Fierce

Other than a few too many asides that remove the reader from the the desperate situation of the protagonist and her young son, it is a real page turner. On several occasions I found myself skimming through some of the sections that I felt distracted from the compelling story line.

When an ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare, Joan finds herself trapped with her beloved 4 year old son. She must summon all her strength, find unexpected courage and protect Lincoln at all costs – even if it means crossing the line between right and wrong!
As a mother myself, I couldn't imagine the horror of trying to protect my children from gunmen trapped in a zoo and it was this frightening thought that kept the storyline going for me as I needed to see how the ordeal ended. Once more characters were introduced the story started to take more shape - I did find Joan a little frustrating at times, but who knows how you'd cope in a terrifying situation like the one she and her son found themselves in.
I found the first half of the book a little too slow for my liking, although it did pick up in the second half and by the end I had enjoyed reading it. It's definitely a book in my opinion more about the protective bond between a mother and son rather than a fast paced thriller so I imagine unless you actually have a child I'm not sure you'd be drawn to this book as much.
It wasn't a book that would keep me past my bedtime though still worth a read, it's well written, very descriptive and I imagine will do well. If you like your thrillers to be slow burning, tense with an unusual setting and premise then "Fierce Kingdom" by Gin Phillips is the book for you.
3 stars

The rambling descriptions and off topic musings are enough to make one suicidal. The characters were one dimensional and frankly dull and whiny. This book is a waste of time. I'm sure the publisher has already canned the editor who brought this book in.

This is an amazingly tense and impacting story. It's set over just a three hour timeline with very few characters, in fact, most of the book is mother and four year old son, Joan and Lincoln.

Very briefly so as not to give too much of the plot away, Joan and her son Lincoln are packing up to leave the zoo close to closing time. Lincoln doesn't want the zoo trip to finish and Joan is having a tussle getting him to put a spurt on before the zoo gates are locked for the night. As they get close to the gates, it becomes clear to Joan that the cracking noises she's been hearing are gun shots and around the exit path are bodies laid dead. Thinking quickly, Joan back tracks with Lincoln to try to hide from the gunman/men. I will say no more of the story, you really need to read this for yourself.

Every moment with Joan and Lincoln is tense and gripping. Imagine trying to keep a four year old quiet and occupied for goodness knows how long the siege will last. Joan doesn't want to frighten Lincoln with the reality of what's happening, that could lead to noise and tears, but she needs to instill in him the seriousness of their situation to make him obey her instructions.

The chapters are set into time frames starting at 4.55pm when Joan is coaxing Lincoln to get ready to leave the zoo which closes at 5.30pm, through to the nail-biting concluding climax at 8.05pm. There are some lovely moments of tender conversation between mother and son and also times of great frustration with such a young child needing the toilet, food and non-stop chatter.

This really is one of the most intensely riveting books I've ever read. I found it difficult to put down for a meal and at bedtime, and my thoughts stayed with the siege at the zoo for days afterwards. It's certainly a book to be recommended and an author to watch out for.

This had great reviews from a number of sources so I gave it a shot! But, the story (spoiler alert!!) made no sense. A mother and child in a city zoo being chased by gunmen. The police arrive early -- but do nothing for THREE HOURS!

This book was a waste of time. The main character and her son are in a zoo that has been over ran by 2 or 3 gunmen, the number is unclear because the third gunman seems to be made up by the other gunmen, an imaginary villain helping them. The main character Joan talks to herself a lot. She correlates what is actually happening to her sons action figures or the child like phrases and words that he makes up. She reminisces way too much, not about pass moments that can help her now but memories that remind her of the present, random animals, decorative zoo lighting, her father being mischievous etc. Her flashbacks are very wordy and unnecessary. There was nothing about her that was heroic, she didn't fight off a gun man, there was no cunning ideas to get away. The gunmen seemed inefficient immature and inexperienced so a fight scene would've been nice and plausible. I finished it only because I paid for the book and I wanted to see what everyone was talking about, like maybe something big and dramatic happens toward the end, but I was sadly disappointed. I read reviews, "the lengths a mother will go to protect her child"......there were no lengths, this shouldn't be a thriller. The high reviews are extremely misleading.

I will credit the author with writing a story that is believable. The only fear in the book is that being in a zoo and a gunman opens fire is very believable. A thriller should encompass heavy drama and fright and situations that put you on the edge of your seat because survival seems inevitable. As a reader I want to be shocked and awed and intrigued how characters escape or not.

Awful. Awfully written and awfully thought out. Random murders of captive animals and people with this weak minded Joan character as the protagonist- I put it down when they came upon the murdered elephant. A poorly written awful story

I fell for the hype on this book and wish I hadn't!

In several reviews, it was described as a fast-paced adventure that take place in a zoo. My thought was people trying to escape dangers...both men with guns and ferocious animals.

I'm going to describe some of the details so consider this a spoiler alert! DON'T read further if you don't want to know some details.

Here are some of the things I didn't like:

1. The cover art had nothing to do with the story. It shows carousel horses. Oddly, there is a carousel at the zoo, but it appear on one (literally ONE) page of the book and has no affect on the story.

2. Could not imagine why there is a carousel (and a petting zoo) at the zoo. I've been to many zoos and they all work to present wild animals in natural habitats. No carousel, rides, or loud noises (which would bother the wild animals anyway). Maybe this book should have been set at a carnival.

3. There is literally ONE live animal in this book and it is a groundhog. Yes, a groundhog that is friendly enough to be picked up and cuddled. One of the characters guesses that it is escaped from the petting zoo. A groundhog is a very unusual animal for a petting zoo!

4. Some of the logic in this story baffled me. For example, at one point the main character (Joan) and her son are hiding behind a rock and want to get the guys with guns to think they have gone off in a different direction. From a sitting position, Joan first throws her phone to enough distance that the bad guys are distracted and then she (again from a sitting position) throws a rock even further in that direction to make it appear they are leaving in that direction. Well, it is VERY difficult to throw something very far from a seated position...unless maybe you are Nolan Ryan. And I think that keeping her phone would have been a good idea.

5. The story sort of stops. The reader does not get to know what happened to everyone.

If you can ignore all these details, maybe you will like this book.

Heart-pounding, gripping story. I have not read a book this fast in a long time. These days, I never stay up late to read, but I couldn't put this book down. I have two young children, so I found this story very relatable. The dialogue between mother and son is exceptional and so realistic. I found myself relating to Joan, the mother, at almost every word.

The story takes place over only a few hours and that is part of the quick pace of this story. The writing is so good, and the descriptions so intentional. As for the ending, some people here have complained about it, but it is definitely not a cliffhanger. We know what happens and what will happen. The author does not need to slow the pace or dummy-down the ending because she has confidence in her readership. I thought it was very well done.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a quick read, gripping story, and realistic plot line. Parents will especially enjoy this book because it's relatable. Well done, Ms. Phillips!

Poorly written with a terribly annoying toddler playing way too much of a role and a mother destined to become one of the annoying helicopter parents when the toddler becomes a teen. Whiny and incompetent.

I love my kid, but this mom and her kid are incredibly annoying -- and a thriller it is not.

So, you're stuck hiding in the zoo with your whiny toddler. You have a cell phone. Wouldn't you think that a rational mom would think to use the cellphone for useful things like calling the cops and letting the cops know when she's moved to a new location?

In the romantic suspense world I call her a TSTL heroine - Too Stupid to Live. This book isn't especially suspenseful, and she's definitely a dumb bunny.

"That is what you do when you have a child, isn't it, open yourself up to unimaginable pain and then try to pretend away the possibilities."

I finished reading this novel last week on February 13th. I was prepared to write a review the next morning and get it posted by that night, but another story took over my consciousness instead. After the horrific shooting in Parkland, I couldn't bring myself to write a review of a book about a mass shooting. The fiction was just too close to the real world for me to understand. These things are only supposed to happen in books. Almost a week later, I've finally been able to gather my thoughts enough to share them with you.

Joan has found the perfect spot at the local zoo for her and her four-year-old son Lincoln to relax. The little corner is just off the path enough for them to enjoy their afternoon uninterrupted by the other visitors. Their trips to this exact spot have become a ritual that allows Joan to relish her time with Lincoln, time that she knows won't last forever. He's simply growing up too fast. But for now at least, everything is perfect. Joan patiently coaxes her son to gather his things in preparation for the closing of the zoo. They only have a few more minutes to travel across the park before the gates are locked. That's when she hears the loud bursts of sound echo through the trees.

Unalarmed at first, mother and child make their way toward the exit. They are jolted to a stop when Joan notices the motionless body lying in the pathway. Further down, she spots a man sporting a rifle, and all the pieces fall into place for her. Joan desperately searches for a place to hide. Ironically, the little piece of paradise that has always brought joy to her and Lincoln has become the place of nightmares. She settles on an abandoned exhibit, hiding behind the rocky landscape of the enclosure. As the book progresses, she continues to navigate the situation through tense and terrifying moments of life and death.

Much of the criticism I've seen of this novel focuses on the perceived implausibility of Joan's actions. Frankly, I was never aware of this until reading reviews. Author Gin Phillips immediately captured my attention and held it through each tense moment. Beyond the suspense, Phillips tells of a beautiful and intimate relationship between mother and child. Through flashbacks and internal thoughts of Joan, we learn the little details of her relationship with Lincoln, a relationship that brings authenticity to both characters. Fierce Kingdom is a brilliant novel of suspense that also managed to capture my heart with an honest portrayal of mother and child. The horrific details of the news coming out of Florida has made this story all the more real to me. The heartache, anger, and passion that Joan displays within the pages of the novel mirrors the real life agony of all those affected by gun violence. Phillips also provides a larger message for those tragedies. By placing the love between mother and child in the middle of the horrors of the shooting, she reminds us that the world is not all bad. "There are beautiful things. Pay attention."

It is hard to believe Gin Phillips makes so much happen in such a short amount of time and space in Fierce Kingdom. Phillips writes in a way that brings to mind contemporary authors like Paula Hawkins, and at the same time draws on more perrenial voices like Patricia Highsmith. This is a book that stands proudly on the shoulders of the works that have come before it and makes another well-written entry into the thriller canon.

In Fierce Kingdom, we have all the properly placed heartstring tugging in the first pages before encountering the trauma that Phillips uses to propel the rest of the story. There is humanity in the story, combined with the thrills that we know will be present. The humanity only adds weight to those twists and turns. Fierce Kingdom is a narrative that plays on powerful fears, with suspense and tension lingering with us to the very last page.

Recommended for fans of the thriller genre, as well as anyone who wants to read a properly executed example of a thriller for the first time. Now my only question is, when's the movie coming?

