I fell in love with T. Kingfisher's storytelling and characters in The Twisted Ones and the love affair continues in The Hollow Places! The concept of this story, a woman finds a portal to another (terrifying) world in her Uncle's museum of curiousities, is a definite Yes Please!

T. Kingfisher has a particular talent for filling her books with funny relatable characters who stumble/tumble there ways through horrifying experiences in a way that feels real. They don't suddenly turn into unrealistic badasses with a hidden talent for fighting or reveal a hidden armory on their person. They laugh nervously, tell inappropriate jokes with awkward timing in high stress situations, their injuries don't magically disappear with a good night's sleep (as they so often seem to do in action type movies/books), and, most importantly. And to be able to balance the humor and sense of reality with such atmospheric creeping dread - Chef's Kiss! I love when a book can cause a phsyical response to the dread being built, I regularly found my eyes widening, my hand coming up to cover my mouth, and my body trying to sink deeper into my chair and out of sight of the happenings in the book.

Fantastic balance of terror and time to hang out and get to know the characters - highly recommend! T. Kingfisher's horror is now a definite insta-buy for me!

Thank you Net Galley for my advanced reader's copy of The Hollow Places.

Unfortunately I didn't finish it (which is rare for me) I read The Twisted Ones earlier this year and it looks like I am having the same issues with this story. First, the story/characters are pretty similar to The Twisted Ones. I guess the main characters are just not my cup of tea because the whole quirky/trying too hard to be silly is a detractor from what is supposed to be a horror book (btw I love well placed humor in horror). I had a really hard time believing that they were supposed to be 35-40 years old!? Just like in The Twisted Ones, I was excited for the idea of the story and probably would have kept reading if I could have taken the characters more seriously.

4 stars

This is my first T. Kingfisher novel, and I was not disappointed.

Kara, the main character, is 34, going through a divorce, and moving in with Uncle Earl at his Museum of Wonders while she collects her thoughts, finances, and life. Early in the work, Uncle Earl has a medical situation that requires Kara to stay alone in this truly bizarre setting, minus the occasional - and important - interjections of Simon, her neighbor, tenant, and ultimately friend.

There is so much that I enjoyed here. The characters are fantastic. I loved Kara's reactions to both the fantastic and mundane experiences she has. Her interactions with supernatural, terrifying stuff make her realize that she really shouldn't sweat the small stuff, and so she just doesn't anymore. Though she makes decisions that aren't exactly what readers might hope for at times, she demonstrates pretty amazing growth, especially under the circumstances. Uncle Earl is superb, and my greatest point of sadness is that he is not a more integral figure overall. I get why he can't be, but man, MORE EARL, PLEASE. Simon is also excellent as a sidekick and a rounder one than expected. Even Kara's ex and mom, as well as the whole cast of characters from that other place, are all expertly drawn. Also, ALL of the animals. I'll keep that point intentionally vague, but I loved their various roles.

Along with the characters, the sense of place is remarkable. The museum is a riveting space on its own and becomes central to all aspects of the plot and Kara's lifelong development. There's the historical space that readers and Kara learn about through a discovered writing, and that space is clearly drawn, too. What happens in willow world is next level.

Truly, throughout the entire book, I wanted more Earl, and there were moments when I wanted a little less description/thinking through of what to do next. But these are minor points and do not detract from the overall quality of this wild ride.

I can't wait to read much more from this author. This book...put down roots in my brain...?

The Hollow Places kept me hooked from beginning to end. Not really knowing what to expect and not having read T. Kingfisher before, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

Kara, a newly divorced graphic designer moves in with her Uncle Earl in his museum of taxidermy and other oddities. It is a place she loved as a child and still feels at home in today… until she unexpectedly discovers a hole to another world.

While initially thinking this would be a scarier tale, I would say this one is more a fantasy with horror elements, offset by some fantastic humor. The best part of the novel for me was in fact said humor, which Kingfisher manages to weave throughout the story. The characters are endearing; I loved every one of them. And the dialogue between them is damn funny!

