Bats of the Republic: An Illuminated Novel

by Zachary Thomas Dodson

 Bats of the Republic  features original artwork and an immaculate design to create a unique novel of adventure and science fiction, of political intrigue and future dystopian struggles, and, at its riveting core, of love.

     In 1843 Chicago, fragile naturalist Zadock Thomas falls in love with the high society daughter of Joseph Gray, a prominent ornithologist. Mr. Gray sets an impossible condition for their marriage—Zadock must deliver a sealed and highly secretive letter to General Irion, fighting one thousand miles southwest, deep within the embattled and newly independent Republic of Texas. The fate of the Union lies within the mysterious contents of that sealed letter, but that is only the beginning . . .
     Three hundred years later, in the dystopian city-state of the Texas Republic, Zeke Thomas has just received news of the death of his grandfather, an esteemed Chicago senator. The world has crumbled. Paper documents are banned, citizens are watched, and dissenters are thrown over the walls into "the rot." When Zeke inherits—and then loses—a very old, sealed letter from his grandfather, Zeke finds himself and the women he loves at the heart of a conspiracy whose secrets he must unravel, if it doesn't destroy his relationship, his family legacy, and the entire republic first.
     The two propulsive narratives converge through a wildly creative assortment of documents, books within books, maps, notes, illustrations, and more. Zach Dodson has created a gorgeous work of art and an eye-popping commercial adventure for the 21st century.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Dystopia, Mystery, Steampunk

448 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Zach Dodson co-founded Zach Dodson is the author of the illuminated novel Bats of the Republic (Doubleday, 2015) and former publisher at featherproof books where he designed many innovative and award-winning hybrid books. He co-founded the Visual Narrative Lab at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and runs a secret studio called Interactive Tragedy, Limited. There he’s recently released the game Sub-Verge along with companion novella Subtle Mind, and is working on KUU. A random selection of experiments can be seen at zachdodson.com.

Reviews

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book has a great moustache. Five stars.

[Jack Tripper · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a gorgeous-looking book this is, filled with cool illustrations, maps, astrological charts, hand-written letters and documents, newspaper clippings, etc.* But for me this novel felt more like I was studying for an exam than anything. While I liked some of the ideas presented within -- the stories within stories, time loops, and just all the historical adventure-meets-wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff in general -- I never felt connected to any of the characters at any point and never cared about what was happening.

I really need to stop falling for these gimmicky puzzle-type books (though I suppose I enjoyed House of Leaves well enough). It usually results in either heavy eyelids or a frustration-induced headache. Here, I made it to page 333, but I feel that's enough to justify giving it a rating. Definitely an A for presentation, though.

*I am intrigued by the sealed envelope near the end. But not enough to possibly tear it and damage my copy. That would be horrifying, even if I didn't care for the novel. It may be one I'd like to give another crack at in the future (No Jack, NO. Don't fall for it again).

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book nearly two hours ago, and yet there's no way I can stop reading about it. As I scoured the internet looking for clues and analyses, I skimmed through it again, searching for relevant pieces I'd forgotten. I re-examined the dust jacket (including with a mirror); I checked all the front-papers, and studied the map and character tree. Why haven't more people read this yet? My theories and I, we're waiting.

This kind of single-mindedness after finishing a novel is a delightfully rare occurrence for me -- which is fitting, since this is a delightfully rare book. The primary thread is a dystopian story, paired with a "novel of manners" and a collection of related epistolary artifacts. The artifacts, from maps and telegrams to family trees and drawings, are great fun, and Dodson ensured that they were critical, intriguing, and not disruptive -- just right.

The story weaves between different narrators of varying reliability, and the puzzles and mysteries transform into the critical pieces of the narrative. The clever construction is a masterful way to redirect and confuse; it was the most appealing part of the story to me, though I can see it not holding the same interest for everyone. While the dystopia seems familiar at first, it quickly becomes something unique, with the conventional plot patterns abandoned. The historical fiction sections are even more fun, an unexpected treat that livens and provides additional depth to the story. And then there's that letter...