So much of this novel reached right into my heart and gripped me from the beginning. I am a mother of two young children. Both of my little ones adore the zoo, and we go frequently. I am fiercely protective of my family and especially my children. There's a meme I saw once stating that I may seem meek and quiet, but if you mess with my children, I will show you seven kinds of crazy - or something along those lines. Truer words have rarely been spoken.

Fierce Kingdom taps into the truth behind that statement, and puts a great deal of the makeup of a mother onto the page for the world to read. I am so impressed by the writing, and by the accuracy of motherhood that I read. I felt every single thing that Joan felt. When she described her little one, I saw my own children. Oh my goodness, the frustration, and the stress and fear that comes from being in a situation that requires quiet and knowing your child cannot remain still for more than a few minutes at a time. A lot of things seek to romanticize parents as heroes, faithfully and steadfastly protecting their family. The way the stories go, you can easily picture a cape and superpowers accessorizing those parents, but that's not realistic. Kids are messy and frustrating and uncooperative, and they do not have the capacity to understand dangerous situations or having to be uncomfortable now in order to make it to tomorrow. Parenthood is a dirty, hopeless-feeling, under-appreciated job, and it is 24/7. Real parenthood, real danger, is so truthfully portrayed in Fierce Kingdom, that I absolutely could not put it down.

This is an exquisitely written novel, and one I highly recommend.

SPOILERS

When I read the blurb listed on Goodreads, I actually thought that the book was going to be about animals getting loose in the zoo. I thought maybe tigers, or bears, or (absolutely terrifying thought) chimpanzees. I was actually surprised by the direction the author chose to go in. In today's world, those predators are a very realistic concern, and yet that's not where my mind immediately went. That surprise made the book that much more poignant for me.

I am not going to lie, my relationship with Fierce Kingdom was one of love and hate. Ultimately though, my love for this short, fast paced thriller prevailed. In hindsight, the very reason I hated it defined why it worked so well. There simply was not enough, but in the best of ways.

“You cannot know a wild thing.”

Fierce Kingdom is a story that dares to tackle the fiercest of all things, a mother’s love. It dives deep into the heart of the primal fear as it explores what happen’s when the life of Joan and her 4-year-old son is placed in jeopardy. Trapped within a zoo where terrorizing gunmen show no interest in taking hostages or leaving survivors, Joan must call on every ounce of her strength as a mother and person to ensure their survival.

While character and setting are limited, this story is anything but. Driven by fear and sheer will to survive we are continuously exposed the a variety of emotions. The combination of anxiety, motherly instinct, and determination create an atmospheric read that is drenched with tension and breath-holding moments.

Spanning over a mere three hours, Phillips waste no time thrusting the reader into the action. Fierce Kingdom is a rare narration that manages to successfully capture the time frame of our protagonist’s ordeal within the span of the 288 pages. But do not be deceived. While it may take only a few hours to devour this suspenseful story, moments can feel like an eternity as we follow Joan through the dark zoo in search of safety.

The selection of an original setting ripe with potential dangers that exist around every corner ultimately carries Fierce Kingdom far. The writing is crisp and immersing. There is just enough detail supplied to keep the readers senses engaged and heightened, but always a refraining approach that withholds just enough to fuel the suspense.

I did encounter a few challenges with Joan. She is not without flaws and made some decisions I found questionable. I had to step back occasionally and reevaluate the situation. I was left with several “what would I do” and “what ifs”. However, I also feel that a plot and character that can evoke and solicit these questions is a sign of solid writing.

Fans of fast paced, suspenseful reads that explore humanity and the difficult decisions made during extreme situations will not be able to put this down. Definitely a one sit read!

Joan and her four year old son Lincoln are spending what they think will be a pleasant afternoon at the zoo. Suddenly, Joan hears popping sounds like balloons breaking or fireworks. She realizes that it is near closing time and she and Lincoln head towards the zoo's the exit. As they approach the exit, Joan realizes that what she thinks are shadows on the ground are actually dead bodies and the sounds she's been hearing are guns shooting. She sees the shooters and runs.

With Lincoln in her arms, Joan searches for a good hiding place. Lincoln is heavy but Joan's adrenaline kicks in and she manages to keep going. It doesn't hurt that she's a long distance runner and in good shape. They end up huddling in an animal's cage that, at present, is unoccupied.

Lincoln is precocious, too precocious for any four year old. His vocabulary and intellectual reasoning are those of a much older child. This was the part of the book that couldn't make me suspend belief. If he'd been around seven, perhaps I would have bought in to his verbal skills and vocabulary but there is no four year old I've ever met who is able to speak like he does.

The novel takes place in a time span of three hours and the relationship between Joan and her son is lovely to read about. I also liked the suspense and the thrill of the chase. It was difficult to read some of the scenes about vicarious violence. If you have difficulty reading about animal abuse, stay away from this book entirely.

      What would you do if you were trapped in a zoo with your child while there is armed men running around . This is the question Joan had to figure out with her son LIncoln one day in October. 
     I must say that I was intrigued when I started reading this book . I just had a little bit of a hard time at the beginning . I found that it just read a little slow and not much was happening .  As I read and got going into the book I was surprised how it picked up speed and the action took off . You kind of get sucked in and start worrying if they would get out and not get hurt . Will they be able to survive the ordeal . The book really came into its own towards the end of the book when Joan and Lincoln got to the others . They worked well together as a group. Then the ending just kind of went weird but it did kind of tie everything up 
   The characters grew stronger with each turn of the page . I liked Joan she was like a momma bear protecting her son . Lincoln was actually my all time favourite character  he was such a good kid and he loved super heroes . He did what his mom asked him with not much fuss. You never actually get to see the armed men you just hear the shots and the yelling .   They are phantoms while you read them . 
       Over all I did enjoy this book and the premise of the story is really good . I just had some issues with the lack of action at the beginning and never actually seeing the gun men .  This is the first book I have read by this author and actually I am looking forward to reading more of her work . So if you want a book that builds slowly and then take you to the edge of your seat . This is the book to add to your summer reading list 
 I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review 

A passable thriller. The premise of the book is great. Joan and her young son, Lincoln, are trapped in a zoo after closing by a couple of shooters. Joan has to try to evade the two killers, which means keeping Lincoln quiet and that, as anyone with children knows, can be a difficult task as he gets tired and hungry.

Although the book has some tense moments, the first part drags quite a bit. Joan only has a couple of interactions with the shooters, one at the beginning of the novel that sets off the events, and a second when they are searching an exhibit where Joan and Lincoln are hiding. From there, however, nothing much happens for quite a while besides Joan comforting Lincoln and Joan interacting with two other women who are hiding, until near the end of the book. Then the action picks up and comes to a resounding conclusion.

Note here, though: I found the end a bit ambiguous. I won’t say more because it would be a spoiler.

The book is written in the present tense, which can be hard to pull off, but here it works--in part because of the ending. Otherwise the writing is satisfactory. Joan is a compelling character and you really feel for her and what she is going through. There is one moment where Joan finds a baby that I wish had been explored a bit more.

Understanding that this book is about a little boy and his mother stuck in the zoo while some crazy young men went on a shooting spree, I expected more action. Most of the book was the mother remembering things about the little boy her own childhood, life with her husband, etc. I felt that the author went off topic too often and made the book drag on and on. I found myself skipping her memories or descriptions. In my opinion the author added a lot of minutiae in order to fill up pages. I found it to be rather boring and was glad to be finished with it.

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.

There was just something about that cover and blurb that kept calling to me... And I'm definitely glad I took the time to read Fierce Kingdom. Despite the fact I didn't give it the highest rating on the planet, Fierce Kingdom is without doubt a very suspenseful, refreshing and entertaining psychological thriller that reads like a train. I found myself literally flying through the pages and finished it in less than a day! The writing has a way of drawing you in and I loved the setting in a zoo. Very refreshing and original! The story follows Joan, her son and a bunch of other characters trying to find a way to keep safe in a very chaotic and dangerous situation. There are quite a few twists involved and danger is never far away, but Fierce Kingdom isn't just about the suspense. It is also about the bond between Joan and her son and how far she will go to protect him. And there is were the part comes in that made me lower the rating: the credibility. I'm not sure if the whole situation is actually credible and I wasn't sure about the decisions Joan made either or how things developed. Some of it just felt pretty chaotic and all over the place... BUT. Somehow I still managed to enjoy reading this story anyway. This has a lot to do with the writing, the refreshing and original plot and the constant presence of danger and suspense as you keep reading to find out what will happen to them. So while I ended up giving Fierce Kingdom 'only' three stars, it is a very good three stars for me. And I'm sure this book will be a right fit for those who are not affected by the credibility and are looking for a refreshing psychological thriller with a healthy dose of suspense and a touch of drama.

What I Liked

A different premise than your usual thriller. Raise your hand if you’re a little over the usual thriller premise of a girl/woman who goes missing in the night and needs to be found. Sure, you’ll still have some good and hopefully unexpected twists in there, but you’re still starting out from the same place. Well, in Fierce Kingdom, you’re getting a whole new beginning. This thriller is focused on one cold-blooded storyline – a shooting spree taking place in a zoo past closing hours. I didn’t know if it would be an excessively gory read, based on the premise, but I think Phillips struck the right balance of realism with the violence and injuries included, while keeping the focus on the psychological aspect of the trauma for the characters involved.

The suspense. I’ve mentioned it in a couple other posts and on social media already, but this book made me stay up to finish it way past my usual bedtime. I tend to go to sleep early by any standards (typically 9:30PM), but I couldn’t tear myself away from this story and ended up reading it in one sitting. The pages just kept turning, and I know others have had the same experience, based on the reviews I’ve read. Since you kind of know what’s going to happen from the plot teaser, you already feel a sense of foreboding in the first few relatively calm chapters, and even when the action slackens, the emotional and mental tension for characters and readers alike remains. It was frightening but I just had to see what would happen next.

The emotional component. I found it really interesting that Phillips chose to put a mother and her young boy at the center of her plot. The main character of Joan in particular is extremely well-developed – the reader sees the events unfolding in the thriller through Joan’s mind and is privy to her every anxious and terrified thought. Joan’s relationship to her son and her fears for his safety are starkly revealed in Joan’s mind, and the realism of some of the unimaginable choices she has to make throughout the horrific experience make her actions feel weirdly relatable. You’ll wonder if you would make the same choices Joan did in her place, and will try to discern the safest way forward right alongside her.

What I Didn’t Like

Not much character development for secondary characters. The novel is really told from Joan’s perspective, and though the reader develops a strong understanding of her, there are several secondary characters in the narrative (including the shooter or shooters – no spoilers), which I would have liked to have more of an insight into. In a specific instance, the reader sees one of the other people trapped in the zoo make a really difficult moral decision, but because the book is so focused on Joan, you actually never really find out what happened as a result of that decision, or what that character was thinking while they were making the choice. Though I understand that focusing primarily on one victim gives more of an immediacy to the narrative, I could see how switching perspectives between victims could have also added something to the book if done right.

