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Monster in the Hollows: (Wingfeather Series 3)
352 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2025
21 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Peterson
82 books37 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 16, 2026
Oh my goodness! I love this series so much, and these books hit home every stinking time I read them! There is something just so beautiful about them and the utter relatability of the characters!
Characters:
I feel like reviewing characters gets hard as a series goes on because I obviously don't want to spoil anything. XD Janner is sooooo relatable as a character and as an older sibling who just wants to do something that he wants to do. I feel ya! Been there my friend, but he also has the added responsibility of protecting his brother who doesn't really fit in now (if you know what I mean).
Kalmar is....I love him! His bravery, his courage, and the fact that he doesn't feel ready for any of the stuff that has been thrust upon him. Yes, he has made some mistakes, but we all have and in Kal we see a physical look at the impact our mistakes can make on the way people treat us and how we treat others and how unfair that can be.
Leeli is a darling! I love her dedication to her brothers and her love of dogs is extremely cute! I'm right there with you Leeli!
Nia, Podo, Oskar, Artham, Rudrick, everyone is amazing! We get to se Sara and Maraly (just a bit) and I love it all! Borely is sooo cute!
There are appropriately villainous characters as well who get what they deserve. *crosses arms*
Romance:
N/A - mentions of liking someone.
Language:
N/A
Magic:
Yes, but not in a weird spellcasting sense...all 'magic' came from the Creator and is a gift, a gift which some, like Gnag, have bent and twisted for their own ends.
Violence/Gore:
There are wounds and missing animals, a trail of blood, insults, violence, and beatings. People are stabbed, hit, kidnapped, etc...there is a lot that goes on especially in the last part of the book, but all handled well and never too violent for its intended audience.
Overall:
This is a fantastic third installment in one of my all time favorite series! I highly recommend that you give it a read! Would make a fantastic read aloud as well!
Recommend age 9+
Characters:
I feel like reviewing characters gets hard as a series goes on because I obviously don't want to spoil anything. XD Janner is sooooo relatable as a character and as an older sibling who just wants to do something that he wants to do. I feel ya! Been there my friend, but he also has the added responsibility of protecting his brother who doesn't really fit in now (if you know what I mean).
Kalmar is....I love him! His bravery, his courage, and the fact that he doesn't feel ready for any of the stuff that has been thrust upon him. Yes, he has made some mistakes, but we all have and in Kal we see a physical look at the impact our mistakes can make on the way people treat us and how we treat others and how unfair that can be.
Leeli is a darling! I love her dedication to her brothers and her love of dogs is extremely cute! I'm right there with you Leeli!
Nia, Podo, Oskar, Artham, Rudrick, everyone is amazing! We get to se Sara and Maraly (just a bit) and I love it all! Borely is sooo cute!
There are appropriately villainous characters as well who get what they deserve. *crosses arms*
Romance:
N/A - mentions of liking someone.
Language:
N/A
Magic:
Yes, but not in a weird spellcasting sense...all 'magic' came from the Creator and is a gift, a gift which some, like Gnag, have bent and twisted for their own ends.
Violence/Gore:
There are wounds and missing animals, a trail of blood, insults, violence, and beatings. People are stabbed, hit, kidnapped, etc...there is a lot that goes on especially in the last part of the book, but all handled well and never too violent for its intended audience.
Overall:
This is a fantastic third installment in one of my all time favorite series! I highly recommend that you give it a read! Would make a fantastic read aloud as well!
Recommend age 9+
January 9, 2026
Something happened to my eyes at the end of this book. 😭😭😭😭😭
This is an amazingly beautiful, epic tale for all ages. I cannot even write a review that would describe how much I love this!
This is an amazingly beautiful, epic tale for all ages. I cannot even write a review that would describe how much I love this!
January 13, 2026
I'm an English teacher who loves fiction. I've read quite a bit of fantasy and sci-fi of various sorts.
This is, without a doubt, the worst series I have ever read. I only continued reading past the first few chapters because my wife and kids were reading the series and wanted me to read it with them.
Pros:
1. good, clean fun for kids. It has a glaringly obvious Christian allegory structure to it, so kids of any age can read it without parents needing to worry about inappropriate content.
2. It also has some good humor, especially in the first book, as well as some interesting cultures (particularly in books 2 and 3).
3. There are a few glimmers of originality and even a few satisfying plot twists, mostly in book 4.
Cons: Everything else. No exaggeration.
1. I'm a Christian who loves Narnia, but even my love for the Jesus-Lion was insufficient to stomach the sloppy, in-your-face preachiness of this series.
2. Deus ex Machina drives THE ENTIRE SERIES. It is truly astounding. There are at least 10 divine bailouts in the first book alone. It's almost as if the author doesn't know what plot continuity even is. I cannot exaggerate how horrendously structured this series is. Even my 6-year-old daughter caught the gross incongruities, without my prompting. It is truly some of the worst writing I've ever seen actually get published. My middle school students write better story arcs.
3. In the first book especially: the main characters are inconsistent, do not develop in line with the plot, and are downright annoying. One of the marks of a good story is when the reader grows an attachment to one or more protagonists; I was not only unattached, I was cheering for at least one of them to be killed off so that the story could shift focus to better characters. The protagonists are whiny, short-sighted, and idiotic, driving the plot exclusively through their stupidity (hence the need for repeated Deus ex Machina to rescue them).
4. A second mark of a good story is a strong antagonist. This series fails on that account as well. The villain is, effectively, some mixture of a bad joke and pitiful, low-IQ henchman.
5. The author drives a specific moral home again and again, but it's not one you likely want your children to learn. The moral of this story is: negative consequences don't stick if you're "a good person" overall. The protagonists knowingly launch themselves headlong into danger and repeatedly get a divine bailout. Characters die...but not really. Just kidding, they're back...again and again. Murderers are pardoned without consequence, toxic empathy always trumps reality, and committing any variety of sin is pardonable if their hearts were in the right place. This theme is a constant throughout the entire series--down to literally the final lines of the final book--and it is truly vomit-worthy.
5. There are so many PLOT HOLES and obvious mistakes that they are impossible to ignore, and they ruin the entire series.
If you watched Marvel and noticed that Thanos could have snapped his fingers and created twice as many planets just as easily as he could have temporarily reduced the universe's growing population...congratulations, you have a prefrontal cortex and this book is not for you.
If Hunger Games frustrated you because the author made millions by selling a book series that decries violence, yet was only popular in the first place because of all of its violence...congratulations, you have a prefontal cortex and this series is not for you.
If you'd prefer that Star Wars Episode 7-9 be decanonized...this series is not for you.
If you were horrified by the way Paolini ripped of Star Wars Episode 4 for his entire plotline, or by how he horrifically ruined the ending of his Inheritance series...yeah, this series is not for you.
If you've read Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or George MacDonald then your expectations will be too high, and this series is not for you.
If your kids haven't read any good fiction yet, then sure, start them off with this series. It will serve as an excellent object lesson on the basics of fiction, before you graduate your child to the actual, quality fiction.
This is, without a doubt, the worst series I have ever read. I only continued reading past the first few chapters because my wife and kids were reading the series and wanted me to read it with them.
Pros:
1. good, clean fun for kids. It has a glaringly obvious Christian allegory structure to it, so kids of any age can read it without parents needing to worry about inappropriate content.
2. It also has some good humor, especially in the first book, as well as some interesting cultures (particularly in books 2 and 3).
3. There are a few glimmers of originality and even a few satisfying plot twists, mostly in book 4.
Cons: Everything else. No exaggeration.
1. I'm a Christian who loves Narnia, but even my love for the Jesus-Lion was insufficient to stomach the sloppy, in-your-face preachiness of this series.
2. Deus ex Machina drives THE ENTIRE SERIES. It is truly astounding. There are at least 10 divine bailouts in the first book alone. It's almost as if the author doesn't know what plot continuity even is. I cannot exaggerate how horrendously structured this series is. Even my 6-year-old daughter caught the gross incongruities, without my prompting. It is truly some of the worst writing I've ever seen actually get published. My middle school students write better story arcs.
3. In the first book especially: the main characters are inconsistent, do not develop in line with the plot, and are downright annoying. One of the marks of a good story is when the reader grows an attachment to one or more protagonists; I was not only unattached, I was cheering for at least one of them to be killed off so that the story could shift focus to better characters. The protagonists are whiny, short-sighted, and idiotic, driving the plot exclusively through their stupidity (hence the need for repeated Deus ex Machina to rescue them).
4. A second mark of a good story is a strong antagonist. This series fails on that account as well. The villain is, effectively, some mixture of a bad joke and pitiful, low-IQ henchman.
5. The author drives a specific moral home again and again, but it's not one you likely want your children to learn. The moral of this story is: negative consequences don't stick if you're "a good person" overall. The protagonists knowingly launch themselves headlong into danger and repeatedly get a divine bailout. Characters die...but not really. Just kidding, they're back...again and again. Murderers are pardoned without consequence, toxic empathy always trumps reality, and committing any variety of sin is pardonable if their hearts were in the right place. This theme is a constant throughout the entire series--down to literally the final lines of the final book--and it is truly vomit-worthy.
5. There are so many PLOT HOLES and obvious mistakes that they are impossible to ignore, and they ruin the entire series.
If you watched Marvel and noticed that Thanos could have snapped his fingers and created twice as many planets just as easily as he could have temporarily reduced the universe's growing population...congratulations, you have a prefrontal cortex and this book is not for you.
If Hunger Games frustrated you because the author made millions by selling a book series that decries violence, yet was only popular in the first place because of all of its violence...congratulations, you have a prefontal cortex and this series is not for you.
If you'd prefer that Star Wars Episode 7-9 be decanonized...this series is not for you.
If you were horrified by the way Paolini ripped of Star Wars Episode 4 for his entire plotline, or by how he horrifically ruined the ending of his Inheritance series...yeah, this series is not for you.
If you've read Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or George MacDonald then your expectations will be too high, and this series is not for you.
If your kids haven't read any good fiction yet, then sure, start them off with this series. It will serve as an excellent object lesson on the basics of fiction, before you graduate your child to the actual, quality fiction.
January 23, 2026
You must add this to your family read aloud list!! Listen, this book is long for a kids books. It has a lot of characters, an entire fantasy world to learn about, and lots of accents to pull out of your arsenal. You're probably thinking, "An arsenal of accents?! What the..." but really!
The themes in this book are beautiful and wonderful and necessary for middle and upper elementary kids! As you read together, they can understand virtue and character in times of war and doubt intimately in the safest and surest way their little minds can grab hold of it!
Here's just a few themes you and your kids will love about this book: Bravery. Family. Honor. Love of the written word. Value of place. Depth of character. Living and rocking it with a physical disability. Making mistakes, facing the consequences, apologizing, and becoming better for it. Loss of a parent. Watching the surviving parent fall in love. Managing bullies and sibling friendships withstand school drama. Effects of slavery and dehumanizing others. The fight for freedom from oppression and enslavement. Sensing something beyond "the veil" of the physical world.
For those who don't love "woke" books, this isn't that. No agendas being pushed, just an invitation to partake in lives being lived in another world. For those who love "woke" books, this book tells the story of a family fighting against a culture that has been defeated and weary of giving in for too long. Strong female characters to boot! Ugh. So good.
PS make sure you read the series in order. Don't quit after book two!! Wingfeather Saga is priming my kids for the greatest of the sagas in fantasy fiction - like LOTR or WoT. It's that good!
Final note: if you can bear it, you and your kids will get the most out of the book if you start reading together around age 8. My 5 and 3 year old loved book 1, their attention spans got the best of them as we read book 2. I decided Book 3 would be reserved for one on one time with my oldest. But during the calmer bits, it was fun reading this one to all three kids since the younger still recognized the main characters and enjoy hearing what they're up to. ;) But as a whole, Monster in the Hallows was too intense for my younger ones - battles and some themes mentioned above get pretty intense. But not to the point that vulgar violence is celebrated. It's very well done!
The themes in this book are beautiful and wonderful and necessary for middle and upper elementary kids! As you read together, they can understand virtue and character in times of war and doubt intimately in the safest and surest way their little minds can grab hold of it!
Here's just a few themes you and your kids will love about this book: Bravery. Family. Honor. Love of the written word. Value of place. Depth of character. Living and rocking it with a physical disability. Making mistakes, facing the consequences, apologizing, and becoming better for it. Loss of a parent. Watching the surviving parent fall in love. Managing bullies and sibling friendships withstand school drama. Effects of slavery and dehumanizing others. The fight for freedom from oppression and enslavement. Sensing something beyond "the veil" of the physical world.
For those who don't love "woke" books, this isn't that. No agendas being pushed, just an invitation to partake in lives being lived in another world. For those who love "woke" books, this book tells the story of a family fighting against a culture that has been defeated and weary of giving in for too long. Strong female characters to boot! Ugh. So good.
PS make sure you read the series in order. Don't quit after book two!! Wingfeather Saga is priming my kids for the greatest of the sagas in fantasy fiction - like LOTR or WoT. It's that good!
Final note: if you can bear it, you and your kids will get the most out of the book if you start reading together around age 8. My 5 and 3 year old loved book 1, their attention spans got the best of them as we read book 2. I decided Book 3 would be reserved for one on one time with my oldest. But during the calmer bits, it was fun reading this one to all three kids since the younger still recognized the main characters and enjoy hearing what they're up to. ;) But as a whole, Monster in the Hallows was too intense for my younger ones - battles and some themes mentioned above get pretty intense. But not to the point that vulgar violence is celebrated. It's very well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2026
if I could give it 100 stars I would. I am only upset that there is only 1 book left in the series. Some of the best storytelling and character building. I've never felt so close to characters, so invested in their plight. 10,000 stars!
September 8, 2025
A brilliant third installment.
What a ride. In a way, I have no words. Emotions swirled in my chest and I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.
Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli each have their obstacles and emotional turmoil to overcome. Though, I'd love to see more of Leeli and her struggles, as the story seems to focus more on Janner and Kalmar, but I also see why it's more focused on the boys than everyone else.
There seems to be a parallel between the younger boys and their father and uncle. (I won't say anymore about that in respect to spoilers.)
The family dynamic is refreshing and amazingly relatable.
Their mother is a rock and I love her. And their grandfather is a great protector.
The ending, why would you do that to me!!
I'm grateful I have the whole series before I read this series. I don't think I can stop until I reach the conclusion.
This story is safe for the whole family, but I'd use discretion for children under age seven. There might be some scary parts for their little imagination. (I read the Cooper Kids series by Frank Peretti and watched Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a child, so this wasn't a concern for me and my children.)
The magic in the story is super light and speaks of a greater power and the bad guys are shown as such. (Evil is clearly evil.)
What a ride. In a way, I have no words. Emotions swirled in my chest and I didn't know if I should laugh or cry.
Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli each have their obstacles and emotional turmoil to overcome. Though, I'd love to see more of Leeli and her struggles, as the story seems to focus more on Janner and Kalmar, but I also see why it's more focused on the boys than everyone else.
There seems to be a parallel between the younger boys and their father and uncle. (I won't say anymore about that in respect to spoilers.)
The family dynamic is refreshing and amazingly relatable.
Their mother is a rock and I love her. And their grandfather is a great protector.
The ending, why would you do that to me!!
I'm grateful I have the whole series before I read this series. I don't think I can stop until I reach the conclusion.
This story is safe for the whole family, but I'd use discretion for children under age seven. There might be some scary parts for their little imagination. (I read the Cooper Kids series by Frank Peretti and watched Jim Henson's Labyrinth as a child, so this wasn't a concern for me and my children.)
The magic in the story is super light and speaks of a greater power and the bad guys are shown as such. (Evil is clearly evil.)
December 15, 2025
Loved this book, let me shout out the cover art for this series, it is AmaZing! can't wait to read the last book of the series!
