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Hollow Kingdom #2
Feral Creatures
MOST ANTICIPATED by Bustle • "Sci-Fi Thriller" recommendation from Buzzfeed • An Indie Next Pick
In this stunning follow-up to Hollow Kingdom and Seattle Times / Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association bestseller , the animal kingdom's "favorite apocalyptic hero" is back with a renewed sense of hope for humanity, ready to take on a world ravaged by a viral pandemic (Helen Macdonald).
Once upon an apocalypse, there lived an obscenely handsome American crow named S.T. . . .
When the world last checked-in with its favorite Cheeto addict, the planet had been overrun by flesh-hungry beasts, and nature had started re-claiming her territory from humankind. S.T., the intrepid crow, alongside his bloodhound-bestie Dennis, had set about saving pets that had become trapped in their homes after humanity went the way of the dodo.
That is, dear reader, until S.T. stumbled upon something so rare—and so precious—that he vowed to do everything in his power to safeguard what could, quite literally, be humanity's last hope for survival. But in a wild world plagued by prejudiced animals, feather-raising environments, new threats so terrifying they make zombies look like baby bunnies, and a horrendous dearth of cheesy snacks, what's a crow to do?
Why, wing it on another big-hearted, death-defying adventure, that's what! Joined by a fabulous new cast of animal characters, S.T. faces many new challenges plus his biggest one parenthood.
In this stunning follow-up to Hollow Kingdom and Seattle Times / Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association bestseller , the animal kingdom's "favorite apocalyptic hero" is back with a renewed sense of hope for humanity, ready to take on a world ravaged by a viral pandemic (Helen Macdonald).
Once upon an apocalypse, there lived an obscenely handsome American crow named S.T. . . .
When the world last checked-in with its favorite Cheeto addict, the planet had been overrun by flesh-hungry beasts, and nature had started re-claiming her territory from humankind. S.T., the intrepid crow, alongside his bloodhound-bestie Dennis, had set about saving pets that had become trapped in their homes after humanity went the way of the dodo.
That is, dear reader, until S.T. stumbled upon something so rare—and so precious—that he vowed to do everything in his power to safeguard what could, quite literally, be humanity's last hope for survival. But in a wild world plagued by prejudiced animals, feather-raising environments, new threats so terrifying they make zombies look like baby bunnies, and a horrendous dearth of cheesy snacks, what's a crow to do?
Why, wing it on another big-hearted, death-defying adventure, that's what! Joined by a fabulous new cast of animal characters, S.T. faces many new challenges plus his biggest one parenthood.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2021
About the author
Kira Jane Buxton
3 books1,243 followersKira Jane Buxton's writing has appeared in The New York Times, NewYorker.com, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, and more.
Her debut novel Hollow Kingdom was an Indie Next pick, a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR, Book Riot, and Good Housekeeping. She calls the tropical utopia of Seattle home and spends her time with three cats, a dog, two crows, a charm of hummingbirds, five Steller's jays, two dark-eyed juncos, two squirrels, and a husband.
Her debut novel Hollow Kingdom was an Indie Next pick, a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR, Book Riot, and Good Housekeeping. She calls the tropical utopia of Seattle home and spends her time with three cats, a dog, two crows, a charm of hummingbirds, five Steller's jays, two dark-eyed juncos, two squirrels, and a husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 603 reviews
October 26, 2021
I read the Kindle edition. The author's writing displays a profound love and connection with the natural world. It is a cautionary tale of the damage humans are doing to the earth. It is written with wit and wisdom in her unique style; her books contain hilarity, sadness, joy, danger, and fear. There are vivid descriptions of nature. They address a thought-provoking, guilt-inducing awareness of how we are destroying our precious earth and its creatures and contributing to climate change. Buxton is a wordsmith, slipping in absurd references to our present culture through the narrator's words, S.T., an obscenely handsome and intelligent flightless crow who peppers his utterances with vulgar language.
S.T.(Shit Turd) was named by his owner when he was the tamed pet of Big Jim. He learned his foul language from his master and uses it innocently. Big Jim called humans mofos, and S.T. refers to them the same way. They are called in the wider world 'Hollow' due to their disconnection from nature. S.T. watched the National Geographic documentaries and has a wide knowledge of the history and culture of mankind. He denies belonging to the crow species and identifies with humankind. The rumour was that humans were so attached to their iPhones and other electronic devices, thus ignoring nature, that resulted from a virus from their screens infecting them and turning them into zombies.
One day, S.T. observed Big Jim's eyeball fall out, and the man became a dim-witted slobbering mess. This was the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse, and now Big Jim and other mofos have vanished from the earth.
From his home in Washington State, S.T. ventured forth with his friend, Dennis, the dog, to rescue household pets, farm, and zoo animals. Birds and beasts soon joined them with the wider goal to find any human who might have survived.
I loved the Hollow Kingdom and rushed to download Feral Creatures on its publication day. I regret to say I struggled with this book. I thought the plot was too scattered with too much going on. This detracted from my developing any deep emotional attachment. I wanted to rate it higher but began to feel detached from the story. However, the author displayed a towering imagination.
The story begins in Alaska, where S.T. has found a human baby girl he names Dee. He is overjoyed and regards her as his nestling, and he takes on the father role. He intends to raise her to have human morals, manners, and culture. As Dee grows, she becomes more deeply attached to birds, animals, insects, trees, and plants than to S.T.s teaching. Many of the creatures cooperate to keep S.T.'s nestling safe, but some beasts recall the human destruction of the earth and how they killed animals, overfished, and contributed to climate change. Huge, ferocious hybrid creatures, The Changed Ones, have evolved and are part animal and what was once zombies. They are not happy with the newcomer in their midst.
S.T. returns with Dee to his former State with the help of Orcas. The place much changed, and not for the better. Changed Ones are lurking and presenting a great danger. How will they survive, and will they receive any assistance?
Although I was not as impressed with this book as with the Hollow Kingdom, I did like the author's vivid imagination and descriptions of the thoughts and behaviour of various animal and insect species. The book was a tribute to her love of the natural world which shone through on every page.
S.T.(Shit Turd) was named by his owner when he was the tamed pet of Big Jim. He learned his foul language from his master and uses it innocently. Big Jim called humans mofos, and S.T. refers to them the same way. They are called in the wider world 'Hollow' due to their disconnection from nature. S.T. watched the National Geographic documentaries and has a wide knowledge of the history and culture of mankind. He denies belonging to the crow species and identifies with humankind. The rumour was that humans were so attached to their iPhones and other electronic devices, thus ignoring nature, that resulted from a virus from their screens infecting them and turning them into zombies.
One day, S.T. observed Big Jim's eyeball fall out, and the man became a dim-witted slobbering mess. This was the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse, and now Big Jim and other mofos have vanished from the earth.
From his home in Washington State, S.T. ventured forth with his friend, Dennis, the dog, to rescue household pets, farm, and zoo animals. Birds and beasts soon joined them with the wider goal to find any human who might have survived.
I loved the Hollow Kingdom and rushed to download Feral Creatures on its publication day. I regret to say I struggled with this book. I thought the plot was too scattered with too much going on. This detracted from my developing any deep emotional attachment. I wanted to rate it higher but began to feel detached from the story. However, the author displayed a towering imagination.
The story begins in Alaska, where S.T. has found a human baby girl he names Dee. He is overjoyed and regards her as his nestling, and he takes on the father role. He intends to raise her to have human morals, manners, and culture. As Dee grows, she becomes more deeply attached to birds, animals, insects, trees, and plants than to S.T.s teaching. Many of the creatures cooperate to keep S.T.'s nestling safe, but some beasts recall the human destruction of the earth and how they killed animals, overfished, and contributed to climate change. Huge, ferocious hybrid creatures, The Changed Ones, have evolved and are part animal and what was once zombies. They are not happy with the newcomer in their midst.
S.T. returns with Dee to his former State with the help of Orcas. The place much changed, and not for the better. Changed Ones are lurking and presenting a great danger. How will they survive, and will they receive any assistance?
Although I was not as impressed with this book as with the Hollow Kingdom, I did like the author's vivid imagination and descriptions of the thoughts and behaviour of various animal and insect species. The book was a tribute to her love of the natural world which shone through on every page.
August 24, 2021
Happy Book Birthday to the absolutely fabulous FERAL CREATURES!!
Being that I've been afraid to post a review of this book because I am unable to do it justice, I've put it off for a few days. I am still afraid of not doing it justice, but I'm going to try my best to impart to you how beautiful, sad, hopeful and wonderful FERAL CREATURES is.
In the previous book, HOLLOW KINGDOM, we met the bravest domesticated crow to ever exist, S.T. We follow his adventures with the family canine, Dennis, as the zombie apocalypse destroys humankind. S.T. loves, respects and adores mofos. (That's what S.T. calls humans because that was what Big Jim, [S.T.'s deceased mofo], taught him to call them.) After surviving the worst event in human history, S.T. mourns the loss of mofos and then makes a discovery that changes his life forever: an infant mofo! And just like that, S.T. becomes a father. Will he be able to teach, protect and love this baby girl? Will they even be able to survive in this entirely new world? Will the world itself survive the damage done by humans, before they disappeared? You'll have to read this to find out!
One of the many things I loved about HOLLOW KINGDOM was how the story is told from the point of view of various animals, not just the obscenely handsome S.T.. In FERAL CREATURES, we hear from the hilarious Genghis, the cat. We hear from orcas and other marine creatures, trees, tigers, cassowaries, monkeys and even hermit crabs!
Listening carefully to what they have to say, forced this reader to recognize the current, poor state of our earth. In this book's reality, the effects humanity have had on the planet have accelerated, even though humanity itself is gone. The ocean waters are still warming, glaciers are still melting and many, many animals are forced to change their ways of life or die. Many do not survive. It's so very sad to see how all that plays out.
S.T.'s role as a new father is one he takes very seriously. It takes a village and all that, you know? He cares for his mofo infant the best he knows how, but he welcomes the help of the feathereds as well as other animals to achieve his goal. Why, you might ask? Humanity is so dumb, they've killed themselves off, not to mention hurt the earth in uncountable ways, why try to save this young one?
It's because of who S. T. is, at heart.
S.T. still sees the wonders and joys that humanity has shown him. Cheetos for instance! The National Geographic channel. What they've taught to the yellow crested cockatoo- Tom Hanks. (He's an entertainer!) The world of the arts-mofos are truly magical to S. T.. These are the reasons he loves and needs to protect his baby mofo, who he calls Dee. At one point he tells one of his best friends, a wise old African Grey:
"In this wild, wild world, Dee is the reason I open my eyes; do you understand me? Her heart opened mine, its beat is the soundtrack of my soul. She is the feeling of flight. She gives me back my wings. I will tear the sun out of the sky to protect her, and as long as the ocean breathes, I will love her with the feather and fur and ferocity of every living beast on this big beautiful blue."
Has anyone ever loved you that much?
S.T. is the most loyal, warm-hearted, brave and loving individual I've ever read about, corvid OR human. Also? He's funny! Very, very funny! Some of his references aren't quite right, he is a crow after all. But some things, many things, inspired me to laugh out loud. Just before he enters a huge kerfuffle he thinks to himself: S.T. is about to go down in a "Bonjovial blaze of glory." In reference to a raven that was annoying him: "This guy was swiftly becoming a turmeric stain on the tie of my existence." Sometimes, Tom Hanks, (the cockatoo, not the film star), breaks into song-"The hiiiiills are aliiiiiiveeeee." You never know what to expect in this book, which is another reason why I loved it so.
I guess I need to wrap up here as I don't want this review to be longer than the book itself. No, I didn't get into the plot very much because I didn't want to give anything away. However, if you look at the wondrous cover and back cover of this book, you'll see many of the animals involved. The author displays so much knowledge about them and how they live. I was truly amazed by the inner thoughts of these animals, and also at how everything is so interconnected.
I know there is a lot of talk, (and also...FACTS), about global warming and the effects humanity are having on this earth. Some say puny humankind cannot be responsible for all of these effects, but the facts cannot be denied. We often forget that we are ALL interconnected-we are all ONE. While people are distracted with their phones, other screens, celebrity gossip and masked singers, our world is being damaged. Something needs to be done. S.T. is only a crow, (granted, an obscenely funny and handsome one); he cannot save the earth and his baby girl all by himself. It takes a village and WE are that village. I loved this book, I love this author, (even though we've never met), and I love S.T.!
FERAL CREATURES gets my highest recommendation!
Available this August 24, 2021!
*Thank you to the author for the review copy and the inscription, which I will treasure forever. This review is my honest feedback.*
Being that I've been afraid to post a review of this book because I am unable to do it justice, I've put it off for a few days. I am still afraid of not doing it justice, but I'm going to try my best to impart to you how beautiful, sad, hopeful and wonderful FERAL CREATURES is.
In the previous book, HOLLOW KINGDOM, we met the bravest domesticated crow to ever exist, S.T. We follow his adventures with the family canine, Dennis, as the zombie apocalypse destroys humankind. S.T. loves, respects and adores mofos. (That's what S.T. calls humans because that was what Big Jim, [S.T.'s deceased mofo], taught him to call them.) After surviving the worst event in human history, S.T. mourns the loss of mofos and then makes a discovery that changes his life forever: an infant mofo! And just like that, S.T. becomes a father. Will he be able to teach, protect and love this baby girl? Will they even be able to survive in this entirely new world? Will the world itself survive the damage done by humans, before they disappeared? You'll have to read this to find out!
One of the many things I loved about HOLLOW KINGDOM was how the story is told from the point of view of various animals, not just the obscenely handsome S.T.. In FERAL CREATURES, we hear from the hilarious Genghis, the cat. We hear from orcas and other marine creatures, trees, tigers, cassowaries, monkeys and even hermit crabs!
Listening carefully to what they have to say, forced this reader to recognize the current, poor state of our earth. In this book's reality, the effects humanity have had on the planet have accelerated, even though humanity itself is gone. The ocean waters are still warming, glaciers are still melting and many, many animals are forced to change their ways of life or die. Many do not survive. It's so very sad to see how all that plays out.
S.T.'s role as a new father is one he takes very seriously. It takes a village and all that, you know? He cares for his mofo infant the best he knows how, but he welcomes the help of the feathereds as well as other animals to achieve his goal. Why, you might ask? Humanity is so dumb, they've killed themselves off, not to mention hurt the earth in uncountable ways, why try to save this young one?
It's because of who S. T. is, at heart.
S.T. still sees the wonders and joys that humanity has shown him. Cheetos for instance! The National Geographic channel. What they've taught to the yellow crested cockatoo- Tom Hanks. (He's an entertainer!) The world of the arts-mofos are truly magical to S. T.. These are the reasons he loves and needs to protect his baby mofo, who he calls Dee. At one point he tells one of his best friends, a wise old African Grey:
"In this wild, wild world, Dee is the reason I open my eyes; do you understand me? Her heart opened mine, its beat is the soundtrack of my soul. She is the feeling of flight. She gives me back my wings. I will tear the sun out of the sky to protect her, and as long as the ocean breathes, I will love her with the feather and fur and ferocity of every living beast on this big beautiful blue."
Has anyone ever loved you that much?
S.T. is the most loyal, warm-hearted, brave and loving individual I've ever read about, corvid OR human. Also? He's funny! Very, very funny! Some of his references aren't quite right, he is a crow after all. But some things, many things, inspired me to laugh out loud. Just before he enters a huge kerfuffle he thinks to himself: S.T. is about to go down in a "Bonjovial blaze of glory." In reference to a raven that was annoying him: "This guy was swiftly becoming a turmeric stain on the tie of my existence." Sometimes, Tom Hanks, (the cockatoo, not the film star), breaks into song-"The hiiiiills are aliiiiiiveeeee." You never know what to expect in this book, which is another reason why I loved it so.
I guess I need to wrap up here as I don't want this review to be longer than the book itself. No, I didn't get into the plot very much because I didn't want to give anything away. However, if you look at the wondrous cover and back cover of this book, you'll see many of the animals involved. The author displays so much knowledge about them and how they live. I was truly amazed by the inner thoughts of these animals, and also at how everything is so interconnected.
I know there is a lot of talk, (and also...FACTS), about global warming and the effects humanity are having on this earth. Some say puny humankind cannot be responsible for all of these effects, but the facts cannot be denied. We often forget that we are ALL interconnected-we are all ONE. While people are distracted with their phones, other screens, celebrity gossip and masked singers, our world is being damaged. Something needs to be done. S.T. is only a crow, (granted, an obscenely funny and handsome one); he cannot save the earth and his baby girl all by himself. It takes a village and WE are that village. I loved this book, I love this author, (even though we've never met), and I love S.T.!
FERAL CREATURES gets my highest recommendation!
Available this August 24, 2021!
