This is book two of The Hollow series, which is a reverse harem romance tale. The main character is Cal or should I actually say, Calypso. In book one we got to know her as a woman hiding as a man and having to work in the mines, mining for magical stones for the Divines. She took part in the Mating Games to keep her housemate and only true friend, Izzy, safe from any other male predator. She has been rescued by the resistance and gets to know more about Ash and Fox, one a fellow miner and both secretly part of the resistance along with their leader Bear. They don’t trust her very much, especially when she connected with a Divine during the Mating Games. She has somehow ‘bonded’ with this man, called Marcus, and is getting messages from him during her sleep.
To enable the resistance members to trust her, she has asked Marcus to prove he is on her side and won’t betray them. This proof is given to her over a number of nights and will hit the Divines in their main pocket, the delivery of their much needed magical stones from the mines to their cities. Calypso wants to ensure that Izzy is now safe and can find her own true love and happiness for the future. Bear seems to be taking to her, but as the leader, one minute he is burning hot, then almost icy cold, the next. Calypso needs to have a word and doesn’t care that he is the local resistance leader or not, Izzy is far too important to her, to be messed about with.
Calypso’s own relationship gets her closer to Ash and also Fox, with a somewhat unusual first encounter between the sheets. Both are into her, but so is Marcus, as you find out later. Her secret info on the stones deliveries is passed onto Bear and this brings a higher up from the resistance to the secret location. His name is Hawk and he is used to mixing it up with the Divines and high up Hollows and dresses the part. He also has an arrogant manner. He is eying up Calypso and has set his eye on bedding her, but only has a record of one night conquests! Not the sort you want a live long relationship and not someone you should really trust.
The higher ups have decided that Bear’s resistance group should attack all three delivery routes, never mind the human cost that it may bring. Calypso is kept in a separate location, ready to use her magic if needed. Both of her new mates are experiencing some strange events after being with her, but haven’t discussed it with her as yet, not knowing if she is the common denominator. Izzy thankfully is not brought along as a fighter, so Calypso knows she will be safe at least. Ash and Fox both keep their eyes on Calypso as the first delivery is hijacked, but they all come away fairly unhurt. They are not so lucky on the second hijacking event. It seems the news of a mole within their resistance group has been true and they have fallen prey to the mole’s actions.
Someone is going to be hurt and Calypso is beginning to believe it might be her! Her magic is now a well-known fact within the resistance and although many other Hollow’s are quite at the step of trusting her fully, the fact Ash, Fox and Bear do, is all she requires to continue in this new world and in her new identity as Calypso rather than as Cal. She may not be completely comfortable in her new role and the clothing that is sometimes pushed on her, but she is getting used to it. She still needs to learn more about her magic and requires Marcus’s help to train her, if he will. Their last communication is cut short and Calypso doesn’t get the warning e is trying to pass to her. The fate of them all is up to chance and their own determination to survive. Events will not go as they wish and they will be left to pick up the pieces.
There is certainly some multiple reverse harem romance going on in this episode of the series and there are even a couple more to add to her sign-up sheet! Whether she will fall for any others is up to the next book to divulge to readers, I guess. There are hints at what is to come and Marcus no doubt has a tricky job to do. I look forward to what Ash and Fox do next and how they will get back together with Calypso. How many of the resistance have been killed in their latest foray is unknown, so matters will be intense for those who have survived. Another interesting read for this series and can’t wait for the next to see what happens! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the books above.