Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽'s Reviews > The Hollow Kingdom

This is a wonderful, different kind of YA fantasy, set in Victorian times in England. It takes the old trope--goblin kings kidnap beautiful girls, marry them and they never see the light of day again--and twists it: Goblins are lovable even if ugly and, um, prone to kidnapping women for their wives. You don't need to marry a handsome prince. And it's done in a way that's honest and appealing (the story has a great sense of humor) but doesn't pull any punches.

Kate, the main character who becomes the object of the goblin king's attention, is one of my favorite young woman protagonists ever: brave, resourceful, caring and intelligent. She does an amazing job of battling for her freedom and her rights against both her guardian, who's supposed to protect her but doesn't, and the goblins. The goblin king, Marak, accomplishes the almost impossible task of making me believe he's worthy of falling in love with, when he's got several major strikes against him: Girls may swoon when they see him, but it's because his face causes horror rather than ecstasy, and he's often brutal and pitiless. But he's also highly intelligent and considerate (when it doesn't interfere with his duties as goblin king). He has a great, resonant voice and a sense of humor, and is a natural leader. I thought the author was quite brave to even attempt this relationship, and she pulls it off amazingly well.

My only real beef with this book is (view spoiler)[I really wanted to read more about how Kate and Marak's relationship grew from grudging respect on Kate's part to love. For some reason Clare Dunkle chose to take about a year and a half leap forward in time, totally skipping over that part of the story. So if you read books for the tender kissing moments, you'll be disappointed. There's almost none of that. (hide spoiler)]

The magical golden snake in the last half of the book--a moving tattoo that comes to life when needed--is not to be missed. I seriously want one of my own, to bite any would-be thugs and muggers and protect me from all harm, while passing out insults to all and sundry.