“My opinion, the only good cage is an empty cage.”
Anse runs a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary in Sapelo Island, Georgia. He considers the sanctuary animals like family. But after his prized lioness Henrietta attacks him and is shot in order to save his life, Anse’s world is turned upside down and he is questioned by all those around him. Anse seeks to replace his lioness by rescuing other exotic wildlife that are in danger or being abused nearby. How far will Anse go to save the abused and caged? Is risking his friends lives worth saving the life of an animal?
Chapters alternate without pattern between characters and animals. The prose is rich in figurative language and the premise is original.
Overall, this was just an okay read for me. It has a strong premise. The foundation of the novel lays concretely in animal rights and measures the value of animals. But, to me there was nothing beyond that. Although I thought Anse was interesting, I didn’t feel connected to him or the rest of the characters. The storyline skipped around and I was confused about several scenes; I found myself re-reading quite often in order to grasp some sort of understanding of what exactly was happening. Had the storyline been stronger, I would have enjoyed it more because I did like the dialogue concerning the unfortunate realities that animals face. The ending left me feeling underwhelmed.
Triggers include animal abuse.
Visit author Taylor Brown’s website.
Read Publisher Weekly’s review of Pride of Eden.
Taylor Brown is the author of Gods of Howl Mountain and Fallen Land.
Read an interview with Taylor Brown for his book Gods of Howl Mountain.
Follow Taylor Brown on Twitter.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Pride of Eden. Opinions are my own.