Feral Creatures

Every bit as good as Hollow Kingdom. These quirky books are a recommended first purchase for most general fiction collections.

I didn’t think I needed another book about Shit Turd and his motley crew but I did. This was such a heartfelt and humorous delight.

“Feral Creatures” (Hollow Kingdom #2) by Kira Jane Buxton. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Dystopian Fantasy. Location: All over the world with an emphasis on the Seattle, Washington, USA area. Time: Near future. Note: You must read “Hollow Kingdom” first to understand the true magnificence of this novel!-
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S.T. Is a Cheeto-addicted, humanity-loving, spectacularly handsome and foul-mouthed crow. He is also known as “The One Who Keeps” because he found and protects something so awesome and beautiful that the world can’t handle it. The problem is-the world is rapidly discovering what ST keeps, and it’s coming for him.-
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In book 1, the world was overrun by the flesh-eating Changed Ones, thanks to an apocalyptic event triggered by electronic devices. Book 1 explores ST’s incredible journey across Seattle to save all living things from this menace. Book 2, “Feral Creatures”, continues the saga, taking S.T. on a truly epic adventure across North America, ending up back in his hometown of Seattle.-
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You’ll catch up with old friends such as Migisi the Bald Eagle, the Penguins, and the ever irascible Ghengis Cat. You’ll meet new friends such as Oomingmak the Musk Ox, a pod of majestic Killer Whales, and the Jurassic-like and ferocious Budiwati the Cassowary.-
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The adventures of this group of heros are funny, scary, and poignant. Interspersed throughout the book are mini chapters featuring other animals across the world. Their comments on survival In a post-apocalyptic world are lyrical, beautiful, and thought-provoking.-
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READ THIS BOOK! Read this book twice! If you ever lived or hung out in Seattle, read this book a third time! Read this book! It’s a blazing 5 stars from me! 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳 I read this book thanks to NetGalley. Grand Central Publishing’s publication date is August 23, 2021.”

Genre: Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Can I give it more than 5 stars?)

When you have written the best book in the world, there must be a lot of pressure when writing the sequel. So, I honestly wondered, “Would Feral Creatures live up to the heart-wrenchingly profound Hollow Kingdom? Could Kira Jane Buxton do it again?” The answer is yes… she most definitely did it again!

I don’t know that I could ever love a book as much as Hollow Kingdom. Trust me, your first time meeting Shit Turd is not something you easily forget. However, Feral Creatures is just as wonderful, adventurous, and honestly, indescribably beautiful, as Hollow Kingdom. I truly could not imagine a better follow-up to my all-time favorite book.

This sensational sequel follows our beloved S.T. as he raises and cares for the last MoFo…, I mean human, in the world. As the human species adapts into unrecognizable and vicious monsters in order to survive, S.T. is faced with the Party-Sized-Cheeto-Bag task of sheltering his precious Dee. When Dee doesn’t fit into S.T.’s preconceptions of what a MoFo should be how can he protect her and preserve the legacy of MoFos?

So what can you expect from this phenomenal book? Just about everything! The intricacies of this novel are so detailed that I feel as though I could read it 100 times and still discover a new miraculously genius concept each time. First of all, Kira Jane Buxton has an unparalleled ability to create the most hilariously unique jokes. I don’t think anyone else could come up with her original analogies, metaphors, and descriptions, that literally make you laugh out loud.

The humor that Kira introduced in Hollow Kingdom and developed further in Feral Creatures, is so strangely specific in such a satisfying way. Her talented writing is so distinguished and comical that it is like her own brand of humor. There are certain singers, that when you hear their voice you can immediately identify them: Elvis, Johnny Cash, Billie Eilish. Similarly, if you read part of Hollow Kingdom or Feral Creatures that brand of hilarity is immediately identifiable as Kira Jane Buxton!

Once again, Kira invented a ragtag team of animals that simply tug at your heartstrings. Dennis and S.T. were the best friend duo ever, and S.T. and his murder, the owls, Oomingmak, the tigers, primates, cats, Dee, and so many more are an iconic combination. All the characters are diverse and, while reading, you feel in your heart that they belong together; they are a family.

Also, an extremely important detail in the book is that the animals all stay true to their nature. Frequently in fiction that involves animals, the creatures are so anthropomorphized that it feels insincere and false, but Feral Creatures is the opposite. The animals don’t hug or cry. When they are on a mission they might get held up because it’s in their nature to wander. While some of them have uncanny intelligence, such as dolphins, this intelligence is not over-exaggerated in other species. Although this might be a minor detail it felt vital to the story and its authenticity. Obviously, it was necessary to anthropomorphize the animals to some extent, but Kira Jane Buxton played off of these human traits to emphasize the animals’ as they are in reality.

Finally, Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures are two of the only books that toy with my heart like a bird with a french fry, and yet I keep coming back for more. During the emotional turmoil I always ask myself, “Why do I keep doing this to myself?”, then a minute later, “This is the most wonderful story ever written.” I can’t help myself. These two books are so beautifully unbearable, any booklover wouldn’t be able to resist their charm. So, whatever is next on your TBR, do yourself a favor and pick up Hollow Kingdom if you haven’t read it. I can guarantee you will immediately want to read Feral Creatures, and while you’ll probably hate me at first, I’m sure you’ll thank me later!