Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Monster in the Hollows (The Wingfeather Saga, #3)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Monster in the Hollows

(The Wingfeather Saga #3)

Andrew Peterson (Goodreads Author),

Justin Gerard (Illustrator)

4.67 · Rating details · 5,937 ratings · 660 reviews

Book Three of The Wingfeather Saga

Janner Wingfeather's father was the High King of Anniera. But his father is gone. The kingdom has fallen. The royal family is on the run, and the Fang armies of Gnag the Nameless are close behind.

Janner and his family hope to find refuge in the last safe place in the world: the Green Hollows--a land of warriors feared even by Fangs of Da

...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 348 pages

Published May 10th 2011 by Rabbit Room Press (first published May 2011)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Monster in the Hollows, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Ultimate Christian Speculative Fiction List

350 books — 298 voters

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson

Best Young Adult Fiction Christian Books

321 books — 255 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.67 ·

Rating details

· 5,937 ratings · 660 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Monster in the Hollows (The Wingfeather Saga, #3)

May 16, 2018 Carol Bakker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kidlit, onmyshelf, fairy-tale, family, read-aloud, christian, cried, fantasy, 2018

I spend one day a week with my grandkids; I read aloud to them during meals, while they draw, etc. We usually read 2-3 chapters a week with gaps (of time, living, and lambing) between readings. I knew this series was special when they could perfectly describe the circumstances of the chapter we last read the week (or two) before...and when they consistently begged me to keep reading! It kept a 4, 7, 9, and 13 year old mesmerized.

This book fostered conversation and discussion. The boys had theor ...more

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2018 Lila Kims rated it it was amazing

My heart was not expecting this, let alone prepared for it.

All the stars for The Monster in the Hollows. ALL THE STARS. Words cannot express how amazing this book is.

flag 23 likes · Like · see review

May 17, 2011 Sarah Rodgers rated it it was amazing

I started reading the Wingfeather Saga almost a year ago, and went into it a little hesitantly. If this was going to be a singer/songwriter's dreamy attempt at literature, and nothing more, I wasn't sure I wanted to subject myself to the disappointment. After all, I enjoy Andrew Peterson's music.....

But Andrew Peterson is not merely a singer/songwriter. He is a master storyteller, no matter the medium. And in the Wingfeather Saga, I was pleasantly surprise--blown away--to find a truly precious I started reading the Wingfeather Saga almost a year ago, and went into it a little hesitantly. If this was going to be a singer/songwriter's dreamy attempt at literature, and nothing more, I wasn't sure I wanted to subject myself to the disappointment. After all, I enjoy Andrew Peterson's music.....

But Andrew Peterson is not merely a singer/songwriter. He is a master storyteller, no matter the medium. And in the Wingfeather Saga, I was pleasantly surprise--blown away--to find a truly precious story in the tradition of the Chronicles of Narnia. And I don't ever, EVER reference Narnia lightly.

The series began with On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, in which the land of Skree suffers under the great evil of Gnag the Nameless and his wicked minions, the Fangs of Dang. Janner, Tink and Leeli Igiby are just three ordinary children growing up under Gnag's oppression, until they discover the secret of the Jewels of Anniera, and realize their heritage is more than it appears. In the second book, North! Or Be Eaten, the siblings find themselves running for their lives, fighting and fleeing and fighting again, and they discover that the house of Wingfeather has enemies around every corner--and friends in unexpected places.

Book 3, The Monster In The Hollows, picks up with siblings Janner, Tink (now Kalmar) and Leeli seeking refuge in the land of their ancestors. The Wingfeather children, it seems, have at long last reached a place of rest and safety, protected at least temporarily from Gnag the Nameless and his terrible Fangs of Dang. Like the first books, this one has its share of fascinating characters, vivid places, blood-chilling scarytale beasts, warm humor and epic adventure as the children discover that pursuant Fangs are not the only enemies they must beware of. Janner struggles with his role as eldest brother and makes difficult strides towards manhood as the Throne Warden of Anniera; Kalmar wrestles with guilt and regret even as he strives to hold onto his own identity; and Leeli explores her mysterious gifts more deeply than ever before. All three of the children have faced external dangers uncounted in the first books; this one finds them each growing as they learn who they are, both as the Igibys and as the royal Wingfeathers, and understanding how to fight internal monsters of their own.

