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Green City Wars
Philip Marlowe meets Redwall in this superior adult noir tale, where all the characters are animals, fighting for survival in the city underneath the humans.
In the solar cities of the future, the humans relax in the sun and the animals work in the shadows. Genetically engineered Little Helpers, serving humanity—unseen, unheard.
Meet Skotch. Raccoon, PI—yours for a few buttons as long as the job isn't too illegal, whatever that means.
A mouse has gone missing. Normally this wouldn't raise any hackles, nor any alarms, but this mouse has something that everyone seems to want, though nobody appears particularly eager to say what that something is.
The fee is good—perhaps too good. Certainly not something Skotch can easily turn down.
If only Skotch can work out where the mouse is hiding, what he’s hiding, and why his secrets are upsetting a lot of animals caught up in the Green City wars.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
In the solar cities of the future, the humans relax in the sun and the animals work in the shadows. Genetically engineered Little Helpers, serving humanity—unseen, unheard.
Meet Skotch. Raccoon, PI—yours for a few buttons as long as the job isn't too illegal, whatever that means.
A mouse has gone missing. Normally this wouldn't raise any hackles, nor any alarms, but this mouse has something that everyone seems to want, though nobody appears particularly eager to say what that something is.
The fee is good—perhaps too good. Certainly not something Skotch can easily turn down.
If only Skotch can work out where the mouse is hiding, what he’s hiding, and why his secrets are upsetting a lot of animals caught up in the Green City wars.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
203 books19.3k followersADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY was born in Lincolnshire and studied zoology and psychology at Reading, before practising law in Leeds. He is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor and is trained in stage-fighting. His literary influences include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, China Miéville, Mary Gently, Steven Erikson, Naomi Novak, Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
June 2, 2026
Once again, Tchaikovsky proves his inventiveness and unapologetic ability to genre blend within fantasy and science fiction with this gritty noir crime story narrated by a lab rat... or raccoon, rather.
The concept was intriguing and well-thought out, as I've come to expect from Tchaikovsky's writing kitchen. The characters took me a little while to immerse with, and it wasn't until about halfway through the book that I was well and truly hooked and invested in the outcome of the story. Skotch slowly endeared himself to me, and the surrounding factions of creatures are fascinating. A fresh twist on the "mutation" trope.
I did feel like the themes came through a little heavy-handed toward the end, but overall still stayed focused on the story and characters. I think the animalistic side of the characters was portrayed in an interesting way and didn't push too far over the boundary into humanoid. Also, Lulu the pigeon must be protected at all costs, and I'll be taking no questions about that statement at this time.
Overall, fascinating concept and grounded character immersion, and another unexpected genre blend from Adrian Tchaikovsky! I look forward to see what he cooks up next.
The concept was intriguing and well-thought out, as I've come to expect from Tchaikovsky's writing kitchen. The characters took me a little while to immerse with, and it wasn't until about halfway through the book that I was well and truly hooked and invested in the outcome of the story. Skotch slowly endeared himself to me, and the surrounding factions of creatures are fascinating. A fresh twist on the "mutation" trope.
I did feel like the themes came through a little heavy-handed toward the end, but overall still stayed focused on the story and characters. I think the animalistic side of the characters was portrayed in an interesting way and didn't push too far over the boundary into humanoid. Also, Lulu the pigeon must be protected at all costs, and I'll be taking no questions about that statement at this time.
Overall, fascinating concept and grounded character immersion, and another unexpected genre blend from Adrian Tchaikovsky! I look forward to see what he cooks up next.
October 5, 2025
** A copy of this book was provided by the publisher **
Really dug this but I recommend not reading it in a single six hour stretch like I did! The labeled sections work pretty well as episodes which fits the pulp detective stylings of the story, so I recommend maybe reading one section a day to give yourself some time to think on the ideas the book is presenting and the central mystery of the whole thing.
Really dug this but I recommend not reading it in a single six hour stretch like I did! The labeled sections work pretty well as episodes which fits the pulp detective stylings of the story, so I recommend maybe reading one section a day to give yourself some time to think on the ideas the book is presenting and the central mystery of the whole thing.
June 26, 2026
A noir novel set in the gritty underworld of one of the new types of “green city”, ecologically sustainable cities where the infrastructure is run and maintained by an army of Little Helpers - genetically engineered animals designed to keep the city ticking over, out of sight of its human occupants.
Skotch is a freelance racoon investigator, who has been tasked with finding Doctor Meece - a mouse with a secret that could change the world - and everybody is trying to find him.
The world building is beautifully rich and detailed, in a way that we’ve come to expect from Tchaikovsky. The animals running the city are more ingenious than their human creators intended, and an entire dark economy has developed, along with gangs, mobsters, anarchists and scientists. It’s a tough world for a racoon to navigate.
There is also a diverse and engaging set of characters, including: Skotch the racoon; an aging turtle running the local corporation; rat gangsters; toad anarchists; and a group of crows who administer final rites. They are all distinct and colourful, and a joy to spend time with.
But beneath the richness of the world and the characters that inhabit it, I found the plot to be a little thin. A majority of the story has Skotch bouncing from one gang, faction, or assassin to the next, in search of any information about the whereabouts of Doctor Meece, or the secret that he is guarding. And while this does act as an excellent mechanism to put Skotch in contact with the whole range of characters populating the world, allowing that extensive world building to develop, it is largely all that actually happens, until the closing chapters where there is a final denoument and the big reveal.
