Hollow Kingdom Audiobook By Kira Jane Buxton cover art

Hollow Kingdom

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Hollow Kingdom

By: Kira Jane Buxton
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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A finalist for the 2020 Thurber Prize for American Humor!

"The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead" (Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author) in this big-hearted, boundlessly beautiful romp through the apocalypse, where a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive Seattle's zombie problem.

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 (i.e. "those idiots"), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos®.

But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right. His 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 suddenly discovers that the neighbors are devouring one another. Local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of dangerous new predators.

Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world around him comes from TV.

What could possibly go wrong?

©2019 Kira Jane Buxton (P)2019 Hachette Audio Animals Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Humorous Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Funny Witty Heartfelt Feel-Good Scary

Critic reviews

"Hollow Kingdom is a nature book for our own age, an exuberant, glittering, hard-hitting mashup of Dawn of the Dead and The Incredible Journey. It's an adventure lit by strange myths, brand-names, television and smartphone screens, a fable with teeth and claws about animals making new lives amongst the ruins of humanity. It's transformative, poignant, and funny as hell. S.T. the irrepressible, cursing crow is my new favourite apocalyptic hero." (Helen Macdonald, New York Times best-selling author of H Is for Hawk)

"A plucky hero, a boisterous tale, startling prose and eerie events combine for a thoroughly enjoyable account of the end of the world as we know it. The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead." (Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves)

"I love this book so much! I wanted to set it on fire while hugging it. I wanted to hasten the apocalypse just to see how my own pets fare in a more humane world without humans. Kira Jane Buxton's voice is fresh, like a newly dug grave, but so joyful and honest you'll laugh out loud, and then check to make sure you haven't lost an eyeball. Hollow Kingdom is a wildly original debut and a paean to my favorite city." (Jamie Ford, New York Times best-selling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet)

Featured Article: Listen Like the World Is Ending with These Apocalyptic Audiobooks


Apocalyptic audiobooks all have one big thing in common: each is set in a world that is ending or just on the brink of collapse. Outside of that, apocalyptic and postapocalyptic stories take on all sorts of topics, twisting and turning into so many different genres and directions. Whether you love sci-fi adventures or prefer character-driven stories that reflect on real-world issues, this collection of listens has something for everyone.

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Unique Perspective • Humorous Storytelling • Exceptional Voice Acting • Unforgettable Avian Hero • Emotional Depth
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A very irreverent take on the zombie apocalypse genre, told from the viewpoint of a domesticated crow. Corvids as a species are very intelligent, but also deviant, so the shoe fits, so to speak. Lots of foul language and violence. Narrator Robert Petkoff did a fabulous job with voices and timing.

Irreverent and Clever

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Its hard to describe a story like this because...I've never experienced a story like this. But let's review what those who read reviews are after: exceptional narrator, fast moving story, delightful characters and perfect format.
The story follows a particularly charasmatic crow who is a mega fan of all things human. His own human( we sadly don't meet but understand and love through the eyes of his pets) becomes apart of the downfall of humanity. This, in it's essence, is a dystopian story. Not a story of the human condition, but of what we leave behind. I found most of the story to be laugh out loud hilarious, with some true heart break scattered throughout. I want to assure you that the writing is true poetry, even if it comes from a main character named Shit Turd. Where this really shined for me( and forever placed Dennis in my heart) is in the narrator. While I probably would enjoy this just as much in written format, the narrator brought it to life!!
So if you're wondering about spending a credit, do it.
PS to the author: I hope you have a real life inspiration for Big Jim. He is my new literary crush.

Unique in a beautiful blend of humor and poetry.

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Started off strong but weak storyline that kept dragging on. Had to put it on 1.2, then 1.5 speed just to get to the end. Hate not finishing things and was hoping the end would take a strong turn but was disappointed. Wish I hadn’t spent my free credit on it to be honest.

Cute and clever at times but meh overall

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Big Jim isn't feeling well lately. He's walking funny, not talking, shuffling around aimlessly. He's not eating, or masturbating, or complaining about the economy, or going on Tinder dates. Oh, and one of his eyes fell out. After an emergency trip to Walgreens, his crow buddy S.T. realizes that it's not just Big Jim. Everywhere, all the Mofos are suffering from the same horrifying illness that even Monistat can't cure. Something must be done. So S.T., a crow well-versed in all the wonders of Mofo culture from both educational and reality television, and Dennis, Big Jim's big dumb loveable slobbery dog, set out into a world gone mad. A world without Mofos and all their wondrous inventions. A world bereft of Cheetos! Guided by Aura, the communication network of the birds that S.T. has until now disdained in favor of the Mofo Internet, these two unlikely companions set off on a quest for the mysterious being known only as The One Who Opens Doors.


This is a hilarious story of animals dealing with the zombie apocalypse. The perspectives on the fall of Mofo-kind are deliciously twisted, peppered with amusing turns of phrase (including a certain amount of fowl language). Nothing is quite what it seems, and if you let yourself think about what's actually happening there's a whole other level of horror beneath the laughs, but it's a fun ride. The ultimate explanation for how the mass zombification started is derivative of other zombie stories (not like any of them are really that original) and detracts a bit from the wonder of S.T.'s journey, but overall the book is unique and entertaining, and a perfect start to a spooky October.

Life After Mofos

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I loved this book. Funny, witty, charming, heartwarming, and thrilling. I reccomend to anyone.

This is a fantastic read/listen

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It hooked me from the start with a wonderful narrator. The hero story we need right now. can't wait to read it again.

Seattle lover? Animal lover? Read this book!

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So glad I picked this one out.
From playful to sad, overly anthropomorphic to the psychology of personal growth. this might be a wonderfully inspirational book for young people who have struggled to make more of themselves at times or, even those who watch over them.

Wasn't sure about this one but, so glad I did.

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Loved this great satire which made me laugh out loud at times. A humorous look at mankind & the world we live in.

Great satire

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I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I loved every minute of it. Hollow Kingdom is funny, scary, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once. ST's rich personality and moving story will live in my heart for a long time.

And awesome read!

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This book was so unexpected, so genuinely hilarious, and so well-written and devilishly performed, it was the breath of fresh air I needed so desperately, delivered with a gut punch and a sly wink. During this time (Covid-19 lockdown) we ALL need to laugh more, and THIS is the book. The only caveat is the language is good-naturedly foul. But it's so much a part of the character that this would not be the same book without profanity, it becomes a major part of the entire mood. I didn't expect this to be such a fun, layered adventure story. My husband and I listened together and we laughed our a$$es off. Highly recommended!

The hero in the apocalypse is a foul-mouthed crow

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