We Who Are Forged in Fire

Hollow #2

by Kate Murray

An electrifying urban fantasy about a family of women warriors, and a girl who will risk everything to save them …
 
Priscilla Daalman is training to be a Hollow Warrior – an elite monster hunter charged with killing evil beasts from another universe. But first, she has to deal with the Renegades, a rebellious group of outcasts who have declared war on the warriors and are unleashing deadly beasts across the globe. 
 
With everyone under attack by both Renegades and Hollow monsters, Priscilla decides the best way to fight is from within – so she cuts herself off from her girlfriend and family and becomes a spy in the Renegades’ base. It’s a bold plan – and one that doesn’t account for her duplicitous ex-boyfriend, Dominic, being a leader of the rebellious group.
 
As Priscilla struggles to remain undetected in the Renegade base, she realises Dominic has his own agenda – and she’s part of it. And in order to stop him – and the Renegades – she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice …
 
Full of breathtaking twists and turns, We Who Are Forged in Fire is the thrilling sequel to We Who Hunt the Hollow, Kate Murray’s debut YA novel that won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Young Adults and was shortlisted for the Ampersand Prize and the Readings Prize. 
 

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2023

About the author

Kate is a New Zealander living in Melbourne with her family, an alarming amount of Lego, and an ordinary number of books. She’s a fan of coffee, sunshine, sci fi and fantasy, lip balm, cute earrings, and reading. Ever since she could hold a pencil, she’s been making up stories (which have come a long way since the first one: “I like cats.”)

WE WHO HUNT THE HOLLOW is her debut novel.

Reviews

[kaitlyns_library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, more than the first book. I still looked the continuation of positive messages and queer rep. The ending was summed up really well. The pace was quick and the transitions were well done.

[Peta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this more than the first book to be honest, there was a lot that happened and that made it move really fast. I enjoyed the new characters and how they were built out, but I really got over the constant "I'm not good enough, woe is me, I ruin everything" from Priscilla. It was too much, especially with the ending where she fully goes and creates her own guild basically. I did enjoy the ending though and how everything worked out.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as good as the first both incredible fantasy reads with no spice and lots of representation cool powers and strong family bonds both found family and bloodlines

[K.M. Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel that closes out this imaginative series. After finally gaining her superpowers, being accepted to train as a Hallow Warrior like all of her family members before her, and reuniting with her girlfriend, Priscilla thinks she is where she needs to be. But the other trainees don’t talk to her, she’s not allowed to use her power to its best potential, and at night, she’s been dreaming of Dominic, the boy who used and betrayed her. When the opportunity to become a rebel spy comes her way, Priscilla blows up her life and relationships to take it, but will it be all for nothing? Author Kate Murray continues and completes her wonderful world of monster hunters, adding new characters to the mix, bringing favorites back from the first book, and there’s of course all the wonderful animal familiars that help their human counterparts. She does an amazing job of growing Pricilla into the warrior she needs to be, and of resolving not just Priscilla's problems from this book, but ones started in the first too. This creates a very satisfying read, one that’s highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy who want to read a book full of great characters, interesting concepts, future sci-fi elements, and emotional stakes.

[beautiful A Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - the blurb is what caught my eye
You don’t have to read the 1st book to understand the 2nd book which is this book itself , everything was well written we’ll described - looking forward to more books from this author

[Christiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequels can be hit or miss but this one was a hit! I wish it could have gone on longer, or even been a trilogy. But I loved the ending and how it all came together. I'm so glad Priscilla and Onyeka were together at the end. Priscilla developed so much as a character in this one and had a beautiful ending to her journey with the confidence she found in herself to follow her own path regardless of her family while still loving them.
Hope to see more from this author!

[Angie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. I wish it had more recognition and a larger fanbase :( But its sooo good bro. Dominic is so hot, if there is a third book PLEASE PLEASE let him be here. He is my all time favorite character.
I need more books in this series please.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't have as much patience for Priscilla this time, perhaps because we'd moved on from the magic of being introduced to her world. In any case, just too annoying for me.

[whatbooknext · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priscilla is now training with the only other Hollow Warrior with her power. Arnold is quiet, almost sullen, and she thinks of him as a robot during their training. No matter how he tries not to show it, his frustration at her reluctance to let her power loose during training is obvious to her. She knows it’s strength, as it burns her under her skin, but she doesn’t yet trust herself.

Life in her new home base is lonely, as all the other trainees distrust her after her relationship with a Renegade. She is left alone to eat each meal, and has only Arnold to talk to. This is far from what she’d dreamed of as a trained Hollow Warrior of the Guild.

When an enemy attack hits the base, even more goes wrong and Priscilla decides she’s had enough of the base treatment of her. She knows she needs to prove herself to everyone around her, including her powerful grandmother Geema.

Her decision on how to do this also doesn’t go well, but while away from The Guild, she learns things about Geema’s past, and the past of The Guild that doesn’t sit right with her. These revelations change her entire life, but first she must fight with her awesome power to save her beloved Emerald City, her family, girlfriend and her entire world.


The sequel to We Who Hunt the Hollow, We Who Are Forged in Fire is a gripping read and even better. Priscilla is a likeable and relatable character with her feelings and fears alive on the page. We learn more about the history of her world and experience more heartbreak along with her.

