Title: General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms
Author: David Bush
Genre: Fantasy
Year Published: October 28, 2020

Date finished: February 14, 2022

It’s been a while since I’ve read an anthromorphic story and it’s mainly because I haven’t found one that I liked. General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms by David Bush was an excellent read that portrayed animals with humanistic traits very well. I was surprised at how well this was done.

The story is about a cat named Miaow and written from the perspective of Miaow for the most part. Miaow tells us his life story and how he came upon a two-legged creature (a human) named General Jack. General Jack takes good care of Miaow and Miaow grows to respect him and love him. The story is set in a world before our time, where war was prominent, and winning battles meant control/power over all the other animals. Miaow was very strategic in the way he fought and planned his attacks. He knew which animals to befriend and which ones to stay away from. However, he wasn’t perfect and made mistakes at choosing certain animals to help him. Later, the story is told from another perspective: Miaows grandson. The grandson tells us about what he thinks of his grandfather’s legacy and of General Jack as well. It’s very fascinating.

Overall, this was an excellent read. There were some minor structural errors but not anything to stop me from reading. The story itself was well thought out and the pacing was perfect for a YA story. The information at the end of the book about all the real wars and bible references were phenomenal. I learned a lot just from that section. It was wonderfully organized and explained, and to use all that information to create such a beautifully told story is a plus. Well done and well worth the read.

Who should read this book: Anyone who enjoys stories where animals are given humanistic characteristics such as “The Mouse and the Motorcycle,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “Watership Down.”