Today it is my turn on the blog tour for J. A. Browne’s Earth Chronicles. I will be posting two book reviews for this tour. The first is for Hannah and the Hollow Tree and if you scroll down further you will discover my review of the sequel, Gaia’s Revenge.

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Title: Hannah and the Hollow Tree

Written by: J. A. Browne

Published by: Inkberry Press

Begin the epic coming of age fantasy and discover the nature of magic. One for every eco-warrior out there.

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…

Blurb for Hannah and the Hollow Tree by J. A. Browne

This is a heart-felt book full of emotional turmoil and complex mother-daughter relationships. I enjoyed reading about this strong matriarchal family that spans over three generations and beyond.

Hannah and the Hollow Tree opens with a prologue from Caroline’s, Hannah’s mother, point of view. Hannah is only a baby in the pram when Caroline is called to see her own mother Eleanor by Eleanor’s friend Joyce. We gain an insight into Caroline’s and Eleanor’s fraught relationship and a hint of the magical world it is their job to protect.

Chapter One then jumps to when Hannah is thirteen and is from Hannah’s point of view. We see real world through her eyes, her lack of knowledge about the mystical world and a very different mother-daughter relationship based on trust and loyalty. The rest of the book then continues to be interspersed with chapters from Hannah’s, Caroline’s, Eleanor’s and Joyce’s points of view. I occasionally found it confusing whose mother they were talking about, especially when I’d not noticed the chapter heading of whose point of view we were in.

Hannah and the Hollow Tree is packed with family angst and twists. Hannah is being pulled both ways by her mother and grandmother and the turmoil of choosing between them. In the end the choice was taken out of her hands when the survival of the whole planet becomes her responsibility.

The world building was magnificent and the story really picked up for me when we meet Alpha, the magical silver fox who becomes her guardian.

On the whole an exciting YA fantasy with an important environmental message.  

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Title: Gaia’s Revenge

Written by: J. A. Browne

Published by: Inkberry Press

The epic coming of age fantasy continues. Unearth the magic of nature and fall in love with Hannah, Alpha and the Ffens as they battle to save the Mother of Nature.

“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. But Hannah has a terrifying realisation: Gaia will stop at nothing to get her revenge…

Blurb for Gaia’s Revenge by J. A. Browne

This sequel to Hannah and the Hollow Tree is even more fast paced and exciting than the first instalment. So much so, it is easy to miss things. Again there is a strong cast of dynamic female characters as well as a brilliant set of mystical creatures. We learn more about Hannah’s ancestry and mission through her visions and as with Hannah and the Hollow Tree, Gaia’s Revenge is interspersed with chapters from other some of the other characters so you need to pay attention to the chapter headings.

Hannah has embraced the fact she is the bloodline of Gaia, Mother Earth, who is seriously ill and continues with her quest to save her. She has joined forces with new friends Constance, Jack and Harriet and I enjoyed the dynamics between them and the unique gifts of the Elementals.

As the title would suggest there is a strong theme of revenge as well as betrayal running throughout. There is a lot going on and the book ends with a shocking twist that turns everything on its head. In fact, the whole book is an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I was laughing out loud, the next I was angry and then I was heart-wrenchingly sad.

This is fantasy at its best with duplicitous characters and ingenious magical rules. I particularly enjoyed the links to Celtic legends and mythology and how J. A Browne has weaved her interpretations of them seamlessly into the plot.

I was lucky enough to receive a hard back copy of the book which contains bonus material at the back of The Unearthing of Eleanor A Novella. I do not know if this is in the paperback edition. I must say though the ending left me bewildered and I am not sure if Alpha my favourite character is alive or dead. I guess I will have to read Hollow’s End Part I to find out.

The prefect book for all young adults who love fantasy.

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J.A. Browne is an Amazon Bestselling children’s author born in Yorkshire in the U.K. Her environmental fantasy series, Earth Chronicles introduces you to Hannah Walsingham, a thirteen-year-old with a destiny she knows nothing about…until now.

Passionate about environmental issues, Jane began writing the climate fiction series about the death of Mother Nature and the potential that lies within children whilst studying to become a primary teacher in her home city of Leeds. Now, having graduated with an MA in Creative Writing, she followed her dreams to become a full-time author. Her love of literature began when she was little, sharing books with her grandmothers, filling her head with fairy tales and whimsical adventures.

Whilst holidaying in Norfolk, Jane was captivated by a tree struck by lightning in grounds of the home of Anne Boleyn and began scribbling down the idea of a girl whose destiny was hidden within the depths of a hollow tree…a destiny that would save worlds…

She now lives with her husband in the Calder Valley aka ‘Bronte Country’ and still teaches occasionally and enjoys reading and long walks in the countryside to get the creative juices flowing.

Sales of the Earth Chronicles funds the planting of trees.

Check out Jane’s website at www.jabrowne.com and join her “keep in touch” list to get the Secret Chapter for Hannah and the Hollow Tree. There, you can keep up to date with all the news, events or snap up an exclusive signed paperback and free bookmark.

Follow her on Instagram @jabrowneauthor and on X @jabrowneauthor.

To follow the rest of the tour please check out the schedule below:

I would like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in this blog tour. Thank you.