Evocative Romance. Unexpected Evil.

Why I read it:

I picked this book up for two reasons: (1) it was on sale; and (2) I was curious about Amanda Hocking after her meteoric rise in publishing.

What I liked about it:

I really liked how Hocking hit the ground running in this. She writes a good action scene, and there was plenty of action in this book. The world-building was also solid, and I loved the main character, Remy (at least, throughout most of the story), finding her toughness and determination plausible given the circumstances.

What I didn't like:

At about the 3/4 point, the story started to fall apart for me. Hocking had made all her characters more or less three dimensional until that point, but then she introduced a new one who behaved too much like a puppet for my taste, seeming to exist only to help her get the story to where she wanted it to go. The ending itself was a disappointment as well, feeling loose and rushed and not really fitting with Remy's character. The book could have used a heavier copyediting hand as well, especially with regard to misused words.

Final thoughts:

Hollowland was a decent read, and I think Hocking has some serious storytelling potential. I'd be interested in reading her later works (I had the impression this one was from earlier in her career), but I won't be continuing this series.