I read this one on audiobook, and while the performance and writing were both superb, I sadly did not enjoy the characters and stories as much as I had expected to! Overall, I think it was the FMC for me that prevented me from really getting into this one. This author worked in some very compelling worldbuilding as well which I greatly appreciated, but I must admit I was looking forward to more intimate scenes than were delivered. All things considered, I would definitely recommend this book to readers of fade-to-black, high fantasy/paranormal romance who do not shy away from gory aspects.

The narrator is phenomenal and the story is complex. I loved that the MCs challenged each other and broke stereotypes. If you're only looking for smut, though, this isn't for you. It's truly a love story. I look forward to reading about the other characters in the series, as they're all so intriguing. It's an incredible world.

CAWPILE score: 5.43

I had a great mood for a romantic fantasy novel, and when I saw it on NetGalley, I was delighted and signed up for it. The audiobook includes the short story Sven the Collector and other chapters.

C - Character: 4/10
Let's start with the characters which I think was the worst part of the book. The supporting characters are ok, although the non-Dokiri characters were disgusting, simply irritating. Hollen was also solid, but not a dream guy. But Joselyn is one of the most annoying protagonists I’ve met lately. I don’t think she did anything other than whine in the book. Ugh...

A - Atmosphere: 7/10
I liked the mountains as a location. The structure of the world was nothing extra, but I didn’t hate it. I felt like they were Dotrakik in the mountains. Although the name of the tribe also influenced me.

W - Writing: 6/10
The writer’s style was not so good.

P - Plot: 5/10
Ugh. There were a lot of problems with the plot. It was not romance but whining. I thought it would have some smuttier scenes, but there were not any. The basic concept is also weird. It was terribly long, but the book went nowhere.

I - Intrigue: 6/10
I was pretty bored. I didn’t even read the extra scenes at the end because I wasn’t interested.

L - Logic: 5/10
I didn’t see the point in a lot of things, starting with the basic concept. They kidnap people because it's a tradition, and it's okay because they take care of some monsters ... No, kidnapping isn't good at all.

E - Enjoyment: 5/10
I didn’t hate the book, solid 3 stars, which means 5 points.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Hollen the Soulless. I enjoyed this so much! This is honestly one of the best fantasy romances that I've ever read. I will be continuing this series. I freaking loved every minute of this audio!

This was a really good book! The narrator was excellent, I would listen to him read a grocery list honestly. However since this was dual split between male and female POV I thought it would be better if the female POV had a female narrator. But it’s ok that it didn’t

I really enjoyed this read. It is a very well written fantasy romance. I've always loved the stolen away trope, but, at times, I just thought Jocelyn was too immature and stubborn. The world building in this series is absolutely beautiful. Denali Day created a majestic world and I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
As for the audiobook, I absolutely loved the narrator. He really did a great job with the accents and gave the characters life.
Altogether I gave this 4/5 stars because I very much enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read!

The build up was a bit too slow for me, and I think I read this at the wrong time- but other than that, this one is a really enjoyable read! The world building, the atmosphere, and the romance are so much fun! The narrator also did an excellent job

❤️ out of 5 (DNF)
Now I’m relatively new to the world of audio books having only listened to a couple before but I didn’t mind the narrator of this book (Shane East) at all.

For me what failed with this book was the pacing and sloooow slooow build up of a romantic relationship. The couple share their first kiss after 8 hours (!!) and then after 11 hours I find out that this is a fade to black romance and I just couldn’t commit to more of this book when after 11 hours I still couldn’t see any real chemistry on the heroine’s part.

One thing I will say is that this book has FANTASTIC world building and if you love fantasy and don’t mind a slow burn (and fade to black) then I would recommend it. However it just wasn’t for me.

I loved this audiobook. The narrator was amazing and his voice kept you wanting more. The book was wonderful and I devoured the entire series after.

Hollen the Soulless was actually really freaking good. I was super hesitant to read it because I’m not into dragons, but the romance and the story really had me captivated from The beginning! The narrator was also REALLY good!

So this book had me straight from the beginning. Seriously though, if I could have Shane East read every book to me, I would be eternally grateful. He has an amazing voice and did a fantastic job narrating.

Besides the fantastic narrator, the storyline is really good. The main heroine, Joselyn, is on her way to marry a horrible horrible man, who is suspected of butchering women but because of her evil father, she will marry him to save her families reputation. Did I mention that I hate her family? Because I really do. Luckily for her she never gets to her destination because she’s kidnapped by Hollen and his dragon.

I really loved how strong Joselyn’s character was, but man did she irritate me sometimes. If a gorgeous man, abducted me and prevented me from marrying a man who would have potentially tortured me, and then treated me like a queen. I would have been like yes, I’m okay with this. 😂 So yes some of her decisions irked me, but when she smartened up I loved her and Hollen together.

I can’t wait to read or listen to the rest of the series, although if Shane East narrates the whole series, I’m definitely going for the audiobook route.

This was a great start to a new medieval fantasy series.

Joselyn is on on her way to marry a man who is suspected of butchering women but she will marry him for her family. She never gets to her destination because she is swept away on a dragon and dropped into a cave. Where there is a privative man claiming that she is his bride and they have to do a mating ritual involving knives and blood. Joselyn wants nothing to do with this and fights him at every turn.

Okay, so I really enjoy the premise of this. I like that our hero stole his bride. I really liked Hollens character. I did not like Joselyn. She was very judgmental. She wanted to get married to the butcher to save her fathers reputation. Her father hated her and was awful to her. I sure wouldn't marry a killer to save an awful father. Joselyn was just very annoying and I think Hollen should have picked a better bride.

Besides Joselyn thought I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the other characters. I will be reading the next one!

Thank you netgalley for my advance copy of the audiobook!

I loved this audio book!
To be honest, this was my first ever audio book experience, and what better way than with a book I already loved?
The narrator was perfect! His voice was clear and smooth, exactly how I imagine Hollen’s would be!

Okay Y’all! So I read Hollen the Soulless earlier this year and I liked it a lot, but I’m terrible with series so I haven’t continued the series.

Then one magical day the wonderful @denaliday reached out to us wanting to know if I wanted to try the audio book. Umm... Yes, please! Also, just know that my memory is awful, so this was a perfect way to get refreshed with Hollen and the world so that I can continue the series!!

And if you like audiobooks, you need to pick this one up! If I could have Shane East read every book to me, I would be a happy girl! I hope he is the narrator for the rest of the series! There is something about a sexy voice reading to me that is a great motivator to continue listening. 😜

The world of the Dokiri is so interesting and well thought out. They have their own customs and traditions that you learn about with Joselyn, Hollen’s “love interest”, and not go through info dumps. Thank the Gods! (Info dumps are a big pet peeve of mine.)

This series really has everything I love: HOT Alpha Males, a historical aspect, great world building, interesting characters... Oh! And did I mention dragons?!?!! Also... I can’t forget some nice spice. LoL!

Thank You @denali_day for a copy of the audiobook in return of an honest review.

This review is about the audiobook adaptation of this great book.

Sometimes I forget just how wonderful it is to read (hear in this case I suppose) a really great fantasy. The world building of someone's imagination and the characters they created like nothing we have in our daily life. Kingdoms, monsters, barbarians and nobles. Customs totally outlandish to us. I love it when a story comes alive in my mind, where my imagination grasps the story and I can feel it, see it. Great world building.

This is a love story that is so much like an epic fantasy fans of either genre will be totally satisfied. Basically a nobles woman is stolen by a warrior, taken to a land so alien she tries to fit it's reality into her perspective of life. After all how could a "barbarian" be more honorable than the civilized land she came from? Mind bender of a story. It's wonderful.

Narration is by Shane East. His voice is amazing for this book. His accent is absolutely perfect for the overall feel and setting of the story.

This was an ARC audiobook from #NetGalley and #Podiumaudio . My review and opinions are my own.

Hollen the Soulless.
{ Dokiri Brides, Book 1. }

The Dokiri Brides is one of my all-time favorite fantasy series that I’ve been planning to reread ever since I finished it last year so when I received an arc of the audiobook from Netgalley and the author I was ecstatic to revisit one of my favorite fictional worlds and characters.

Hollen the Soulless sweeps you into an epic fantasy realm filled with monstrous creatures and wyvern riding warriors with some major viking vibes.

In this book we meet Lady Joselyn Fury who thanks to her father ( a horrible man ) is being carted off to marry a man who has a terribly violent reputation but thankfully she doesn’t make it to her intended and is instead swept off her feet - or should I say horse? - by a wyvern and his beast of a rider Hollen.

The characters in this book ( and the other four Dokiri Brides books ) are so well written and are some of my favorite fictional characters. Joselyn is such a strong female lead who is not a traditional timid noble woman but instead fierce and made of iron and an absolute perfect match for Hollen.

The realm and the creatures the author has created is truly magical and the books are a perfect fantasy read for those cozy rainy days. My revisit through the audio book to the Dokiri world was made even more amazing by the perfect narrator for this series. I am now impatiently waiting for the next in this series. I recommend this book along with the others in the series to anyone looking for their next favorite paperback, e-book, or audiobook.

CW: Cutting, Self-mutilation, Blood, Coercion, Brutality, Sexual Assault

When I saw Hollen the Soulless up on NetGalley, I decided to give the audiobook a shot. I haven't read anything by Denali Day, and the premise seemed interesting. I tend to avoid longer audiobooks, but this one kept my interest and made me want to keep reading which was nice.

One thing to know going into this book is knowing how brutal this book is. If sexual assault, body mutilation, and torture are triggers for you, I recommend staying away from this book. The brutality of this book was intense at times. I had to put the book down after key moments simply because it was a bit too brutal for me.

The plot was intriguing but a bit predictable at moments. I enjoyed watching Hollen and Joselyn interact, but I was annoyed with how slow of a burn it was. I don't mind slow burn, but it was a bit disappointing when combined with the fade to black romance.

Something else I couldn't help but notice was that Denali Day used the Dothraki in Game of Thrones as a significant reference for the Dokiri. As a whole, I wasn't a huge fan of the characters. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching Hollen & Joselyn interact, but I never really connected to them. I felt that the characters weren't fleshed out and wished that there was more dimension to them.

All in all, I liked the book, but it wasn't anything I would write home about. I will say, Shane East did an excellent job as a narrator, and I will continue listening to his narrations.

Came for the delectable man on the cover called Hollen the Soulless, stayed for the sinfully delicious "sex on a stick" voice of Shane East.

Hollen the Soulless starts with the prim and proper Lady Jocelyn of House Fury fulfilling her duty by marrying to save her father's reputation and her house. She is plucked right out of the air by Hollen who takes her for his bride.

While this savage display would normally set my anger ablaze, Hollen was penned as the ultimate gentle savage. He treats Jocelyn with the utmost respect, never crosses the sexual boundaries set, equips her with weapons and teaches her self-defense, and devotes his time towards assuring her comfort and wellbeing.

Hollen is the bad boy all girls secretly want deep down- viciously alpha towards his enemies, loyal to a fault to his tribe, and utterly devoted to his lady love. I am enthralled by Hollen's depth of character, his emotional intelligence, his purity of heart despite all the rejection by Jocelyn, and his innate sense of righteousness and honor.

Any man who uses these lines on me can get it (I am not joking):
"I am not your master, but I can master you"

"You are mine but you are free"

I was fascinated by the Dokiri culture and enjoyed learning the traditions and customs, some of which are very similar to my own Caribbean culture. The author did a fabulous job providing a solid foundation for future books and I loved how she incorporated Hollen's family. I am hooked on clan Dokiri and cannot hide my impatience for more!

