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Animosity
Animosity, Tome 2: Le Dragon
One day, for no reason, the Animals woke up. They started thinking. They started talking. They started taking REVENGE. The world is plunged into chaos as the newly-intelligent Animals fight humanity, and simply fight each other, for their own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. In the midst of the turmoil is Jesse, an 11-year-old girl, and her dog, Sandor, who is devoted to her and her protection. Collecting issues 5-8 issues of the best-selling series, plus the special one-shot issue THE WORLD OF ANIMOSITY.
107 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 21, 2017
mo sentience, mo problems...
this one is not as much fun as Animosity, Vol. 1.
back off, doggie - you know it’s true!
the first volume had its weaknesses - it was confusing, it skipped over big chunks of time during which important things seemed to have happened, but i trusted that at some point the story would backtrack and we’d have our blanks filled in. and we do, so there - high five!
but here in volume two we are moving at a much slower pace, with more time for animal-ruminating. and ruminate they will! once animals can speak and reason, once they become capable of abstract thought and omphaloskepsis, well, they get a little tedious. for some readers, this development will be just their cuppa - animals dealing with this sudden burden of a soul, the concepts of morality, the human world’s variety of religions, and what it means to choose “right” or “wrong.”
for some, this new ability to express themselves makes them dress and sulk and rant like sullen teens
although he has a point.
again - for some people, this will knock their socks off, but some of us just wanna see raccoons use weapons
it’s not all campfire philosophy; there’s plenty of action, plenty of creepy new things in the world, and plenty of new baddies to fight. especially birds, obviously.
but a lot of it is smaller - just the animals dealing with their new roles and new frustrations. with great knowledge comes great responsibility, and sandor’s taking on the responsibility for jesse's care and safety causes him difficulties - he is now just smart enough to understand all that he doesn’t know and how much she needs that he can't give her
and all he’s not prepared to take on
plus, knowledge of mortality is pretty heavy.
so, i still like the series hard, i just don't know if i love it. gimmie volume three and i'll have a better sense of my heart.
come to my blog!
this one is not as much fun as Animosity, Vol. 1.
back off, doggie - you know it’s true!
the first volume had its weaknesses - it was confusing, it skipped over big chunks of time during which important things seemed to have happened, but i trusted that at some point the story would backtrack and we’d have our blanks filled in. and we do, so there - high five!
but here in volume two we are moving at a much slower pace, with more time for animal-ruminating. and ruminate they will! once animals can speak and reason, once they become capable of abstract thought and omphaloskepsis, well, they get a little tedious. for some readers, this development will be just their cuppa - animals dealing with this sudden burden of a soul, the concepts of morality, the human world’s variety of religions, and what it means to choose “right” or “wrong.”
for some, this new ability to express themselves makes them dress and sulk and rant like sullen teens
although he has a point.
again - for some people, this will knock their socks off, but some of us just wanna see raccoons use weapons
it’s not all campfire philosophy; there’s plenty of action, plenty of creepy new things in the world, and plenty of new baddies to fight. especially birds, obviously.
but a lot of it is smaller - just the animals dealing with their new roles and new frustrations. with great knowledge comes great responsibility, and sandor’s taking on the responsibility for jesse's care and safety causes him difficulties - he is now just smart enough to understand all that he doesn’t know and how much she needs that he can't give her
and all he’s not prepared to take on
plus, knowledge of mortality is pretty heavy.
so, i still like the series hard, i just don't know if i love it. gimmie volume three and i'll have a better sense of my heart.
come to my blog!
May 12, 2019
The plot thickens for Sandor, the hound dog, and his human, Jesse, as they attempt to make their way across the country to reunite Jesse with her half-brother.
"Jesse is growing up, and signs of it frighten Sandor more than they even frighten her. Sandor fears, so much, that he will be unable to protect Jesse from all pain, all terror, aware that he will not be there for her adulthood."
Now that all of the animals are sentient, the lines between human and animal, predator and prey have blurred. Certain species are starving to death. Other species are being farmed for their meat. It's a dark story, but still fascinating in the way it flips reality on its head.
"The honeybees have retreated to some secret place, and the ants threaten blistering violence for the paw that reads the wrong mound, yet each seem unusual in their clannishness to their own kind."
Along with their new sentience, some of the animals are considering the state of their souls... do they have one, and where do they go when they die? Others are banding together to fight against the humans or each other. And still others are protecting the only person or thing they care about, like Sandor.
My favorite part of this issue was the series recap at the end where the author, Marguerite Bennett, gives a brief glimpse into what's going on in every state and country since the animals "woke". Highlights include my home state of Illinois trying to figure out how to regulate the new reality (you know they would) and her description of the new Mongolia: "Little has changed."
Honestly, this book is worth reading if only for that section. I can't help but be impressed by the imagination it took to combine the cultures, unique creatures and people of each corner of the world and provide its own mini-story.
The artwork, as you can tell from the cover, is haunting in places. You see animals wielding human weapons and wearing clothing. But it's not cute, the overall effect is very disturbing. I won't soon forget a deer lobbing a hand grenade into a group of shadowy figures in the forest and I think that's probably the point.
Recommended for fans of dark science fiction graphic novels.
"Jesse is growing up, and signs of it frighten Sandor more than they even frighten her. Sandor fears, so much, that he will be unable to protect Jesse from all pain, all terror, aware that he will not be there for her adulthood."
Now that all of the animals are sentient, the lines between human and animal, predator and prey have blurred. Certain species are starving to death. Other species are being farmed for their meat. It's a dark story, but still fascinating in the way it flips reality on its head.
"The honeybees have retreated to some secret place, and the ants threaten blistering violence for the paw that reads the wrong mound, yet each seem unusual in their clannishness to their own kind."
Along with their new sentience, some of the animals are considering the state of their souls... do they have one, and where do they go when they die? Others are banding together to fight against the humans or each other. And still others are protecting the only person or thing they care about, like Sandor.
My favorite part of this issue was the series recap at the end where the author, Marguerite Bennett, gives a brief glimpse into what's going on in every state and country since the animals "woke". Highlights include my home state of Illinois trying to figure out how to regulate the new reality (you know they would) and her description of the new Mongolia: "Little has changed."
Honestly, this book is worth reading if only for that section. I can't help but be impressed by the imagination it took to combine the cultures, unique creatures and people of each corner of the world and provide its own mini-story.
The artwork, as you can tell from the cover, is haunting in places. You see animals wielding human weapons and wearing clothing. But it's not cute, the overall effect is very disturbing. I won't soon forget a deer lobbing a hand grenade into a group of shadowy figures in the forest and I think that's probably the point.
Recommended for fans of dark science fiction graphic novels.
June 21, 2019
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
October 24, 2017
Jesse, Sandor and their new pack come across a part of the forest where it's said a red dragon roams with his beastmen. This arc is much darker and not quite as interesting as volume 1.
Received an advance copy from Aftershock and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from Aftershock and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2019
Animosity continues to be a solid, yet flawed, title.
So we established animals can now talk and are much smarter than before. We have our main cast of animals and humans together on a path to get Jesse (our main female protagonist, who happens to be a badass 12 year old girl) over to California. We have Sandor, her faithful companion, who is ready to defend her no matter what. This time though, we have a new foe. THE DRAGON! I mighty creature who wants to harm our human friends and animals alike.
Good: I still like the core cast. Especially Jesse and Sandor. They make for a awesome duo, and the father/daughter protection they got going on is great. I also enjoyed expanding the side cast this time, getting to know each one, and also dealing with problems such as Jesse first period or Sandor's major conflict in the end.
Bad: The foe, or creature, villain, whatever want to call him, is pretty lame. I don't want to spoil it, but his myth is better than him. Also, the dialogue sometimes tips over to silly or over the top.
Overall, a solid volume that's good enough I read it in one sitting and intriguing enough to continue the series. This is a 3 out of 5.
So we established animals can now talk and are much smarter than before. We have our main cast of animals and humans together on a path to get Jesse (our main female protagonist, who happens to be a badass 12 year old girl) over to California. We have Sandor, her faithful companion, who is ready to defend her no matter what. This time though, we have a new foe. THE DRAGON! I mighty creature who wants to harm our human friends and animals alike.
