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The Hollow Kingdom
The Hollow Kingdom
The Hollow Kingdom
Audiobook8 hours

The Hollow Kingdom

Written by Clare B. Dunkle

Narrated by Jenny Sterlin

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

In 19th-century England, Kate and her sister Emily return to the family estate after their father dies. There, under the guardianship of a distant uncle, they live in a small lodge with two great-aunts. One evening while out late and unable to find their way home, they encounter a nest of goblins. Clare Dunkle unites the human realm and the underworld of the goblin in a fascinating and exciting tale.

Editor's Note

Alluringly elusive…

An underappreciated YA fantasy series that follows a familiar fairytale-like script — specifically that of “Beauty and the Beast” — but adds plenty of twists and turns to create an alluringly elusive, chilling atmosphere.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 7, 2013
ISBN9781501992407
The Hollow Kingdom
Author

Clare B. Dunkle

Clare B. Dunkle is the author of the well-received Hollow Kingdom trilogy as well as the first volume in this story, The Sky Inside. She studied Russian and Latin at Trinity University, and also holds a a master's degree in library science from Indiana University. She was a member of the American Library Association and served on committees in ALCTS, ACRL, and LITA. She lives with her family in Texas.

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Reviews for The Hollow Kingdom

Rating: 4.224718951310861 out of 5 stars
4/5

267 ratings25 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very good, but ranges from conservative in an arranged marriage sort of way to VERY GORY and violent. I really enjoyed it and will probably listen to it again.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not unlike Juliet Marillier's "Sevenwaters" trilogy, Dunkle deftly picks at the reader's emotions like a bard and his lute.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting read for fans of the darker side of fairy stories. The plot wasnt what I was expecting but it kept my interest all the way through and I enjoyed all the different characters. There is a bit of a creep factor to several of the male characters that I didnt think was handled as well as it could have been, and the pacing was also an issue towards the end of the story but still enjoyable. I might check out the other books in the trilogy if I come across them but will leave them off my to read list for now.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This has to be one of my all time favorite books ever! I absolutely love Kate and Marak. This book is incredibly mature (and by that I don't mean graphic or sexual or anything like that, merely it depicts very dimensional and well rounded characters who aren't always goody-goody) for the audience that it is targeting. I have read and re-read this book a million times and will continue to do so because it just does not diminish for me. The world building is superb and the characters multi-faceted. Clare Dunkle is an amazing author!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Something I discovered at work one day while shelving books. Once again I was captured by the premise of "goblins". The book tells the story of two sisters who are moving to a remote estate after the death of their father. Older sister Kate and her younger sister Emily move to Hallow Hill (where for thousands of years young women have been disappearing) with their cold guardian, and cousin who is determined to take back Hallow Hill as his own inheritance instead of the girls' at all costs. As luck would have it shortly after arriving Kate begins talking "nonsense" about a Goblin King named Marak Sixfinger who intends to kidnap her and make her his wife, as is the goblin custom to kidnap their brides (one of my favorite tropes). Kate is inexplicably good at avoiding capture, until her cousin in an attempt to force Kate into a Mental Asylum, convinces Kate that her sister has been kidnapped by the goblins, hoping for a reaction from her that would permit him to have her taken away and unable to inherit the estate. However Kate keeps her calm and walks right into the underground kingdom of the goblins and offers herself to Marak in exchange for her sister's safe return. (Be careful with how you word things when dealing with mythical creatures y'all!) Marak agrees and then reveals he has not taken her sister but it was, in fact, their cousin. So Marak and some goblins go and rescue Emily who once rescued demands she too be taken underground with the goblins because she refuses to be separated from Kate. So Kate marries the Goblin King and adventure ensues. I won't reveal the rest, and leave it for you to read and enjoy yourself.
