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Blindspots
The war is done.
Ricky wants some time to lick his wounds and learn what the new normal is going to look like for him but then his brother goes missing. Now Ricky needs to team up with his wartime friends (and at least one dog he'd hoped never to see again) to find him, figure out what's going on, and save the world.
Again.
And the clock is ticking...
Ricky wants some time to lick his wounds and learn what the new normal is going to look like for him but then his brother goes missing. Now Ricky needs to team up with his wartime friends (and at least one dog he'd hoped never to see again) to find him, figure out what's going on, and save the world.
Again.
And the clock is ticking...
- GenresFantasy
197 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2023
1 person is currently reading
769 people want to read
About the author
Rhonda Parrish
106 books243 followersRhonda Parrish has the attention span of a magpie. Not only can she not focus on a single project at a time, but she also fails at sticking to one genre or even one type of writing (she does manage to stay true to one hockey team, though – Let’s go Oilers!). Perhaps best known for her work as an anthology editor – the Ottawa Review of Books called her “Canada’s best-known and most prolific speculative fiction anthologist” – Rhonda also works as a short story writer, novelist, game writer and a poet. She has been honoured to be included in a handful of ‘Best of’ anthologies, earn a coveted starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and be shortlisted for several awards including the Rhysling Award, the Aurora Award, the Dwarf Stars Award and Alberta Book Publishing Awards.
Most of her work falls under the speculative fiction umbrella but she has also penned paranormal non-fiction and non-speculative work.
In an effort to impose some order in her chaos, these days most of her short fiction and poetry is published directly through her Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RhondaParrish .
More information about her, updates and calls for submission are posted on her website http://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/.
Most of her work falls under the speculative fiction umbrella but she has also penned paranormal non-fiction and non-speculative work.
In an effort to impose some order in her chaos, these days most of her short fiction and poetry is published directly through her Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RhondaParrish .
More information about her, updates and calls for submission are posted on her website http://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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June 8, 2022Chapter One is available to read here --> https://www.patreon.com/posts/blindspots-one-65046939
June 17, 2022
This is such a fun book! I loved the little touches, like some dogs being addicted to chocolate. The world building is great. At first I was surprised the dogs lived in buildings and had houses and streets like humans, but that’s all explained.
Ricky’s relationships with Ari and Jasper are so sweet and heartfelt. Ricky is a great character, and the war buddy aspect to his gang was interesting. There’s a certain WWII noir feel to the book that I really enjoyed.
The inclusion of magic was a great idea and seamlessly blended into the world.
I loved the illustrations in the book. They’re really pretty, and it was nice seeing the main characters.
My only negative was that some of the bad guys were German shepherds! Haha.
Ricky’s relationships with Ari and Jasper are so sweet and heartfelt. Ricky is a great character, and the war buddy aspect to his gang was interesting. There’s a certain WWII noir feel to the book that I really enjoyed.
The inclusion of magic was a great idea and seamlessly blended into the world.
I loved the illustrations in the book. They’re really pretty, and it was nice seeing the main characters.
My only negative was that some of the bad guys were German shepherds! Haha.
March 21, 2023
This book is an absolute delight. It's All Dogs Go to Heaven meets some kind of dog version of a post-World-War-I fantasy thriller for adults. It's got magic and found family and conspiracies and old-timey airplanes and so many awesome dog-gone puns.
The author gifted this book to me during a particularly difficult time in my life, and I am so very grateful to have had such a wonderful distraction. This is an honest review.
The author gifted this book to me during a particularly difficult time in my life, and I am so very grateful to have had such a wonderful distraction. This is an honest review.
July 22, 2023
I lovely story that made me smile and kept me turning pages. A perfect read if you loved animals but also a well plotted and solid story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
September 24, 2023
It's tricky to try and pull off a narrative featuring lovable puppers while giving them the weighty trauma of soldiers, but Rhonda Parrish successfully treads the line. There are enough details in all the right places so you never forget they're dogs, while the writing is never heavy-handed enough to get bogged down with stage direction. The characters work through some challenging and page-turning struggles, which makes the moments of reprieve -- where they act like the true dogs so many of us know and love -- that much more hilarious and heartwarming. It's quite a unique story that crosses many genres and boundaries, with elements of world-war history, fantasy, post-apocalypse and a whole kennel of doggos. Nevertheless the parts come together nicely into a short-but-satisfying story that strikes a note I very much needed after the pandemic: one of hope amid ongoing calamity.
June 9, 2023
From the very first page, I knew I was going to adore this. I am a huge animal lover, and this book just fed my addiction. So flipping cute and fun.
