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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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  • Home
  • NAVIGATION
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
  • MISC
    • MUSIC MONDAY
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • RELEASE BLITZ & GIVEAWAYS
    • COVER REVEAL
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    • Reviews A-Z
  • About + Ratings
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Archives

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  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: The Boy Who Chased After His Shadow by Jeff Jacobson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 7, 2021 / No Comments
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    COVER REVEAL: Wishes For Rohi by K.L. Hiers (Giveaway)

    February 12, 2021

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Sorcerer’s Guardian (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 15, 2020

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Absolving Ash by Chantal Mer (Giveaway)

    April 9, 2020
  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: Hunger Strike: The Road of Bones by T.J. Pike (Excerpt)

    November 20, 2020 / No Comments
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    COVER REVEAL: Rialto by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

    December 2, 2019

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Q by Rick R. Reed (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 3, 2021

    COVER REVEAL: Of Fire & Bone by Natalina Reis

    January 11, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: Willow’s Way by Cheryl Headford (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 31, 2020 / 2 Comments
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    ANYTHING BUT BOOKS TAG

    August 6, 2019

    BOOK TOUR: Shadow Ops by Sarah Luddington (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    July 11, 2020

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Sorcerer’s Guardian (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 15, 2020
  • Uncategorized

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Dragon Soldier by Mell Eight (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 23, 2020 / No Comments
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    BLOG TOUR: The Rosavia Royals: In His Court by Max Rowan (Giveaway + Q&A With Author)

    July 13, 2020

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 14, 2020

    RELEASE BLITZ: The First Boy I Ever Kissed by Suki Fleet (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    January 11, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Missing In Somerville by A.J. Raven (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 21, 2020 / No Comments
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    BLOG TOUR: Surviving the Merge by C.P.Harris (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 5, 2020

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Christmas Oaks by V.L. Locey (Giveaway)

    December 6, 2019

    New Release Blitz: The Mirror Maze by Dianne Hartsock (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 27, 2019
  • Uncategorized

    BOOK TOUR: Alex McKenna & The Academy of Souls by Vicki-Ann Bush (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    September 20, 2020 / 2 Comments
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    BLOG TOUR: Socially Orcward by Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    February 26, 2021

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Third Eye by Rick R. Reed (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    April 20, 2020

    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: : Loving Layne by V.L. Locey (Giveaway)

    April 8, 2020
  • book,  Uncategorized
    December 21, 2018 / No Comments
    40127369. sy475

    Sovereign: The Gilded King by Josie Jaffrey

    In the Blue, the world’s last city, all is not well.

    Julia is stuck within its walls. She serves the nobility from a distance until she meets Lucas, a boy who believes in fairytales that Julia’s world can’t accommodate. The Blue is her prison, not her castle, and she’d escape into the trees if she didn’t know that contamination and death awaited humanity outside.

    But not everyone in the Blue is human, and not everyone can be contained.

    Beyond the city’s boundaries, in the wild forests of the Red, Cameron has precious little humanity left to lose. As he searches for a lost queen, he finds an enemy rising that he thought long dead. An enemy that the humans have forgotten how to fight.

    One way or another, the walls of the Blue are coming down. The only question is what side you’ll be on when they do. 

    The Gilded King is the first book of Sovereign, a dystopian+romance+fantasy YA series. When I first read the blurb, the walled-in city setting surrounded by wilderness vaguely reminded me of Shingeki no Kyojin. The similarity ends there. Instead of titans, we get vampires and zombies. 

    The book splits into two. First is Julia’s story, where she yearns for freedom and reluctantly becomes the Attendant (a job she never wanted) of a Noble because what choice does she have? The Noble, Lucas was not what she expected and she started having conflicting thoughts. I found Julia a bit naive and too careless about revealing her true thoughts, especially to Rufus, Claudia’s Noble, who was not to be trusted. However, I approved of her conviction there there must be something better outside of her station and outside Blue.The fact that she gave it a try and would have gotten farther if not for some unfortunate timing made me root for her.

    The second follows the Invicti, Cameron, as he searches for his friend, Emmy, thought to have been lost or dead for centuries. Being hundreds of years old, I expected Cam to act more world weary and well, old but he acts the way he looks which is 21. I liked his determination to find his friend and also, yes! to his slow-burn relationship with Felix.

    I admit, I hit a slump at the part where Cam was on his journey and it took me a while to shake it off. I started feeling invested in the story again when Lucas was telling Julia the tale of the Gilded King and Cam fell into a hole and met Felix. After that, the whole thing hit its stride and I couldn’t put it down. The book flipped from Julia’s and Cam’s POVs and each chapter ended with enough suspense and tension to keep readers on the edge.