But--are they truly safe? Can it be that the Green Hollows is the refuge they've sought for so long?

Of course not. There's a monster in the Hollows. And it's not what you think.

I caught myself, towards the end of this book, feeling like I really had the whole thing figured out. I called it. Well, I thought, jumping to conclusions while only three quarters of the way through, this book did seem more predictable than the others. It's okay. I still enjoyed the story. And then, Andrew Peterson did it again. Just when I thought I knew exactly what was going on, he turned the whole thing upside down in a climactic battle where the truth--all of it--the baffling, the impossible, the tragic, the horrifying and the glorious--is ultimately exposed. He kept me guessing until the end. I choked up. And I loved, loved, loved this book.

The characters of Janner, Kalmar and Leeli--all of whom I've grown to love through the series--see some real growth in this story. Up until now they've faced Fangs and bomnubbles and sea dragons and toothy cows and the Fork Factory and the wilderness; now they face school, identity struggles, mistrust, betrayal, and fitting into a foreign land. All this is told in Andrew Peterson's distinct style, which somehow manages to blend the comical and absurd with the profoundly moving. For me, the one enhances the other. I highly recommend this series. Here's looking forward to the fourth and final installment, The Warden and the Wolf King, which will be available.....er....whenever Andrew Peterson decides he's held us in anticipation long enough and carves out time to write it. I'll be waiting.

...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Rachel Thomson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-based-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is a whimsical adventure tale, funny, scary, inhabited by Fangs of Dang, crazy sock men, and genuine recipes for maggotloaf. North! Or Be Eaten, Book 2 of The Wingfeather Saga, is the classic journey story: a book of creatures, encounters, fascinating locales, and of course, coming of age.

But it’s in The Monster in the Hollows that this series steps up and takes its place as a true fantasy epic — still quirky, still definitely located in the world of Aerwi On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is a whimsical adventure tale, funny, scary, inhabited by Fangs of Dang, crazy sock men, and genuine recipes for maggotloaf. North! Or Be Eaten, Book 2 of The Wingfeather Saga, is the classic journey story: a book of creatures, encounters, fascinating locales, and of course, coming of age.

But it’s in The Monster in the Hollows that this series steps up and takes its place as a true fantasy epic — still quirky, still definitely located in the world of Aerwiar and not in Middle Earth, but firmly rooted in epic soil. The Monster in the Hollows is a bigger, sadder, older, and more beautiful part of The Wingfeather Saga than we’ve seen before.

(Warning: series spoilers ahead.)

The story begins, as all good sagas do, where the previous book left off: with the Wingfeather family sailing across the Dark Sea of Darkness in search of refuge in the Green Hollows, homeland of Nia Igiby Wingfeather and the last place in all of Aerwiar that is still free. But what begins as a warm welcome for Nia and her children quickly turns sour when the transformation of Kalmar is revealed: the Hollows are still free because its people have vigilantly driven every Fang from their land, and they are not keen to welcome one into their bosom now.

A startling sacrifice from Nia convinces the Hollowsfolk to accept all of her children — but no sacrifice can buy their trust. Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli settle into their new home and school, caught between the delight of being children again, with a home far from Fangs and from fear, and the knowledge that they are outsiders here. Janner struggles to love and protect his brother even as he resents him for estranging them.

But something strange is happening in the Green Hollows. A monster lurks in the shadows, a voice calls to Janner out of eerie visions, and Kalmar, it seems, has a secret . . .

In The Monster in the Hollows, Andrew Peterson once again weaves a tale that rings as true when it’s exploring the firesides of home as it does when it’s delving into the exotic places and peoples of a beautifully rendered fantasy world. As ancient secrets are revealed, revolutions are fostered, and the forces of evil gather for attack, we find ourselves caring just as much — or perhaps more — about the love between brothers, the faith of a mother, and the success of children in school. The forces of good, after all, are not concentrated in some distant castle or far-off king, but in frail human vessels in need of family, forgiveness, and the power of hope.