As a noir, private-investigator novel featuring a rich cast of animal characters, this is highly imaginative, and superbly executed. But I think you would need to enjoy that genre to have a full appreciation of what this novel offers. Unfortunately for me, that’s a genre that I’m not particularly drawn to, so I think I missed out on some of the pleasure to be had here.
Thank you #NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Tor for the free review copy of #GreenCityWars without obligation. All opinions are my own.
Skotch is a freelance racoon investigator, who has been tasked with finding Doctor Meece - a mouse with a secret that could change the world - and everybody is trying to find him.
The world building is beautifully rich and detailed, in a way that we’ve come to expect from Tchaikovsky. The animals running the city are more ingenious than their human creators intended, and an entire dark economy has developed, along with gangs, mobsters, anarchists and scientists. It’s a tough world for a racoon to navigate.
There is also a diverse and engaging set of characters, including: Skotch the racoon; an aging turtle running the local corporation; rat gangsters; toad anarchists; and a group of crows who administer final rites. They are all distinct and colourful, and a joy to spend time with.
But beneath the richness of the world and the characters that inhabit it, I found the plot to be a little thin. A majority of the story has Skotch bouncing from one gang, faction, or assassin to the next, in search of any information about the whereabouts of Doctor Meece, or the secret that he is guarding. And while this does act as an excellent mechanism to put Skotch in contact with the whole range of characters populating the world, allowing that extensive world building to develop, it is largely all that actually happens, until the closing chapters where there is a final denoument and the big reveal.
As a noir, private-investigator novel featuring a rich cast of animal characters, this is highly imaginative, and superbly executed. But I think you would need to enjoy that genre to have a full appreciation of what this novel offers. Unfortunately for me, that’s a genre that I’m not particularly drawn to, so I think I missed out on some of the pleasure to be had here.
Thank you #NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Tor for the free review copy of #GreenCityWars without obligation. All opinions are my own.
April 2, 2026
3.5 ⭐ Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Green City Wars is a noir tale that drops readers into a gritty underworld of bioengineered animals struggling to survive beneath human society. When a seemingly ordinary mouse goes missing, raccoon private investigator Skotch reluctantly takes the case and quickly discovers that the stakes are far higher than they first appear.
The worldbuilding is one of the novel’s strongest elements. Tchaikovsky crafts a detailed and unsettling dystopia where animals depend on a manufactured drug to maintain their intelligence, forming a shadow society that mirrors and exploits human systems. The social and moral tensions that arise from this setup are compelling and thoughtfully explored.
Skotch is an engaging protagonist on paper, with a classic detective edge, though I found it difficult to fully connect with him. The story moves at a measured pace, though the long journey through competing factions can feel a bit drawn out at times. The central mystery kept me intrigued, particularly the question of why the missing mouse mattered so much, and the resolution was satisfying.
I listened to the audiobook version, and John Pirhalla’s narration was excellent. His voice felt especially well suited to Skotch, and he brought distinct personality to the wider cast.
Some of the terminology is presented in German, which I found distracting at times. Still, the novel’s strong thematic core and immersive setting make it a memorable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The worldbuilding is one of the novel’s strongest elements. Tchaikovsky crafts a detailed and unsettling dystopia where animals depend on a manufactured drug to maintain their intelligence, forming a shadow society that mirrors and exploits human systems. The social and moral tensions that arise from this setup are compelling and thoughtfully explored.
Skotch is an engaging protagonist on paper, with a classic detective edge, though I found it difficult to fully connect with him. The story moves at a measured pace, though the long journey through competing factions can feel a bit drawn out at times. The central mystery kept me intrigued, particularly the question of why the missing mouse mattered so much, and the resolution was satisfying.
I listened to the audiobook version, and John Pirhalla’s narration was excellent. His voice felt especially well suited to Skotch, and he brought distinct personality to the wider cast.
Some of the terminology is presented in German, which I found distracting at times. Still, the novel’s strong thematic core and immersive setting make it a memorable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2026
Adrian Tchaikovsky is a consummate world builder. In this noir-tinged sci-fi/fantasy, we're on a planet that humans have designed to suit their purposes. They have created genetically advanced animals to be the city's workers, street cleaners, waiters, etc., oblivious to the side effects created by their actions. Enter Skotch, a raccoon who has a knack for finding things. In this case, he's been asked to find a mouse for a fee he can't refuse. What follows is a mystery novel that takes us through the animal underworld until Skotch discovers why the mouse is important. It's then that he must decide what type of future he wants.
It's a faster-paced, urban Watership Down with more grit and action (and no rabbits, if I recall correctly). Escape into this Green City and enjoy the journey!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and # NetGalley for early access to #GreenCityWars for review purposes. It won't be published until 23 June 2026, but mark your calendar for this exciting book. I quite enjoyed it.
It's a faster-paced, urban Watership Down with more grit and action (and no rabbits, if I recall correctly). Escape into this Green City and enjoy the journey!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and # NetGalley for early access to #GreenCityWars for review purposes. It won't be published until 23 June 2026, but mark your calendar for this exciting book. I quite enjoyed it.
February 24, 2026
A really well written book with a fun and creative premise. The animal underworld and all of its intricate workings were well developed and explained. I really came to like and root for Skotch and Lulu!