*Thank you to the author for the review copy and the inscription, which I will treasure forever. This review is my honest feedback.*
April 13, 2021
If you loved the first one you'll love this one too. Clever, unique and funny. 4.5 stars
October 16, 2023
This is essentially the same book as Hollow Kingdom (similar plot; same beats). The main difference is S.T. travels with a companion he loves, rather than one he despises. Not as many laughs in this one, and a whole lot more frantic running around, which makes for a hyperactive read. An admirable book but not equal to its predecessor.
August 25, 2021
It is NO secret I absolutely loved Hollow Kingdom! Kira Jane Buxton’s heart for animals resonates with me, and I love her whimsical genre-bending stories.
In the follow-up to Hollow Kingdom, S.T., the crow, and Dennis, his beloved friend, are back, from saving the lives of pets, one animal at a time. S.T. discovers something, as crows often do, that may save humanity, but it may not be that easy. He has other threats to contend with like baby bunny zombies and a shortage of his beloved Cheetos.
As ever, much like Hollow Kingdom, Feral Creatures is clever and witty. Not only is Buxton a lover of animals, she’s a wordsmith and lover of words, too. Feral Creatures is quirky fun and a great fit for those who adore animals and reading something different than typical fare.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
In the follow-up to Hollow Kingdom, S.T., the crow, and Dennis, his beloved friend, are back, from saving the lives of pets, one animal at a time. S.T. discovers something, as crows often do, that may save humanity, but it may not be that easy. He has other threats to contend with like baby bunny zombies and a shortage of his beloved Cheetos.
As ever, much like Hollow Kingdom, Feral Creatures is clever and witty. Not only is Buxton a lover of animals, she’s a wordsmith and lover of words, too. Feral Creatures is quirky fun and a great fit for those who adore animals and reading something different than typical fare.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 20, 2021
Just in case you think I love every book I read…. I don’t.
⠀
I had looked forward to reading Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton since the second I finished her previous book, Hollow Kingdom. I absolutely loved Hollow Kingdom and was really looking forward to this next story where S.T. (Shit Turd) the crow, The One Who Keeps, raises the last human (MoFo) on earth.
⠀
My opinion seems to be contrary to the other reviews, all the ones I read were raves, yet I cannot rave about this book. I felt like it tried to hard. All the humor I found in the first book seemed forced in this book. The story of a world the humans had devastated was grim, which it realistic, but was so repetitive and a bit too gruesome at times.
⠀
ST, who I loved so much previously, irritated me with his single minded obsession with Dee, the young girl he has raised. Speaking of Dee, I ended up not caring a bit what happened to her.
⠀
I had to force myself to get through this book which is so opposite of the first one. I never put Hollow Kingdom down. I wondered if it was just my mood, the time, etc. that caused me to be disenchanted. However I read this over a month and my feelings never changed.
⠀
I will treasure Hollow Kingdom as a unique, favorite book. I will probably try to forget that Feral Creatures even exists.
⠀
Just my opinion. If you read it and loved it, I am really glad you did. I really wanted to love it.
⠀
⠀
I had looked forward to reading Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton since the second I finished her previous book, Hollow Kingdom. I absolutely loved Hollow Kingdom and was really looking forward to this next story where S.T. (Shit Turd) the crow, The One Who Keeps, raises the last human (MoFo) on earth.
⠀
My opinion seems to be contrary to the other reviews, all the ones I read were raves, yet I cannot rave about this book. I felt like it tried to hard. All the humor I found in the first book seemed forced in this book. The story of a world the humans had devastated was grim, which it realistic, but was so repetitive and a bit too gruesome at times.
⠀
ST, who I loved so much previously, irritated me with his single minded obsession with Dee, the young girl he has raised. Speaking of Dee, I ended up not caring a bit what happened to her.
⠀
I had to force myself to get through this book which is so opposite of the first one. I never put Hollow Kingdom down. I wondered if it was just my mood, the time, etc. that caused me to be disenchanted. However I read this over a month and my feelings never changed.
⠀
I will treasure Hollow Kingdom as a unique, favorite book. I will probably try to forget that Feral Creatures even exists.
⠀
Just my opinion. If you read it and loved it, I am really glad you did. I really wanted to love it.
⠀
Read
September 13, 2021*My 1000th review on Goodreads!*
Unfortunately, things did not go quite as planned. Oh well...
DNF at 24%
I'm not giving this a star rating because I didn't finish, and the reasons are purely personal.
I absolutely loved Hollow Kingdom and so I was really excited about a sequel. Unfortunately for me, some of the things that happen (and to one animal character in particular) were just a bit too painful for me to read about, and so I decided I couldn't finish this right now.
That said, the other reviews for this book show I'm in the minority, and so anyone who enjoyed the first book should absolutely give this a try. I think Buxton is a very talented writer, and I will absolutely read her next book.
Unfortunately, things did not go quite as planned. Oh well...
DNF at 24%
I'm not giving this a star rating because I didn't finish, and the reasons are purely personal.
I absolutely loved Hollow Kingdom and so I was really excited about a sequel. Unfortunately for me, some of the things that happen (and to one animal character in particular) were just a bit too painful for me to read about, and so I decided I couldn't finish this right now.
That said, the other reviews for this book show I'm in the minority, and so anyone who enjoyed the first book should absolutely give this a try. I think Buxton is a very talented writer, and I will absolutely read her next book.
April 21, 2022
Oh my god, all the stars!!! I CANNOT WAIT for the third book to come out!!
I won’t get into the plot for spoilers sake, but this is the sequel to Hollow Kingdom. Both books follow S.T. (Shit Turd), a domesticated talking crow navigating the apocalypse. It’s beautiful, clever, wildly unique, but above all else, fucking hilarious!! Especially this second book, I decided to place a tab every time I laughed out loud, and you should see how many freaking tabs I have in this book 😂 Easily the funniest book I’ve ever read. Probably one of my new top favorites reads of the year as well (maybe tied with Migrations).
Just with the first book, just beware that there is a lot of animal death and animal violence in this book.
I won’t get into the plot for spoilers sake, but this is the sequel to Hollow Kingdom. Both books follow S.T. (Shit Turd), a domesticated talking crow navigating the apocalypse. It’s beautiful, clever, wildly unique, but above all else, fucking hilarious!! Especially this second book, I decided to place a tab every time I laughed out loud, and you should see how many freaking tabs I have in this book 😂 Easily the funniest book I’ve ever read. Probably one of my new top favorites reads of the year as well (maybe tied with Migrations).
Just with the first book, just beware that there is a lot of animal death and animal violence in this book.
September 25, 2021
Feral Creatures has all the heart and humor that I loved in Hollow Kingdom. It was so good to be back with S.T. and the gang and meet some new characters too. Kira Jane Buxton's writing is fantastic. It's lyrical and beautiful without being over the top flowery. I loved the way she explored themes of identity, climate change, nature, and mental health in this book. If you haven't started this series yet, you are missing out.
I also want to note that the audiobook narrator is a gem to humanity.
I also want to note that the audiobook narrator is a gem to humanity.
September 1, 2021
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/08/31/...
Soooooooo good! Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton was one of my most anticipate releases of 2021 and what can I say but it did not disappoint. I make it no secret that I absolutely adored its predecessor Hollow Kingdom and fell immediately in love with its protagonist, a cheeky crass-talking American crow named S.T. which is short for Shit Turd—I kid you not. If you’re sitting there thinking, hey, this sounds a little different…well, you’ve got that right.
But obviously, if you’re read the first book, you already know all this. If you haven’t, then I highly recommend picking up Hollow Kingdom before tackling this one. The author does make some attempt to remind readers of prior events or to rehash a few concepts here or there, but for the most part, Feral Creatures is meant to be experienced as a direct sequel. In it, we catch up with S.T. approximately a decade after the previous book ended. Mother nature and her animals have begun reclaiming the planet, now that all the world’s humans have succumbed to a catastrophic disease turning them into ravenous, bloodthirsty beasts (read: zombies).
All except one. Dee is perfect. For whatever reason, this beautiful tiny infant had evaded the viral pandemic which turned the rest of her species into the mindless, hollow shells of what they once were. And S.T., who had found her, immediately fell in love as a mother bird would their nestling. Raised by a human, S.T. still feels a desperate longing for the life he once shared with his owner Big Jim, back when they were still surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of civilization—among them Cheetos and TV. In Dee, he sees a glimmer of hope for humans (or MoFos, as that was the word Big Jim had used all the time to refer to other people) and perhaps an opportunity to one day bring back humanity’s past glory. So, armed with his fond memories of Big Jim and an idealistic view of the future, S.T. resolves to raise Dee “proper.”
Unfortunately, this plan is immediately met with opposition and numerous challenges. First of all, not all of S.T.’s fellow animals are as pleased with the news that a baby MoFo had survived. Many of their kind had experienced cruelty and death at the hands of humankind, unlike S.T., who is a domesticated crow. And second, there’s Dee herself. As the years go by, the girl can’t seem to help growing up more animal than MoFo, no matter how hard S.T. tries to impress upon her the incredible history and achievements of her species. But who could blame her? She is, after all, being raised in the Alaskan wilds by a cussy crow, a parliament of owls, and a clumsy yet lovable young muskox.
When I say Feral Creatures is even better than the first book, I’m not saying that lightly. Hollow Kingdom was a monument to originality and humor, combining the outrageous with the philosophical, and the fact that this sequel was able to carry through and improve upon those trends is nothing short of an amazing feat. This book was gut-bustingly whacky and hilarious, thanks once more to S.T.’s delightfully obscene narrative and larger-than life personality. Everything he knows, he learned from Big Jim. And while we never once get to see Big Jim on the page, his spirit lives on in S.T.’s memories, and from those flashbacks, readers can glean a relationship that goes beyond the simple dynamics of owner and pet.
Big Jim’s influence can also be seen in the way S.T. attempts to raise Dee, and here the novel explores the themes of parenthood in addition to the independence-seeking behaviors of children as they grow older—a touchingly heart-warming and sometimes wrenching commentary on when to let go and allow your little fledglings to fly on their own. Despite our protagonist being a crow, his motivations are surprisingly human and familiar. His fierce love and protective instincts for his child, for instance, not to mention his hopes and dreams for the future as well as his powerful, wistful longing for the happy times of the past are all too easy to relate to.
At its heart though, the point of the Hollow Kingdom series is to put the focus on the animals, and I was thrilled that Feral Creatures continued a tradition that I loved from the first book, featuring brief interludes from the perspective of creatures from all over the world. Some have had a better time adapting to this drastically changed reality than others, and the presence of these chapters also reminds us that what’s happening is a global phenomenon.
Obviously, if you enjoyed the first book, then you will probably love this one as well. If you’re contemplating this series though, there are a few caveats. Humor being so subjective, these books won’t be for everyone, and you really have to be okay with the over-the-top premise and the style of S.T.’s narration, namely his coarseness and a potty mouth that just keeps on overflowing. I wouldn’t say it’s too extreme though, and more often than not it was done in a clever and quippy way that made me admire the author’s way with words instead of turning me off.
All I know is, I will never regret the day I decided to take a chance on something a little different and ended up snagging myself a copy of Hollow Kingdom as a result. I was rewarded with mind-blowing creativity, memorable animal characters, and an astoundingly witty yet thoughtful story, and I’m pleased to say that Feral Creatures followed in its predecessor’s footsteps and left even bigger prints besides! What an awesome sequel, and much like her stouthearted corvid protagonist, Kira Jane Buxton is one in a million.
Soooooooo good! Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton was one of my most anticipate releases of 2021 and what can I say but it did not disappoint. I make it no secret that I absolutely adored its predecessor Hollow Kingdom and fell immediately in love with its protagonist, a cheeky crass-talking American crow named S.T. which is short for Shit Turd—I kid you not. If you’re sitting there thinking, hey, this sounds a little different…well, you’ve got that right.
But obviously, if you’re read the first book, you already know all this. If you haven’t, then I highly recommend picking up Hollow Kingdom before tackling this one. The author does make some attempt to remind readers of prior events or to rehash a few concepts here or there, but for the most part, Feral Creatures is meant to be experienced as a direct sequel. In it, we catch up with S.T. approximately a decade after the previous book ended. Mother nature and her animals have begun reclaiming the planet, now that all the world’s humans have succumbed to a catastrophic disease turning them into ravenous, bloodthirsty beasts (read: zombies).
All except one. Dee is perfect. For whatever reason, this beautiful tiny infant had evaded the viral pandemic which turned the rest of her species into the mindless, hollow shells of what they once were. And S.T., who had found her, immediately fell in love as a mother bird would their nestling. Raised by a human, S.T. still feels a desperate longing for the life he once shared with his owner Big Jim, back when they were still surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of civilization—among them Cheetos and TV. In Dee, he sees a glimmer of hope for humans (or MoFos, as that was the word Big Jim had used all the time to refer to other people) and perhaps an opportunity to one day bring back humanity’s past glory. So, armed with his fond memories of Big Jim and an idealistic view of the future, S.T. resolves to raise Dee “proper.”
Unfortunately, this plan is immediately met with opposition and numerous challenges. First of all, not all of S.T.’s fellow animals are as pleased with the news that a baby MoFo had survived. Many of their kind had experienced cruelty and death at the hands of humankind, unlike S.T., who is a domesticated crow. And second, there’s Dee herself. As the years go by, the girl can’t seem to help growing up more animal than MoFo, no matter how hard S.T. tries to impress upon her the incredible history and achievements of her species. But who could blame her? She is, after all, being raised in the Alaskan wilds by a cussy crow, a parliament of owls, and a clumsy yet lovable young muskox.
When I say Feral Creatures is even better than the first book, I’m not saying that lightly. Hollow Kingdom was a monument to originality and humor, combining the outrageous with the philosophical, and the fact that this sequel was able to carry through and improve upon those trends is nothing short of an amazing feat. This book was gut-bustingly whacky and hilarious, thanks once more to S.T.’s delightfully obscene narrative and larger-than life personality. Everything he knows, he learned from Big Jim. And while we never once get to see Big Jim on the page, his spirit lives on in S.T.’s memories, and from those flashbacks, readers can glean a relationship that goes beyond the simple dynamics of owner and pet.
Big Jim’s influence can also be seen in the way S.T. attempts to raise Dee, and here the novel explores the themes of parenthood in addition to the independence-seeking behaviors of children as they grow older—a touchingly heart-warming and sometimes wrenching commentary on when to let go and allow your little fledglings to fly on their own. Despite our protagonist being a crow, his motivations are surprisingly human and familiar. His fierce love and protective instincts for his child, for instance, not to mention his hopes and dreams for the future as well as his powerful, wistful longing for the happy times of the past are all too easy to relate to.
At its heart though, the point of the Hollow Kingdom series is to put the focus on the animals, and I was thrilled that Feral Creatures continued a tradition that I loved from the first book, featuring brief interludes from the perspective of creatures from all over the world. Some have had a better time adapting to this drastically changed reality than others, and the presence of these chapters also reminds us that what’s happening is a global phenomenon.
Obviously, if you enjoyed the first book, then you will probably love this one as well. If you’re contemplating this series though, there are a few caveats. Humor being so subjective, these books won’t be for everyone, and you really have to be okay with the over-the-top premise and the style of S.T.’s narration, namely his coarseness and a potty mouth that just keeps on overflowing. I wouldn’t say it’s too extreme though, and more often than not it was done in a clever and quippy way that made me admire the author’s way with words instead of turning me off.
All I know is, I will never regret the day I decided to take a chance on something a little different and ended up snagging myself a copy of Hollow Kingdom as a result. I was rewarded with mind-blowing creativity, memorable animal characters, and an astoundingly witty yet thoughtful story, and I’m pleased to say that Feral Creatures followed in its predecessor’s footsteps and left even bigger prints besides! What an awesome sequel, and much like her stouthearted corvid protagonist, Kira Jane Buxton is one in a million.
February 16, 2021
Another tour de force from S. T. and the author. Good-hearted but short-sighted crow raises the last human, with a little help from Alaskan birdkind. And then the end of the world happens, again. An absolute must read for fans of previous title: Hollow Kingdom, and for fans of crows. Caw!
August 13, 2021
The nitty-gritty: Kira Jane Buxton does it again in this funny and poignant follow up to Hollow Kingdom, a unique genre mash-up that made me laugh and cry.
Kira Jane Buxton is a gift to the writing community, and I’m so grateful to have experienced her wisdom and humor once again. Her sparkling prose brings the story to life, and her love and respect for animals leaps off the page. Just as she did in Hollow Kingdom, Buxton manages to combine humor, emotion, horror and thoughtful moments of beauty together into one thrilling adventure, told in the unique voice of a crow who was raised by a human.
You must read Hollow Kingdom first, as this is a direct sequel and references many of the events and characters from that book. And there will be mild spoilers for the first book, so do beware!
Note: “MoFo” is S.T.’s word for “human.”
Once again, the story is narrated by the intrepid potty-mouthed, MoFo-loving crow known as Shit Turd, or S.T. for short. The story picks up about a decade or so after the events of Hollow Kingdom, when S.T. left his beloved home of Seattle, Washington for Alaska. The first book ended with S.T. finding a baby MoFo, the last human on earth, and since then he has been protecting and raising his “nestling,” a girl named Dee, along with a group of owls and a musk ox named Oomingmak. S.T. is determined to raise Dee to be a proper MoFo, but Dee has an almost magical connection with the natural world and is able to communicate with bees and birds and even flowers. As the years go by, S.T. is afraid that his fervent teachings about the glorious wonders of the MoFo world have become lost on Dee, as she becomes more and more of a wild child.
But in a changed world without humans, overrun by grotesque creatures, their idyllic life can't last forever, and one day their lives implode when an unexpected disaster forces them to flee their safe cabin in the woods. Even more distressing, S.T. has lost touch with the Aura, the communication network he shares with other birds. Back in Seattle, S.T. is terrified at how much his city has changed—his murder is gone, and everywhere are the Changed Ones, hideously malformed creatures who used to be MoFos. The creatures seem to want Dee for some nefarious purpose, and S.T. knows that a crow with a broken wing is going to need a lot of help to keep her safe.
I have to admit I loved Hollow Kingdom just a little bit more than Feral Creatures, although I’m still giving this five stars because it deserves it. And I think part of the reason is that Dennis (S.T.'s beloved bloodhound friend) isn’t in this story. Luckily, S.T. does a lot of reminiscing, so we do get a few sweet memories of the times spent with Dennis. And because S.T. has raised Dee on stories about Big Jim and Dennis, it was as if he was keeping Dennis’ memory alive. We also learn more about Big Jim—S.T.’s human owner who turned into a zombie—and his sometimes girlfriend Tiffany S. from Tinder (that’s how S.T. always refers to her). S.T.’s love of his MoFos hasn’t died with them, and he often manages to slip memories of them into the conversation.
Once again, animal lovers will really connect with this story, especially if you love animal POV narratives, like Watership Down, for example. And boy does Buxton give us a bunch of animals! There are plenty of new ones (Tom Hanks the cockatoo and Oomingmak the musk ox were two of my favorites!), and we are reunited with some old favorites from Hollow Kingdom as well (like Orange the Orangutan).
Just like she did in Hollow Kingdom, Buxton includes short chapters from the points of view of various creatures besides S.T., mostly as a way to show how the apocalypse is affecting the wider world. For example, we hear from a baby humpback whale in Western Australia and a Myrmarachne jumping spider from Borneo. My favorite was Nubbins, a Scottish donkey with a lovely brogue. Other than acting as nice interludes, these short chapters seem to reinforce Buxton’s theme of climate change and how it’s threatening the world, a serious topic that I think works well up against some of the more lighthearted moments.
But as far as themes go, this is really a story about parenthood and watching your child grow up and leave the nest (so to speak). For most of the story, S.T. is determined to raise Dee as the MoFo he knows she can be, a human who loves all the human things that S.T. loves. And the more Dee fights S.T., the more wild and animal-like she becomes. As Dee slips further away from him—for example, she refuses to speak MoFo but rather buzzes like the bees or caws like the crows—both S.T. and Dee seem to sink into a depression, what S.T. calls “the Black Tide.” It isn’t until much later in the story, and the wise counsel of some of S.T.’s animal friends, that he realizes how miserable he’s making her. There is a wonderful moment at the end of the book between the two, an emotional connection that both broke my heart and gave me warm fuzzies, and it’s these moments I treasure most from this book.
Fans of Hollow Kingdom need not worry: Feral Creatures is a heartwarming and satisfying follow up from one of the most interesting and unique writers I’ve ever read. Highly recommended for MoFos everywhere.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
Kira Jane Buxton is a gift to the writing community, and I’m so grateful to have experienced her wisdom and humor once again. Her sparkling prose brings the story to life, and her love and respect for animals leaps off the page. Just as she did in Hollow Kingdom, Buxton manages to combine humor, emotion, horror and thoughtful moments of beauty together into one thrilling adventure, told in the unique voice of a crow who was raised by a human.
You must read Hollow Kingdom first, as this is a direct sequel and references many of the events and characters from that book. And there will be mild spoilers for the first book, so do beware!
Note: “MoFo” is S.T.’s word for “human.”
Once again, the story is narrated by the intrepid potty-mouthed, MoFo-loving crow known as Shit Turd, or S.T. for short. The story picks up about a decade or so after the events of Hollow Kingdom, when S.T. left his beloved home of Seattle, Washington for Alaska. The first book ended with S.T. finding a baby MoFo, the last human on earth, and since then he has been protecting and raising his “nestling,” a girl named Dee, along with a group of owls and a musk ox named Oomingmak. S.T. is determined to raise Dee to be a proper MoFo, but Dee has an almost magical connection with the natural world and is able to communicate with bees and birds and even flowers. As the years go by, S.T. is afraid that his fervent teachings about the glorious wonders of the MoFo world have become lost on Dee, as she becomes more and more of a wild child.
But in a changed world without humans, overrun by grotesque creatures, their idyllic life can't last forever, and one day their lives implode when an unexpected disaster forces them to flee their safe cabin in the woods. Even more distressing, S.T. has lost touch with the Aura, the communication network he shares with other birds. Back in Seattle, S.T. is terrified at how much his city has changed—his murder is gone, and everywhere are the Changed Ones, hideously malformed creatures who used to be MoFos. The creatures seem to want Dee for some nefarious purpose, and S.T. knows that a crow with a broken wing is going to need a lot of help to keep her safe.
I have to admit I loved Hollow Kingdom just a little bit more than Feral Creatures, although I’m still giving this five stars because it deserves it. And I think part of the reason is that Dennis (S.T.'s beloved bloodhound friend) isn’t in this story. Luckily, S.T. does a lot of reminiscing, so we do get a few sweet memories of the times spent with Dennis. And because S.T. has raised Dee on stories about Big Jim and Dennis, it was as if he was keeping Dennis’ memory alive. We also learn more about Big Jim—S.T.’s human owner who turned into a zombie—and his sometimes girlfriend Tiffany S. from Tinder (that’s how S.T. always refers to her). S.T.’s love of his MoFos hasn’t died with them, and he often manages to slip memories of them into the conversation.
Once again, animal lovers will really connect with this story, especially if you love animal POV narratives, like Watership Down, for example. And boy does Buxton give us a bunch of animals! There are plenty of new ones (Tom Hanks the cockatoo and Oomingmak the musk ox were two of my favorites!), and we are reunited with some old favorites from Hollow Kingdom as well (like Orange the Orangutan).
Just like she did in Hollow Kingdom, Buxton includes short chapters from the points of view of various creatures besides S.T., mostly as a way to show how the apocalypse is affecting the wider world. For example, we hear from a baby humpback whale in Western Australia and a Myrmarachne jumping spider from Borneo. My favorite was Nubbins, a Scottish donkey with a lovely brogue. Other than acting as nice interludes, these short chapters seem to reinforce Buxton’s theme of climate change and how it’s threatening the world, a serious topic that I think works well up against some of the more lighthearted moments.
But as far as themes go, this is really a story about parenthood and watching your child grow up and leave the nest (so to speak). For most of the story, S.T. is determined to raise Dee as the MoFo he knows she can be, a human who loves all the human things that S.T. loves. And the more Dee fights S.T., the more wild and animal-like she becomes. As Dee slips further away from him—for example, she refuses to speak MoFo but rather buzzes like the bees or caws like the crows—both S.T. and Dee seem to sink into a depression, what S.T. calls “the Black Tide.” It isn’t until much later in the story, and the wise counsel of some of S.T.’s animal friends, that he realizes how miserable he’s making her. There is a wonderful moment at the end of the book between the two, an emotional connection that both broke my heart and gave me warm fuzzies, and it’s these moments I treasure most from this book.
Fans of Hollow Kingdom need not worry: Feral Creatures is a heartwarming and satisfying follow up from one of the most interesting and unique writers I’ve ever read. Highly recommended for MoFos everywhere.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy. Above quote was taken from an uncorrected proof and may differ in the final version of the book.
August 24, 2021
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I couldn’t wait to read this book! I was blown away by Kira Jane Buxton’s debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, so it was no surprise that I would want to read the newest book in the series just as soon as it became available to me. I am thrilled that this book was able to live up to my incredibly high expectations. This book had all of the humor, excitement, and relatable moments that I had hoped to find. I had a great time catching up with S.T. and the rest of the gang.
This story picks up some years after the events of the first book of the series, and I do recommend reading this series in order. S.T. is in Alaska with his bird friends focused on raising the last MoFo, Dee. It is not an easy job but S.T. is determined to keep his nestling safe at any cost. When things go wrong in Alaska, they must make their way to Seattle where they will encounter some familiar faces and more danger than you could imagine.
One of the things that I loved about Hollow Kingdom was the originality of the story. I wasn’t sure that there could be many more surprises in this new installment but I was pleasantly surprised. I could not have guessed the changes that have taken place in the world. It was really a touching story at times and I thought that the love that S.T. felt for Dee and the other animals really shone on the pages. This was a really heartfelt story that made me worry about the characters one moment and laughing the next.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is an incredibly unique and original tale featuring a surprisingly relatable crow. I will definitely be reading more of this talented author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.
I couldn’t wait to read this book! I was blown away by Kira Jane Buxton’s debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, so it was no surprise that I would want to read the newest book in the series just as soon as it became available to me. I am thrilled that this book was able to live up to my incredibly high expectations. This book had all of the humor, excitement, and relatable moments that I had hoped to find. I had a great time catching up with S.T. and the rest of the gang.
This story picks up some years after the events of the first book of the series, and I do recommend reading this series in order. S.T. is in Alaska with his bird friends focused on raising the last MoFo, Dee. It is not an easy job but S.T. is determined to keep his nestling safe at any cost. When things go wrong in Alaska, they must make their way to Seattle where they will encounter some familiar faces and more danger than you could imagine.
One of the things that I loved about Hollow Kingdom was the originality of the story. I wasn’t sure that there could be many more surprises in this new installment but I was pleasantly surprised. I could not have guessed the changes that have taken place in the world. It was really a touching story at times and I thought that the love that S.T. felt for Dee and the other animals really shone on the pages. This was a really heartfelt story that made me worry about the characters one moment and laughing the next.
I would highly recommend this book to others. This is an incredibly unique and original tale featuring a surprisingly relatable crow. I will definitely be reading more of this talented author’s work in the future.
I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.
August 8, 2021
I laughed, I cried, I fell in love.
Told through the POV of animals in a post-apocalypse trying to save the last human on Earth, Feral Creatures was an absolute joy to read.
Feral Creatures is fantasy, scifi, and horror all rolled into one. It's a rare and beautiful book. The first book in the series Hollow Kingdom was one of my favorite books of 2019, and I have zero doubts Feral Creatures will be in my top books of the year list this year. (I have such a book hangover now!)
If you haven't read Hollow Kingdom, I highly, highly recommend you pick that one up and continue on with Feral Creatures. This series is such a gift!
Review copy provided by publisher
Told through the POV of animals in a post-apocalypse trying to save the last human on Earth, Feral Creatures was an absolute joy to read.
Feral Creatures is fantasy, scifi, and horror all rolled into one. It's a rare and beautiful book. The first book in the series Hollow Kingdom was one of my favorite books of 2019, and I have zero doubts Feral Creatures will be in my top books of the year list this year. (I have such a book hangover now!)
If you haven't read Hollow Kingdom, I highly, highly recommend you pick that one up and continue on with Feral Creatures. This series is such a gift!
Review copy provided by publisher
September 16, 2021
It truly pains me to assign this one three stars, compared to the four that I gave Hollow Kingdom (four is my common high rating; five are quite rare for me).
I loved Hollow Kingdom and many in-real-life friends who aren't "readers" in the same way I am have read Hollow Kingdom based solely on my nagging recommendations. They loved it, too.
We still have our beloved S.T., and it was his beautiful, witty, heartfelt, scathing observations that carried me through Feral Creatures:
"He didn't answer because he was a fucking jerk, no better than an arrogant aquatic breast implant. But mostly it was because he wasn't a jellyfish. He was actually a plastic bag."
"Keep it together, S.T. Be super smart and stuff."
"I had a black belt in running away from things and I wasn't afraid to use it."
"There was Genghis, with greasy punk rock fur and an arthritic gait purchased at heavy discount from the Ministry of Silly Walks."
These thoughts from S.T. are so solid and loved that, honestly, they were strong enough to carry me through the entire book... because the plot wasn't. I hate to say this because I love Buxton's writing, I love S.T., I love the concept and the world she has created.
But I really lost focus after page after page of descriptions of one horrific - and yet distinctly different from the one before - zombie creature after another. About halfway through, I had to start skipping over some of these - picking up just enough pieces to orient myself to the action - because there were just so many of them, and they really started to blur together, which lessened the impact for me. There was battle after battle, and while I loved the characterizations of many of the animals, these were shiny nuggets to be plucked from the otherwise meanderingness.
And although I loved S.T., and still won't hesitate to at least consider another book with S.T. as the star, I didn't enjoy this adventure nearly as much as the first. S.T.'s entire focus is fawning over Dee, a MoFo he found as a baby and raised. I had a lot of difficulty fully feeling - or even understanding, to be honest - his whole I-will-sacrifice-the-whole-world-for-this-MoFo-after-the-MoFos-tried-to-destroy-us-and-did-destroy-themselves dedication.
I was so happy to request and receive an ARC of Feral Creatures from Grand Central Publishing. Unfortunately, my review is a few weeks after the publication date and this was primarily because I struggled a bit to invest myself in it. Again, I love Buxton's writing and will certainly try her again, particularly if it stars S.T. - and he hasn't lost half his personality in fawning after a MoFo that I was never sure deserved his love.
I loved Hollow Kingdom and many in-real-life friends who aren't "readers" in the same way I am have read Hollow Kingdom based solely on my nagging recommendations. They loved it, too.
We still have our beloved S.T., and it was his beautiful, witty, heartfelt, scathing observations that carried me through Feral Creatures:
"He didn't answer because he was a fucking jerk, no better than an arrogant aquatic breast implant. But mostly it was because he wasn't a jellyfish. He was actually a plastic bag."
"Keep it together, S.T. Be super smart and stuff."
"I had a black belt in running away from things and I wasn't afraid to use it."
"There was Genghis, with greasy punk rock fur and an arthritic gait purchased at heavy discount from the Ministry of Silly Walks."
These thoughts from S.T. are so solid and loved that, honestly, they were strong enough to carry me through the entire book... because the plot wasn't. I hate to say this because I love Buxton's writing, I love S.T., I love the concept and the world she has created.
But I really lost focus after page after page of descriptions of one horrific - and yet distinctly different from the one before - zombie creature after another. About halfway through, I had to start skipping over some of these - picking up just enough pieces to orient myself to the action - because there were just so many of them, and they really started to blur together, which lessened the impact for me. There was battle after battle, and while I loved the characterizations of many of the animals, these were shiny nuggets to be plucked from the otherwise meanderingness.
And although I loved S.T., and still won't hesitate to at least consider another book with S.T. as the star, I didn't enjoy this adventure nearly as much as the first. S.T.'s entire focus is fawning over Dee, a MoFo he found as a baby and raised. I had a lot of difficulty fully feeling - or even understanding, to be honest - his whole I-will-sacrifice-the-whole-world-for-this-MoFo-after-the-MoFos-tried-to-destroy-us-and-did-destroy-themselves dedication.
I was so happy to request and receive an ARC of Feral Creatures from Grand Central Publishing. Unfortunately, my review is a few weeks after the publication date and this was primarily because I struggled a bit to invest myself in it. Again, I love Buxton's writing and will certainly try her again, particularly if it stars S.T. - and he hasn't lost half his personality in fawning after a MoFo that I was never sure deserved his love.
September 14, 2021
“All this shit happened, more or less.” - ST, our fearless crowtagonist. ⬆️ Absolutely loved the nod to my favorite first line (Slaughterhouse-Five). Anyway, quite possibly the most unique narrator to ever exist is back in a post-apocalyptic crusade to save the last mofo. Super creative with many legit laugh-out-loud moments and memorable creatures. Brilliant audio production!
September 4, 2023
Hats off to Kira Jane Buxton for being such a wonderful writer of all things natural, and seeing the humor in all behaviors—especially cats!
As an artist, though, I know one of the hardest things about creating is knowing when a project is DONE. A few swipes with a paintbrush can turn a masterpiece into something quite mediocre. Feral Creatures was just those few swipes. I had looked forward to this book, but now I’m disappointed, and I’m feeling horrible about giving it a low rating.
As with many of the follow up books I’ve read, there was really too much writing wasted on either reminding the reader of past events, or bringing someone who did not read the first book up to speed. There was even a huge amount of repetition WITHIN this second book, which made me wonder if the author trusted my reading comprehension at all.
The humor in Feral Creatures was still good (the tigers’ behavior was hilarious at times) but a couple things worked against the author in this second book. First, the element of surprise and shock value of S. T.’s language and attitude is gone, so it actually became like a running joke that lasted too long. Secondly, nostalgia and loss that the mourning S. T. talks about was so freaking sad that I felt too generally depressed to enjoy any humor that followed. Memories of Big Jim could have been quite funny, but were placed under the dark cloud of grief at his absence.
Another disappointment for me was that Feral Creatures is almost completely different from Hollow Kingdom. I was enamored with the “search and rescue” of Hollow Kingdom, and the comedy of the different species working together. Hollow Kingdom did have heartbreak, but Feral Creatures just had too much loss, war, monsters, and battles for my marshmallow heart. The black humor regarding the zombies in Hollow Kingdom turns to gruesome horror in Feral Creatures.
The monsters required pages of description because they were so complex. Along with the long and frequent battles, and S. T.’s constant lengthy worrying over Dee, (the last human on earth who he raised since she was a baby), I had to skim quite a bit. Speaking of Dee, we never really get to know her, other than her role in the story. I had a hard time caring about her because of this.
The end did have a twisty occurrence, which I didn’t expect, so kudos to the author for that. She also writes fantastic, imaginative chapters from other animals’ POV, unfortunately unrelated to the rest of the book. I can still appreciate the statement this book makes regarding humanity versus nature. Other than that, for me, it was “a miss”. I will still be open to reading more from this author, as she is quite talented. Another S. T. book? I don’t know about that. Three stars rounded up from 2.5.
As an artist, though, I know one of the hardest things about creating is knowing when a project is DONE. A few swipes with a paintbrush can turn a masterpiece into something quite mediocre. Feral Creatures was just those few swipes. I had looked forward to this book, but now I’m disappointed, and I’m feeling horrible about giving it a low rating.
As with many of the follow up books I’ve read, there was really too much writing wasted on either reminding the reader of past events, or bringing someone who did not read the first book up to speed. There was even a huge amount of repetition WITHIN this second book, which made me wonder if the author trusted my reading comprehension at all.
The humor in Feral Creatures was still good (the tigers’ behavior was hilarious at times) but a couple things worked against the author in this second book. First, the element of surprise and shock value of S. T.’s language and attitude is gone, so it actually became like a running joke that lasted too long. Secondly, nostalgia and loss that the mourning S. T. talks about was so freaking sad that I felt too generally depressed to enjoy any humor that followed. Memories of Big Jim could have been quite funny, but were placed under the dark cloud of grief at his absence.
Another disappointment for me was that Feral Creatures is almost completely different from Hollow Kingdom. I was enamored with the “search and rescue” of Hollow Kingdom, and the comedy of the different species working together. Hollow Kingdom did have heartbreak, but Feral Creatures just had too much loss, war, monsters, and battles for my marshmallow heart. The black humor regarding the zombies in Hollow Kingdom turns to gruesome horror in Feral Creatures.
The monsters required pages of description because they were so complex. Along with the long and frequent battles, and S. T.’s constant lengthy worrying over Dee, (the last human on earth who he raised since she was a baby), I had to skim quite a bit. Speaking of Dee, we never really get to know her, other than her role in the story. I had a hard time caring about her because of this.
The end did have a twisty occurrence, which I didn’t expect, so kudos to the author for that. She also writes fantastic, imaginative chapters from other animals’ POV, unfortunately unrelated to the rest of the book. I can still appreciate the statement this book makes regarding humanity versus nature. Other than that, for me, it was “a miss”. I will still be open to reading more from this author, as she is quite talented. Another S. T. book? I don’t know about that. Three stars rounded up from 2.5.
June 3, 2021
I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Feral Creatures, and I am happy to tell you that the fantastically ridiculous story of S.T. the crow and his animal cronies continues! Just in case you haven’t had to pleasure of reading the first book in the series, Hollow Kingdom, here’s a quick synopsis. The world is kinda f*ked due to a virus that is turning humans into zombies, who S.T. refers to as MoFos. Things are not looking too great at the end of Hollow Kingdom, but then S.T. and other non-human survivors of the zombie apocalypse stumble upon something amazing, something that gives them hope for the planet. Can they not only keep this one hope alive, but also make it thrive? And there is a full-out rumble with The Changed Ones, with some imaginative warfare techniques. Technology and crazy consumerism continue to be an underlying theme in Buxton’s second title in the series—can’t wait to see where we’re going next!
March 7, 2023
“Her uncle Dennis, bloodhound and my very best friend, had taught me not all hero’s wear spandex and shoot out eyeball lightening. Some chew the couch and drink out of the toilet. He was sunshine with saggy skin, heaven in a hounds body. Dennis was the reason I survived losing Big Jim, or survived at all for that matter.”
Though not quite as good as its predecessor, Hollow Kingdom I still had a really great time with this book. If you were in love with the characters and the overall tone of Hollow Kingdom then Feral Creatures is a must read.
Feral Creatures kept up with the hilarity that is all of S.T.'s antics so I was never at a loss for enjoyment but I felt like the end of this one lost a little steam. It kind of felt like Buxton spent so much effort on the jokes (which I'm still not mad at, I'm just pointing that out) that the climax and conclusion of the story fell to the wayside just a bit which is why I gave Hollow Kingdom all 5 stars but Feral Creatures only got 4 from me.
Though not quite as good as its predecessor, Hollow Kingdom I still had a really great time with this book. If you were in love with the characters and the overall tone of Hollow Kingdom then Feral Creatures is a must read.
Feral Creatures kept up with the hilarity that is all of S.T.'s antics so I was never at a loss for enjoyment but I felt like the end of this one lost a little steam. It kind of felt like Buxton spent so much effort on the jokes (which I'm still not mad at, I'm just pointing that out) that the climax and conclusion of the story fell to the wayside just a bit which is why I gave Hollow Kingdom all 5 stars but Feral Creatures only got 4 from me.
January 16, 2024
I was sooo pumped for this because I loved the first book, but this was just... not it. This should have been reversed Tarzan where ST delivers the new human to live amongst Big Orange and the other primates and their cat friends, but instead we just got weird shit :( It also just DRAGGGGEEDD ONNNN.
August 24, 2021
"… we need stories to survive. Stories suture up our wounds, stitch us back together. They keep our loved ones alive."
Quick Synopsis: Our beloved hero and Cheeto addict American crow, Shit Turd (S.T) is still trying to navigate through the zombie apocalypse world. He is in for another adventure as he is trying his best to safeguard humanity's last hope for survival.
My thoughts: What an excellent sequel to Hollow Kingdom! The story picks up right where Hollow Kingdom left off. But don't worry if you have not read the first book. This book can totally be read as standalone as there was a brief recap of Hollow Kingdom in the beginning of the book! I always appreciate it when books do this!
S.T is on a more dangerous journey this time since there are more Changed Ones out there. Along the way, S.T met some new friends too. There are quite a lot of new characters in this story and it was so fun reading about them. I also liked it that the story is told from the view points of different animals too.
The writing was clever and engaging, and although there were not a lot of dialogues, I was immersed into the story. I enjoyed it!
I loved it when I get to learn new things from a book. So, I just discovered what a hyrax is. Super cute animal! And the nasty, repulsive ingredients used in perfume, especially Chanel No.5! How did I not hear about it before?!
Overall, I enjoyed this book thoroughly! I'm hoping that there will be a third book. It is such a unique, entertaining and heartwarming series!
Pub. Date: Aug 24th, 2021
***Thank you Grand Central Publishing and author Kira Jane Buxton for this gifted copy to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own.***
Quick Synopsis: Our beloved hero and Cheeto addict American crow, Shit Turd (S.T) is still trying to navigate through the zombie apocalypse world. He is in for another adventure as he is trying his best to safeguard humanity's last hope for survival.
My thoughts: What an excellent sequel to Hollow Kingdom! The story picks up right where Hollow Kingdom left off. But don't worry if you have not read the first book. This book can totally be read as standalone as there was a brief recap of Hollow Kingdom in the beginning of the book! I always appreciate it when books do this!
S.T is on a more dangerous journey this time since there are more Changed Ones out there. Along the way, S.T met some new friends too. There are quite a lot of new characters in this story and it was so fun reading about them. I also liked it that the story is told from the view points of different animals too.
The writing was clever and engaging, and although there were not a lot of dialogues, I was immersed into the story. I enjoyed it!
I loved it when I get to learn new things from a book. So, I just discovered what a hyrax is. Super cute animal! And the nasty, repulsive ingredients used in perfume, especially Chanel No.5! How did I not hear about it before?!