June 24, 2023
An ex-pilot and a war veteran, Ricky, the protagonist of Rhonda Parrish’s Blindspots, enjoys hanging out with his friends and loves his brother Jasper, despite his quirks. Ricky has suffered betrayals and indignities, and he’s struggling to make sense of a changing world. In short, he sounds like a regular guy.
But Ricky is not, in fact, a regular guy. He’s a dog. And therein lies the charm of Blindspots.
The plot, in broad strokes, is this. The war against the Humanists, dogs who allied themselves with the Humans and still retain some characteristics such as dressing like people, is over. As for Humans themselves, they seem to have disappeared. Ricky was a pilot during the war, but was forced to resign in shame after a mission that went terribly wrong during a bombing run. Still, he is making a go of things, thanks to his friends.
When Ricky’s brother Jasper goes missing, Ricky goes on a quest to find him. There’s just one catch—he needs to call on his ex, Ari, for help. A lot of water has gone under the proverbial bridge between these two, and Ricky isn’t sure he can trust Ari, but he has no choice. As the search continues, Parrish gradually reveals Ricky’s back story. She also raises the stakes, making the story about more than a search for a missing brother.
The setting has a historical vibe. The opening makes a reference to “spires and smokestacks,” and the planes mentioned in the book are closer to World War II vintage than, say, Top Gun-style fighter jets.
In addition to being an anthropomorphic tale, Blindspots blends magic and technology. There’s lots of action and complications. It’s a keep-you-reading book, with good transitions between chapters and hooks that draw the reader on.
The majority of the characters are dogs of various breeds. Ricky is a retriever, Ari is a borzoi, and Ricky’s friends include a rottweiler and a bulldog. Ricky’s group is allied with a clever snowy owl, Winter, who has cobbled an ops centre of sorts. Even though the main characters are canine, the dilemmas that face them are very human. Themes like loyalty, betrayal, and trust echo through the book.
Perhaps most importantly, Blindspots is suffused with a sense of fun. Parrish remains true to the Ricky’s canine nature, so, for example, he is often thinking about food when he should be concentrating on something important. This undercurrent keeps the book light and entertaining. Besides the characters’ quirks, Parrish’s humor adds levity.
Adding to the book’s appeal are several interior illustrations by Allie MacAlister.
Blindspots is billed as “Book One: No Man’s Land,” and certainly Parrish, while wrapping up the main issues of this book, leaves the door open for more action in this particular universe.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the author, Rhonda Parrish, through Library Thing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
But Ricky is not, in fact, a regular guy. He’s a dog. And therein lies the charm of Blindspots.
The plot, in broad strokes, is this. The war against the Humanists, dogs who allied themselves with the Humans and still retain some characteristics such as dressing like people, is over. As for Humans themselves, they seem to have disappeared. Ricky was a pilot during the war, but was forced to resign in shame after a mission that went terribly wrong during a bombing run. Still, he is making a go of things, thanks to his friends.
When Ricky’s brother Jasper goes missing, Ricky goes on a quest to find him. There’s just one catch—he needs to call on his ex, Ari, for help. A lot of water has gone under the proverbial bridge between these two, and Ricky isn’t sure he can trust Ari, but he has no choice. As the search continues, Parrish gradually reveals Ricky’s back story. She also raises the stakes, making the story about more than a search for a missing brother.
The setting has a historical vibe. The opening makes a reference to “spires and smokestacks,” and the planes mentioned in the book are closer to World War II vintage than, say, Top Gun-style fighter jets.
In addition to being an anthropomorphic tale, Blindspots blends magic and technology. There’s lots of action and complications. It’s a keep-you-reading book, with good transitions between chapters and hooks that draw the reader on.
The majority of the characters are dogs of various breeds. Ricky is a retriever, Ari is a borzoi, and Ricky’s friends include a rottweiler and a bulldog. Ricky’s group is allied with a clever snowy owl, Winter, who has cobbled an ops centre of sorts. Even though the main characters are canine, the dilemmas that face them are very human. Themes like loyalty, betrayal, and trust echo through the book.
Perhaps most importantly, Blindspots is suffused with a sense of fun. Parrish remains true to the Ricky’s canine nature, so, for example, he is often thinking about food when he should be concentrating on something important. This undercurrent keeps the book light and entertaining. Besides the characters’ quirks, Parrish’s humor adds levity.
Adding to the book’s appeal are several interior illustrations by Allie MacAlister.
Blindspots is billed as “Book One: No Man’s Land,” and certainly Parrish, while wrapping up the main issues of this book, leaves the door open for more action in this particular universe.
Note: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the author, Rhonda Parrish, through Library Thing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 16, 2023
Saving the world is easy, right?
