Fierce Kingdom

by Gin Phillips

"An electrifying novel about the primal and unyielding bond between a mother and her son, and the lengths she'll go to to protect him. The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours--the entire scope of the novel--she keeps on running. Suddenly, mother and son are as trapped as the animals. Joan's intimate knowledge of this place that filled early motherhood with happy diversions--the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines--is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger. A masterful thrill ride and an exploration of motherhood itself--from its tender moments of grace to its savage power--Fierce Kingdom asks where the boundary is between our animal instinct to survive and our human duty to protect one another. For whom should a mother risk her life?"--

• ISBN10: 0735224277
• ISBN13: 9780735224278
• Publish Date: 25 July 2017 (first published 15 June 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Viking
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

This could have really been an excellent thriller. All it needed was faster pacing, a little less introspection, and stronger characterization.

In Fierce Kingdom, Joan and her son Lincoln become trapped in the zoo when a group of gunmen open fire on the last few patrons of the day. There is no known plan, no demands - these men are here to show that they can kill and so they will. Joan and Lincoln arrive on the scene after the damage has been done, and Joan knows she and her young son need to hide. Throughout the story, the pair face difficult choices, meet survivors and their captors, and do what they must... to live.

I don't intend this to be a particularly salty review, but as far as thrillers go, I feel like Fierce Kingdom fell a bit dead. The whole first half of the book was in one character's perspective with several interesting thoughts, but not enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. There was a lot of sitting around and waiting. Even as we got further into the story, it was difficult to differentiate between the different perspectives. They all seemed to run through the same emotions and reflections. Frankly? I was bored. And thrillers, of all novels, should never bore.

The setting was interesting, and I think in the right hands, the characters would have more potential. The pacing was a huge problem for me, and none of the characters really clicked, so I found myself completely uninterested in the story. The ending was anti-climatic, and I was generally unimpressed.

BUT.

This is how I am with thrillers. I'm either obsessed with them, or bored. This one wasn't for me, but you may love it.