Hollow (Book 1 in the Crown of Hearts & Chaos series)

From the bestselling “twisted sisters” behind Zodiac Academy—Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti—comes Hollow, an instant USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller that’s equal parts deadly competition, spirit magic, and slow-burn obsession. It’s a dark romantasy with sharp humor, ruthless choices, and twists that bite.

The rules are simple: don’t listen to the whispers in the woods, don’t trust the man cloaked in shadow, and definitely don’t go out after dark. Every fifty years, the Great Hunt begins—Champions enter a cursed forest for a single chance to shatter the corruption and claim the boon granted to the winner. Ferris Creed isn’t a warrior or a Fae, but she steps into the trees anyway, because the prize is her only shot at changing her fate.

Then she meets Prince Bane—the monster everyone fears, commander of the Hollows, and the one man who seems determined to end her. Ferris has her own mission: unite the lost spirits, return the scattered amulets, and reach the heart of the forest’s rot—through trickery, deception, and sheer stubborn will. She’s not there to fall in love. She’s there to survive. Too bad the most dangerous thing in the woods might be the pull between her and the shadow prince who wants her ruined.

Perfect for fans of: slow burn enemies-to-lovers, dual POV, morally gray love interest, magical competition, elemental spirits, chosen-one stakes, Fae & spirits—and dark humor with blush-worthy spice.