I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Starlight Hollow
by
Yasmine Galenorn
paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Nightqueen Enterprises LLC on August 7, 2018 and has 212 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Hexed, Witchling, Changeling, Never After, Darkling, Demon Mistress, Dragon Wytch, Bone Magic, Night Huntress, Harvest Hunting, Blood Wyne, Courting Darkness, Shaded Vision, Shadow Rising, Haunted Moon, Night Myst, Night Veil, Night Seeker, Autumn Whispers, Night Vision, Night’s End, Priestess Dreaming, Panther Prowling, "Flight From Hell", Flight From Death, Souljacker, Legend of the Jade Dragon, Darkness Raging, Fury Rising, Murder Under a Mystic Moon, Ghost of a Chance, Once Upon A Curse, A Harvest of Bones, One Hex of a Wedding
First in the Starlight Hollow cozy paranormal romance series and revolving around Elphyra MacPherson, a traumatized witch. The series is set in Hood Canal, Gig Harbor, in Washington state.
My Take
The environment is always an underlying theme in Galenorn’s stories, and in Starlight Hollow, a major theme is the stages of grief through which Elphyra works. It won’t be the only grief in Starlight Hollow. It’s all part of the set-up for the series, introducing us to the main characters and their circumstances, traumatic and otherwise.
I do like Galenorn’s spin on Starlight Hollow and the evolution of the town with the various belief systems setting up house. I also like the sound of Elphyra’s fairytale cottage. It sounds so perfect! And yes, I’m jealous.
We’ll meet Elphyra’s new neighbors, learn her family history, the duties of the various witches. Those critical encounters with a terrified client and a forbidding wolf shifter king.
Elphyra’s description of the torture-murder was horrible, and I can understand why she struggles with PTSD, trying to overcome her tragic loss. Her family and friends have been supportive, but . . . her struggle is one we learn of through Galenorn’s use of first person protagonist point-of-view from Elphyra’s perspective.
It doesn’t take much before the sheriff is recruiting Elphyra to aid the police.
Mmm, it’s too easy in how the characters react to drama. That Kevin Bainbridge is sure an abusive man! As for Faron . . . what a jerk! And that turnaround was too easy as well. Oh, sure Elphyra has her dramatic moments, but the rest of them take it all too easy. The animosity between witches and wolves is all a tell.
Fancypants is rather too good to believe — I am so not impressed with his name. It’s too cutesy for words, although he is quite useful — I do like his unique character and creature traits, and Galenorn does a lovely job of describing him.
I do wonder how Elphyra gets a degree in herbs and botany with such a patchy knowledge of gardening, especially when she plans to set up her own garden to supply her apothecary shop.
The Story
To escape the tragedy of her life, Elphyra MacPherson flees to a neighboring town, fending off her grief as she plants her gardens and sets up her shop.
It will be a muddle of friendships, a new bond, and exorcisms, as Elphyra focuses on what she can do.
The Characters
Elphyra “Elf” MacPherson, a witch, has suffered a tragic loss and fled to Starlight Hollow to forget and to open Silver Thorns, a magical apothecary on the grounds of her new home, Thornwylde. (She has a BA in magical herbs and divination with a minor in botany.) Rian is the fiancé who died. Fancypants is the red dragonette who hatches so very aware. Sescernaht is the secret realm of the dragons.
The clan MacPherson is known for its blood-connections to the elements. Morgance MacPherson is Elphyra’s great-grandmother who is “threatening” to come for a visit. Elphyra’s very disappointed mother lives with most of the family in Port Townsend as does Aunt Ciara and Owen.
Bree Loomis, a focused puma shifter who belongs to the Kalaloch Puma Shifters, is Elphyra’s best friend and owns Olympic Forest Expeditions Company, guiding adventurers into the woods.
Starlight Hollow is . . .
. . . a small town on Dabob Bay (an internal bay connected to Hood Canal) in Washington state with old hippies, artists, writers, inventors, oddballs, lost souls, and the occasional survivalist. Communes, Cults. Yep, go ahead, say “laidback”. Daisy Parker, a puma shifter, is the sheriff. Arnie Fryer is one of her officers. Kent had been the sheriff before Daisy.
The elderly May Anderson, a kitchen witch, is Elphyra’s neighbor at Bambleberry Farm. Melda had been May’s dragonette long ago. Angus had been her husband. Bran is her reliable son, also a witch. Gloria is Bran’s now-ex girlfriend. Julien had been Gloria’s fling in Paris.
Faron Collinsworth is a wolf shifter and the King of the Olympic Wolf Pack, most of whom live in Shifter Village. Giada had been Faron’s wife. Faron’s sister, Sue, married a human, Matt, and they have three children, fraternal triplets, one of whom is Ben. Elroy Zastratha is a hotheaded lieutenant who works as an architect. Wilson is Elroy’s partner.
The Grapevine is a plant nursery where Tracy, the town gossip, works. Roland’s Steakhouse makes the best clam chowder. Jam Jam’s is a combo diner/takeout joint. Jitters ’n Bows is a coffee shop. The Gig Harbor BeeMan sells honey. The Cookie Lady makes HUGE cookies. Simon’s Subs. Bayside Market is new. Dr Carly is the local vet and runs the Cat Hospital. Hi Jinx is a pot shop. The Summer Shoreside Festival is an upscale country fair sponsored by the grange. Nan runs the programming for the Dabob Bay News, an online news site. Dr Patricia Hagg works at the human hospital.
Darla and Kevin Bainbridge and their children, Georgina “Georgie”, Mary, and John, are suffering a haunted house. Olivia Worth is murdered. Lani is/was Olivia’s daughter. Lucius Jackaberry had been a witch. Jimithy Snare is/had been a witch demon hunter. Shawna is the wife he loved.
The great Devas are the oversouls of various plants. Mrs Jansen used to own Elphyra’s cottage. The Washing Woman, a.k.a. the Washer at the Ford, is a bean nighe. One has been attached to the MacPherson clan for centuries. Dragonettes are the smallest of the Drakon family and deliberately seek out humans. Majekana is the secret language of witches.
The “Choose Your Poison Butcher”, a.k.a. the Butcher, is the series bad guy.
The Cover and Title
The cover is multiple shades of purple. In the background is the bright window slightly off-center with a scary vine and roses growing up the right side. On the left is a bookcase and either a grandfather clock or a hutch. In the center is Elphyra in opera-length, fingerless black gloves and black leather jeans that lace up the outsides. She is wearing knee-high boots and a black cotton halter top with a center cut-out. Her hair is long and a shaggy red as she sits with a leg propped up and an elbow on her knee, looking down at the glimmering package she holds in her hand. To the right, Fancypants hovers in the air. At the top, on the left, is a colophon for the publisher next to the author’s name in white. Between first and last name is an info blurb in lilac. At the bottom is the title in a slightly gradated white to lilac with a black shadow. A multi-pointed glimmer star appears to be hanging from the first letter in the title. At the bottom is the series info in white.
The title is the town where Elphyra settles, Starlight Hollow.