As before, the story is primarily told through the eyes of twelve-year-old Janner, the oldest of the Igiby children and the Throne Warden of Anniera whether he likes it or not. Much of the saga’s attention hovers, with Janner, at the outer edge of childhood. But the more adult story which readers have been able to glimpse all along through Podo, Nia, and Artham comes into the foreground in a greater way in The Monster in the Hollows, as Nia especially takes on a more central role.

New characters are introduced — including the memorable Head Guildmadam of the Ban Rona school, Olumphia Groundwich — and subplots from previous books carried to their conclusions. (I found the further fate of Sara Cobbler to be particularly interesting, and particularly affecting.) The setting, Ban Rona of the Green Hollows, is likewise more adult: the fearsome toothy cows, bomnubbles, and snickbuzzards of Skree — terrifying as they could be — have faded into the background, replaced by the rotting, misshapen cloven of the Blackwood. Where Glipwood Township was as amusing as it was oppressed, Ban Rona is the stuff of legends. And this book, for the first time in the saga, is entirely devoid of footnotes.

All in all, The Monster in the Hollows is a wonderful read, both entertaining and deep, and an effective launching pad into the fourth and final book in the series. For that, we’ll have all just have to wait, content in the knowledge that it’s likely to be worth waiting for.
...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2020 ryan elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adore-the-characters, fantasy

MY HEART

rtc

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2019 Matt Chapman rated it really liked it

The first two-thirds were a little slow but the final third was fantastic!

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2019 Mariah Mead rated it it was amazing

I forgot to add this before...

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2020 E.F.B. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, books-i-ll-read-again, fantasy, made-me-cry-in-a-good-way, young-adult, made-me-smile, recommended-by-gr-friends, middle-grade, christian-fiction, favorites

Wow, wow, wow. I just finished listening to the readalong (still on Youtube or Facebook, but Andrew Peterson also said he's going to be recording audiobooks soon, so there's that to look forward to!) and all I can say is wow. I can't say much about the story itself because doing so would involve massive spoilers for those who haven't read the books, or haven't read this one yet, but I'm completely blown away. This story was so beautiful, and sad, and happy, and touching. I felt all the emotions, ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Gillian Bronte Adams rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews

Finally! A land free of Fangs! Well, almost... After a harrowing journey across the Dark Sea of Darkness, the Wingfeathers arrive at last in the Green Hollows, safe and sound. But there is one slight problem. The Hollowsfolk make it very clear that Kalmar, now possessive of whiskers and a tail, is not welcome.

As the Throne Warden, Janner is pledged to protect his younger brother. In school, at home, on the playing field. Each day presents new challenges as he and his siblings adjust to life in ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2014 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: a-whole-new-world, fantasy, my-favorite-things

I really love this book. Even when I'm not as much in the mood for it as I thought I was (which is why it took me so long to read it this time around), I love it. I love that Peterson was able to make a story out of an adventuring family's attempt at reclaiming a normal life. I love the twists and turns of the tale. I love how the characters struggle with their responsibilities in a way that seems realistic and not overdramatic.

I will admit, though, that Sara Cobbler's sideplot is my favorite p ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2019 R.M. Archer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-fiction, owned-books, favorites

This book did two things it's nearly impossible for a book to do:
1) Surprised me with a plot twist
2) Almost made me cry. (Tears were brimming, my throat was tight, but I'm a heartless reader so I didn't actually cry.)
The emotions in this book are fantastic and I'm both ecstatic and terrified to find out what happens next. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2020 Kaitlyn Pindak rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s-books

1st read finished 7/22-8/2/20-
This book. Teared up a few times, for sure. Bawled at least once. Character development is beautiful and heart-wrenching. The story gets better and better.

Read this again along Andrew Peterson’s read-aloud 10/19-11/6/20.
Y’ALL. It’s so good. Do yourself a favor and read these.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2020 Eileen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-ng-group-challenge, 2020, fantasy, adventure, teen-young-adult, childrens, audiobook, middle-school

Every book I read in this series gets better and better and this one definitely gets my 5 stars. I feel like the author just had to hit his stride. Although Janner still struggles sometimes with feeling frustrated by his younger brother, it seems much more realistic now and you can see his maturity as he fights these feelings and learns from them. I loved how this story went back and forth between what the Wingfeathers were experiencing and what Sara Cobbler and the factory children were endurin ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2018 Rick Dobrowolski rated it it was amazing

Shelves: readaloudtomykids, fantasy

This series of books is so good. They keep getting better and better. My daughter never stops asking me to read to her. This time, it was me begging my wife to let my daughter stay up later so that I could read to her “just one more chapter.”

