Another Review at MyShelf.Com

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
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Genre: Young Adult/Teen - Fiction - Alternative/Fantas
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Elizabeth Bird
Reviewer Notes: No bad language or sex. Some mild violence.
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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 Rossetti’s, "Goblin Market" to the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" the book is a fascinating, can’t-put-it-down ride into the unknown.

      Two sisters, Kate and Emily, have been newly orphaned and sent to live on a family estate they’ve 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 sister’s safe return.

        The book is a lush romantic adventure full of magic and wonder. Kate’s 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 Marak’s 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. It’s well worth the reading.