Such a good sequel! I loved the story and writing of the first book and was excited to read this story early too.

The character are so kick ass and relatable. Great reps too! I would wholeheartedly recommend this book!

If you had asked me any time since the beginning of 2020 what my most anticipated book is, The Hollow Heart would top the list. The Midnight Lie was so well written, tore my heart in two and left me begging for more, so this book couldn’t come fast enough. My expectations going into this were (maybe unfairly?) high which is why I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed by the time I finished.
While I had prepared myself for Sid and Nirrim being separated for a lot of the book, I didn’t expect their reunion to happen almost 80% through and happen so quickly. I felt that there was such a different tonal shift between their two POVs with Nirrim being so cold and cruel and Sid investigating her mother’s poisoning, I found it hard switching between the two.
While I really enjoyed Sid’s chapters, especially as it meant revisiting the characters of The Winner’s Trilogy, I can see how these would be less enjoyable if you weren’t familiar with the first series, and it could feel like a sequel to TWT father than the Midnight Lie.
To me, it felt as if Sidnirrim were an afterthought in their own series. After spending so much time flipping between jarring POVs, their reunion felt rushed and lacked the emotional catharsis I was expecting after almost two years of waiting.
Despite my qualms, the writing and worldbuilding are both brilliant, and while I’m happy with the ending, I can’t help but wish for more.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic follow up to the first book in this series, It was fast paced and well written and the way magic is included in this story was different to what you usually see. There is an LGBTQ+ romance in this book which explores a deeper side to relationships than what you get in a lot of fantasy novels and it was refreshing to see.

I felt like the 'The God' point of view sometimes wasn't needed and it didn't add much to the story but I can understand why they were included.

This is another duology that I would recommend to anyone.

It took me a while to get along again with the series so after taking a break and reading the first book all over again and then went back to the sequel I can finally say that the read was great, got all my attention for a few hours and even forgot that I was reading a book. Marie did a great job and I can’t wait to read more of her books. I will be selling the series with a huge smile and I know for sure the clients will love it.

For me this book was equal amount of plot and dark academia aes , this is book is LITERALLY the definition of dark academia, I can say this as someone whose feed is dark academia and can read anything dark academia. The 90% of the book revolved around the library (mentioned in the synopsis) which was tbh the best part.
Lets start with plot - the plot was good enough to keep me reading it and main characters who switched pov alternate chapters were really interesting and likeable ! The action scenes were written really nicely too ! I wasn't a big fan of the romance , it kinda felt flat in the book tho ! I definitely recommend you to read it!

Just like The Midnight Lie, I fell in love with this book from the very first page and didn't put it down until I was finished!

I love the style of writing Marie Rutkoski has chosen for these series - it's something very different from the usual YA books you find. I loved Nirrim and how cruel she was - it's another breath of fresh air when one of the main heroines isn't innocent and sweet, and all perfect. I loved getting to know Sid and her family better, although I must say, their communication skills are beyond bad, which made that part of the story a bit unbelievable.

The only reason I'm not giving this book a full 5 star is the ending; it felt quite rushed. It all felt a bit unfinished and instead of looking into how Nirrim is coping with her guilt, it was all kind of swept away with a sentence. I'm not sure if there'll be a third book that will look into the aftermath of The Hollow Heart's ending; I really hope there is but until then, this ending is not enough for me. We spend most of the book getting to know many of the characters in such detail, it seems like there wasn't enough time left to understand the consequences of their actions as well.

That said, I've absolutely adored Forgotten Gods Series and am now a big fan of Marie Rutkoski. Looking forward to exploring her other books!

3.5⭐️

Relieved of her heart, Nirrim sets about righting the wrongs committed against her people, and then some. Meanwhile, back in her homeland, Sid struggles to reacquaint herself with her parents and life as an heir.

This book unfortunately fell a bit flat for me in comparison to its predecessor.
I think this was due in part to the loss of Nirrim's compassion-"New Nirrim". Nirrim was the beating heart of the first book (excuse the pun), her compassion, hope, and sometimes naivety were the driving forces of The Midnight Lie, so I think this book suffered the loss of that- I wasn't as engaged at all with her narration.
The plot also lacked the flow of the first book, it felt as though there was very little causation in the sequence of events and the reader was just jumped from scene to scene, often with large gaps in time.
I did for the most part though enjoy the introduction of Sid's point of view and getting to explore the world beyond Herrath, there's a lot of potential there for really interesting stories. Speaking of which, I also thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of the Pantheon and honestly would have loved to see them introduced earlier and explored more.

