Early Review – The Hollow Heart (Forgotten Gods, Book 2) by Marie Rutkoski (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: September 14, 2021
ASIN : B08MCZ1ZG6
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Forgotten Gods series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars
“At the end of The Midnight Lie, Nirrim offered up her heart to the god of thieves in order to restore her people’s memories of their city’s history. The Half Kith who once lived imprisoned behind the city’s wall now realize that many among them are powerful. Meanwhile, the person Nirrim once loved most, Sid, has returned to her home country of Herran, where she must navigate the politics of being a rogue princess who has finally agreed to do her duty.
In the Herrani court, rumors begin to grow of a new threat rising across the sea, of magic unleashed on the world, and of a cruel, black-haired queen who can push false memories into your mind, so that you believe your dearest friends to be your enemies.
Sid doesn’t know that this queen is Nirrim, who seeks her revenge against a world that has wronged her. Can Sid save Nirrim from herself? Does Nirrim even want to be saved? As blood is shed and war begins, Sid and Nirrim find that it might not matter what they want…for the gods have their own plans.”
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the Forgotten Gods duology. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley for review.
Thoughts: This was beautifully written and does an excellent job of wrapping up this duology. For most of the book Nirrim and Sid are separate. Nirrim is taking over as empress of her home city but she is ruling without her heart (she bargained her heart away to the god of thieves). Meanwhile, Sid is back home in Herran trying to navigate the promises she made before she left (marriage to the Prince of a neighboring country). When rumors of a dark, cruel queen reach Sid, she can only assume that Nirrim needs her help.
The writing here is stunning. It is also a wonderful story of family, friendship, and love. There is a mystery about why Kestral’s health is failing that Sid has to solve in the first part of the book but much of the story is also about Sid accepting who she is and accepting that her family accepts that. It is heartbreaking to watch Nirrims struggle with making decisions as a ruler when her compassion has literally been stolen from her.
I really enjoyed this. The ending did feel a bit abrupt and incomplete to me. I also was a bit sad that Nirrim and Sid didn’t spend more of the story together. However, this book did an excellent job of wrapping the story up and was a joy to read.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this story. It is a beautifully written story about gods, family, friendship, love, and magic. This book does a wonderful job of wrapping up the series and I would recommend it to those who enjoyed the first book in this duology.