While I would have appreciated more dimensions given to a few of the characters (maybe this deficiency is a hard requirement for dystopian stories?), this book got me in its grips so well that I didn't feel it was worth docking a full star. This isn't at the top of my 5-star range, but it will stick with me for a long time to come. Highly recommended, especially to those who enjoyed Night Film, epistolary novels, or the experimental side of literary.

p.s. If you don't feel mind-bended enough afterwards, just ask me and I can tell you a few things you may have missed (I originally did, and so did many reviewers) and then you'll be fully crunched.

WARNING – theories ahead, these are spoilers!

– First off, the letter that Zadock was meant to deliver is the one he wrote himself. This was the biggest shock to me, and took me until a while after I finished the entire book before I realized it. (this was when I started rereading a bunch of things)

– Next, I realized we don't actually have a canonical narrative. The narrative of Zeke and Eliza is actually from the book "The City-State". That's why it says "The City-State" in the margins of the page! (this one I discovered online)

– Either story could actually have taken place in either time! The technology of 2143 is very, very similar to the technology of 1843... because it was written before 1843!

– In some sense, the time periods the stories are set in are interchangeable. The pieces of 1843 Chicago that we see could have really taken place in 2143 Chicago, since we never see Chicago in the 2143 storyline. The reverse is also true; the City-State could really be a "fabled city" in 1843 that is ruined through the actions of the rebellion and wars.

– There are a small number of clues that indicate knowledge of post-1843 events and technology. These are, exclusively, (1) the space elevator and (2) the reference in Eliza's dad's notes to the Civic War that was coming. This seems to tell us that either Elswyth's mom really can see the future, or the 2143 narrative was written in that year. (Let me know if you come across others -- it might be a significant clue)

– There's talk of a "temporal loop" in some reviews. I suppose this somehow would mean that the 2143 version of Texas is returned to 1843, or Zadock is transported to 2143. But there are still two letters! And it does not help us answer anything, that's for sure.

– What's up with that map? The 1843 map of Texas shows much of Louisiana underwater, which seems like a post-apocalyptic thing to have happen.

– At the end of the story, it's like the author threw everything in a ball and deliberately prevented us from getting any type of conclusion. We don't have any idea what happens to any of our protagonists. We don't know what year it really is. We know the letter is useless, regardless of whether or not it is the same letter or not. We don't know what, if anything, is real.

– Perhaps that's part of the genius here... what's the use of an epistolary novel, a novel comprised of documents, if those documents may or may not have any connection to reality. Do those documents exist outside of the two main storylines? Are they included in the The City-State, which is a fictional work referenced as being complete in The Sisters Gray, even though they include things that Eliza will not discover until later in that book? It's quite a tangle.

– When it comes down to it, if you treat both narratives as existing in the same fictional universe, you just have a character from one novel discovering another novel by a contemporary author. Both novels could have just been written with the knowledge of the other novel. But this cheapens everything and I'd prefer not to think about it.

Let me know if you come across anything that seems to contradict any of the theories/thoughts I've listed above. I feel like I'm missing some central strand that makes sense of all of this – it's happened before – but I can't find anything online that would point me in that direction.

[El]

Some guy on the bus is reading this and he looks like an okay guy, so why not?

Also dystopia. Yes.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a physically beautiful object, and the author makes creative use of an assortment of documents, books within books, maps, notes, illustrations, and more to tell two stories set about 300 years apart. The only problem is that all the beautiful packaging is only skin deep. The writing is not compelling, the characters are uninteresting, and while I enjoyed the setting of stories within stories, and how it is tough to tell which is the present time, and how time folds back on itself, I did not care one whit about the characters and their issues, and found this one a bit of a slog to get through. Too bad really, because this is a physically lovely object, and for that fact alone it gets an additional star.

[karen]

i read about 150 pages of this, but with all the ephemera and inserts and doo-dads, i think i'm going to pause it for now and wait for the real deal to come out in october. i feel like it will be better experience to enjoy it as a finished product than as an ARC.

[Holly Leigher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beautiful book, beautiful colors, beautiful type, nice artwork... a dystopia whose sole quality was that it was a dystopia.

