One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author. S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos (R).Then Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, and S.T. starts to feel like something isn't quite right. His most tried-and-true remedies--from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering ...
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One pet crow fights to save humanity from an apocalypse in this uniquely hilarious debut from a genre-bending literary author. S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos (R).Then Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, and S.T. starts to feel like something isn't quite right. His most tried-and-true remedies--from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis--fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he discovers that the neighbors are devouring each other and the local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of dangerous new predators roaming Seattle. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a foul-mouthed crow whose knowledge of the world around him comes from his TV-watching education. Hollow Kingdom is a humorous, big-hearted, and boundlessly beautiful romp through the apocalypse and the world that comes after, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero.
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Add this copy of Hollow Kingdom to cart. $50.67, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Hachette B and Blackstone Publ.
Add this copy of Hollow Kingdom to cart. $83.29, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Hachette B and Blackstone Publ.
I first learned of Hollow Kingdom, authored by Kira Jane Buxton, by the author herself in a Twitter thread created just for that purpose, to let authors elevate their works. I borrowed my copy from my local library, but as most of those go for me, I intend to purchase a copy. What follows below is my honest review, freely given.
I rated this novel 5 stars. The premise sounded so unique, an end of humanity event told from the viewpoint of animals, how was I to resist. I was thrilled to learn that a sequel will be coming out Aug. 24th 2021, titled Feral Creatures, so I wanted to mention it here to help spread the word, I know I can't wait.
I had to pause reading this several times due to making sure reviews for books with release dates coming up were completed on time, not because the book was in any way dis-interesting. Luckily, falling back into the narrative was as easy as opening to my bookmarked page.
It sounds wrong to say this was a feel-good read, but there were whole chapters that I felt quite chuffed. The author made a brilliant (and successful) effort to give each creature a wholly recognizable species traits and separate personality; I would sit there thinking, spot on� - " seagulls really be vibing that way- how astute. In typical animal lover fashion, humanity dying off was on the back burner for me most of the novel; sad face but tell me more about Aura, why do some animals get cool titles, and did I just stan two fictional crows from one interaction (I really really did). Until the author reminded me this is a post-apocalyptic novel, with humans being a little slow getting the message about dying off quickly, which sounds like something we would do, selfish pricks. She brought the dread, I had moments where I would say she dipped her toes into horror, dark fiction at the very least. I did cry, I'm an emotional reader. My husband came into the room where I was reading at the moment I was crying, his first reaction is never to check if I am holding a book, bless him.
This novel was a perfect read for me, and I think for people who enjoy fantasy, and a little bit of comedy in their reading, this may be perfect for you too. I eagerly look forward to the sequel Feral Creatures out this summer.