Final Verdict

You won’t be able to put this one down. Fierce Kingdom is a thriller with an original and highly topical premise that will make you wonder how you would act in its protagonist’s shoes.

Read this as a result of all they hype. Disappointed. Not a thriller by any means. A page turner for me, as I turned the pages looking for that thrill or for something to actually happen. Very slow pace. Too much about her thoughts throughout, it was just going on forever. I don't really see why the description says what a mother does to save her son, when basically the whole book is her hiding the entire time except for the last couple of pages. (SPOILER ALERT)..why would anyone throw out their phone..the only means of communication with the outside world, she could have used another rock. And the person who finds the phone...they wouldn't crush it, they would have used it to toy with the husband or authorities. That would have made the story more interesting. The person I would have rather have heard from was the woman with a baby, how she fares in that situation is much more dire than the lead character with a child of an age who can be reasoned with...how perfect....The ending was a disappointment.

Thank you to Viking Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

This one came as a recommendation from one of my favorite Booktubers, Books and Lala, as she is someone whose opinion I hold in high regard when it comes to thriller books. She had this on her TBR and suddenly, it started popping up everywhere around me with high praise, so I ended up picking it up on NetGalley. While I had my issues with it, it was still enjoyable and I'm really glad I got the opportunity to read it!

Plot:
Joan and her four year old son are relaxing in their last moments of playtime at the zoo for the day. It's been a good day and the two are happy. But as Joan is making her way toward the exit before closing time, she sees something that makes her turn and run, clutching her son in her arms. For the next three hours, she continues to run, and only Joan's knowledge of both her son and the zoo keep them a few steps ahead of the danger that lurks in the zoo.

This book was a solid "okay" for me, personally. It wasn't really tense or thrilling like I was expecting, but I did find myself wanting to find out what would happen next. I think that the fact that this book takes place over the span of a few hours really allowed me to just sit down and read through this relatively fast. I didn't want to really break the pacing of the book so I found myself turning page after page fairly quickly. Speaking of the pacing, I did feel it moved at a moderate pace, probably trying to build up suspense for the reader. Again, I didn't find this very thriller-esque, but that may have just been because of my inability to really connect with the main character. Fierce Kingdom did change points of view multiple times, but never for very long. I didn't enjoy the other characters as much as Joan, so that also may have contributed to my "okay" feeling on the book overall. I did enjoy the cat and mouse feeling that Joan was experiencing, having to make her way around the zoo while there were men creeping around killing people (not a spoiler, it's pretty obvious) and trying not to get caught. That was a cool experience and I do wish it been expanded upon more because unfortunately, Joan doesn't really...do anything for a large portion of the novel. She does have to focus on keeping herself calm and her son, but she mostly just...sits there. I understand, you probably don't want to move around without knowledge of where the potential killers are, but it just kind of left me bored while reading. There were a few things I took issue with, but the overall story was decent with, as I said above, moderate pacing that was easy to just kind of fly through.

Characters:
First off, I have to say that as I am not a mother, I wasn't able to really connect with Joan as a character throughout this book. She also did a few things that just really drove me nuts while reading, such as refusing to call the police and throwing her cell phone away as a distraction when she had perfectly good rocks she was already throwing. Just...why? I suppose if I was put in a situation like that, I may not make the best decisions either, the ones she made just did not sit well with me. But she did do the best she could under the circumstances, and I guess that's really all one could ask for. She did have to not only try very hard to keep herself calm, but her son as well. Lincoln was very active and did get loud at times, and I feel that if he had seen Joan outwardly panicking, then it would have caused him to act out even more and potentially get them caught. I'm sure as a mother, staying calm under stressful situations in order to keep your kid(s) calm is not an easy task, so again, doing the best she could in her situation. She was a fairly strong character, doing all that she could to keep herself and her son safe no matter what, and I did have moments where I did genuinely enjoy her. I do feel that I would have liked her a lot more had the story solely focused on her and Lincoln instead of switching character points of view throughout, but she was an overall strong character that really did stand out to me and that I enjoyed reading about. I just wish she hadn't thrown away her phone!

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy any of the other characters in this book. They weren't really fleshed out very well but rather were like your typical nondescript side characters. Kailynn was a pretty boring teenager character, not much background on her was given and she only really came into play towards the end of the book. Even then, she wasn't a huge part of anything and I just didn't really like her very much. Also, Margaret felt like she was just there for convenience which will only really make sense if you've read the book, but just like Kailynn, she was a pretty boring character. The side characters really felt like side characters and Joan was more of the main character focus. Again, I wish she had been the only point of view that I got to read from as I think that she could have been developed more and I think at that point, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more than I did.

Writing:
I believe I stated this above but Fierce Kingdom was a fairly easy book to just sit down and read through. I genuinely think that with the entire book taking place over a few hours really allowed me to just sit down and read through it without stopping. I felt like I didn't really want to break the pace of the book by putting it down, so I just wanted to read it in its entirety. The writing was very easy to follow, though not as suspenseful as I had hoped for. But Gin Phillips did do a good job at drawing me in and making me want to read more about Joan and Lincoln. I wasn't able to connect or really care about any of the other characters, but I feel that they may have been written that way on purpose? Almost as if the author wanted you to focus on Joan's story but also have a few different points of view to see the situation from. If that was the case, the author did a great job at that. One thing I did have a problem with was the abrupt ending! I had gotten very into the story, especially by the end, and then just as things kind of picked up and got intense, the book ended. I was left feeling somewhat empty and like the true ending was almost stolen from me, if that makes sense. It was just a very sudden "this happened and then this and the end" without much warning and it definitely had me turning the pages back to make sure that it really was the end and that I didn't miss anything. It was an interesting place to end the book at, that's for sure, and I suppose we as readers are supposed to kind of draw our own conclusions as to what happens. There were some lose ends that didn't get tied off but again, I guess we're supposed to kind of create our own ending. I did enjoy Gin Phillip's writing enough to where I would consider checking out her other books, so that was a definite win for me!

Overall, I did enjoy this book despite it just being a relatively alright read for me. I think that the main character will be easily relatable for mothers (or even fathers!) that read this book as the main plot point of the story is a mother protecting her child. It wasn't the most A+ thriller I've read this year, but was still an enjoyable read and was pretty easy to get through in one sitting. Despite the issues I had, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a decent thriller that's fairly quick to get through!

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips

'The rules are different today. The rules are that we hide and do not let the man with the gun find us.'

When an ordinary day at the zoo turns into a nightmare, Joan finds herself trapped with her beloved son. She must summon all her strength, find the unexpected courage and protect Lincoln at all costs – even if it means crossing the line between right and wrong; between humanity and animal instinct.

It's a line none of us would ever normally dream of crossing.

But sometimes the rules are different.

Initially, I flew into this book. I loved the blurb and I’d read some wonderful reviews.The thought of being trapped in a Zoo and trying to leave quickly because you can hear gunshots cracking overhead would have you scared to death. This is what Joan and her son, her little treasure, Lincoln are facing!
The story is very pacey and you're into the thick of things very quickly. Unfortunately for me, the story became a little flat. I kept expecting more action, but unfortunately, this didn’t really arrive.
I found the extremely close relationship between the Mother, Joan and her Son, Lincoln brilliantly wrote and I became engaged quickly as a reader.
Some more depth and possibly action would’ve given this book much more.

Quick Plot Summary: A woman and her child are stranded in a local zoo after a group of terrorists starts shooting and taking hostages.

Genre: Drama/Suspense

Pros: (+) The story itself is engaging, the characters are strong and relatable, except for the child (see Cons). (+) The villain is sympathetic if a bit vanilla.

Cons: (-) While the lead character is strong, her son can get whiny at times. You can argue that this would be the reality of having a young child in a hostile situation, but my favorite parts were ones where he stayed silent for long periods of time. (-) The story is not so much about the terrorists and their attack plan, but the relationship between a mother and her child. This could be a turn-off for primarily suspense and thriller readers such as myself. I went in expecting this action-packed sequence of events, but in reality, the pace is slow as it revolves around the protagonist staying hidden for long stretches, and placating her child.

Verdict: Fierce Kingdom is engaging enough to be entertaining and page-turning, but just barely.

FIERCE KINGDOM will give you nightmares. I suppose that a cynic would call it a book version of one of those role-playing computer games, though that would be inaccurate. The story, as presented by author Gin Phillips, drops the reader into one of the worst scenarios imaginable, both for those who must deal with the situation and those who are powerless to affect the outcome. It’s a book that reads quickly but will not be easily forgotten.

The premise is simple enough and all the more terrifying for it. The novel takes place over the course of a little over three hours, a period of time that becomes an eternity. The (primary) narrator is a woman named Joan, who is with her four-year-old son Lincoln at a metropolitan zoo. The reader learns very early on that this visit to the zoo, which occurs once preschool is over for the day, is a common practice for them. They know the zoo and its inhabitants intimately, and have their favorite places. Lincoln also has small toys --- superhero action figures --- that he utilizes in elaborate stories that take place in some of the zoo’s settings.

The zoo is set to close for the day, and Joan and Lincoln’s latest visit is about to end when their world turns upside down. Joan detects that something is wrong near the exit and turns back into the zoo, urging Lincoln along. Her instinct is correct. A trio of active shooters has entered the zoo at closing time and is killing everyone they encounter, people and animals alike. Joan must protect Lincoln (and herself) by evading the killers in the labyrinth of the zoo grounds, which she is quickly forced to view as a place of concealment rather than entertainment. She also must somehow impress upon Lincoln how serious the situation is and how necessary it is for him to stay quiet, all the while without alarming him.

This, of course, is an all-but-impossible task, even for a child of Lincoln’s advanced intelligence, which is demonstrated in fine “show, don’t tell” form by Phillips through Joan’s first-person present narrative. Intelligence aside, the four-year-old doesn’t quite get it (at least not immediately), and the author ratchets up more than a good deal of tension by showing us the steps that Joan goes through --- not always or completely successfully --- to get Lincoln to take it down a notch or three so that the loonies with the automatic rifles don’t take them out.

While Joan isn’t an entirely sympathetic character, being for one a bit of a racist (not all shooters are “young white males”) and a little too quick to judge others in general, her sins such as they might be are minor considering that her only concern is to preserve the life of her son in any way she can. Phillips very wisely does not bequeath Joan with an unexpected skill set --- she never received special ops training in a life before motherhood 10 years before) --- or the sudden appearance of a weapon in her purse (she didn’t smuggle a Glock into the zoo), nor does she find a CRKT Ultima laying on the sidewalk and use it to cut the throats of the attackers. No, it’s hide and seek all the way, with Joan doing the hiding, initially by herself but with some assistance along the way. Phillips also gives us some insight into the wastes of skin who are terrorizing the zoo, one of whom is merely awful, another of whom is a waste of ammo, and the ultimate baddy, who...well, you have to read the book to see how it all comes out.

