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Publisher:
Henry Holt and Co. |
Release
Date: October 1, 2003 |
ISBN:
0805073906 |
Awards:
2004 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature
Format Reviewed: Hardcover |
Format
Reviewed: Hardcover |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Young Adult/Teen - Fiction - Alternative/Fantas |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Elizabeth Bird |
Reviewer
Notes: No bad language or sex. Some mild violence. |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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The Hollow Kingdom
By Clare B. Dunkle
From
the myth of Persephone to the Phantom of the Opera, humans have
had an undying fascination with the notion of beautiful young ladies
being dragged down into dark underground caverns by creatures of
the night. Clare Dunkle adds her own unique twist to the genre,
choosing to tell a classic tale of a goblin king and his maiden
bride. Drawing on everything from Christina Rossettis, "Goblin
Market" to the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast"
the book is a fascinating, cant-put-it-down ride into the
unknown.
Two
sisters, Kate and Emily, have been newly orphaned and sent to live
on a family estate theyve never seen before. The young women
settle in as best as they can, but Kate cannot help but feel as
if she is being watched at night. This unsettling feeling turns
out to be well founded, when the girls make the acquaintance of
Marak, the king of the goblins. Marak is determined to make Kate
his bride, and it takes every bit of cunning the girl has to outwit
him in his efforts. Yet when Emily disappears, Kate must make the
ultimate sacrifice for her sisters safe return.
The
book is a lush romantic adventure full of magic and wonder. Kates
a realistic heroine, one who finds herself trapped in a situation
where she is very nearly powerless. Author Dunkle has the difficult
job of making her protagonist both a slave ensnared against her
will and a woman with rights and a mind of her own. This is definitely
a teen novel, containing copious violence and casual cruelty.
In
the end, the book is a delight. I often found myself finding excuses
to sneak away and read it in my spare time. Equally as adept at
characters as she is at descriptions, Dunkle weaves a delicate multi-layered
tale. The book cleverly draws upon all the classic goblin stories
of yore, while making Maraks world a singularly original creation,
complete with its own rules and fancies. Readers will certainly
look forward to other books in this "Hollow Kingdom" series.
Its well worth the reading.
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