Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - These Hollow Vows

Okay hear me out: I know, objectively, this is not very good. The writing is very lackluster and repetitive and the book as a whole lacked editing. BUT if you have a fairy world fantasy itch that can’t seem to get scratched, this will do it. I really enjoyed this, despite the predicability and eye-roll worthy protagonist. It’s fun! So sue me. You get exactly what you expect, in my humble opinion.
Side note: there are a lot ( a LOT ) of reviews calling this an ACOTAR rip off and, while there are some minor similarities, I don’t feel that way at all. Sorry not sorry.

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kirstenf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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japanasi's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

the storyline isn’t super original (reminded me a lot of the acotar series) and the writing isn’t.. particularly good
it also features the typical YA love triangle trope that isn’t a triangle but the “MC has two love interests she can’t choose between” which is always a bit trying
the world building falls flat, and it’s definitely a romance novel first, with a dash of fantasy. but despite all this, I kind of liked it, it was fun to read

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katvou's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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bookishflower's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This is a shameless a court of thorns and roses fan fiction, don’t believe me? You have the blond, spring prince and the dark, tattooed, dream wandering, shadow prince both fighting over the chosen one human girl who must free the lands from a curse. And surprise, surprise,

Sebastian/Tamlin is manipulative and evil.

Whatever team you’re on, I’m team single Brie! Give her a villain arc, let her

steal back her crown and get her revenge on everyone who manipulated her. Subvert the genre.

. The representation isn’t great, and the description of the goblins errs on problematic (while this is historic and not a new invention by Ryan, not researching the history of antisemitism in depictions of goblins-especially after the discussions around j.k. Row*ing-feels sloppy). (However, I should add I am not a Jewish reviewer and you should always listen to own voice reviewers. If I am wrong please correct me). That being acknowledged, this is a fun guilty pleasure book, perfect for fans of acotar and those looking to get out of a reading slump.

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soundlysmitten's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I didn’t catch big feelings for this book. It’s been compared to both The Cruel Prince and ACOTAR, and while I can see some similarities in the story line, this one fell a bit flat for me. Not to say it’ll put you to sleep—I actually found it relatively entertaining, but I felt like I could easily put it down after two or three chapters at a time.

For one thing, the world building isn’t very impressive. But I suppose readers are given as much as possible, considering the main character is new to the world herself, confined to few places, and kept in the dark about much. The real let down for me was that I struggled to connect with Brie and I wasn’t into any of her love interests either. I found one of them sappy (but sus) and the other arrogantly sus. As for the plot, I saw the big revelation coming early on and I’m usually wrong about those things... but I did like the way the book ends because it sets the stage for a more compelling installment to follow.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend These Hollow Vows, but if you‘re into YA fantasy and love triangles, it might be worth the read. Your experience could be the opposite of mine!

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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

If you are a fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses then you will definitely like this because there are a lot of similarities.

I enjoyed this and it was kind of addicting even though I had issues with parts of it. The main character was great but I wasn't a fan of the love interests. The plot was entertaining but a bit predictable. The writing was pretty good! I will definitely continue the series but also don't think it will be a new favorite unless the sequel gets a lot better.

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