I would recommend going into this one with no expectations. Just know that you are going to crack more than one smile while reading this fantasy-horror.

Dark, entertaining, and slightly weird horror book. Highly recommend for fans of "The Twisted Ones".

“Pray they are hungry”

T. Kingfisher’s ability to draw readers in with a sentence that they will not soon forget, continues in “The Hollow Places.”

For those who loved “The Twisted Ones”, “The Hollow Places” will not disappoint. Once again, Kingfisher’s characters endear themselves to the reader and you find yourself wishing that you knew them in real life. Kara (aka Carrot), the protagonist, finds herself newly divorced and needing to move back home. Before, Kara is forced to move in with her mother, a thought that fills her with dread, her Uncle Earl offers her a room in his museum of wonders. While overseeing the museum and its curiosities in her uncle’s absence Kara finds a portal to alternate universes within its walls. Along with Simon, the eccentric and amusing barista from the coffee shop next door, Kara finds that the horrors that lie within the space are not something they can easily escape.

The characters and the museum drew me in immediately, and I found myself breezing through the pages wanting to know what would happen next and just what exactly had Kara and Simon stumbled upon with in the walls of the shop. There were elements where I could foresee events before Kara was able, but they didn’t diminish my overall love of the book; rather it was more like watching a horror movie where you want to yell at the main character to THINK ABOUT IT! or OPEN YOUR EYES! Without giving too much away in terms of plot, the overall horror element of the book may leave you with just enough uneasiness that the bustling of the breeze through the trees just might send a chill down your spine.


Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press, for an advance uncorrected proof of "The Hollow Places".

This was a wild trippy ride that was dark and delicious... I loved the world - building here. It was original and eerie and fascinating to see what would come next. Literally anything seemed possible. The plot was engaging, although I must admit it dragged on a little bit for me as they slogged through the middle of the adventure... It wasn't a very big deal, but it did slow down the action a little. Things perked back up though and from there on out it was a thrill a minute until the bitter end! I'm a big fan of T. Kingfisher and this reconfirmed why - excellent story telling skills, fabulously real characters, and wholly original constructs that take stories that seem familiar and throw them into a blender before delivering them...

T. Kingfisher's novel, The Twisted Ones, was one of my favorite books from last year, so I was excited to get this review copy from Netgalley and the publisher. I wasn't disappointed. T. Kingfisher writes the best characters. Except for the spooky killer characters, and/or the annoying spouse, these are people who you'd like to know. They're just odd enough to make them interesting and endearing.

Although I'd like to hug the characters, there are frightening and chilling "things" and victims of the "things" that are a constant and dangerous menace.

There were times I foresaw what would happen. For instance, I guessed the evil object creating the havoc before the protagonist did. But, the humor (Kingfisher is very funny) and the fun characters (even the cat is fantastic,) and the peril more than make up for the fact the sometimes the reader is ahead of the game.

I love both The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places. I look forward to future Kingfisher novels.

This book is an absolutely mind-blowing read. It felt like the "Interstellar" of books. I loved the look at alternate realities and the scary things within were more than enough to keep you on the edge of your comfy reading chair or couch.

2, "did I just read the same story again stars?"

Ok...I just finished this and...I feel like I just read a different version of The Twisted Ones.

I read The Twisted Ones about four months ago, so the story was still very fresh in my mind when I cracked this one open. At first, I thought it was just one of the quirks of the writing style. BUT, as I got further into the story, I couldn't help but think "Ok, I've basically already read this."

Which was obviously disappointing. I didn't love TTO because I'm not a huge fan of folklore, but I loved the author's writing style because it's quirky, cheeky and made me laugh out loud. Which I did do while reading this book a few times.

But still...I didn't want to read the same story, just set in a different world again. So...

Writing = great, funny and engaging.
Actual story = follows exact same pattern as TTO.

If you read TTO, you know it's about a woman going through something who moves back to a family home and is exposed to another world, makes friends with the quirky neighbors and her and said neighbors go on an adventure to survive this world.

