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Jun 14, 2011

Catie rated it:

This book is exactly the type of fairy tale that I love the most. Now, I know that I have been outspoken in the past about my dislike of fantasies featuring caveman, bad-boy type hero characters. However, I think that I know and respect dozens of women who melt in the presence of these guys. Do I look down on my friends for their fantasy preferences? Absolutely not, because guess what? We all have a fantasy weakness. We all have that certain fairy tale that bypasses every logical part of o More...

18 comments like (16 people liked it)

Nov 24, 2008

Angie rated it:

I have had the entire Hollow Kingdom trilogy sitting in my TBR stack for awhile now and finally settled in with the first one and read it through. The first thing to catch my eye was the dedication. This is often the case with me. I was wandering the bookstore with my cousin just other night, talking about what a sucker I am for a good dedication. I should probably be keeping some sort of top ten list or something. I've fallen in love with many a Lloyd Alexander dedication and that's why this o More...

3 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 06, 2011

Mariel rated it:

The Hollow Kingdom is a paranormal romance unlike any other because the dude was admitted to be uneasy on the eyes. Other than that it was shades of Labyrinth starring David Bowie.

(Am I a goodreads god yet?)

Books on my goodreads shelf "Labyrinth" and why they came to earn said position:

1. Guardian's Key. There's the whole Labyrinth, the keeper of the maze is carbon copy of Jareth, etc. direct quotes lifted from Labyrinth. Author Logston More...

25 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jul 22, 2008

Kirsten rated it:

This is a re-read of a YA novel I read a few years back. It combines a Beauty-and-the-Beast-esque tale with fairy ballads like "Tam Lin" and "Thomas the Rhymer." The female protagonist, Kate, is wonderfully capable and determined throughout, without being unrealistically so, which I really appreciated.

My take on it when I first read it was that the pacing was uneven and that there were large sections of the story (and characters' development) that seemed glossed More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 29, 2008

Emily rated it:

This is the best fantasy-romance I believe I have ever read. The fact the the romantic interest is a goblin shakes things up and the characters are written so well. Kate is not afraid of everything like some of the female characters of such books, she faces the whole thing bravely. This is hard considering a goblin is trying to capture her for his bride. At first it seems like it can only turn out badly but with a few surprising twists it ends up being just fine.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

For me this book was strange, odd, and a tad creepy for me. I didn't like how it ended and hope the next one in the series will be better. However, I did like how Kate was so feisty! You would have to be... in a dark place underground with weird creatures...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 29, 2011

June rated it:

A new favorite! I should have listened to Polly and read this earlier, but she has so many books on her list! I don't want to say anything and possibly ruin it for future readers. However, I am so pissed that I already have too many holds to place the next book in the trilogy on hold from home. I also think I have found my sister's Christmas present.

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 14, 2010

Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it:

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 impre More...

7 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 05, 2008

Joy rated it:

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0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Apr 11, 2009

Abigail rated it:

The first in a fantasy trilogy for young readers, The Hollow Kingdom follows the story of orphaned sisters Kate and Emily Winslow, who find themselves at Hallow Hill, in the care of two great-aunts they have never met. Kate, who is keenly aware of her surroundings, finds herself haunted by a growing sense of unease, and after a wild and stormy night when she and Emily are brought home by a strange hooded man, she learns that Marak, the king of the goblins under the hill, has marked her out as hi More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2009

Donna rated it:

Why do I love this book?? More than anything, it's a great love story! At first I was terrified that the Goblin King would succeed in capturing Kate...but then I knew it was inevitable. I love that Marak loved Kate's fiery personality and he tells her "My God Kate, what a king you'll bear!" I love that Kate eventually recognizes his kindness and his strength when she is defending her husband to the Sorcerer, telling him that goblins "aren't pretty, they're strong." And of co More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 02, 2009

Tammy rated it:

I read this book a long time ago before it was a trilogy and found it to be quickly paced and hard to put down. The last fourth or so did seem strange to me, though, as one plot ended (Kate's marriage), and a new one began with the sudden appearance of an evil sorcerer close to the book's end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it on a surface level.
I was uncomfortable with the idea of interbreeding among the goblins with humans, elves, even animals. Yuck. I know, they're goblins. They're not r More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 14, 2012

Natacia rated it:

One thing before reading this, one must know, this book is meant for young adult reader, so one cannot expect this book to be lengthy and in depth book like Lord of the Rings of Harry Potter. The book is short read and meant to make one think.

The Goblin King is technically a villain in the beginning, because he is persisting to trick Kate in a marriage, however later he does make a bargain to save her sister in exchange she marry him. So in a way that makes him a somewhat of a hero. C More...

0 comments like

Nov 10, 2011

Alex rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Jul 26, 2011

Rachel rated it:

This is my second time reading this book, and I loved reading it just as much this time as I did the first time through. This is just one of those books that is so good that it can be read many times without becoming dull or boring. One of the reasons why this is one of my all-time favorite books is because it has an engrossing plot. What could be more exciting than a story about a young maiden trying to escape the clutches of an “evil” goblin king? The first half of the book is my favorite part More...

0 comments like

Jun 16, 2011

Barky rated it:

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0 comments like

Apr 01, 2011

Natalie rated it:

Strange things happen at Hallow Hill. There is a local legend that once every generation, a young woman of marriageable age is stolen away and taken under the hill to be a goblin bride. Kate and her sister Emily know nothing of the stories when they arrive, but it is not long before they learn. They become lost in the woods one evening and a gypsy volunteers to escort them home. Kate knows immediately that something is wrong about him, and her suspicions are proved when she first sees his face. More...

