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Animal Kingdom
For readers tired of zombies comes a new kind of apocalypse. You can't run. You can't hide. They are everywhere.
Joe, a recent divorcee, takes his wrestling-mad son Danny to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody running for cover. A horrific scene, and one Joe's poor son is unlikely to ever forget...
But the terror has only just begun.
A simple snake attack is only the first incident in an unstoppable catastrophe. Something is causing animals attack... to think... to thirst for blood. Joe will need to overcome his fear quickly if he has any chance of keeping his son alive, because nowhere is safe anymore and help isn't coming.
A book that is two parts Jurassic Park and three parts Cujo.
Joe, a recent divorcee, takes his wrestling-mad son Danny to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody running for cover. A horrific scene, and one Joe's poor son is unlikely to ever forget...
But the terror has only just begun.
A simple snake attack is only the first incident in an unstoppable catastrophe. Something is causing animals attack... to think... to thirst for blood. Joe will need to overcome his fear quickly if he has any chance of keeping his son alive, because nowhere is safe anymore and help isn't coming.
A book that is two parts Jurassic Park and three parts Cujo.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2011
632 people are currently reading
1254 people want to read
About the author
Iain Rob Wright
163 books1,814 followersOne of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.
To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
April 16, 2022
It was just another day at the zoo. Joe and his son, Danny, enjoy the day together seeing all the animals. Until a python chokes its handler and attempts to eat him. Everyone panics trying to find help. Joe notices all the people at that zoo seem to be running and screaming. The animals have had enough of us humans, they are taking a stand. It is worldwide. Fluffy remembers that time you didn't give her treats, so she bites your face. Animals are taking back what the humans have stolen from them. Their habitat.
March 3, 2025
So my take on this was that there were more misses than hits. The concept and writing quality were both decent. There is a lot of action, blood, and loads of killer zoo animals. So far, so good, right? But unfortunately its cast of characters are very stereotypical. You have this ragtag bunch of survivors, ie handsome/emotionally available hero, damsel in distress/young/beautiful love interest, overly religious type, enthused aggressive type, corrupt rich person, a little boy, etc. And in the case of Danny, the hero’s son, he felt very pushed upon the reader, whose only role was to make an insufferable amount of wrestling references, each time he spoke. And I’ve been an avid fan of professional wrestling for over 25 years, so when references begin to bother me, you know it’s really overkill. And everyone was written as such, with nothing extraordinary happening, because you can guess how everything ends up after reading the first few chapters. Now the story is also very superficial, with very little depth or development, including why the animals aligned with Nero to go ballistic, defying their natural instincts and evolutionary traits. And this was also happening beyond the zoo that this story takes place, so was it Nero somehow controlling all other animals (But birds weren’t affected, but spiders and scorpions were?), or was there like a rogue comet causing animals to change their behaviors? None of that was divulged, which I really disliked. It honestly could have been anything, silly origin or not, which would have been a vast improvement over the nothing given to the reader. And again, with some books, if written strongly enough, you can have plot holes and such, but this was not the case. Very mediocre overall, but if you are in the mood for some very, very simplistic and bare basic horror storytelling, this may be for you.
October 9, 2021
I’m still fairly new to Iain’s books, this being my 2nd book of his. I loved this book....the storyline, the characters, and the thrills and spills on every page. I love his style of writing, which makes for easy reading, and once you start, it’s hard to put down again. Iain Rob Wright is definitely my new favourite author, and I recommend this book to anyone.
June 25, 2014
As much as I respect anyone who has managed to make a living out of self-publishing - and Iain Rob Wright is one example - there are times I become frustrated with that produced by these authors. Animal Kingdom falls into this category.
This should have been the proverbial slam dunk. The concept is so simple, it's brilliant, and I cannot believe it hasn't been done to death at least a thousand times over. Animals suddenly start killing humans. That's it. End of premise.
Think about it. Imagine the world-wide carnage if everything from your four legged, supposedly domesticated best friend to all the animals in the wild suddenly decided humans shouldn't be in charge and, in most cases, would make a very tasty meal.
Mayhem would ensue. Chaos would reign. And yes, the animals might just win. How cool would it be to read about that?
Well, you won't find out in Animal Kingdom. Instead, you'll be treated to the POV of one tiny group of characters trapped, inconveniently enough, within a zoo. And therein lies my frustration. This could have been epic. Instead, it's just all right as we follow seven cliched characters holed up and bickering amongst themselves. Loony old religious nut? Check. Cartoonishly evil selfish guy? Check. Pretty love interest? Check. And the main character who has an in-built sympathetic trigger - in this case a son also trapped with him? Check. Most of the book's bulk is spent on the interactions between these characters, while the animals bide their time or try to find entry to where the humans are. After an initial frenzy, there's really not much animal action (get your mind out of the gutter) until the last quarter of the book. There will also be no surprises for calling who survives and who doesn't within the book's first 50 pages.
Once the main story has ended, Wright includes several satellite short tales that add some depth to his world. I tended to enjoy these more than the main narrative as a picture bigger in scope was hinted at.
All in all, Animal Kingdom was a disappointment to me, if only because the central premise was so fantastic, I was expecting a great deal. Read it for yourself if you're a fan of said premise to see if you agree.
2.5 Silver Backed Generals for Animal Kingdom.
This should have been the proverbial slam dunk. The concept is so simple, it's brilliant, and I cannot believe it hasn't been done to death at least a thousand times over. Animals suddenly start killing humans. That's it. End of premise.
Think about it. Imagine the world-wide carnage if everything from your four legged, supposedly domesticated best friend to all the animals in the wild suddenly decided humans shouldn't be in charge and, in most cases, would make a very tasty meal.
Mayhem would ensue. Chaos would reign. And yes, the animals might just win. How cool would it be to read about that?
Well, you won't find out in Animal Kingdom. Instead, you'll be treated to the POV of one tiny group of characters trapped, inconveniently enough, within a zoo. And therein lies my frustration. This could have been epic. Instead, it's just all right as we follow seven cliched characters holed up and bickering amongst themselves. Loony old religious nut? Check. Cartoonishly evil selfish guy? Check. Pretty love interest? Check. And the main character who has an in-built sympathetic trigger - in this case a son also trapped with him? Check. Most of the book's bulk is spent on the interactions between these characters, while the animals bide their time or try to find entry to where the humans are. After an initial frenzy, there's really not much animal action (get your mind out of the gutter) until the last quarter of the book. There will also be no surprises for calling who survives and who doesn't within the book's first 50 pages.