I still found this to be an enjoyable read with similarly interesting world building to the first book, it just overall was not at the same level as the first for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible sequel! I absolutely loved The Midnight Lie and was not disappointed by The Hollow Heart.

The characters were still incredible and I really enjoyed the character development of Sid - especially getting to know her family too - and Nirrim. The pacing of the book was mostly good, however, I found the ending very rushed. It was most definitely a satisfying ending and answered a majority of the questions I had, but it was over quickly. The other aspect I did not enjoy as much was the constant repetition of certain phrases very close together.

I would have loved for this book to be longer so we could have had a more solid ending and perhaps more information about the gods as I find them very interesting. Despite that, I really did enjoy this book and thought it was such an intriguing sequel.

This is going to be quick I didn't hate this book but I didn't like it either.

The thing that bother me the most is the fact that our 2 MC are separated for the most part of the book. It's seems like you got a second book from a trilogy and 25 pages of a last book.
Nirrim and Sid live completely apart for this book, you have 2 differents stories and everything seems a bit disjointed. I like their relationship in the first book and I didn't get any of it in this book.

I like seeing some characters from The winner's curse but I didn't really like their adult version. and lastly, the ending was so rushed it was not pleasant to read this part. The book is pretty sort I think 50+page would have been great.

This was such a disappointing follow-up. There is just so much exposition and i'm finding the 'hollow' heart thing cheesy, especially the whole 'other nirrim' thing. And that earrings scene? that scene was desperately trying and failing to be 'edgy'. That she also 'hears' her 'good' voice...yikes. Disney stuff I tell you. A lot of fan-service (esp. with characters from the previous series). What a way to ruin a duology...

The Hollow Heart is a wonderful conclusion to the duology started in The Midnight Lie. Marie Rutkoski's writing is beautiful and lush, sure to hook readers from the start. There is a new POV present adding a lot more insight to the story started in book one. The magic system is explored a lot more making it easier to understand the world. I wouldn't mind a spinoff book to explore more of the lore, but this duology felt complete on it's own. Highly recommended!!

It's no lie when I say this was one of my most anticipated sequels of 2021, which is why it hurts me so much to say that it just didn't live up to my expectations in any way.

The story picks up directly from the end of The Midnight Lie, In Herrath Nirrim has sold her heart to the God of Thievery to free her people from a lifetime of lies. She solidifies her rule by ensuring the people's loyalty through fear rather than love, her lack of compassion is turning her into a ruthless ruler, unable to accept that what she is doing may be wrong. In Herran, Sid has travelled home after hearing the news that her mother was gravely ill only to find out she was being poisoned, she decides to stay and play investigator for her mother, but her heart lies somewhere else, with a person who is changing day by day.

Character wise, neither Sid nor Nirrim really grew on me in this book. Nirrim would have made a fantastic ruler, but her lack of compassion means she makes rash and sometimes unwise decisions. I did enjoy seeing her inner battle, the new Nirrim warring with the old, and while I'm all for a woman in vengeance mode, some of her actions just seemed a little over the top, and frankly a little shocking in parts. On the flip side we have Sid, while in Herran we get to see her relationships with her parents, as well as other members of the family. Though this did give us a greater understanding of her as a character, of her decision to run away in book one, I did feel like we were getting introduced to new characters a little late in the game, and her story line became more about her parents, their failures, than actually about Sid herself. Maybe if I had read the Winners Curse series it would have made a bit more sense, but it almost seemed as though I was reading two separate books at times.

We did get the introduction of another POV in this book and that, in my opinion, added more to the story than Sid's. Through it we learn more about the Gods, as well as more about Nirrim, her parents and how her power is so much stronger than others.

As I said before, Sid's chapters didn't really add anything to the overall plot. It did make me feel like I was reading two separate stories and made my reading experience extremely disjointed. When Sid and Nirrim eventually did meet back up it, was far too late in the story and made the ending feel incredibly rushed. There seemed to be this massive build up and I was left feeling underwhelmed. I didn't feel overly emotional at their reunion, in fact I felt very few emotions at all when reading this book, the main characters were separated for far too long, and the romance that they built in book one had withered to almost nothing.

