The Feral Colony

by Chad Duerksen

374 pages, Paperback

Published November 20, 2025

Reviews

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I am a simple woman. When it comes to rescue cats (having so many of my own), I am an absolute sucker. When it comes to horror, I am also an absolute sucker. Putting the two things together means that I am 100% locked in for something, no excuses, no exceptions. You’ve never seen me hit an ARC request button so quick in my life.

‘The Feral Colony’ felt like such a new and refreshing take on a zombie apocalypse story. We’ve seen a lot of things before in the genre, but a colony of cats forming a tiny army? Not so much. I was so invested in all the cats, and some of the events (without spoiling anything) will tear your heart into tiny little pieces.

I do think that there could have been a bit more information about the zombie apocalypse, and why it happened this time, but it’s hard to assign that level of responsibility to a bunch of cats in terms of understanding it. They react to it, and they react to it realistically, and with heart.

The characterisation of all the cats was great, and the way that the main character, Laura, handles them is fantastic. I wanted to know literally everything about the cats, and the lore is always the coolest thing with rescues!

I do feel like towards the end it got a little beyond belief, but hey, that’s kind of the nature of zombie apocalypses as a whole. The author’s section at the end detailing the inspiration for all of the cats was also probably my absolute favourite thing as well!

[Janet Halsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The zombie apocalypse but told by cats.

A fast moving virus runs rampant through the human race turning humans into blood thirsty humanimals. This zombie apocalypse story is told from the point of view of a band of cats that have formed a feral colony. Charlie, Bella, Lily, and others are just trying to survive away from the crazy humans that have turned into monsters. Wary of all humans, their cat colony try to find a home they can call their own, when they run into a human girl who has not turned into a zombie. Can they trust her with their lives or are they better off completely cutting out humans forever?

Feral Colony is a brutal zombie story full of gore. The fight scenes between the cats and the zombies are comical but surprisingly tense. I felt my heart pounding with each slash of claws, hoping my favorite cats would make it out alive. This book doesn't hold back it's punches. I flew through this book and can't wait for the sequel to come out. I loved in the author's notes to find out the cats in the story were based off the author's real-life cats. We even get to see pictures of each one. Surprisingly really loved this book and recommend if you're a fan of the zombie genre.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Kim Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

In no time at all, you will find yourself not only invested in but also rooting for this unlikely crew of feisty feline warriors and the human who befriends them. Imagery abounds throughout the ongoing action and heartwarming/heartbreaking journey. This is a story of trust, sacrifice, acceptance, loss, community, resilience, and hope ---‐ something for everyone.

[Lili Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting cats and flesh-craving humanimals... I did not expect to fall so in love with all the kitty characters and the found family aspect of this book. Wonderful mix of post-apocalyptic battles for life against gruesome horrors, with tender community building and support systems. This book released on November 20, 2025. Thank-you, 21 Chieftans Press and Chad Duerksen, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I'm not a big horror fan so perhaps that was why I couldn't get into this book. It felt very sterile in terms of character development and I didn't really feel that the cats were depicted as cats so much as an animals. I could have substituted dog or hamster in there, less the claws in battle. The people were caricatures of middle American stereotypes.

Admittedly, a lot of the stories and violence felt gratuitous rather than organic or part of a good story. it was more for shock value then a gripping POV of an apocalypse. I ended up not finishing at 50%. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[John Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chad Duerksen's debut novel isn't only about the horrors that await when society breaks down, but the inherent strengths of friendship and loyalty to survive. Our world needs heroes like Laura Swann and her courageous feline companions to remind us such traits are what we should be striving for. A powerful morality tale and a satisfying, fun read!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chad's writing style is phenomenally descriptive. Reading The Feral Colony truly feels like watching a film play out in your head. It was incredibly easy to bond with the characters and their stories. Each twist pulled on my emotions and kept me invested. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian thriller vibes and of course cats too!