Good: I still like the core cast. Especially Jesse and Sandor. They make for a awesome duo, and the father/daughter protection they got going on is great. I also enjoyed expanding the side cast this time, getting to know each one, and also dealing with problems such as Jesse first period or Sandor's major conflict in the end.
Bad: The foe, or creature, villain, whatever want to call him, is pretty lame. I don't want to spoil it, but his myth is better than him. Also, the dialogue sometimes tips over to silly or over the top.
Overall, a solid volume that's good enough I read it in one sitting and intriguing enough to continue the series. This is a 3 out of 5.
October 24, 2017
3.5 stars.
March 26, 2018
Animosity's second story arc sees Jesse and Sandor adrift after the destruction of the Animilitary compound. There they face new threats out in the wild, but sanctuary could be on the horizon...
This book makes me feel things. Painful things. It makes me think about things too, things that I've never thought about before. And that's without trying to fathom out the mechanics of the world itself, which even the characters aren't 100% sure on. It feels a bit like reading the Walking Dead or Y: The Last Man - we're learning things as the characters do, so we're on the same journey.
The animal kingdom makes for a formidable foe, and I'm glad that we're dealing with animal threats as much as human ones at this point. Post-apocalyptic comics often switch to humans being the problem quicker than they should, but Animosity shows no sign of this, and the Dragon from issues #6-7 is an amazing character that I'd never have thought of in a million years.
Also included here is the World of Animosity one-shot which also works as a huge world builder. It shows how much thought is being put into crafting this comic, because it's unlikely that even 10% of this information is going to be relevant later on but it's all well thought out and as inventive as the main story.
Now I need to work out when Volume 3 is out >_>
This book makes me feel things. Painful things. It makes me think about things too, things that I've never thought about before. And that's without trying to fathom out the mechanics of the world itself, which even the characters aren't 100% sure on. It feels a bit like reading the Walking Dead or Y: The Last Man - we're learning things as the characters do, so we're on the same journey.
The animal kingdom makes for a formidable foe, and I'm glad that we're dealing with animal threats as much as human ones at this point. Post-apocalyptic comics often switch to humans being the problem quicker than they should, but Animosity shows no sign of this, and the Dragon from issues #6-7 is an amazing character that I'd never have thought of in a million years.
Also included here is the World of Animosity one-shot which also works as a huge world builder. It shows how much thought is being put into crafting this comic, because it's unlikely that even 10% of this information is going to be relevant later on but it's all well thought out and as inventive as the main story.
Now I need to work out when Volume 3 is out >_>
Read
November 4, 2017The Walking Dead if Rick were a talking dog, and also better at protecting his kid, and if pretty much all the survivors were de facto cannibals because all animal life is now fully sentient. Plus, there's a pangolin. I wouldn't normally crosspost reviews of two consecutive volumes of the same series to Facebook so close together, but more occasional comics readers need to be reading this. My quibbles about what's happening with the insects in the first volume are at least being nodded to, too. The only let-down is the world book backmatter which, while many of its snapshots of the action elsewhere are ingeniously horrific and/or hilarious, does betray a very US-centric perspective (each state gets as much coverage as each nation elsewhere) and an occasional lack of research - I doubt the UK would have quite the alleged problem with cities being brought down by termites when we only have one known colony and that's in North Devon.
(Edelweiss ARC)
(Edelweiss ARC)
July 16, 2020
191/365
"Aunque el cielo no exista, aunque no hayan almas para ninguno de nosotros.... Cuando morimos, toda nuesta existencia se desintegra y se funde con las demás cosas. Cada chispa, cada átomo, cada aliento, por pequeño o diminuto que sea, sigue aquí. Está en el viento y en el aire. En nuestro aliento, en las nubes, en nuestros cuerpos, en la hierba. Tu hermano estará donde sople el viento. Donde caiga la lluvia, estará tu familia, en los mismos campos donde un día corretearán tus hijos. Estarán allí esperando. Nunca te abandonarán. Ellos te quieren, Zarza. Nunca estarás sola".
La mejor serie que he leído de Aftershock y todo un giro al género posapocalíptico. Sin zombis ni vampiros ni monstruos similares, resulta que lo peor somos nosotros: los seres humanos. Cuando los animales toman conciencia y son capaces de hablar, el mundo se viene abajo porque empieza su revolución.
En medio de este desolador panorama, Sandor, un viejo sabueso, decide cuidar de Jesse, su ama, una niña que ha perdido a su familia, y emprende un viaje para que la pequeña se reúna con su hermanastro. Por el camino, otros animales se unirán a la pareja, pero también se enfrentarán a humanos y otras bestias que desean acabar con ellos.
En este volumen, Sandor acepta que, como perro de raza, está a punto de morir y no podrá cuidar para siempre de la niña, Jesse, que ha comenzado a crecer y, mientras luchan contra esa verdad, se cruzan con un monstruo en un bosque que ha formado una extraña secta.
Un volumen fantástico, con un guion estupendo de Marguerite Bennet (que me ha dejado con lágrimas en los ojos con su monólogo sobre la pérdida) y con el maravilloso dibujo de Rafael de Latorre. Si no la estáis leyendo, estáis tardando. Una de mis series actuales favoritas.
"Aunque el cielo no exista, aunque no hayan almas para ninguno de nosotros.... Cuando morimos, toda nuesta existencia se desintegra y se funde con las demás cosas. Cada chispa, cada átomo, cada aliento, por pequeño o diminuto que sea, sigue aquí. Está en el viento y en el aire. En nuestro aliento, en las nubes, en nuestros cuerpos, en la hierba. Tu hermano estará donde sople el viento. Donde caiga la lluvia, estará tu familia, en los mismos campos donde un día corretearán tus hijos. Estarán allí esperando. Nunca te abandonarán. Ellos te quieren, Zarza. Nunca estarás sola".
La mejor serie que he leído de Aftershock y todo un giro al género posapocalíptico. Sin zombis ni vampiros ni monstruos similares, resulta que lo peor somos nosotros: los seres humanos. Cuando los animales toman conciencia y son capaces de hablar, el mundo se viene abajo porque empieza su revolución.
En medio de este desolador panorama, Sandor, un viejo sabueso, decide cuidar de Jesse, su ama, una niña que ha perdido a su familia, y emprende un viaje para que la pequeña se reúna con su hermanastro. Por el camino, otros animales se unirán a la pareja, pero también se enfrentarán a humanos y otras bestias que desean acabar con ellos.
En este volumen, Sandor acepta que, como perro de raza, está a punto de morir y no podrá cuidar para siempre de la niña, Jesse, que ha comenzado a crecer y, mientras luchan contra esa verdad, se cruzan con un monstruo en un bosque que ha formado una extraña secta.
Un volumen fantástico, con un guion estupendo de Marguerite Bennet (que me ha dejado con lágrimas en los ojos con su monólogo sobre la pérdida) y con el maravilloso dibujo de Rafael de Latorre. Si no la estáis leyendo, estáis tardando. Una de mis series actuales favoritas.
October 20, 2020
jesse and sandor; they make for a wonderful pair, and the dad/girl security they got moving on is extraordinary. i likewise appreciated extending the side cast this time, becoming acquainted with everyone, and furthermore managing issues, for example, jesse's first period or sandor's significant clash at long last.
the adversary, or animal, reprobate, whatever need to call him, is pretty faltering. i would prefer not to ruin it, yet his fantasy is superior to him. additionally, the discourse once in a while spills to senseless or over the top.
in general, a strong volume that is adequate i read it at a time and sufficiently charming to proceed with the arrangement.
the adversary, or animal, reprobate, whatever need to call him, is pretty faltering. i would prefer not to ruin it, yet his fantasy is superior to him. additionally, the discourse once in a while spills to senseless or over the top.
in general, a strong volume that is adequate i read it at a time and sufficiently charming to proceed with the arrangement.
February 21, 2021
(3,6 of 5 for Walking Animals by Kirkmm... Bennet and Latorre)
I was reading this book almost not realizing it. They are short and the story has most of the time high pace. Like really, 4 issues in one book, full of action and adventure - that flies fast. So fast that you can overlook some stuff. At the end of this issue, I realized bennet uses the same mechanisms of telling the story as Walking Dead. Yeah, WD is nothing super inventive, but it has its style and its story and Animosity just feels like "That WD comics are great, let's do that but with talking intelligent animals and let's see where it goes".
I was reading this book almost not realizing it. They are short and the story has most of the time high pace. Like really, 4 issues in one book, full of action and adventure - that flies fast. So fast that you can overlook some stuff. At the end of this issue, I realized bennet uses the same mechanisms of telling the story as Walking Dead. Yeah, WD is nothing super inventive, but it has its style and its story and Animosity just feels like "That WD comics are great, let's do that but with talking intelligent animals and let's see where it goes".
December 20, 2020
Jesse and Sandors adventure continues with a small group of others that include animals and a human. A new villain appears and some disturbing scenes appear. My issue with this series in this volume was with the dialgoue. It bordelines over-the-top.
June 25, 2019
I’m not crying, you are.
No seriously, I had a waterfall of tears running down my face reading that last issue.
(Note that it doesn’t take much to make me tear up hahaha)
No seriously, I had a waterfall of tears running down my face reading that last issue.
(Note that it doesn’t take much to make me tear up hahaha)
July 31, 2022
i loooove the world building map in the back, that whats got it those .3 extra points
(3.8)
(3.8)
March 7, 2018
Having gotten entangled with the Animilitary and escaped, Jesse and Sandor continue their journey to San Francisco. Things don't get any easier however as they and their friends are stalked by strange animal-human hybrids and some of Sandor's secrets come to light.
This volume is a bit more focused on the kinds of philosophical questions that animals would have if they gained the ability to reason. While the first volume was a lot of violent, intense action, this one slows things down a bit to get at some of the issues plaguing the animals. At points it got a bit too slow for me but overall is still a pretty quick read.
See full series review here!
October 25, 2018
This second volume isn't nearly as strong as the first - there's one tense plot focused on a 'dragon' that explores the lengths creatures will go to for survival in this world, but then the story starts focusing on the why's and the philosophy behind the wake, and gets mired in the multitude of ideas, ultimately just throwing them all out without actually exploring any with real depth. Jesse and Sandor's relationship is explored a bit more, and there are some flashbacks from before by some of the other animals in the group. But the plot basically stops moving by the end of this collection.
I did give it an extra star for the collected 'World of Animosity' though; someone had a lot of fun coming up with the descriptions of what has happened to the United States and the world after the Wake. I'm sure little of it will ever affect the main plot, but the details about Hawaii, Libya and the Scandinavian countries are all fascinating extrapolations from the basic concept. I worry that the balance between world-building and plot will not be able to be kept up, but otherwise, I'm still interested in where the story is going.
I did give it an extra star for the collected 'World of Animosity' though; someone had a lot of fun coming up with the descriptions of what has happened to the United States and the world after the Wake. I'm sure little of it will ever affect the main plot, but the details about Hawaii, Libya and the Scandinavian countries are all fascinating extrapolations from the basic concept. I worry that the balance between world-building and plot will not be able to be kept up, but otherwise, I'm still interested in where the story is going.
March 5, 2024
Definitely still unique and entertaining. There was nothing in this volume that left me breathless. The art is roughly always the same. It's not bad, but it's nothing astonishing. It must be tough drawing animals in all the different scenarios, so you have to give the artist some slack.
The discussions at the end were nice, however I don't think it's ever fair to simplify beliefs and traditions. The shrimp were great in the beginning. The story was much more linear. I just can't find myself to say this was a phenomenal comic. Perhaps it's because the conflict is too spontaneous. I find it much more believable that there are two longstanding military standoffs and tensions are at an all time high, rather than some obscure villain that can move unseen and upholds a cult type of deal.
Worth the read. Start on volume one see how you like it. The water in the pool is the same temperature. I wish they would be a little more experimental. With all this being said, I will look forward to more.
The discussions at the end were nice, however I don't think it's ever fair to simplify beliefs and traditions. The shrimp were great in the beginning. The story was much more linear. I just can't find myself to say this was a phenomenal comic. Perhaps it's because the conflict is too spontaneous. I find it much more believable that there are two longstanding military standoffs and tensions are at an all time high, rather than some obscure villain that can move unseen and upholds a cult type of deal.
Worth the read. Start on volume one see how you like it. The water in the pool is the same temperature. I wish they would be a little more experimental. With all this being said, I will look forward to more.
March 18, 2019
Druhý díl je o značný kus ukecanější než ten první. Filozofuje se tu o tom, co mohlo způsobit Probuzení. Začíná se tu pomalu a lehce řešit úloha zvířat v novém světě. A celkově tu trochu zpomalí tempo. Setkání s drakem (jak už název tohohle dílu napovídá) tu vrací nějaké to napětí a temnější atmosféru, ale neboť díl končí spíše v klidu, tak je to takový až odpočinek po původním rozjezdu. Kvality jinak pořád zůstávají a jako bonus je v tomhle díle dlouhý výčet všech států v Americe a části světa a krátká informace o tom, co se kde událo po Probuzení.
Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud:
- chcete po prvním díle trochu zvolnit a dát si trochu víc nějakého toho zamyšlení
Spíš vás zklame, pokud:
- jste doufali, že druhý díl bude stejně nabitý akcí jako ten první
Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud:
- chcete po prvním díle trochu zvolnit a dát si trochu víc nějakého toho zamyšlení
Spíš vás zklame, pokud:
- jste doufali, že druhý díl bude stejně nabitý akcí jako ten první
April 23, 2018
I forgot if I had wanted to keep going with this series so I read volume 2. The art remains spectacular. The story hinted at in the "World of Animosity" was fascinating. The story actually presented not so much.
October 26, 2017
Great stuff as the animals gain intelligence and started to behave like humans. Amidst all that is a touching story of a dog and its girl.
January 13, 2025
Estoy amando está serie
April 10, 2018
It would have been 4 stars if the state and world updates had drawings.
November 8, 2018
Perhaps not as strong as the first volume, but still quite good! Full review to come.
March 25, 2024
Jessie un Sandor ceļojums turpinās pa bīstamo Jauno pasauli.
November 19, 2017
A much darker arc than volume 1, this volume also offers a much more contained and focused storyline--which addresses my main complaint about the sprawling story of vol. 1. Overall, this felt very strong despite a philosophical interlude that was equal parts meaningful and overdone. Though the series still hasn't grabbed me in the way that others have, this installment has improved my feelings toward what this creative team is doing. Full of intense emotion and thought-provoking concepts, it's a dark survival story that manages to surprise and entertain.
August 27, 2019
For those of us with pets, there is a saying--"having a pet in your life will result in many great days and one bad one." At this moment I am going to tell you that I have a dog, and his name is Rigby and while he still acts like a giant puppy, I know he is getting older and at some point, he'll no longer be with us. But that is not going to stop me from loving him today and the day that he passes and after, because that's how love works. I'm pretty sure my dog doesn't think about these things, because he's a dog and he's likely not self-aware about his own mortality. This is not the case for the animals in Marguerite Bennett's Animosity, who since an event called "The Wake" all of the animals have become self aware. While the first volume dealt with the event itself and the attitudes of the animals who have recently become self aware, volume two deals with the sorts of existential crises that come with that self-awareness, chief among them mortality and death.
I think one of the ways we humans deal with mortality is that unless we are confronted with it directly, we tend to ignore it. This is likely a good thing--otherwise we would likely drive ourselves insane trying to deal with the fact that at some point, we, and everyone we love won't be in this world. The day we adopted Rigby I was very aware of the last day of Rigby's life--I have been through the process of losing a pet and like all loss, it isn't pleasant--but what I didn't think about as I resisted adopting Rigby was all of the great moments that we would have together. He's a great dog, and the reason that the day he dies will suck is because we love him so much. In Animosity the relationship between Sandor (the dog) and his human, Jesse and the reality that death will end the relationship (at least in the mind of Sandor, who is newly imbued with the self-awareness) is one of the primary themes running through this volume. However, death surrounds Jesse and Sandor, as the now self-aware animals try to get a grasp on their place in the food chain--they are now able to contemplate how death supports life. Dealing with that fact is easier said than done, however.
One of the challenges in reading Animosity is that self-awareness brings a concept of equality to the relationship between humans and animals, and where the relationships are unequal become touch points for conflict between them. I don't know what my dog would think if he were to become self-aware like Sandor. By becoming self-aware, Sandor effectively given a choice if he wants to stand by Jesse or abandon her. Sandor has obviously made his choice, but these sorts of things aren't easy as they appear. In Sandor's case, his love for Jesse is what drives him. Is that his choice, or just the nature of a dog? I'd like to think Rigby would feel the same about me, but you never know.
I think one of the ways we humans deal with mortality is that unless we are confronted with it directly, we tend to ignore it. This is likely a good thing--otherwise we would likely drive ourselves insane trying to deal with the fact that at some point, we, and everyone we love won't be in this world. The day we adopted Rigby I was very aware of the last day of Rigby's life--I have been through the process of losing a pet and like all loss, it isn't pleasant--but what I didn't think about as I resisted adopting Rigby was all of the great moments that we would have together. He's a great dog, and the reason that the day he dies will suck is because we love him so much. In Animosity the relationship between Sandor (the dog) and his human, Jesse and the reality that death will end the relationship (at least in the mind of Sandor, who is newly imbued with the self-awareness) is one of the primary themes running through this volume. However, death surrounds Jesse and Sandor, as the now self-aware animals try to get a grasp on their place in the food chain--they are now able to contemplate how death supports life. Dealing with that fact is easier said than done, however.
One of the challenges in reading Animosity is that self-awareness brings a concept of equality to the relationship between humans and animals, and where the relationships are unequal become touch points for conflict between them. I don't know what my dog would think if he were to become self-aware like Sandor. By becoming self-aware, Sandor effectively given a choice if he wants to stand by Jesse or abandon her. Sandor has obviously made his choice, but these sorts of things aren't easy as they appear. In Sandor's case, his love for Jesse is what drives him. Is that his choice, or just the nature of a dog? I'd like to think Rigby would feel the same about me, but you never know.
March 1, 2021
It's funny to have the many weaknesses of humans be experienced and analized by the eyes of the animals. There is also a religious debate about the Wake, the souls of animals and sin. It's a bit long-winded, though.
The drama keeps coming when there is dissention from one of the goats in Jesse's group. Then Jesse herself has a most unique experience - her first period - but the animals jump at the chance to support her and be the mother that isn't at her side any more. The threats on their camp keep on coming when something that apparently looks like a dragon attacks them.
The drama keeps coming when there is dissention from one of the goats in Jesse's group. Then Jesse herself has a most unique experience - her first period - but the animals jump at the chance to support her and be the mother that isn't at her side any more. The threats on their camp keep on coming when something that apparently looks like a dragon attacks them.
July 27, 2026
After the more wide angle view of the new world in which animals now think and speak - Marguerite Bennett focuses the lens more on the main characters, and how they manage on their own.
Sandor, Jesse, and the rest of the crew enter a forest where a "red dragon" has been terrorizing the forest creatures. After braving the forest, the crew have to find a way to defeat this "Dragon" which may not be as scaly as they thought - but formidable nonetheless.
I like Bennett's approach here cause I think it's good to get to now our characters a bit more, and seeing how they handle this threat shows us more about them individually as well as a team. However, I would be a bit remiss to say that I liked the volumes before because they were dealing with the more societal ramifications of the "wake" and how it shapes culture and society. This is volume feels like a step back in a way, but of course, this may be me just being impatient.
Either way, it's a solid arc if only limited a bit in its scope. Recommended for fans of the series.
Sandor, Jesse, and the rest of the crew enter a forest where a "red dragon" has been terrorizing the forest creatures. After braving the forest, the crew have to find a way to defeat this "Dragon" which may not be as scaly as they thought - but formidable nonetheless.
I like Bennett's approach here cause I think it's good to get to now our characters a bit more, and seeing how they handle this threat shows us more about them individually as well as a team. However, I would be a bit remiss to say that I liked the volumes before because they were dealing with the more societal ramifications of the "wake" and how it shapes culture and society. This is volume feels like a step back in a way, but of course, this may be me just being impatient.
Either way, it's a solid arc if only limited a bit in its scope. Recommended for fans of the series.
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