That is essentially the plot for this book too. So If you want another book very similar to TTO, you'll really enjoy this. If you don't want to read another iteration of TTO, like me, you will be bored.

A big thanks to Gallery Books/Saga Press/NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was my first T. Kingfisher book & I really liked it. The beginning had me hooked, however I feel it did trail off near the middle. I can't wait to read more books by this author!

The Hollow Places is the latest horror novel by author T Kingfisher (the pen name of author Ursula Vernon). It's also a spiritual successor to her highly acclaimed "The Twisted Ones", which took a line from an old classic horror story and expanded upon it into a modern quaint horror story in rural North Carolina. As I've said before on this blog, I'm not really a horror fan (though I love Vernon/Kingfisher's work) but I enjoyed The Twisted Ones, even if it didn't quite scare me as much as it seemingly did for others.



The Hollow Places however, was genuinely scary for me, relying a bit less on jump scares (though there are some) and more on atmospheric horror. It's another novel based upon a concept from an old horror story that I've never read, and it works really really well, with a very strong lead character and sidekick, and a plot that kept me mostly on edge throughout. It's not nearly as witty at times as The Twisted Ones could be, but it still works incredibly well and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys horror.....





------------------------------------------------Plot Summary--------------------------------------------------------

Kara was not looking forward towards moving back in with her mother after her divorce removed all stability from her life, and so the offer by her Uncle Earl to move in to his spare room at his museum - the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosity, and Taxidermy in Hog Chapel, North Carolina - is a godsend. The "museum" is more a small store that allows visitors to see a bunch of oddball stuff - crazy taxidermy and objects of weird relevance and provenance - but Kara grew up loving it and her uncle and is glad to help him take care of it as he suffers from bad knees and gout.



But soon after her uncle has to leave her alone minding the museum for health reasons, Kara finds a hole in the museum's wall. And when she explores that hole with her neighbor Simon, she discovers a corridor that can not exist, leading to a place that cannot possibly exist: a world of islands and water, filled with bunkers, and willow trees that give her and Simon the absolute creeps. And then there are the words scrawled about throughout: "Pray They Are Hungry" and "They Can Hear You Thinking".



The more they explore this impossible place, the more Kara and Simon begin to realize the terrible danger they've found themselves in.....but is it possible for them to escape before it is too late?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As with any novel, you really don't want to spoil too far in, but that goes perhaps double for a horror novel, when the unknown is just as big an element of the fear as anything else. This is especially true for this novel, which is fairly short - as a result, I tried to be vague about the setup as much as I could above. Like its spiritual predecessor (The Twisted Ones), The Hollow Places features an early middle age protagonist coming back to a family location and discovering a horror she couldn't have imagined. Unlike that novel, the setup is different in that Kara already has people she loves or likes and cares about in the area (her uncle and Simon), but she's still mainly on her own when the horror hits. Like that novel, she and Simon are fairly aware of horror tropes....for whatever good that'll do them.



Because the horror in The Hollow Places was a lot scarier for me than it was in The Twisted Ones. The prior novel relied a lot on jump scares, and well they were pretty well done, but that doesn't do it for me. The Hollow Places instead follows the classic formula of setting up an incredibly creepy atmosphere, introducing more and more creepy elements that provide a feeling of dread, and leaving much of what is causing that fear and creepiness to the characters' - and readers' - imaginations. Perhaps a better comparison might be Annihilation (the book) in how it sets the atmosphere, but then it's more overt about its horror than that novel, as the reader and the characters discover more and more in the strange impossible place they discover. In the prior novel a lot of the terror came from the words in a diary that the protagonist discovered, and there are similar words here, but they somehow make an even greater impact in even less time and words. If that makes sense.



