This is a one of a kind book containing a unique story full of twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end. For me at least, this book overlaps genres: it is not just a fantasy book but also a thriller! The very opening paragraph of the novel catches you unawares and it only gets better as you get deeper into the story:
“This book is about a young warrior named Corr Syl who is descended from rabbits. The story takes place on an Earth like ours, except that animals bigger than bugs are intelligent (some bugs, as we will see, are also intelligent)”
In fact the animals are so evolved and intelligent that many a time I had to put down the book, catch my breath, wonder what the hell I have been reading about, think long and hard about the story so far and then resume reading. I admit I have never read a story like this before, so maybe that is why I had a little difficulty understanding the plot at the beginning; I felt more and more comfortable with the story as I progressed further. One big plus point of this book is that the dialogs are often lucid and humorous:
“Sure. In return, you can help me understand Human motivations. Right now, we should move on, though. We will walk. Most Humans move slowly when they are not using a vehicle.”
“How do we greet the people we meet?”
“That’s easy. Strangers in this city usually don’t greet each other. A glance and nod, perhaps a short statement such as ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning’ will cover everything.”
This is a futuristic book that is not written like a dark, depressing novel. The story offers hope and optimism and almost all the characters are well fleshed; I couldn’t spot any caricatures at all. I found the war scene to be quite creative and entertaining. Oh, and this book comes with an appendix to boot, in case you feel lost! If you are tired of rehashed content and want something truly fresh and original, I don’t think you can go wrong with this book.