In a way that seems oddly fitting, it is hard to separate the wonder of this book from the tragedy surrounding it. This is the third book in this series. It was supposed to be number three in a seven-book series chronicling the uprising of a group of bunnies and other prey animals, led by a visionary – though troubled (as many visionaries are) – bunny who realized the ways of the world weren’t fair and decided to rebuke them. Unfortunately, unless the family has access to a rough draft and notes and cobbles together one more book that can never be quite what we would have gotten, as sometimes happens, this will be our final book in this series. Mr. St. John tragically passed away before his time, his work unfinished, leaving his fans wanting more – or at least this one. It certainly makes me feel – and worry – for long-suffering fans of a certain fantasy series.

About the Book

CAN FREE NATION SURVIVE THREATS FROM WITHIN AND WITHOUT?

If the bears in City of Oom don’t destroy the small but mighty fighters of Free Nation, a more insidious enemy will. Journey with our heroes as they set out on desperate quests to learn the secrets of the bears — and themselves.

Part naturalistic adventure, part modern-day fable,the War Bunny Chronicles a fast-paced story about friendship, honor, standing up for yourself, and coming of age.

A great adventure read for teens and adults! (Fantasy, 13+)

My Thoughts

Knowing that this was supposed to be a novel right in the middle of a series, it does a beautiful job of building tension, clearly setting up plot lines for later, and weaving threads for us to unravel books down the line. But as a surprise finale, it leaves us with so many questions unanswered. Even still, that is life sometimes. It is rarely wrapped up for us in a beautiful little bow. Sometimes, you meet someone on a train, hear their life story, part ways, and never get to hear the rest. As a writer and storyteller, that is incredibly frustrating! And I have one of those faces that makes people tell me things.

Even knowing how it would end, I would pick up War Bunny and the subsequent books, including this one. They are delightfully cozy adventure books filled with cute talking animals, hierarchies, battles, and so much more. The references and mystery surrounding the Old Gods alone kept me turning pages.

Who’s It For?

If you love fantasy – especially creature/animal-focused fantasy stories – you’ll love this story. There is a lot of futuristic science hidden deep in the pages, and there are some dystopian vibes hidden as well. Being that this is from the eyes of predators and prey animals, there are scenes of animal harm, so that is a big trigger point for many.

Content Warnings: Animal harm/death, Violence, Death, Child /Parent Loss, Infertility, Domestic/Familial Abuse, Child Abuse, Bullying, Religious Ideology, Political Ideology, Racism, Xenophobia, Apocalyptic Imagery, Pandemic/Epidemic Disease (Not Covid), Abelism, Sacrifice Imagery, Specism

About the Author

Christopher St. John is an award-winning writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His plays have appeared at the Blue Bear Theatre in San Francisco, the York Theatre in New York, and Marigny Opera House in New Orleans.

Christopher volunteers for several San Francisco Bay Area animal rescue organizations. And he’s proud to be part of the group that helped get the California Fur Ban signed into law in 2019.

He and his partner live with rescue bunnies running freely in their well-nibbled home.

The first book in the War Bunny Chronicles won the 2022 International Book Awards for Fantasy. Kirkus Reviews calls it “An entertaining, imaginative post-apocalyptic scenario with special appeal for animal lovers.”

Since then, the series has been growing by leaps and bounds. It will probably be seven books in total.

Links

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/4UH6ofm
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/aZ0bAe1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216253683-city-of-oom
Author’s Website: https://christopherstjohn.com/