[AmberBug com* · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.shelfnotes.com review
Dear Reader,

The fun I had with this book! It reminded me of my time as a kid reading a 'choose your own adventure' book. It was borderline mixed media - not many loose leaf breadcrumbs or anything out on the www to connect to the pages. The art, though! Brilliant. I loved the feel, look and touch of this book. The spine was velvet lined (which ended up filled with cat/dog fur by the time I was finished). Have you seen this Author by the way? Check him out (pic to the right). He's as wacky as his book, and that moustache is FANCY! Speaking of mustaches, there are a few moustached characters - very distinguished gentlemen.



Let me get to the book... what an adventure. I haven't had this much fun reading in a long time. "Bats" is chock full of MAPS (Love maps), letters (LOVE letters, history (yeah, history is cool), and the future (o0oo so very sci-fi, love that too). It is unlike anything I've ever read but at the same time reminded me of quite a few books I've read... if that makes sense. I was reminded of George Orwell's "1984", the future is controlled very similarly. I also got hints of Mark Z. Danielewski and the multi-colored text. Although, I couldn't find a strong distinction as to why the text was colored differently (where as Danielewski has purpose for everything he does funky in his books). If anyone found a connection, please share it with me! Anyways, this book goes back and forth in time (no middle here) between 1843 & 2143, both centering around Texas and Chicago. To try and explain the states in the future would ruin the surprise but let's just say Texas isn't just Texas and Chicago isn't just Chicago. The future is very sterile, a little bleak but with control and order. The past is just that... the past (but chock full of rich and exciting history). The surprising thing is that I didn't connect well with the main characters from the future, or even the main character from the past. My favorite storyline/character was within the sisters and the book within a book. Something about it reminded me a little of "Pride and Prejudice" with courtships and strong-willed females. I told you this book has many reminiscent moments towards some great classics. I wonder if the Author did this on purpose?


So, we are left with the one burning question... should you read this book? Well, do what I did... crack the spine and feel the eyes of the bat staring into your soul... telling you to read this book. Yep, THAT'S what hooked me from the start... the bats!

If the bats don't get you... the snakes will.

I promise you that you'll embark upon an adventure like no other, filled with beautiful drawings and imaginative storylines. You will want to find out how it ends.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

[Tandava Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having an actual sealed envelope marked "Do Not Open" at the back of the book was hugely intriguing, and I always love the idea of creatively constructed/illustrated books. But unfortunately the story itself just wasn't all that great. I could never work out how the life stages system between the city states could be a reasonable idea, and that was distracting a lot of the time. And there seemed to be an awful lot of writing and paper going around in a society that had supposedly banned all that. I couldn't get very attached to Zeke, who mostly just seemed to be a guy who takes laudanum and doesn't want to be a senator. The folks in the 1843 portion of the story were a bit better. And the sealed envelope was just disappointing. We never learned what was actually in it (which should have been interesting, since the Auspices thought it was important, right?) and it just had basically the last chapter. Which could have been done just as a regular last chapter.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

What a weird and wonderful novel! I requested a review copy based solely on seeing the "An Illuminated Novel" subtitle, and didn't even know what it was about until I received it! "Bats of the Republic" is a back and forth and twisting and turning narrative between an amateur naturalist in the 1843 Republic of Texas and a Senator's heir in a 2143 dystopian steam-powered Republic of Texas.

Throw in a dash of mysticism and oodles of maps, notes, letters, transcripts, naturalist sketches, and even portions of another novel, and this became exactly the book I didn't know I needed right now!

There are a few twists, some that I saw coming (including perhaps the ~big~ one), and plenty of action for a novel of this format.

Should appeal to fans of Danielewski and "S." but is much more lucid than either.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this... uniquely written book. I hesitate to say story because it really is a collection of several that mirror, echo, and contain each other. I have a feeling a lot of people would hate this book. It is written in a variety of ways: hand written notes, personal letters, straightforward prose, secret police transcripts, and books within books; very post-modern in structure. There are also some wonderful drawings in this book that add nicely to the setting and the characters.

