Beautiful photo by @mybookishsite
Happy Friday Fairies!
Welcome back to the final day of our readalong of These Hollow Vows! This has been an intense read and I hope you all are ready to finally reach the end.
But before we begin, I asked a very important question: are you #TeamFinn or #TeamBash. Well the count is in and…. #TeamFinn wins by a landslide of 13 and #TeamBash is at 2. Let’s see how we feel by the end of These Hollow Vows.
We will be reading from Chapter 30 to the end!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan Chapters 30-End! Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!
-!SPOILERS!-
Brie and Sebastian spend the night together, who saw that coming? But all too soon the moment is overshadowed when Brie wakes up to the Banshee calling out her name. Stuck in a dream she sees Lark – Brie had 3 paths ahead of her, all ending with her death, choose wisely.
Brie still sticks to her plan and goes to get the book from the library, but when she picks it up if becomes a living thing, first a snake and then a small, silver eyes boy. Don’t believe what it shows. The Sentinel sees her and she calls Bakken to deliver her to Mordeus. She hands the book over and asks what the final thing is and where she has to go. But Mordeus says she doesn’t have to go anywhere, because she has the last item. She has the crown and that’s how she has powers. But that’s not all, Sebastian and Finn both knew all along.
So Mordeus tells the story of how King Oberon fell in love with her mother when he was stuck in the mortal realm. Long before Brie and Jas were born, and when he finally managed to return to the mortal realm for her – she was married with children. When the fire happened, her and Jas were injured but Brie was close to death, her mother called for Oberon’s help and he did. He gave his life and power to save Brie. And everyone wants it.
So that’s why the bonding is so important, only then can she willing hand over the crown. And Mordeus wants to bond and if she does bond to an Unseelie she will die, all part of the curse. Brie feels weird the same way she did when she was drugged. She manages to drink the elixir, and asks the mirror to show Jas and finally gets the truth. she’s not safe she’s in a dungeon and she asks to see her mother but she once again sees the tomb. 
Back with Mordeus, she remembers the bargain they made, return the items where they belong. And so the mirror and book are back and as for the crown, Brie goes and sits on the throne.
With all the power flowing through her, Brie demands he safely sends Jas back to the mortal realm, and he does but as for herself she’s stuck and Mordeus threatening to kill a human girl if she doesn’t bond with him… and he does, he gets another girl but this time Brie uses her powers and gets the upper hand, she uses the blade and kills Mordeus.
She summons Bakken and for the price of a lot of hair she tells him to take her to Finn’s catacombs. There she finds rows of coffins of humans, oh my! She tries to use the blade against him but she can’t bring herself to do so and so she runs away. The healers treat her and she finally tells Sebastian everything and he’s okay…? hmmm.
Sebastian takes Brie to see Jas – and she’s well! The reuniting of the sisters we’ve all been waiting for. Brie can’t stay because Gorst is still looking for her and all the horrors Jas saw, she needs time to heal before going back. They say their goodbyes and promise to visit in dreams.
Back at the Golden Palace Brie is feeling all emotions, and she decides to bond with Sebastian. The ceromony is set and the dress is ready and they are bonded. But why is she dying? Bonding to Seelie shouldn’t cause this, Sebastian makes Brie take the Potion of Life and the cost of the magic is up to Brie to take.
Brie’s dreaming and see’s Finn – it’s her magic that’s making her visit him. This is a bittersweet moment between them and we find out her mother paid the price to keep her safe for years, but all too soon she awakens. it’s Sebastian’s coronation – but Queen Arya is alive, and he’s taking the Shadow Throne.
OMG Sebastian is both Seelie and Unseelie – that’s why she died because she bonded with him and he knew. The twins were glamoured to be human. This is too much for Brie to handle, the betrayal. She still has the magic, she may have given the crown to Sebastian but the magic is still with her – and with the palace covered in her darkness, Brie walks away from the Golden Palace and the betrayal from Sebastian – all the while feeling his emotions through the bond.
WOW! What a cliffhanger this book ended with, who needs book 2? I sure do. Thank you all so much for joining in on this readalong with me, I hope you all enjoyed it!
See you soon for our next readalong, and wishing you all a wonderful weekend. ?
Love,
Shaz
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Holy crap, those last few chapters had me shook! I loved it!! At first, I was so happy about her sleeping with Bash, and then the Banshee came. I loved how she outwitted Mordeus, but I’m really sad about her hair ? And poor Jas has been living in such terrible conditions..