Once the main story has ended, Wright includes several satellite short tales that add some depth to his world. I tended to enjoy these more than the main narrative as a picture bigger in scope was hinted at.
All in all, Animal Kingdom was a disappointment to me, if only because the central premise was so fantastic, I was expecting a great deal. Read it for yourself if you're a fan of said premise to see if you agree.
2.5 Silver Backed Generals for Animal Kingdom.
April 3, 2017
Very, very good!
Really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audioversion of it. The narration was great.
The story itself was awesome, such a great concept. I love Iain's writing, it just seems to flow and makes for very enjoyable reading.
Can definitely recommend this to pretty much anyone. It draws you in pretty much straight away and the character development is done so well that you find yourself detesting some while rooting for others.
Check it out.
Really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audioversion of it. The narration was great.
The story itself was awesome, such a great concept. I love Iain's writing, it just seems to flow and makes for very enjoyable reading.
Can definitely recommend this to pretty much anyone. It draws you in pretty much straight away and the character development is done so well that you find yourself detesting some while rooting for others.
Check it out.
September 4, 2022
I really liked the concept of this book I’d just have preferred for more animal scenes
September 21, 2016
Just finished reading “Animal Kingdom” by Iain Rob Wright. Okay, so let me get this right…”Animal Kingdom” was written in 2011, James Patterson wrote “Zoo” in 2012, and who did it better and why didn’t we get to see this series on CBS (just sayin’) Iain did it so much better in my opinion. This book is nail biting, on the edge reading from the first sentence to the very last sentence. I will not look at the Zoo or my house full of animals with quite the same ever again..
Synopsis: WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!
For readers tired of zombies comes a new kind of apocalypse.
When recent divorcee Joe takes his wrestling-mad son Danny to the zoo for his weekend of custody everything goes just great. Then a bizarre snake attack sends everybody running for cover and chaos takes over. It's a horrific attack, one Joe's poor son is unlikely to ever forget.
But the terror has only just started and an ordinary day is about to go very bad.
There's a lot more going on than a simple snake attack. Something has made the animals attack without warning, and it's almost like they have a plan. Joe will have to overcome his fear and fight for his life if he has any chance of keeping his son alive and escaping the zoo. Even then, there's no guarantee that the horror will be over
Synopsis: WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!
For readers tired of zombies comes a new kind of apocalypse.
When recent divorcee Joe takes his wrestling-mad son Danny to the zoo for his weekend of custody everything goes just great. Then a bizarre snake attack sends everybody running for cover and chaos takes over. It's a horrific attack, one Joe's poor son is unlikely to ever forget.
But the terror has only just started and an ordinary day is about to go very bad.
There's a lot more going on than a simple snake attack. Something has made the animals attack without warning, and it's almost like they have a plan. Joe will have to overcome his fear and fight for his life if he has any chance of keeping his son alive and escaping the zoo. Even then, there's no guarantee that the horror will be over
October 2, 2014
I listened to this one on audio a while back and evidently forgot to leave a review. I enjoyed this one from Iain Rob Wright. It was very quick, but a little predictable. There were some plot holes, although minor, and I thought the story could have jumped the walls of the zoo for a more dynamic story. The narration was good and the pacing of the audio fit the story well. 2.5+ Stars.
April 28, 2016
Pretty darn good for a first published novel. Full review to follow on The Lazy Book Reviewer.com
April 1, 2012
Awesome! You have GOT to read this book! For some unknown reason, apparently all the animals in the world suddenly began attacking humans with a clear intent to kill and consume them. A handful of "lucky"... or maybe NOT so lucky... survivors who happened to be at the zoo, of all places, when chaos broke out, found themselves presumably safe in the visitor's center. Or, at least safe for the few minutes it took the lions to figure out how to break glass. Scrambling for safety higher in the facility, a few folks managed to get into a corridor before the last couple in decided they'd better close the door, because the lions were getting close. They ignored the cries for help from the screaming people locked out with the lions, and ignored the wet, slurping sound of meat being torn from still-living bodies being eaten by the lions. Are you hooked yet? Well as the saying goes, you ain't heard nothing yet! As if four-legged murderous beasts weren't bad enough, the handful of survivors soon found themselves split into two opposing factions, and things go seriously downhill from there. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! And, as good as the book was, the author also included several short-short stories after the conclusion, to provide some background on a few of the people and/or their kin. I can't say enough about this. You've GOT to read it!
May 12, 2014
Wow!!!! This book is a not stop adrenalin pumping thrill ride of horror and suspense. Imagine if you will every animal in the entire world turning on humans, not just the big bad animals but the cute and fluffy ones as well. Then to make matters worse what if you are stuck with a group of people in a zoo!!!!
All Joe wants to do is protect his son and his new found friends from danger but there is not only madness all around him from the animals but some of the people he is hold up with are borderline insane.
This is an outstanding book with such addictive writing that you will not be able to put it down, and to add to the awesomeness of the book the bonus content is just as good as the book it's self. This is a must read for any horror lover.
I want to give a special thanks to the author Iain Rob Wright. I am so happy to have read your wonderful work and I want to say thank you very much for writing such a wonderful horror that kept my imagination on edge from beginning to end.
All Joe wants to do is protect his son and his new found friends from danger but there is not only madness all around him from the animals but some of the people he is hold up with are borderline insane.
This is an outstanding book with such addictive writing that you will not be able to put it down, and to add to the awesomeness of the book the bonus content is just as good as the book it's self. This is a must read for any horror lover.
I want to give a special thanks to the author Iain Rob Wright. I am so happy to have read your wonderful work and I want to say thank you very much for writing such a wonderful horror that kept my imagination on edge from beginning to end.
October 4, 2019
I’d say probably about 2.5 stars for this one! Great concept, and the character of Randall was definitely well executed, however it did just seem littered with cliches. Which admittedly Isn’t always a bad a thing, however I wouldn’t have minded too much if some of the characters didn’t seem so one dimensional! I didn’t mind the lack of explanation as that leaves it to the readers to wonder why. There was huge potential there, however I wished it would have been longer and featured more depth into the characters back story.I felt we knew joe and Randall, as the narration almost took two sides, but I would’ve loved to have seen similar treatment for the other characters! Overall it was an enjoyable read, but I was left wanting more.