So there are a few main threads of the story: a dystopian future Texas city state, a book about a mid-19th Century Chicago family, letters between a man and his daughter that he has been separated from for decades, and letters between the possible ancestor of a Texas character and his love (who was a member of that Chicago family). The events of the mid-19th century and the future dystopia show many parallels to the point where I sort of got the impression of an Ouroboros:



Was the Dystopian story actually a book written in the 19th century or was the 19th Century book but a work of fiction hat existed in the Dystopian future? Given the vagaries of time and the seemingly supernatural abilities of some characters it could be both or neither. It can get a bit confusing but the story does a good job sweeping you up and moving you forward. The world building was superb, both in the past and future, and the characters felt very vibrant.

Also, I must say, the book is gorgeous. Great pictures, each different story thread was done up in a unique visual style, there were some excellent information supplements that felt very natural in the flow of the story further deepening the world of the story. But the best part was the package. In the story this package was essential to both the future and past timeline. AND IT WAS PHYSICALLY INCLUDED AT THE END OF THE BOOK, SEALED AND ALL!!!!!! So when I got there I got to open it up and read the ever so important contents of it.

This book is by no means for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and appreciated the risks the writer took to tell this unique and imaginative story.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5.
I almost feel like the object is too beautiful - or that it is beautiful to a fault. It's so painstakingly crafted that it feels, at times, like a grad school presentation, one of those innovative book-redesigns you see on Tumblr sometimes that make for an instant reblog but aren't real; they just serve as a calling card for aspiring young designers. The novel itself is tremendously uneven, to the point of sometimes being cringe-inducing... and yet, also, to the occasional point of being not just a great pastiche but a great entity in and of itself. I'm not one to knock someone for ambition, but I can't help thinking that this book was always going to promise more than its innards could actually live up to. It became a slog very early on and even when it picks up, towards the end of the middle third, it isn't enough to redeem - because, ultimately, the beauty of the physical storytelling is trying to hard to distract from the flaws of the literal storytelling. And I'll always want it to be the other way around.


More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2016/01...

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

For starters, I should make it known that I don’t read sci-fi (ever), steampunk (ever), and rarely read dystopian. And some have called this story metafiction – something I also don’t dabble in.

My draw to the novel was multi-faceted though: 1) in addition to the above genres, this book includes a parallel historical story – my thing! 2) It includes bats – also my thing! (I have participated as a ‘citizen-scientist’ in a nectar-eating bat study over the past 5 years… So I was happy to see the Mexican Long-Tongued bat show up in this book) 3) It was sold as “an illuminated novel” – which meant I just needed to know what that was all about.

Illuminated meant the story was told in an untraditional format: with lovely sketches (drawn by the author; letters, telegrams, users’ manuals, fold-out maps, photographs, a novel-within-a-novel (all designed by the author, who has a graphic design background); an honest-to-goodness silky bookmark sewn into the spine; and an actual envelope inserted into the book and marked “DO NOT OPEN,” with a letter inside. I mean … what? … you tell someone ‘do not’ and what do they want to do? Open it! (I waited – to open the envelope – though).

All of these elements resulted in a truly unique reading/story experience for me – all of which kept me flipping pages, despite my lack of familiarity with two of the genres represented here. It was easy to pick up where you left off (interestingly, the story felt very much like the ‘sound byte’ experience we have these days … where we receive small bits of info on our cells phones, bits of info on the internet, bits of info on the news. Info, info, everywhere. The format felt, perhaps, well suited to millennials and younger who might be more open to experimental fiction and that sound byte kind of pacing).

I have to admit that I was dazzled that the author could piece together all of these different elements into a cohesive dual story told not only with words, but with complementary visuals. That takes talent and was enough to keep me reading and thinking things like, “Wow – I’m amazed at how different it feels to read a handwritten letter vs. the same content typed out (This was the case with many of the written historical letters. The opposite page would feature the same handwritten letter, only typed).” And, as a fellow southwestern desert dweller, I was tickled by the drawings of the very critters in my own back yard: bats (of course), roadrunners, Gila monsters, jack rabbits, etc.

And yet … while the writing was often melodic, or simple (depending on the character … another great testament to the author’s abilities), and while I related to Zadock’s empathy for animals/the natural world, the dual story—in the end – I’m afraid, was lost on me. I’ve come to realize that I tend to be more of a “literal” reader. And while I appreciate picking out metaphors and thematic elements in books (and think I do a pretty good job of identifying them), mind-bending fiction … well… it bends my mind too much… Or maybe I just wasn’t smart enough to ‘get’ this book. I’m convinced I participated in a literary experience that was great and created by a truly creative mind.