    Overall this was a good read. It it targeted towards middle grade readers so it tends to gloss over some topics, particularly the repercussions and implications of kidnapping brides. I would have enjoyed a more in-depth look at that. I would recommend this book to my fellow Labyrinth enthusiasts.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Has elements of a fairy tale, and a bit of Beauty and the Beast. A love story and fantasy combined.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book brought me back to my childhood, evoking fond memories of one of my favorite comfort reads, The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Although it doesn’t quite stand up to my remembered enjoyment of The Perilous Gard, The Hollow Kingdom still a quick, fun, engrossing story that puts a new twist on a classic legend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When strong-willed Kate and her little sister Emily return to their ancestral home after their father's death, they are greeted by two fluttery aunts and a surly cousin who feels that he, not the girls, has a right to the property. Their cousin's antagonism is soon the least of their worries, though. One evening the sisters get lost on the paths and back roads around the estate, and they meet a strange little company. When one of them, Mr. Marak, offers them an escort home, Em is glad to accept -- but Kate is more cautious. Something in her warns her to keep her distance from this odd but charming stranger. Through a series of fantastical events, Marak reveals to Kate that he is the Goblin King, and she is his chosen bride. Kate is determined never to go with the goblins. She dreads the thought of living in their dank underground halls, never being able to feel the wind or see the stars. When Emily is in danger, however, Kate makes a bargain with the Goblin King. Will she regret it -- or will she find that life with the goblins is not at all what she expected?This story has its faults, it's true (I should probably detest the goblin method of finding brides), but I love it all the same. Marak is a great character with a wicked sense of humor, and Charm (who has no sense of humor at all) is also a favorite of mine. Some readers complain of pacing problems in the book, but the flow of the story has never bothered me. I definitely recommend this to fantasy fans.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Clare Dunkle was the author who introduced me to goblins. I mean, I had seen them before in movies, like LOTR, but I was never really interested in them before reading the The Hollow Kingdom trilogy. (Oh, wait, I lied. I forgot the Labyrinth. :O Love that movie!) CD really fleshed them out for me. I loved the whole world she created. The only downside in the reading were the missing pieces. In some parts it seemed like a few pages or paragraphs were taken out, or just some of the information. One instance, you are never told Marak's age. On CD's website in the FAQs you learn that he's actually a lot older than Kate, he's in his 60's. He didn't seem 60 to me. Marak was very endearing and I cried in the third book for him. There were a couple other things I can't remember as of right now, I'll add them in when I do a reread, because this trilogy is on my reread list! I love how the books have deeper meanings; i.e. racism.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Goblin rulers abduct human women for their wives. Wildly un-PC, as it turns out that quite a lot of the abducted wivesare actually quite happy about it. Rather a pedestrian writing style, but it has some nice touches – the goblin king is rather charming, with a strong, if not always kind, sense of humour, the young goblin who's embarrassed because he's too good looking and accordingly spends most of his life as a cat, the heroine's much younger sister, who adjusts to life under the Hill quite cheerfully. The final section seems tacked on as an afterthought, but it does give the story some much-needed action.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Two young sisters, Kate and Emily, have recently moved back to be raised at the family estate by their new guardian. They don't realize that their new home is near the goblin lands and soon the goblin king takes a special interest in Kate and Emily. The two girls use all their wits try and escape from the clutched, succeeding time and time again. But a strange twist of events, that the goblins weren't even part of, eventually lures the girls back into the reach of the goblin king.I really enjoyed both Kate and Emily. There were smart and inventive in their ways to avoid the king. They learn to trust and rely on each other. The king himself, Marak, is quite a character. While he is supposed to be evil and mean...the bad guy.. I couldn't help but like him. The king's subjects are quite the variety and are fascinating to read about as well.4/5
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I randomly picked up this book (and the other two books in the series) from my local public library, only for it to sit on my shelf until about a week before it was due. I had several other books waiting that I thought I was going to enjoy more, but boy was I wrong.When I picked this book up, I literally did not put it (or the two other books in the series) down unless I needed to or and sleep. It took me less than two days to get through the whole series, and I enjoyed every moment of it.The story starts with the sisters Kate and Emily discovering that the land they inherited holds secrets beyond belief. They quickly meet Marak after getting lost. While Emily is drawn to the stranger, everything in Kate tells her that something is very wrong. Her fears are confirmed when he reveals his deformed face to her, and later discovers that he is the Goblin King that has come to take her as his wife. Kate decides that she is not going to go down without a fight until something changes and she realizes she may not have a choice....