Wondering if you’d enjoy this book? My thoughts, if you liked Scalzi’s Starter Villain you’d like this one. Totally different books, but similar vibe.
* I received an early copy of this book from the publisher *
Wondering if you’d enjoy this book? My thoughts, if you liked Scalzi’s Starter Villain you’d like this one. Totally different books, but similar vibe.
* I received an early copy of this book from the publisher *
April 22, 2026
More like 2.5 than 3 but I think rating it two is too harsh. I found Skotch the raccoon to be a disengaging character. Thrown into a massively complex world, the novel is more about the intricacies of the world rather than classic “gum-shoe”-style story the plot seems to suggest. This is the first time I’ve read an Adrian Tchaikovsky novel, but I unfortunately found him to be more interested in the world he created rather than the characters he’s populating. I think a lot of people will enjoy this, especially hardcore sci-fi nerds who just want to get lost in complexity and minutiae. But those looking to get read about complexities of a character might not be as interested. Would have loved this if it was more closer to Dresden.
June 12, 2026
3.5 rounded up. This was adorable af. I really enjoyed the narration in the audio and had a fun time with the story and the how the animals interacted with or avoided humans. The mystery was fine, but never pulled me in too much. I would definitely read more if this becomes a series, though.
May 2, 2026
What if you took Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and mixed it in a blender with Watership Down or Redwall then tossed in a bit of noir crime thriller? Well, your result would be Green City Wars.
This was fun, humorous and really entertaining.
This was fun, humorous and really entertaining.
January 15, 2026
detective noir meets sci fi!! full of weird lil guys, amazing.
June 13, 2026
Green City Wars
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! 🙏
I enjoyed the overall production quality and performance of this audiobook. John Pirhalla did a fantastic job giving the characters their own distinct differences and voice. He fit very well into a Noir style story.
The book overall suffered from pacing and info dumps through out the story. The world building was told and not really shown as the story played out. I did enjoy the core of the story and would recommend to those who enjoy descriptive world building.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! 🙏
I enjoyed the overall production quality and performance of this audiobook. John Pirhalla did a fantastic job giving the characters their own distinct differences and voice. He fit very well into a Noir style story.
The book overall suffered from pacing and info dumps through out the story. The world building was told and not really shown as the story played out. I did enjoy the core of the story and would recommend to those who enjoy descriptive world building.
April 15, 2026
Thanks to Tor for the ARC on this. I love Tchaikovsky’s toying with sentient animals since Children of Time. I like how this book does the same thing, the interesting ways animals act and are personified if given human level intelligence. This book was a fun read. Didn’t grab me the way Children of Time did, but it was a fun detective, but animals, kind of book. Would love to read more in this world. I like to think this is Earth before Children of Time. I feel that there could have been a bigger “wow” factor of plot twist in the end to really sell it to me.
June 16, 2026
3.69/5 stars
One night, I was driving home after having picked up dinner for my family. I was almost home, one block away. Right before i get to my street, I come down a steep hill and then go up another then there’s my street on the left. Coming down the hill, I can just make out something ahead in the road. I thought it was a dead animal or something struck by another passing vehicle but as I get closer I realize it’s moving and it’s not one thing, it’s three. Three raccoons spitting, biting and wrestling in the road. I stop because I don’t want to hit them but I want to see what’s going on. I didn’t know if they were ganging up on something else but it’s just raccoons and it’s a 2v1 situation and the two are laying into the 1. Now I’m all for nature taking its course and letting things happen as nature intended as long as I don’t have to look at it. They’ve by now rolled out of the road and onto the sidewalk but the 1 is losing. So I hop out of my car and tell them to “cut that shit out”. They stop and stare at me and that gives the 1 time to run and the 2 then give chase. I don’t know if they were friendly wrestling/playing or whatever but I wasn’t about to watch an unfair fight take place in front of me and not do anything. This novel makes me wonder what situation I was inserting myself.
Green City Wars says what if a city was maintained by animals that could think and talk, in their own languages, like humans. It’s a hell of a premise. I watched an interview of Adrian Tchaikovsky and he said he takes locations and thinks of an interesting premise for them, i.e. city maintained by animals then he comes up with a plot to showcase the location. That is very evident in Green City Wars (GCW).
Skotch is a raccoon PI that’s hired to find a missing mouse. There is a plethora of characters ranging from all types of animals. I think Tchaikovsky has something against squirrels by the way. But then again we all might considering how we have to swerve to keep from hitting the little squeakers.
The setting is very well done and the world building is so well thought out and described throughout the book that I found it believable.
Tchaikovsky’s prose is on point as always. This is a short read. The narrator for the audiobook is John Pirhalla who also does a phenomenal jobs with voices and accents that lending to the immersion of the story. This is definitely a story to check out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy.
One night, I was driving home after having picked up dinner for my family. I was almost home, one block away. Right before i get to my street, I come down a steep hill and then go up another then there’s my street on the left. Coming down the hill, I can just make out something ahead in the road. I thought it was a dead animal or something struck by another passing vehicle but as I get closer I realize it’s moving and it’s not one thing, it’s three. Three raccoons spitting, biting and wrestling in the road. I stop because I don’t want to hit them but I want to see what’s going on. I didn’t know if they were ganging up on something else but it’s just raccoons and it’s a 2v1 situation and the two are laying into the 1. Now I’m all for nature taking its course and letting things happen as nature intended as long as I don’t have to look at it. They’ve by now rolled out of the road and onto the sidewalk but the 1 is losing. So I hop out of my car and tell them to “cut that shit out”. They stop and stare at me and that gives the 1 time to run and the 2 then give chase. I don’t know if they were friendly wrestling/playing or whatever but I wasn’t about to watch an unfair fight take place in front of me and not do anything. This novel makes me wonder what situation I was inserting myself.
