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Fierce Kingdom: A Novel
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Fierce Kingdom: A Novel
Unavailable
Fierce Kingdom: A Novel
Audiobook8 hours

Fierce Kingdom: A Novel

Written by Gin Phillips

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

"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?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 25, 2017
ISBN9780525492313
Unavailable
Fierce Kingdom: A Novel
Author

Gin Phillips

Gin Phillips has written critically acclaimed books for adults, and is now making her foray into children’s literature. Her first novel, The Well and the Mine won the 2009 Barnes & Noble Discover Award. Gin worked for many years as a freelance magazine editor, and now lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, children, and their dog.

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Reviews for Fierce Kingdom

Rating: 3.587982896995708 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

233 ratings36 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    What started as a peaceful and fun day at the zoo for a mother and her four-year-old child morphed into three hours of terror. The span of the book takes place in those three hours. There are not many specifics about the book that can be said without spoilers. Joan is a loving wife and mother who will do whatever she can to protect her son. They are connected by threads visible to only Joan. And when a threat arises unexpectedly, only Joan knows what is best for her son. Or does she? The suspense escalates rapidly and the author manages to maintain that suspense throughout the book. The only problems I had with the tale were with a couple of dropped storylines, some of Joan’s actions in the story, and, of course, the ending. But the story is highly recommended for suspense readers, but be warned: once you start it, you won’t want to stop reading until you finish it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book rather quickly but there were parts that it dragged a bit. It's hard when the entire book takes place in roughly 3 hours. I was enthralled with the plot and many times I had knots in my stomach because I was so nervous for the characters, but the plot pacing wasn't consistent. The writing style was unique and I think Phillips does an incredible job of distinguishing character's thoughts, which is often my complaint with multiple perspective novels. That's another thing. The synopsis of the boom makes it sound like a singular perspective but you hear from multiple people. This felt a little weird because there would be large gaps between perspectives. I would have rather heard from each character consistently or just one character, but we only hear from everyone in the beginning and in the end. I really enjoyed the way in which Phillips captures one's thoughts. They're not always rational, especially in a scenario such as the book's setting, and they felt authentic and true to life. I liked this book. The writing was unique and the perspectives were impressive so I give it 4 stars.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I felt the hype of this book was more than what it provided. The premise was promising, but the pacing was slow.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book had a fantastic premise -- a mother and son are trapped in the zoo by a shooting incident. It seemed ready-made for a thrilling movie. The problem is that enough plot for a 90-minute movie might make a good short story or novella, but it is not really enough plot for an entire book.Very little actual violence is depicted; bodies of both humans and animals are briefly described, but actual deaths are not. Even chapters from the viewpoint of the perpetrator are circumspect. Author Gin Phillips's focus is on the bond between mother Joan and her 4-year-old son Lincoln, which narrows the scope of the book considerably. Joan is a basic Everymom and attempts to flesh her out by adding some flashbacks to her past don't do much, and while Lincoln is not unrealistic or annoying, a 4-year-old is really not all that interesting to anyone who isn't his mother. Eventually other characters are introduced, which piqued my interest, but they're barely present. The whole book is Joan and her feelings about Lincoln, and the author has to resort to some contrivances to keep the plot going.That said, the suspense was done well enough to keep me reading to the end.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Book received through Goodreads Giveaways. #Spookathon challenge read a thriller.I wasn't a huge fan of this book, I liked the plot it's very timely with all of the shootings that have happened lately here in the US. I also loved the ending of the book since the author leaves it to the reader to decide what happened to the main characters of the book, but that barely makes up for everything in between. It's a short book but it took me forever to get through it, it just drug in so many places. I have read 400-600 page books faster than I did this one because they kept me wanting more. It was a decent read but I don't believe I'll ever read another by this author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A quick and exciting read about what a mother would do to save her little boy and herself during a horrific event at a zoo.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I probably should have read this book after I read a non-thriller genre book. Instead I read it right after I finished reading another thriller, and I think it affected my appreciation of this book on its own merit. This is though, a quite well-written thriller. The most unique thing about it is that the story is set in a 3-hour time frame, and different too is that while reading, I really felt that I was in the story because it takes about that long to read it. It was a remarkable experience - kind of like the television series "24" where the action is set in real time. The plot unfolds very quickly, and it is because of this plot style, the urgency that you experience for Joan and her lovely 4-year old boy, Lincoln increases.. As I was reading, I couldn't help but think that this book would make a great movie, especially with a strong female lead (like Nicole Kidman as Joan). I did enjoy the story, and I loved the setting. Who doesn't love the idea of being in a zoo with all the animals after closing time? Gin Phillipps has done an amazing job of portraying the terror of peoplw who are involved in mass shootings, which, unfortunately, is all too common these days. She also does a great job of depicting just how far a mother will go to protect her child. Joan is a strong character and she even surprises herself with the lengths that she goes to keep little Lincoln safe. The book is fast moving with lots of tension, and well worth the read if you are fond of stories in this genre that are just a little bit different, and if you like thrillers that have a more of a human slant.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fast-paced thriller that kept me absorbed throughout, which doesn't happen that often. My only complaint is that the story was wrapped up rather abruptly, which cost it 1/2 star. I hope that no bad guys get any ideas from it. Good book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was fine while I was reading, but it's one of those books that, for me, held together less well the more I thought about it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Joan is spending an afternoon at the zoo with her four-year-old son Lincoln when, just before closing time, she hears a burst of what she only belatedly realizes is gunfire. Then things quickly get nightmarish for her as she finds herself running and hiding, desperately trying to protect herself and her kid.This isn't a particularly complex or intricate thriller, but it's a nicely effective one. I will admit, I wasn't sure for a while just how well it was going to work for me, as it seems quite deliberately designed to play on the fears, instincts, and emotions of parents, which I most definitely am not. And despite Phillips' use of a lot of really wonderful little details that make this woman's relationship with her son and her experience of being his mom feel very real, my own initial feelings were less a distressed "OMG, child in danger! He must be protected!" and more of an annoyed, "Aaargh, this is the problem with little kids: they have no sense of perspective, and even in an actual life-or-death situation, you can't get them to shut up! What a liability!" But Phillips does such a good job of getting into Joan's head, and of building the tension as the story goes along, that even hard-heartedly non-maternal me got sucked into things, so much so that I ended up delaying some important errands just so I could finish the last fifty pages.Rating: 4.5/5. Because, hey, any book that makes me that unwilling to put it down surely deserves that much.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A normal day at the zoo turns into a nightmare when Joan and her four-year-old son, Lincoln, are trapped in the midst of a mass shooting. Author Gin Phillips uses this unique premise to reveal the complexity and intensity of a mother's relationship with her child. In the span of a few hours, Joan's thoughts are commanded by fear, protectiveness, love, frustration, exhaustion, and pain. The compelling story delivers tense suspense while delving into the light and dark corners of humanity and the all-too-real effects of sustained terror. Utterly compelling storytelling but mothers of young children may want to save this novel until their children are adults!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a timely and suspenseful novel of a young mother, Joan, and her precocious and very talkative 4-year-old son, Lincoln, at the zoo. As they approach the entrance to leave at closing time, they suddenly realize there are dead bodies laying in the path and armed men roaming the zoo, looking for survivors. With quick thinking, Joan and Lincoln hide in the exhibits hoping that if they can wait long enough, a SWAT team will come and rescue them. As darkness comes and the night drags on, however, it becomes more difficult to keep Lincoln quiet and every choice she makes could lead to potentially lethal consequences. They come into contact with others who are also hiding and making their own choices of survival and still the night drags on.This is a well-written and unfortunately reality-based thriller, that makes you question what you would do and how far you would go to protect yourself and your loved ones or strangers if the worst-case scenario became reality. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Damn this book made me tense! I was feeling physically ill and nervous, like I was experiencing all the hell written on the page. Fierce Kingdom is about a normal day at the zoo turned nightmare. A mother and her four year old son are enjoying a late afternoon at the zoo when they hear gunfire. Thinking that it must be fireworks or something else they ignore it, but as they're trying to leave they discover dozens of bodies that have been shot down. When the reality hits that there are active shooters killing people and animals indiscriminately, Joan goes into flight mode. She has to hide her and her son and keep him quite, but will that be enough? Does she try to help other people or does she only worry about her own child? Can they escape? Where are the police? How can she keep her son from having a meltdown? Fast paced and tense, this book will leave you on the edge of your seat!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Similar to Emma Donoghue's "Room," a mother's fierce love propels her to do whatever it takes to protect her precocious son through a horrible event. I'm not a mother, but I felt her maternal struggles throughout.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Joan and her four-year-old son have been playing in a secluded part of the zoo, but now they're cutting it close as the zoo is about to close for the day. As they hurry toward the exit Joan immediately turns around, Lincoln in her arms, and races back into the zoo. Those pops she heard earlier weren't balloons bursting or fireworks - they were gunshots and there is a man with a gun at the exit. Joan loves the zoo and it's her knowledge of this place - the hidden pathways and what exhibit is empty - that keeps them one step ahead of danger for the next three hours. She will do whatever it takes to protect her son.

