Summary: Bix, the youngest member
and only survivor of her pack of mythical doglike creatures, dairnes,
sets out to find safe haven and, perhaps, more of her kind, aided by
allies, both animal and human. (summary and picture from goodreads.com)
My Review: I spotted this on a list of new books this year, and it already had two
things going for it--a fantasy with a humanoid dog, and written by
Katherine Applegate, who wrote such a beautiful story about animals in
The One and Only Ivan.
Unlike other Applegate stories I've read which were in a
contemporary setting, this one is full fantasy, which was a lot of fun.
The way she crafted her world, with its governing species, fauna and
flora, as well as the political standings and turmoil, were well built,
and it felt like a real place (can I just say, I love when you open a
book and there's a map in the endpapers).
I love our protagonist, a dairne (humanoid dog creature) named Byx who
is troubled and stubborn, and goes on a quest to discover just who she
is as possibly the last of her species, a daunting thought.
The twists and turns we're taken on are fun while also being stressful
(in a good, exciting way), and the interactions between the different
characters who are brought together are genuine and relatable--these
were good, fleshed out characters, a mix of humans and other fantasy
creatures (Tobble, a small creature called a wobbyk, was a particular
treasure of a character with a big heart).
I sense that this is going to be a series, but I felt this book ended on
a really good note that it could also very well be read as a
standalone. Though if it does become a series, I will definitely want
to read them to know what will happen in this fascinating, new world.
My rating: 4 stars
For the sensitive reader: this world does not shy away from death and
bloodshed, though it is tactfully done. Characters are in constant
peril, which could frighten younger readers.
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