Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "rats"
Cover reveal: KINGDOM'S END, by Charles D. Blanchard
Charles D. Blanchard is a talented author. His debut novel, Mourning Doves After the Fire was published in 2010. This forthcoming novel, "Kingdom's End", sounds intriguing: the main characters are rats.
Charles told me that he has dedicated the book to Richard Adams who wrote "Watership Down". I asked him whether that book inspired "Kingdom's End", and he said: 'It's not just his writing. I also enjoyed "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. And "Charlotte's Web". They are fables where animals are the principal characters. "Kingdom's End" is my contribution to this genre.'
The author has chosen a gorgeous cover for the book.
I asked Charles about the cover choice. He told me, 'I was looking for something dramatic for the cover, and I came upon this illustration by Gustave Doré. Its an 1870 wood engraving called "The Council Held By The Rats". It's dramatic, and I licensed it for 20 years from Bridgeman Art in NYC.'
"Kingdom's End" is scheduled to be published this summer.
SYNOPSIS:
"Kingdom's End" is an adventure story set in an urban landscape where the main characters are rodents. The main setting is an abandoned motion picture palace from the 1920s that has been closed for thirty years and is set for demolition. It is here where the rats in the story make their massive colony and fight to protect it. In their struggle to survive in a harsh environment, there are threats posed against them from both man and beast. It is exciting and complex and an easy read with a strong narrative that makes you feel their plight.
There are many conflicts. Among them, a plot within the colony to overthrow the aged blind leader by an ambitious ruthless soldier rat and a good deal of the story involves how he goes about it. Later, the plot is discovered as forces work against the perpetrator.
The rodent characters have names. The human characters interspersed in the story are nameless.
There is considerable adventure outside the colony as characters are introduced that play important roles such as the derelict rats that specialize in the placement of poison and even a fortune teller. The interaction with humans and other animals has an emotional pull that infuses the story to its conclusion as the blind leader of the entrapped colony facing the exterminators tells his subjects they must make their decision on life or death.
About the author:
Charles D. Blanchard is a native New Yorker, currently living in Mt. Vernon, NY.
2010 saw the publication of his debut novel, "Mourning Doves After The Fire".
HIs second novel, "Kingdom's End", a dramatic fable about city dwelling rats, will be published in the summer of 2016.
Charles is currently working on his third novel.
Follow Charles D. Blanchard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cblanc10708
Charles told me that he has dedicated the book to Richard Adams who wrote "Watership Down". I asked him whether that book inspired "Kingdom's End", and he said: 'It's not just his writing. I also enjoyed "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. And "Charlotte's Web". They are fables where animals are the principal characters. "Kingdom's End" is my contribution to this genre.'
The author has chosen a gorgeous cover for the book.
I asked Charles about the cover choice. He told me, 'I was looking for something dramatic for the cover, and I came upon this illustration by Gustave Doré. Its an 1870 wood engraving called "The Council Held By The Rats". It's dramatic, and I licensed it for 20 years from Bridgeman Art in NYC.'
"Kingdom's End" is scheduled to be published this summer.
SYNOPSIS:
"Kingdom's End" is an adventure story set in an urban landscape where the main characters are rodents. The main setting is an abandoned motion picture palace from the 1920s that has been closed for thirty years and is set for demolition. It is here where the rats in the story make their massive colony and fight to protect it. In their struggle to survive in a harsh environment, there are threats posed against them from both man and beast. It is exciting and complex and an easy read with a strong narrative that makes you feel their plight.
There are many conflicts. Among them, a plot within the colony to overthrow the aged blind leader by an ambitious ruthless soldier rat and a good deal of the story involves how he goes about it. Later, the plot is discovered as forces work against the perpetrator.
The rodent characters have names. The human characters interspersed in the story are nameless.
There is considerable adventure outside the colony as characters are introduced that play important roles such as the derelict rats that specialize in the placement of poison and even a fortune teller. The interaction with humans and other animals has an emotional pull that infuses the story to its conclusion as the blind leader of the entrapped colony facing the exterminators tells his subjects they must make their decision on life or death.
About the author:
Charles D. Blanchard is a native New Yorker, currently living in Mt. Vernon, NY.
2010 saw the publication of his debut novel, "Mourning Doves After The Fire".
HIs second novel, "Kingdom's End", a dramatic fable about city dwelling rats, will be published in the summer of 2016.
Charles is currently working on his third novel.
Follow Charles D. Blanchard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cblanc10708
Book review: Kingdom's End, by Charles D. Blanchard
Kingdom's End by Charles D. BlanchardMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It follows the trials and tribulations of a colony of rats that have set up their kingdom in a disused cinema. The description of the old cinema evokes nostalgia and it's easy to imagine such an iconic building that is no longer functional but still resonates with echoes from a past era. The author took his inspiration from "Watership Down", which features rabbits rather than rats. It seems unlikely that you could actually feel sympathy for rats but the author uses anthropomorphism to create characters that demand attention and I found it quite easy to get caught up in their stories and feel sorry for them, even though I'm a cat owner! It's quite a compulsive read and well written. It's dramatic and nail biting at times. It's the kind of story that helps you escape reality for a while and I found myself feeling sad when I was nearing the end of the book because I wanted it to continue. It is a very poignant ending too. A well-told tale of tragedy, loss, loyalty, and friendship.
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