- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (Oct 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805073906
- ISBN-13: 978-0805073904
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.1 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 476 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #914,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Kate and her younger sister, Emily, are orphans, sent to live with great aunts at remote and mysterious Hallow Hill. Hugh Roberts, their guardian, is a surly and somewhat sinister cousin. One afternoon, the girls come upon some strange people and an abnormally huge cat in a clearing. One of these folk, Marak, is a goblin king. He needs Kate to be his human bride, for goblins may not marry their own kind. When Emily disappears, Kate assumes that he is responsible and agrees to marry him in exchange for her sister's freedom. Once in the goblins' vast underground kingdom, Kate is sure she will die from not being able to see the stars. But she does marry Marak and assumes her life as a queen. At this point the plot takes an unexpected turn. A sorcerer attacks Marak, and Kate discovers some surprising things about herself and her relationship with her husband. This is an interesting fantasy world with well-realized characters. Hugh Roberts is a true villain and Kate is a feisty heroine. Marak is frequently described as an ugly monster, and he definitely comes across as something other than human. However, he has a good nature and a sense of humor as well as a great love for his chosen wife. The goblin kingdom itself is beautifully described, as are the strange creatures that inhabit it. The story moves a bit slowly in places, but overall it should attract readers who like magic and adventure. Kate is surely a heroine to be reckoned with, and girls will relate to her predicament.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. When orphaned Victorian teenager Kate and her younger sister move to an estate they have inherited, Kate feels sure she's being watched. She's not wrong. The suave, hideous Goblin King, Marak, plans to kidnap and wed her (goblin women are mostly infertile, so "crossing out" to other species ensures the survival of the race). All seems poised for clever Kate to outmaneuver the villain, but the seemingly conventional setup gives way to something far more intriguing: the dreaded marriage actually happens. Readers are then plunged into the goblins' eerily lovely subterranean world, where Marak, despite his pitiless disregard for certain human sensibilities, surprises Kate with his wise leadership and husbandly concern. Each of the novel's three parts fairly brims with plot, at times things seem a bit rushed, and Kate's concluding adventure presupposes a devotion to her husband that hasn't yet been convincingly established. But this is a fresh, powerful twist on the Beauty-and-the-Beast theme, and the impact of Dunkle's evocative storytelling lingers long after the final page. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
"It's so nice to see new faces at Hallow Hill, isn't it Prim?" Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
"It's so nice to see new faces at Hallow Hill, isn't it Prim?" Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Down we go,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Hollow Kingdom: Book I -- The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy (Paperback)
Claire Dunkle makes a smashing debut with "The Hollow Kingdom," a somewhat different look at those old legends about maidens being kidnapped by goblins. This new author has a wonderful flair for storytelling -- suspense, horror, humor and romance, all entwined in a wonderfully surreal storyline.Orphaned Kate and Emily sent to the estate of Hallow Hill to live with their sour-faced guardian. Soon after they arrive, the girls become lost in the woods -- and encounter goblins posing as gypsies. Kate finds that she is being singled out by the goblin king Marak to be his bride. The goblin kings always kidnap human girls to be their wives, and since Marak's mad wife has died, he wants a new queen to produce an heir for him. At first, Kate resists Marak as he tries to kidnap her. But her guardian tricks Kate into walking down into Marak's realm and surrendering herself to be his wife, and Emily comes with her. At first Kate is miserable and homesick, since she is destined to remain underground for the rest of her life. But the goblins are falling prey to evil sorcery, which binds them in sleep, and threatens the whole hollow kingdom... "Hollow Kingdom" is pretty much everything a fantasy should be -- fantastical, well-plotted, and with a well-created alternate world. Not to mention the goblins themselves. Dunkle has obviously thought out a lot of detailed history about elves, dwarves, and goblins, while carefully linking them with old legends. And she actually makes it readable rather than stuffy. Dunkle has a good writing style, polished, quick and full of details. Even long conversations about the history of goblins are kept interesting. Whether it's a goblin chase on a dark night or a sunrise seen through a lake, she makes it come alive. And despite the grimness of the storyline, Dunkle keeps plenty of humor in the dialogue. ("You're just like that other King!" "No. I'm not green.") Kate is an excellent heroine, with plenty of spirit and determination. Even though she starts off fearing Marak, she gradually comes to appreciate and love him. And Marak is an interesting combination of truthfulness and charm, as interesting as Kate. Supporting characters like elf-cat Seylin and Kate's sister Emily are also well-drawn. "Hollow Kingdom" an entrancing new story, which sheds a new perspective on things that go bump in the night. And it bodes well for the future books of Clare B. Dunkle.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Treasured Fantasy,
By Spy Groove "Ravenna" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Hollow Kingdom: Book I -- The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy (Hardcover)
I started out this book cause I just simply like a story about unlikely love, especially one spiced up with abduction :))What a fantastic read!! It exceeds my anticipation!! I don't have the heart to bring what's inside. Just read it yourself. Really, this is A truly treasured book for keep.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is not another abduction fantasy,
By
This review is from: The Hollow Kingdom: Book I -- The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy (Hardcover)
Hollow Kingdom is the first book in a long time that I have wanted to read more than once. At first glance, one might think that the story is simply a Regency-era fantasy in which a powerful ruler (who happens to be frightfully ugly) of a magical kingdom plans to abduct a young, beautiful woman for his bride and ends up winning her over completely. That is Marak's plan, but Dunkle does not let her characters off that lightly, nor her readers for that matter. Marak, the king of the goblin realm, is charismatic and infuriatingly funny but arrogant and presumptious. While 18-year-old Kate is as clever as Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennett, Marak is not a stand-in for Mr. Darcy. Marak comes from a xenophobic culture that might as well be alien, though his people live on (or rather, in) Earth. This fantasy-adventure has dynamic, flawed characters who are nonetheless lovable, and encourages the reader to think about the nuances of the story long after the last page. The sequels promise to be as compelling as the first book, though they will be hard-pressed to match the vibrant chemistry between Kate and Marak. For more information, check out the author's website (type in Clare Dunkle's name in your search engine, and it should come up right away).
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