Overall, I enjoyed this book thoroughly! I'm hoping that there will be a third book. It is such a unique, entertaining and heartwarming series!
Pub. Date: Aug 24th, 2021
***Thank you Grand Central Publishing and author Kira Jane Buxton for this gifted copy to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own.***
September 26, 2021
S. T. is back! He is working hard to keep his nestling safe. He is trying to raise Dee as a the perfect Mofo but she is more interested in being an animal. Like most parent/child relationships, there is friction. But now things are changing, S. T. is convinced that returning to his murder is necessary to keep Dee safe. They start out on this trip a little bit disconnected by riding on the backs of some killer whales. Yes, if that last sentence doesn't clue you in that this is a read doozy of a story, just check it out yourself. S. T. still has some amazing lines but he is a bit of a control freak. Are the restrictions he tries to place on Dee making him part of the patriarchy? Or can a crow who can't really stop anything really be the problem? I love it when Dee just scoops him up and takes him along. A really fun audiobook.
March 1, 2022
Kira Jane Buxton's writing is so original. This is not a book to read in a hurry, because she slides in several little gems unexpectedly. The story tended to drag on occasion but she and S.T. redeemed with a surprise, brilliant writing, humour, and new words. E.g. anisodactyl, altricial,coprophagous(ugh), and more. There were several bad puns which I enjoy. For example "Mofos tended to have just one wife, which they called monotony." The book reminded me of Stephen King's 'The Cell. The fight scenes were awesome and there were very emotional parts in this book. I am hoping that Kira writes more of these books, and that she does it soon. Crows are now my favourite birds. Also mofos can refer to men or women. Equality!
I almost forgot. The cover is inspired and so relevant to the characters. Also, I really enjoyed the authors acknowledgements.
I almost forgot. The cover is inspired and so relevant to the characters. Also, I really enjoyed the authors acknowledgements.
September 12, 2021
I waited two years for this book, the sequel to Hollow Kingdom. When it arrived, I first read it so fast my eyeballs were going 100 mph. The suspense was awful! When I finished, I turned right back to the first page and read it again, slowly, relishing every word. The author is passionate about our beautiful world and all of its creatures. She makes you care so much about the characters it hurts. And there are no zombies in this story; the mutated human monsters are so horrid that they make zombies look like cute little puppies. Not many novels make me cry in one chapter and burst out laughing in the next, but Kira Jane Buxton is a word wizard. It looks as if there might be a third book in the series. Fingers crossed. I want more adventures with the valiant crow, S.T.
March 10, 2021
Whoa. What an interesting subject! What fabulous language! I'm still loving Shit Turd ;-)
November 14, 2021
I may or may not have cried multiple times while reading.
Hollow Kingdom will never be beat imo, but this was a great follow up
Hollow Kingdom will never be beat imo, but this was a great follow up
October 5, 2021
*7 Stars!
Okay, here is the concept: the shit has officially hit the fan, the apocalypse is upon us, and we get a first-person perspective from a Cheeto-addicted crow with a cheeky name, we’ll go with his initials S.T. And folks, this has to be one of the best damn books I have ever read.
I have to say that Kira Jane Buxton is a brilliant writer. She created an engrossing story, told from a unique perspective, while keeping it serious and hilarious at the same time. The layers that Buxton has built into this story are incredible, it feels like she set up things in book one that didn’t even pay off until the second book.
I won’t go into a whole lot of details of Feral Creatures in case you haven’t read Hollow Kingdom yet; I’ll simply ask you why you haven’t read Hollow Kingdom yet? Feral Creatures picks up more or less where book one left off. S.T. is a brilliant storyteller, and Buxton has captured what I can imagine would be the perspective of a crow. I opted for the Audible version of this story, and Robert Petkoff was perfect in the role of S.T. His tone and pace felt crow-ish.
My biggest complaint about Feral Creatures is that Buxton doesn’t have another book for me to dive into yet. Does she do a third book with S.T.? It’s doable but not necessary. But to be honest, it really doesn’t matter where she goes next, I’ll be there.
Okay, here is the concept: the shit has officially hit the fan, the apocalypse is upon us, and we get a first-person perspective from a Cheeto-addicted crow with a cheeky name, we’ll go with his initials S.T. And folks, this has to be one of the best damn books I have ever read.
I have to say that Kira Jane Buxton is a brilliant writer. She created an engrossing story, told from a unique perspective, while keeping it serious and hilarious at the same time. The layers that Buxton has built into this story are incredible, it feels like she set up things in book one that didn’t even pay off until the second book.
I won’t go into a whole lot of details of Feral Creatures in case you haven’t read Hollow Kingdom yet; I’ll simply ask you why you haven’t read Hollow Kingdom yet? Feral Creatures picks up more or less where book one left off. S.T. is a brilliant storyteller, and Buxton has captured what I can imagine would be the perspective of a crow. I opted for the Audible version of this story, and Robert Petkoff was perfect in the role of S.T. His tone and pace felt crow-ish.
My biggest complaint about Feral Creatures is that Buxton doesn’t have another book for me to dive into yet. Does she do a third book with S.T.? It’s doable but not necessary. But to be honest, it really doesn’t matter where she goes next, I’ll be there.
October 5, 2021
I’m actually giving this a 3.75, because I thought the book felt too long. But the author obviously loves nature, and creatures, and the enormous communication that goes on in the natural world. This was an entertaining follow up to Hollow Kingdom, as S.T. and his furry friends raise the last human (girl) on earth.
March 27, 2023
This is like a mix between A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, The secret life of Pets and Zombieland. I loved the first book, and I loved this one!
You really need to read the first book, to get the most out of it.
The author clearly has a deep love and connection with the nature.
You really need to read the first book, to get the most out of it.
The author clearly has a deep love and connection with the nature.
October 27, 2021
Shit Turd (ST/The One Who Keeps) is consumed with his love for his lone, surviving human, and is willing to do anything to protect her. He's taught her how to be a MOFO (at least as far as a crow can by reading library books and remembering his experiences with Jim).
Unfortunately, ST makes pretty much the same mistake as he made in the first book, which isn't to see what's actually in front of him and instead acts on his biases and preconceptions when dealing with Dee, the young adolescent (thankfully, Kira Jane Buxton doesn't leave her a baby for much of the book!).
ST discovers the joys and stresses of being a parent, exacerbated by the fact that his nestling is the last human on the planet. With the help of owls, and the local library, ST potty trains, and teaches his nestling, D, while the world around them continues to undergo changes. These changes are narrated for us by creatures around the world, noting bizarre modifications to the zombiefied humans in their areas. It’s a disturbing picture of what humanity is transforming itself into, whether crab-like, insect-like, or bird-like, the Changed are different, and killing the animals in their territories.
When ST eventually needs the call of his friends in Seattle and returns, with Dee, he’s apprised that the Changed are becoming increasingly dangerous and grave peril exists outside of the small territory the animals have staked out for themselves.
I laughed many times while listening to this. ST’s views on so, so many things cracked me up, even while I wanted to yell at him for not listening to what Dee was saying repeatedly to him. Thank goodness crows are learning creatures, or I would have been very disappointed in this MOFO-loving bird. I do wonder what the animals, in Seattle, and all over the world will do about the terrible Changed.
Unfortunately, ST makes pretty much the same mistake as he made in the first book, which isn't to see what's actually in front of him and instead acts on his biases and preconceptions when dealing with Dee, the young adolescent (thankfully, Kira Jane Buxton doesn't leave her a baby for much of the book!).
ST discovers the joys and stresses of being a parent, exacerbated by the fact that his nestling is the last human on the planet. With the help of owls, and the local library, ST potty trains, and teaches his nestling, D, while the world around them continues to undergo changes. These changes are narrated for us by creatures around the world, noting bizarre modifications to the zombiefied humans in their areas. It’s a disturbing picture of what humanity is transforming itself into, whether crab-like, insect-like, or bird-like, the Changed are different, and killing the animals in their territories.
When ST eventually needs the call of his friends in Seattle and returns, with Dee, he’s apprised that the Changed are becoming increasingly dangerous and grave peril exists outside of the small territory the animals have staked out for themselves.
I laughed many times while listening to this. ST’s views on so, so many things cracked me up, even while I wanted to yell at him for not listening to what Dee was saying repeatedly to him. Thank goodness crows are learning creatures, or I would have been very disappointed in this MOFO-loving bird. I do wonder what the animals, in Seattle, and all over the world will do about the terrible Changed.
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