February 28, 2015
Just when I thought Iain Rob Wright's books couldn't get any better.
I settled down to read Animal Kingdom 3 days ago and finished it last night. I couldn't put it down, every turn something happened. Animal Kingdom: An Apocalyptic Novel had everything, a hero, a damsel in distress and a really horrible guy you just love to hate.
Animals taking over the world? Never, it couldn't happen! Well it did and the animals in the Zoo ruled it.
Thoroughly enjoyed it except for just one thing......
When I read The End.
Looking forward to reading another of Iain's book and will be pretty soon
I settled down to read Animal Kingdom 3 days ago and finished it last night. I couldn't put it down, every turn something happened. Animal Kingdom: An Apocalyptic Novel had everything, a hero, a damsel in distress and a really horrible guy you just love to hate.
Animals taking over the world? Never, it couldn't happen! Well it did and the animals in the Zoo ruled it.
Thoroughly enjoyed it except for just one thing......
When I read The End.
Looking forward to reading another of Iain's book and will be pretty soon
January 22, 2022
One of the best zombie apocalypse type novels I've read in a while and it's not even about zombies. Instead it's about animals both wild and domestic, who suddenly decide it would be a good idea to slaughter every human they see. Sounds like a smashing idea doesn't it........
August 14, 2023
"I must be insane. The first weekend I've had with Danny in a month and it ends up with me taking on a pride of lions with chairs from IKEA."
This was such an enjoyable read that had me about to punch my fiance when he suggested this morning that we go to the zoo soon. Nuh uh. No, thank you.
My only issue with the book was that other than little Danny, none of the characters were very likeable. However, it didn't stop me from loving everything else about this.
This was such an enjoyable read that had me about to punch my fiance when he suggested this morning that we go to the zoo soon. Nuh uh. No, thank you.
My only issue with the book was that other than little Danny, none of the characters were very likeable. However, it didn't stop me from loving everything else about this.
May 16, 2020
Iain Rob Wright and I got off on the right foot with me with Sea Sick (creative premise, good for a self-published debut), but so far, all his subsequent work has been disappointing. Maybe it's because he doesn't have the unpretentious, straight-to-business horror authors like James Herbert and Shaun Hutson or something.
The whole thing suffers from Iain's prose being...stiff.
It's not stuffy, but it's not interesting or entertaining to read either. You catch yourself reading on auto-pilot in his worse books because it just feels like he's not having fun writing it.
I have absolutely no problem with characters taking center-stage, even in an animal-attack novel like this if they're interesting, but it just feels like they take over the narrative and the story just focuses on their melodrama (seriously, you'd think that with animals trying to eat you people would forget about being racist/homophobic for a little while at least, considering society is being destroyed).
I still have The Room Upstairs to read, so we'll see how that goes. Note these are my personal opinions, Iain Rob Wright seems earnestly like a very nice person in real life (I got these when he put all his kindle books on sale for free for a limited time during the lockdown).
The whole thing suffers from Iain's prose being...stiff.
It's not stuffy, but it's not interesting or entertaining to read either. You catch yourself reading on auto-pilot in his worse books because it just feels like he's not having fun writing it.
I have absolutely no problem with characters taking center-stage, even in an animal-attack novel like this if they're interesting, but it just feels like they take over the narrative and the story just focuses on their melodrama (seriously, you'd think that with animals trying to eat you people would forget about being racist/homophobic for a little while at least, considering society is being destroyed).
I still have The Room Upstairs to read, so we'll see how that goes. Note these are my personal opinions, Iain Rob Wright seems earnestly like a very nice person in real life (I got these when he put all his kindle books on sale for free for a limited time during the lockdown).
April 26, 2014
Another in the long line of apocalypse novels, but this one has many good points (at least it's not about zombies). The basic plot is simple. The animals have achieved awareness. They now work together to kill off all the people in the world. While the liberals in the audience might cheer and think "about time", Mr Wright also mentions that those countries without an adequate military were the first ones to fall.
The book opens in a zoo. Without warning, a snake crushes its handler. Then the lions attack. We meet the people who happened to be at the zoo that day. The author has given us a microcosm of society within the confines of that zoo. As the people join forces to combat this threat, the only thing that unites them is their determination to survive. Yet they are divided in how they feel they can do this, while the animals, all different species, are united in their determination to eradicate the human species.
Everyone has his quirks (read personality disorders), but each fights on in his own way.
I gave it 4 stars because it went from determination to succeed to nihilistic. I would have preferred a more positive outcome.
The book opens in a zoo. Without warning, a snake crushes its handler. Then the lions attack. We meet the people who happened to be at the zoo that day. The author has given us a microcosm of society within the confines of that zoo. As the people join forces to combat this threat, the only thing that unites them is their determination to survive. Yet they are divided in how they feel they can do this, while the animals, all different species, are united in their determination to eradicate the human species.
Everyone has his quirks (read personality disorders), but each fights on in his own way.
I gave it 4 stars because it went from determination to succeed to nihilistic. I would have preferred a more positive outcome.
August 27, 2021
For some unknown reason animals turn against people, attack and kill them where they can! Meanwhile a group of random strangers get trapped in a building in a zoo and hide, trying to fend off various animal attacks. And in the end, it turns out that… hell is others and the real monster just might be man himself.
This was like every other story where a group of people are stuck in a building, much like The Mist, even the characters were the same, only there’s no mist here but raging animals and it’s not a supermarket they’re trapped in, but a zoo.
I unfortunately didn’t find this story very original neither did I enjoy it. But if you really love that kind of story, then go ahead, this will surely be your thing. It just wasn’t mine.
This was like every other story where a group of people are stuck in a building, much like The Mist, even the characters were the same, only there’s no mist here but raging animals and it’s not a supermarket they’re trapped in, but a zoo.
I unfortunately didn’t find this story very original neither did I enjoy it. But if you really love that kind of story, then go ahead, this will surely be your thing. It just wasn’t mine.