I can’t believe she’s so mad at Finn – but I also REALLY can’t believe that he killed Isabel!! I feel like they did the bonding ceremony and she didn’t want to become fae so she died? Idk, I wish Brie would let him explain. Lark did say that she had to let him explain, but Brie didn’t let him.
I knew Sebastian was too good, that son of a bitch. I hope they can undo the bond, because I’m madly in love with Finn and I feel so bad for the guy. Dammit I wanted more Finn moments, but hopefully in the next book!
I did NOT expect Sebastian to be Unseelie too! I don’t get why Finn didn’t tell her about that, or did he not know? I finished this in the middle of the night, and I screamed into my pillow because of this plottwist. The only good thing about this is that she can now use the dagger to stab Sebastian, because he’s Unseelie, right?? Hehehehe. I can’t believe he glamoured away his runes, and her maids! I just know she’ll forgive him in the end, but I hope she makes him grovel, like SERIOUSLY grovel. I am feeling vengeful. I can’t believe we have to wait so long on the next book, I need to know how it’ll proceed and how many books there will be!
There will be just one kore book and I cant wsit to read it this shady fae buisness pissed me off
Yes! You said all this perfectly ?. I really want to hear everything from Finn’s perspective, and I cant believe she’s now bonded with Sebastian. Like I totally didn’t trust him, but he was very much playing her since the beginning which sucks!
I think Finn didn’t want her to think he was trying to bad talk Sebastian TSOAB. Ehich is funny, because Sebastian badtalks Finn all the time, while Finn is kore of a “I want you to make your own decisions without influencing you too much.” Sebastian also tries to convince Brie whole the time and manipulates her and Finn is like: I’ll be there for you if you need me after you’ve made up your own mind. Tl;tr: Love Finn, Hate Sebastian TSOAB.
When I tell you there was so many twist & turns. I wasn’t invested in this storyline even at the halfway mark. But this last day of chapters got me. Brie’s drop mic moment at the end was a boss woman move!! Now I am highly invested in what is that to happen in the next book. No one can be trusted! But since she’s bonded with Sebastian does that mean Finn in her can never be. I don’t even know which one I wanna choose because they’re both horrible! Oh well guess we’ll see in the next book.
#TeamFinn for the win! Honestly, such a roller-coaster read these chapters were even for someone who has already read it! Like I forgot so many big things and I sat with my mouth open shocked second time around like why did I forget about that! Can’t wait for book 2! ?
what is that saying again? Oh yeah, never trust a feary…. even the one you love. Sebastian did say he wanted to unite the courts under one crown, so damn it Brie! Pay attention! Now I just can’t wait for book two!!
He did. It was quite obvious actually ?
Well, that was disappointing. No matter how many times she had proof of Sebastian’s deceitful character she could never stay angry at him for more than five seconds and would always forgive him everything. Very poor judge of character. I could not believe it when she acceded to do the bonding ceremony with him, gave him the crown and was even going to marry him. I was ready to stop reading right then and there.
I didn’t see the twist of Sebastian being Oberon’s son, but when Brie finally realised the lengths Sebastian went through to groom her to get the crown from her, I could not feel sorry for her. It was so obvious Sebastian could not be trusted. The only good thing in the last few chapters was her display of power and anger at being betrayed right at the end. But all I could think was how long is she going to stay mad at Sebastian before she forgives him yet again?
If the next book is about Brie and Sebastian’s reconciliation , I can’t be bothered to read it. If on the other hand, it is about Brie finally putting Sebastian in his place (away from the throne) and her becoming more empowered and remaining that way, then I would be interested in reading it.
Same, I’d be rage quitting if she turns a blind eye to his deceit and flaws again ??? I want to book to be about her and Finn and backstabbing Sebastian.
There will be just one kore book and I cant wsit to read it this shady fae buisness pissed me off
There will be just one more book and I cant wait to read it this shady fae buisness pissed me off
Omg I was soo mad at Bash that shady ass fae. I mean I felt that he might not be good but such betrayal unforgivable. I hope she will not forgive him but she probably will but will see what the author has in store for us
That show of her power in the end priceless
I need the next book now I need to know what will happen will she become evil to or will she restore order with this heartless fae
I just knew that Sebastian was too good to be true. He seemed to accept everything she did so easily and just forgave her. But he always seemed just a little too slippery. I hope that in book 2 Brie finds a way to break her bond with him. I loved her huge power moment at the end. I wonder if maybe since she still has the magic if she could get the crown back from Sebastian? I do not want her to forgive him. While it’s true that everyone deceived her, it seems like his betrayal was the most purposeful and personal. He could have left his runes visible so that Brie could figure out that he was both Seelie and Unseelie even though no one could talk about it. And even though the twins said that their glamour was supposed to make her more comfortable, I think it was also a sneaky way to make her let down her guard around them since she didn’t think they were fae. I just think Sebastian did too much to be forgiven.
