From the massive archive….
The Builders
by Daniel Polansky is a novella about a group of mercenary animals on a mission
of revenge. Led by a mouse, they are going after the ones who betrayed them
years ago, which led them to lose the country they were fighting for and
defending.
This rather dark and violent fantasy tale is very
good. My biggest problem with it is that I wished there was more. One gets a
good sense of the characters, but I wanted a longer read to really flesh out
the characters. Each character is very diverse and reflective of the type of
animal they are. Their fighting styles and personality are heavily based on
what animal they are.
The Captain, depicted on the cover as a scarred
mouse, uses his ability to predict behavior of others to keep the group alive.
As he is naturally prey for some predators, he is very good at anticipating the
actions of the predators in this novella. The rest of the group includes a
stoat, a mole, an owl, a lizard, and more, are very different from each other
and each has his or her own unique and helpful skill. This grim tale was very
enjoyable for this reader despite the short length, but the ending is incredibly
depressing.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/40LdUdA
My copy came from the Central or Downtown Branch of
the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2021, 2025
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