So while I’m still not sure I understand the end of the book, and the circularity of the two stories, I am still happy to have read it. (I found the letter-in-the-envelope and the way you were instructed to twist it – and the parallels to the mathematician’s Möbius strip – interesting).

With all that said – and as many others have echoed – the story is worth reading for all of the above reasons. I was engaged, entertained, and needed something ‘different’ in my reading line-up. This nontraditional form of storytelling was truly something to behold – from the incredible jacket cover (printed front and back) to the sheer HEFT of this book. The stock of the book’s front and back flap feels like dense wood; the paper is thick; the book is printed in three different colors. It’s just a truly unique specimen in its own right (perhaps the ‘meta’ part of metafiction)? I’m not sure how someone reading this on an e-reader could possibly have the same tactile experience?

The recommendation? I say give it a go if you are interested in sci-fi/steampunk/historical fiction; if you want to try something experimental; if you appreciate true artistry; if you like nature; if you enjoy dual stories; if you like to stretch your brain. I will continue to ponder this book’s ending. Will report back if I have any epiphanies!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s almost impossible to review this without spoiling the sense of discovery that is so important for this story to succeed. The book itself is a beautiful artifact that adds to the enjoyment of the reading experience but you need to pay attention. The narrative switches from a 19th century novel and a steampunk future dystopia with asides and tangents aplenty. Finishing the book I was left wrestling with an abundance of “plot holes” for lack of a better word that may have simply been a result of inattention on my part. Or maybe I’m just missing the point entirely.

Despite finishing the book frustrated, I nonetheless find myself thinking about it incessantly and wanting to talk about it which is perhaps greater proof of it’s value. And while I’d say that the conceit and subsequent payoff don’t work for me, it was an entirely compelling journey to get there.

Sorry for the oblique and somewhat contradictory review but I think there’s value in discovering this one for yourself …then hit me up and tell me what’s real.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darn it all to heck. I wanted to like this book so much!

It's GORGEOUSLY designed, with maps, drawings, transcripts, and even a sealed envelope containing a mysterious letter! AND a ribbon bookmark! It's booklover crack! But so much time was spent on the design, the story seems to have been allowed to fall by the wayside. I got to the end and realized that it MADE NO SENSE. It was one of those Emperor's New Clothes situations, where I think, am I just terribly stupid, or did this actually not work? There's a book within the book, within the book, you see. But which one is real? Are they all real? Or all fiction? THROW ME A FREAKING BONE, MAN!

I am disappoint.

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite the experience. Two eras of a troubled Texas, 300 years apart, one in the past and one in the future. Both of them may be fictional. There might be time travel? Definitely time cycles. And bats. Bats are awesome.

I got an ARC of this book due to librarian superpowers. I can't wait to buy a copy in October - I bet it will be beautiful. I can't recommend this book enough. Buy it for yourself. Buy it for your library (librarians). I think this will be the sort of book that will show you something new every time you read it. I look forward to reading it again.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Much creativity but dreadful writing and definitely bit off more than he could chew. My first foray into steam punk, and perhaps my last. Full review to come when time permits, but I respected the ambition while longing to stop reading.

Edit: I understood that this book required more graphic involvement (maps, illustrations, facsimile handwriting) than could be done with my Kindle, so I read it on the Kindle app for iPad which has far better graphics. Still though, as this book is (apparently) at least as much about the beauty of a physical object as it is about being a novel per se, I assume, based on other reviews, that I missed much of the experience. I would caution those serious about this book to get a hard copy.

Other than that there is not much more to add other than that the writing was as hideously stilted as the drawings were loving and artful. There is an apparently circular time travel story here involving at least 4 interwoven narratives, and I might speculate that careful study might reveal more in terms of the meaning of this book and what the various breadcrumbs are leading us to. I was sufficiently put off by the bad writing, clumsy characterization and vaguely bro-ish steampunk vibe that I didn't invest the time.

