The Pre-Loved edit from Shopbop
To share your reaction on this item, open the Amazon app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone.

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $15.75

Save: $7.26 (46%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Fierce Kingdom: A Novel Kindle Edition

3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 2,145 ratings

One of the New York Times Book Review's Best Crime Novels of 2017

“Warning: you'll finish this in one sitting.” —TheSkimm  

“Expertly made thriller . . . clever and irresistible.” —
The New York Times

An electrifying novel about the primal and unyielding bond between a mother and her son, and the lengths she’ll go to protect him.


The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours—the entire scope of the novel—she keeps on running.
 
Joan’s intimate knowledge of her son and of the zoo itself—the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines—is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger.

A masterful thrill ride and an exploration of motherhood itself—from its tender moments of grace to its savage power—
Fierce Kingdom asks where the boundary is between our animal instinct to survive and our human duty to protect one another. For whom should a mother risk her life?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Recommended summer reading by * The New York Times * USA Today * Real Simple * The National Book Review * NYPost.com * Bustle * HelloGiggles * PureWow *

“A heart-thumping thriller . . . The story flies by like a gazelle being chased by a lion and is easily consumed in a single sitting.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Heart-stopping . . . A stunning novel you'll be talking about all summer long.”
—Bustle

“A shot of pure adrenaline. But it’s not just the action that will keep you turning pages: 
Fierce Kingdom is a moving story too.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Gin Phillips’s heartpounding novel will have readers questioning what lengths a mother would go to in order to save her child . . . or someone else’s.”
—Real Simple 

“A page-turning, adrenaline-soaked read.”
—The Guardian

“A fast-paced read for fans of thrillers . . . At a deeper layer, it’s also a rumination on motherhood—the monotony and thrill, the duty and risk, the incredible, sometimes indescribable fear and joy of raising a child.”
—Goop

“Extreme heart-pounding adventure, right this way. Fierce Kingdom is the perfect summer thriller.”
—HelloGiggles

“The premise of this novel will send chills down the spine of any parent—and keep them turning pages into the wee hours.”
Newsday

Fierce Kingdom is gripping and almost impossible to put down.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Because we make fun of helicopter parents for the lengths they go to to keep perfectly safe children even safer, we can can forget that, for children, safety is a kind of love—and that makes
Fierce Kingdom a terrifying book, but more importantly, a beautiful one.”
—NPR

“By introducing the threat of violence, the book amplifies everyday domestic concerns, producing a kind of crystallization of the experience of parenthood.”
—The New Yorker

“Fierce Kingdom unfolds at a rapid-fire pace with each chapter upping the tension and danger.”
BookPage

“A powerhouse of a read that balances empathy and fear as it poses complex questions about human nature.”
—Washington Independent Review of Books

“This heroine proves that a mom protecting her son is indisputably the fiercest creature in the animal world.”
RedBook

Fierce Kingdom is a novel that crackles with tension and danger. . . . Do yourself a favor and devour this book before the inevitable movie premiere.”
—New York Journal of Books

“This adrenaline-fueled thriller shows the animal instinct of one mother's love and the ferocity with which she fights to protect her son.”
—Read it Forward

“It tore at every maternal fiber in my body. I couldn’t put it down.” 
—Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow

Fierce Kingdom is a bold exploration of the ferocity of a mother’s love—riveting and beautiful, and all too real. You’ll find yourself asking, what would I do? It’s brilliant.”
—Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

“I devoured it in one breathless sitting. Outstanding.”
—Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author of I Let You Go

“This is an elegant, taut, and tense survival story that explores the boundaries of parental love. By pitting love against fear, Gin Phillips questions the opposing forces of family bonds and shows how fierce one mother’s love can be.”
 —Claire Cameron, author of The Last Neanderthal and The Bear
 
“I loved this book not only as a mother, but as a woman—and a feminist—living in a world teeming with pressing domestic details along with unpredictable, casual violence.”
 —Susanna Daniel, award-winning author of Sea Creatures

“Phillips’ characters are exquisitely rendered, her prose is artful and evocative . . . Poignant and profound, this adrenaline-fueled thriller will shatter readers like a bullet through bone.”
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A searing exploration of motherhood at its most basic.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Phillips manages to combine beautiful imagery with heart-pounding, nerve-fraying intensity. . . . Fans of literary page-turners, like Sunil Yapa’s
Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist, won’t want to miss this.”
Booklist (starred review)

Fierce Kingdom is stunning and extraordinary; keep the defibrillator handy.”
—Shelf Awareness (starred review)

About the Author

Gin Phillips is the award-winning author of The Well and the Mine and Come In and Cover Me. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her family.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01NBAP3NS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (July 25, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 25, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1584 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0857525018
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 2,145 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Gin Phillips
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Gin Phillips has written six novels, and her work has been sold in 29 countries.

Her debut novel, The Well and the Mine, won the 2009 Barnes & Noble Discover Award. Her novel Fierce Kingdom was named one of the Best Crime Novels of 2017 by the New York Times Book Review. It was also named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Publishers Weekly, Amazon, and Kirkus Reviews. A Kirkus starred review called it “poignant and profound,” adding that "this adrenaline-fueled thriller will shatter readers like a bullet through bone.” The New York Times called the novel “expertly made…clever and irresistible,” noting that “Phillips…beautifully captures the quirks, tedium and magic of parenting a young child.”

Gin’s novels also have been named as selections for Indie Next, Book of the Month, and the Junior Library Guild.

Born in Montgomery, Al., Gin graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in political journalism. After time spent in Ireland, New York, and Washington, D.C., she currently lives with her family (plus a schnoodle and a mini golden mountain doodle) in Birmingham.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
2,145 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the well-written writing style and believable plot twists. The story provides insights into motherhood and survival instincts that are relatable for mothers. The focus on the mother-son relationship is appreciated. Overall, customers describe the book as an exciting, fast-paced page-turner. However, opinions differ on the suspenseful nature of the story, with some finding it intense and fast-paced, while others say the ending was abrupt.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

54 customers mention "Readability"54 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging. They describe it as a thrilling story with heart and soul. However, some readers felt the middle part dragged a bit. Overall, the focus on the characters works well for them.

"I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't stop reading once I started, but I found myself having to put it down for a few moments at a time anyway,..." Read more

"...There is an incredible focus in this book that works very well. Just like the characters, the reader feels cut off from the rest of the world...." Read more

"...Thank you for this awesome read!!!!" Read more

"...was scary and probably all too real, so overall, this is a very worthy read and one that will keep you up most of the night if you're as slow a..." Read more

33 customers mention "Writing quality"24 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, easy to read, and relatable for mothers. The perilous hours are believable and thought-provoking, with neat twists in the writing and action sequences that work well. Readers appreciate the third-person narration and inner dialogue. They also enjoy the reality of the book and find it a quick read full of insights on motherhood.

"...There are some neat twists in the writing and the action sequences that work well...." Read more

"...cruel, but taken in the context of protecting her son, they seem perfectly legitimate and what any mother might have done...." Read more

"...It is very much an internal monologue by the mother. Her thoughts are odd to me...." Read more

"...choices the mother had to make during these perilous hours were both believable and thought- provoking." Read more

18 customers mention "Motherhood"18 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the mother-son relationship in the book. They find it relatable and full of insights on motherhood and survival instincts. The book depicts the ferocity and choices of motherhood accurately. There is also a sense of sisterhood and friendship in the story.

"...of motherhood, as Joan struggles to keep Lincoln alive and psychologically intact, trying to protect him from the terror around them; and there are..." Read more

"...It's a suspense novel with the main plot about a mother protecting her child, and boy does she protect her child...." Read more

"...very heartfelt book for mother’s out there, it really calls on multiple aspects of motherhood as a whole...." Read more

"...some suspense, but what really pulled me in were the spot-on descriptions of motherhood and the bond between a mother and a young son/child...." Read more

8 customers mention "Focus"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's focus. They find it engaging and fast-paced, grabbing their attention from the beginning. The story keeps them hooked with its good character development and relatable issues.