    With a cover like that and especially after reading the blurb I desperately wanted to read it right away. As an animal lover it pains me to read about fictional animals being hurt and killed and since this takes place in a zoo I figured it would happen. (I skimmed over those parts and I'm pretending they didn't happen!) But this book is so good! I couldn't help but fall in love with little Lincoln. His imagination and the love he has for his mother - their bond - it was something special. I was totally absorbed in this and if life didn't get in the way I would've read it in one sitting. It was very intense. Never a dull moment.

    Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a very well told story about a mother and her 4 year old son who are trapped in a zoo while 2 gunmen terrorize the staff and visitors. The ordeal starts near closing time at 5:30 and lasts for about 3 hours. Joan and her son Lincoln are frequent zoo visitors which will serve them well as she plans their escape route. As Joan and Lincoln prepare to leave, she hears gunshots and quickly realizes that they are coming from inside the zoo, near the entrance. She sees two bodies and retreats to a safe hiding place which houses a porcupine and a well hidden shelter. While she is hiding, the two gunmen saunter by on the path and she is able to hear their conversations. iRobby and Mark are two white early 20s losers who take up guns to achieve some sort of meaning in their mundane lives. Robby describes his life as a blister that needs to be punctured so the pus can run out.Joan is an extraordinarily rational and fierce mother who will do anything to protect Lincoln. Her maternal instincts go into high gear as she struggles physically and mentally to escape from the danger. Some who have not parented may feel that some of her thought processes and conversations are tedious but she is fascinated by the mind, dialogue and activities of Lincoln. Two other characters are present: Kailynn provides a safe temporary shelter and Margaret provides some background into Robby's childhoodGood quick read for a rainy afternoon at the cottage.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 STARS!!! Wow, I literally held my breath pretty much through most of this book. A story of a mother, Joan, and her 4 year old son, Lincoln, who are on a normal trip to the zoo. It's a pretty regular trip for them, as they do it a lot. They have their special places and animals to see. Lincoln is a very creative child coming up with all kinds of stories with a very extended vocabulary.On this visit to the zoo, they are preparing to leave, as it is closing time, when Joan hears gunshots coming from the entrance of the zoo. Then . . . prepare to take your last breath. The action and suspense that follows while Joan and her very rambunctious son spend over 3 hours trying to hide from the shooters. They pass fallen lifeless bodies, both human and animal. Lincoln, true to his age, has a very hard time keeping quiet, especially after several hours and he is hungry.This book at me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath and zipping through the pages. A well written story that will definitely make you stay up past your bedtime.Thanks to Penguin Group/Viking and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book was just too tense for me and I did not enjoy the ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So, you've heard readers say, "I couldn't put the book down"....but honestly, I truly couldn't put down Gin Phillips' new thriller Fierce Kingdom!Her premise is terrifying......Joan and her four year old son Lincoln are amongst the stragglers leaving the zoo late one day. They're on their way to the exit when Joan hears 'popping' sounds. It's only when she sees the first dead body that she realizes that there is a killer on the prowl within the confines of the zoo. And he's walking on two legs carrying a gun.....Okay, the idea