May 5, 2014
Joe takes his son Danny to the zoo, never expecting that today is they day all the animals in the world revolt and attack the humans. A story of trying to survive the inexplicable. It kept me turning pages and highly engaged
March 8, 2021
High paced entertainment. There's nothing not to enjoy with this story. Non-stop action from start to finish with some great characters. Very enjoyable.
June 16, 2022
It was ok. Not his best one but still worth a read.
February 20, 2012
First published back in November of 2011, ‘Animal Kingdom’ formed British author Iain Rob Wright’s second full length novel to see publication.
DLS Synopsis:
It was a day-out that Joe had been looking forward to for quite a while. And it was all because he hadn’t seen his son, Danny, for months. But that was just the way things were when you became divorced and were trying to piece your life back together. But today was going to be good. And their first stop that Saturday morning was to the local Zoo.
But that morning was to become the morning where the world would suddenly change dramatically. That was the morning when, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, the entire animal kingdom would suddenly turn on mankind. Every species and type, (thankfully other than the birds) would all of a sudden rise up against humanity, in a rage of savage hatred.
And so, together with a handful of fellow survivors, Joe and Danny attempt to barricade themselves inside the relative sanctuary of one of the zoo’s many buildings; hoping that rescue will arrive soon. But outside the hordes of animals are becoming organised. Under the watchful guidance of their apparent leader – Nero, the silverback gorilla, the animals are beginning their siege on the zoo’s enclosure.
Inside the building, the few survivors quickly find that they have their own problems. Key-investor to the zoo, Christopher Randall, is throwing his weight around on a power-trip. Whilst the heavily tattooed Scot named Victor is already showing how intimidating he can be. Meanwhile a bible-bashing religious nut named Shirley is preaching her apocalyptical beliefs upon the other seven survivors – whether they want to hear it or not.
The added pressure of their immediate confinement together is already taking its toll. Their clashing personalities and individual ideas for survival are becoming a real problem. And outside the animals are starting to wage the war that could potentially end it all. The group’s time, and potentially that of the whole of humanity, is quickly drawing to a close…
DLS Review:
Following on from ‘The Final Winter’ (2011) Iain Rob Wright has once again embarked on another apocalyptic-style end-of-the-world scenario, shown purely from a small and localised environment. Here, instead of a typical British pub (ala Wright’s previous novel), our handful of survivors are this time situated in a zoo. And here the threat is not such a pseudo-religious-doomed-mankind affair. Instead, although it’s never properly divulged as to why it is happening (although hinted at in the later shorts), the potential end of humanity is ultimately brought about by a sudden uprising of the animal kingdom.
Like an apocalyptical cross between George Romero’s ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ (1968) and William Kotzwinkle’s ‘Doctor Rat’ (1976), Wright’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ was apparently spawned from the initial desire to write a zombie-apocalypse novel. The end result is certainly far better than simply tagging on another post-apocalyptic zombie story to an already well and truly over-saturated subgenre.
Wright’s writing ability has clearly come along leaps and bounds since ‘The Final Winter’ (2011). The dog-eat-dog atmosphere and desperate intensity of the survivors’ predicament is much more immediate. The snappy rhythm and general flow of the events that unfold are more in tune with the plot – unravelling at an increasing rate until it’s finally time to play that final card.
However, what really lets the novel down somewhat is the limited and somewhat blasé approach to characterisation. Wright has all the right elements, with individual character traits shoe-horned into the tale like there’s no tomorrow (which indeed there might not be!). But the characters can’t just stand on their own two feet with these singular traits alone. Joe is a giant of a man, along with being a divorcee – sadly end of story there. Danny is his 90’s wrestling-mad son – age pretty much unknown and not much else to say there either. Grace suffers from a form of OCD that makes her want to hurt herself unless she’s had her medication – and that’s about all we’re given on her. Bill is gay and black – end of. Mason is the zoo curator – so who needs any more than that, right? Shirley is an aged religious nut; once again, that’s all we really see of her. And Victor is a homophobic racist Scot with a psychotic side to him and little else apparently. The character of Randall (a very Harry Cooper-esque character) is the only one who is given any further development or exploratory depth into his personality. Admittedly it’s not much more, but Wright was at least on the right lines with making the character a little more human.
To be honest, the dialogue used by these cardboard cut-out characters isn’t really up to much too. It’s basic and hits all the right points, but doesn’t come across as even remotely real or anything other than another method to deliver points for the storyline with. It’s certainly a shame, but not too compromising of the overall enjoyment of the novel.
Characterisation and the dialogue aside, the tale does hurtle along with plenty of excitement and a snowballing pace. Yes there are shovel-loads of action and comic book style bloodshed. It’s not shocking or gritty, but more playfully pulpish in its exaggerated frolicking with a condensed-Armageddon style of plot.
To be honest I enjoyed reading the novel from start to end, so I’m reluctant to say anything too scathing about it. It was a fun read, with plenty of action-packed scenes to keep you flying through the pages. Okay, so it did start to get a tad too ridiculous at times, but that’s perhaps half the joy of the tale. And the ultimate finale was a little too abrupt and snappish in its delivery. But it was still a monstrously entertaining read ensuring a thick smirk was plastered across my face throughout.
The book also includes a collection of bonus short stories set in this new ‘Animal Kingdom’ universe – very much in the style of David Moody’s ‘Autumn: The Human Condition’ (2005). These are as follows:
Clocking Off – 4 pages
Jeff, along with all his fellow colleges at the Stote Investments chemical plant, had been sent home from work after becoming exposed to a large dose of their SIRT1 compound following a large-scale spillage. Now at home, he was relaxing with a couple of days off, with just his wife and pets as company. But his cat, King, was beginning to get a little on the frisky side…
This swift little short plays along with the whole ‘possible cause for the outbreak’ scenario in a similar fashion to the meteor storm that was mentioned in Romero’s ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ (1968). Refreshingly, the short doesn’t even pretend to work up to anything other than a predictable ending of animal attacking fun. But it’s quick and simple and gets the suggested ‘possible cause’ requirement down in almost record time. As a stand-alone short, it would be quite a poor read. However, alongside the main tale (as it was obviously always meant to be) it works well in thickening out the writer’s whole ‘Animal Kingdom’ plot.
