The premise of the book is so wild and fun that after reading less than a quarter I'd already recommended it to three friends and coworkers. So of the environmental and technological moralizing can be a little heavy handed, but I loved the voice of S.T. and his take on the human and animal worlds. Really enjoyed this one.

My book club read Hollow Kingdom over the summer of 2019 and everyone absolutely loved this fun, unique dystopian novel told from the perspective of pets as humans slowly lose their minds. The conversation was fantastic. S.T. the crow, who is the narrator, is hilarious.

This is a light read but also a book that will make you think about all the technologies humans are so attached to these days. This book manages to be thought provoking while not taking itself too seriously. You will laugh out loud, but you may also cringe a little.

In addition, this beautiful cover is one of the best of 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of The Hollow Kingdom.
I loved this book and plan on recommending it to everyone!
It is such a unique approach to have a POV of the zombie apocalypse from the flora and fauna left behind. My favorite was from the crow S.T. who narrates most of the book and has the longest back story. But the cat Ghengis and the poodle are also hilarious.
In addition to the humor, there is a lot of good food for thought about technology, respecting the planet and all the inhabitants and caring for each other. Animals really live in the moment and you see how our disconnected screen addicted lifestyle keeps us from doing the same.
I highly recommend this book and the author is one to watch!

I am TERRIFIED of birds. The only bird that doesn’t scare me is a hummingbird and that’s because they’re tiny little fluttery sky fairies and give kisses dusted in gold. ⁣
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I grew up on a farm and we had HUNDREDS of chickens. My chore was to feed said chickens. I would go out with my bucket full of grain, open the door and they would CHARGE. Feeling like Tippi Hedron in The Birds I’d dump and run! Chickens can be vicious!

Fast forward to going to my husband’s house for the first time… he thought it was so funny to command his HUGE parrot to fly right at my face with a beak thirsting to snip off my appendages one by one… so, yep – pretty scared of birds!⁣

BUT. This book.

One of my most favorite reads EVER! Hollow Kingdom is SO unique. Such an unlikely hero and so insanely refreshing. I want 4 sequels and I now would like a crow as a pet, and Kira Jane Buxton to be my BFF. ⁣
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In a nutshell, S.T. is going to save the world. S.T. is short for “Shit Turd” and he is a domesticated crow who loves Cheetos. Along with his dumb-as-rocks sidekick, a Bloodhound named Dennis, the pair sets off to save the world when all of humankind becomes zombies. It’s The Walking Dead, meets The Incredible Journey – and it is WILD! ⁣
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That’s all I’m giving you. Go read it! Animal lovers will relish in this incredible story. I really hope you’ll read this because it is the MOST FUN thing I’ve ever read. I adore this book, and because of Kira Jane Buxton – I now adore crows too!⁣

Shit Turd, or ST as he's better known, is a foul mouthed MoFo loving crow who is devoted to his owner Big Jim and hates other birds. When Big Jim turns into a zombie, ST decides he and Dennis, the dumb bloodhound Big Jim also loved, must leave their home and set out into the unknown. Along the way they journey across Seattle, face down danger (or run away), and learn that murders are what you makes them and you never leave your murder behind.

After a lot of deliberation, weighing how frequently I felt exasperated while reading this book, and how long it took me to push myself to finish it, I have to rate this 3 stars.

<i>Hollow Kingdom</i> is by no means a terrible book. It has some pacing issues and makes some puzzling choices, but what it comes down to is that it didn't work for me. The style of the writing never quite gelled for me, some of the internal inconsistencies in the universe bugged me, and the experience of reading it was more frustrating than anything else. Some people will be enchanted by the unusual point of view, the focus on nature and the animal kingdom, and find the writing style charming. I'm not that person.

I really thought I would love this novel, as I adore books narrated by animals and also love apocalyptic reads. However, this was just not my cup of tea. By 50% through, I was having a very hard time staying motivated to read this. And I can’t quite pin point why that is. I liked the characters, the tone, the writing style... I liked most of what was going on. I think part of it is that many of the same plot points keep happening over and over in just slightly different ways. I’m sure lots of people will love this one, but it was not for me.

Hollow Kingdom is so good! And hilarious.

Hollow Kingdom is a science fiction, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, comedy, zombie book all rolled up into one told through the POV of a crow. What more could you possibly need to know? (Bonus: his companion is a dog.)

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton is a science fiction, post apocalyptic fantasy that has a new twist with the surviving characters. Instead of the story being told from the point of view of the last remaining humans in the world we get a narrative from S.T., a domesticated crow.

