Fierce Kingdom

A Novel

By: Gin Phillips

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Suddenly, mother and son are as trapped as the animals. Joan's intimate knowledge of this place that filled early motherhood with happy diversions - 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?

©2017 Gin Phillips (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"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)

what kind of ending was that? love the story

I love the story and concept. I wish we could have spent more time with the other characters and their perspectives. plus now I don't know really how it ends.

excellent story

this book kept me mesmerised and wanting to read more. The author does an excellent job of reaching out and pulling and describing the truest of emotions.

Fantastic

Not only a fast-paced thriller, but also an incredibly good portrayal of motherhood. Put into words things I never could have about being a mom.

Great suspense & narration! Ending just okay.

I really, really liked this book...until the last chapter. The moments of suspense were great and there were multiple times I was holding my breath with Joan. The way the author speaks of the bond between a mother and son is amazing and heartwarming. I wished the ending was clearer. I like my books to be wrapped in a pretty bow at the end and this ending was very ambiguous. I wish it had been different. Fantastic narration!

Society is becoming a bunch of Animals!

Fierce Kingdom was such a fantastic book, I literally could not stop listening to it. Of course, I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

Gin Philips writing is truly remarkable and her prose is so eloquent, defined, and masterful. She grabs your attention in the first chapter and has the ability to make you experience a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute, I'm thinking Joan and Lincoln are safe, the next minute I'm praying for their luck to turn around.

Another positive aspect about this book is the powerful way Ms. Philips can write a scene and have the reader stop and think, "what would I do in this situation?" There were so many moments that I found myself asking that question. I LOVED Joan as a main character. She's the queen of calm--even though I knew her character was freaking out, she never displayed that in front of Lincoln or the others.

Let's talk about the audiobook. Cassandra's narration was clear, crisp, and thrilling to listen to. She had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I loved it!!! Her voices for each character was flawless. If she had to be an old lady, she did it. If she had to be a little boy, she did it. If she had to be teen girl, she did it. And if she had to be a creepy sadistic gun loving psychopath---she did it. The production of this audiobook was amazing.

The only problem I had were the animal deaths. Not sure I wanted to imagine an elephant getting shot down. Another aspect that I'm disappointed with was the fact that Joan and her son didn't really interact with many animals. I was hoping for an intense "Joan vs. Lion" scene. Or "Monkey swoops up Lincoln to protect him" scene. There wasn't any of that. The gunman was the scariest part. I think that was the point of the novel is that humans and what society is becoming are the real animals, but I was still hoping for some vicious literal animal drama! This negative wasn't enough to keep me from enjoying the book, though. Still an amazing book!!! Loved every minute of it!!

You won’t put it down once you start reading

When I saw that the entire book takes place in about three hours I knew it was going to be a page turner. My cousin finished it in one night, and it took me just over one day to finish it. I had to know what happens.

Intense and Insightful

I rarely go to movies, but I look forward to seeing this story on screen. Hope they leave the storyline alone.

A Fantastic Fast Paced Listen

This book was an intense page turner that grabbed my attention and kept me listening non-stop. The struggles of this diverse set of characters were compellingly conveyed to the listener through Phillips' ability to capture their internal chatter and thoughts. The book spans only about three hours of real time but with the use of flashbacks and memories we learn a great deal about these people. Heart pounding, horrifying and insightful are words that come to mind when I reflect on the story.

More than this, the book tackles many difficult topics by looking at the individual will to survive, motherhood, personal strength and how far our responsibility goes in regard to helping strangers in peril. This is my first book by this author and I am impressed with Phillips' skill at stepping beyond the simple thriller aspect and deftly taking us into the minds of the characters.

Campbell's narration was excellent. She was able to capture the terror and turmoil subtly with her voicing of each character. The reading never became too extreme or over the top which could easily have happened with a less experienced narrator. Campbell is becoming one of my favorite readers.

Be aware that this book delves into gun violence and sociopathic behavior and you most probably will find yourself repelled by much of what happens in the story. At the same time Phillips' will have you thinking and asking yourself repeatedly--what would I do in this situation. Compelling, thought provoking and really scary. This is excellent story telling but in my opinion not for the faint of heart listener as the violence is very intense.

Started well, end was a let down.

Started well. I like the style of the author and the balance of description. Good character development. The ending was a let down.

Slow to start & only a few twists

By the time I got halfway through it I did want to finish it but it was still a slow read with an almost predictable ending.