Not a lot happens in FIERCE KINGDOM --- it’s a psychological study with action thriller elements expertly added to the mix --- but Phillips makes the most of its simple, though extremely tragic and horrifying, occurrence. The book, probably unintentionally, makes a strong, nearly irrefutable argument for the need for concealed carry to defend against this type of action while at the same time asks what motivates people to attack innocent strangers without cause or reason, even as the suspense builds and intensifies page by page. Recommended, particularly for moms and those who love them.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I was expecting this book to be a lot more exciting than it turned out to be. Of course, it starts out normally enough as Joan and her son Lincoln are visiting the zoo. Things turn when they are getting ready to leave.

A couple of things bothered me about this book. One is the writing style. Something about the way Phillips writes this story makes it feel forced. This wasn't something that was contained to a certain portion of the book, but kept popping up throughout. Joan seemed to be trying too hard to show how much she cares about her son by focusing on how he used to be. Second, there are a bunch of unbelievable moments. Not in the "I can't believe that just happened!" sort of way, but instead in a "Why would she even do that?" way.

Then there are the shooters. We only really get to see one of them, but they are portrayed as caricatures. They seemed thin and only present to try to force Joan to do something. Which doesn't really work for the most part. It seemed like everything she does is reactionary. She only makes decisions when something else forces her into it. This drained a lot of the tension out of the story for me because she wasn't being dynamic. The flow of time based on the events that occurred compared to the times listed at the beginning of the chapters seemed off.

It's not all bad though. There are powerful moments, especially when Joan is confronted with the baby. And the end, while not entirely surprising, is built up to and presented well.

3.5 Stars

There is a moment, in the beginning, where sweetness reigns, the innocence of youth, those moments where parents are reminded of the sweetness, innocence and goodness that abounds in their children in those snippets of time.

”’Do you want a nose, Mommy?’ he asks.
‘I have a nose,’ she says.
‘Do you want an extra one?’
‘Who wouldn’t?’
His dark curls need to be cut again, and he swipes them off his forehead. The leaves float down around them. The wooden roof, propped up on rough round timber, shades them completely, but beyond it, the gray gravel is patterned with sunlight and shadows, shifting as the wind blows through the trees.
‘Where are you getting these extra noses?’ she asks.
‘The nose store.’
She laughs, settling back on her hands, giving into the feel of the clinging dirt.”

It is their favourite part of the zoo, a quiet spot, and quiet is something rare in her life these days, as Lincoln rarely goes a minute without talking. Villains and heroes, superheroes are his latest obsession, her purse no longer her own, a temporary lodging for his superheroes, their swords and whatnots. His stories, the adventures he creates for these plastic architects of extraordinary doom and mayhem.

The afternoon is fading, and the zoo is closing soon, but Lincoln and Joan must head home, Lincoln lost in his latest episode he’s creating between Loki and Thor, Joan lost in thoughts of what to get a friend for their wedding gift, and now they’ve waited a bit too long and must hurry in order to get to the gate before they’re locked in.

And then she hears sounds in the distance, like fireworks or balloons being popped. Another. And another. And another.

But the zoo is closing in just a few minutes, so they must rush if they are going to make it, and she’s trying hard to convince him of this and to make sure she has all of his superheroes safely in tow, she doesn’t have time to contemplate and analyze what she’s heard.

And as they are rushing as quickly as a mother with a young boy dragging his feet can go, she notices that some of the scarecrows the zoo had put up for decorations have fallen, laying on the ground. And then she realizes those are not scarecrows.

She grabs hold of her son and hoisting him up to carry him. She runs.

When my oldest son was little, we lived not too far from a small Warner Bros. owned theme park, where a friend of ours worked as one of those mascots who dress up in costumes, sweltering in the heat. Since we could go for free, courtesy of our friend, and since my son was young then, and it was mostly wooded and cooler than our home, we went often. The attraction was supposed to be the animals, but they were supposed to be in a wild natural habitat, not caged, so the only way to see them was to drive through – which might have been worthwhile, but suffocating in a car without A/C. Apparently there were enough people not dissuaded by the voice telling you repeatedly of the dangers involved in rolling down your windows, since there were frequent enough deaths, and you heard about all of them if you lived close enough. More, if you had a friend who worked there. Local folklore says the animals were all set free, and that those who live in that area still see some of those lions and tigers and bears! Oh my, indeed.

This was where my mind kept returning as this story progressed, picturing my much younger self with my then young son, trying to find places to stay safe, trying to keep him placated enough to keep him from crying or talking too loud or getting angry at the unfairness of it all. Dealing with hunger. Questions.

My stomach is past being tied up in knots, it has turned into one knot; this large one has consumed all the little knots inside. My brain is throbbing from holding my breath so much while reading this intense story.

This is not my usual fare, I’m always leery of reading suspense books because I don’t like feeling this knot in my stomach, but lately the few I’ve read have not touched on a topic that is so timely, and one that I could imagine, knowing every day when the news comes on, that these types of actions seems to occur more frequently. Why, I will never understand.

This is intense, although there are parts where the tension does let up for a bit and then returns, kind of like the movement of a hammer being raised just to strike once again, overall, the feeling is just intense.

The author left open-ended some of the threads of the additional characters. I could understand, perhaps, leaving all but one open-ended, but that one? No. I think if it had been the last thing I had said, I would have made sure that someone knew…

I loved having the timeline for this story, seeing how the minutes were ticking by. Joan’s thoughts, as a mother, seemed realistic to me, as did Lincoln’s behavior – most of the time. I loved the bond between Joan and Lincoln, their bond, the love and trust they had in each other was what spoke loudest to me, and what kept me turning the pages.

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Penguin Group / Viking

A mother’s animalistic instincts to protect her child come to the forefront in the latest literary work by Gin Phillips. “Fierce Kingdom” is the fifth novel by this award-winning Alabama native.

​The zoo is a frequent escape for Joan and Lincoln, her 4-year-old son. After visiting the animals, they end most of their visits in Lincoln’s favorite spot under the trees and off the beaten path. It’s a quiet spot near the back of the zoo where his imagination can run wild with his little action figures and his mom can kick off her flip-flops.

​After what has been just another day at the zoo, it’s time to leave. The facility is closing soon, so Joan and Lincoln make their way to the front gate. Like most kids, Lincoln is no hurry to leave, so he dawdles and literally drags his feet as others rush past them.

In a blink, however, fun turns to terror. To describe this novel as “ripped from the headlines” would be an understatement considering recent news events.

​Someone, perhaps more than one, is shooting people. Not only can Joan hear distant shots, but she sees bodies on the ground and blood on the pathways. Her only safe route is to return to the depths of the zoo, a place she knows intimately from their frequent visits, and hopefully wait out the bad guys.

​Mother and son now are entrapped within the same fences that cage the animals. What was once a peaceful place is now a killing field where no human or beast is safe from human predators.

​Joan doesn’t know what’s happening outside the fences. Are the police coming? Do they know the shooters are several young men with a fondness for guns?

She knows her surroundings, but that’s all. Where are the gunmen? Are she and her the only survivors? How many have been killed or injured?

​A mother’s instincts to protect her child are all that Joan has to keep her son safe. For three hours, she runs, often with her son in her arms. Not only does she have to find hiding places, but she must keep her talkative little boy quiet and calm under extraordinary circumstances. Even as they come across a few survivors, including a baby placed in a trash can for safekeeping by another desperate mom, Joan must keep going. Shoeless and injured from falls in the dark, Joan seeks safety deeper and deeper into the zoo’s darkest and guarded areas.

​That sense of desperation comes across strongly in Phillips’ writing. The novel takes place over only a few hours, but the fear and tension feel timeless. With sharp descriptions and attention to detail, this skilled writer gives voice to what definitely is one of a mother’s worst nightmares.

The author gives depth to her characters through her words, but she also allows readers to ponder that animal instinct to survive as well as protect one another. Once a reader starts to read “Fierce Kingdom,” there’s no putting it down until the last page is read.

ARC provided by NetGalley

"She is trying to work herself back into the right mood to talk to him—quiet, as quiet as possible—to make everything normal and alright. A considerable part of parenting is pretending moods that you do not entirely feel. She has thought this before when she’s listening to little plastic people act out a battle scene for hours at a time, but now it seems like maybe all those eternal battles were a good thing—maybe they were practice. She is good at pretending. She will start doing it again any moment now."

The premise of this book is terrifying. The thought of this happening would scare the pants off of anyone who knows what it is like to have a young child under their protection whether as a parent, sibling, extended family, babysitter, teacher, etc. To be in an epic game of hide-and-seek where life and death may very well hinge on the tiniest of noises or movements...and you have a four year old with you. A four year old who although obedient, still acts in an age-appropriate manner when it comes to announcing their needs, fears, and questions. And you have to pretend everything is going to be OK, so it doesn't result in a tired, hungry meltdown that will surely end very badly. OMG.

Overall, Fierce Kingdom was an incredibly engaging read. I had some mild distraction though when it came to a few POV shifts that took me out of thriller/suspense mode. It was interesting to meet some of the other characters a bit more in depth but with minimal closure to any of their stories, I'm not certain the added POV's (for the exception of the villain) were incredibly necessary. I would recommend this book for fans of realistic thriller/suspense, but because of the day and age we live I feel the following trigger warnings may be necessary: (spoiler: active shooter situation, having to hide during a violent attack). Check it out!

Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of Fierce Kingdom. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Gin Phillips
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP Viking
Genres: Mystery & Thrillers, Women's Fiction
Pub Date: 25 Jul 2017

Joan and her four-year-old son. Lincoln, have enjoyed one of frequent visits to the zoo. It has been an uneventful day, quiet except for the noise of popping in the distance (fireworks?) near closing time. Now, though, it is time to leave. However, on the way to the exit, she spots first some bodies on the ground and then a man with a gun outside the cafeteria. Praying that he has not spotted them and thankful that they know every inch of the park as well as that she is a dedicated runner, she grabs Lincoln and heads to a hiding place she hopes will provide cover from the shooter or shooters. They will spend the next three hours hiding, not an easy thing to do with a youngster. But Joan is a fierce mother who will do anything to ensure his safety even if it means she will put herself in even more danger to do so.

Hitchcock once said that ‘there is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it’ and author Gin Phillips understands this very well and uses it to great advantage in her novel, Fierce Kingdom. Most of the action happens off the page and the events, as horrific as many of them are, are not portrayed graphically which has the effect of making them that much more shocking and disturbing. Much of the tension is built and accelerates around Joan’s attempts to keep Lincoln quiet without scaring him too much, with the sound of approaching footsteps and of voices that she can hear taunting her when she is unable to judge how close they are, whether they know where she and Lincoln are or are just trying to flush them out.