S.T.’s owner, Big Jim, had gotten really sick until the point one day Big Jim’s eyeball falls right out. Well, what is one domesticated crow to do without an owner taking care of him? S.T. manages to team up with Big Jim’s dumb dog, Dennis, and take off out on their own to find out what was happening to their world.

Now, I’m sort of a hit or miss type of person when it comes to the entire dystopian or post apocalyptic type of books. Some of these pull me right in and I become completely engrossed in the what if we had this happen to us type of world. Others on the flip side tend to bore me with the lack of characters or engaging plot. Hollow Kingdom starts off s a cute new twist following this wise cracking crow but eventually it all fell flat for me. I’m sure some will love this one, I however just got a bit bored with only the animals.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I’m sure that in amongst all the gruesome animal deaths and 12-year-old boy humor, this book had a point.

In fact, it is very clearly trying to stress—constantly—that it does. Why it needed several hundred pages of circular plot and grossness for the sake of grossness to get there is another question entirely.

Buxton writes snappily and the basic plot is both ambitious and unique. Occasionally, she even manages to be funny in a way that is neither based on grotesque shock value or seemingly aimed at adolescent boys. It’s unfortunate that most of the “humor” is of the latter type.

I probably could have accepted some of the gross-out components of the book had the plot been tighter and had there not been so many more failed jokes and faux-horror ick moments than could possibly be necessary. Or if other components had been funnier. Or the message was clearer and more successfully delivered. Or, or, or...you get the idea.

Top all that off with many, MANY dogs and other animals dead or dying in horrific ways, and...yeah. This was a disappointment.

Hollow Kingdom was not what I expected. At all. It is a story about a zombie apocalypse told from the point of view of a crow named Shit Turd, or S.T. for short. Ha, wish I was kidding. If this name isn’t hilarious enough, then the dialogue will be for sure. It is witty, innocent, imaginative, and straight up hilarious. Of course, the subject matter is rather serious - after all, humanity has turned into zombies and animals are left to survive on their own, but the story itself is engaging and filled with hilarious anecdotes from all animal species. Definitely not aimed for younger audience because of language and some violence and gore. Highly recommend this book (I even bought the audio version of this book, and it was even more hilarious!). Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for thiseARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It's been 2 months since I read Hollow Kingdom, and it's still a book I think about often. Especially when I see a crow!

I had received a free ARC from netgalley several months before but I was really on the fence about a zombie apocalypse story as told by a crow. A good zombie story is hard to find, and a well done animal pov is hard to find, so what are the chances these two could be combined into a decent story? Apparently pretty good! I loved this story. So much. Often hilarious, at times heart-wrenching, Hollow Kingdom is the tale of an unlikely hero who faces incredible odds to save what's left of the world.

The only moment I have any trouble with is the very ending, I just felt it was a little bit of a stretch and while it adds an additional positive note, I don't know that the story absolutely needed it. However this tiny negative feeling in my part is but enough to keep me from rating 5+.

I can't say I've encountered a novel quite like this before. It's reminiscent of my all time favorite, [book:Watership Down|76620]. It's a bit darker, but the main difference is this one is narrated by animals who are knowledgable about the world of humans. Our main narrator is a crow, and we get points of view from other birds, cats, dogs, polar bears, even an octopus. This was obviously written by someone with not only knowledge of different animal species and how they interact, but also an appreciation for their distinct traits and personalities.

This is not a story for the faint of heart or easily grossed out reader. It's not for soft hearted animal lovers who can't handle reading about animals being harmed and doing/saying horrible things. I'm certain part of my love for this book comes from working with animals for decades, for loving them and also knowing they can be disgusting a-holes.

The writing is magical, the story is complex and weird. The animal characters are well constructed, and the world they live in is brought to life with vivid imagery. Our crow narrator is hilarious. The story in general had me laughing in parts and near tears in others. It's ultimately story of survival, but also an exploration of love, belonging, and acceptance.

Highly recommend.

Hollow kingdom is not your standard post-apocalyptic tale. This novel centers around a domesticated crow named S. T. and his dog companion Dennis as they navigate a world where humanity is collapsing and the animal kingdom must learn to live in a world without humans. I really wanted to love this book. The description alone sold me that this is a must read for me. I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 stars for two reasons: ***minor spoiler alert*** there are some animal deaths in the book that were difficult for me to read; also the book was a thinly-veiled attempt at reminding humanity that this world belongs to nature and nature will take it back. I fully agree with this statement, but I felt the book was sometimes a little too preachy. I wanted to delve deep into this fictional story, but I was held back every so often by the message it was delivering.

Overall, this was a wonderfully original story. I loved the animal characters and their quest. I would recommend it as a great book club book, but the strong language may be off-putting for some readers.

Published by Grand Central Publishing on August 6, 2019

Hollow Kingdom is a funny, engaging look at animals, from the sarcastic (a crow) to the sweet (a bloodhound), who decide to help each other out after a zombie apocalypse. Humans aren’t necessarily zombies in the traditional sense, but they are drooling blood and behaving even more irrationally than usual. The behavior seems to be a side effect of living in the digital age, but since the story isn’t meant to be taken seriously, the absence of a credible explanation is unimportant. This is a story about compassionate animals, not stupid humans.

The main character, a crow named Shit Turd (S.T. for short), lives with Big Jim and a bloodhound named Dennis in Seattle. S.T. is concerned when Big Jim’s eyeball falls out and is even more concerned when Big Jim stops eating and starts walking endless laps in the basement, tracing his bloody finger against the wall. S.T. takes it upon himself to grab Dennis’ leash in his beak and lead the dog to safety — if safety can be found in an unsafe world — as he begins his search for Onida, a mollusk who has all the answers.

Collateral characters include a toy poodle named Winnie (the Poodle). She has been spoiled by her wealthy owner (the Walker) and, although Winnie is not a good dog and has often yearned to escape, she feels guilty when the Walker leaves the house and fails to return. After that, she just feels hungry. Back in Seattle, Genghis Cat has noticed the absence of cars and cheese while his Mediocre Servants spend all their time, yes, poking their bloody fingers against the walls. Genghis Cat has an attitude. Of course he does, he’s a cat. Other animals large and small play cameo roles.

I love the descriptive language that the animals use to describe other animals. To a bird, bear cubs are “fuzzy death potatoes.” To any predator, sparrows are “airborne pizza rolls.” From a Scottish cow’s perspective, a donkey is a “scabby wee fart lozenge.” Penguins are “shit-beaked Spam-gremlins,” although S.T. comes to appreciate them.

S.T. is saddened by the apparent end of the world, particularly by the thought that there will be no more Cheetos (his favorite food) or hot dog eating contests on ESPN. Civilization at its finest, all lost! Yet he embarks on a mission to free all the domestic pets who are locked inside their homes with no sane human to feed them. This turns out to be a difficult mission, in part because birds cannot open doors, in part because all the zoo animals have been set free and are making life difficult for everyone. The story gives S.T. a chance to learn the true nature of other animals and, more importantly, to discover some truths about himself.

The story is whacky and fun, but not all of it works. S.T.’s search for mystical entities distracts from the plot rather than contributing to it. Still, the clever prose and the amusing message — that animals are better than humans, if only because they stick together and realize the importance of not ruining the world — makes me give Hollow Kingdom a wildly grinning emoji. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Dennis turns out to be the kind of endearing hero that dog lovers can’t help but appreciate.

RECOMMENDED

What an incredibly creative and bizarre take on the zombie apocalypse! I'm not going to beat around the bush -- I love this book!

S.T. (short for shit turd) is a happy domesticated crow. The world has his human, Big Jim, all the cheetos he can eat, and a great dog named Dennis for him to annoy. His life is perfect. Until.....

Big Jim's eyeball falls out. And he starts acting strange. Then ALL the people start acting strange. Even a quick fly to CVS for things to help isn't enough to fix the problem at home.....so good ol' S.T. hits the road with his pal, Dennis, to find out what's going on. What's left for a crow who really liked being a pet and for his hound dog sidekick once human beings are gone? What comes after? And....are there still cheetos?

All right -- before I get much further -- this book has cussing. Be aware and pass it by if this bothers you. This is not a book for kids....it's for adults who want a fun romp through the zombified end of humanity and the aftermath. If you are ok with humans being referred to as MoFos, a crow named Shit Turd, and some F-bombs and other various colorful metaphors....then pick up this book and enjoy zombies from a bird's eye view.

My favorite character in the entire book (despite only being in a couple pages) is Genghis Cat. I laughed so hard I snorted. :)

So funny, creative and totally entertaining. Any book that makes me snort....and laugh....and read passages to my husband....gets full stars from me. I will definitely read more by this author! :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was one of my most anticipated for the year and I was ultimately given an ARC by Grand Central Publishing, though not until after publication (and I already had the first available copy from the library), hence my well after publication review. I wish I could've shared this seethingly fun and gruesome novel earlier to help get others hyped up.

I mean, narrated by a crow, who lives in Seattle? Anyone who knows me just a bit more than a little knows it's as if those elements were bespoke written for me. And those elements of Hollow Kingdom exceeded all my expectations. The crow, S.T., is just exactly how I often imagine the inner psychological and emotional life of a crow - cutting, hilarious, dark, intelligent... agh, so well done here. He and his best friend Dennis, a bloodhound, make up a paltry murder (in the sense of a group of crows, not in the other sense) struggling to survive in... a post-apocalyptic Seattle teeming with human zombies.

So, yeah, the post-apocalyptic zombies probably weren't my first choice as a background. Both of these elements aren't high on my list of reading preferences but I was sustained through all that by the highlights of a tour through Seattle, the majority of places familiar to me, and thus incredibly entertaining to imagine destroyed and teeming with the zombies. The reasons for humans becoming zombies was also the best possible reason I, as a mostly zombie-averse reader, could appreciate, which helped alot.

And, really, what other setting would best host a story about a crow and a bloodhound, teamed up to survive? A regular not-post-apocalyptic would quickly dispense of entertainment for these characters. So, leaving behind all that, suffice it to say that <i>everything else</i> was enough to carry me through the zombie stuff.

Everything else was S.T., and Dennis, and S.T.'s stories about Big Jim, his people before Big Jim became a zombie that S.T. couldn't save, and the <i>Aura</i> (essentially the avian world's internet but exceedingly much more beautiful and practical), and all of the other birds and dogs and animals freed from the zoo without human caretakers/imprisoners, The One Who Opens Doors, and the squirrels, oh the squirrels. We never get a first-person POV of a squirrel because squirrels are "five star sexual deviants".
<spoiler>

<i>Here was the answer to freeing the domestics, the secrets to touching through the glass. Here was The One Who Opens Doors, an orangutan, a powerful ally who could turn the knobs to a future.

When the grass fights the concrete, She shall usher in a new era. It was known.

Here was how we would win the War of Land.

We pondered the implications in utter silence, except for the rhythmic masturbation of a nearby squirrel.</i>
</spoiler>

We have a lot of squirrels in our neighborhood, many of which are constantly pissed off at my goldendoodle, and some of which intentionally try to antagonize her (and she's easily baited). My partner, who hasn't read Hollow Kingdom and yet is deeply amused by the squirrel descriptions I've read to him from it, has joined me in referencing our neighborhood squirrels as five-star sexual deviants who are out there flashing their junk.

I enjoyed this so damn much. It's absolutely one of my top reads of the year; highly anticipated and lived up to those expectations. Will be eagerly awaiting Buxton's next offering!

I received a review copy courtesy of Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing. Buxton has had her work appear in The New York Times and some other impressive places, and I was drawn by the buzz. To be honest, this book didn’t work for me, but I also have to admit that I am probably outside the target audience.

The setting drew me first; it’s hard to resist work set in my own hometown of Seattle. The premise has to do with a smart crow and a dumb dog setting out to save what’s left of their world. It’s billed as a romp, and I make a point of punctuating my other reading with humor so it doesn’t get too dark out there. So there were reasons to think I would enjoy this book.

But I was expecting a story arc and a plot. And I noted at the ten percent mark that I had seen enough product placements for the rest of the story and a boxed set to go with it. I quit about halfway through and skimmed till I reached the 80 percent mark, and then read the ending; no joy.

If a friend has read this book and says they think that you will like it, that friend might be right. But I can only share what I have seen and give you my honest opinion, which is that this is only something to be obtained only if it’s free or cheap unless your pockets are deep.

What a fun and unique take on the end of humanity. I quickly grew to love S.T., Dennis, and all the friends they made on this adventure. This story telling crow has me laughing out loud more than once. Definitely a must read. Just as caution, S.T. has a very colorful vocabulary.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

This book is really interesting. The premise is original and it was a well-paced and well-developed, but I just didn’t love the experience.

It turns out that horror/fantasy isn’t my preferred genre. I read Hollow Kingdom to stretch my reading and to see if it would make a good addition to our horror collection. I thought the plot was intriguing and the characters were interesting, but I had a hard time suspending reality to follow the crow throughout the book and the term “mofo” wasn’t appealing to me and I had a hard time moving past it.

Hollow Kingdom will become the favorite book of many people. I think that its originality will have many critics excited.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I had a hard time with this book. It was an interesting and unique concept, and I thought it started out well. It was entertaining and I enjoyed the fact the animals have to learn to survive on their own. Unfortunately, it felt like it dragged on in places and eventually I found myself having to put it down for a while before picking it up again. I’m sure there are people out there who will love it but for me, it was a struggle to get through it. I liked enough aspects of it though to be willing to reading something else by this author in the future.

**A copy was provided via NetGalley to voluntarily review**