My biggest peeve in this book has to be Jocelyn. Jocelyn was such a prude, unwilling to adapt to the customs, and while she may have had good reasoning in the beginning- based on her upbringing of a prim and proper noblewoman and being kidnapped and what not. Roughly 80% of this book depicts her resistance to Hollen despite all the reassurances he can give. While I am all for an extremely slow burn and relish when he gradually breaks down her barriers and wins her heart, I have no qualms in saying that Hollen was simply too good for Jocelyn (yeah, I said it!)

The real winner of this book is the brilliant audiobook narration by Shane East. Shane has such a profoundly unique and inviting voice that I garnered true enjoyment from listening to him. His voice has excellent range and perfectly portrayed each character with finesse. His narration has a hypnotically erotic quality that heightened the overall appeal of the book.

Many thanks to the author, Podium Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc. I will be posting this on my blog and bookstagram for pub date 18th May 2021.

Hollen the souless review


The synopsis is intriguing and right up my alley.
It was a great dive into the fantasy world of viking type era with a royal house divide feel.

I was excited to hear an audio version of this book and the narrator is amazing . I’ve listened to several books narrated by Shane East and absolutely love his voice . I definitely recommend the audio ! Make sure to check it out . I liked how it included Sven the collector as well as outtakes from Denali , the author herself and why she wrote the series and things she changed . Five star audio .


We meet Lady Joselyn, house Fury, daughter of troubled Lord, destined to save her kingdom, serve her father, no matter the cost. She is loyal , loves hard, and so selfless.
We then meet the Dokiri Man, Hollen the souless, Wyvern rider, hunter, total Alpha leader, and soon to be capture of a not so willing lady in waiting .

The insight into each Kingdom and traditions was so great and easy to follow. The Dokiri traditions are very sacred to them and each moment is very special into leading into the chapter of their next move.

We begin to ease into a flow of routine with our characters and see some beauty meets beast action when they are intertwined into each others lives. An age gap and forced marriage , was executed well and we see our enemies to lovers soften to each other. The chain of events unfolds and we see Joselyns inner turmoil :should she stay or go?

The twist and turns will leave you on edge and wanting more. I stayed up so late to finish because after a certain point i was so emotionally invested and I had to continue ! My heart almost stopped near the end , but picked back up and was a very intense ending. It was magnificent and would definitely recommend this and continue into the other books into the world created .



Slight Spoiler below
......slight triggers ..........of forced sexual scenes not graphic or full rape by no means, i was never un comfortable reading this, the love and sexual scenes between Lady Joselyn and Hollen are all consensual and done tastefully . Violence and torture , again not over done, but present .

Sven the collector

Great back story into Sven and the beginnings of the Dokiri people and their traditions .
Sven and Collette are perfection of fighting the relationship and the angst was real . I enjoyed their banter and tough spots they make it thru .
Great ending to birth our Dorkiri Men to follow .

A romance with dragons but not shifters? That was new to me, that usually reads paranormal romances. This was more of a primitive approach, a good one.
The story gives us Joselyn, a Lady, that wants nothing more than for her father to love her and is willing to do almost anything to get it. The almost end up being Hollen, the warrior that protects her world without anyone her knowing.
They have a rocky begging, but Hollen’s love for her was very insta-loving and I had no problem with that. The way the relationship went and how his willingness to wait for her while taking all of her unwavering resolve to leave, felt very real to me. That he knew what he want and went about a delicate way to win her was a nice story to read, although some aspects were not my favorite.
The book itself gets 3 stars. The audiobook, though, it is definitely 4 stars. The narrator was brilliant while performing the book; the tone of voice for each character made it easy to identify each one. Also, all the emotions that the narrator infused into the right scene were amazing.
Definitely want to continue the series, but only in audiobook format.