0 comments like

Jun 11, 2010

Jenna rated it:

Although I may have liked this book in my youth, as an adult I found it rather repellent.

A young woman is coerced into marrying the Goblin King, Lord of the Hollow Kingdom.

This book is unfortunately one of those cases where the two main characters start off hating one another (or rather, the young woman starts off hating the male protagonist), but eventually fall in love. What probably incensed me more than anything is that the male character virtually slings the femal More...

1 comment like

May 22, 2010

Emily rated it:

Someone had recommended The Hollow Kingdom to me awhile ago, and I wish I could remember who it was because I would totally thank them for cluing me in to an excellent trilogy.

The Hollow Kingdom begins in Victorian England, with Kate and Emily, two recently orphaned sisters, showing up on the doorstep of a cousin who has (reluctantly) agreed to be their guardian. They're supposed to live with two nice but terminally disconnected great-aunts and basically wait around until someone dec More...

0 comments like

Jan 15, 2010

Camie rated it:

I wrapped up the Reliquiae Challenge with this book. I think this is the first book that I’ve read that I could call a true fantasy. (Well, besides the Star Wars book I read.) And I have to say that I quite liked it--although I’ve come to realize that this sort of fantasy may just not be my thing. In other words, I’m not moving on with the rest of the trilogy; however, I think it’s completely conceivable for those whose boats were floated with this tale would be itching for the next installment. More...

0 comments like

Dec 28, 2009

Kim (magicsandwiches) rated it:

After they are orphaned, Kate and her sister, Emily, must go to live with relatives in the English countryside. One evening, they find a faerie ring in the forest near their home. Kate feels a strong sensation that someone or something is watching her. The feeling doesn't leave even after she's home, safe in her own room. Days later, the girls get lost on the road and come across a very odd band of people. One man in particular unsettles Kate very much, teasing and joking with her in far to More...

0 comments like

Aug 26, 2009

Sarah rated it:

I didn't like this at first because I found the overwhelming sense of menace and danger upsetting - I am such a wimp when it comes to scary books. The scene where Marak sneaks into her room at night and all she can hear are heavy footsteps by the window in the pitch dark...!! I persevered, however, and am glad I did because the mood soon changed and after that I found it charming and original. And funny! I loved the scenes with the snake, it was always so smug about putting people that endan More...

2 comments like

Jul 19, 2009

Liked00dness rated it:

Oh wow, did I LOVE this book!

Young Kate becomes the target of the ugly goblin king, Marak, who wants her for his bride. For generations, goblin kings have been kidnapping brides to live in their underground kingdom. There are plenty of rumors about what happens to those women and Kate does her best to prevent her fate, but eventually she is forced to give in. She braces herself for the worst, but things aren't always as they seem...

As Kate settles in to her new life she l More...

0 comments like

May 12, 2011

Shawn rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Sep 28, 2011

Pikachu rated it:

Clare Dunkle was definitely a fan of Labyrinth; the similarities are just too blatant to be ignored. Not that there is any problem with this. I, too, am a fan of the Labyrinth. David Bowie is awesome, and that ballroom scene that accompanied "As The World Falls Down" broke my teenaged romantic heart. Because behind Jareth's "Love Me, Fear Me, Do As I Say and I Will Be Your Slave" spiel, you really got the feeling that he did care about Sarah. Judging from the fanfiction out t More...

0 comments like

Jan 10, 2010

IceJewel rated it:

Kate and Emily are recently orphaned and have come to live in hallow hill with their aunts and a very cunning legal guardian named Hugh Roberts. The two sisters were coming home to land and relatives they had never seen before. A mysterious place with a dreadful past! On Their first expedition to the forests, Kate and Emily are lost while coming home and stumble upon a band of gypsies. Emily is a sweet little girl and finds it very interesting. But, Kate’s instincts tell her that something is n More...

0 comments like

Mar 16, 2009

Samantha rated it:

Wow, I really enjoyed this story. I had just finished By These Ten Bones and now I'm wondering if it was really a different author that wrote this story...

Kate and her sister, Emily, have to move in with distant relatives after the untimely death of their father. Hallow Hill is a mysterious place with even more mysterious (and seemingly scary) residents. After they move there many strange events occur that culminate in the appearance of Marak whose demands are a little hard for Ka More...

0 comments like

Jun 25, 2011

Jasmyn9 rated it:

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 r More...

0 comments like

Jan 20, 2009

Mai rated it:

This has got to be one of the most unconventional romances I've ever seen. Somehow, the author managed to make an "ugly" goblin king sound like an appealing person to be married to.

Frankly, if this had been written as a contemporary, and handled by a lesser author, I would've been seething over what Kate had to go through. However, in terms of the fantasy world, the situation with stealing brides for the kings make perfect sense.

The world shows promise. The charac More...

0 comments like

Jun 26, 2011

Christina (Reading Extensively) rated it:

The Hollow Kingdom is a creative historical fantasy. The kingdom that Clare Dunkle creates is filled with unusual creatures as well as those familiar to readers of fantasy like dwarves and elves. The goblins are different from what I've come to expect. They are not quite villains but neither are they straightforward heroes. Marak has some heroic qualities while at the same time he is bound by the other unlikeable characteristics of being a goblin king such as having to abduct a bride to ensure t More...

2 comments like

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