
Legends describe the Maer as savage man-beasts haunting the mountains, their bodies and faces covered with hair. Creatures of unimaginable strength, cunning, and cruelty. Bedtime stories to keep children indoors at night. Soldiers’ tales to frighten new recruits.
It is said the Maer once ruled the Silver Hills, but they have long since passed into oblivion.
This is the story of their return.
Carl, Sinnie, and Finn, companions since childhood, are tasked with bringing a friend’s body home for burial. Along the way, they find there is more to the stories than they ever imagined, and the mountains hold threats even darker than the Maer. What they discover on their journey will change the way they see the world forever.
Travel down Hollow Road to find out which legends are true, and which have been twisted. (taken from Amazon)
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Full of excellent, deep character-growth, The Hollow Road perfectly explains the term, “the joy is in the journey.” Three childhood friends have the somber task of returning their dead friend’s body to his home. At the same time, the friends take it upon themselves to figure out the truth behind some troubling rumors. In essence, most of the book takes place during that journey, and I loved that concept. It’s been way too long since I’ve read a book that plays out like that.
In a way, the plot followed behind the characters. And what characters! They are deep, complex, and ever-evolving. Even Carl, who I loved to dislike for a good chunk of the time, had layers upon layers to his personality. While they were all fantastic to read, my favorite was Finn. He just clicked for me. I also thought it was pretty cool that one of the characters was a circus performer. That’s incredibly creative and unique.
I liked that the magic was less present than in some other fantasies I’ve read recently. It’s there-Finn himself is a mage-in-training-but it’s not flashy or over the top. It’s clear that it is meant to play second fiddle to the characters’ growth, and to the folklore surrounding the Maer themselves. The Maer were fascinating, and I found myself curious about them from the get-go.
The Hollow Road is a slower book, without any unnecessary action beats (not to say there aren’t any, just that each has a purpose). Each scene is written with a goal in mind, and I never felt like the author rambled or wandered from what he wanted to convey.
This book is perfect for readers who like well-rounded characters who grow throughout the story, not only separately but together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.