    In terms of world-building, I wasn’t exactly confused but there were some references and backstories I would have understood better if I had read the Solis Invicti series. One particular backstory that piqued my interest is the politics among the Invicti, how Laila became the Empress and what happened to Sol and Emmy. However, there were legends and fairy tales that served as background information and I can safely say readers can read Sovereign as a standalone series.

    One thing I especially liked is that this book is a rare beast wherein the female protagonist, Julia and the male protagonist, Cameron, do not end up romantically linked. I make a special mention of this because all too often, the hero and heroine are always a couple. The romance between Julia and Lucas and Cam and Felix progressed at a reasonable pace and developed convincingly. Also major points for treating the gay relationship as normal as the other relationships.

    The book also focuses on friendship. Claudia, Julia’s friend, was somebody who I was close to not liking because I thought she was the type who needs rescuing. But girl proved her mettle and her connection with Julia only grew stronger. Marcella is another interesting character and I am curious to find out if she is friend or foe. There was also Cam’s loyalty to Emmy and his friends but the Invicti was not as united as they want the citizens of Blue to think. What happens if they fall apart?

    The two POVs merge into a gripping climax as the world they knew was invaded from the outside. There were revelations I didn’t see coming and that ending was damn!  

    The search for Emmy continues. Would Cam and his friends finally find her? Would Felix reveal his secrets to Cam (and why does Felix smell like nutmeg)? Is Lucas running away from Blue? Will Julia succeed in getting out? And more importantly, what happens if the king and queen wake up? Would they ever see each other again?

    Definitely need that second book! 

    P.S.

    Thank you to the author, Josie Jaffrey, for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

    Rating:
    3.5 Stars – that place between like and love 

    Soundtrack: Hunger Blood
    Artist: Lions & Creators
    Album: Growing

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40127369-the-gilded-king)

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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Natural Disaster by Erin McLellan (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    October 11, 2019

    New Release Blitz: Sophomore Surge by K.R. Collins (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    November 27, 2019

    HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY BIRTHDAY

    January 1, 2020
  • Uncategorized
    April 16, 2017 / No Comments

    Luna – Julie Anne Peters

    Regan’s brother, Liam, can’t stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, reveals herself only at night. For years, Liam has transformed himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be with the help from his siter’s clothes and makeup in the secrecy of their basement bedrooms. Now, everything is about to change – Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam’s family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives?

    Boring really.

    Rating:

    2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17225278-luna_)

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    BLOG TOUR: Heart Of The Holidays by Pat Henshaw (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    December 9, 2020

    ASTROLOGICAL BOOK TAG

    April 11, 2019

    FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56: I Am 42

    April 30, 2020
  • Uncategorized
    April 15, 2017 / No Comments

    Openly Straight: Openly Straight – Bill Konigsberg

    The award-winning novel about being out, being proud, and being ready for something else … now in paperback.

    Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

    And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

    So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret – not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben … who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

    This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

    Did not really enjoy it as much as I expected. I thought it was pretty stupid how people ask inane questions about which sport or ice cream flavor a gay guy would like. The best characters in the books were Toby and Albie. I want to hang out with them and they seriously need a book of their own. Claire Olivia was also great, she was the best friend any gay guy could ever ask for. 

    I found the main character and his love interest dull. I totally get what Rafe said about being label-free and Ben was suppose to be this nice, sensitive guy but I prefer the scanner pong and apple gang adventures.

    Rating:

    2 Stars – it’s a struggle to finish the damn book

    (source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16100972-openly-straight)

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    NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Tainted Tales: A Dark Folklore Anthology for Save the Children

    March 26, 2020

    RELEASE BLITZ: A Boy Made of Sunshine by Colette Davison (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 29, 2020

    COVER REVEAL: Conned by Kim Fielding (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    May 21, 2020

Hi there! I'm neverhollowed. I read too much MM romance and play music too loud. My blog combines my passion for books and indie music. I write book and manga reviews, create bookish playlists and share LGBT-related movies. Welcome to my blog! Hope you enjoy your visit.

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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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20h

Heist rule number one? Never fall for your mark.

@pixierants's MIDNIGHT HEIST is #LIVE! http://books2read.com/midnightheist @hottreepubs #LoveIsLove #GayRomance #LGBTQIA http://gvwy.io/1t10has0

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When the full moon rises, your soul will become complete…

RELEASE BLITZ: Vacation Tails by Deanna Wadsworth (Excerpt & #Giveaway)

https://getbook.at/VacationTails

https://neverhollowed.com/2021/02/27/release-blitz-vacation-tails-by-deanna-wadsworth-excerpt-giveaway/

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27 Feb

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