Green City Wars says what if a city was maintained by animals that could think and talk, in their own languages, like humans. It’s a hell of a premise. I watched an interview of Adrian Tchaikovsky and he said he takes locations and thinks of an interesting premise for them, i.e. city maintained by animals then he comes up with a plot to showcase the location. That is very evident in Green City Wars (GCW).
Skotch is a raccoon PI that’s hired to find a missing mouse. There is a plethora of characters ranging from all types of animals. I think Tchaikovsky has something against squirrels by the way. But then again we all might considering how we have to swerve to keep from hitting the little squeakers.
The setting is very well done and the world building is so well thought out and described throughout the book that I found it believable.
Tchaikovsky’s prose is on point as always. This is a short read. The narrator for the audiobook is John Pirhalla who also does a phenomenal jobs with voices and accents that lending to the immersion of the story. This is definitely a story to check out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy.
June 9, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy - all opinions are my own.
Green City Wars is an epic adult noir featuring cleverly sentient animals and heaps of interspecies drama.
In a world where animal species are genetically engineered to work and run the cities as humans leisure about, we follow Skotch, a raccoon working as a freelance P.I. Agent. Skotch has accepted a new gig tracking down a mouse that holds a big secret. Skotch is determined to search up and down the natural food chain to discover what this secret is and why every faction in the city seems to want it.
Green City Wars was a *slight* disappointment for me. While I had a great time overall, I found some segments to be quite laborious. For a story featuring a cast of animals, it lacked charm and real intrigue. That’s not to say that I wasn’t completely enamored with some of our critter companions, I just didn’t particularly connect with our main protagonist.
The story suffered a bit with deciding whether it wanted to lean in to whimsical humor or noir style cynicism. The blend just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. The themes were pleasantly rich and topical and I enjoyed the faction and hierarchies within this animal-labor world. The author certainly shows his vast knowledge in zoology and social sciences.
The audiobook is narrated by John Pirhalla and I really enjoyed the performance. He captured the various animals and their differentiating traits in a subtle, amusing way. The German verbiage was hard to digest in this format but I didn’t find that it hindered my experience much.
This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky novel and I’d likely try another. If you value world-building and dense sci-fi over character depth, this if for you!
Green City Wars is an epic adult noir featuring cleverly sentient animals and heaps of interspecies drama.
In a world where animal species are genetically engineered to work and run the cities as humans leisure about, we follow Skotch, a raccoon working as a freelance P.I. Agent. Skotch has accepted a new gig tracking down a mouse that holds a big secret. Skotch is determined to search up and down the natural food chain to discover what this secret is and why every faction in the city seems to want it.
Green City Wars was a *slight* disappointment for me. While I had a great time overall, I found some segments to be quite laborious. For a story featuring a cast of animals, it lacked charm and real intrigue. That’s not to say that I wasn’t completely enamored with some of our critter companions, I just didn’t particularly connect with our main protagonist.
The story suffered a bit with deciding whether it wanted to lean in to whimsical humor or noir style cynicism. The blend just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. The themes were pleasantly rich and topical and I enjoyed the faction and hierarchies within this animal-labor world. The author certainly shows his vast knowledge in zoology and social sciences.
The audiobook is narrated by John Pirhalla and I really enjoyed the performance. He captured the various animals and their differentiating traits in a subtle, amusing way. The German verbiage was hard to digest in this format but I didn’t find that it hindered my experience much.
This is my first Adrian Tchaikovsky novel and I’d likely try another. If you value world-building and dense sci-fi over character depth, this if for you!
March 30, 2026
A secret world exists beyond the human world in Green City Wars, a humorous, uplifting story.
Note: My review is based on the audiobook ARC/ALC, so please excuse any character names that may be spelled incorrectly.
First, I have to admit a love of uplift stories. That is, where one species increases the intelligence of other species. In this unique spin on the topic, humanity has raised animals to be better workers, making human life easier. This simple premise seems plausible enough. But, to make the animals smart enough to perform work, they become intelligent enough to have their own hopes and dreams.
So naturally, those animals battle each other. Squirrels in turf wars, cats were overpowered by human designers who preferred them, and mice are doomed to be workers.
In Green City Wars, we follow Skotch, a former soldier turned detective. Oh, and Skotch is a raccoon who has to battle against his instincts and sometimes gives in to let the animal out.
This work features a range of characters, from former allies to warring factions to deadly adversaries. It is almost overwhelming how many characters there are. My advice is to embrace the madness and follow Skotch as he has had the most eventful day since the Warriors tried to get home.
4 1/2 stars. It is a great fun read. Or, in my case, listen: John Pirhalla is a fantastic narrator and had me picturing Skotch as Mickie Six in a few sentences. Flippant, funny, and yet far deeper than it first appears. Green City Wars was a lovely experience.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Note: My review is based on the audiobook ARC/ALC, so please excuse any character names that may be spelled incorrectly.