Howard’s Wood – 4 pages
After Grace left Howard his life gradually become devoid of any form of companionship whatsoever. And following his incredible good fortune in becoming a millionaire off his first published novel, Howard was feeling like he now had everything but the one thing he wanted. However, whilst walking around his private woodland that surrounded his impressive home, Howard found his luck was finally running out for good.
Here we have a small expansion on the secondary character of Grace from the main tale, offering up a brief insight into her previous love life with the introduction of the tragic fellow of Howard. The short doesn’t have a whole lot in it, but lays down a quick backstory before diving into a last minute ‘Night Of The Lepus’ (1972) style ending. As a side note, Wright really missed a trick in not titling the short ‘Howard’s End’ which would have been so much more apt and delightfully pun-tastic.
The Hunt – 6 pages
Clive Middlesex is a Master Huntsman and very proud of it. And that’s why, on that fateful Saturday morning, he was to be out hunting on his trusty horse Petronella. Furthermore, for this particular hunt, he and his fellow huntsmen were being filmed by a television crew. And so it was important that the hunt was shown in all its spectacular glory. And not just revelling in the gore of the kill…
You’ve gotta love a good short that’s drenched in irony. Oh yes, we all know where this one’s going. We had the delightful end guessed from just reading the title. But it works and it’s delivered incredibly well, with plenty of meaty backstory and supporting layers. This is perhaps Wright’s best example of his writing potential in the book (even though it’s so short). The characterisation of Middlesex is far further developed than any other character we have been introduced to. And it just flows well, with enough padding to make it a good solid piece of engaging fiction.
Home – 4 pages
Jane was at home alone when the proverbial shit hit the fan. And as the unbelievable stories of animals turning on mankind started being broadcast across every channel, Jane’s thoughts went out to her son Danny and where he was with her ex-husband. A zoo of all places. And now, she couldn’t get hold of Joe. And the animals outside were getting closer…
An altogether depressing short, with barely a glimmer of hope to be pulled out of it. The short does little other than to serve as a slight expansion on the main tale’s principal protagonist via a deeper divulgence of his backstory. The short is grim and emotive and ends perfectly in-tone with the rest of the quick story.
Behold, The Beasts Of War – 4 pages
Corporal Nick Robson had already seen more than his fair share of the war against the animals. Wave after wave of the beasts had surged over their military ranks. And the animals were undoubtedly becoming wiser to mankind’s defences. Their attacks more organised. And now, as he surveyed the land before him from behind their hastily erected barricade, he knew that much, much more was to come…
‘World War Z’ (2006) meets ‘Animal Kingdom’. Here, Wright throws down a brief glimpse of the war to come. A depressingly bleak vision of a military response to the attacking hordes of the animals. Admittedly, the short doesn’t really hold up that well to its epic-sounding title, but nonetheless, delivers a firm kick to the guts for the continued development of Wright’s animal-attacking premise.
Sanctuary – 4 pages
Caroline was alone now; wandering the deserted and ravaged streets of Leicester in the hope of rescue or some form of sanctuary. She hadn’t seen a living soul since she was with her small group of wandering survivors. But they were all gone now. Dead. But up ahead she could just make out the outline of a hastily erected barricade. An outpost for soldiers to defend against the hordes of animals. But sanctuary in this new ravaged world is a very fickle thing…
For Wright’s last short in his ‘Animal Kingdom’ premise Wright keeps with the downbeat bleakness, this time taking the story on to the possible end days of mankind, where the beasts that have risen up against humanity have swept over everything, killing and destroying as they go. Slight attentions to emotive details make this a much stronger addition than the sum of its parts; and certainly a grand one to finish Wright’s overriding input with.
The Night Of The Squirrels – by Eric S Brown – 10 pages
Scott found himself alone and running through the dark woods in the desperate hope of finding safety somewhere. After the squirrels had stormed their house, and his mother and father had succumbed to their overwhelming numbers, he had managed to escape. And now he was on the way to old man Worley’s farm. After all, he was an ex-military man with plenty of strength behind him. Scott was sure that he’d take him in… Meanwhile, Lieutenant William Gunter and two escorting soldiers were on their way flying over the woods in a helicopter on a rescue mission for the very same Colonel Worley. But the woods are far from empty. In their depths lurk swarms of squirrels as well as a much, much larger and fiercer threat…
Penned by prolific short story writer, Eric S Brown, this final addition to the ‘Animal Kingdom’ premise is certainly a strange one. At first it feels like it fits in nicely – the Leicester setting, the small nods towards details that Wright had already set down, and the overall ‘apocalyptic’ backdrop. Indeed, all the correct ingredients appeared to be there. And the short is well-written to boot. But for some reason, possibly known only to Brown himself, he has included some strange sasquatch type of beasts roaming around the woods! Not only does mankind have the animals rising up against them, but now they’ve got mythical beasts to cope with too. Okay, so ‘Animal Kingdom’ was never meant to be an altogether realistic tale, but to throw in a whole new form of beastie right at the very end is just plain stupid. Personally, I would have preferred to have kept Brown’s ‘Squirrel and Sasquatch’ based addition out of the book. It’s well written and exciting, but veers off the overall storyline just too much to justify its inclusion.
The book as a whole runs for a total of 292 pages with ‘Animal Kingdom’ itself running for 253 pages.
DLS Synopsis:
It was a day-out that Joe had been looking forward to for quite a while. And it was all because he hadn’t seen his son, Danny, for months. But that was just the way things were when you became divorced and were trying to piece your life back together. But today was going to be good. And their first stop that Saturday morning was to the local Zoo.
But that morning was to become the morning where the world would suddenly change dramatically. That was the morning when, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, the entire animal kingdom would suddenly turn on mankind. Every species and type, (thankfully other than the birds) would all of a sudden rise up against humanity, in a rage of savage hatred.
And so, together with a handful of fellow survivors, Joe and Danny attempt to barricade themselves inside the relative sanctuary of one of the zoo’s many buildings; hoping that rescue will arrive soon. But outside the hordes of animals are becoming organised. Under the watchful guidance of their apparent leader – Nero, the silverback gorilla, the animals are beginning their siege on the zoo’s enclosure.