"...There is an incredible focus in this book that works very well. Just like the characters, the reader feels cut off from the rest of the world...." Read more

"I had completely immersed myself in this book. I could feel the love this mother has for her son...." Read more

"...I loved it and thought it was a real page turner and that it focused on an issue that is truly relevant in our society today, mass shootings...." Read more

"Very fast moving book that grabbed my attention at the very beginning. Fast read, great story line but Horrible ending." Read more

8 customers mention "Page turner"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fast-paced. They describe it as a great read that keeps them hooked until the end.

"...I loved it and thought it was a real page turner and that it focused on an issue that is truly relevant in our society today, mass shootings...." Read more

"Animal Kingdom is a page-turner; the tension is practically nonstop...." Read more

"...desperate situation of the protagonist and her young son, it is a real page turner...." Read more

"This was a page turner. I enjoyed this fast and easy read. It's mostly well written and brings out a few interesting moral questions." Read more

98 customers mention "Suspenseful story"66 positive32 negative

Customers have mixed reviews about the book's suspenseful story. Some find it intense and fast-paced, with exciting moments and thought-provoking content. Others feel the ending is abrupt and leaves unanswered questions.

"...I appreciated the chapters of different perspectives and thought they worked well to demonstrate the different mentalities of the other characters..." Read more

"...Overall,the action is the most effective action writing I've read since Hunger Games; after a slightly slow start, when Joan and Lincoln spend a bit..." Read more

"This is the most intense book I have ever read. The heroine is portrayed as all too human and, at times, inhuman!..." Read more

"...The mind of the shooters was scary and probably all too real, so overall, this is a very worthy read and one that will keep you up most of the night..." Read more

36 customers mention "Pacing"25 positive11 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it fast and easy to read, with an uninterrupted action sequence. Others feel the beginning is slow and drags on, feeling like it takes a long time to get anywhere.

"...spend a bit too much time hiding in one spot, it reads like an uninterrupted action sequence...." Read more

"As described, this was a very quick read that kept you on the edge of your seat. It moved so fast I felt like a very abrupt end...." Read more

"...I was really looking forward to this book but feel misled. It is not fast paced. If you've read the Kindle sample that is the tone of the book...." Read more

"Oh wow. This is a really quick and easy read, really engaging and reflective of ongoing issues inside of the US...." Read more

18 customers mention "Character development"12 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters believable and engaging, weaving together their inner thoughts seamlessly. Others feel the characters lack depth and are overly humanized or weak-minded.

"...Both mother and son were well -developed characters , as were others whom they encountered during their flight from armed killers...." Read more

"This is the most intense book I have ever read. The heroine is portrayed as all too human and, at times, inhuman!..." Read more

"...He is so bright, so loving, such a real little person that the reader wants him to survive just as much as his mother." Read more

"...I did like the mother-son relationship, and the characters were believable...." Read more

Fierce Kingdom has it all - page-turning plot, authentic characters, and lovely writing
4 out of 5 stars
Fierce Kingdom has it all - page-turning plot, authentic characters, and lovely writing
"'The rules are different today,' she says. 'There are emergency rules now. The rules are that we hide and do not let the man with the gun find us.'”🎠This novel punched me right in the guts. The entire story spans only three hours, but once you get a couple dozen pages in, the intensity ratchets up and never comes back down.  While this book is under 300 pages, it took me a little longer than normal to finish, because I literally had to step away to get my heart rate back to normal!  There were choices Joan made that I questioned, but then I thought about what it might be like in that situation, without the luxury of some thorough thinking time in a comfy armchair like where I found myself...and I was on to the next page and not thinking anymore. The imagery and writing style are lovely, and the clarity with which the author captures motherhood, especially the bond between mother and child, is electrifying.  I highlighted so many passages, and there were so many more that I completely identified with. “She has perfected the art of being able to listen with half of herself while the other half spins and whirls.” (Anyone relate to that besides me?  I do this ALL.THE.TIME.) Don’t miss this one, ya’ll.4.5🌟
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2017
    I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't stop reading once I started, but I found myself having to put it down for a few moments at a time anyway, just to catch my breath. Joan's fight to protect her son at all costs made for an incredible ride, and the beauty of this book is that the suspense permeated every single page, even when there didn't seem to be much happening. I appreciated the chapters of different perspectives and thought they worked well to demonstrate the different mentalities of the other characters in contrast to Joan's as a mother.

    You definitely want to read this one.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2017
    Joan and her toddler son, Lincoln, are hurrying to make it out of the zoo before closing time when Joan hears a clatter of gunfire and comes across bodies on the ground. She picks up Lincoln and starts running, and the entire book takes place in the next four hours, as Joan, Lincoln, and a few other people try to stay alive and evade the gunmen hunting them in the park. There is an incredible focus in this book that works very well. Just like the characters, the reader feels cut off from the rest of the world. Nothing before the zoo matters, nothing outside the zoo matters. Only the zoo matters, and the survival of these few people. The sense of place, a sprawling zoo, with its primate zone and monkey house and winding paths and train tracks and sand pits, is fantastic; you feel that you are in a park with dark spreading around you, and killers waiting around every corner. Overall,the action is the most effective action writing I've read since Hunger Games; after a slightly slow start, when Joan and Lincoln spend a bit too much time hiding in one spot, it reads like an uninterrupted action sequence.

    There's also a nice depiction of motherhood, as Joan struggles to keep Lincoln alive and psychologically intact, trying to protect him from the terror around them; and there are some moral questions around what (and who) is a mother willing to sacrifice to save her son. There are some neat twists in the writing and the action sequences that work well.

    BUT there is one big caveat and a detraction to my enjoyment: be warned that Fierce Kingdom has a frustrating ending - almost a cliffhanger. If the entire novel is about what happens to a mother and son trapped in a zoo with terrorists, shouldn't we know what happens to the mother and son trapped in a zoo with terrorists, when the book is done? To leave it ambiguous felt like a shot at some sort of vague literary ambition, and it made me just irritated.
    60 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2024
    Betcha they make a TV movie of this one. Wasn't thrilled, maybe the movie would be better.
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2017
    I listened to this book on audible. As the caption says, I looked down on my phone at how much time I had left in the book, and without spoilers, let's just say I was shocked to see that I had only 42 seconds left. I don't think I can recall a book in recent memory that has kept me riveted to the very last sentences. I connected with this book on many levels -- in fairness I had just finished reading a very famous female writer's book -- actually her memoir of sorts. Without naming names and being mean, this middle aged and learned author was sharing her life's wisdom, and discussed in detail the deep love she had for her dog and her unceasing devotion and care for it, disclosing that she never wanted children, but only a dog. The problem was NOT that she loved her dog, or never wanted to be a parent. Totally get that of course. The problem was an unwitting, chilling kind of disdain for and disconnect with children that oozed out of the pages. Enter Fierce Kingdom, where the opposite happened. Phillips is wise without having to convince us she is. I was so happy -- maybe happy is not the right word -- but more of a YES! now THIS is an author who has no agenda -- not trying to prove anything to anyone with writing dexterity or in this case the virtues of BEING a mother. She simply was able to tap directly into raw primal emotions and the decisions that might result, and put them down on paper for us to all consider. If you want to FEEL down to your core like a mother bear whose child has been threatened -- - and wonder how you might react -- this is about as good as it gets.

    I've heard there is a movie on the way -- I don't know how it could compare to the book but I'll be there in the theatre to watch it.

    Thank you for this awesome read!!!!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2017
    There are so many things to love about this book, so I'll start with the good things. It's a suspense novel with the main plot about a mother protecting her child, and boy does she protect her child. Joan takes her four year old son to the zoo every week, and to the library and other places, but the zoo in definitely a high point--until it's not. Nestled in the woods of the zoo, resting, Joan hears what she thinks are fireworks going off, and as she gatheres her young son up to leave the zoo, she finds out that it's not fireworks, but gun fire. Now Joan must hide in a place she knows well, from whoever is shooting both humans and beasts in one of the safest places on earth, the zoo.