These last chapters made me love the boom even more! I had a feeling that Bash was “evil” but I didn’t think he was both Seelie and Unseelie. Just like Brie thought in the last chapter, I believe that he has been using her the entire time they’ve met. I can’t wait for the sequel to see how Brie’s powers evolve and hopefully we see more of Finn and Brie moments. I’m giving this one a 4.5 stars and I’m highly anticipating the sequel!
Honestly Sebastian was too convenient from the beginning. I knew he was problematic and ta-da he’s been manipulating her from the start.
I mean she basically felt guilty and that’s why she bonded with Sebastian. She never gives Finn a chance when he’s been trying to come up with other options this whole time. But Sebastian can do no wrong in her eyes well at least until the end. I hope book 2 comes out soon. Will there be a special edition to match book 1???
I felt the same way about him. He was so perfect that I was starting to smell something fishy… Though that also could have been dinner ?
I was not expecting the Sebastian twist! I mean, now that I think about it, it was right there all along, but why doesn’t Sebastian have silver eyes like the rest of his bloodline? Unless that was all a glamour too! I knew Sebastian was too good to be true, the way he just let Brie go ahead and do everything she needed to. I wonder how she’s going to deal with the bond in the sequel, is it possible to bond with two fae simultaneously?? Does she actually still have the crown? So many questions!
No no. It can’t end it like this! ???Urg, I didn’t like Bash from the beginning; he just seemed off; there can’t be that much of a coincidence!
But wow, you have to admire the amount of effort and acting that guy did to get what he wanted. The queen and the prince is way too cunning!
Poor Finn, he did so much for his people. ?☹️
I can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you, Shaz and everyone, for the fantastic readalong!!
SEBASTIAN AND FINN BOTH KNEW THE WHOLE TIME. OMG that makes me SO mad at both of them! I can’t decide if they’re both misguided idiots with good intentions or if they’ve actually got some deep hidden agendas and have been playing with Brie’s emotions to get what they want. Also kinda annoyed at Brie deciding to go into this whole bond thing so easily, considering what a commitment it is. But alright that happened.
The wait for book 2 is gonna be so rough oh my lord.
Ohhh I read this book in two days! Loved the ending, and can’t wait for the best one!
Sebastian seems like a massive turd who manipulated himself into Brie’s life and stole the crown.
I really hope now the curse is lifted Finn can beat his arse down and take back his court.
I knew he was bad news!
I never trusted Sebastian, especially not after Brie saw him with that woman and she was then drugged and told to go see him.
No idea he would end up being half Unseelie though!
I need book 2 now.
Surely she will find a way out of this.
I don’t believe Finn is as bad as Brie has let herself believe. Always frustrates me when they can’t just let someone explain lol
So… After all her supposed need to get Jas back she’s just gonna leave her poorly and recovering in the human world, with no money or prospects? Like, Gorst could take his revenge on her? This makes it all too clear that she doesn’t really care about Jas. She just has a martyr complex.
As i said, I couldn’t put this down but it feels almost like the True Blood TV show where every ep would end with a cliffhanger so you’d have to watch the next one….
I think it was sort of clever how she realised that Sebastian planned the whole thing and found her after the protection wore off. But the whole unable to speak of the curse stuff as a reason for no one to tell her the truth feels very convenient.
This all seems like I hated it, but I also want to read the next book? I don’t know it got under my skin I’m just not sure it was in a good way…
That ending!
There has not been a single slow moment in this book, and there is always a twist or a turn. I figured out some of them, but it hasn’t affected my reading experience. I loved this book! I’m still 100 % team Finn – despite the deaths he has caused. It felt almost a bit skipped over, but I understand that’s because Brie felt so strongly against it. Though I don’t agree that he is as selfish as Brie believes him to be. I don’t know, I’m so excited for the sequel, to find out more about Finn and his reasons, and Bash and who he truly is.
Ending the book in a place where I’m not quite sure where I have anyone (except Brie) is unfair. How am I supposed to wait until July 2022?!
Thank you FairyLoot for another fantastic book!
Finishing only one day late is good for me, honestly.
