I got a free advance review copy of this from NetGalley.com.

This science-fiction novel is about how a person trying to to get out of a bad situation can wind up in a worse one. Though that makes it sound a lot more serious than it comes across; it's also classic SF adventure where the goal is getting from planet to space station to planet without being intercepted by space pirates/mafia. Basically, student debt has trapped zookeeper Saffron Savage for eight years on the planet Hialeah, which has nothing but her employer, a horrendously-run zoo of animals from many planets. Conditions are bad for the employees and the exhibits. (While fixing a hole in the fence to keep an animal in, she tells it, "...if you get out, the lazy-ass jagoffs who run the zoo will have you butchered. Too much work to shepherd you back.”) A sleazy co-worker's scheme, to smuggle one extremely-endangered animal off-planet and sell it for a huge amount, seems like the only way to escape, but all kinds of complications crop up, both logistic and ethical. Saffron jokes, swears, and drinks her way through it all, while the umemeh she's stolen tries to eat her hair.

If Goodreads allowed partial stars, I'd give this 3.5, because although it is a fun romp, there are definitely a few places where I was thinking "Now, which crew member was that one again?" and various 21st century Earth references pull the reader out of the setting (Tic-Tac candy is still around in a future that would have to be at least centuries later?)

The Galactic Zookeeper's Guide is a sci fi adventure that feels very much in the vein of Douglas Adams, but with a caustic female narrator who carries a lot of baggage.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Actual rating: 2.5 rounded up

Going based off the description and title, I (mistakenly) assumed this book would be a cozy, quirky, sci-fi adventure. It has some of these elements, but not enough for me to consider it a true “cozy fantasy/sci-fi” read. I think another reviewer put it well by describing it as similar to someone telling you that they have a funny story, but instead of it being humorous it links back to some deep trauma and abuse.

Saffron Savage as a main character felt unlikable to me for the majority of the book, and though I see the trauma and abuse she experienced as a foundational building block to her brash and caustic personality, these themes often felt rushed, pushed to the side, or used for humor - namely her alcoholism. The pacing of the book felt off, and though I feel like the last fourth was the best, it did feel rushed and it took a long time to get to that point. The other characters never felt fully fleshed out, and I had a difficult time rooting for the MC and main love interest to get together by the end of the book. I still don’t quite understand how they ended up together, and the main love interest’s backstory felt haphazardly thrown in for development’s sake rather than a natural progression of their relationship.

"The Galactic Zookeeper's Guide to Heists and Husbandry" is a fast paced science fiction novel focusing on the adventurers of a rogue zookeeper and the two-headed space llama she abducts. This is an amazing premise with a massive amount of potential. Sadly, the book delivers very little of this promise.

The main character of this book, Saffron Savage, is a zookeeper and xenobiologist who is stuck in a horrible job working with horrible people on a horrible planet. So in a drunken fit of inspiration she decides to double cross her horrible ex-boy friends and abduct the most valuable animal in her zoo to sell to a horrible gangster who has horrible and fatal plans for it. The result is horrible.

It is clear that the intent of this story is to tell a tale of bad decisions forced by worse circumstances, finding family amidst adversity and redemption through sacrifice. Unfortunately, the novel never gets anywhere close to fulfilling this goal.

The characters never emerge as believable individuals and their interactions and decisions seem forced and unrealistic. Saffron herself comes across as selfish and unlikeable throughout most of the book. Even when she does begin to make good decisions it is hard to care.

A major disappointment about this book is that it has very little focus on the the various alien animals that it mentions. It is never made clear where the most of the animals come from, how they look or what their characteristics are. This is just beyond strange in a book about a xenobiologist.

World building in this book is also almost non existent. The future society that is presented is barely different from contemporary mainstream America. Social and cultural institutions are pretty much the same, when they are described at all. Technology, often a focal point in science fiction stories, might as well be magic in this book.

Finally, although some readers will enjoy the adventure nature of this story it is likely that most hard core science fiction fans are likely to find this book seriously lacking.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bena House, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

before anything else, keep in mind that these are my thoughts and are worth just that.

actual rating: 1.5, rounded up.

i debated a lot about what to write for this review because truth is, had i not received this as an arc, i don't know if i would have finished this, so i'll keep this brief because it was mainly a matter of "it just didn't work for me". let's start with what did work for me: i really liked the world created in this world. i love sci-fi, i love reading of other planets and ships, so that was great. the writing worked fine as well, that was on the list of things i enjoyed.

as to the rest... i can't say i particularly liked saffron as a character. i found her frustrating, and things were simplified too much for my taste. the whole discussion of people doing bad things because they see no other choice was reduced to a "well there's always a choice" and that was that. saffron's alcoholism ended up being completely dropped after a while, instead of explored, and the treatment of it during it, by a doctor too, was not good. take this part with a grain of salt, though, because i don't have first hand experience with it, so my take here may be worthless. there's also juliet and, i'll just say that writing her as 'haha look she's flirty and wears pink' and never developing her past making fun of her because she's girly didn't make me like saffron more.

the plot was fine, overall, but it was the way the themes weren't handled with more depth that kind of threw me off a loop. and saffron's character was... frankly, it just didn't work for me. again, because i don't like writing negative reviews for arcs i requested, i always want to love the book, but this is just my experience with this book, it just didn't work for me.