Inside the building, the few survivors quickly find that they have their own problems. Key-investor to the zoo, Christopher Randall, is throwing his weight around on a power-trip. Whilst the heavily tattooed Scot named Victor is already showing how intimidating he can be. Meanwhile a bible-bashing religious nut named Shirley is preaching her apocalyptical beliefs upon the other seven survivors – whether they want to hear it or not.
The added pressure of their immediate confinement together is already taking its toll. Their clashing personalities and individual ideas for survival are becoming a real problem. And outside the animals are starting to wage the war that could potentially end it all. The group’s time, and potentially that of the whole of humanity, is quickly drawing to a close…
DLS Review:
Following on from ‘The Final Winter’ (2011) Iain Rob Wright has once again embarked on another apocalyptic-style end-of-the-world scenario, shown purely from a small and localised environment. Here, instead of a typical British pub (ala Wright’s previous novel), our handful of survivors are this time situated in a zoo. And here the threat is not such a pseudo-religious-doomed-mankind affair. Instead, although it’s never properly divulged as to why it is happening (although hinted at in the later shorts), the potential end of humanity is ultimately brought about by a sudden uprising of the animal kingdom.
Like an apocalyptical cross between George Romero’s ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ (1968) and William Kotzwinkle’s ‘Doctor Rat’ (1976), Wright’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ was apparently spawned from the initial desire to write a zombie-apocalypse novel. The end result is certainly far better than simply tagging on another post-apocalyptic zombie story to an already well and truly over-saturated subgenre.
Wright’s writing ability has clearly come along leaps and bounds since ‘The Final Winter’ (2011). The dog-eat-dog atmosphere and desperate intensity of the survivors’ predicament is much more immediate. The snappy rhythm and general flow of the events that unfold are more in tune with the plot – unravelling at an increasing rate until it’s finally time to play that final card.
However, what really lets the novel down somewhat is the limited and somewhat blasé approach to characterisation. Wright has all the right elements, with individual character traits shoe-horned into the tale like there’s no tomorrow (which indeed there might not be!). But the characters can’t just stand on their own two feet with these singular traits alone. Joe is a giant of a man, along with being a divorcee – sadly end of story there. Danny is his 90’s wrestling-mad son – age pretty much unknown and not much else to say there either. Grace suffers from a form of OCD that makes her want to hurt herself unless she’s had her medication – and that’s about all we’re given on her. Bill is gay and black – end of. Mason is the zoo curator – so who needs any more than that, right? Shirley is an aged religious nut; once again, that’s all we really see of her. And Victor is a homophobic racist Scot with a psychotic side to him and little else apparently. The character of Randall (a very Harry Cooper-esque character) is the only one who is given any further development or exploratory depth into his personality. Admittedly it’s not much more, but Wright was at least on the right lines with making the character a little more human.
To be honest, the dialogue used by these cardboard cut-out characters isn’t really up to much too. It’s basic and hits all the right points, but doesn’t come across as even remotely real or anything other than another method to deliver points for the storyline with. It’s certainly a shame, but not too compromising of the overall enjoyment of the novel.
Characterisation and the dialogue aside, the tale does hurtle along with plenty of excitement and a snowballing pace. Yes there are shovel-loads of action and comic book style bloodshed. It’s not shocking or gritty, but more playfully pulpish in its exaggerated frolicking with a condensed-Armageddon style of plot.
To be honest I enjoyed reading the novel from start to end, so I’m reluctant to say anything too scathing about it. It was a fun read, with plenty of action-packed scenes to keep you flying through the pages. Okay, so it did start to get a tad too ridiculous at times, but that’s perhaps half the joy of the tale. And the ultimate finale was a little too abrupt and snappish in its delivery. But it was still a monstrously entertaining read ensuring a thick smirk was plastered across my face throughout.
The book also includes a collection of bonus short stories set in this new ‘Animal Kingdom’ universe – very much in the style of David Moody’s ‘Autumn: The Human Condition’ (2005). These are as follows:
Clocking Off – 4 pages
Jeff, along with all his fellow colleges at the Stote Investments chemical plant, had been sent home from work after becoming exposed to a large dose of their SIRT1 compound following a large-scale spillage. Now at home, he was relaxing with a couple of days off, with just his wife and pets as company. But his cat, King, was beginning to get a little on the frisky side…
This swift little short plays along with the whole ‘possible cause for the outbreak’ scenario in a similar fashion to the meteor storm that was mentioned in Romero’s ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ (1968). Refreshingly, the short doesn’t even pretend to work up to anything other than a predictable ending of animal attacking fun. But it’s quick and simple and gets the suggested ‘possible cause’ requirement down in almost record time. As a stand-alone short, it would be quite a poor read. However, alongside the main tale (as it was obviously always meant to be) it works well in thickening out the writer’s whole ‘Animal Kingdom’ plot.
Howard’s Wood – 4 pages
After Grace left Howard his life gradually become devoid of any form of companionship whatsoever. And following his incredible good fortune in becoming a millionaire off his first published novel, Howard was feeling like he now had everything but the one thing he wanted. However, whilst walking around his private woodland that surrounded his impressive home, Howard found his luck was finally running out for good.
Here we have a small expansion on the secondary character of Grace from the main tale, offering up a brief insight into her previous love life with the introduction of the tragic fellow of Howard. The short doesn’t have a whole lot in it, but lays down a quick backstory before diving into a last minute ‘Night Of The Lepus’ (1972) style ending. As a side note, Wright really missed a trick in not titling the short ‘Howard’s End’ which would have been so much more apt and delightfully pun-tastic.
The Hunt – 6 pages
Clive Middlesex is a Master Huntsman and very proud of it. And that’s why, on that fateful Saturday morning, he was to be out hunting on his trusty horse Petronella. Furthermore, for this particular hunt, he and his fellow huntsmen were being filmed by a television crew. And so it was important that the hunt was shown in all its spectacular glory. And not just revelling in the gore of the kill…
You’ve gotta love a good short that’s drenched in irony. Oh yes, we all know where this one’s going. We had the delightful end guessed from just reading the title. But it works and it’s delivered incredibly well, with plenty of meaty backstory and supporting layers. This is perhaps Wright’s best example of his writing potential in the book (even though it’s so short). The characterisation of Middlesex is far further developed than any other character we have been introduced to. And it just flows well, with enough padding to make it a good solid piece of engaging fiction.