Fierce Kingdom will resonate with anyone who loves a well-written and heart-pounding thriller and it gets a high recommendation from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for the opportunity to read this nook in exchange for an honest review

This is one of the most terrifying and riveting books I've read in a long time. Young mother Joan and her 4-year-old son, Lincoln, are enjoying a quiet late afternoon on the zoo grounds. As they begin making their way back to the entrance moments before closing time, Joan hears a series of popping sounds. A blown transformer, perhaps. Then, at the entrance, there are bodies on the ground, a gunman with his back turned. Joan picks up her son and runs.

The ensuing pages describe Joan's attempts to hide in the zoo with Lincoln and keep them both alive. There are occasional forays into the thoughts of other victims and even the gunman, but this is truly the story of Joan and Lincoln. As a parent, this story cuts deep. Joan's voice is authentic, her emotions feel true. It's spell-binding, because I had to know what would happen to Joan and little Lincoln.

This book was an emotional thrill ride from the first few pages to the very end. I was so invested in what was going to happen next and I read most of the book with my stomach in knots because, I mean I literally had to know. Joan and her son spend plenty of time in the zoo, this time is different because of the open shooters wandering around, at first she thought it was fire crackers but soon she realizes her mistake. Joan and Lincoln her 4 year old son were interesting characters in that I was so invested with their story and her callousness at times. Now don't get me wrong, having never been in that situation thank God, I can understand it to an extreme extent. It'll probably take years of therapy for everybody to get over the events they faced. I don't know if it is sad that is where my brain went to the therapy they'll have to go to after or just a natural progression. Anyways, I got very caught up in the story. I will say you have to suspend your disbelief for some of it because things happen that just wouldn't in a situation like this, and you just have to go with it and enjoy the sickly thrilling ride. You even get perspective from the killers and I didn't know that and didn't really want that necessarily but it added depth to the situation. Overall I love this story, very fast paced, it has the scary movie-scream type of feel too it almost. If you want to be a nervous wreck in a pretty awesome story, this is the pick.

I would give this book 3.5 stars. This book took place over a couple of hours. A mom gets stuck in the zoo with her son at closing time, when she goes to leave at the end of the day she finds that there is an active shooter situation near the exit. I liked parts of this book and I looked forward to reading it, however, some of it didn't make sense. The mom chooses to throw her phone to distract the shooter, what?!? That was her only communication with her husband outside and the police. Stupid! I was surprised she never spoke with the police to give them inside information and you never hear about her husband again. At one point in the book, the mom leaves her son. I don't think I would have done that and I am sure that in a crisis things happen but I wouldn't have wanted to be out of sight of my kid. I also didn't love the interaction between the mom and a few of the other zoo patrons stuck in the zoo. I felt like she (the mom) was a bit cold and closed off. Since I thought the mom made some really bad decisions, I could not connect or sympathize with her and this made me dislike the book in some ways.
You learn a bit about one of the shooters, I would have liked to know more about the others.
Very creative story telling and it kept my attention. I would recommend it but I did have some issues with the mom and I had a few crazy dreams while reading it.

Fierce Kingdom is every parent's nightmare. Malls are no longer safe. Schools are no longer safe. And now we have the zoo - a classic entertainment spot for parents and young children - also no longer safe from the terror of evil gunmen.

There have been reviews as to the story's plot, so I will comment about the gut-wrenching emotions author Gin Phillips manages to summon. We all think "it can't happen here," and yet we're acutely aware that in today's society, yes, yes it can happen anywhere and everywhere. From Barcelona to Charlottesville, whether it's vehicles, guns, or knives used as weapons, terror has become part of our daily lives.

Gin paints Joan as a loving, determined mother who will do anything to save her child. Even at the expense of others. But before placing judgement on her, we're forced to ask ourselves what we would do in a similar situation. When I think about my own young child's trusting eyes and innocent interpretation about the world around her, I can't answer what I would do. And that's part of what makes the novel such an uncomfortable read.

It's a fascinating scenario with fleshed-out interesting characters. I would like to have read more backstory about the gunmen and also what happened with one of the scenarios, which left Joan feeling extremely guilty. (Don't want to spoil anything.) This is less the typical fast-paced quick-thrill genre and more literary - a knife, first scratching the surface, then gouging into the organs.

How do i even begin this review?
I was not at all prepared for what I was getting myself into by reading this book. I started it earlier this morning around 11 am and finished it by 3 pm. I could not read this book fast enough!

Fierce Kindom wastes no time in diving into the story of Joan and her 4 year old child, Lincoln, spending an ordinary day at the zoo. As they are leaving and nearing the exit, they come upon men with guns and dead bodies on the floor. A cheerful day at the zoo quickly distorts into a nightmare as we find out what lengths a mother will go through to protect herself and her son as she tries to get them out of the zoo alive.

This wasn't just a thriller. Gin Phillips expertly weaves a believable story with characters you can't help but feel attached to and root for their safety. This book took me to that zoo and their fear was so palpable that they became my fears as well. The entire novel is set to only take place within a few hours and i really enjoyed how the author split that time by giving perspectives through the eyes of different characters, but stil mainly leading with Joan. I never felt that the story dragged on in places, as i struggle with this issue in many books, and the different viewpoints worked wonders in keeping me intruiged.

You know an author does an amazing job of storytelling when you can't stop imagining yourself in the main characteres shoes throughout the whole book. It would be terrfying enought to be trapped inside a zoo when armed men decide to start randomly mass murdering anyone they can find. I could only imagine its a whole new level of terrifying if i had my 4 year old child with me. Everything from hiding, to fleeing, to just trying to stay calm and level headed would be so much more difficult.

Overall this book definetely earns a solid 4/5 from me. It was an easy "read in one sitting" type of book. I would gladly recommend it to friends who are looking for an intense and fully immersive read.

Fierce Kingdom is a great suspense novel. I read it in just two days. Most suspense stories these days seem to be about single women being pursued by a scary man – boyfriend, husband, stranger – regardless, they all seem the same. This book is quite different. It’s about a woman, Joan, and her 4 year-old son who get trapped inside the zoo when there is a mass shooting. Joan has to try to get herself and her child alive without revealing to him just how dangerous their current situation actually is.

I really enjoyed this book. I was sucked into the story right away. I related to Joan because I am also the mother of one son (although he’s now 7 years old). I felt for the other characters trapped in the zoo, and I liked that the author also put the reader inside the gunman’s head as well.

This book was very well done. The characters and the situation were very realistic. Joan was amazing – quick thinking and a wonderful mother. I know a lot of people can’t handle books about kids in danger, but if you’re not one of those people, then I highly recommend this book.

Blog: Opinionated Book Lover

After seeing this book on a lot of Must Read lists...I figured I must read it...really wish I hadn't. The story is very slow and painfully boring. There isn't a build up or an exciting ending it just kind of stumbles along. I was very happy when it was over and I think I will skip anything else from this author...unless I need help falling asleep.

"'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?

Somewhere I bet the author has a complete draft of this book, where the story has an ending. My guess is that "keep it twisty! make the book club debate what really happened/ guess the ending!" was a commercial decision. A very stupid. commercial decision. I read this, passed it on to my husband during a trip. When he finished it, his reaction was the same: Why aren't we given resolution? Why are so many things left unexplained, including the fates of so many characters? We both thought the writer did a great job, we both loved the book...until the frustrating ending. We deemed this book unworthy to pass along to friends and family. We left it for the hotel housekeeping staff with their tip.

Fierce Kingdom is an absolutely heart-pounding, nail-biting thriller. The author puts you right in the action with Joan and Lincoln and it is told in “real time” kind of like the TV show “24” making it super intense and suspenseful. Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down so you might want to clear your schedule in preparation! It’s especially chilling because it seems so possible in real life. We hear stories about this kind of rampage shooting way too often and it isn’t very difficult to imagine yourself in this exact situation.

While we spend most of the story with Joan and her son, there were a few short chapters from the point of view of the other characters so the reader receives a bit more information than Joan has access to herself. There were so many times where I was mentally trying to communicate with her to stay hidden. Of course, like in a horror movie when you are screaming “don’t go into the basement!!!” she usually did the opposite of what was wise. She made quite a few questionable decisions but I suppose that if she always did the right thing there wouldn’t be a good story to tell.
There were a few loose ends that were never tied up at the end and I really wonder about some of them because they are kind of important. (view spoiler)

I should give a warning that there are animal deaths in this story. Not surprisingly, gunmen in a zoo=dead animals. There is also a reference to animal abuse which involves cats that is very disturbing. I notice in the acknowledgements the author thanks Donny Phillips for “his cat escapades.” I am sincerely hoping that this isn’t referring to the form of cat torture that is detailed in the book! I would hardly term it “escapades!” This just reconfirms that people are horrible and animals are too good for this world. So says the cat lady!

Thank you to Random House Canada for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

This book could have been so much better. The premise of a mom and her kid hiding from a gunman at the zoo was so exciting. But, instead of making this a fast-paced thriller, the author spent half the book musing on motherhood. It was boring and was definitely not what I was hoping to read in a book that I thought would be thrilling.

SPOILERS AHEAD
I was also so let down by the author relying on an insane coincidence to get the characters out of a near death situation. The gunman breaks into the room they are hiding in and is about to shoot when he recognizes one of the women as his former teacher. They share a touching moment and he decides to let them go. Seriously?? I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough.

My biggest complaint, however, was that the book ended ebruptly and didn't tie things up. Did Joan die or what? What happened to the baby? I absolutely HATE when authors have you "make up your own ending." I think it's lazy. This book especially is one where you would really have liked to see the aftermath of the shooting.

So, overall, I thought the premise was good and this did have some exciting moments but mostly it was disappointing.