Free e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review!

This book was a lot of fun. It's kind of silly but I really enjoyed it. We follow galactic zookeeper Saffron Savage, vastly overqualified for shoveling poop at the dump of a zoo planet she's stuck on, as she double-crosses her awful ex-boyfriend and smuggles off an extremely valuable two-headed llama. She and the llama make it onto a spaceship with a crew made up of misfits and an extremely love-interesty captain. Misadventures ensue as she tries to keep up with her lies, away from the space police, and deliver the animal to the buyer, though she becomes more attached to him and the crew as the book goes on. Overall, a good time, there's lots of witty banter that's a little cringe sometimes, but the story moves quickly so I didn't get stuck on that too much. I'd recommend it for fans of Leverage (the TV show), or Galaxy Quest.

I enjoyed this book. It does have an interesting pace and I couldn't help but finding myself rooting against the main character but I suppose that was the point. I kept hoping for her to own up to what she was doing and get some help.

The romance factor of this book was miniscule, which was surprising because I expected more based off the book description. The found friendship aspect of it was more talked upon, and I enjoyed how Savage got to experience actual nice people. Although a whole lot of the vibes were sad abused shelter animal finally being adopted into a nice family.

All in all, there were hijinks, sadness, happiness, and a whole lot of Fred the two headed llama. A very silly read.

That last quarter really saved the book, to be honest. From the title, the cover, and the description, you would think this would be a funny, quirky book with hijinks, but it ends up being more like the book equivalent of someone going "oh, I've got a funny story" and you stare in horror because they've gone through enough abuse and trauma as to think that a lesser example of it is humorous.

Saffron wants little more than to get out of her job and away from the planet it's on, but the mountains of student debt and lack of help from outside sectors means she's stuck. As an added bonus, her coworkers are such pieces of trash that she can't believe anyone would actually want to help without an ulterior motive. So when she's got the chance to get out with just a little bit of illegal activity, she jumps at it, ending up in a web of lies that only increases. Except so does her desperation, and being in first-person, we feel every ounce of that desperation and hopelessness. Despite the tough exterior and foul temper she's had to built due to her job beating her down, she doesn't want to be someone who hurts other people, but she finds herself in that position again and again with no seeming way out. Unfortunately, it's the case for about 60% of the book. She has her reasons, and the people she meets react with appropriate horror when she lets bits of her previous experiences slip, but she still can't break out of it or trust that anyone will actually help, and since we're in her head, you get a sense of helplessness as a reader as well and insecurity that the story actually will turn out okay.

I will say that once Saffron breaks out of that mindset, things turn up quite and bit and it does turn into an almost fun heist scenario; there were a few times that I actually laughed out loud, and it was nice to feel the cloud of darkness lift from the narrative. But that's not until around 75% in, which is quite a slog to get to, given everything you might be expecting. If you look at it not from the angle of a comedy, it's a story about Saffron breaking free of the shackles her past and being isolated in a shitty situation have trapped her in and learning to trust and find her place again. It's more satisfying from that angle, but that's not what the title or description would lead you to.

With cover artwork reminiscent of SciFi GOAT Douglas Adams, TGZGHH sets a high bar for itself. And I’m happy to report that it solidly hits the mark, threading the needle between comedy and science fiction with a sympathetic, but flawed main character who you grow to love along the way. I hope we see more from AC Huntley in the future.

- Thank you NETGALLY for providing a free ARC copy -

My feelings for this book is complicated.
I mean, with a title like that I'm kind of expecting both romcom vibes and a person who loves animals.

That wasn't really what you got. You got an foul tempered and foul mouthed women who was actually traumatized and used to be a good loving animal lover. 8 years on a zoo planet from hell ruined her. But the thing is, that wasn't really outlined in the beginning. All we got was "greedy corporate zoo doesn't care about their animals"
You slowly got introduced to the depth of her trauma and how ruined she had become from it.

But, as an animal lover myself, seeing the title really set some expectations. And then reading about a woman who doesn't seem to like animals a lot (she constantly swears and talks bad about them), and then there was the incident with the bats where she figured out they were sick and knew how to cure them and just STRAIGHT UP DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY. I was furious!

I almost dropped this book so many times in that first 50%, the only reason I didn't was because it was an ARC read.

In the end, I'm happy I did finish it. I'd even read the sequel. It got a little better after the 50% and the last 20% was really pure perfection. I got teary eyed twice!

