Publishers Weekly
Favorite story lines and characters continue this fall. Clare B. Dunkle spins a sequel to her The Hollow Kingdom, which PW called, in a starred review, "a luminously polished fantasy that starts off strong and just gets better." With Close Kin, Dunkle broadens the story of the sisters, with Kate happily married to the Goblin King, Marak, and Emily joyfully tending to the many goblin children. But when Emily's best friend, Seylin, proposes and she turns him down, he decides to leave the kingdom to search for his elf ancestors. Emily, realizing how much she cares for him, sets out to find him, as Dunkle thrusts readers deeper into the fascinating psyche of the goblins, dwarfs, elves and humans that populate her world. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-Years have passed since the events of The Hollow Kingdom (Holt, 2003), and Kate is happily married to the Goblin King, Marak. As a human who has always thought of goblins as exciting and exotic creatures, her younger sister, Emily, enjoys spending her days with the many goblin children in her care. She has no thought of marriage until she unintentionally rejects the awkward proposal of her best friend, Seylin. Devastated, he decides to leave the kingdom to search for his elf ancestors. Once Emily realizes that she is the cause of his departure, and how much she cares for him, she sets out to find him, accompanied by the curmudgeonly goblin, Ruby. As in the previous book, the different characters discover that appearances do not necessarily reflect inner attributes, but this story delves deeper into examining the xenophobic attitudes held by the goblins, dwarfs, elves, and humans. The narrative draws readers into a multifaceted world of strong, compelling individuals. The final chapters come across more as a group of appendixes with a lot of explanatory information than as a true conclusion. Still, the background detail creates a compelling saga for fantasy fans. For maximum satisfaction, the books need to be read in order. The final book of the trilogy, In the Coils of the Snake, is due to be published in 2005.-Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Racial integration through wife-napping makes for awkward fantasy, despite a compellingly intricate structure. Baby sister Emily of The Hollow Kingdom (2003), a human in the goblin world, has grown into a lovable young woman. Emily's adored by her goblin friend, elf-like throwback Seylin, but doesn't understand his awkward words of love. Spurned, Seylin leaves the goblin kingdom to avoid Emily and search for the long-lost elves. Alas, the remaining elves are ignorant, near-extinct, poverty-stricken misogynists, and only goblin magic can save them. While Seylin quests for elves, and Emily leaves goblin lands hunting for Seylin, the all-wise goblin king arranges the capture of the remaining elf women. Their perfectly chosen goblin husbands are far superior to the crude elves; kidnapping and involuntary marriage proves the elves' salvation. Disturbing gender roles, excessive moralizing, and a rushed and incongruous conclusion keep this sequel from achieving its rather strong potential. (Fiction. 11-14)