Robby
Joan
Lincoln
Its all visceral, feelings and fear, and things that go bump in the night in the jungle, as the tale injects you into your seat into one day in a Zoo when it all goes horribly wrong and shifts to a nightmarish evening.
Nerd mother, who has super hero references to all things living, has a day where she must play to the stage and be a super hero herself, for her son.
You could sit and think over for a second the most dangerous animal in the zoo, but in this tale its not quite what you would envisage.
The narrative, the perspective of the telling, and the characters, have you unrelentingly reading on ahead, written in a short sharp way to match the momentum, this has not sentences to sit back and enjoy too long, the prose matches the showing, and the evokes the thrill, the fear, the need for safety in the reader’s mind, with some characters to care for.
Panic room anyone?
more2read_com

Every single character in this book was unlikeable (including the 4 year old boy). It was a struggle to finish but I was curious if they made it out alive so I preserved. What baffles me more than anything is the glowing reviews this book has received. How could I possibly be reading the same book? Not only were the characters unlikeable, but the writing was poor, the plot was absurd, the main character (the mother of the 4 year old) was mentally incompetent. The writer made her do stupid, illogical, inane thing apparently to create drama or suspense--and failed miserably in that area, too. BTW--I am a mother. What kind of parenting is going on here? Shut your whining brat up! I can already project how that kid is going to turn out--born into entitlement because his mother is afraid to tell him he can't have a snack because they may get mown down by active shooters. So lets leave the safety of our hiding place to find a vending machine. Really? Did she think CPS was hiding in the bushes to take her child away of he didn't get a cracker? Absurd. And boring.

what a great book! i started the print version and switched to audible cause i wanted the book to go slower. the narration is wonderful. she captures the voice of a child beautifully.
i liked most the depiction of lincoln. i think ms. phillips nails the character of a smart 4-year-old. full of stories, playful, loving - and very difficult to keep quiet. i have a 4-year-old granddaughter, and she is just like lincoln. and 30-odd years ago, so were my son and daughter. not sure the book will be as enjoyable if you don't have kids (or spend a lot of time with them). i strongly disagree with the ny times reviewer, who wanted an ordinary kid rather than a smart one. i like the heroes of my thrillers to be smart.
the reveries and memories and fantasies of the main characters ring true.
the back story of the gunmen is detailed and compelling.
and, as others have said, the suspense is strong.
not sure why others found the ending ambiguous. seemed quite clear to me. and quite a relief. don't know how to give my evidence without spoilers.

Every mother suffers from "worse scenario" musing; Fierce Kingdom brings those thoughts to life. Joan and her four year old son stop to have a quiet, late-day visit at the local zoo. Unbeknownst to them, three young men have a plan in place to go to the zoo and "hunt". What transpires next tests not only Joan, but every parent who reads this amazing book. Would I make the same decisions? I love novels that make me think, and Fierce Kingdom definitely fits the bill. The story picks up momentum as each page turns and as the characters become more and more complex, as well as unpredictable. A gripping thriller.

In the wake of today's violent norm, this book revealed everything I would imagine I would feel in this situation. Joan's need to protect Lincoln, her terrified and thoroughly scattered thoughts, and impulses for their best interests rings with such a horrifyingly true manner. I finished this book in two sittings. It gripped me from the beginning and wouldn't let me go.
I can appreciate the author's thought process with creating the perfect ending, however this fell far short for me (the reason I didn't give 5 stars). The author threw you into these characters lives, made you scared for them, worried for them, yet all questions of how their stories ended are completely left out. I suppose it allows the reader to fill in the blanks, which believe me-I'm trying to do!
It's like getting to the end of the race, but stopping short of the finish line...

I was absolutely riveted by this novel. Gin Phillips kept the tension high throughout this terrifying adventure. I must admit that my first thought was wow, this would make a blockbuster film. I even looked to see if anyone had snatched up the rights.....They Have!
The premise of the story; mother and child trapped in the zoo after hours by unknown "terrorists" played out realistically. The additional characters made the plot more interwoven, and this is one of those books I devoured, read it straight through with no breaks! I really appreciated the way that the author didn't reveal everything, that the twists were not telegraphed, and the story stayed tight. The character profiles were fairly complex for a story that takes place over hours, but I felt that dialogue and actions suited my understanding of the characters. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this amazing author.

As a reader, the suspense this book created as the story progressed kept me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't stop turning pages and I loved how real it all felt. I also appreciated the different viewpoints, which I wasn't expecting based on the synopsis. All the way up until the ending, I wasn't sure what was really going to happen to the mother Joan and her four year old little boy as they tried to hide themselves in the zoo while gunmen were on the loose. There isn't much character development going on here, although I feel the author tried to incorporate the mother's childhood into parts of the story. I was more interested honestly in what was happening in the moment.

To say the least, this was an intense read for me. But it was worth every page of anxiety and suspense and I highly recommend it! Grab it, throw it in your purse for a long car ride or plane trip or plan on staying up way to late to finish it.

I'm struggling on my rating - somewhere between a 3 and 4 star. I was SUPER excited for this book. I remember first hearing about it on the store Prime Day, and since then, I've seen it everywhere. So I started reading in hopes that this would be one of my favorite books of the year. I'm not sure it's that...it was missing a lot. There were times when it was really hard to follow, and when the flow wasn't right, or when I just really didn't understand what the "bad guys" were talking about. But there is SO much more to this story than the surface level.

I sped through reading this book. It's not too long, and the writing/story keeps you gripped and hooked. And maybe my speed reading is what caused my confusion - I'll have to read it again.

Overall, I really enjoyed the zoo setting. I see how it was symbolic of the situation. How do we as humans, in certain situations, relate back to other types of mammals and animals? The zoo - like the human race - is full of nice, caring, and beautiful creatures but also harsh, determined predators.

I could not decide how I felt about the main character, Joan. And that was probably the point. She was a great, protective mother, but at times she just seemed selfish. Part of her reasoning for protecting her son, Lincoln, was for her own benefit. She would shift back and forth between putting him first, and then getting frustrated with him for being loud or hungry. Even in the middle of the book, she debates on saving someone because the noise might give her away to the shooters. But, I understand that these situations happen because Fierce Kindgom is diving deep into the human psychology. What would you do in this situation? If you were fighting for your life - would you help others? Or would you let them stay in danger so that you would be safe?

Joan and Lincoln's relationship and personalities remind me so much of the mother and son in Room. I even pictured the characters as Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. And just like in Room, a mother (a human) can only take so much from their child in stressful situations. But in the end, they work together and their love for each other saves them.

Like other readers, there were some loose ends. But we can leave that up to our own imaginations.

I definitely recommend Fierce Kingdom to people wanting to think, people wanting to dive into the psychology and symbolism behind a story. The themes can be explored and can take you into an existential place of trying to understand the human psyche and how we respond to the most primal instinct - survival.

*Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

????Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips. A pleasant day at the zoo with her 4 year old son quickly becomes panic and tragedy in every direction. Searching for safety, someone else, no not someone else, somewhere safe. A Mom fighting for her child and her child 's safety and a child unaware of the situation and too young to truly understand the depth of it, but mesmerized by the unknown. A novel so well written it keeps every page turning until help is on its way, or is it? This book is a true anxiety driven rollercoaster that will keep you guessing at the bottom of every page including the last one. Almost too realistic. If you choose to read this book please at the end of every chapter remind yourself this is only a story, because the intensity is so real you will feel it.

Fierce Kingdom is a book that kept me moderately entertained, but I had no problem laying it down and then returning another day. The book was advertised as real time suspense, but it lacked the immediacy that the author wanted to convey. What the book did show, however, was the fierce love that a mother can have for her child. when both are threatened with possibly life altering experiences. I felt a bit lost as the characters were trying to flee from someone who was supposed to be an active shooter. I would have been very happy with a map showing the layout of the zoo. I also would have liked more detail on efforts to save and rescue those inside the confines of the zoo. The ending felt a little hurried and not quite real, What was real was the mother-son bond. That was the best part and conveyed true emotions.

Great book setting- teenage gunman take on a zoo just before closing time leaving the zoo patrons and employees as targets along with the animals. The main character you follow is Joan and her four year old son. The descriptions can get long-winded when you just want to get to the point. The restraint Joan used instead of screaming STFU to her son, I would have but also I'm thinking Joan made some dumb decisions and could have climbed out of the zoo at any point, doesn't have to be the entrance. Wish we could have had more at the end.

I rarely ever finish books I don’t like, but an old friend recommended this book to me, and I really wanted to like it. The book was short enough that I stuck with it until the end (which sucked). This book is filled with so. much. fluff. By the end of it I found myself practically skipping over entire paragraphs because they added absolutely nothing to the story. IMO, this book should have either been made into a short story, or should have had it’s focus more divided amongst the characters, instead of primarily focusing on Joan and Lincoln. Nothing about this book surprised me or made me hold my breath like I thought it would.

I have to give this book two stars even though I kicked it out of bed so to speak. I finished it but really only to see if the 4 year old would survive....as there was no one else in the book who mattered.

I also did like the setting 'shooters in a zoo' was a fine idea......all kind of possibilities. But alas hauling a four year old on ones hit around the zoo was the only aspect presented. As tiring to read about as the actual effort.

Never waste a villain......... in this case two....there was even a third villain but to tell you the truth I stopped caring as apparently did the author.

Does no one in the publishing world edit books any longer?

Attention Hollywood film makers......... this would make a good movie. However make the Four year old an 8 year old who can carry it's own weight.
Instead of no police reaction until the very end.......... think about a crafty ex military person who can infiltrate the zoo and set matters straight.
Instead of captive animals being slaughtered have one of the villains fall into an animal pit and come to a well deserved end. Your choice.......... a lion or tiger will do.

Finally............. there was nothing really interesting about the heroin.

Could have been so great, but a real disappointment. The main character is sappy inconsiderate, and pathetic. Early on in the story I dislike her, and she continues to be dislikable throughout most of the book. A great deal of time is spent on her unimportant emotional drivel about her life and son. I wish the author spent less time with her and more time with the other characters. In the end she is stronger, but it was way too little too late to save this story. Take out the sickenly sweet babble, focus on other characters, and give more emphasis on the thriller part of the book.

I thought the story line of this book was intriguing and I wasn't quite sure how a writer could turn this into a story but she did and it was fabulous. I read this book in two days and that is quick for me. I found myself speeding along feeling as stressed and breathless as the main character and had to catch my breath. I am a mother with a daughter about the same age as the boy in the book and she nailed four year olds and motherhood and everything in between. I felt at some points I wrote this book because she took my thoughts straight out of my head. Great book, great read. I rented this from the library and also received a copy through NetGalley and I will probably have to go buy it to add to my list of favorite books on my bookshelf. Great job and awesome read!

I absolutely loved the concept of it having a 3 hour time frame and I think that's originally what excited me about this story. Once I got into it though there was so much more! It's a reminder to not take things for granted, to live in the moment, a tale of survival and of a mothers love, and to top it all off it plays with the reality of the scary world we live in. It hit so close to home! It's suspenseful, heart stopping, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's also a quick read. My only issue with this was that I felt at times the momentum killed the suspense and I wanted it to be a fast pace throughout however, the writing (and the in between chapters) were great. I look forward to more thrilling reads from Gin Phillips!

This was an adventure. The whole story took place inside of a zoo. This is what caught my interest because I thought this made things more interesting. I kept wondering what she would come across next. It was a bit slow paced in some places and I feel as if it skiped around a little to much. This made things a little confusing. I also thought it would have been better had it had more character developement.
I read the whole book within a couple of hours. It was the first book I have read by this author so I hadnt been sure of what to expect. It was a simple read. I would possibly read more by this author.