There isn't really much else to say here - it's a pretty damn scary horror novel, which is what you're looking for in horror. All of our characters involved are pretty damn good, which makes the horror more effective as you care what happens to them, and they're all very believable - and of course they're not your typical movie horror protagonists (our main duo is a mid 30s divorced woman and a mid 40s gay man, not some college students or teens). I could totally see this becoming a movie and scaring the bajeezus out of people, as it's already damn scary in text. Heck, this novel didn't have the same wit and humor that I really enjoyed in The Twisted Ones, but it works so well otherwise I didn't really have a problem with it. The novel only really has one negative - there's one element of the plot which any consumer of media will immediately expect to have some relation to the horror elements, especially after it comes back fairly quickly, but the main character (despite being generally pretty savvy) completely misses it for way too long. But that's a small gripe and yeah I'd highly recommend this one.

I freaking loved this book. I couldn't wait to return to the world to see what would happen next to Carrot and Stephen. I spent much of my Sunday lying on the floor reading, which is a feat of itself when you have two kids and an attention span that goes along with it.

The Hollow Places

Kara finds a hole to another universe within her uncle’s creepy museum. Naturally, she and her friend have to investigate this unknown world. The pair instantly regret their curiosity when they find the place overcome with unnatural creatures. Will they ever get home?
T. Kingfisher knows how to scare the absolute pants off me. I will avoid talking about my behavior after reading “The Twisted Ones”. Moving on…

Kara is likable. Her inner monologue is funny enough to break some of the tension within this quick read. Simon is the gay, funny best friend we all wish we had. The descriptions Kingfisher weaves about the Willow World is scary enough to give you goosebumps and quickly regret reading this book at night. Newsflash…it isn’t hair!

You’ll laugh..you’ll cringe…and you’ll close the book and NEVER look at willow trees again…

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for this arc

4⭐️

Synopsis:
Kara finds the words in the mysterious bunker that she’s discovered behind a hole in the wall of her uncle’s house. Freshly divorced and living back at home, Kara now becomes obsessed with these cryptic words and starts exploring this peculiar area—only to discover that it holds portals to countless alternate realities. But these places are haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts…and the more one fears them, the stronger they become.

The main character Kara has a lot going on as it is already, and finding the portal and go through more than she could ever imagine is indescribable. I mean, its fun but scary at the same time. The characters are funny and exciting. The story is both terrifying and humorous. It felt like watching a horror movie, and just when you thought you’d have a heart attack, it will switch on something hilarious to lighten it up. The author seriously scared and cracked me up at the same time. It is amazing!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

I loved this book. The atmosphere was everything I wanted it to be. A bit creepy and I loved the plot and the twist in the book. I loved the characters in this story. The Hollow Places is one book I will not forget. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

DNF at 20%. The write up of this book versus the reading experience of it is wildly differing. I expected a fun, creepy read...but it was like a slapstick horror-comedy full of camp, instead. The tone was way off from what I was hoping for, and because of that, I couldn't get into it. This might be for other people, but it definitely wasn't for me.

The Hollow Places is the latest remixed horror offering by Ursula Vernon, noted children’s author and graphic novelist who writes as T. Kingfisher for older audiences. After reading her fantastic first horror novel, The Twisted Ones, which was inspired by Arthur Machen’s 1904 horror short story The White People, I fervently hoped she would return to that well and was delighted to discover she had a new horror release due out later in 2020.

This time around, the inspiration is the 1907 novella by Algernon Blackwood, The Willows, which was regarded by HP Lovecraft as the greatest supernatural story ever written and its chilling description of “the frontier of another world, an alien world, a world tenanted by willows only and the souls of willows” strongly influences this story.

Our protagonist is the down-on-her-luck, newly divorced Kara who is nearly forced to confront the mundane horror of moving back in with her parents before gladly taking up her genial Uncle Earl’s offers of a spare room at his museum. Of course this leads to the terrifying ordeal that unfolds later, but it was a godsend at the time! Kara assists her uncle with running the Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy, and eventually ends up in charge while he’s recovering from surgery. This is when things take a turn for the weird as she and barista Simon from the café next door discover an impossible hallway in their building that defies the laws of physics and their curiosity prompts them to explore where it leads... Spoiler alert: it’s not Narnia. What Kara and Simon have inadvertently stumbled into is a realm filled with terrifying beings beyond comprehension and they’ll need all their wits and a healthy dose of luck to survive.