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2020 Sophie rated it it was amazing

O my gosh!!! So good!! Why did I EVER even THINK about stopping this series?! I have seriously no idea because if I had stopped I would have been missing out on one of the most hear felt, warm, raw, captivating, loving, learn from this amazing moment books ever! I mean seriously I, while reading this book, had to deal with almost soaking the book because I was going to cry, having my heart ripped( several times), and having to cover up the paragraphs ahead because I was reading ahead wanting to ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2019 Neil R. Coulter rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction

Volume 3: The two brothers learn to fight; the sister takes care of puppies.

Quite a bit of this book is like a rather mundane version of Harry Potter. Two boys and a girl with a high destiny going to a special, fantasy-novel school; one boy at school bullies them mercilessly; we find out that this boy's father is also basically evil; people sneak around; etc. I was surprised that it's not until nearly the end that we learn anything at all about Gnag, and even then, the information we have is so ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2019 Christine Norvell rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

I cannot say enough simply because I cannot capture the characters, the fantastical creatures and setting, the balance of love lost and gained, and .. the humor. I shan't give a spoiler, but five stars for me are reserved for fantasy authors like Peterson. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 17, 2020 Samuel Kassing rated it it was amazing

This series is a page-turner! I enjoyed this one. Not my favorite so far. But still really good.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2018 ashley nicole rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian-fantasy-sci-fi

I'm not a huge fan of fantasy books, so I reluctantly picked this series up. The first two were all right, not my favorite but they had compelling plots and good story lines, even when the writing wasn't super top-notch.
But this book. WHAT DID I WALK INTO??
I found myself laughing at Oskar quoting books and Podo shooting his mouth off, crying at Kalmar and Artham's fate, (view spoiler) and bursting with pride at Janner and Sara's bravery.
This book is a little break f I'm not a huge fan of fantasy books, so I reluctantly picked this series up. The first two were all right, not my favorite but they had compelling plots and good story lines, even when the writing wasn't super top-notch.
But this book. WHAT DID I WALK INTO??
I found myself laughing at Oskar quoting books and Podo shooting his mouth off, crying at Kalmar and Artham's fate, (view spoiler) and bursting with pride at Janner and Sara's bravery.
This book is a little break from the action packed books in the series before it, but it was still masterfully done. The conflict switched a little, as it was not focused on the Wingfeather's against the Fangs so much, but the Wingfeather's against the un-trusting people of The Hollows and even a little bit each person against themselves.
There's some huge character development in this book for the three Wingfeather children, mainly Janner and Kalmar.
Also, I loved Sara's story thrown in, and I just love Sara as a character in general. She keeps hope up even in a seemingly horrific situation and gives the others around her hope as well.
And the introduction of Rudric made this tale even more fun to read. (Also, more of the Florid Sword in the next book please!)
There's several loose ends tied up here as well, and we find out the whole story of what happened to Artham and Esben, and only just begin to understand the backstory of several characters.
The themes in this book were absolutely amazing as well. Sara's story shimmered with hope, Janner's with loyalty, bravery, and self-sacrifice, and Kalmar's with strength. (view spoiler)
So if you're ready for plot-twists, betrayal, rebellion, and revolution, you don't want to miss out on this gem of a book!

Hear me, son. I loved you when you were born. I loved you when I wept in the Deeps of Throg. I loved you even as you sang the song that broke you. And I love you now in the glory of your humility. You're more fit to be the king than I ever was. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2018 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Amazing. The Wingfeather Saga is full of Truth in a way that very few stories are. When I first began the series I wasn't sure if I wanted to read more. After reading book 2 I realized what a treasure I'd found. Now I find myself lost for words to describe the poignancy and the beauty. I can't wait to finish reading book 4, and I look forward to reading these again and again with my children. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2020 Phil rated it it was amazing

These keep getting better.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2020 Ashton Bond rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reads-aloud-2020

