Book Review: Hannah and the Hollow Tree by J.A. Browne

What if you were given a choice... to save the Mother of All Nature... or Become Her?

Awoken in the middle of the night by an alarming phone call, Hannah and her mum, Caroline rush to the bedside of Eleanor, Hannah's estranged Grandmother. One of them has been lying to Hannah and one has been keeping a magical, but dangerous secret.

With deadly forces aligning to destroy the Mother of All Nature's bloodline, Hannah is rushed to the safety of the Hollow Tree. But will she make it in time. And can a mysterious silverback fox keep her alive long enough to save not just the world we know... but the one we don't...

GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Review

Hannah and the Hollow Tree is a fun introduction to the Earth Chronicles series and is also good for introducing fantasy books to young readers. The story begins in a familiar, "real world" setting but quickly takes its readers on a fast-paced adventure with non-stop action, magic, and cool creatures.

I particularly like having family members as protagonists. It's refreshing, especially since they're not at each other's throats but rather working together — even if they have disagreements from time to time and past hurts to overcome. We don't only get the POV of Hannah, but also that of her mother, Caroline, and her grandmother, Eleanor. (And other family members, though I won't give their secrets away. 🤫)

This book also has lots of girl power, but not in a way that feels forced. It just kind of fits, really, especially since it's a story about Mother Nature? 🤭 I thought some of the magic stuff were new and interesting too, like the use of flowers, trees feeding trees, the Calling...

While at times the story felt a little all over the place because of how fast things were moving, it didn't distract me from enjoying the book. And while I'm definitely not the target age group, I felt like I went back in time and became a child again because, like Hannah, I had question after question and felt so impatient that the adults refused to share what they knew at once 🙈😂

Next week I'll be back with a review of the sequel, Gaia's Revenge. So far it's just as action-packed as the first installment, though Hannah's world has become so much bigger!

Here's the blurb, to pique your interest:

“Have we weakened Gaia so much that she has become a target for annihilation? My heart suddenly feels twice its weight…For the first time ever, I hate the fact that I am human.”

Gaia, the Mother of All Nature has been poisoned. Her fevers are wreaking havoc and mass destruction across the worlds.

Hannah has discovered a destiny she knew nothing about. A sacred bloodline under threat. Now, she’ll discover a world and a heritage she could never have imagined. As the heiress to Gaia and with growing power it falls to her and the Elementals, Constance, Jack and Harriet to save Gaia and all of life itself.

As Hannah bids to save Gaia, she makes a terrifying realisation: Gaia will stop at nothing to get her revenge…

And if you'd like to follow along the book tour, here's the schedule!

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino fantasy author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan