I personally can’t recommend this book though I’m sure there will be many who enjoy. I couldn’t get into it with the overdone descriptions. I like details but being too vivid and describing everything gets very tiring to read and I want to paint my own picture in my head.

I received an free electronic copy of this from NetGalley for my review. Wonderful book, beautiful writing. He writes in a knowledgeable, descriptive format with a theme that flows into an exciting story.

A rollicking adventure set int he wilds of Africa. Told from the POV from both the ex soldiers trying to save the elephants and the opposing poachers whom are trying to earn money to support their families this puts a different twist on a familiar story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Absolutely brilliant. Likely the best thing I've read this year. Plot, character, action & timeliness make for an exceptional read. More like this, PLEASE!

Great novel, highly recommend for those who enjoy the genre. Will be recommending for immediate purchase.

When I accepted this book I did not realize I had read it before. I had not been good about reviews when I read it. The book shows the clash of cultures and ways of life. How do you live in such a harsh part of the world? The author describes the beauty as well as harshness. I don't find the characters all that interesting. I was more caught up in the landscapes and animals. I liked the book.

The Last Savanna is an early Mike Bond novel set in Africa. The descriptions are wonderful, but the story of chasing poachers and a trek through the desert didn’t resonate enough with me. The characters are well drawn, but it’s too far out of my mystery comfort zone, though I love his later Pono books.

Wow, this was very different. The author let us follow inside the thoughts of every single character including the animals. Took a little while to get into but it was great. The end did surprise me though but that is good. Often the end is to predictable. I really liked this story. I have to thank #MandevillaPress and #Netgalley for letting me read The Last Savanna by Mike Bond.

I've read several books by Mike Bond and I've enjoyed them all. This one was no exception. Fast paced and easy to read. I highly recommend this book.

I really wanted to like this book but sadly just not for me.
The writing is good but characterisation is very important to me and I couldn't engage with any of them. I'm sure The Last Savanna will appeal to a lot of people but I'm not one of them.

Be ready for a lot of surprises. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. Great read. This is the third book by Mr. Bond that I have read and I have 'SNOW' waiting in the wings. A real adventure - this time in the deserts of Africa!! Makes you feel like you're there. I know I read it with a drink always available.
It seems fantastic that these stories are based on his real life experiences!!
Another of Mike Bond's book recommended.

There are many interesting things about this book, the story is compelling while being bleak and dark, the prose is wonderful, descriptive sentences that make you think you are seeing the action. Unfortunately, the situation in Africa is not bright and cheery, it is, as the author proves reverting to the pre-colonial tribal way of existence complete with the prejudices, conflicts and desperation associated with anarchy. The author's ability to create word pictures brings all this home along with the emotional hopelessness common with such regression. A wonderful book about a terrible situation, read it for the prose and for the education of what our fellow humans face on another continent.

I found The Last Savanna a very descriptive book that makes you really feel and see what's going on while you read it. There are a couple of parts where you are reading the thoughts of a poor lion and elephant when they are being killed and I literally felt sick due to how awful it all was.
Several times while reading this book I really had to stop and wonder how sad it is that there are humans on earth that can the things described because they are just so desperate to live and have no other choice.
You constantly feel sorry for all of the characters and there really is no positive things I can mention, but I guess this dark and desperate mood is exactly what the author was going for to really open up the eyes of the reader.
I did struggle to finish reading this book and really had to force myself to push through to the end. The ending did surprise me and made me feel even more disappointed because it definitely wasn't what I was expecting to happen. After reading The Last Savanna I felt extremely glad that I don't live in those conditions or have to deal with the issues raised on a daily basis.
In all honesty I just found this book really sad. I know that the author is trying to get a very important message across about what happens in this part of the world so I guess they've done a good job.

I have found out that I just don't like reading Mike Bond's work.  This should have been a good book, but I don't like his stuff.

I cannot in good faith give a review of this book because I couldn't get past Chapter 6. The first chapter immediately drew me and held me tight. The next five completely lost me. I kept falling asleep in the middle of each chapter and finally gave up after finishing the fifth. It may have gotten better, I just don't know. And never will. This one is going back on the shelf.

A very well written book. The description of East Africa made me want to know more about the area. A very good read and thought provoking.

DNF at 60%

The book blurb does not accurately reflect what this novel is actually about. Instead of receiving a novel about poaching and a group who are fighting against it we get a bland, cliche filled novel.

The beginning was okay as the reader is introduced to the poaches at work. The reader gets to view the poachers as people with dreams, goals and troubles and not just as monsters. I liked this as I've never liked one-dimensional baddies. Once MacAdam was introduced to the novel it took a turn for the worst. He was an unremarkable and unlikable character. Then Rebecca was added as a love interest and the only feature she introduces to the novel is for a prize to be rescued/one. I also disliked the writing style as I found it too convoluted, I understand Mike Bond was trying to describe the wonder of Africa but it just came off as long, unnecessary and boring.

If I could describe this novel in one cliche it would be "damsel in distress."

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

The Last Savanna is a gritty thrilling mystery. While i like the the writing style and the story line,I found the book much too violent for my tastes. But I guess that is the way of life in the Savanna!

This book was not my cup of tea. Set in Africa, MacLean is an Englishman who leaves his wife to go hunt ivory poachers. Simultaneously, the book follows Warwar, one of the poachers, after he kills a bull (male elephant) in revenge for killing his brother (and for the ivory, of course). I made it through about a third of the book before I stopped. The story seemed disjointed, and I was constantly getting lost. Warwar’s alone.... and all of the sudden people are around him.... he’s chasing the bull, and all the sudden the bull is dead? I think the writing style and the subject matter weren’t meshing with my interests, causing me to accidentally miss parts of the story. Other key details turned me off, such as the poachers drinking a mixture of camel blood and milk. This is a very strong, masculine story that I’m sure will appeal to a lot of people, just not me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book held great promise to me. I was hopeful to learn more about Africa and read an engrossing tale. Unfortunately, The Last Savanna, by Mike Bond, started slowly and ended slowly for me. It picked up a bit in the middle, but soon seemed to become repetitive. It is a tale of a brutal murder, kidnapping, and trek through the desert from the perspective of the kidnappers (a group of Somalis), the kidnappee (Rebecca, an archaeologist), and the would-be rescuers, MacAdam and M'kele. It had its points of interest, but overall I felt that it fell flat.