Crocuta

by Katelyn Rushe

Vaka is the son of a clan leader, but for spotted hyenas, being male means being second best. When tradition forces him to leave home on his second birthday, the former prince reluctantly joins a rival clan and finds himself all the way at the bottom of their pecking order. This soon inspires Vaka to escape and start recruiting other rogues to form his own all-male clan. Can he manage his new followers and old enemies now that tradition has been broken, or will his rise to power be his undoing?

Previously published on Kindle Vella.

389 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2024

Reviews

[Lone Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s unusual to find a novel with hyenas as the primary protagonists, so I was pleased to come across ‘Crocuta’. It tells the tale of a young male spotted hyena who decides to start his own, all-male clan after growing tired of being treated like a second-class citizen. His new clan must then face challenges including rival clans and other animals such as lions.

I enjoyed the story, but it did feel a little juvenile at times. I would personally have preferred it to be written in a more mature style – there is a lot of use of slang, such as “yeah” and “okay”, or “wanna” and “gotta”, which comes across as somewhat childish. The characters also use human terms and ideas that wouldn’t mean anything to them – they measure distances in metres, for example, and know exactly, to the day, when their birthdays are. There are a few factual and grammatical errors, too.

Issues aside, though, this is a fun book and definitely worth reading if you like hyenas, or even if you just like animal stories and want to read about an oft-ignored species for a change. I also recommend ‘Beyond Acacia Ridge’ by Amy Clare Fontaine for hyena lovers, though it’s very short.

[Ellaura Shoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the epic about hyenas that I've always wanted. It’s a stunning work of its genre exploring an animal that is largely reviled and misunderstood. It was unexpected in the most fun and entertaining ways. I hope there will be a sequel. The laws of Crocuta were developed well and used in marvelous tandem with the plot. I can't even recount how many times the book had me chuckling and in tears. The climax was especially powerful and moving. I am not ashamed to admit I cried. This book was touching, moving, and well-worth the read. The author blended the natural aspects of animal behavior together beautifully in this work and as an author who writes in the same genre myself I have been inspired by this masterful work. It's a trail-blazer for the animal fantasy genre. I know as an author the more self-published works I read in the genre the harder it is to find more like it. I think it really is a great and untapped field to explore regarding books from animals perspectives. I'm grateful to add this book to my collection of favorites in the genre.

[Alex T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 stars

So hyena xenofiction does exist!

Full review at: https://skybookcorner.blogspot.com/20...