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Green City Wars
In a city of sunshine and secrets, the shadows belong to the animals.
In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ number one ‘Do Not Bother the Humans’. Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.
Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they're willing to kill for his secrets.
Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.
For those who loved John Scalzi's Starter Villain and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Service Model, Green City Wars is a crime-inspired adventure that will draw you deep into an incredible new world . . .
Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky
‘One of the best storytellers in the business’ – John Scalzi, author of Starter Villain
‘Delightful and very funny’ – New Scientist
In a solar-powered future, humans live in luxury, served by unseen Little Helpers – artificially enhanced animals who maintain their perfect green cities. The animals’ number one ‘Do Not Bother the Humans’. Yet beneath this tranquil facade, a complex underworld of animal politics, crime and conflict thrives.
Enter Skotch, a freelance raccoon investigator. His biggest problem was a lack of work. Now his work may get him killed. And his latest case? Finding a fugitive mouse scientist. But powerful forces are also after the mouse, and they're willing to kill for his secrets.
Can Skotch navigate this treacherous web, outsmart rat gangsters, beat a deadly weasel assassin and keep his pelt intact? More importantly, can he find his quarry before the elusive rodent breaks Rule One in the most apocalyptic way – and shatters their fragile world.
For those who loved John Scalzi's Starter Villain and Adrian Tchaikovsky's Service Model, Green City Wars is a crime-inspired adventure that will draw you deep into an incredible new world . . .
Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky
‘One of the best storytellers in the business’ – John Scalzi, author of Starter Villain
‘Delightful and very funny’ – New Scientist
Audible Audio
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Adrian Tchaikovsky
214 books19.5k 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 371 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.
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.
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.
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.
June 28, 2026
Fade into a private investigators office. Black and white. Smoky. Old timey Americana. The PI sits alone in his chair drinking coffee. This is Skotch. Skotch is a raccoon.
And this, is Green City Wars.
Green City Wars is nothing new. It is every single detective noir mystery thriller that has ever existed.
But there is one thing that makes it magnificent.
Every character is a sentient, bio-engineered animal.
Skotch, the down on his luck PI.
Benson, a company man, sorry, a company turtle.
Szerky, a stoatweasel enforcer killer.
And Doctor Meese, the scientist everyone is searching for.
And a host of other unique, personality strong animal characters.
This might sound like a cutesy, animal, fun free for all. But it isn’t. It’s a deep exploration of a deep rooted society that is engrained with classism, communism, worker rights and ethics, and warring political and theological perspectives.
It’s a book I read almost entirely in Sin City style, New York and Bostonian narration, all sepia and constant rain and moodiness.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s mind is amazing and his standalone stories are all so district that I cannot wait to read them when I find out he’s releasing another.
This one will genuinely leave you pondering the societal structures of our own working vs. ruling elite, and all’s I’ll say is that are we really that different to animals?
4.0/5.0
And this, is Green City Wars.
Green City Wars is nothing new. It is every single detective noir mystery thriller that has ever existed.
But there is one thing that makes it magnificent.
Every character is a sentient, bio-engineered animal.
Skotch, the down on his luck PI.
Benson, a company man, sorry, a company turtle.
Szerky, a stoatweasel enforcer killer.
And Doctor Meese, the scientist everyone is searching for.
And a host of other unique, personality strong animal characters.
This might sound like a cutesy, animal, fun free for all. But it isn’t. It’s a deep exploration of a deep rooted society that is engrained with classism, communism, worker rights and ethics, and warring political and theological perspectives.
It’s a book I read almost entirely in Sin City style, New York and Bostonian narration, all sepia and constant rain and moodiness.
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s mind is amazing and his standalone stories are all so district that I cannot wait to read them when I find out he’s releasing another.
This one will genuinely leave you pondering the societal structures of our own working vs. ruling elite, and all’s I’ll say is that are we really that different to animals?
4.0/5.0
June 30, 2026
Опис "нуар про єнота-приватного детектива" здається абсурдним, але у Чайковського ідея працює на всі сто, і хоча сюжет дещо прямолінійний, добре прописаний світ і персонажі плюс твіст наприкінці все компенсують на ура.
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 *
June 28, 2026
3.25
Green City Wars follows a P.I. racoon named Skotch who gets pulled into a game much larger than he ever imagined. He must find a mouse named Meece, but it seems that every animal in the city is also on the hunt for his query and not all of them want Meece alive.