Home – 4 pages
Jane was at home alone when the proverbial shit hit the fan. And as the unbelievable stories of animals turning on mankind started being broadcast across every channel, Jane’s thoughts went out to her son Danny and where he was with her ex-husband. A zoo of all places. And now, she couldn’t get hold of Joe. And the animals outside were getting closer…
An altogether depressing short, with barely a glimmer of hope to be pulled out of it. The short does little other than to serve as a slight expansion on the main tale’s principal protagonist via a deeper divulgence of his backstory. The short is grim and emotive and ends perfectly in-tone with the rest of the quick story.
Behold, The Beasts Of War – 4 pages
Corporal Nick Robson had already seen more than his fair share of the war against the animals. Wave after wave of the beasts had surged over their military ranks. And the animals were undoubtedly becoming wiser to mankind’s defences. Their attacks more organised. And now, as he surveyed the land before him from behind their hastily erected barricade, he knew that much, much more was to come…
‘World War Z’ (2006) meets ‘Animal Kingdom’. Here, Wright throws down a brief glimpse of the war to come. A depressingly bleak vision of a military response to the attacking hordes of the animals. Admittedly, the short doesn’t really hold up that well to its epic-sounding title, but nonetheless, delivers a firm kick to the guts for the continued development of Wright’s animal-attacking premise.
Sanctuary – 4 pages
Caroline was alone now; wandering the deserted and ravaged streets of Leicester in the hope of rescue or some form of sanctuary. She hadn’t seen a living soul since she was with her small group of wandering survivors. But they were all gone now. Dead. But up ahead she could just make out the outline of a hastily erected barricade. An outpost for soldiers to defend against the hordes of animals. But sanctuary in this new ravaged world is a very fickle thing…
For Wright’s last short in his ‘Animal Kingdom’ premise Wright keeps with the downbeat bleakness, this time taking the story on to the possible end days of mankind, where the beasts that have risen up against humanity have swept over everything, killing and destroying as they go. Slight attentions to emotive details make this a much stronger addition than the sum of its parts; and certainly a grand one to finish Wright’s overriding input with.
The Night Of The Squirrels – by Eric S Brown – 10 pages
Scott found himself alone and running through the dark woods in the desperate hope of finding safety somewhere. After the squirrels had stormed their house, and his mother and father had succumbed to their overwhelming numbers, he had managed to escape. And now he was on the way to old man Worley’s farm. After all, he was an ex-military man with plenty of strength behind him. Scott was sure that he’d take him in… Meanwhile, Lieutenant William Gunter and two escorting soldiers were on their way flying over the woods in a helicopter on a rescue mission for the very same Colonel Worley. But the woods are far from empty. In their depths lurk swarms of squirrels as well as a much, much larger and fiercer threat…
Penned by prolific short story writer, Eric S Brown, this final addition to the ‘Animal Kingdom’ premise is certainly a strange one. At first it feels like it fits in nicely – the Leicester setting, the small nods towards details that Wright had already set down, and the overall ‘apocalyptic’ backdrop. Indeed, all the correct ingredients appeared to be there. And the short is well-written to boot. But for some reason, possibly known only to Brown himself, he has included some strange sasquatch type of beasts roaming around the woods! Not only does mankind have the animals rising up against them, but now they’ve got mythical beasts to cope with too. Okay, so ‘Animal Kingdom’ was never meant to be an altogether realistic tale, but to throw in a whole new form of beastie right at the very end is just plain stupid. Personally, I would have preferred to have kept Brown’s ‘Squirrel and Sasquatch’ based addition out of the book. It’s well written and exciting, but veers off the overall storyline just too much to justify its inclusion.
The book as a whole runs for a total of 292 pages with ‘Animal Kingdom’ itself running for 253 pages.
October 4, 2023
NOT MY FAVE IAIN ROB WRIGHT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DIDN'T LIKE THE BOOK.
PREMISE: Aside from being freakishly tall, Joe is just an ordinary divorcee taking his son, Danny, to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody in the zoo running for cover. It isn't long before Joe realizes that there is a lot more going on than a simple snake attack - and if the hungry lions, roaring gorillas, and rampaging elephants have anything to do about it, there will be more bloodshed to come.
THOUGHTS: Maybe it's just me, but after being spoiled with many amazing IRW books I didn't find this as horrific as the others. Don't get me wrong things happen in the book, but I saw it more as a look at all the animals in the zoo. I docked a star because I expected more from a horror by Iain Rob Wright. But for what it was, it was a good book. I just wouldn't recommend it as a full-on horror (like most of his books are) as to me, this one wasn't.
4 Stars.
xoox.
PREMISE: Aside from being freakishly tall, Joe is just an ordinary divorcee taking his son, Danny, to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody in the zoo running for cover. It isn't long before Joe realizes that there is a lot more going on than a simple snake attack - and if the hungry lions, roaring gorillas, and rampaging elephants have anything to do about it, there will be more bloodshed to come.
THOUGHTS: Maybe it's just me, but after being spoiled with many amazing IRW books I didn't find this as horrific as the others. Don't get me wrong things happen in the book, but I saw it more as a look at all the animals in the zoo. I docked a star because I expected more from a horror by Iain Rob Wright. But for what it was, it was a good book. I just wouldn't recommend it as a full-on horror (like most of his books are) as to me, this one wasn't.
4 Stars.
xoox.
March 25, 2021
I ready enjoyed this book,
The story is a great idea, it feels like a zombie apocalypse, but without zombies, and a smarter enemy, the writing is easy to read, the characters well written, the ending is a little odd, as there was little side stories after the main story ended, it was not bad, but it was like when you have multiple encores after a concert, I already have more of Iain Rob Wright books in my to read pile
The story is a great idea, it feels like a zombie apocalypse, but without zombies, and a smarter enemy, the writing is easy to read, the characters well written, the ending is a little odd, as there was little side stories after the main story ended, it was not bad, but it was like when you have multiple encores after a concert, I already have more of Iain Rob Wright books in my to read pile
August 29, 2024
Better than I thought it would be but not as good as I wanted it to be. Now, hear me out. I know I gave it four stars but it was a huge battle. I REALLY enjoyed the horror aspect, everything was very easy to visualize but I just felt that there could have been more. A fantastic concept, but I wish it could have been executed better. I would absolutely read a sequel though.