[Kimberly [Come Hither Books] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bats of the Republic is a beautifully constructed book. With naturalist style drawings, color used throughout the layout, and the inclusion of letters and documents, you'll have trouble not picking it up. If you also like experimental storytelling and are open to a mix of genres (historical/mystical and dystopian, to be precise), you'll enjoy it.

I did not. At first, the eclectic mix was a jigsaw to piece together. Characters in different time periods track down/deliver the same letter. The production quality makes it enjoyable to read, and curiosity kept me going. But over time, the rambling plot wore me down and I just wanted to be done.

Enough that I thought I was done and started thinking of recommendations. Three days later, I started the review and realized I had twenty pages left, forgotten. I forced my way through; the ending did not provide redemption. Detracting another star since I forgot I was reading it. :/

Recommended if you have:
* a passion for experimental storytelling
* an appreciation for well-made, beautiful books
* a high tolerance for vague, wandering plots

If you like Bats of the Republic, try:
   
A Natural History of Dragons - Beautiful illustrations accompany the memoirs of a dragon naturalist
S. - J.J. Abrams makes even a library book meta
Cloud Atlas - An elaborately constructed set of disconnected, yet oddly tied together stories

Breakdown:
Genre: Historical fiction, naturalist travelogue, dystopian, mysticism, experimental fiction
Magics/Tech: unexplained mysticism, vaguely steam-powered future tech
Setting: 1843 Texas Republic; future dystopian Texas
Protags: straight white men

[Snakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ekes out a fifth star by being so surprising. Several different dystopian narratives wander along and then converge. The recommendation for this novel was an Amazon "We thought you might like this book." I knew nothing of this book, this author, or this story before jumping into it. So I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out being much much better than I had anticipated. Definitely among the top 3 books I've read this year. I'll be looking for this author's next book.

[Luana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

Temo che questo giudizio sia un po' troppo severo, ma purtroppo ho passato più tempo a controllare quante pagine mancavano alla fine piuttosto che godermi la lettura. Dal punto di vista estetico, c'è poco da dire: cinque stelline sarebbero davvero poche per questo stranissimo libro, ma il contenuto lascia non poco a desiderare. Oltre al fatto che (e probabilmente sono idiota io) non sono nemmeno sicura di aver capito dove voleva andare a parare l'autore.
Di fatto la lettura di questo romanzo "illuminato" si è divisa in tre fasi: un inizio terribilmente noioso, una parte centrale che mi ha discretamente catturata e un finale assolutamente incomprensibile. Lettere, report, stralci di un romanzo, disegni, mappe e inserti vari sono alla base della struttura e della trama di questo romanzo che si svolge su due piani temporali diversi - 1843 e 2143 - e mette in relazione un giovane e un suo vecchio antenato. Zeke Thomas, nipote di un senatore e membro di una famiglia importante, vive in un mondo segnato da un evento devastante che viene chiamato il Collasso e che ha distrutto l'umanità: degli Stati Uniti d'America è rimasto poco e nulla, se non sette città-stato rinchiuse in mura che impediscono qualsiasi contatto con il mondo esterno e in cui la vita dei cittadini viene rigidamente regolata in base a un ciclo legato alle diverse fasi della vita (una città per i bambini, per quelli che devono trovare un/a compagno/a, per gli sposati con figli e così via, oltre ad un luogo appositamente dedicato ad "ospitare" diversi). Peraltro, Zeke e Eliza (la sua compagna) si trovano a vivere in Texas in quello che sembra essere un regime decisamente oppressivo (non si sa se lo stesso accada anche altrove), dove tutti vengono tenuti costantemente sotto controllo e dove manipolare le informazioni è cosa quotidiana (la storia di questo luogo in cui viene conservata copia di qualsiasi tipo di documento - libri ma anche comunicazioni private - è stata una delle cose più interessanti). In questo contesto difficile, Zeke si ritrova a essere scelto come successore del nonno per occupare il seggio in Senato destinato alla famiglia Thomas: tra le varie cose che riceve in eredità da questa investitura, c'è anche una misteriosa lettera che non è mai stata aperta da nessuno dei suoi predecessori e che sembra essere stata tramandata da un vecchio antenato vissuto nel XIX secolo, Zadock Thomas. Purtroppo questa strana lettera finirà per fare gola ad un sacco di persone pericolose pronte a tutto pur di accaparrarsi il potere; il fatto inoltre che in giro per la città ci sia un fantomatico assassino che prende di mira giovani donne sole non fa che accrescere la tensione e finirà per mettere nei guai il nostro protagonista, facendo di lui un ottimo capro espiatorio. La trama viene completata dalle lettere di Eliza (è interessante anche il fatto che alle persone non sia consentito in casa il materiale per scrivere, cosa di cui la nostra protagonista finirà per fregarsene alla grande), dai resoconti lasciati dal padre di lei (che era stato costretto ad abbandonare diversi anni prima la figlia) e dalla trascrizione di alcune conversazioni registrate. Non mancano discussioni su un fantomatico gruppo di ribelli e disertori pronti a rovesciare le autorità in carica.