Looord, the second Brie found out that she would die if she bonded with an unseelie i clicked about Sebastian, and the entire rest of the book was me low key whispering “sis he’s playing you” over and over lmao.
I did like the last section of this book, which made up for how my interest waned in the middle a bit – even though after the whole book was about saving Jas sis stuck around for like three pages and then sauntered off back to Faerietown. Also Brie’s response to being fully played at the end was to just, like… up and leave. I mean honestly relatable but also a bit anticlimactic lol.
Ok, so maybe this last section wasn’t perfect too. Overall, it’s a very readable book, but not one that really bought anything new to the very popular fae romance subgenre, and if its a duology I might pick up the sequel but if its any longer I probably won’t. 3.5 stars from me ?
Also, I cant really stand either love interest and Brie… isn’t exactly the most overtly loveable protagonist either, so my hopes for the sequel is it is no romance and everyone pretty much spends the whole book trying to out maneuver and destroy each other ❤ that would be fun
Wow, I was so close to figure out the crown part! 😮 I definitely did not see that Sebastian being half Unseelie, damn, only figured out while Brie was dying. He was fishy for quite the longest time, I think I did mentioned on day 4, that I have a feeling he intentionally befriended Brie in the human realm, it wasn’t a chance encounter. But wow, I did not guess that he was this mean!
It is understandable that Brie is quite fed up with everyone. I’m really curious about book 2! (And still #TeamFinn.)
Thank you FL and Shaz for hosting the readalong! <3
Eurgh… I knew Sebastian wasn’t to be trusted!
I really loved this book, can’t wait for the next one!
These last few chapters were amazingggg
Finn killed isobel!!! Somehow I feel bad for him. The was so many twists in this story I love it!!
Can’t wait to read another book like this
I really hate that Brie bonded with Sebastian like she just forgot how utterly horrible he’s been to her for basically the whole time she’s been in Faerie, that he’s complicit in his mother’s schemes, and how she somehow can’t survive without HIS protection even though HER power is like unlimited. She went from questioning her trust in him to being completely 100% okay with becoming what she believes to be practically a slave to him as a mortal bonded to a fae…it seems rushed and a character reversal. So much so in fact I thought it might have been a plot by Finn and his gang and Finn was glamoured and it was all a ploy. Once it became clear that it wasn’t a ploy and it was in fact happening I knew he was going to betray her. Throughout the book Bash reeks of toxic relationship vibes so the ending wasn’t that surprising. Though the final scene felt very reminiscent of the beginning of ACOMAF and I have a feeling the second book’s romantic development will be very similar to that book as well since the majority of this book ripped a lot off from ACOTAR.
The reunion with her sister felt impersonal and very rushed. And then she just left her again. Very anticlimactic.
The majority of the book felt superficial in world building and character development. Like a bunch of tropes and aspects of other popular books just haphazardly smashed together without fleshing anything out. It was still interesting enough to finish but I probably won’t pick up the second book.
I knew it! Also still don’t like Sebastian.
I did not think he was unseelie though, but I did think he wanted Brie’s powers. Can’t believe he deceived her, but it does explain why he forgave her so easily. And all the glamour and magic he used D:. Those 11 other girls probably just ended up as sacrifices.
I don’t know why Brie so anti Finn though. He could’ve bonded with her a long time ago and didn’t. So I think she’s being unfair to him. He’s always been honest to her, unlike Sebastian.
I’m invested now and I need book 2 ??
Ah! Finally finished the book and I can’t believe it!
Though there were a lot of plot twists I saw coming, I will say that I did not see Sebastian being from both courts and that he bonded with other women to stay young, but I totally called him having an agenda! It’s such a terrible thing, especially since he hypocritically told Brie about Finn. I think Finn is the better guy tbh. So, I’m still on his side!
My favourite scene of this sections has got to be the scene where Brie tricks the false king and saves her sister! Yay!
Though I’ll only give this book a total of 3 out of 5 stars, I do need to read the next book because I seriously need to know what happens next! The cliffhanger was really good!
The fact she’s had the crown all along, omg, the mirror wasn’t lying when she asked it to show here where the crown was! I didn’t see this coming tbh!!!
She’s smart for having worded her original bargain the way she did – SMART GIRL!
I had a bad feeling Sebastian wasn’t the good guy he was acting to be the entire time, ughhhh Bash, I wanted to like you and then you go and pull this plot twist ahhh!!!
This was such a dramatic ending, I really want more now! I loved this story, it was so much fun and I’m excited for the 2nd book. I’m giving this 4/5 stars!