One of the biggest strengths of this tale was its realistic dialogue. The conversations the characters shared ranged from perfectly smooth to abrupt depending on what was happening with the storyline and what else was going on with Ricky. These moments felt so genuine that I sometimes felt like I was eavesdropping on real talking dogs. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish, and it’s made me an even bigger fan of Ms. Parrish’s work than I already was.
There were some minor pacing issues, especially as I moved closer to the middle portion of this novel. Ricky and his friends had plenty to keep them busy in the beginning and the end. If the middle had kept up that pace, I would have happily gone with a full five-star rating.
The world building was exciting and well done. Most books about talking animals are written for kids, so I was thrilled to find one created for an adult audience instead. There were so many little details that grabbed my attention as I was reading, from Ricky’s reaction to seeing dog food scattered on the floor to the legends dogs believed about humans to how teleportation worked in this world. The author truly thought of everything which made this such a pleasant reading experience. I would be happy to read a sequel if one were published, but I also thought this worked perfectly nicely as a standalone work.
Blindspots was a creative and memorable adventure.
One of the biggest strengths of this tale was its realistic dialogue. The conversations the characters shared ranged from perfectly smooth to abrupt depending on what was happening with the storyline and what else was going on with Ricky. These moments felt so genuine that I sometimes felt like I was eavesdropping on real talking dogs. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish, and it’s made me an even bigger fan of Ms. Parrish’s work than I already was.
There were some minor pacing issues, especially as I moved closer to the middle portion of this novel. Ricky and his friends had plenty to keep them busy in the beginning and the end. If the middle had kept up that pace, I would have happily gone with a full five-star rating.
The world building was exciting and well done. Most books about talking animals are written for kids, so I was thrilled to find one created for an adult audience instead. There were so many little details that grabbed my attention as I was reading, from Ricky’s reaction to seeing dog food scattered on the floor to the legends dogs believed about humans to how teleportation worked in this world. The author truly thought of everything which made this such a pleasant reading experience. I would be happy to read a sequel if one were published, but I also thought this worked perfectly nicely as a standalone work.
Blindspots was a creative and memorable adventure.
December 13, 2023
Blindspots is a story about what happens After the War. How lives are changed and how folks deal with the trauma of war and violence and loss. And how they heal and find strength in their friendships. With magic.
The characters in Blindspots are all dogs.
I love it. The dogs are truly dogs, with all their wonderful (and, alas, disgusting) quirks, habits, and interests. And the drama (Ricky believes he's been imprisoned for an interminable amount of time, he is starving, and it turns out to be 30 minutes or something, lol).
Think of it as: what happened to Beatrix Potter's wonderful characters after the war? Or what did Snoopy do, exactly, once he defeated the Red Baron?
For fans of: Shady Hollow: A Murder Mystery by Juneau Black
No. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton
Beatrix Potter
Sneaky Pie Brown
The characters in Blindspots are all dogs.
I love it. The dogs are truly dogs, with all their wonderful (and, alas, disgusting) quirks, habits, and interests. And the drama (Ricky believes he's been imprisoned for an interminable amount of time, he is starving, and it turns out to be 30 minutes or something, lol).
Think of it as: what happened to Beatrix Potter's wonderful characters after the war? Or what did Snoopy do, exactly, once he defeated the Red Baron?
For fans of: Shady Hollow: A Murder Mystery by Juneau Black
No. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton
Beatrix Potter
Sneaky Pie Brown
December 23, 2025
Dogs on a mission!
At first, I had a bit of a problem getting into this book, but I preserved because after all, dogs, right? The more I read, the more I began to understand the world—a world of dogs. They have jobs and homes and even addicts—dogs addicted to chocolate. The hero of our story is a retriever named Ricky. A dog who was a pilot in the war with the Humanists and the humans themselves. His brother took a hit to the head and hasn’t exactly been right ever since. Now he’s missing, so Ricky calls the old gang together to find him. This was just a fun read. I really loved when the rottweiler was “burlier” than the retriever. There are many parallels between this story and our own reality, with veterans and PTSD and just life. Still, it was fun to read about dogs. As an escape, I highly recommend reading it.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
At first, I had a bit of a problem getting into this book, but I preserved because after all, dogs, right? The more I read, the more I began to understand the world—a world of dogs. They have jobs and homes and even addicts—dogs addicted to chocolate. The hero of our story is a retriever named Ricky. A dog who was a pilot in the war with the Humanists and the humans themselves. His brother took a hit to the head and hasn’t exactly been right ever since. Now he’s missing, so Ricky calls the old gang together to find him. This was just a fun read. I really loved when the rottweiler was “burlier” than the retriever. There are many parallels between this story and our own reality, with veterans and PTSD and just life. Still, it was fun to read about dogs. As an escape, I highly recommend reading it.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 11, 2023
Alternative history/war story
Sort of. The war is over. The humans and humanists lost. The dogs won; now it's a dog-eat-dog world. Humans have been gone so long they're mythical. Humanist dogs are a secretive minority. Ricky doesn't fly anymore, not after the last bombing run's disaster, nor does his old navigator Fenton. Ari, his lover, the one whose magic enabled her to suss out their targets? Broken trust, broken romance, and she's with the magi now. But an old war buddy is missing, Ricky and Co. are too loyal to let it go without investigating, and (long story short): Dogmageddon Unleashed! This book is an incredible feat of imagination, a bittersweet war story, a touching and ultimately HFN romance, and the 5-star beginning of a pigeon-hole-defying series of canine escapades in a new world gone to the dogs. This is, of course, a voluntary, independent ARC review.
