Synopsis:
Emiliya (Miya) Delathorne is a twenty-year-old University student who has lived all her life in Black Hollow in British Columbia. She doesn't know what to expect from her life and is amused and equally scared of the supernatural stories that have forever floated around her town. Stories of an unknown entity, the Dreamwalker, who happens to kidnap young girls, release them, but who are later found dead. Miya fears for her own life when she sees some shadows that usually announce the Dreamwalker's impending arrival.

Kai Donovan wakes up next to the body of a dead girl he's pretty sure he didn't kill. It's a cycle he can't seem to escape, always waking up to dead bodies, without any knowledge of how he got there in the first place. But the voice never leaves him, egging him on to be more vicious.

Dr Mason Evans, an oncologist from Vancouver, specifically reaches the quaint little town of Black Hollow to escape the demons that were haunting him. A patient of his had died due to his decisions and he wanted a quiet retreat. But as soon as he arrives in Black Hollow, he becomes obsessed with the supernatural of the town and wants to solve its mysteries.

What happens when these three, in their own way, try to encounter the fable that has haunted the town for centuries?

Review:
Narrated in the third-person, the story follows from the perspectives of the three main characters – Miya, Kai, and Mason – trying to make sense of their world. I am a vampire girl, through and through, but I think I just fell in love with a wolf too. [a:A.J. Vrana|19346638|A.J. Vrana|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1569258439p2/19346638.jpg] has created a beautifully haunting world in The Hollow Gods, her debut book.

Stories aren’t told to convey the facts. They’re told to convey the truth.

Book One of The Chaos Cycle, this had a plausible ending. But Mia, Kai, and Mason’s journey are still left. Mia reads the cards perfectly, but even that isn’t able to help set her life straight. She’s indecisive as to what to do in her life, who to be, and having spotted and helped the last girl to have been taken by the Dreamwalker, she feels compelled to investigate the mystery surrounding it.

Little Red Riding Hood had more teeth than the Big Bad Wolf.

I loved Kai, the way his character was shaped up, and the mystery surrounding him. And I am always on the lookout for a little bit of romance on the side and this story was just perfect for me. Mia and Kai were like a dream but with the necessary snark and adequate bite. Yes, I am all for wolfish references! The revelations toward the end, whether it be the history of the backstory, all served to make the book more interesting!

The rich thrived at the expense of the poor; industry thrived at the expense of nature.

It was quite a bit philosophical. Through the character of Mason, the author touched upon human nature and its fallacies as well as the persistent search for truth. While staying true to his character, everything Mason thought seemed to relate to our real world as well. Our doubts and need for facts.

Sure, he thought humans were parasites scourging the earth, but the idea of kicking the bucket on the point of principle was so…human.

The titles are so apt. You will know when you read the book. Especially the series title, which is cyclical in nature. A fable which has been circulating the town since 1868, driving the townsfolk crazy with a seemingly sinister presence. A story so atmospheric, an ending which kept me glued to the pages, this is a must-read for the fans of the supernatural. I eagerly look forward to what Book Two has in store for us.

P.S. The Chaos Cycle Website is a treasure trove of information related to the series.

Thank you to The Parliament House Press for an e-ARC of the book.

Originally posted on:
Shaina's Musings