You will finish this in one sitting because there's not a lot here. No back stories to speak of, no understanding of why, no .... This is one long chase scene, except that Joan is not really being chased so much as hunted but even then she's not the target, necessarily. It reads quickly and fluidly but you'll find yourself left with lots of questions, the most important of which, to me at least, is what happened to the baby (and its mom). Joan makes some stupid choices (seriously, going to the vending machines because her son is hungry when there are shooters out there?) as plot devices. There's been a huge amount of hype but this is not the best example of Phillips' work.

3.5 Stars.
I chose this book for my Book of the Month for August 2017 because I love psychological thrillers. I may have also chosen it a little because of the terrorism element. That may seem a bit odd, but part of my Masters degree was studying terrorism so this subject is always interesting to me.
This is a story of Joan and her four year old son Lincoln and their day at the zoo. Lincoln is happily playing trying to get in the last few minutes before it is time to head back to the exit for closing. As they get close to the front gate Joan sees something that makes her turn and run the on the other way, Lincoln held tight in her arms.

This is a gripping story told in real time over the course of the evening in which Joan and Lincoln are stuck in the zoo. It is mainly from the view of Joan while she is trying to find a safe hiding place for herself and her son while at the same time trying to keep him calm and quiet.

I read this book in two sittings because I found myself wanting to know was going to happen. I was a little disappointed that there were a few subplots that were not tied up, but not enough to ruin the book for me. I found that I was able to visualize myself in Joan’s situation and thought about what I would do if I were her. Sadly, this is a very real scenario that could happen today. This book really shows the bond and protective nature between mother and child and asks the question, what would you do to protect your child?

I was invested early on and couldn't stand when I had to put the book down to do housework or cook or drive my car, so I added the audiobook. It was terrifying to think of myself in the position of Joan, the main character - what would I do in Joan's shoes? I think that, along with the brisk pacing of the story, made for a compelling read. I absolutely love the setting - a zoo! When it was over, I felt myself exhale and relax, and I love that feeling of being invested in a story with my whole self. It felt a little bit more rushed in the end than I wanted, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend for readers of suspense/thrillers.

The story line itself was interesting, but with better editing, this could have been a short story without losing the main plot. I did quite a bit of skimming. This would be good reading for those that enjoy writers that puff up their stories with a lot of background that does nothing to boost the main characters or plot. Any longer and I would have pushed it to the delete stack without finishing.

A grippingly fierce and emotional story about a mother and her young child on a perilous adventure.
Joan and her 4 year old son Lincoln are on one of their frequent visits to the zoo. Right before closing they hurry toward the exit until they are stopped in their tracks when they hear and see something horrible. Someone at the zoo has opened fire.
What follows is a suspenseful three hours of running, hiding and doing everything possible to escape becoming victims themselves.
A thrilling, rollercoaster ride that is every parents worst nightmare.
An extremely well-written and captivating read!

****Thank you to NetGalley for providing with a copy so I can share my honest review.****

When I started reading this book I knew it was going to be good, but let me just say it exceeded all my expectations! The story flowed beautifully and I literally could not put it down. Joan took her son to the zoo for some quality time and what ended up happening flipped her world upside down. She and her son were literally trapped in the zoo where someone was shooting people. As a mom myself this book hit so close to home. Joan did exactly what I would do and she did what she needed to do to protect her son. If you love a fast paced thriller you really need to read this. I was literally on the edge of my seat and my heart was racing in parts. This is definitely a top read of 2017 for me!

Wow, this story is a fantastic five stars and would make a brilliant film. There is so much intense drama that I couldn't put the book down. Joan and her four year old son, Lincoln, are on a trip to the zoo. It's almost closing time so they head to the exit gates. Suddenly a gunman appears and starts shooting people, randomly. Joan grabs Lincoln and runs. She knows the zoo pretty well and takes Lincoln to hide in an empty enclosure. They hide for a while and with darkness falling are almost found. Joan's maternal instinct kicks in and she does everything she can to protect her young son. Will they survive? Read on!

SPOILERS AHEAD: stop now if you haven't read the book yet! I found this tale gripping, and couldn't put it down. I was on the edge of my seat right up until the very end… but what happened? What an abrupt ending. A note to the author: epilogues can be your friend. We were along on this terrifying journey with Joan; please give us some closure.

I am a big fan of crime novels and TV. I was struck by the fact that no one called the police from their cell phones. Yes, it's nice to check in with your husband. Joan, please call 911. Especially when it's apparent that the police have the wrong information. I am also big fan of zoos. I'm pretty sure that they all have a back entrance. Wouldn't this be a great way for a police task force to stealthily break in? Many cities now utilize police helicopters overhead. I just think that the point of view from the police tactics was weak weak weak. This was a good read, but it could have been a great one.

One dimensional about a perfect mother who never once gets frustrated with a demanding child in a difficult situation. It seemed like a small time Jurassic Park but with unmotivated killers. Found it hard to believe the zoo would have no security cameras. The ending was abrupt, open-ended, and could have used better closure.

Gin Phillips' book starts off with a mother and son enjoying an afternoon at the zoo. Before you know it, the tempo changes.

It's a parent's worth nightmare to be trapped when people with guns are the loose. In this story, Joan and her young son Lincoln are trapped in the zoo just when it's about to close. The unimaginable and unexpected follow over the span of several hours as she tries to protect him.

Thank you GoodReads for the book

I understand Lincoln is only 4, and a lot of the tension in the story is based on how to survive with a small child who can't be still or quiet, who needs food, etc. As a mother myself, I was thinking Joan had the unbelievable patience of a saint, until she flew off the handle with the teen girl within 5 minutes of meeting her.

I didn't really mind the ending, although I would've like to have learned what happened to a couple of the other characters. We hear things from their point of view during the book, so it makes sense that we could hear from them again at the end. I didn't really buy that nobody inside the zoo called police, that Joan didn't even try calling them. And the plot line for why the police didn't act for 2-3 hours was a little weak.

I got pretty tired of Joan's reminiscing. Maybe it showed that her mind is as active and wandering as Lincoln's, and that's where he gets it from.

Eh.

This is a story about a mass shooting that takes place during closing time at a zoo. Joan and her young son Lincoln survive together until help arrives.

This book had some great potential, but unfortunately it didn't quite measure up. I'm not quite sure what it was, but I felt like there could have been more to the story. The writing style was a little bit off-putting to me as well. Aside from that though, I did enjoy the story and the ending (although we could've used an epilogue or something)

As mother to a toddler, I was afraid to read this book. I was afraid that it would hit too close to home or give me nightmares. But I found the book to be more empowering than frightening. Joan was smart (well, except that one thing), quick-thinking and capable. Total mom-power. It picked up a lot when other characters were introduced and I appreciated the multiple perspectives. My main complaint would be that things were resolved so quickly, almost to the point of remaining unresolved. I was left with so many questions and would have appreciated some time to see Joan reflect on what had happened. The book is just go-go-go and then it abruptly plummets into the ending.
Still, I would definitely recommend it and if there are any mothers out there afraid to read it as I was, I would say go for it.

Phillips writes well, and excels at character development. The story dragged a bit here and there, but I did read it straight through, so it was engrossing.
However, I found the ending to be a cop-out. I want to know: did Joan live or die? What happened to the baby in the trash can? Did the teacher survive? Were all three villains killed? And most importantly, what happened to the woodchuck?

I would think that any parent would find this book difficult to put down once they started reading it and I was no exception. It had great pacing and interesting characters. The mother was especially compelling as she was so aware of her unwavering love of her child. This could happen to any parent in today's world. I would have liked the story to continue after the rescue. I wanted to go home with them just for a while. Make sure they were ok.

With all that is going on and the number of mass shootings I think I just had poor timing in reading this book. Overall it was good. Some of the actions of the characters I just did not think they were realistic. I like how she provided a glimpse in the life of one of the shooters, but I just don’t know. Joan did her best to protect Lincoln, but some of her actions were puzzling. It’s a good read. You never know what you would do in that situation.

What would you do if you found yourself trapped in a life-or-death situation? What would you think? How would you protect your young son if both of you were in danger?

Gin Phillips, author of “Fierce Kingdom,” places her protagonist Joan in exactly this position. Joan and her son Lincoln attempt to leave the local zoo when she discovers that people are being killed. Without any knowledge of who or how many shooters are present, she must find a way to keep them both alive until the police arrive.

Joan is predominantly featured in the book, although there are a few sections where the author allows us a peek into the mind of an alternate character. We don’t learn much about these other people, and that’s okay. This story is all about Joan, and Ms. Phillips grants us full entry into Joan’s thoughts. The story is strong, and I didn’t find that my attention wandered, nor did I wish for some incredibly exciting event to occur and thus engage me. Joan guides this story, and I actually felt annoyed the first time the point of view drifted to another character. I wanted to see what was going to happen to Joan!

Some of the point of view switching was quite shocking, and although this sounds like a contradiction of my last point, I felt that Ms. Phillips handled these switches deftly. Vulgarities were few and when all was said and done, I am not sure why they were included in the first place. While they didn’t hurt the story, they really didn’t add to it, either.

This is a quick read, a fine study of character in the face of unknown danger. While one may not agree with everything Joan does, her choices are made based on one goal, the safety of her son. These difficult moments add flavor, and each of us is left to ponder our own potential decisions if we were thrust in a similar situation. Four stars.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

2.5/5 stars

Fierce Kingdom is a standalone suspense/thriller. This is my first book by this author.

The book is told in 3rd person narration mainly from the point of view of Joan (she is around 40 years old). She is visiting the zoo with her 4 year old son Lincoln. We also briefly get POVs from retired school teacher Margaret, zoo restaurant employee Kailynn and the gunman.

There is a man at the zoo with a gun.

I was expecting a lot more from this book. At 20% there was very little action and nothing much had happened. Even by 40% very little had happened. The premise was very intriguing. And this book should have been chilling. But unfortunately I didn't find the story to be exciting or thrilling.

The last part of the book was the strongest. At least there was some interaction between Joan and others. But the ending was a bit odd and too abrupt for me.

What I did like: I loved Lincoln. He was such a delightful and imaginative little boy. I really enjoyed Joan as a mom.

But unfortunately she did a lot of things that made no sense to me (there was something with her phone and something with crackers that had me scratching my head).

Overall, the premise was good. And there were some enjoyable aspects to the story. But I just didn't love it.

Thanks to netgalley and Random House Canada for allowing me to read this book.

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.

Fast moving, perhaps a bit too long and a little meandering but it does keep you interested. But the ending (or lack of it) is not fair to the reader who was invested and got to the end. Because of that can't give more than three stars and won't be reading this author again

Absolutely riveting! I stayed up all night and half of my next workday to finish this book. Gin Phillips became a favorite author after I finished her first book, "The Well and the Mine", and now I'm scrambling to find her other book, "Come In and Cover Me". "Fierce Kindom" reads like a roller coaster ride, with the entire book being the first drop from the top, rushing breathlessly into the unknown ending...a heart-pounding testament to a mother's fierce love for her child! Along with the gripping dialog, the descriptive narrative of smells and sights throws you directly into the action; I spent many moments squinting to see and smelling the moist, decaying forest floor. Allow plenty of time for reading when you pick it up...I was totally unable to put it down.

