Vasco, Leader of the Tribe

Author Anne-Laure Bondoux immerses readers in a world that is familiar -- city streets, the deepest bowels of a ship -- and gives it a new perspective. Through the eyes of Vasco, a rat who has recently lost his entire tribe to a mysterious new weapon from men, we experience the dangerous world of rat tribes. There is political intrigue, diplomacy, family values, and war.

Readers will lose themselves in the twitches, scurries, and nuances of being a rat. Bondoux has captured the rat world with so much imagination and detail it's hard to believe she's never lived among them. However sensitive readers especially will be put off by the brutal fighting scenes. They sometimes overshadow the story, piling on more and more conflict rather than working toward a more satisfying conclusion.