We Who Hunt the Hollow by Kate Murray
Kate Murray’s debut YA novel We Who Hunt the Hollow is a fast-paced, fun fantasy perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Lynette Noni.
Priscilla lives what looks to be a normal teenage girl life – high-school pressures, the thrill and anxiety of falling for a boy for the first time, and discovering what her role and purpose in life is supposed to be. But juggling all that is complicated when her family are the Hollow Warriors, an order of female monster-hunters, pledged to protect the unprotected. Each warrior is blessed with a superpower, but Priscilla’s turns out to be a curse: she can summon monsters and beasts from beyond our universe. Now she must protect her loved ones not only from these dangers, but also from herself.
I loved how this book had such similar themes to a coming-of-age novel, but for fantasy lovers like me. As Priscilla struggles to discover her identity, she can’t help but compare herself to her family – why are their powers so different to hers? How can she be a hero like them when she seems destined to cause only destruction and chaos? Is this going to ruin her budding romance with long-time crush Bastian?
As a character, Priscilla is deeply relatable, with her honesty, her uncertainty in situations that feel bigger than life itself – in her case that’s true – and her compassion to do whatever possible to protect her family, despite the pain she may cause. We Who Hunt the Hollow is a thrilling read sure to entertain a broad readership. For ages 12+.