The stakes are even higher in this sequel and the sacrifices huge, but this is also a coming of age for the girl who wishes nothing more than to follow all the women in her family to become accomplished Hollow Warriors.

I highly recommend this series, and wish I’d discovered it earlier. Step inside this world of women warriors. You won’t regret it.

Age – 13+

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the second book in the duology that began with We Who Hunt the Hollow, this was a fast-paced and satisfying conclusion. At under eight hours, it’s a relatively quick listen, but the world Murray has created still feels rich and well thought-out - futuristic, sharp-edged, and full of potential.

The story is straightforward and easy to follow, making it an accessible and enjoyable read, though I did find myself wishing for a little more depth in places, particularly around the secondary characters and the stakes they face. That said, the main character is a standout: witty, layered, and compelling, even when her choices get a little messy, which only makes her more relatable!

The narration is a real strength of the audiobook. The narrator’s performance captured the tone and pace of the story beautifully and added extra emotional nuance to key moments. She really brought the characters to life and enhanced the experience of the audiobook. It was lovely to hear a genuine accent to suit the background of the FMC.

Overall, this is a strong and engaging ending to a solid duology. I’d recommend it to fans of fast-paced YA sci-fi with smart, flawed heroines and a dash of futuristic rebellion.

I was given an advance listener copy of We Who Are Forged in Fire via NetGalley in return for an honest review, and I’d like to thank the author, Kate Murray, as well as Bolinda Audio for the opportunity.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up a month after book one, with Priscilla off training in Europe to become a fully fledged guardian. In the meanwhile a rebellion has picked up, attacking institutes around the world, which hasn’t helped Priscilla make any friends. But if they’re going ot think the worst of her anyway, she finds a way to use it to her advantage.
There’s a fair amount of politics and corruption in this sequel, and the MC is still quite juvenile. She makes some terrible decisions (but usually for the right reasons) and has some amazing character growth and self actualisation that feels entirely natural and evolves perfectly.
The end feels very rushed. It almost seems like this was intended for a trilogy and then they ran out of pages and had to squish it all in. After the build up, with such a quick resolution it lacked some of the tension and real stakes it could have achieved. But it does have a great resolution where everything ties back in together and has a real sense of community an everlasting friendship. It’s left at a good stopping point but could easily be expanded from here for future adventures.

[Jessica G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in love with this series! I am also officially mad that more people don’t know about its existence, because it’s SO GOOD! These days it’s rare for me to read a whole YA series during the school term, but this absolutely captivated me and I was driven to a state of desperation because I needed to read this second book.
I don’t read a lot of fantasy either, so this was very unexpected for me. The characters are glorious, the main character’s journey of growth is magnificent, and honestly I’m just absolutely taken by this gorgeous coming-of-age story!
My only, only, onlyyy critique is, that in one of the scenes, it is explained to Priscilla that the reason Hollows are escaping through to her world is because the gods have been captured and used to create tears in the world. But it’s a one line explanation that never comes back to be discussed. I would have thought it would be a setup to discuss how the Hollow Warriors were going to free the gods to stop the Hollows from entering their world.
But, that was the only thing! Because everything else was perfect and I’m absolutely obsessed.
I now need more Kate Murray in my life, STAT.

[Aisling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gifted for review - I really enjoyed this book but like with many sequels I don’t think it is as strong as the original. The plot was packed with so much it could have easily been split into two different books and at the end the book was left with loose ends that felt hastily tidied away rather than given the time and space they might have otherwise been given.

That said - the familiar characters were a welcome return, and the new characters were nuanced and felt as real as any from early in WWHTH. It was exciting to see more action unfolding in this sequel and to find out more about the operations of the mysterious Guild.

Priscilla’s actions feel logical and make sense for her character, and it is nice to see a character grow and develop almost in spite of the love interest(s) rather than because of it for them.

I feel so attached to this AU world and I’m sad that there is (currently) no more to immerse myself in. Hanging out for a third book please!!!

I think Kate Murray is an excellent and exciting writer and I can’t wait to read more of her writing!

[sarah ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish I could love these books but they just don’t make it. Priscilla isn’t just annoying but so goddamn stupid it is infuriating. The love triangle is distracting and unnecessary. I know YA fantasy love to make the love interest the chosen one forever, but for a series set in a very progressive future, this comes across as backwards. The pacing of this book in particular was really weird, we spent far too much time in the guild and then the renegade base, just for that entire operation to be useless. Then they only spend 10 days in the hollow? the book should’ve ended with Priscilla going into the Hollow and the next one should’ve been about her figuring out how to get out - instead of “oh wow we tried and did it on our first go!”. I don’t think Kate is a bad writer at all, I actually like her world building, but we either need a different perspective on this world or a bit more time to pass

[jagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a good monster book. Filled with human drama, the story is a wild race with a perfect ending. Love the Australian-ness of it without it defining the storyline or the characters; it’s just a great YA book.

[BooksWithBanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid conclusion.

Still laughed every time a “floater” was mentioned.

[Kaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star rating

[The_enchanted.Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yess 🙌🙌 I loved this second book! I almost stopped reading after book 1 and I’m so glad I didn’t. Please tell me a third one will be on its way! I want more!

[blue reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the ending