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is the first in a trilogy. Kate and her sister come to live with an aunt. They meet strangers in the woods who turn out to be goblins who live under the lake in the woods. The goblin king kidnaps Kate's sister, so she trades her freedom for her sisters. There are many themes in this book, but it mostly centers around racial prejudices. I read this book to preview it for my daughters. It is a little weird and dark, but enjoyable. The Goblin King is especially likable, although he seems so evil at the start. I enjoyed the twists the author puts in the goblin/elf encounters.This book would be good for more mature readers, as some of the images, i.e. kidnapping, could be frightening to immature readers. As it is the first in a series, there are more books about the characters and the kingdom for readers to enjoy. The writing style is not difficult, but the author uses a variety of sentence structures to make her writing interesting. It would be a good book to read for a jump-off place for students to write their own story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    EDIT: I just read this book again last night, and I have to say, I love it *MORE* than the first time!! The Hollow Kingdom is absolutely one of my all-time favorite books!! WAY TO GO, CLARE DUNKLE!!!! Thanks for writing such an amazing story :) ORIGINAL REVIEW:Wow I started this at 7 at night and finished at 2something in the morning! It was that engrossing! The fact that Clare Dunkle's writing was praised by Lloyd Alexander (one of my favorite authors of all time) really impressed me, and I see why. Though published within the last 5 years, she writes with a lyrical narrative not seen among today's more "urban fantasy/modern" authors. I can't really describe it, but it sounded reminiscent of Alexander's own work: simple yet elegant. And I have to say, I was and still am almost entirely in love with the story! Luckily for me, I'm not near feminist enough to be bothered by the story's unconventional order of events. This is a simple enough love story, but it is definitely not common, and I found myself recollecting aspects of Phantom of the Opera a bit. This truly is a "Beauty and the Beast"-esque story, and I was completely captivated. Yes, there are things I would have done differently (not really loving the goblins - or the animallike descriptions of the goblins), and the remaining 1/3 of the story almost completely switched gears and focus, but still, besides a bit of a pacing situation I liked the direction the story took. It doesn't take an English professor to crack the major themes and the overall message of the story. Typical YA: sometimes those "messages" tend to be a little "after-school-special" for my taste, but still... GREAT story, very WELL-DEVELOPED characters, and an extremely TALENTED author. PS... he's totally not described this way, but I couldnt help but picture the Goblin King as the one played by David Bowie in Labyrinth and after reading this book, guess what movie I'm watching now?!??! I *LOVE* Labyrinth and you all need to watch this movie after you read the book!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Goblins, Dwarfs, and Elves -- Oh My!In book one of the Hollow Kingdom trilogy, we meet up with two orphaned young English ladies who are coming to their ancestral home, Hollow Hill, for the first time. After taking a walk through the woods, Kate begins having nightmares and suffers through her days with the feeling that she is being watched. When she meets a group of odd and horrifying people, her worst fears are confirmed (even though she doesn’t quite know what they are) as she tries to escape the goblin King Marak – who is intent upon making her his new bride. What a mix this wonderful story is! Goblins who are funny and open while still horrifyingly ugly, nefarious guardians intent on sabotage, and an even unlikelier love story are all combined into something truly magical. I found myself grimacing at the cruelty of magic and conversely laughing out loud at Marak’s humor and wit. A perfectly mixed novel and I can’t wait to read the rest.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kate must promise to wed the goblin king in exchange for his help in saving her sister. She is overcome with dread when she has to live up to her side of the bargain.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Girl meets goblin, goblin tries to steal girl, girl resists but eventually will reconsider due to her younger sister. I really liked the extra twists in this book and I really wasn't expecting the tale to turn the way it did. I'm just dying to read the next in the trilogy now.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great beginning to a triology - a different take on "Beauty & the Beast" with a goblin king who must choose a human bride. A young adult novel that I hated to see end. The 2nd book in the trilogy ("Close Kin") had a weak first half but I stuck it out. Still need to read the last one: The Coils of the Snake.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Hollow Kingdom is excellent. The storytelling is outstandingly expressive, and what a story to tell. Initially, readers are sure to dislike Marak and his ugly goblin subjects with their unique culture that includes kidnapping humans to their underground kingdom. As the story progresses, it is more and more difficult to dislike the caring, devoted Marak who would do anything to make Kate happy -- except release her. I loved the progression of the relationships between characters, especially between Marak and Kate, proving that love is a choice. Kate is a strong main character. I enjoyed reading a female character who actually had some character and made up her own fate by her own means. Twilight's Bella has nothing on Kate. There are so many things I love about this book that I don't feel capable of describing. The story stays with me long after I've finished it. It is one that I love to reread.