Rutkoski's writing style was equally as lush in this as the first book and I do think that's what saved it from being a DNF for me. The one thing I did enjoy about Sid's story was that it gave us the chance to travel a little more of the world, as well as learning a little about the history and politics, something that was missing in book one. Overall, this was a let down for me. I do feel like, with Sid going off on her own adventure, this would have made more sense as a trilogy as the ending would have been significantly less rushed and we would have had more time to rebuild the relationship between Sid and Nirrim. 2.5 Stars.

I’ve read this straight after the first book so the story was very fresh on my mind. It picks up right where The Midnight Lie left off.

In the book, the story unfolds by changing POV, a thing that I really liked. However, besides the POV of the main characters we see another one that tries to explain what happened that lead to this point from the Gods’ perspective. This in my opinion, it didn’t help the plot. On the contrary, it made it more complicated and didn’t even give us some knowledge or structure for the Gods world. It felt like random information that only justifies why things turned out this way. I’m really disappointed with the world building of the series.

If I couldn’t connect with the characters in the previous book, in this one I had no connection at all. The characters have been stripped of all their traits and qualities that made them lovable and who they are. That was a second missed point for me.

Finally, the story for me wasn’t solid and wasn’t coherent either. It felt flat and parts of it were dragging without adding anything to the story.

Let’s just say that the series wasn’t for me. Of course, every book speaks differently to each person and if you are intrigued by the story I would recommend to give it a go.

Nirrim didn’t hesitate from committing heinous actions once her heart was given to the God of Thieves. Losing her heart meant losing her compassion but it also revealed the truth to the people of Herrath. All I could think was: if she ever comes back, how will Nirrim live with her actions? I could barely recognize Nirrim for who she was in the previous book. Nirrim of the past would never resort to violence and cruelty. It would have destroyed her but Nirrim now deems vengeance and death necessary.

Leaving Nirrim in Herrath plagued Sid the whole way back home but her mother is sick so Sid needs to return. Since Sid sailed away from home after a heated argument with her mother, the tension remained between them. Sid resents her parents for not knowing the real her–that they believed she’s truly as frivolous and unfeeling as others have said about her. While struggling with her feelings towards Nirrim, the betrothal to the Darca prince is slowly suffocating Sid but she recognised the importance of a political union.

Though Nirrim and Sid don’t spend any time together, they consistently thought of one another. Nirrim is back in Herrath with her memories and Sid wondering if she really tried hard enough with Nirrim or not. With each of them dealing with their own problems, the romance remained uncertain. I’m not too concern with the lack of romance, actually, it isn’t even a problem. Frankly, I was invested more in their individual journey and finding out what will happen next than the relationship.

Reading The Hollow Heart a few days after finishing The Winner’s Kiss was a pretty weird experience. Krestel and Arin are now parents and royalty. Although they aren’t significant characters, their presence was still felt throughout the book due to their relationship with Sid and Arin’s connection with the God of Death.

I kind of wish there would be more exploration of the lore behind the hundred different gods but that would take up too much time. I just found that aspect of the books really fascinating so I want to know more. The chapters in the perspectives of “the god” added so much to the overall story. If Marie Rutkoski ever chooses to expand this world, I’m all for it.

my review for the first book is available on IG: @sankta.janvi

I picked this book up because me being a dumbass, requested a book that was a sequel and got the arc. I had like 10 days to finish both of these books. I started it thinking I would have to trudge through it, force myself through it because I was in a reading slump after finishing our violent delights. BUT- that all changed when i read the first chapter. The writing is just exquisite , it lures you in and totally encaptures you. I didn’t even know what this book was about but when I started reading, i shit you not, I finished 90 pages in an hour or two.

First of all, I just want to appreciate the writing. This book is written beautifully articulate, It captures your attention and leaves you wanting more. The plot is paced very nicely, the chapters are short and captivating which I really appreciate. Don't get me started on the characters. They are relatable, three dimensional and flawed. Their personalities are striking and engrossing. I loved Sid, I love Sid’s personality and how Sid interacts. Sid gave me Nikolai from the grishaverse vibes but better. I LOVE Nirrim, her compassion, her compelling backstory, her ambition and her love for her sisters. And now in this books,her without her "heart" is just so striking to see. I won't spoil anything but MY GAL WAS RUTHLESS!