It was fun to explore the strengths and weaknesses of all of the different types of animals who had been engineered to be Little Helpers and the ones that humans changed their minds about engineering. Also, seeing the politics unfold within the "undercity" was interesting, especially when learning of the reasoning behind different factions' actions.
Tchaikovsky always has an interesting way of making animals/non-human beings feel human while also highlighting what makes them uniquely different from humans. I feel in this story I was missing the journey of that process due to the nature of the animals already being altered to be more human. I'm not saying this element wasn't there at all, because it absolutely was, I just wasn't as enthralled with it as I usually am. Seeing the ways that humans manipulated these creatures to have certain instincts that weren't natural to them and how those instincts were sometimes forced to combat their actual natures was both fascinating and troubling. I think perhaps I wanted more of the backstory of these decisions and "undercities" being made. We got that in passing, but we didn't live it with the characters so the history seemed more distant than I would prefer.
I also didn't see a ton of detective work being done. We got a little bit of Skotch at the beginning using some past contacts to find some information, but otherwise it felt like he was being forced by circumstances to move from one location to the next with no real clues being found.
Overall, this story was entertaining. I had fun getting to know the main cast of characters and their adversaries as well as how the Little Helpers world worked. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing some short stories highlighting some of Skotch's past investigations and how he came to meet all of the characters we see within this story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for generously providing me with an early copy of this book. Their willingness to share the digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts is truly appreciated.
Green City Wars follows a P.I. racoon named Skotch who gets pulled into a game much larger than he ever imagined. He must find a mouse named Meece, but it seems that every animal in the city is also on the hunt for his query and not all of them want Meece alive.
It was fun to explore the strengths and weaknesses of all of the different types of animals who had been engineered to be Little Helpers and the ones that humans changed their minds about engineering. Also, seeing the politics unfold within the "undercity" was interesting, especially when learning of the reasoning behind different factions' actions.
Tchaikovsky always has an interesting way of making animals/non-human beings feel human while also highlighting what makes them uniquely different from humans. I feel in this story I was missing the journey of that process due to the nature of the animals already being altered to be more human. I'm not saying this element wasn't there at all, because it absolutely was, I just wasn't as enthralled with it as I usually am. Seeing the ways that humans manipulated these creatures to have certain instincts that weren't natural to them and how those instincts were sometimes forced to combat their actual natures was both fascinating and troubling. I think perhaps I wanted more of the backstory of these decisions and "undercities" being made. We got that in passing, but we didn't live it with the characters so the history seemed more distant than I would prefer.
I also didn't see a ton of detective work being done. We got a little bit of Skotch at the beginning using some past contacts to find some information, but otherwise it felt like he was being forced by circumstances to move from one location to the next with no real clues being found.
Overall, this story was entertaining. I had fun getting to know the main cast of characters and their adversaries as well as how the Little Helpers world worked. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing some short stories highlighting some of Skotch's past investigations and how he came to meet all of the characters we see within this story.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for generously providing me with an early copy of this book. Their willingness to share the digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts is truly appreciated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
July 13, 2026
Tchaikovsky cleverly combines science fiction with a detective noir narrative and plot. But with a twist: It features animals.
In a future where humans have finally got the greening of the Earth correct, they still need help in getting all the work done: trash removal, cooking, street cleaning, etc. If every person is living an idyllic life, who are you gonna get to take out the trash?
Humans selectively Uplift some animals to human sapience, but only those who are helpful in doing the chores that humans won't do. Small animals, that can live in the interstices of a city and not be observed. Rule One is that animals don't interact with humans - they just slip in and do chores at night or after hours.
Why do the animals tolerate this? Once they got a taste of human intelligence, they wanted to keep it, and only humans have the Plangent drug that animals regularly need or they'll slip back into their natural state.
Our first-person narrator (in fine noir tradition) is a raccoon named Skotch, who used to work for one of the animal employment guilds but has gone free-lance. He is hired to find a mouse, one particular mouse who, it seems, everyone else wants to either capture or kill, they can't make up their minds.
The plot is set and the chase is on. And what a chase it is! It involves rats, different factions of warring squirrels, a stoat assassin, a century-old tortoise, a badger, and one very talkative pigeon.
Tchaikovsky keeps the pot boiling with all the action, with Skotch seemingly the only one in the dark about what makes this mouse so special. The underlying social concept is that in a highly advanced technical society, whether green or not, someone still has to do the scut work, and humans are very good at finding Others to do it. And maintaining a hold over them.
Another creative and outstandingly compelling book by the ever-prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky!
In a future where humans have finally got the greening of the Earth correct, they still need help in getting all the work done: trash removal, cooking, street cleaning, etc. If every person is living an idyllic life, who are you gonna get to take out the trash?
Humans selectively Uplift some animals to human sapience, but only those who are helpful in doing the chores that humans won't do. Small animals, that can live in the interstices of a city and not be observed. Rule One is that animals don't interact with humans - they just slip in and do chores at night or after hours.
Why do the animals tolerate this? Once they got a taste of human intelligence, they wanted to keep it, and only humans have the Plangent drug that animals regularly need or they'll slip back into their natural state.
Our first-person narrator (in fine noir tradition) is a raccoon named Skotch, who used to work for one of the animal employment guilds but has gone free-lance. He is hired to find a mouse, one particular mouse who, it seems, everyone else wants to either capture or kill, they can't make up their minds.
The plot is set and the chase is on. And what a chase it is! It involves rats, different factions of warring squirrels, a stoat assassin, a century-old tortoise, a badger, and one very talkative pigeon.
Tchaikovsky keeps the pot boiling with all the action, with Skotch seemingly the only one in the dark about what makes this mouse so special. The underlying social concept is that in a highly advanced technical society, whether green or not, someone still has to do the scut work, and humans are very good at finding Others to do it. And maintaining a hold over them.
Another creative and outstandingly compelling book by the ever-prolific Adrian Tchaikovsky!
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.
July 7, 2026
I came so close to not finishing the audiobook, because it's hard to get interested with made-up words and terms and names and places and you're never quite sure what the narrator is saying at first.
The book does explain more as it goes, so I'm glad I gave it a little more time to settle into the story and be less confused.
That said, a lot of the world building and explanations are info-dumped right in the middle of conversations, actions, interactions, so that I'd start focusing on the world again and then say ... Wait what was happening?
Not that meeting all the animal gangs and learning about their social structure wasn't fun.
I was expecting a little more investigating from the P.I. aspect of the synopsis but it seemed like Skotch was mostly blown from one circumstance to the next with very little detecting or initiative of his own. He did do a couple of very clever things but the lack of free agency kind of plays into the lack of it which the animals experience in general.
The biggest strength is the different animals and their unique aspects and eccentricities. I did like now the narrator voiced everyone and gave the cast a lot of personality. Once the action started picking up I was a little more interested and enjoyed the back half of the book more.
The moral theme was interesting, and I love light up butts, but overall the whole thing just felt stretched a little thin, and I tend to love noir and books with animal characters. I'd recommend it to anyone interested still
The book does explain more as it goes, so I'm glad I gave it a little more time to settle into the story and be less confused.
That said, a lot of the world building and explanations are info-dumped right in the middle of conversations, actions, interactions, so that I'd start focusing on the world again and then say ... Wait what was happening?
Not that meeting all the animal gangs and learning about their social structure wasn't fun.
I was expecting a little more investigating from the P.I. aspect of the synopsis but it seemed like Skotch was mostly blown from one circumstance to the next with very little detecting or initiative of his own. He did do a couple of very clever things but the lack of free agency kind of plays into the lack of it which the animals experience in general.
The biggest strength is the different animals and their unique aspects and eccentricities. I did like now the narrator voiced everyone and gave the cast a lot of personality. Once the action started picking up I was a little more interested and enjoyed the back half of the book more.
The moral theme was interesting, and I love light up butts, but overall the whole thing just felt stretched a little thin, and I tend to love noir and books with animal characters. I'd recommend it to anyone interested still
June 28, 2026
Skotch is a racoon. A genetically enhanced, intelligent, freelancing racoon living off of whatever contracts he can get in the green city. Now there's a missing mouse who holds a secret, and Skotch has a black market contract to find this mouse. Skotch and the other genetically enhanced animals are engaged in all out war - loudly on each other and quietly against their human overlords - and they must follow the number one rule: don't let the humans see them.
While I had a lot of fun listening to Green City Wars, I also had mixed feelings overall. The tone of the book - which was an excellent level of snark - and the exploration of worldbuilding overpowered the relatively simplistic plot. It's clever and makes for a page turning/engaged listening experience, but left me wanting a little more. The worldbuilding takes the idea of artificial intelligence and applies it to enhanced animals rather than robots (robots being fairly well-explored in the genre already), and a post-apocalyptic reorganization of cities for humans and animals. While I would argue that the book is plot driven, the ideas of the book are stronger.
