Last of the Wild Days

Book One - Spring

De: Daniel J Loney

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

The Wild Days are all but over, and the Howling Hunt is nearing...

Facing the worst winter in living memory, Brackenhal and Merralea are fleeing south with what's left of their tribe - and their last remaining cub. Plagued by cold, hunger, and opportunistic Flesheaters who are picking off their fellow Foragers one by one, there is still no sign of winter lifting, nor spring returning. Along their path, they discover an abandoned fox cub lying in the snow, yet despite foxes being among the most feared and cruel of all predators, they decide to raise the cub as their own. Meanwhile, another creature born of winter itself is uniting the Flesheaters under one creed to begin a great hunt, and while the Foragers raise their orphaned cub in little knowledge of the looming threat, the Wintergazer is ever growing in both power... and hunger.

Against the setting described above, The Last of the Wild Days is the story of someone born into one way of life but raised into another; whose identity is increasingly torn between heritage and upbringing, nature and nurture, right and wrong - who must ultimately discover what the meanings of family and friendship truly are to them.

As well as for use of setting, the world, characters and their various attitudes towards one another are intended as a satirical reflection of humanity and our issues throughout history that are still largely present today such as tribalism, slavery and greed.

Dedicated to the memory of my brother Nathaniel (Natty), Brian Jacques whose books we both grew up with, and other influential authors who are sadly no longer with us, this is a story of life, death, love, grief, captivity, freedom, prejudice, compassion, and the complicated, bittersweet bonds of friendship and family - in a reflection of our own lives as a combination of beauty, agony and everything in between.

If you decide to pick it up, self publishing relies heavily on ratings and reviews - so any review or any feedback you could offer would be extremely appreciated. Thank you!

really love the story and characters

Gripping story that doesn't pull punches with realistic characters. the only downside is that the next book isn't available in audiobook format so I cant continue the adventure at work.

Good story

From what I could tell this is a coming to age story with a darker theme. That includes elements of nutrition vs nature.

Grimdark Loveletter to Redwall

Last of the Wild Days is a grim dark redwall love letter.
This is not a solo book, and is not written as a solo book. Each book in the series is a continuation of a single story, which is a great thing though it does mean that all books are required to properly enjoy it.

~THE BAD~
I am unsure of it is an issue with text-to-speech or the writing itself, but there are moments where something feels a bit off?
Each book (so far) suffers from the idea that suffering = drama, drama = good, so any choice that can raise the drama meter will be taken. This is generally fine, but there are a few moments of characters not acting like themselves in order to cause more drama.
Luckily these are few and for between and the farther in the series the more confident and more consistent the writing gets.
There are, however, a few too many deus ex machina for my liking - though both the good guys and bad guys get an equal treatment there.

~THE GOOD~
The author clearly loves Redwall, and you can truly feel the inspiration in every scene where food and kind hearted characters are involved. The respect shown for their elders, even while goofing off, and the care taken to describe such a variety of food and drink is honestly a fresh breath of air and very needed for a series like this. I love it.
unlike many stories, this series gives each character just enough time to make an impact and stick with you, though it can linger in background characters a smidgen too long (though even then it turns out to be a good thong as you get farther in the story).
There are no two-dimensional characters on either side of the conflicts. The stakes are high and the results and actions and results are all understandable and rational.
The world building is phenomenal and I cant really compare it to anything else ive ever read. There is a certain uniqueness to the style of writing that I just cannot get enough of. It can drag on for a little bit at the start, but I believe thats mostly the AI voices monotonous tone (I did buy the books and plan on reading them to get away from the TTS, but audiobooks are accessible and I can listen to them at work)

Overall, I desperately want more of this and cannot wait for the final book in the series (and I desperately wish the author continues to write even more adventures within the world that has been so lovingly and painstakingly crafted)