Hollow Kingdom
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| Author | Kira Jane Buxton |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Robert Petkoff |
| Language | English |
| Set in | Seattle, Washington |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
Publication date | 6 Aug 2019 |
| Pages | 320 |
| Followed by | Feral Creatures |
Hollow Kingdom is a 2019 science fiction novel by Kira Jane Buxton, about a zombie apocalypse from the viewpoint of a pet crow. It was published by Grand Central Publishing.
In Seattle, a pet crow named Shit Turd (S.T.) lives with his human, Big Jim, and a bloodhound named Dennis. Because S.T. was raised in captivity, he identifies as more of a human than a crow. One day, Big Jim’s eyeball falls out and he tries to eat S.T. Dennis and S.T. wander through Seattle, discovering that human society is falling apart. Members of the animal kingdom refer to human beings as Hollows due to their lack of connection to the environment. S.T. decides to save humanity’s pets. With humans gone, domesticated animals will be their remaining legacy.
S.T. searches through the Seattle zoo. He fails to find any healthy humans and injures his wing in the process. S.T. realizes that Hollows will chase after electronics. He uses a cell phone to lure them into breaking a window, releasing a dog named Cinnamon from her dead owner’s house. They rescue several other pets before Cinnamon is killed by a rabid dog.
S.T. allies with Kraai, the leader of a murder. S.T. embraces his crow identity. He teaches the other birds how to get inside buildings, and they establish a base at UW Bothell. Hollows begin growing features such as wings and feathers as their bodies continue to mutate. Dennis is killed by a group of Hollows. S.T. and his feathered allies defend the safe zone against threats including wild wolves and mutated Hollows.
A group of birds bring S.T. on a secret mission. In a First Nations village in remote Canada, ST and his companions find an unaffected human infant and agree to protect her.