HOLLOW ROAD was a really enjoyable read for me. I'm a sucker for a bit of quest fantasy and although this isn't what you would classify as standard quest fantasy, the journey that these three friends undertake and their subsequent investigation of the fabled Maer hidden in the mountains around their village, provide for some truly cool moments that remind me of some of the best quest reads that I've come across in my reading life. It's also not especially heavy-handed when it comes to magic, which I actually felt was very refreshing.

This is also a book that deals a lot with stereotypes and prejudice. The Maer are portrayed in the beginning of the book as brutal monsters that may or may not exist. They are written off as unthinking savages whose only motivation is to kill the innocent. Much of what has been ascribed to them is for purposes of scaring certain segments of the population into capitulation. Nobody even thinks to question their origins or if they are even close to how they are portrayed.

After a brief encounter with the Maer on their journey to bring home their dead friend, they begin to question whether or not legends can sometimes be exaggerated. Could it be that the true monsters are those that they never would have suspected. Or are the Maer really as evil as everyone says they are? Carl, Sissie, and Finn, will soon uncover the truth and also get a number of life-changing surprises that they didn't expect.

I loved the main characters in this book and how they each had their own strengths that they brought to the table. Friends since childhood, it was also fun to see how they verbally jousted with each other as only friends who know each other well can do without causing offense. They also each come from very different backgrounds and have very different skills. This definitely comes into play as the story unfolds and they are tested beyond anything that any normal person would have to go through. The friendship angle really does give the story an extra component that makes you want to root for their success.

But the main thing that I loved about this book was the story itself, which drew me in immediately with the mystery of the Maer and then kept me there with the promise of discovering so much more being at work behind the scenes. A fascinating fantasy story that I unequivocally recommend to even the most picky reader. There is much to like about this book and I can't wait to read book two which I think I heard the author say was coming out in December. That's good because I need to continue with this story after eagerly gobbling this one up!