Sort of. The war is over. The humans and humanists lost. The dogs won; now it's a dog-eat-dog world. Humans have been gone so long they're mythical. Humanist dogs are a secretive minority. Ricky doesn't fly anymore, not after the last bombing run's disaster, nor does his old navigator Fenton. Ari, his lover, the one whose magic enabled her to suss out their targets? Broken trust, broken romance, and she's with the magi now. But an old war buddy is missing, Ricky and Co. are too loyal to let it go without investigating, and (long story short): Dogmageddon Unleashed! This book is an incredible feat of imagination, a bittersweet war story, a touching and ultimately HFN romance, and the 5-star beginning of a pigeon-hole-defying series of canine escapades in a new world gone to the dogs. This is, of course, a voluntary, independent ARC review.
August 4, 2023
What an interesting and creative way to make this book. I was reading the first chapter and realized it was told thru a dog's perspective. And I love that some dogs can really want chocolate, like people;) And how it is bad for them and for us too, truthfully.
You really get pulled into the story about Ricky, who was a dog who was a pilot. What he is trying to figure out to do now that the war is over. And then one of his war friends goes missing and they all rally together to find the missing friend. I also loved the illustrations in the book too, as a reader I love to see who I am reading about and I have to say that they are spot on!
You really get pulled into the story about Ricky, who was a dog who was a pilot. What he is trying to figure out to do now that the war is over. And then one of his war friends goes missing and they all rally together to find the missing friend. I also loved the illustrations in the book too, as a reader I love to see who I am reading about and I have to say that they are spot on!
August 9, 2023
The war is over and now dogs rule the world! What's not to love with that scenario? A bit of adventure, a bit of romance, friendships and loyalty....this book has all of that and more.
The author has done a wonderful job in telling this story from Ricky's perspective. Oh yeah, Ricky is a dog. Not an easy thing to do! This was an enjoyable and imaginative way to spend a few hours reading.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author has done a wonderful job in telling this story from Ricky's perspective. Oh yeah, Ricky is a dog. Not an easy thing to do! This was an enjoyable and imaginative way to spend a few hours reading.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 3, 2023
Allow an afternoon for this family-friendly fable for our times, with illustrations, that takes place after a long series of wars has left animals in control with humans assumed to be extinct but do not read outside the family circle as chortles may ensue. 4 1/2*
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 10, 2023
An intriguing little book detailing the post-war struggles of several four-legged buddies looking out for each other. This book is geared more toward adults than kids but is still interesting to read. There are some odd parts here and there and it was a little slow in between the ends, but overall it was a good book.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 19, 2025
A very riveting tale about ex soldier dogs in a post apocalyptic society where humans are extinct. I enjoyed the emotions the characters express that made them into great three dimensional beings. The story had everything from romance to tragedy and they were all written very well. Hope to see more from this world.
April 28, 2023
Rhonda Parrish
Blindspots
Ricky
A great doggy adventure! Ricky had a lot to figure out about what happened during the war, up to right now.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review
Blindspots
Ricky
A great doggy adventure! Ricky had a lot to figure out about what happened during the war, up to right now.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review
June 7, 2023
A well written moving story.
Stories of the aftermath of war vary greatly for those involved. This story is different only in the fact that the participants are not humans. The feelings of loss and love in the aftermath of war are the same for all.
Stories of the aftermath of war vary greatly for those involved. This story is different only in the fact that the participants are not humans. The feelings of loss and love in the aftermath of war are the same for all.
July 4, 2023
After the wars over Ricky wants to just kickback and enjoy normal life. But soon after Ricky brother goes missing so Ricky needs to get the team together again which consist of different breeds of dogs yes that right dogs. This is a fun story where dogs are living and fight like humans. This is one of those book you could bring to the beach instead of a romance and read while enjoying the sun
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews