This reminds me of Land Before Time and I enjoyed the characters and their outcast clan. My rating 4.25.

Eleri is the disgraced son of a clan prince. He is a small dinosaur who likes storytelling and isn’t interested in battle like his larger brother. Eleri and his brother were out on the edge of territory to see the large longneck dinosaurs go by. When they hide from an air predator they stumble upon three enemy scouts. When the bird dives, Eleri shouts out resulting in saving the life of one of the enemy dinosaurs. Eleri’s own brother declares his action as treason. Eleri is quickly taken before the tribunal and king and exiled to the Deadlands. It is expected that outcasts to the Deadlands will not survive long.

Eleri manages to get to an oasis but finds that enemy raptors are stock piling food. Then he stumbles upon another outcast – the young dinosaur whose life he saved. She was raised to be a warrior but failed to kill Eleri when directed to. Now she wishes she had killed him rather than getting outcast. Eleri has to convince her to work with him so they can both survive. They manage to sneak into the oasis to get food. They also learn that there is a great conspiracy setting the woodland clans against each other.

Eleri and his new companion join forces with two more dinosaurs they meet, a cheery vegetarian who loves math, and a young longneck who was banned as a prophetic dreamer. As they try to find a way to save their clans back home, a fifth dinosaur, a messenger bird, joins their outcast clan. Can they do anything to thwart the Deadland tribes, of raptors and T-Rex, and save their clans?

I liked the outcast dinosaurs with their unique quirks. They each brought a useful skill that helped them as they worked together. It is sweet how they realize they can be their own clan. This is a nice story showing how not everyone has to be a warrior or go the way of the majority. I recommend this as an entertaining adventure for middle graders and adults who like dinosaur adventure.

Audio Notes: John Pirhalla does a lovely job with the narration. He provides very distinct voices and tones that fit the natures of each character. The narration helped me to “see” the story and enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley for an independent, honest opinion.

I love books about dinosaurs! This one was just awesome. It is the first in the series. I cannot wait to read the next one. The story was tense and had some action. It was such a fun book too. The audio was awesome. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I probably would never have read this book without an audiobook, so I am grateful to NetGalley for making the audiobook available to listen to. This dino-centric fantasy adventure is a great recommendation for kids who love Tui Sutherland's Wings of Fire or Erin Hunter's Warriors series. This book isn't necessarily my cup of tea, nor a book I would gravitate to, but I think this is a solid recommendation for young readers.

Very reminiscent of The Land Before Time series but in the best ways.

The story follows Eleri, an Oryctodromeus, who has been exiled from his herd. While in exile he meets up with a Triceratops, an Ankylosaurus, an Anurognathid, and a Sauropod and they team up to form their own herd - and stop a war.

An enjoyable read (listen), I would have loved to read a book like this when I was the targeted age. I'm already planning to get a copy for my niece when she gets a little older, she loves dinosaurs and I guarantee this will be a hit.
The characters were developed and the story had good pacing. I did enjoy John Pirhalla's narration of the book, having a different accent for each of the characters was a nice little touch. I'm excited to read (or listen to) the next instalment when it is released.

Thank you to author Skye Melki-Wegner and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was so much fun. Like most people, as a kid I definitely went through a dinosaur phase. Heck, I’m still a sucker for a good dinosaur story. That being said, The Deadlands: Hunted doesn’t qualify as a good dinosaur story…because it’s a GREAT dinosaur story. And while the book is described as Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park, for many people, myself included, what this book is really going to invoke is memories of The Land Before Time. (And there is also at least one scene that made me think of Disney’s Dinosaur…stand together!!)

All Eleri really wanted was to be a storyteller. He’s a kind and gentle soul. But the various dinosaur kingdoms are at war, and when he makes a mistake one day, inadvertently shouting a warning that saves some of his faction’s enemies, he is exiled to the Deadlands, an inhospitable area that will surely mean his death. But once there he makes some unlikely allies (including Tortha a triceratops who became an exile herself because she failed to kill him when she had the opportunity) and together they uncover a plot that could be disastrous for all their herds. Together they must work together to avert disaster.

I was amazed by how much I came to care for these characters. Eleri’s thoughtful, gentle, caring nature made it impossible not to become invested in his journey. Likewise Tortha’s using her gruff exterior and tough attitude (I laughed every time she called Eleri ‘dirt muncher’) to hide that she too has a caring side was completely endearing. The message of working together comes through as does the idea of there being the family you’re born to and the family you choose. I just enjoyed this one so much and can’t wait for the next book in the series. And yes while this book might be aimed toward middle grade (and I definitely will be recommending it to a number of friends with kids), I can also attest that it’s appeal stretches well beyond that and that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. John Pirhalla’s narration is wonderful and an absolute delight to listen to. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of Skye Melki-Wegner’s The Deadlands: Hunted.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RSE7R66CGFHBK/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I did like this one... After speeding the narration up to x1.5 speed. It is just so tedious for so long. And then after the action finally kicks in, I didn't want to feel invested in the characters. I just wanted to finish the book.

I do think other reviewers are on to something here. It's like Land Before Time and Erin Hunter's Warriors series had a dino-baby together. I think this will work really well for middle graders who are looking for their next Erin Hunter Obsession. It just wasn't for me personally.

I have been trying to start looking for books to read with my son when he is old enough. I can't wait to share this one with him. It reminds me quite a bit of the Land Before Time movie series, but with slightly older character and more of an edge. It has the sweetest found family storyline. All of the characters have different and distinct personalities that I am excited to watch evolve over the series. The narration was perfect for the story!

Thank you to Netgalley for this audiobook arc!

The Land Before Time fan-fiction? Yes, sign me up! The entire time I read this I thought of the movie series because it was one of my favorites growing up. I don't know if this was intended to be a fan-fic but that's how I perceived it.

It took me a while to get into this audiobook. I actually almost pulled a DNF because I kept getting lost with who was who. Honestly, I think this is better off read in the print (paired with the audio) than just the audio alone. I think it would have been a five star instead of a four star if I was reading AND listening.

Super cool concept! I think having the book be all about dinosaurs who talk and adventure and battle is amazing. Children will love this (heck, I loved this because it brought back so many memories).

Did anyone else also think of The Warriors series (Erin Hunter) when you read this? I got big clan vibes. Def could get a bit violent, but kids see so much now than what I saw as a kid (video games/movies) that I thought it was ok. If I had kids this age I'd throw this book at them LOL.

Overall I do recommend this! A great pick for middle grade march!

Dinosaur fans will enjoy this anthropomorphic dinosaur tale as they picture a diverse group of dinosaurs in their struggle to survive exile from their groups. The world building is very descriptive. In the audiobook, narrator John Pirhalla is more than satisfactory. In the beginning of the book, I felt less than engaged. However, as the book progressed, Pirhalla voiced each character so distinctly that I was completely drawn in. His nuanced character voices were my favorite. His pacing was just right. This book (which feels like the start of a series) will be a good fit for fans of the Wings of Fire series. I look forward to recommending it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of the audiobook that’s narrated by John Pirhalla via NetGalley for review. The narrator does a pretty solid job.

This book is tagged as Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park and this is a middle grade debut for the author. It felt like mixing The Land Before Time and The Lion King together for me. Two unlikely allies are thrust together when their hesitation sees them both exiled. Through their trials, they eventually learn to trust each other enough to uncover some secrets that could be the end of both of their tribes. Their journey to save them all won’t be easy, and they might even end up with a few extra friends.

This was an enjoyable story and a quick listen. It wasn’t groundbreaking or explosive for me, but it is a fundamentally solid middle grade release. I found the character connections to be interesting and real, and I thought it was pretty well done overall. I would gladly read a sequel, which I believe I already saw is planned. I mean, it’s dinosaurs… who wouldn’t want to read that?

Fun and suspenseful beats, personally a 3/5* for me.

This is a super fun middle grade action adventure about a group of misfits and outcast dinosaurs working together to save their warring kingdoms. I love a good found-family trope, and this story was especially entertaining with the descriptions of different dinosaurs and world-building. I can see this being very popular with young readers. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for this because the narrator did an amazing job with all the different voices.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Banished from his tribe of dinosaurs for warning a supposed enemy of danger one night when he's wandered off, Eleri is forced out into the Deadlands, most likely to die, by the leaders of his kingdom. Once there, not only does he not perish, but he joins forces with other banished dinosaurs, including Tortha, the one he saved that night. As this new band forms into a wary family of its own, they come across information that could save the other kingdoms and have to figure out what to do with it.

I enjoyed listening to Eleri grow into his own as he navigates this new world he's been thrust into and begins to build a new tribe with the other banished dinosaurs. I did enjoy John Pirhalla as the narrator, but I might've enjoyed reading the book a bit more at the beginning just to keep all of the dinosaurs straight as Melki-Wegner sets up this new world with all of the long scientific names and characteristics of the creatures, though kids that have an interest in dinosaurs shouldn't have as much problem with that facet.

