.
The Dust Feast (Hollow Folk #3)
by Gregory Ashe
**********************************
4 stars
Both books are long (338 pgs, 567 pgs respectively), but the stories kept me engaged. Book #2 took a bit to get going, but don’t give up on it!
Vie-alongside bf Austin and friends Becca, Emmet, & Kaden-continues his quest for Mr. Big Empty. And he’s getting answers. But with more answers, more questions emerge. And Vie often gets himself in near-death situations!
If you enjoy YA, paranormal mysteries with romantic elements and a variety of entertaining secondary characters, this series is definitely for you.
September 12, 2022
Well holy SHIT.
Ummm. What are coherent thoughts.
This series is just epic. I love when hindsight kicks your ass… cause Jesus.
Ummm. What are coherent thoughts.
This series is just epic. I love when hindsight kicks your ass… cause Jesus.
May 25, 2018
Strange things are afoot in Vehpese, Wyoming. And Vie Eliot might just be one of them. So, so much is revealed in The Dust Feast, book three in the Hollow Folk series, enough that I thought it was going to end in a trilogy, but just when I believed Gregory Ashe was going to wrap things up—boom baby!—he introduced something so mysterious and sinister that I’m feasting on the anticipation of the next book in this stellar series. As it turns out, Mr. Big Empty…isn’t Vie’s most formidable adversary.
The return of two girls, both of whom were presumed dead, is the catalyst for everything that comes after their dramatic return to Vehpese. Their miraculous reappearance went a long way in restoring Emmett Bradley’s rep—since he was under suspicion for their disappearances—but their return isn’t without its own suspicion. The girls may be playing a deadly game, one wrapped up in murder and corruption and tied together in a horrific web of criminal activity. Vie’s interactions with local entrepreneur and shady character, Lawayne Karkkanew, have only brought him closer to trouble with a capital T, and now Vie is in possession of a damning piece of evidence that someone is willing to kill him for.
One of the most prominent revelations in this installment of the series isn’t that Vehpese is a hotbed of crime, though. It’s that the town appears to be a virtual breeding ground of metaphysical activity, wrapped up in Native American mysticism, and Ashe peels back the thin veneer of a mundane small town to reveal that Vie is not alone in his extraordinary abilities. Now, the greater question may be, how did he ‘become’? And this is what I’ve come to love about this author’s storytelling prowess. There’s always a new element of intrigue. There’s never a dull moment, never a point where the story progresses at an off-pace or takes a wrong turn into unnecessary territory to the whole of the storyline. Every single moment is decisive and becomes another investment in the wholesale of the world Ashe is creating.
The townful of characters in this series is robust and delivers some strong antagonists—some who, by rights, should be the good guys; some who are incorporeal—as well as a system of support that Vie doesn’t always quite know how to manage. I love his best friend, Becca, a computer mastermind who is a significant cog in the story machine, and he’s now found a saving grace in Sara Miller, his foster mother. Vie’s still working out how to be a good boyfriend to Austin—while also trying to figure out the temptation and frustration that is Emmett Bradley. Vie works through some major hurdles in The Dust Feast, makes a significant breakthrough that allows him to tap deeper into his psychic abilities, and while he still grapples with processing his conflicting feelings for two very different boys, he also grows a lot in this book.
Once again, the author puts on full display his propensity for leading readers, with an Ariadne’s thread of narrative, into, around, and through a labyrinth that, in Vehpese, passes for reality. The pivotal climactic scene in this installment of the Hollow Folk series is vividly choreographed, and the newest twist promises to lead to some fruitful storytelling in Ashe’s more than capable hands. This series just continues to get more intriguing with each new revelation, and my fangirling of it grows with each new book I read.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
The return of two girls, both of whom were presumed dead, is the catalyst for everything that comes after their dramatic return to Vehpese. Their miraculous reappearance went a long way in restoring Emmett Bradley’s rep—since he was under suspicion for their disappearances—but their return isn’t without its own suspicion. The girls may be playing a deadly game, one wrapped up in murder and corruption and tied together in a horrific web of criminal activity. Vie’s interactions with local entrepreneur and shady character, Lawayne Karkkanew, have only brought him closer to trouble with a capital T, and now Vie is in possession of a damning piece of evidence that someone is willing to kill him for.
One of the most prominent revelations in this installment of the series isn’t that Vehpese is a hotbed of crime, though. It’s that the town appears to be a virtual breeding ground of metaphysical activity, wrapped up in Native American mysticism, and Ashe peels back the thin veneer of a mundane small town to reveal that Vie is not alone in his extraordinary abilities. Now, the greater question may be, how did he ‘become’? And this is what I’ve come to love about this author’s storytelling prowess. There’s always a new element of intrigue. There’s never a dull moment, never a point where the story progresses at an off-pace or takes a wrong turn into unnecessary territory to the whole of the storyline. Every single moment is decisive and becomes another investment in the wholesale of the world Ashe is creating.
The townful of characters in this series is robust and delivers some strong antagonists—some who, by rights, should be the good guys; some who are incorporeal—as well as a system of support that Vie doesn’t always quite know how to manage. I love his best friend, Becca, a computer mastermind who is a significant cog in the story machine, and he’s now found a saving grace in Sara Miller, his foster mother. Vie’s still working out how to be a good boyfriend to Austin—while also trying to figure out the temptation and frustration that is Emmett Bradley. Vie works through some major hurdles in The Dust Feast, makes a significant breakthrough that allows him to tap deeper into his psychic abilities, and while he still grapples with processing his conflicting feelings for two very different boys, he also grows a lot in this book.
Once again, the author puts on full display his propensity for leading readers, with an Ariadne’s thread of narrative, into, around, and through a labyrinth that, in Vehpese, passes for reality. The pivotal climactic scene in this installment of the Hollow Folk series is vividly choreographed, and the newest twist promises to lead to some fruitful storytelling in Ashe’s more than capable hands. This series just continues to get more intriguing with each new revelation, and my fangirling of it grows with each new book I read.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
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