The side characters are SO interesting! Morah and her honesty,bravery and hate, Raven and her devious and possessive nature, Aden’s calculating nature, etc. I swear to god, I could not stop reading. I finished the two books in like 4 days. I- should be concerned. This book also tackles the topic of abuse. It’s shown very realistically which makes it really disturbing. Hats off to the author for executing this subtly and making it feel so authentic.

In this book, the author showed us more of Sid's backstory with was SO GOOD!! I was eating it up!
Most of all, I loved the scenes we got with the pantheon. I love books with gods in them and i really enjoyed this aspect. But I wish that we were shown more of them or atleast get a book with them and their dramas because I WILL BUY IT!

The ending was a bit rushed, don't get me wrong i really liked it but still, it could've been fleshed out more. So I have rated this book 4 stars. Go get these books NOWWWW!

Thankyou netgalley for this arc!

Hollow Heart is an enchanting fantasy, full of rich character development. As a sequel, it is surprisingly different to the first book. For one, what happens to our main protagonist Nirrim at the end of the first book has completely changed her, and the island she lives on. For another, we get to see a completely different side to Sid as she returns to her homeland. As Sid and Nirrim are following very different paths for the majority of the book, there is less development of their relationship, and the whole story has a very different feel. Whilst The Midnight Lie feels like a dystopian romance, The Hollow Heart has more of a high fantasy feel about it. Different, but still very enjoyable and satisfying.

Fans of the the Winner's Trilogy will also enjoy revisiting some familiar faces, although you will not miss anything if you haven't read the series.

Recommended to all who enjoyed The Midnight Lie. Whilst different, this is still a great expansion on the stories of Nirrim and Sid.

Thank you to netgalley & the publisher for early access to this book!

I was so excited for this as it is the follow on & conclusion to one of my favourite reads of last year (the midnight lie)
I loved getting to know these characters on a deeper level and I loved the exploration of the world and magic system throughout the book, I can’t say I gave it the same 5 star rating as the shift in character POV was disjointed and confusing at times but I can still say I was not disappointed at all in the epic conclusion to this duology.

Liked the book, not much as the first.
Liked the presence of Arin and kestrel, and the interactions between them and Sid.
Enjoyed the way it ended but Didn't love the ending itself.
Felt a bit dull compared to the first one
I still love Roshar and his Interactions with Sid. I liked raven's ending, I know it is bas but she deserved it. Liked the god's part but would like for it to be more, not sure how, I just wasn't satisfied with it.
Plot wise it was good.
The assassination plot was a good idea to bring things from the original series, but felt a bit odd and just trowned in there.
With all this in account I still liked the book but I would say that it would be a 3,5.

This was a great sequel to The Midnight Lie. I enjoyed reading from Sid’s perspective. I loved how the characters interacted with each other and the world.

The Hollow Heart is the sequel for The Midnight Lie and we jump straight into the ending of the first book. Here we get POV of other characters as well as Nirrim, telling us happenings of Herrath and Herran.

Sid’s POV was truly incredible, we get to see her going through the hardness of her childhood and youth, how she felt being a child of heroes with their legacies and how much she wanted to write her own. Her individual growth and the relationship with other character’s was so well written and in a way very relatable. Sid wasn't perfect (to me she was) but yes she fought a lot, sometimes disobeyed orders and because of her reputation no one believed her, but she did all she could to fight. In the end she fought for herself, her family and for love.
In Sid’s POV we also got to see some of the old characters from Marie’s The Winner's trilogy. For the readers of it this book would be an incredible nostalgic trip and even for the new readers it won't be confusing.

When it comes to Nirrim’s POV, she has changed completely since the last book. She is now cold, cruel and vicious, avenging her people and calling herself the queen. I actually enjoyed her side of this, hoe without human compassion one can go to certain measures to even protect people even if you hurt them.

Though I did enjoy The Midnight Lie more than this book. The reason for that is the ending. I didn't hate the ending but it was very rushed with everything happening around. Too many questions were left unanswered and since it was a duology we won't be getting anything new. Though a third book could be very good.
But other than that it was truly beautiful. Marie’s writing is poetic and gives you all the feels, Sid and Nirrim are one of the best characters i have ever met and the plot was definitely fantastical.