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Kingdom's End by Charles D Blanchard (view source)
Revision as of 13:47, 5 September 2020
, 13:47, 5 September 2020no edit summary
The world created, mostly within the confines of the once majestic and now crumbling movie theatre that the rats call their home, is one which Blanchard has invested a huge amount of time and energy into creating, drawing political divisions, intrigue, backstabbing and tension, which make this book a far more exciting and intelligent one than the reader may first imagine – with really intriguing parallels to both historical and current political situations, making this book a rather fun hat tip to ''Animal Farm''. The struggle of the rats is interspersed with glimpses at the personal interactions of the rats, and that's where this book was particularly outstanding to me – complex and emotional characters, the rats certainly work as characters who are easy to root for. However, Blanchard balances this with regular reminders that these are wild animals – and whilst the rats are humanised to a certain extent, the grime and grit of their surroundings is vivid and pungent, and proved incredibly evocative for me – Blanchard really succeeds in drawing the reader into this world he's created.
The rats come and go – some stick with the reader throughout the book, and some fall by the wayside as the book continues. Part of me feels that it would have been nice to have some of the looser ends tied off, but on the other hand , it seems like a far more accurate reflection of life to leave some characters' journeys unfinished, and some mysteries unexplained – and perhaps left should Blanchard ever choose to revisit this world in future stories. An original tale told in an extremely engaging and unique fashion, ''Kingdom's End'' is a fantastic read that stands well with its counterparts in the rather small ''furry fiction'' section, and combines politics with a strong plot, compelling characters and excellent world -building.
Does it mean I'll look at a rat a little more kindly the next time I spy one? I remain undecided…
Many thanks to the publishers for the copy.
For further reading , I'd recommend [[Promise of the Wolves (Wolf Chronicles 1) by Dorothy Hearst]] – which tackles family, loyalty and trust by exploring the interactions between wolves and humans. You could shelves ''Kingdom's End'' next to [[The Twyning by Terence Blacker]].
You can read more about Charles D Blanchard [[:Category:Charles D Blanchard|here]]