November 19, 2025
The last 3 chapters!!!! The book as a whole was good and kept my attention but the last 30ish pages…..how could you jam so much into so few pages. Its was a complete whirlwind and I can’t wait to read the final book. Then I can finally watch the animated series
September 13, 2025
This story is significantly stronger than the first two books of this series! Peterson's beginning are very slow but his endings are so good! The symbolism and the twist at the end is so good!!
February 6, 2026
Would you risk your own safety to protect your family? The Wingfeather Saga: The Monster in the Hollows explores this powerful question through Janner Wingfeather’s journey of courage and responsibility. In the third book of the award winning Wingfeather Saga, The Wingfeathers end up in the Green Hollows after escaping danger, a place where no fangs and danger roam. Where they feel like it’s safe from Gnag the Nameless and his evil and vicious Fangs. However, threats arise from places no one was expecting. The Wingfeathers try to live a normal life, even though Kalmar is not normal - he’s a Fang. Though is he the monster that everyone thinks he is, or is he just a boy trapped in a body he didn’t choose? When they are in the Green Hollows, Janner feels the consent pressure that he needs to always stand up and fight for his brother Kalmar because he’s a Throne Warden and it’s his duty to protect the King. Will Janner realize that he must defend Kalmar not only from the enemies, but from judgment at school, suspicious adults, and even from himself, whether he wants that role or not?
The central theme throughout this powerful novel is family. Family isn’t just about staying together, it’s going out and standing up for them when they need it the most. In this novel it’s not just about Janner protecting Kalmar it’s about protecting each other. Family protecting family. You see this in an important spot in the book Leeli says “‘I said stop it!’...‘I don't know who you are, but you can’t call my brother a dog.’” This shows when Janner is panicking, and not knowing what to do, Leeli steps in and helps defend her brother. This action that Leeli does, tells us that it’s not just one person doing all of the protecting, it’s everyone who does it.
In this book and all the books in the Wingfeather Saga series, Andrew Peterson uses detailed word-building and shifting tones between the world and the family. For example, he uses harsher, suspicious words when the Hollowfolk (the people that live in the Green Hollows) are talking, to give them more of a hostile, questioning attitude. In contrast with the gentler, calmer tones he uses with the Wingfeather family to give a sense of peace and comfort to the reader. Showing that family can be a calm and safe place in a dangerous world.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone from the ages 10-15. It’s an action-packed fantasy novel, which keeps you on your toes. With intense unpredictable events that always leave you hanging, making you want more. At the same time, the story delivers important lessons that the characters learn about strength and family that us readers can apply to our lives. Readers don’t only connect with them in the struggles, but through all the growth they experience as well.
The central theme throughout this powerful novel is family. Family isn’t just about staying together, it’s going out and standing up for them when they need it the most. In this novel it’s not just about Janner protecting Kalmar it’s about protecting each other. Family protecting family. You see this in an important spot in the book Leeli says “‘I said stop it!’...‘I don't know who you are, but you can’t call my brother a dog.’” This shows when Janner is panicking, and not knowing what to do, Leeli steps in and helps defend her brother. This action that Leeli does, tells us that it’s not just one person doing all of the protecting, it’s everyone who does it.
In this book and all the books in the Wingfeather Saga series, Andrew Peterson uses detailed word-building and shifting tones between the world and the family. For example, he uses harsher, suspicious words when the Hollowfolk (the people that live in the Green Hollows) are talking, to give them more of a hostile, questioning attitude. In contrast with the gentler, calmer tones he uses with the Wingfeather family to give a sense of peace and comfort to the reader. Showing that family can be a calm and safe place in a dangerous world.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone from the ages 10-15. It’s an action-packed fantasy novel, which keeps you on your toes. With intense unpredictable events that always leave you hanging, making you want more. At the same time, the story delivers important lessons that the characters learn about strength and family that us readers can apply to our lives. Readers don’t only connect with them in the struggles, but through all the growth they experience as well.
January 14, 2026
This is my favorite of the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews