Item: Fierce Kingdom
Rating: 2.00
Author: theliteraryphoenix

by Gin Phillips

OBSERVER THRILLER OF THE MONTH

‘A page-turning, adrenaline-soaked read . . . an eloquent and meditative insight into motherhood and what it means, its many small trials and wonders.’ Alison Flood, Observer

'An outdoors version of Emma Donoghue's Room... Fierce Kingdom works flawlessly as a thriller with expert pacing and a well-judged ending, but its most remarkable feature is its portrayal of motherhood' The Sunday Times

‘I devoured it in one breathless sitting. Outstanding.’ Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go and I See You

‘It tore at every maternal fibre in my body. I couldn’t put it down.’ Fiona Barton, author of The Widow

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Lincoln is a good boy. At the age of four, he is curious, clever and well behaved. He does as his mum says and knows what the rules are.

'The rules are different today. The rules are that we hide and do not let the man with the gun find us.'

When an ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare, Joan finds herself trapped with her beloved son. She must summon all her strength, find unexpected courage and protect Lincoln at all costs – even if it means crossing the line between right and wrong; between humanity and animal instinct.

It's a line none of us would ever normally dream of crossing.

But sometimes the rules are different.

************

‘Fierce Kingdom is a bold exploration of the ferocity of a mother’s love - riveting and beautiful, and all too real. You’ll find yourself asking, what would I do? It’s brilliant.’ Shari Lapena, author of The Couple Next Door

‘Unbearably tense and yet beautifully written, Fierce Kingdom demands to be read in one sitting. After finishing, I pulled my loved ones a little closer.’ Paula Daly, author of The Mistake I Made

'I was absolutely captivated by this book. So, so tense, but wonderfully written. The perfect book.’ Gillian McAllister, author of Everything But The Truth

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.

Fierce Kingdom

by Gin Phillips

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on Jan 28, 2019

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