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Very slow to get going. I did not enjoy slogging through the set-up. But once the fantasy/magic begins I was entranced. The heroine while a stock character was charming. I adored the ending. Parts of the ending were so visual that I would to illustrate them.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I had typed creepy, but eerie and disturbing are probably better terms. Orphaned along with her young sister, our heroine is stalked by the goblin king, and ultimately sacrifices herself to his keeping, marrying him to save her sister. As the story unfolds, the "safe" elements become less so, and what initially seemed evil and threatening becomes more understandable and comforting.Perhaps the strongest, or at least the most thought provoking, of the Hollow Kingdom trilogy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    To start, I must ask you this:~Have you ever read a book where you were both revolted by and in love with the "prince"?~Have you ever loved the main character, wanted the best for her, and still wanted to see her world irrevocably shattered?If you said yes, but especially if you said no, READ THIS BOOK.As the official summary goes:"For thousands of years, young women have been vanishing from Hallow Hill, never to be seen again. Now Kate and Emily have moved there with no idea of the land’s dreadful heritage—until Marak decides to tell them himself. Marak is a powerful magician who claims to be the goblin king, and he has very specific plans for the two new girls who have trespassed into his kingdom..."Things do get a little "Series of Unfortunate Events-y" when these two orphaned sisters must also contend with a scheming relative who's after the estate that was left to them, but that's the ONLY thing in this book that's even slightly unoriginal.I have never, ever, ever encountered a book like this before. And to think that I was shallow enough to almost pass it up because it's about goblins!Had I given in to my strange, little quirks, I would have missed out on a powerful read, indeed!I literally closed the book at the end and sat there saying, "Wow. Wow! WOW!"Dunkle creates the strangest, most repulsing (and yet strangely alluring) world in this story--a world that strong, stable Kate gets sucked into and must unwillingly sacrifice all she holds dear for.Marak, meanwhile, is a deliciously deceptive and cunning character. He's amazingly complex and reading about him is like being let in on this big secret. It feels mischievous, scandalous, and incredibly exciting.Forego everything else on your "to be read" list and cuddle up with this book. Make sure you're completely alone so that when it grabs you, pulls in, and makes you shout out loud, you don't scare the obsessive coffee-maniacs in the cafe at Barnes and Noble.Now, I must admit that this book is (unfortunately) the first in a trilogy.Yes.It's a sad thing because the last two books are like dead weights dragging the first one down.If you love Marak and Kate (and how couldn't you!?) you'll do yourself a favor and keep their images untarnished --DO NOT read Close Kin or In the Coils of the Snake!Close Kin is about the not-really-all-that-interesting-but-still-necessary-for-The Hollow Kingdom-to-go-the-way-it-does Emily and a character she meets in the first book.Ho hum.This book basically takes the characters from the first story and sets them on the backburner to focus on Emily. Yea. I never really liked her (and I'll be surprised if you do) and I hated the way the best people were shoved aside.This problem worsens in In the Coils of the Snake, where even Emily is ungracefully thrown aside--only to be replaced by all-new people.Sorry.Did I ask for a brand new book?No.I asked for a continuation of the series and the people in it--not a whole new story in that world!I HATE when authors do that!!It's such a black mark on Dunkle's name! There was nothing wrong with The Hollow Kingdom!I don't know if it's actually the case or not, but the last two books strike me as stories written after Dunkle's publisher said something like, "Quick--while the iron's hot!! Two more!! Everyone writes trilogies!!"Aye.So.Summation:Read The Hollow Kingdom; you'll adore it!Skip the last two and consider your life better for it.This review is also an entry on my blog :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In 19th century England, a powerful sorcerer and King of the Goblins chooses Kate, the elder of two orphan girls recently arrived at their ancestral home, Hallow Hill, to be his bride and queen. This is a very entertaining fantasy novel for tweens and teens. It is full of fantasy characters (goblins, elves, dwarfs, sorcerers), magic, humor and suspense. It is the first book in the Hollow Kingdom Trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This highly-imaginative story about two young orphaned sisters taken underground to live out the rest of their lives in a goblin kingdom grabs the reader's interest from the first page and holds it right through the end. I'm looking forward to reading the remaining two books in the trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely adored this book. I really don't have a good reason why, except that I love beauty-and-the-"beast" type stories (although I thought Marak sounded rather attractive).