T Kingfisher is a master when it comes to creating characters that endear themselves immediately to the reader and feel like life-long friends just one chapter in, and The Hollow Places is no exception. This book only has two major characters, but they’re given an impressive level of development to the point where they feel like they could step off the page, fully formed. Some readers may find the plot slow-going at the start, but Kara is such a charming and entertaining narrator that spending time in her head as she adjusts to living at the museum feels rewarding; it’s easy to invest in her fledgling attempts at starting a new life while resisting the urge to cyber-stalk her ex!

At times I find that the heroes in various books feel interchangeable and they fail to make an impression, but this author is blessed with an incredible imagination and morbid sense of humour that results in the creation of unique and unforgettable characters like Simon, a man who supposedly devoured his twin in the womb and has her left eye (which he claims allows him to see strange phenomena) and dresses like a thrift-shop Mad Hatter. If you’re new to T Kingfisher’s style, that should give you an indication of her darkly whimsical style!

The foes which target our heroes are genuinely horrifying, but hardcore genre fans may be left wanting as the real impact of the story is felt in the awful anxiety and build-up of apprehension while in the other realm as opposed to copious amounts of blood and gore in direct encounters with these beings. After reading two horror novels by this author, a common element has emerged in her brand of horror which involves eerie and chilling otherworldly scenarios leavened by bursts of humour to cut through the tension. It makes her books fantastic for those who want to be scared, but also need some relief instead of grim unrelenting terror. I say this as a compliment, these stories are like the comfort food of the horror genre, the kind of books where you don’t ever have to worry that a terrible fate will befall the hero’s cat or dog (a haughty cat named Beau in this one). The main characters are hilariously relatable and freak out like we would in the face of the inexplicably bizarre before deciding to have coffee and “discuss this like people who don’t die in the first five minutes of a horror movie”. It’s witty, irreverent and completely entertaining.

If you like the sound of a suspenseful horror story with a creepy atmosphere narrated by a snarky heroine, do yourself a favour and pick this up once it’s released! With thrills, chills and constant laughs, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Wowza, I don’t think I knew what I was going into with this book, but if like me you love dark, demented, and disturbing, then you’ll enjoy this morbid horror book! It’s a bit different, and even hard to explain but is well worth the read if you are a dark horror fan. Has plenty of suspense, chills, thrills, and shocks as well! As I mentioned above it’s quite dark, so if you are not for the darker reads, turn away now. If you are like me and the darker the better, clear your schedule and prepare yourself!

See the beautiful gif below of a willow tree woman all serene and peaceful...THIS AIN’T THAT BOOK!



First off, I had no idea this was the author of THE TWISTED ONES, I loved that book too! I live in my own little bubble. (I wish I could have my own bubble because - nevermind) This particular book went to my favorites list!! I love the hell out of it and I am preordering the paperback!!

I freaking love the characters! Kara (Carrot) moves in with her uncle at his WONDER MUSEUM after her divorce. All of the taxidermy and weird stuff doesn’t bother her as she grew up there. And next door there is the coffee shop that Simon runs. He also lives above the shop and Kara’s uncle owns that building too. Simon is a sweet pea!! He’s gay and he’s hilarious. Oh I can’t wait to get the book to add ALL the quotes.

The Hollow Places is creepy as hell and freaking hilarious! I haven’t laughed out loud this hard in a long time. The scary and humor and quaintness of the museum have a wonderful balance. The friendship between Kara and Simon are spot on...well...if you’re lucky enough to have friends like that!!

Soooooo....uncle goes into surgery and leaves Kara to watch the museum while he gets better at her moms house. Kara finds a hole in the wall and things get cray from there!! I mean scary, whackado and all things in between!



We have creepy willows, shadow things, scary people, other worlds, bizarre bunkers, deranged taxidermist raccoons and the list goes on.

I just want to highly recommend this book if you like a bit of humor with your horror books!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced, digital copy of this book