A fare da contraltare alla narrazione di Zeke, c'è tutto il filone narrativo ambientato nel 1843: infatti, seguiamo Zadock Thomas nel suo viaggio per raggiungere il Texas (impegnato nella guerra contro il Messico e non troppo entusiasta all'idea di entrare a far parte degli Stati Uniti) e consegnare una lettera importantissima, affidatagli dal padre della donna di cui è innamorato (che vuole palesemente levarselo di torno in quanto troppo squattrinato per ambire alla mano della fanciulla), al generale Irion. Le lettere che scrive alla sua bella si accompagnano ai suoi disegni delle specie animali più interessanti che trova sulla sua strada. A completare questo piano temporale ci sono gli estratti di una sorta di romanzo che racconta le vicende delle sorelle Gray, Elswyth (la bella di Zadock) e Louisa. Di fatto ci sono diversi rimandi tra le vicende di Zeke e Zadock, eppure il legame di sangue tra i due non è poi così certo...

Fin qui tutto bene...ma poi sono iniziati i problemi:
- innanzitutto, non ho nemmeno ben capito cosa dovrebbe contenere questa lettera...anche perché il contenuto originale non viene mai riportato, ma solo quello che ci scrive Zadock dietro, raccontando la sua strana avventura finale;
- non so bene se i pipistrelli hanno per caso qualche valore simbolico (soprattutto la storia dei pipistrelli bianchi);
- l'Auspicium: ma che roba è? Una banda di donne che trafficano con l'alchimia e pozioni varie che gli permettono di fare cose molto strane...ma francamente non saprei bene come interpretarlo. Si parla sempre dell'importanza del sangue, del destino e amenità varie, ma non ho veramente capito che ruolo giocano nella vicenda (update: caspita ho appena letto una teoria interessante...le prime a far parte dell'Auspicium sono le sette sorelle Gray e sette è anche il numero di senatori nel 2143. Che ci sia un collegamento?)
- ma quel finale stile fantascienza/roba paranormale/viaggi nel tempo/buchi dimensionali? Sono perplessa...Di sicuro le due storie finiscono per fondersi l'una con l'altra e vien da chiedersi se uno dei due filoni non sia pura fiction (dopotutto la madre di Elswyth aveva scritto una sorta di romanzo chiamato "The City-State" in cui sembra anticipare alcuni avvenimenti che riguardano il futuro delle figlie...e non dimentichiamo che spesso la narrazione di Zadock viene messa in dubbio, considerata a tratti il frutto di un'allucinazione).

In linea generale, non mi sono affezionata a nessuno dei personaggi, ero giusto interessata a sapere cosa c'era in questa fantomatica lettera: diciamo che questo è stato un esperimento, neanche troppo riuscito. Temo che queste narrazioni tutte strane non facciano molto per me.

[Stephanie Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stunning piece of art. A very complicated story with so many similar names. Ultimately I was disappointed with the ending.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really beautiful book. Epistolary, with each document being presented in a different way. Lots of illustrations throughout. Way more novels need to be presented in this way instead. I'd seek out more books designed by Dodson.