alone is scary enough, but the fact that I have visited the zoo with my young grandson made it even more real. Recent newspaper headlines make it a plausible and appalling scenario.Phillips' descriptions of Joan's love for Lincoln has been described by the publisher as primal - an apt and realistic picture of fierce mother love. Their interactions and Lincoln's imagination and questions all ring so true. Joan's ferocious desire to ensure her son survives this horrific situation had me on the edge of my seat for all 288 pages and the three hours that the novel takes place in.Joan and Lincoln often visit the zoo - she knows the layout and will use that knowledge to try and evade the killer. But how do you keep a four year old quiet? Transmit the danger without terrifying him? What decisions does she have to make to ensure his survival? The killer is also given a voice with some chapters dedicated to his thinking and reasoning. His actions are frightening enough, but the impetus for his actions is downright terrifying - again taken from real life events. There are others hiding as well and we also hear a bit from them.Fast paced, breakneck action will keep you turning pages 'til the wee hours. The tension and the fierce love between Joan and Lincoln will leave you breathless (and hugging the little ones in your life a little bit tighter). An excellent read for those who love thrillers and suspense. I dare you to try and put it down....I can see this novel as a movie as well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    "Fierce Kingdom" by Gin Phillips starts off with a bang (no pun intended) and never lets up until the very last page. What would you do if you were having a leisurely day at the zoo with your young child and all of a sudden that bliss was interrupted by a gunman shooting people at random? That is exactly what Joan faces when she is trying to leave the zoo after spending a wonderful day with her young and very curious son. The novel works on so many levels. There is suspense, dread, and an emotional connection if you happen to be a mother. The vivid narration is so very precise and detailed as well with really makes the novel a very rich and enthralling read. I didn't want to put the book down as the suspense never let up at all. This is definitely going to be on my "best books of 2017 list". Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gin Phillips is a new author for me. After experiencing her latest novel, Fierce Kingdom, I plan to check out some of her other novels. This is a suspenseful novel which takes place over 3 hours, from 4:55p.m. to 8:05p.m. Those were very fast hours for me but I must admit, it took me more than 3 hours to read it even though I didn't want to put it down. When I finished, I felt like I had been blown away!!The novel starts so innocently with a mother, Joan, and her 4-year-old son, Lincoln, finishing an afternoon visiting the zoo. It's closing time and just as they are nearing the exit, Joan realizes the sounds they have been hearing were not firecrackers or balloons popping, but gunmen shooting near the exit. She immediately goes into "protect" mode and she and Lincoln run back into the zoo to find a place to hide.Joan and Lincoln's avoidance of the gunmen was intense as Joan tried to think of ways to protect Lincoln. They encounter a couple of other women who are hiding also and team up with them as they all try to stay alive. The novel is very thought-provoking and several times I asked myself what I would do in a situation like this.The instances of animal abuse (not by Joan or Lincoln) were hard to read. I would have given this book 5 Stars but there were some unanswered questions at the end.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was rather unfortunate. The concept was interesting enough, but the execution was rather dull. I really didn’t like Joan for the middle part, and didn’t start liking her again until near the end.

    The narration was ok, though.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a pretty tense read. I really hate it when you can't tell exactly what happens to the characters at the end of the book. Did she die, or was she rescued in time? What happened to the baby? The school teacher? I couldn't tell. I guess I get to decide for myself....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 stars, upgraded to four because I had to reach the ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I am not sure how I felt about this book. It was tense, and moved rather quickly, but I didn't like the concept. Joan and her four year-old son, Lincoln, are at the zoo, and it is almost closing time. As Joan and Lincoln move toward the exit, Joan sees a terrible sight, and she and Lincoln run deep into the zoo. Joan needs to use all of her cunning to keep Lincoln safe. There are others trapped at the zoo, too, and Joan wonders if she should help them or only worry about herself and Lincoln.
    This is a taut thriller, but again, the concept of what was happening was disturbing to me. Also, the beginning of the book moved very quickly, but the middle seemed to drag along. The final few chapters sped up, and finished nicely. However, the end left me unsettled - as I suppose the author intended.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The plot of this novel is intriguing - a mother and young son are spending a day at the zoo when suddenly they are trapped by active shooters. It's an all too real tale and the author mixes the shock of bullets firing with the quiet terror of hiding with a small child. I'll go ahead and admit I didn't like the ending, but this is good book for those who enjoy suspense and thrillers.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Honestly, the book started out decent, but quickly went downhill. It became very unbelievable that police could not get into the zoo, which is usually pretty open, to help the people inside. What really ruined it for me was the ending. Extremely disappointing with way too many loose ends. Sometimes when a book ends like that it's fun to Google different opinions. But in this case I really had no interest in reading anything else related to this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was my first book that I ever read through Book of the Month Club. I wasn't sure at first, but I liked the way it was written and the story revolving around the zoo. I found it to be a bit dry in the middle, but overall I enjoyed reading it. It could have been shortened by a few chapters, but I loved how the dialogue between Joan and Lincoln was described throughout their ordeal.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lincoln is enjoying the last few minutes of playtime at the zoo, a place he and is mother Joan often visit. They?ve explored the hidden pathways, walked through exhibits both new and old, ridden on the carousel. They know which exhibits are under construction and which place each of the zoo?s animals call home.With the zoo about to close, Joan is urging her son toward the exit. But she sees something so terrifying she grabs her four-year-old and turns and runs back into the zoo where, for the next three hours, her sole purpose for living will be to keep her child safe. With the zoo-at-night setting serving as a character in this frightening tale, readers will find much to appreciate in a narrative alternating tender mother-child moments with breathless, heart-stopping moments of pure terror. Joan?s introspective moments, as she contemplates the changes in her child over the years of his life, are appropriate to the telling of the tale; mothers will easily recall times they have had similar thoughts and reminisces about their own children. While the plot includes difficult, horrific events taking place in the story, the telling of the tale is not overly graphic. The true-to-life characters, caught in a situation beyond their control, will pull readers into the narrative and the pulse-pounding terror and building suspense will keep the pages turning. Although some readers will find themselves wishing for more details at the final resolution, readers are likely to find this masterful narrative of survival, of love, and of desperation difficult to set aside.Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.Joan and her four-year-old son, Lincoln, have just spent a leisurely day at their local zoo. Estimating that it is almost closing time, Joan gathers up her son and his toys, and starts their journey towards the exit. She quickly realizes that something is amiss—there is a shooter. She gathers Lincoln in her arms and runs back into the zoo. They are now trapped like the animals. Keeping one step ahead, Joan relies on her instincts and previous zoo trips to keep her and her little boy safe. Her survival instincts kick into overdrive when she discovers there are others that are also trapped, and that there is more than one shooter. Joan is determined for her and Lincoln to walk out of this alive. The only communication she has with the outside world and her husband is via her cell phone and she realizes this same lifeline is also putting them at risk. In a rash, but clever decision, Joan uses her cell phone as a decoy and throws the glowing object into the bushes. Phillips' primal and raw novel illustrates the powerful bond between a mother and her child and the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. This riveting novel pits a mother's love against fear, good against evil, and instinct against rationality. Spanning three hours, this incredible story will have you mesmerized and your heart pounding until the very last word.