First, I have to admit a love of uplift stories. That is, where one species increases the intelligence of other species. In this unique spin on the topic, humanity has raised animals to be better workers, making human life easier. This simple premise seems plausible enough. But, to make the animals smart enough to perform work, they become intelligent enough to have their own hopes and dreams.
So naturally, those animals battle each other. Squirrels in turf wars, cats were overpowered by human designers who preferred them, and mice are doomed to be workers.
In Green City Wars, we follow Skotch, a former soldier turned detective. Oh, and Skotch is a raccoon who has to battle against his instincts and sometimes gives in to let the animal out.
This work features a range of characters, from former allies to warring factions to deadly adversaries. It is almost overwhelming how many characters there are. My advice is to embrace the madness and follow Skotch as he has had the most eventful day since the Warriors tried to get home.
4 1/2 stars. It is a great fun read. Or, in my case, listen: John Pirhalla is a fantastic narrator and had me picturing Skotch as Mickie Six in a few sentences. Flippant, funny, and yet far deeper than it first appears. Green City Wars was a lovely experience.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an audio ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Want to Read
March 24, 2026🔎🦝 Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky 🦝🔎
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
🧩 What to Expect
• Animal detective lead
• Futuristic city
• Noir mystery
• Genetically engineered animals
• Class divide
• Political conflict
_ _ _
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (John Pirhalla)
📅 Pub Date: June 23, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
🧩 What to Expect
• Animal detective lead
• Futuristic city
• Noir mystery
• Genetically engineered animals
• Class divide
• Political conflict
_ _ _
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (John Pirhalla)
📅 Pub Date: June 23, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
April 5, 2026
He’s just a little guy on a mission. Our main character is a sentient raccoon 🦝 so we are immediately off on the right foot. As a matter of fact there are a lot of furry feet in this book because it’s all about what happens when you give critters sentience. And I’m about that.
Skotch has many seedy underworld contacts and misadventures. I kept picturing these wacky conversations. Picture it, a raccoon having a chat with a rat mad scientist. If you are looking for a scifi mystery with a fox, pigeon, rats, squirrels, and a raccoon up to mischief, this book is for you.
I listened to it as an audiobook which made it harder to keep track of the German words. You may prefer it as a regular book. However, the narrator, John Pirhalla, is the same narrator who did the Mickey 17 books, and I think he was the perfect choice for narrating a raccoon detective. I’m glad I chose the audiobook even with the smattering of German words.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Skotch has many seedy underworld contacts and misadventures. I kept picturing these wacky conversations. Picture it, a raccoon having a chat with a rat mad scientist. If you are looking for a scifi mystery with a fox, pigeon, rats, squirrels, and a raccoon up to mischief, this book is for you.
I listened to it as an audiobook which made it harder to keep track of the German words. You may prefer it as a regular book. However, the narrator, John Pirhalla, is the same narrator who did the Mickey 17 books, and I think he was the perfect choice for narrating a raccoon detective. I’m glad I chose the audiobook even with the smattering of German words.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy. All opinions are my own.
March 28, 2026
Thank you MacMillian Audio and NetGallery for the ALC.
Overall a 3.5/5 star for me. 🌟
The characters being all animals was a pretty cool take, and them living underground trying to stay away with encountering humans was an interesting premise unless they were a “pet”. The narrator did a great job of embodying the characters, he had made it really enjoyable to listen too.
The reason why I say 3.5 stars is because the language used sometimes felt out of place, or to complex for what was happening, and the plot in some parts of the book was all over the place, then it came back to the plot.
Overall a 3.5/5 star for me. 🌟
The characters being all animals was a pretty cool take, and them living underground trying to stay away with encountering humans was an interesting premise unless they were a “pet”. The narrator did a great job of embodying the characters, he had made it really enjoyable to listen too.
The reason why I say 3.5 stars is because the language used sometimes felt out of place, or to complex for what was happening, and the plot in some parts of the book was all over the place, then it came back to the plot.
February 23, 2026
The main character in this novel is an animal who, as the author says, "has a reputation for dishonesty, roguishness, sharp dealing. He [Skotch] can only imagine how much easier that would make everything, if it were actually true. Who the hell has a use for a faithful raccoon?"
This novel is brain food of the best quality. I hadn't read any of Adrian Tchaikovsky's works before. That's about to change.
I received an advance from Tor.
This novel is brain food of the best quality. I hadn't read any of Adrian Tchaikovsky's works before. That's about to change.
I received an advance from Tor.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I went into Green City Wars expecting a quirky noir mystery featuring talking animals, but Adrian Tchaikovsky delivered something way deeper and more ambitious. The idea of a raccoon private investigator searching for a missing mouse already sounded fun. Still, the story quickly unfolds into a dark, layered sci-fi noir regarding exploitation, class systems, and survival beneath humanity’s so-called utopia.
The worldbuilding was easily my favorite part. Humans live comfortably in “green cities” while genetically engineered animals quietly do all the labor underground, forming their own factions, gangs, economies, and power struggles hidden from human eyes. Every species feels distinct, with instincts and behaviors woven naturally into the story. Skotch, the raccoon PI, is cynical, flawed, and endlessly entertaining to follow, while the supporting cast adds so much personality and chaos to the world. The balance between gritty detective fiction, action, humor, and social commentary worked incredibly well for me.
The audiobook production elevated the story even further. John Pirhalla absolutely nailed the narration, making this world feel completely alive. Every character had a unique voice, accent, cadence, and traits, making the large cast easy to follow. From Skotch’s weary noir-style narration to the eccentric side characters, Pirhalla brought so much texture and energy to the performance that it usually seemed like a full-cast production. The different accents and vocal mannerisms added a lot to the atmosphere, especially with the German-inspired terminology and noir tone. He balanced the humor, tension, and emotional moments perfectly, making both the ridiculousness and the darker themes land equally well. Even scenes that could have felt silly on paper became immersive and cinematic through the narration.
Overall, Green City Wars was one of the most creative audiobooks I’ve listened to in a while. It’s strange, funny, gritty, and surprisingly thoughtful all at once, and I’d absolutely read more stories set in this world.
The worldbuilding was easily my favorite part. Humans live comfortably in “green cities” while genetically engineered animals quietly do all the labor underground, forming their own factions, gangs, economies, and power struggles hidden from human eyes. Every species feels distinct, with instincts and behaviors woven naturally into the story. Skotch, the raccoon PI, is cynical, flawed, and endlessly entertaining to follow, while the supporting cast adds so much personality and chaos to the world. The balance between gritty detective fiction, action, humor, and social commentary worked incredibly well for me.
The audiobook production elevated the story even further. John Pirhalla absolutely nailed the narration, making this world feel completely alive. Every character had a unique voice, accent, cadence, and traits, making the large cast easy to follow. From Skotch’s weary noir-style narration to the eccentric side characters, Pirhalla brought so much texture and energy to the performance that it usually seemed like a full-cast production. The different accents and vocal mannerisms added a lot to the atmosphere, especially with the German-inspired terminology and noir tone. He balanced the humor, tension, and emotional moments perfectly, making both the ridiculousness and the darker themes land equally well. Even scenes that could have felt silly on paper became immersive and cinematic through the narration.
Overall, Green City Wars was one of the most creative audiobooks I’ve listened to in a while. It’s strange, funny, gritty, and surprisingly thoughtful all at once, and I’d absolutely read more stories set in this world.
May 29, 2026
This is my second Book/Series from this author and all I can say is, oh to live a day in Mr. Tchaikovsky’s head. His world building is truly on another level. I admit, I might not have absorbed most of it, however I can still appreciate the incredible scope of it all.
In this world, animals are genetically altered to handle all the dirty work, do all the unappealing jobs that humans don’t want anything to do with, making them out of sight-out of mind. But the animals must have a constant supply of a drug called plangent, if not, they become “dumb”. We follow Skotch, a raccoon private investigator, who takes on a case in reference to a missing mouse. However, there might be more to this mouse than ‘ol Skotch signed up for.
You can instantly tell that this story was extremely thought out. I never felt like I wasn’t in the mind of an animal. Skotch is the perfect gumshoe noir type detective between his monologuing and the way he speaks/tells the story. I honestly pictured Nicholas Cage voicing him. A majority of his monologuing ends up being the brunt of world building and it was a bit long winded at times, making it very overwhelming. The mystery aspect also seemed to take a back seat because of this. The pacing and action was fast though, which I enjoyed. It really fit the narrative to the fact that these animals lives are so short.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quirky, thought-provoking story. Mr. Tchaikovsky certainly knows how to write a complex philosophical book. Even when the main character is a raccoon addicted to coffee.
Thank you to Tor Books for the gifted physical arc!
In this world, animals are genetically altered to handle all the dirty work, do all the unappealing jobs that humans don’t want anything to do with, making them out of sight-out of mind. But the animals must have a constant supply of a drug called plangent, if not, they become “dumb”. We follow Skotch, a raccoon private investigator, who takes on a case in reference to a missing mouse. However, there might be more to this mouse than ‘ol Skotch signed up for.
You can instantly tell that this story was extremely thought out. I never felt like I wasn’t in the mind of an animal. Skotch is the perfect gumshoe noir type detective between his monologuing and the way he speaks/tells the story. I honestly pictured Nicholas Cage voicing him. A majority of his monologuing ends up being the brunt of world building and it was a bit long winded at times, making it very overwhelming. The mystery aspect also seemed to take a back seat because of this. The pacing and action was fast though, which I enjoyed. It really fit the narrative to the fact that these animals lives are so short.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quirky, thought-provoking story. Mr. Tchaikovsky certainly knows how to write a complex philosophical book. Even when the main character is a raccoon addicted to coffee.
Thank you to Tor Books for the gifted physical arc!
May 14, 2026
An R-rated, noir-style Zootopia while also having the feel of the Duck Detective game somehow. A weird but altogether perfect amalgamation of everything I didn’t know I needed in a futuristic sci-fi novel. The characters are at once wholesome and hilarious. The plot utterly ridiculous and action packed. *Chef’s Kiss*
June 9, 2026
This book was an absolute blast both in style and in substance. Tchaikovsky loves his uplifted animals and they have faithful delivered some of his best novels with this being a wonderful addition.
The concept of uplifted animals living in the grimy underbelly of a human utopia supporting their needs and cleaning up for them while living by the law of never being seen makes an incredibly engaging setting. Add to this a down on his luck raccoon detective and a missing mouse and we are off on a thrilling noir adventure.
I could honestly wax lyrically about every sub section of this novel. The pace is high and maintains that thrilling pace throughout and building excellent characters that I found myself thoroughly invested in. The various factions throughout the city are incredibly diverse and add so much colour to the world and left me on the she of my seat waiting to find out which side the ended up on.
This might not be one of your great works of fiction but it was such a blast that it more than earned every one of those five stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC
The concept of uplifted animals living in the grimy underbelly of a human utopia supporting their needs and cleaning up for them while living by the law of never being seen makes an incredibly engaging setting. Add to this a down on his luck raccoon detective and a missing mouse and we are off on a thrilling noir adventure.
I could honestly wax lyrically about every sub section of this novel. The pace is high and maintains that thrilling pace throughout and building excellent characters that I found myself thoroughly invested in. The various factions throughout the city are incredibly diverse and add so much colour to the world and left me on the she of my seat waiting to find out which side the ended up on.
This might not be one of your great works of fiction but it was such a blast that it more than earned every one of those five stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review is for the audiobook read by John Pirhalla.
Humans have created an eco-friendly utopia for themselves; all they need to sustain it is an underclass of genetically engineered animals to do all the work. Skotch, a raccoon and PI, has been hired to find a mouse who may be able to upend the entire system.
There is a lot of exposition in this book, all of which is necessary to establish the world and explore issues like treatment of vulnerable groups, class distinctions, exploitation of animals, and the ethics of scientific advancements; however, the exposition seemed to go on forever when I was listening to the book and I often found myself losing the story. Fortunately I was also approved for the ebook on NetGalley, and was able to read to myself at a much faster pace and not lose track of the story.
Narrator
John Pirhalla has a pleasant, clear voice and conveys emotion well. I think he did a good job voicing the different characters.
I'm giving the audiobook three stars due to the aforementioned exposition issue rather than the three and a half I rated the ebook.
Received via NetGalley.
Humans have created an eco-friendly utopia for themselves; all they need to sustain it is an underclass of genetically engineered animals to do all the work. Skotch, a raccoon and PI, has been hired to find a mouse who may be able to upend the entire system.
There is a lot of exposition in this book, all of which is necessary to establish the world and explore issues like treatment of vulnerable groups, class distinctions, exploitation of animals, and the ethics of scientific advancements; however, the exposition seemed to go on forever when I was listening to the book and I often found myself losing the story. Fortunately I was also approved for the ebook on NetGalley, and was able to read to myself at a much faster pace and not lose track of the story.
Narrator
John Pirhalla has a pleasant, clear voice and conveys emotion well. I think he did a good job voicing the different characters.
I'm giving the audiobook three stars due to the aforementioned exposition issue rather than the three and a half I rated the ebook.
Received via NetGalley.
Read
May 9, 2026Cute and fun! The premise has some really interesting kernels to think on in it. Not anything amazing to rave about but thoroughly enjoyable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book had a really intriguing premise with cities designed so humans don't have to work and with enhanced animals handling everything instead. The only rule: animals must not interact with humans. It's a unique setup that immediately pulled me in.
I especially enjoyed Skotch, the raccoon detective investigating a missing mouse. He was a fun and engaging super raccoon to follow. I listened to the audiobook, which was well done, with a strong cast that brought the world and characters to life.
The beginning hooked me, and the ending delivered, but the middle dragged a bit and felt like a slog at times, making it harder to stay fully engaged. That said, the world building and overall concept were strong enough to keep me invested.
l'd rate this around a 3.5, closer to a 4. Despite some pacing issues, it's still worth picking up for the creativity and memorable characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my ARC copy of the audiobook and my honest review.
Expected Publishing date: June 23, 2026.
I especially enjoyed Skotch, the raccoon detective investigating a missing mouse. He was a fun and engaging super raccoon to follow. I listened to the audiobook, which was well done, with a strong cast that brought the world and characters to life.
The beginning hooked me, and the ending delivered, but the middle dragged a bit and felt like a slog at times, making it harder to stay fully engaged. That said, the world building and overall concept were strong enough to keep me invested.
l'd rate this around a 3.5, closer to a 4. Despite some pacing issues, it's still worth picking up for the creativity and memorable characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my ARC copy of the audiobook and my honest review.
Expected Publishing date: June 23, 2026.
Want to Read
September 20, 2025"Philip Marlowe meets Redwall in this superior adult noir tale, where all the characters are animals, fighting for survival in the city underneath the humans."
does this man sleep??
does this man sleep??
Want to Read
October 27, 2025Redwall in the blurb and it's about a noir detective Raccoon? I'll be there day one
Review of advance copy
i would say maybe closer to a 3.5 but otherwise a pretty good read!
Read
June 14, 2026It's about a raccoon private eye, which straight away should give you some idea whether it's for you. Not in that 'what if Richard Scarry, but edgy?' way which normally annoys me, though; this isn't an animal society which just somehow grew up like that, but one created by humans a few decades from now in an (implausibly) optimistic solarpunk future of sustainable cities, UBI, all that good stuff we could have if only the world weren't run by arseholes, which alas is surely the wildest of science fiction's many hypotheticals. Except someone still needs to empty the bins and do all the unappealing stuff, so in the margins of a human utopia exists a whole shadow world of Little Helpers, animals uplifted for various tasks with physical and neurological add-ons, but still needing regular doses of a drug called Plangent to keep the beast at bay. Except that, in ways their creators never envisaged, they've also ended up running all manner of scams and hustles to get by, to the extent of full-scale gang wars, but always aware that the work has to get done and the chaos kept behind the scenes, because nobody wants to break Rule One and draw human attention.
Now, obviously this begs nearly as many questions as the edgy Scarry approach, because as if you could have cities with talking raccoons collecting the rubbish and little bat engineers and people wouldn't be constantly following them around trying to take pictures of them being adorable while they're just trying to do their jobs. But it's a fun concept all the same, not a million miles from the recent Attenborough garden series with the human inhabitants of the houses cheerfully oblivious to the life and death struggles going on under their noses. And also a way to talk about abstractly philosophical SF concerns – what would a society look like with participants of such radically different origins, sizes, lifespans? Not to mention the social commentary side of the genre: it's cyberpunk in the margins of solarpunk, the street finding its own use for things, a lens on current humanity's acceptance of dog-eat-dog capitalism. Not that dogs get uplifted much, it turns out; there are believable-ish in-world reasons, though I suspect it's largely a case of Tchaikovsky not wanting to redo uplifts he's already covered in other books, meaning the main cast tend towards the sort of animals the internet considers a bit goblin: rats, pigeons, amphibians, a possum. Oh, and one mean stoatweasel, which particular hybrid name felt like a missed opportunity when 'ferret fatale' was right there. Though there are plenty of other nods and jokes at least that bad. Hell, when our deadbeat hero Skotch is first ensted to hunt down rodent genius Doctor Meece, even he can't help exclaiming "Seriously, this is what they're calling them now?"
There's plenty more groanworthy than that in store, though usually in a good way. The aspects at which I really cavil come one of them from hewing closely to the noir template, and one from not doing so. The former is that, once Skotch's search starts turning over rocks, of course bodies start dropping, and life is even cheaper here than in monochrome LA – but also more distressing, because humans buying the farm only tugs the heartstrings if I've been given some reason to care about a specific individual, but when it's cute little animals, that's a much harder blow by default (well, except maybe the squirrel armies; fuck those guys). In the other direction: noir, structurally, tends towards repetition. The gumshoe goes to a neighborhood, has a laconic exchange with someone who isn't telling the whole truth, gets accosted and threatened afterwards, repeat. Which is fine around 200 pages, where classic noir tends to sit, but starts to sag over 350+ like this. And yes, Tchaikovsky has a whole world to show us too, but even there it sometimes feels he could have reined himself in; the aforementioned stoatweasel and the cat character, for instance, do have nuances between them, but still feel like they're occupying much the same niche of elegant, unstoppable killer, and I think the story could have got by with one or the other. Still, I can mostly forgive the reluctance to kill any darlings, because even if it is a bit baggy and the big secret is guessable a mile off, there are loads of cute animals! And a raccoon PI protagonist!
(Netgalley ARC)
Now, obviously this begs nearly as many questions as the edgy Scarry approach, because as if you could have cities with talking raccoons collecting the rubbish and little bat engineers and people wouldn't be constantly following them around trying to take pictures of them being adorable while they're just trying to do their jobs. But it's a fun concept all the same, not a million miles from the recent Attenborough garden series with the human inhabitants of the houses cheerfully oblivious to the life and death struggles going on under their noses. And also a way to talk about abstractly philosophical SF concerns – what would a society look like with participants of such radically different origins, sizes, lifespans? Not to mention the social commentary side of the genre: it's cyberpunk in the margins of solarpunk, the street finding its own use for things, a lens on current humanity's acceptance of dog-eat-dog capitalism. Not that dogs get uplifted much, it turns out; there are believable-ish in-world reasons, though I suspect it's largely a case of Tchaikovsky not wanting to redo uplifts he's already covered in other books, meaning the main cast tend towards the sort of animals the internet considers a bit goblin: rats, pigeons, amphibians, a possum. Oh, and one mean stoatweasel, which particular hybrid name felt like a missed opportunity when 'ferret fatale' was right there. Though there are plenty of other nods and jokes at least that bad. Hell, when our deadbeat hero Skotch is first ensted to hunt down rodent genius Doctor Meece, even he can't help exclaiming "Seriously, this is what they're calling them now?"
There's plenty more groanworthy than that in store, though usually in a good way. The aspects at which I really cavil come one of them from hewing closely to the noir template, and one from not doing so. The former is that, once Skotch's search starts turning over rocks, of course bodies start dropping, and life is even cheaper here than in monochrome LA – but also more distressing, because humans buying the farm only tugs the heartstrings if I've been given some reason to care about a specific individual, but when it's cute little animals, that's a much harder blow by default (well, except maybe the squirrel armies; fuck those guys). In the other direction: noir, structurally, tends towards repetition. The gumshoe goes to a neighborhood, has a laconic exchange with someone who isn't telling the whole truth, gets accosted and threatened afterwards, repeat. Which is fine around 200 pages, where classic noir tends to sit, but starts to sag over 350+ like this. And yes, Tchaikovsky has a whole world to show us too, but even there it sometimes feels he could have reined himself in; the aforementioned stoatweasel and the cat character, for instance, do have nuances between them, but still feel like they're occupying much the same niche of elegant, unstoppable killer, and I think the story could have got by with one or the other. Still, I can mostly forgive the reluctance to kill any darlings, because even if it is a bit baggy and the big secret is guessable a mile off, there are loads of cute animals! And a raccoon PI protagonist!
(Netgalley ARC)
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