Unfortunately I found the story to unravel very slow and the plot didn't engage me. I ended up skimming through reading a bit here and there, looking at the artwork, trying to figure out the mystery without slogging through the whole thing.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to be disgruntled and give this book a 2 star review. I had high hopes for it - I tend to like books with lots of fun drawings and pictures. And it was interactive! And had a cool string bookmark thing like all old books used to have. I didn't have to dog ear my library copy once! However, for all the window dressing this book did just not do it for me. The plot, while interesting at the onset fell super flat. I don't think the world building was done very well and while there was improvement in the writing/plot in the 1843 sections of the book the letters that Thomas wrote + the sketches of the various wildlife were snooze inducing by the end. By the end I was just skimming and for me, that's not the sign of a good book. When I opened the "letter" at the end, I was hoping for some big reveal but really, nothing. And was I supposed to fold it some weird way to get something else out of it? Bah, whatever. I give up! Just give me words on a page - I don't need all this frou frou!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huh. Well. I loved this book as I was reading it. Absolutely LOVED. But I am forced to remove a star because, upon finishing it, I'm not sure I completely understood what it was I'd just read. I don't know if I just didn't read deeply enough, or if some of the things in which I was most interested were deemed unimportant by the author (that map of the US! Louisiana! Florida! greyhounds? what?!), or what but yeah, GREAT book but not entirely satisfied with how it ended. Or ... what that even was, that book I just read. I guess I need things spelled out to me a little more plainly. (Infinity loops? WHAT?!) I still recommend it, mostly because I need one of my friends to read it and then explain it to me, please. (Grapes? RAISIN? WHAT?!)

[Tudor Ciocarlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

No book can ever get more meta than this. I've loved it's circularity and the way it made me think about books and fiction. I love the books that need paper in order to be read because it means that something very special awaits me regarding it's form and content. And Bats of the Republic certainly is too gorgeous, too complex and too layered, to exist in any other format but paper, at least for the time being.

[Matthew Catania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those endings sure were cop-outs!

[Will Manuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried too hard. Too weird. Too confusing. Like some drunk person tried to write a Texas version of Twelve Monkeys.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ehhh... 3 or 4 stars... I could go either way. On one hand, there isn't really anything quotable (sometimes the author seems to be aiming for the opposite as with the old-timey lovers writing god-awful sonnets to each other) and the story arc doesn't truly feel compelling or complete.

On the other hand, it's a wonderfully weird and addictive book that had me paging back and forth between text, diagrams, drawings, maps and such. There are many mysteries contained: such as 'when the text has gone through such lengths to include only green, brown, black and white as the books' colors - even using brown for US, Mexican and Texan flags in lieu of red - why is the bookmark sky blue?' or 'WTH are the green texts and bat marks ^^ ^^ supposed to mean in the The City-State sections?' but perhaps most pressing: what happened in between the years of the telling of the parallel story lines?

Dodson blends fact and fiction in a twisted manner so historical records are suspected to be works of speculative sci-fi and recorded novels are suspected to be true oracles of the future. Meanwhile, he pulls in Texan history and mythology, his own family tree for character references and two story lines about the same people 300 years apart that should each inform the other (or the reader rather) about what is happening. Throw in some loose Greek and Native American mythology plus a few monsters and voila! Meanwhile, I'm still not really sure why the titled bats even appear in one of the storylines. Will I read it again? ummm... probably not. Does it have the depth of background and allusion to inspire obsessive research and conspiracy-story level intrigue about what everything means?... nope. not really. But it was fun. It was entertaining. It's better written than a ton of Lovecraft or P.K. Dick stuff (both of which it imitated at times) so I feel that Bats' creative energy is going to keep expanding past this publication. And that either tells you if you should read it or not. I would recommend you do so.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format is brilliantly creative with all the handwritten letters, excerpts from old books, drawings, and transcripts of conversations.
There are two parallel stories that take place in 1843 and 2143, and those plot lines were interesting.
I liked the historical references in 1843 and how the author inserted his character into that time period. His use of language from that era was excellent.
I also enjoyed the Steampunk travel methods and weaponry in 2143, as well as his the author's vision of the post-apocalyptic world of seven city-states.
However, the book is about 500 pages long, and eventually I wanted to be more directly involved with the characters, rather than reading their letters or reading about what they were doing in other people's letters or in transcripts of conversations.
I think I understood the ending, but I'm not sure.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just... I can't. It's beautiful, but the writing just didn't do it for me and after awhile I got sick of trying.