Hollow Fields and the Perfect Cog

Hollow Fields #4

by Madeleine Rosca

With the menace of Miss Weaver's reign of terror supposedly behind them, the students of Hollow Fields can look forward to a more peaceful curriculum run by her ethically-minded successor, Principal Bleak. But there's one problem-rebuilding the school after Miss Weaver's reign has left Hollow Fields broke! If the school can't scrape together the cash to pay its staff or maintain its grounds, the Board of Unprincipled Mad Science Education will have it shut down and use the student body for scientific experiments.

Not wanting to be separated from her new friends, Lucy stumbles upon a chance for Principal Bleak to save Hollow Fields. All they have to do is win the inter-school mad science competition and along with it, a hefty cash prize. But just what kind of things go on at a mad science fair?!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Steampunk, Graphic Novels, Horror, Young Adult

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2015

About the author

Madeleine Rosca is an Australian based manga creator who is well known for her award winning, completed, series Hollow Fields. She has a 37 page short story titled Haunted Housecall that can be found on YenPlus and is currently working on her next project.

You can keep up to date with the mangaka through her twitter, livejournal, and DeviantArt journal updates.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The style is really different in this one from the older ones. The story seems rushed and the characters are just...meh in this one. I really like the original part of the series, and am happy to see more work coming along, but it is a bit of a let down.

And whatever happened to Claude's stinger that kept him on campus? Was it taken out? Or just forgotten about?

[Liz H {Redd's Reads} · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun follow up to the main series. It shows how the school was trying to rebuild after the destruction of the third book. A cute, fun story that wraps up a couple of threads while reminding us that there are still some dangling story bits. Perhaps someday we were learn what became of those.

[Kirstie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5
I still love Hollow Fields, but this was just a bonus story that didn’t add too much. It’s a fun side story, but not one I’d reread. What I loved most about it was Claude’s dad. He had me laughing.

[Lennie Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this volume nearly as much as the original trilogy. It was cute & fun & I really liked Claude's dad. But the art style was changed so drastically from the original style that it was really jarring & distracting. :/

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

finished this series! this was a great ending. i liked how this story went and the pace. it was entertaining. i liked the competition and them trying to rebuild the school. overall i really enjoyed these books. i’d recommend!

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. I liked being back in this world but the story doesn't add much to the one we already know. Not a must read but also not a waste of time.

[Benjamin Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Hollow Fields series takes away everything that made the first three books interesting. The plot and conflict is boring and all of the characters felt gutted from the other books.

[Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Fields and the Perfect Cog is a fun adventure set in a school for mad scientist and villains after the defeat of the original principle in the first 3 volumes of the main arc. It is rated All Ages but there are moments when there is talk about using students as test subjects though it doesn't happen that I can tell so if you have a particularly sensitive person to this sort of thing then use your best judgment when giving this book over to them.

After the defeat oMiss Weaver the Hollow Fields is under the new leadership of Principle Bleak who is much more ethically minded then his predecessor. The problem is the school has been having financial issues since the incidents in the main chapters of the series so Bleak has to find money before the Board of Unprincipled Mad Science Education will have to shut the school down and send the students to other schools to be experimented upon. Luckily bright student Lucy Snow has a way to save the school and everyone within as Hollow Fields begins work on a project for the Inter-school Mad Science Competition where the grand prize will give the school the money it needs.

All in all the art is cutesy for the most part and the humor is amusing just as it was in the first 3 volumes of the series and although the school staff can be a bit intimidating at times they are never overall scary. I am glad this one shot story came out even though I thought it was some kind of quest for the Perfect Cog and not what I got in the end.

My favorite part of the book would have to be when we get to meet CLaude's father and he thinks Lucy is his girlfriend. Those two do make a cute pairing as they blush and deny everything. Of course Claude's father is a very interesting character that I hope you enjoy if you decide to read this book too. :)

[Auntie Goose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read that's right to left. I thought I might have some trouble but it was super easy and I really enjoyed it. Now I need to go back and read the first three.

[Jessie Valadez · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars