Save Akili

by John Bottern, Jorgen Bottern, Bruce Fowler (Editor)

A heavily armed group of highly trained and experienced ivory poachers, led by Shetani, enter an African game park to kill a large herd of elephants – including their matriarch, Akili.

When Tuli, an experienced game ranger, is brutally murdered by Shetani, Tuli’s sixteen-year-old son, Onkolo, realises that he must now defend the herd and face the poachers on his own.

Desperate to survive and armed only with a bow and arrows, Onkolo races to find Akili and her herd before the poachers do. Along the way he establishes an entirely unexpected alliance with Akili. Will this be enough to ensure that he survives, and enable him to defend the elephants?

The odds are overwhelming: battling heat, thirst and fear, Onkolo faces dangers from predators as well as poachers.

The savagery of animals in the wild, and the brutality emerging from encounters with predators and poachers, are offset by scenes of tranquillity and the beauty of the African bush.

Genres: Thriller

253 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2018

About the author

I was born on a farm in Kenya at a time when almost anywhere you went outside you would see antelopes, zebra, warthogs, giraffe and many others. At night, lions would roar their mighty challenges; leopards would give their warning coughs; hyenas would whoop with joy; and jackals would chuckle loudly in anticipation of their nightly feed.
​
It was growing up in this environment that fostered my love of the wild and the life within it.
​
I discovered that wild animals were intelligent – each with their own skills, strengths and personalities – and deeply loyal.
​
These have been among the key themes of two of my novels, including my first titled Fighting Frantically For Survival, about the struggle to protect wildlife from poachers in Africa.
​
The civilisation of Africa has led to the decimation of African wildlife, which continues to this day. It has been slowed to an extent by a number of countries legislating for rangers to be permitted to shoot and kill poachers.
​
Despite this, the African Elephant remains one of the most sought after prizes for poachers.

Reviews

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book about elephant poaching. There were a lot of grammar errors. But overall it's a really good book. My love for animals in general has gotten much more bigger. Now I need/want to save all the animals in the world. If you hate poaching then this is the book for you to read.

I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway for an honest review!

[KaeLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting story of a young man’s quest to avenge a gruesome, tortuous murder and to save the matriarch of the elephants he has sworn to protect at the wildlife preserve he watches over. The story kept me on the edge of my seat as Onkolo tries to carry on in the face of injuries, hunger, thirst, and pain. It is one of the best in its genre that I have had the pleasure of reading. I highly recommend this book.

[Craig Strachan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts as a nice tour through a game reserve, but then goes downhill rather quickly. It reminds me of the Die Hard movies, but the hero is about 16 and only has a bow and spear, but with the usual cast of bad guys. It went in directions I wasn't expecting, and it kept me reading until the end. As a side note you learn a lot about the animals in the game reserves. Recommended.

[Nikki Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It wasn't one I couldn't put down but I kept coming back. I took off one star because I don't like swearing. The ending is very sad but thus is a very interesting book.

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.

[Shelley Parr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway, but that does not affect my review. I enjoyed this book. It brought to life an African game reserve. The book is not only about an elephant, but about a beautiful relationship between father and son with danger thrown in. I recommend it.