John Pirhalla narrates the audiobook, and brings life to all of the animal POVs for an overall fun listen. Pirhalla nails the snark, which I think is critical to enjoying this one.
Thank you to Tor for an eARC and MacMillan for an ALC. Green City Wars is out 6/23/2026.
While I had a lot of fun listening to Green City Wars, I also had mixed feelings overall. The tone of the book - which was an excellent level of snark - and the exploration of worldbuilding overpowered the relatively simplistic plot. It's clever and makes for a page turning/engaged listening experience, but left me wanting a little more. The worldbuilding takes the idea of artificial intelligence and applies it to enhanced animals rather than robots (robots being fairly well-explored in the genre already), and a post-apocalyptic reorganization of cities for humans and animals. While I would argue that the book is plot driven, the ideas of the book are stronger.
John Pirhalla narrates the audiobook, and brings life to all of the animal POVs for an overall fun listen. Pirhalla nails the snark, which I think is critical to enjoying this one.
Thank you to Tor for an eARC and MacMillan for an ALC. Green City Wars is out 6/23/2026.
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!
June 26, 2026
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. Unfortunately this book was 100% not for me.
I was expecting a humorous Rocket style raccoon P.I., but what I got was a late fifties boring man that likes to go on unending inner monologues about every aspect of the world, but in raccoon form. There was so much telling and very little showing done here and absolutely no humor.
This narration was a fight for my life. This narrator does excellent voices for his characters typically. He is extremely talented. However, I think because there were so many characters with dialogue, the voice he used for the inner thoughts of the main character was so monotone and robotic. This is the voice we have telling the majority of the story, which happens to be descriptive world building in the form of never ending inner monolgues. This turned something that should have been an interesting look into a societal hierarchy and it's flaws, into the most boring soliliquy I have ever listened to. I lost all interest in the mystery and the characters.
This could have been great, but I fear the writing style was just not conducive to this type of story.
I was expecting a humorous Rocket style raccoon P.I., but what I got was a late fifties boring man that likes to go on unending inner monologues about every aspect of the world, but in raccoon form. There was so much telling and very little showing done here and absolutely no humor.
This narration was a fight for my life. This narrator does excellent voices for his characters typically. He is extremely talented. However, I think because there were so many characters with dialogue, the voice he used for the inner thoughts of the main character was so monotone and robotic. This is the voice we have telling the majority of the story, which happens to be descriptive world building in the form of never ending inner monolgues. This turned something that should have been an interesting look into a societal hierarchy and it's flaws, into the most boring soliliquy I have ever listened to. I lost all interest in the mystery and the characters.
This could have been great, but I fear the writing style was just not conducive to this type of story.
July 1, 2026
First thanks to TOR for sending me this review copy! I really loved this whole book! Such a fun world filled with intelligent "varmints" also kinda funny dogs didn't really get to be super smart. I would love an animation of this story or a graphic novel. It feels built for that medium. One critique would be the over all length of this one. It didn't effect my overall rating but I feel like it could have been a little more compact? Anybody??
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.
June 24, 2026
A fun but disposable one-off, Green City Wars puts an inventive PG-13 gloss on the suddenly crowded Zootopia/Zootropolis “talking-animal near-future-noir” genre but never quite steps clear of its inspirations, settling for winking references and a competent Raymond Chandler impression over anything too original.
——————
That’s not to say Green City isn’t an enjoyable read; you can tell Tchaikovsky’s taken real delight in figuring out how to map the tropes and beats of classic detection fiction onto chirpy small animals, and it’s hard not to share the enthusiasm. Witty, punny details like ferret fatales or Tybelle, Princess of Cats pop up on almost every page, and I’m genuinely impressed at how Mr T has made the book’s loopy premise — hard-boiled genetically engineered service animals! Doing crimes! — feel self-consistent and even logical. The pages don’t always turn themselves, especially in the middle stretch, but the action is brisk and occasionally cinematic. Disney may never adapt it, but I expect Laika or some other indie animation outfit could make Green City into a great time at the movies.
Unfortunately, all the clever worldbuilding seems to have used up Tchaikovsky’s energy for plotting and characterization. Practically every animal we meet, even our protagonist, is a direct, two-dimensional riff on noir stock characters, pastiched into fur and feathers but otherwise straight from central casting. The MacGuffin-centric chase plot isn’t much fresher, and often seems to have been reverse-engineered to ensure our heroic raccoon gumshoe visits (or is abducted by) every possible variation on animal mobsters an inventive sci-fi author could think up. One visit to a murky subterranean lair to be threatened by rodent wiseguys could be considered a misfortune, follow-up trips to unionised amphibians, mad-scientist lab rats, corporate marsupials, militarised squirrels and deranged pigeons begins to feel like authorial carelessness.
Tchaikovsky’s thematic work is a bit more interesting, with the plight of his (invisible) service animals vaguely suggesting a kind of gig economy proletariat. There’s even an understandable hint of animal rebellion against their human makers, though the author takes pains to emphasise the system’s cruelty is the product of ignorance and inattentiveness rather than malign intent. Which raises an interesting implication that the dog-eat-dog competitiveness of Green City’s underworld is maybe just the “natural” state of affairs for animals (and humans alike?), but the go-go narrative doesn’t leave much time for overt philosophising.
Which is almost a pity, because Tchaikovsky can do out-and-out allegory really quite well, as demonstrated by the generally superior Service Model. Not only did that book at least gesture to the Big Questions raised by its (stupid) robot apocalypse, it managed to be just plain weird in a way Green City never really does, no matter how many cigar-smoking tortoises and toxoplasmosis cults it spins up. Something a little wilder would really hit the spot.
——————
That’s not to say Green City isn’t an enjoyable read; you can tell Tchaikovsky’s taken real delight in figuring out how to map the tropes and beats of classic detection fiction onto chirpy small animals, and it’s hard not to share the enthusiasm. Witty, punny details like ferret fatales or Tybelle, Princess of Cats pop up on almost every page, and I’m genuinely impressed at how Mr T has made the book’s loopy premise — hard-boiled genetically engineered service animals! Doing crimes! — feel self-consistent and even logical. The pages don’t always turn themselves, especially in the middle stretch, but the action is brisk and occasionally cinematic. Disney may never adapt it, but I expect Laika or some other indie animation outfit could make Green City into a great time at the movies.
Unfortunately, all the clever worldbuilding seems to have used up Tchaikovsky’s energy for plotting and characterization. Practically every animal we meet, even our protagonist, is a direct, two-dimensional riff on noir stock characters, pastiched into fur and feathers but otherwise straight from central casting. The MacGuffin-centric chase plot isn’t much fresher, and often seems to have been reverse-engineered to ensure our heroic raccoon gumshoe visits (or is abducted by) every possible variation on animal mobsters an inventive sci-fi author could think up. One visit to a murky subterranean lair to be threatened by rodent wiseguys could be considered a misfortune, follow-up trips to unionised amphibians, mad-scientist lab rats, corporate marsupials, militarised squirrels and deranged pigeons begins to feel like authorial carelessness.
Tchaikovsky’s thematic work is a bit more interesting, with the plight of his (invisible) service animals vaguely suggesting a kind of gig economy proletariat. There’s even an understandable hint of animal rebellion against their human makers, though the author takes pains to emphasise the system’s cruelty is the product of ignorance and inattentiveness rather than malign intent. Which raises an interesting implication that the dog-eat-dog competitiveness of Green City’s underworld is maybe just the “natural” state of affairs for animals (and humans alike?), but the go-go narrative doesn’t leave much time for overt philosophising.
Which is almost a pity, because Tchaikovsky can do out-and-out allegory really quite well, as demonstrated by the generally superior Service Model. Not only did that book at least gesture to the Big Questions raised by its (stupid) robot apocalypse, it managed to be just plain weird in a way Green City never really does, no matter how many cigar-smoking tortoises and toxoplasmosis cults it spins up. Something a little wilder would really hit the spot.
July 7, 2026
Adrian Tchaikovsky has a remarkable ability to take an outlandish premise and make it feel completely convincing. In Green City Wars, a society of bioengineered animals exists beneath the notice of humanity, and at the centre of it all is Skotch, a raccoon private investigator who finds himself caught up in a dangerous search for a missing mouse.
The opening is a little heavy on world-building, and it took me a while to get fully invested. Once everything clicks into place, though, this becomes a thoroughly entertaining noir adventure populated by talking animals, which is every bit as much fun as it sounds.
Each species has its own distinctive way of thinking, which gives the story much of its colour and charm. As ever, there are plenty of big ideas bubbling away beneath the surface, but the book never loses sight of telling an enjoyable story.
Not quite a new favourite, but another reminder of just how inventive Tchaikovsky can be.
Four stars. Let’s see what crazy idea Tchaikovsky cooks up next.
The opening is a little heavy on world-building, and it took me a while to get fully invested. Once everything clicks into place, though, this becomes a thoroughly entertaining noir adventure populated by talking animals, which is every bit as much fun as it sounds.
Each species has its own distinctive way of thinking, which gives the story much of its colour and charm. As ever, there are plenty of big ideas bubbling away beneath the surface, but the book never loses sight of telling an enjoyable story.
Not quite a new favourite, but another reminder of just how inventive Tchaikovsky can be.
Four stars. Let’s see what crazy idea Tchaikovsky cooks up next.
June 26, 2026
Green City Wars is a delightful and imaginative sci-fi almost-thriller that poses really deep questions in a way that feels fun instead of academic. It truly blew me away and I am so excited to read more by the author!
I listed to the audible version through NetGalley and really appreciate Macmillan Audio giving me the opportunity to read and review this story. The narration by John Pirhalla was exemplary and he worked magic depicting an entire cast of animal characters. I loved the characters themselves, but I think his ingenious vocal shifts helped to embody them in my mind as the various species. I am really glad I heard this one as an audio, but I also loved it so much I immediately ordered the hardcover too!
Set in an action packed dystopian future, bioengineered animals reliant on constant medication to keep their human-like intelligence do the work people would rather not do. It’s fun though because the “people” in the story are actually the animals themselves, with only fleeting glimpses of humans. This underground world (some of it literally below ground) is full of culture, commerce, and even crime syndicates! Every species has a role to play, but some of the individuals are stepping outside the lines and going rogue. Their individual personalities are so cleverly portrayed in ways that uphold and also challenge animal stereotypes. I really liked the nicknames they had for each other too!
Somehow, as fanciful and fun as this story was it also probed into important corners of class, economic, and cultural divides. This is a fascinating thought experiment on what happens when creatures of all kinds are given the opportunity to ponder the big questions. How would different species react? Does knowledge corrupt? What role do humans play in environment, and to what ends can we exploit other living species. On the other hand, what role could the animals play that we don’t recognize, and how do we limit their freedoms.
I am very impressed with everything: the structure, plot, characters, pacing, worldbuilding, psychological depth, all of it. Every page of this book delights me and makes me think.
I highly recommend it for whimsical intellectuals would love to sink into a really cool cyberpunk, sci-fi, noir detective mashup full of animals of all kinds… especially if they also want to think about big picture social, technological, and environmental concerns as science and technology speeds us into an unknown future.
I would not mind if I woke up in this world, and I am sure I’d love to meet Skotch!
I listed to the audible version through NetGalley and really appreciate Macmillan Audio giving me the opportunity to read and review this story. The narration by John Pirhalla was exemplary and he worked magic depicting an entire cast of animal characters. I loved the characters themselves, but I think his ingenious vocal shifts helped to embody them in my mind as the various species. I am really glad I heard this one as an audio, but I also loved it so much I immediately ordered the hardcover too!
Set in an action packed dystopian future, bioengineered animals reliant on constant medication to keep their human-like intelligence do the work people would rather not do. It’s fun though because the “people” in the story are actually the animals themselves, with only fleeting glimpses of humans. This underground world (some of it literally below ground) is full of culture, commerce, and even crime syndicates! Every species has a role to play, but some of the individuals are stepping outside the lines and going rogue. Their individual personalities are so cleverly portrayed in ways that uphold and also challenge animal stereotypes. I really liked the nicknames they had for each other too!
Somehow, as fanciful and fun as this story was it also probed into important corners of class, economic, and cultural divides. This is a fascinating thought experiment on what happens when creatures of all kinds are given the opportunity to ponder the big questions. How would different species react? Does knowledge corrupt? What role do humans play in environment, and to what ends can we exploit other living species. On the other hand, what role could the animals play that we don’t recognize, and how do we limit their freedoms.
I am very impressed with everything: the structure, plot, characters, pacing, worldbuilding, psychological depth, all of it. Every page of this book delights me and makes me think.
I highly recommend it for whimsical intellectuals would love to sink into a really cool cyberpunk, sci-fi, noir detective mashup full of animals of all kinds… especially if they also want to think about big picture social, technological, and environmental concerns as science and technology speeds us into an unknown future.
I would not mind if I woke up in this world, and I am sure I’d love to meet Skotch!
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