But really, the title. I cannot underline my disappointment enough. This wasn't a light hearted story, it wasn't romcom, it wasn't even very funny. It was a serious story about the desperate lows a desperate (and broken) woman goes to when she's given up all hope and I can see other people will have the same misunderstanding from the title and blurb as me.

This book is pretty much exactly as described in the blurb. What isn't described is that the POV character is so immensely unlikable. Which the author does make an effort (successful at times) to have us feel sympathy/empathy for the main character I found her incessant complaining, pointless profanity, and lovesick distractions to get old quickly. She does horrible things, and it is only because so many of the other characters are so forgiving and willing to offer-look her many and obvious flaws.
The writing was ok, reminding me of YA novels, and the story itself was simple with a fairly obvious ending. I think that this would be a good book for those who would like some light sci-fi where they will recognize every reference (society hasn't really changed since 2020 in this book... except for the space travel). Definitely not for the hard sci-fi lover.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
#TheGalacticZookeepersGuidetoHeistsandHusbandry #NetGalley

Lots of fun, a really good debut.Saffron is a feisty lead who you can't help but root for. Great storytelling.

The Galactic Zookeeper's Guide to Heists and Husbandry was such a joy to read!
I would definitely love a sequel!
I highly recommend this book especially if you are looking for a fun sci-fi read!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

***I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to start enjoying ARCs!***


I am happy to see a fantasy novel with the main character being an adult (30). Most characters in adult fantasy I have encountered are 19-21.

The book reminds me a lot scenery wise of Outer Worlds (video game). If you enjoyed the game, I think you should give this a go!

The character is a drunk, belligerent and foul mouthed woman who has a soft spot for animals.

At first I found it off beat and funny, but unfortunately it did get old. I did DNF the book at 50%

HOWEVER

I personally am just not a fan of characters like the main POV, that’s just personal preference. I think a lot of people would find this book funny and entertaining for sure.

I was able to picture things happening while reading easily with the authors writing style. I enjoyed the animals very much. I definitely recommend this book for people who enjoy some crude humor and enjoy animals.

I did notice MANY typos and grammatical errors in the kindle edition I have received. I do hope they do a final sweep to remove these, as they can be distracting for readers and bring us out of the moment sometimes. In the 50% I got through, I’d say I noticed around 10 errors.

I do see this book being very enjoyed by many people. So here’s a basic run down.


Why you might like it!
Crude humor. Adult character. Animals! Space travel. Sarcasm. Poc representation.

Why you might not like it.
A lot of swearing. Substance abuse. MC can come off as pretty cocky and annoying at times.

My overall score ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram. Tiktok video to be made.

Listen, I need a sequel to this immediately because this book was FANTASTIC! I am beyond impressed that this is the author's debut novel. I was not expecting it to be so friggin funny, but it hooked me immediately from the beginning.
It was everything I could want in a comedic space opera. The world building was impressive, the storyline was tight, the characters were well developed and the author even made me care WAY too much about a dumb two headed llama. I'm so looking forward to reading more work by this author!

On a small side note, I wish the cover art was different. It doesn't do this book justice and looks a bit too stock-photoish. I don't think it's going to draw enough people in and this book definitely deserves that. It has easily earned the place of one of my favorite sci-fi novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This was hilarious and I enjoyed it greatly. However, I felt that it was slow to start, and the constant asides from the narrator hindered the overall flow of the novel.

"The Galactic Zookeeper's Guide to Heists and Husbandry" by A.C. Huntley is an epic space opera that revolves around hapless zoologist/zookeeper, Saffron Savage. I love space opera novels and was sold on this one from the very first line. Throw in exotic animals, adventures galore, and a bit of humor, and you've got me hooked!

As one of only three women on the backwater zoo-planet where she was stuck for eight years, the work was not what Saffron had dreamed of. Instead of taking care of the animals, she had to shovel their waste. So, when her ex offered her a way out of the planet, she grabbed the chance without thinking twice. All she had to do was steal a umemeh, a rare, two-headed llama, and sell it to a mob boss. How hard could it be?

Posing as an animal rights activist and sneaking into the ship of the handsome Captain Michael Reyes, she needs to convince him and his crew of her good intentions, escape the clutches of an angry mobster, and stay out of danger. Not easy when there is a warrant out for her arrest and high demand for her umemeh.

Let me start by saying that I loved the book and would love a sequel. Thrilling adventures through outer space, encounters with space pirates, and unexpected mishaps made for an exciting read! One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book was how easily I was able to immerse myself in the world. Another was the writing, the plot, and the way the characters came to life. Fred, the umemeh, and Otis, the Al, offered comic relief, and I loved it!

The story was told in the present tense from the first POV of Saffron Savage. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with her until the last third part of the book. She was not an easy character to like, as she whined a lot, blamed others for her actions, and pitied herself. However, she grew on me throughout the course of the book, and by the end, I found myself rooting for her. The author wove a riveting tale that held me spellbound till the end. I greatly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.