March 7, 2021
This was a edge of your seat read that I quite enjoyed reading.
Starting off with a simple trip to the zoo, it quickly turns into an adrenaline fueled fight for survival.
Loved it
Starting off with a simple trip to the zoo, it quickly turns into an adrenaline fueled fight for survival.
Loved it
August 27, 2024
Fast read. Brutal and thrilling. This kind of "apocalypse" would rate right up there with a zombie apocalypse...probably even worse. Note: This was WAY better than Zoo by James Patterson. I couldn't even finish that one because of the cliched writing.
November 26, 2024
A quick paced story
I really enjoyed the story and couldn't stop reading. I read u straight through without putting it down. The only thing keeping it from getting 5 stars was the misspellings. "You're" the it should have been "your," and "break" when it should have been "brake."
I really enjoyed the story and couldn't stop reading. I read u straight through without putting it down. The only thing keeping it from getting 5 stars was the misspellings. "You're" the it should have been "your," and "break" when it should have been "brake."
October 9, 2025
With Animal Kingdom I got everything I was expecting and more!
It was supposed to be a special day. Since the divorce, Danny really missed his dad and had ants in his pants when he found out Joe was taking him to the zoo. Joe was just glad to have his son with him. It didn’t matter what they did but he knew Danny would love the animals.
Everything is great until the reptile show starts. The handler has a giant boa constrictor wrapped around his body. While he tells the gathering crowd about the snake it suddenly begins to wrap its thick coils around his neck, constricting and crushing the man. Joe does his best to help him, but the snake is too strong and time runs out for the handler.
The crowd panics and runs in all directions, horrified by the grotesque killing. As Joe grabs Danny and rushes to get help, he notices people are screaming and running from all directions. They couldn’t all have been at the exhibit. Then all of the animals start making a racket. Something bad is happening elsewhere in the zoo.
Deciding to get inside, away from whatever is occurring, Joe ducks into the new visitor’s center. Most people were running for the exits, but Joe had to get Danny to safety quickly. There were several people inside, along with the zoo’s curator. The curators protestations that an animal attack couldn’t be happening are cut short. When Joe turns to see what he’s looking at, he can’t believe what he’s seeing. There in the doorway are four massive lions, snarling and revealing their thick fangs, dripping with blood.
This is where the story really cranks up. The animals, for some unknown reason, have gained intelligence and have turned on mankind. From the lowly spiders to the gigantic elephants, they all want everyone dead.
The diverse group of people trapped in the visitor’s center are safe for the moment, or so they think. The animals won’t be denied, and find ways to get in. How the individual characters react to this is very interesting. As you’d expect, there are the one or two bad apples that think their way is the only way, you have an older woman spouting prophecy, a young girl without her medication, Joe, whose main concern is his son Danny, the curator, not much help there, and an older man with some fight in him. It’s up to them to work together. Otherwise, no one will get out of this alive.
Except that the story takes place in a zoo with animals from all over the world, it reminded of a book I read years ago. I also watched the movie and really enjoyed both. It was Day of the Animals.
The author gave me the same sense of dread and gut-wrenching fear with Animal Kingdom. You just knew people were going to die and die horribly. The animals are too many to fight off.
Reading scenes about the group dynamics was very real. People react differently when their lives are at stake. Some step up, some cower, and some act like blustering buffoons. I can’t figure out why some people can’t see past their own arrogance, or should I say ignorance.
This is a book about a war we may not be able to win. About surviving minute by minute and always looking for the way out.
At the end of the book there are some short Bonus stories. They all tie into the Animal Kingdom book and the one by Eric. S. Brown, Night of the Squirrels, is very interesting!
It was supposed to be a special day. Since the divorce, Danny really missed his dad and had ants in his pants when he found out Joe was taking him to the zoo. Joe was just glad to have his son with him. It didn’t matter what they did but he knew Danny would love the animals.
Everything is great until the reptile show starts. The handler has a giant boa constrictor wrapped around his body. While he tells the gathering crowd about the snake it suddenly begins to wrap its thick coils around his neck, constricting and crushing the man. Joe does his best to help him, but the snake is too strong and time runs out for the handler.
The crowd panics and runs in all directions, horrified by the grotesque killing. As Joe grabs Danny and rushes to get help, he notices people are screaming and running from all directions. They couldn’t all have been at the exhibit. Then all of the animals start making a racket. Something bad is happening elsewhere in the zoo.
Deciding to get inside, away from whatever is occurring, Joe ducks into the new visitor’s center. Most people were running for the exits, but Joe had to get Danny to safety quickly. There were several people inside, along with the zoo’s curator. The curators protestations that an animal attack couldn’t be happening are cut short. When Joe turns to see what he’s looking at, he can’t believe what he’s seeing. There in the doorway are four massive lions, snarling and revealing their thick fangs, dripping with blood.
This is where the story really cranks up. The animals, for some unknown reason, have gained intelligence and have turned on mankind. From the lowly spiders to the gigantic elephants, they all want everyone dead.
The diverse group of people trapped in the visitor’s center are safe for the moment, or so they think. The animals won’t be denied, and find ways to get in. How the individual characters react to this is very interesting. As you’d expect, there are the one or two bad apples that think their way is the only way, you have an older woman spouting prophecy, a young girl without her medication, Joe, whose main concern is his son Danny, the curator, not much help there, and an older man with some fight in him. It’s up to them to work together. Otherwise, no one will get out of this alive.
Except that the story takes place in a zoo with animals from all over the world, it reminded of a book I read years ago. I also watched the movie and really enjoyed both. It was Day of the Animals.
The author gave me the same sense of dread and gut-wrenching fear with Animal Kingdom. You just knew people were going to die and die horribly. The animals are too many to fight off.
Reading scenes about the group dynamics was very real. People react differently when their lives are at stake. Some step up, some cower, and some act like blustering buffoons. I can’t figure out why some people can’t see past their own arrogance, or should I say ignorance.
This is a book about a war we may not be able to win. About surviving minute by minute and always looking for the way out.
At the end of the book there are some short Bonus stories. They all tie into the Animal Kingdom book and the one by Eric. S. Brown, Night of the Squirrels, is very interesting!
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