    The author must have children because she writes about the mother-child bond with such authority, and compassion. I felt as if I were there with this mother, ready to 'splatter brains on pavement' to protect her son. The portrayal of at this mother is spot-on. Hearing her listen to her son's chatter is priceless, as it is to the character who loves this young boy.

    The tension never lets up as Joan must make decisions that might seem cruel, but taken in the context of protecting her son, they seem perfectly legitimate and what any mother might have done.

    I was a little disappointed that the book ended so abrutly and left out the fate of some of the other visitors to the zoo. The mind of the shooters was scary and probably all too real, so overall, this is a very worthy read and one that will keep you up most of the night if you're as slow a reader as I am.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Read, Watch & Drink Coffee
    5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful story that is paced perfectly.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2021
    Fierce is a powerfully captivating story with an intriguing premise that’s sure to have you gripped from page one.

    I love books that explore the lengths a parent will go to to protect their child, but also the difficulties of teaching them the balance between what’s right and wrong. And with many obstacles along the way, you can constantly feel Joan’s inner struggle of what’s the right thing to do with what will get them out alive.

    There’s a line at the start of the book that really struck me:

    “Such a system of clocks and balances – parenting – of projections and guesswork and cost-benefit ratios.”

    From this point on, I was fully immersed in Joan’s situation. I often visit the zoo with my boys so I could really picture the setting and atmosphere, and I loved the interactions with the different animals, adding even more threat with their nervous presence. And Phillips writes it so well that you really feel like you’re trapped there with her.

    It’s such a powerful story and, told over a few hours, is paced perfectly. I easily read it in one sitting as I had to know how it would end. There are a few things left unanswered, but the climactic end is sure to leave you breathless. Now I’m off to see what else Gin Phillips has written!
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in Canada on May 17, 2020
    Read it in one sitting !
  • old crow
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2017
    good, easy summer read
  • Froschkönigin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Wenn das Unvorstellbare eintritt
    Reviewed in Germany on December 18, 2018
    Der Nachmittag verläuft harmonisch und friedlich. Wie so oft ist Joan mit ihrem Sohn Lincoln in den Zoo gegangen. Nicht nur wegen der Tiere, auch, weil der Vierjährige, abseits der Hauptwege, so ruhig und zufrieden spielen kann. Haarsträubende Abenteuer der nordischen Götter Thor und Loki sind gerade angesagt, die Lincoln mit kleinen Actionfiguren nachspielt. Wie fast immer, müssen sich Mutter und Sohn auch heute beeilen, um rechtzeitig vor Toreschluss den Haupteingang zu erreichen.
    Kurz vor dem Eingang sieht Joan mehr aus den Augenwinkeln, als sofort wirklich zu realisieren, was sie da sieht, mehrere Personen reglos am Boden liegen. Gleichzeitig wird einem Teil von ihr bewusst, dass die seltsamen Geräusche, die sie seit einiger Zeit von der Richtung des Haupteingangs her gehört hatte, keine Feuerwerkskörper waren oder zerplatzende Glühbirnen. Sondern Schüsse.
    Von dem Moment an ist Joan gezwungen, rein nach Instinkt zu handeln und alle Überlegungen, die nicht unmittelbar dazu führen, ihren kleinen Sohn und sich selbst in Sicherheit zu bringen, auszublenden. Vorrang hat nur ihrer beider Überleben, und Joan muss erkennen, wie brüchig die Balance zwischen eigenem Überlebenswillen und Mitgefühl sein kann in Extremsituationen.
    Es ist ein Szenario, von dem jeder weiß, dass er theoretisch selbst einmal davon ereilt werden kann: Bewaffnete dringen in einen gut besuchten, öffentlichen Bereich ein und eröffnen das Feuer. Gleichzeitig passsiert soetwas immer nur anderen, und wie man selbst sich in so einem Moment verhalten würde, kann wahrscheinlich niemand sagen, bevor diese furchtbare Situation wirklich eintritt.
    Etwas ist anders als in den Szenarien, die Joan und alle anderen aus den Nachrichten kennen: statt der erwarteten Hundertschaften von Polizei und Hubschraubern bleibt die Szene gespentisch ruhig. Die Täter sind keine wild um sich schießenden Amokläufer. Sie sind gezielt auf der Jagd nach den Personen, die sich noch auf dem Zoogelände befinden, jeden einzelnen, den sie ausfindig machen können, und sie lassen sich bei der Inszenierung ihres irrsinnigen „Spiels“ viel Zeit.
    Auch deshalb umgeht Gin Phillips in ihrem Roman das Problem, dass sich das alptraumhafte Szenario ungewollt zu einem Actionthriller entwickeln könnte. Statt ihre Protagonisten atemlos durch das Zoogelände hetzen zu lassen – das Cover ist da etwas irreführend – besteht für Joan und die anderen Gejagten die einzig mögliche Überlebenstrategie darin, möglichst unsichtbar und lautlos zu sein. Das ist zum Glück nicht spannend. Es lässt der Autorin genügend Raum, die humanen und emotionalen Facetten für die Protagonisten in einer solchen Extremsituation auszuleuchten, die das Geschehen für den Leser umso eindringlicher machen. Das ist aber zugleich extrem nervenzehrend. Wie erklärt man einem gerade einmal Vierjährigen, dass es überlebenwichig ist, sich mucksmäuschenstill zu verhalten. Lincoln versteht zwar, dass die Situation, in der seine Mutter und er sich befinden, gefährlich ist – aber das Problem ist: Gefahr, Lebensgefahr, ist für ihn noch ein abstrakter Begriff, der Unterschied zwischen der echten Bedrohung durch Menschen mit wirklichen Gewehren zu seinen gespielten Kämpfen mit den Actionfiguren ist dem Jungen noch nicht klar.
    Die beklemmende Wirkung, die diese introspektive Perspektive hat, wird noch dadurch verstärkt, dass Phillips es versteht, den Leser, ob er will oder nicht, durch ihre Beschreibung der Szenerie direkt an den Ort des Geschehens zu versetzen - man sieht förmlich jeden Grashalm, jede Laterne, die den Pfad viel zu sehr erleuchtet, und jedes Schutz bietende Gebüsch vor sich.
    Ein Buch, das mich den Atem anhalten ließ und das zutiefst menschlich ist. Und auch ein Buch, das einen über die fast alltägliche Instrumentalisierung von Gewalt- zu puren Unterhaltungszwecken – nachdenken lässt. Diese zieht sich nämich wie ein roter Faden durch das Buch: da sind die harmlosen – oder als harmlos empfundenen – Actionspielchen mit Lincolns kleinen Plastikmonstern, die sofort wieder aufstehen, nachdem er sie für tot erklärt hat. Da sind aber auch solche Filme wie „Predator“, den Lincoln (was ich nicht wirlich verstehe) sich mt seiner Mutter anschauen durfte. Da ist Joans jagdbegeisteter Vater mit einem Arsenal an Waffen, der mit Hingabe Tauben den Hals undreht. Da sind die zutiefst menschenverachtenden Killerfilme, die sich die Täter angeschaut haben. Gin Phillips vermeidet es, moralische Zeigefinger zu erheben und Überlegungen darüber anzustellen, ob Banalisierung oder Verherrlichung von Gewalt letztendlich Hemmschwellen senkt oder Gewaltbereitschaft fördet. Auf jeden Fall lässt „Fierce Kingdom“ den Leser nachdenklich zurück.
  • L.
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fierce kingdom
    Reviewed in Canada on March 5, 2018
    It was entertaining. The suspense is well built. I didn't expect multiple point of views, and that was interesting. All in all this was an enjoyable read.

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?