I don’t often review sequels or later books in a series, because it can be hard to discuss a book without spoiling what has come before. But I’m doing this Book Bingo Project, and I read Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton for two different prompts, so let’s do this thing.
Basically, however you felt about Hollow Kingdom, you will probably feel the same way about Feral Creatures. There. That’s it. That’s the review.
Ok, I do have some specific things to say, but I’ll discuss those in relation to the book bingo prompts I chose this book for.
CWs and TWs: Horror/fantasy violence, animal-on-animal violence, children and animals in peril, so much cursing, suggestive themes, and alcohol abuse. Off the top of my head. Also this series is about a pandemic, of the zombie kind.
Format and Source: I got this as an ebook from Sno-Isle Libraries, which is currently doing a read-along of Hollow Kingdom, and highlighted a bunch of related books!
Book Bingo Prompts
Nook & Cranny (Card 1): PNW Voices. Kira Jane Buxton is a very voice-y author, or at least, this series is voice-y. You’ll either enjoy the voice of S.T. the crow, or you really won’t. But his is definitely a PNW voice, too. His narration is sprinkled with references to Seattle-area life. That said, I really enjoyed the interludes where we get a glimpse at another creature somewhere in the world, and Buxton explores different narrative voices. There’s a chapter from a hermit crab’s POV that I especially loved.
Brick & Mortar: Pacific Northwest Setting. You know that feeling when you’re reading a book set in a place you’re really familiar with, maybe the place you live, and the author either gets things wrong, or it’s just a generic setting with one or two famous landmarks? Yeah, this book is the opposite of that. Buxton paints such an accurate picture of her PNW setting, that if you’ve been there, you can see it. What I love about this series is that it takes place in “Seattle”, technically, but so much of the story happens in Snohomish County, where I live. When her characters walk up Main Street in Edmonds, I can track their journey by the real landmarks Buxton mentions — and those landmarks are accurate to pre-2020 Edmonds, not 2024 Edmonds.
Over all, I feel like people who don’t live in Seattle, southwest SnoCo, and Bothell, won’t get nearly as much enjoyment out of these books as locals, because they won’t have that “Hey, I’ve been there!” reaction to our humble suburban landmarks.
Current Bingo Challenge Progress
Nook & Cranny (Card 1): 8 out of 25 prompts complete. 0 bingos.
Nook & Cranny (Card 2): 4 out of 25 prompts complete. 0 bingos.
Brick & Mortar: 17 out of 25 prompts complete. 3 bingos.