This book was incredible. Being the third book in the series, I hoped this one was as good as the first two. It did not disappoint. We laughed a LOT and cried but were fully invested the lives of the Wingfeathers. Can’t wait to read the fourth one with our family!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2019 Shelley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, with-my-kids

I've been working through the Wingfeather quartet with my kids for the past six months or so. I didn't find this installment to be quite as strong as the one that came right before, though it will always remain special to me because it's the first book to make one of my kids cry real big salty tears while listening. My daughter has officially graduated to the rank of sniffling bibliophile. Welcome to the club, honey. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2021 Bambi Moore rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s, books-of-2021

Andrew Peterson is a genius. Every time we finish another book in the Wingfeather series I think surely he can’t do it again. But he does! The cries are the same for this one as all the rest once we turn the last page: GET THE NEXT BOOK!!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2021 Taren Young rated it it was amazing

Fantastic story. I had to finish reading that last pages with tears in my eyes and my children getting a good laugh at mom! :)

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 18, 2021 Lacey Meyer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-aloud

Read aloud. Yes, I’m bragging. 🤣 Just kidding, but parents who read aloud often know what I mean - sometimes it’s fun and other times you just don’t feel like doing it. BACK TO THE BOOK... It was great! The kids and I have really enjoyed this series. 3 down, 1 to go! They begged me to start the next one as soon as we finished this one.

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 10, 2016 Jacks rated it it was amazing

I love this book. It has such good literature. I like the end it makes me get geared up for the next book! Comment if you like MINECRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2020 Natalie Votipka rated it it was amazing

Though I make this bold claim with some trepidation, at 3 of 4 installments into the series, The Wingfeather Saga is becoming one of my favorite-ever series of books, up there with Harry Potter, Narnia, and Anne of Green Gables.

Here are some things I really enjoy about the series (including, but not limited to, the third book):

*Great characters and great relationships amongst them, particularly in the Igiby/Wingfeather family

*The individual books are all part of a greater story that ties togethe ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 06, 2020 Michaela Bush rated it it was amazing

The Monster in the Hollows starts off pretty much where book #2 ended, and I found the first half to be a little bit difficult to get through -- it's not so much focused on the overarching peril faced by the Wingfeathers and Igibys, but it centers on Kalmar's great change and all of the implications that the family faces. While it's interesting in its own way, it's a bit of an abrupt halt to the general sense of urgency that the first two books are drenched in. But that peril is actually centr ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2019 Dan rated it really liked it

Ok, ok, so this one was better than the first two. It started off pretty slowly and took a completely different tack to the others, having the somewhat surprising ‘go-to-school-and-get-bullied-every-day’ feel, which I didn’t expect (and isn’t the most encouraging thing for me to be thinking about at the moment).

Having said the book started slowly, it still seemed tense all the time, with multiple uncertainties and lives constantly on the line, so not much changed in that respect. Even some of t ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

257 users

Fiction

167 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

41 users

Young Adult

39 users

Christian

37 users

Christian Fiction

33 users

Adventure

28 users

Childrens

27 users

Audiobook

21 users

Christian Fiction > Christian Fantasy

11 users

See top shelves…

About Andrew Peterson

Andrew Peterson

2,010 followers

Hey, folks. If you're just discovering me or any of my work, it can be a little confusing because there are several facets to it. Here’s the rundown:

• I write songs. I also record them to these cool things called CDs and put on concerts around the country. (And beyond! To my great delight, I get to play in Europe every year or so.)

• I write books. I’ve written a four-part fantasy series for young ...more

Other books in the series

The Wingfeather Saga (4 books)

Books by Andrew Peterson

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga, #1)

North! or Be Eaten (The Wingfeather Saga, #2)

The Warden and the Wolf King (The Wingfeather Saga #4)

Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making

More…

Kazuo Ishiguro: A Dystopian Book in Dystopian Times

Kazuo Ishiguro insists he’s an optimist about technology. “I'm not one of these people who thinks it's going to come and destroy us,” he...

Trivia About The Monster in th...

2 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Monster in th...

“He wanted to be alone, and he wanted to be found.” — 20 likes

“He means to make his subjects merciful and wise; sorrow and struggle bringeth both. We will, he tells me, grow by grieving, live by dying, love by losing. The heart itself is the field of battle and the garden green.” — 9 likes

More quotes…