By Meghan Mazzaferro
Content warning: blood/gore, depression, drug use, off-page suicide, racism, violence
(*Note, an extensive content warning is provided with an author’s note at the beginning of the book, please read before starting the book.)
A Dark and Hollow Star by debut Canadian author Ashley Shuttleworth follows Nausicaa, an exiled ex-Fury bent on causing chaos on Earth to punish her immortal family; Arlo, an iron-born Fae princess rejected by her family for her weak magic and half-human heritage; Aurelian, a royal Fae guard desperate to keep his problematic charge alive and safe from his queen mother’s manipulations; and Vehan, aforementioned problematic charge, whose life of princely privilege hides growing threats to his life. This unlikely group is drawn together by fate (and luck) when iron-born Fae begin to turn up dead, and nobody but them seems to care. A dark conspiracy is at hand, one the immortal gods seem to have a vested interest in, and these four seem to be right at its centre.
The first thing you need to know about this book is that it’s partially set in Toronto and is full of references to Canadian gems like the ROM, Ripley’s Aquarium, Indigo, and Timbits! While some of these landmarks are a bit over-explained for non-Canadian readers, it was super exciting for me as a reader to see references to places I know and love. This book is an urban fantasy, with the world of the Fae woven into our human environment, and Toronto landmarks were a fun way to make the setting feel contemporary. It made the fantastical elements feel even more exciting because they were immersed in a world I recognized.
While the Canadian references are super fun, and the book’s dialogue is very quippy and sarcastic, this is not a light read. I have provided a content warning at the beginning of this review for some of the more prevalent subjects this book discusses, and Ashley Shuttleworth provides a far more thorough explanation of some of the more serious topics the book touches on. Each of the characters struggles with their mental health and traumas they repress and need to work through. I feel Shuttleworth handles these topics respectfully, and I applaud them for prioritizing the health of their readers.
Where this book really shines is the vividness of each of the characters. Every member of the main four, as well as several of the side characters, are distinct and memorable. Their interactions feel genuine, and it’s easy to get invested in their individual stories and to want them to succeed.
Where this book falls a little short was in the mythologies and climax. While much of the Fae government system is easy to follow, and for the most part, the worldbuilding was clear and easily understood, as the book goes on and more elements get introduced, it can become hard to follow, and the merging of several different types of mythology can, at times, trip up the reader. However, this did not take away from my reading experience. The climax, contrarily, did. I won’t go into too much detail, but there was a lack of tension for me, and the characters made some decisions that were very illogical in a frustrating way, which made me feel dissatisfied with the resolution to this particular story.
That being said, this book gave me a brutal book hangover: for three days, I searched the internet for fan art and bonus content for these characters, and, since I read the book before it was officially released, I came up short, which was infuriating! Shuttleworth did such a good job of building an immersive world in a city I recognize, and in crafting characters whose lives and romances I am deeply invested in. While this particular conclusion was a little lacklustre, I am incredibly excited to read the next book in this series, as I feel like this was just a tease of the epic story Shuttleworth has planned for us.
If you are a fan of darker YA, urban fantasy, queer romances, dark faeries, and badass and loveable characters, definitely consider picking up this book. If you’re from Canada, doubly so!