I could not put this book down for one second. This book spans just three hours in the life of little Lincoln and his mom, who are at the zoo when a mass shooting breaks out. The love this mom has for her son shines through this story, and the lengths she goes to protect him. My heart beat so fast the whole time I was reading. Five stars because it's been a while since I haven't been able to put down a book.

This book was so fast-paced and I loved it. I think Joan's description of everything as it was happening made it even more realistic--almost a stream of consciousness-style. Kailynn was a good piece of the puzzle; she switched up what had just been the mom and her boy. Any parent reading this will feel empathy for what Joan is doing every step of the way (except possibly the decision with the cell phone).

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Fierce Kingdom is a thriller so intense that it leaves a reader’s heart racing long after the final page is turned. Four people – a mother and her young son, a senior, and a teen – become members of an elite group none would have chosen. Kailynn, the teen, attempts to help the other three find a place of refuge from the madness the zoo has become.

Joan and her son Lincoln are frequent visitors at the zoo – so frequent that both she and the four year old are familiar with almost every trail and animal. They know what time to leave their favorite place, the Dinosaur Discovery Pit, to get to the main gate by closing time. Lincoln is an obedient boy, one who likes the safety of following rules. This becomes a day when the rules no longer count, not when their survival is on the line.

They hear sounds unlike the typical closing time. Loud popping noises are ahead of Joan and Lincoln as they walk towards the zoo exit. Barely sparing a glance at the Halloween decorations, Joan almost doesn’t see the carnage ahead until it finally registers that it is not decorations lying on the ground. Joan is forced, over the next hours, to make one snap decision after another to keep her beloved son safe until they escape the madness within.

While her son asks about the rules they are breaking, Joan at times carries and at times leads her son through moments of terror that only a mother could appreciate. Joan and Lincoln are very close, and time spent with him pays off now as it has kept her in tune with his thinking process. That level of intimate knowledge helps her know how to protect him even as her mind goes through options of where to hide.

At one point, she and Lincoln are invited into what was thought to be a secure storage closet, along with Margaret, a quiet, retired, lady, by Kailynn, a teen working in the restaurant. The brief moments of refuge were shattered by a greater danger. Having given up her only access to the outside world, Joan tries to hang on until the threat of destruction by three very young men could be vanquished by law enforcement.

The characters are two-dimensional at best, as we learn only what is required for each to get through the present crisis. In many ways, Lincoln sounds like an exceptional child with the ability to understand and retain vocabulary beyond his years. He is also willing to do as his mom tells him. Joan is the ultimate mother, willing to die to keep her child from harm. Margaret has a bad knee, walking according to her doctor’s orders while listening to her MP3 player. Kailynn, who has learned much about human nature from her father and is working to help her family. She has a kind heart, willing to help others survive. Robby, still a teen, is one of the “bad guys”, on their hunting spree. It seems like a grand adventure until he sees someone he knows, someone who remembers him and has seen good in him.

This fast-paced thriller is not something to read in small increments; the best experience is gained as one reads with as few breaks as possible until the end. While interesting, there seems to be something missing, perhaps due to Joan’s focus of getting her son out. I did want to see how the characters would get out of the situation but was disappointed overall. There was one notable plot twist in the complex business of survival.

At the end of the novel, we learn nothing about how each of the characters fared. I felt let down in a way, with too many loose ends about people I began to care about. This might be excellent for the adrenaline junkie whose thrill of continual action supersedes the need to know anything about the characters with the possible exception of the mother / child bond. When initially reading about Joan and Lincoln, then Kailynn, then Margaret, I had hoped to learn more about them as the novel progressed. One thing noted is that it is not only a mother’s heart that seeks the safety of her child, but the heart of another seeking the good of the group. I recommend this to those who appreciate well-written thrillers who appreciate the unique bond between mother and son, and the unique concern of one person for the group.

I'm rounding this up to a 3 based on the premise. The novel is a quick read and readers will want to know how the hours play out. What was lacking for me was the breathlessness that comes along with a great thriller. I keep waiting for a motive that made sense too. I think the biggest opportunity lies in the ending. It was abrupt and had too many loose ends.

Too much talk not enough action! And the ending was a HUGE disappointment.

spoiler alert...
Why she didn't make the ending clear is beyond me, I hate when authors do that. Do they think we like to scratch our heads, and guess, after their long drawn out ordeal? Also throwing her phone was so stupid!
What happened to the teacher and the baby? She should have at least tied those ends together, in my opinion. sigh, but the book at least helped pass the time at my doctors appt but don't waste your money.

Fierce Kingdom is an edge of your seat thriller by Gin Phillips. Ms Phillips keeps the reader turning pages sometimes laughing and other times with tears in their eyes. Other than some thinking back the action takes place in less than 24 hours. This is the type of story that has the reader wondering what they would do under similar circumstances.

I listened to this novel and I went into this novel expecting some intense moments. This is what I was envisioning: a mother with her small child trapped inside a zoo while there were individuals with guns running throughout the facilities, animals feeling the intensity and responding therefore noises and some chaotic moments, other individuals trapped inside the zoo (smart, educational people and some irrational crazy ones) which would add drama and intensity to the novel and some police action. I felt that I was cheated, I only witnessed part of the action. I wanted more drama and action.

The novel started off intense, the situation began and I was ready but then it fizzled out and I felt that we were hiding in a box while the rest of the world went on without us. It’s not like I wanted death or shots to be fired but I wanted to know more than what was happening in my little box. I was getting frustrated with the mother. I wanted to run out into the main area and find someone else to hide with. When she finally emerges, and meets up with a few others in the restaurant, the novel was beginning to get interesting again but it was the others who were supplying the drama. I’m glad that I listened to this novel as the premise was fantastic, the novel just didn’t back it up. 2.5 stars

If you are a mother, a young mother, I think you will love this. The book is really a story about motherhood. It is not a suspense thriller. It is a very long description of a mother's love for and fascination with her four year old son. For those of us who are not parents, I think the interest starts flagging at about halfway in.

Stayed up late to finish this thriller! @ginphillips does an excellent job of keeping you on edge throughout this novel! Do yourself a favor and pick up Fierce Kingdom! It is a quick read because you will want to know what happens!

I couldn't put this book down, it kept me enthralled until the very end and brought up many questions that are close to my heart as a mother. However, without giving any spoilers the ending was not my cup of tea which is why I rated 4 instead of 5 stars. This novel is definitely worth the time to read, you will not be disappointed!!!

This novel had the potential to be so much more thrilling. Instead, there’s a lot of waiting with mild suspense that never really even has a climax worthy of a plot this intriguing. I kept waiting for a big payoff but instead it just fizzles out.

Good premise. It was a good book. But a couple of the characters weren’t fully developed. Very suspenseful in parts. The ending was a bit abrupt so you’re left wondering what actually happened to some of the characters.

I sincerely struggled through this book. I found it to be insanely slow, mundane, boring, etc. There were no real “thrilling” highs and lows of the mom and son hiding in the zoo. I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend, sadly.

Love being hooked from the beginning with the inability to put a book down. Fierce Kingdom is that kind of book! But it is so much more than a quick read, it is thought-provoking and frightening and hopeful and cruel.

After reading the description I was really excited to read this book thinking it would be a great page turner but it fell short. I was expecteting there to be more challenge and sacrifice but it wasn't there. Joan was a weak character and I feel like there could have been more conflict that would have made this book a better read.

This is sadly a very timely novel. It's also terrifying. I listened to the audio version and had many 'driveway' moments. It's full of suspense and has great character development. Mom and son are totally believable (and I have three kids and have been around many many playgroups so I recognize this mom/son pair). I would love a sequel so we can see what the after math is for this kiddo and his mom because they went through an ORDEAL.

Exhilarating, breathless and exciting. It grabs you from the very first word until you are turning the pages faster and faster until the explosive end. Absolutely loved this book. This is definitely a keeper.

The concept of this book is unique, but it was not executed to it's fullest potential. The main character has contradictory thoughts so often that I began to hate her. She makes some really dumb decisions throughout the entire narrative. There were areas I had hoped would have been drawn out with more detail and then others that lasted too long, slowing down the story. I kept reading in hopes that it would get better, but it didn't. I thought the ending was melodramatic.

I only finished this booked because I needed a resolution. And, guess what? No resolution. We also, never learned the fate of three of the main characters - their storylines were left hanging. The protagonist was unlikable and the author would go off on long & random tangents, which is really frustrating when there is a killer on the loose murdering people and animals. I wish I could have those 4 hours of my life back.

Taut - check. Fast-paced - check. Well-written - check. Tough and unpleasant subject matter - triple-check. It is a sad state when in our society we need to celebrate adversity, self-sacrifice, and bravery through the lens of shooters. You know, those Columbine-type killers. All through the book, the premise and setting seemed distasteful. I hope for the author’s sake no one so deranged takes the novel as a playbook. It will not be Ms. Phillips fault to be sure. It will be literature’s mirror to society.

I absolutely loved this book. I read it in record speed. It's tense and terrifying, especially since it's exactly the kind of scenario happening all over the country. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I cannot say enough good things about it. If you are a fan of thrillers this is a must-read.

Read it so quickly, some parts had me gasping! The protagonist is real & flawed, with so much love for her boy. As a mother of a child very similar to the one described, I can attest to the veracity of the character (and their interaction). Recommend it

You hear this all the time but this is the first time I’ve found it to be true - I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. This story grabs you in the first pages and drags you in until you just can not stop reading because you MUST know what happens next.

A great read. Characters are very believable and the way their thoughts and actions were written made it a very compelling read. I was reading it during the recent horror in Las Vegas so even though I live in another country it made the terror the people went through very real and my heart goes out to them.

really don't recommend this book. The primary reason I don't recommend the book is that it is too graphic, particularly problematic given how well-written it is. It is so graphic that I have to question the author's placement on the Psychopathy Checklist. When she writes from the perspective of one of the "bad guys," there is a sense that she identifies a little bit too much. There is violence towards animals that she actually goes so far as to thank another person for inspiring (based on actual behaviors-- how sickening!). The more I think about it, too, the main character is close to being a one-percenter, so she's really not that identifiable. The press for this book is focusing on how relatable this story will be to moms, but, after reading it, I don't see how. I don't telecommute, I haven't traveled internationally, and I don't run marathons. Bully for the main character and all that, but, to really be relatable to most of the moms I know, the main character would've been far different. After a few days to mull my rating over, I've decided to recommend that women give this one a pass. This book is one of Redbook's July/August 2017 summer fun list reading selections ("chills, thrills, and twists"). I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. It is an advance uncorrected proof.