I will definitely recommend this book and series through readers advisory to kids with interests in dinosaurs and action/adventure and look forward to seeing where Melki-Wegner takes Eleri from here. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was my very first ARC and it was incredibly thematic because it fell smack dab in the middle of my month of celebrating Dinosaur fiction.

The Deadlands was fantastic. I love the depth to the characters and the ways in which the world was crafted. I think this will be a book that will definitely resonate with today's youth given its focus on growing up post-climate apocalypse and the realities of being shackled with short-sighted leadership.

The Land Before Times vibes were definitely felt but I say that as a positive, this felt like a Land before Time written today's batch of kids.

Great characters, great action, and a great story that will have me going back for more as soon as the second entry releases.

This is the perfect book for the dinosaur lover in your life. This was a great mix of The Land Before Time and the Warriors series. I loved the characters and the world. I honestly don't know what else to say other than this is exactly the book I wanted as a dino loving child.

I think this is a good book about the life of the dinosaurs. This book showed that the dinosaurs are just like us in the way that they have fights with their families and get in trouble also. I like the way the author wrote this so that the children and early YA can relate to the lives of the dinosaurs.

Land Before Time meets Jurassic Park in The Deadlands: Hunted. This books follows the fairly standard Middle grade narrative of loners/outcasts discovering a found family that then go on an epic adventure to save all they know, including the ones who shunned them. That doesn't mean this book was boring, far from it! Melki-Wegner does a wonderful job of throwing in surprises and twists that keep the narrative fresh and alluring. The characters are likable and show a bit of growth that I can only imagine will continue in future sequels. Overall a great title for kids who love dinosaurs, underdogs and adventure!

I had the pleasure of reading The Deadlands: Hunted and listening to the audio production. Not only was the narrator great, I appreciated the added sound effects. It really made the setting come alive even more. My middle school daughter also enjoyed listening to it with me, and she typically isn't a fan of audiobooks. I anticipate purchasing this audio and physical book for my school library over the summer!

This is review is based on a complimentary audio ARC. The narration makes for an engaging story about dinosaurs herds at war. Following exiled members of different dinosaur herds, we see the forming of a new herd and their attempt to possibly end the war and save the herds which cast them to the Deadlands. Each exiled dinosaur comes with their own knowledge, add that to intelligence they gather while trying to survive in the Deadlands, this new herd of mixed dinosaur species is able to see a bigger picture the individual herds cannot. Will this new herd be able to save their own family herds or are they forever labeled as outcasts?
While not an instant attention-grabber, give it time and you will not be able to stop reading The Deadlands: Hunted.

This book was awesome! Definitely a good read for the middle grade ages, but also for anyone who enjoys YA and dinosaurs. I am a huge fan of both Jurassic Park/Jurassic World and the Wings of Fire series, so the tagline about this book being like these two series meeting is what got my attention immediately.

The narration is very good, and the narrator did a great job with the different voices. The characters are all very interesting and unique, and the story is as well. It's a great combination of action, wit, and even some sarcasm!

Now one constructive criticism, because I have a daughter OBSESSED with dinosaurs. There was mention of water dinosaurs, and during that part I could already hear her complaining that there were no water dinosaurs and instead they are "marine reptiles", so just something to note as she's a kid who takes her dinosaur knowledge very seriously! Despite that, I already pre-ordered her the hardback!

Thank you for giving my the opportunity to listen to the ARC and give my thoughts!

The plot of this work was somewhat predictable, but I highly enjoyed the setting. The author excelled at worldbuilding, incorporating lush and vivid descriptions of the setting ranging from the dangerous tar pits to the rare but coveted oases. I enjoyed the details surrounding the dinosaur kingdoms, as well as the lore that was incorporated into their cultures. This was such a well-constructed and interesting setting, especially for a Middle Grade read.

The characters were also enjoyable and well written. While they were a little cliché (the sensitive young prince who would rather be a storyteller than a leader, the overzealous and rigid fighter, the sunshiny and slightly annoying one, etc.), when combined together they added much to the story. It was also fun to have each character be from a different tribe/kingdom, as it allowed more room for worldbuilding to be smoothly incorporated into the story. I listened to the audiobook version of this work, and the narrator did a wonderful job with the different voices, making each character that much more unique.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable Middle Grade read that I highly recommend for younger readers. It’s also the start to a series, but this work concludes neatly enough to be a satisfying read on its own. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published 4 April 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.