Book Review: The Legend of Podkin One-Ear
Do you like fantasy? Magic? Storytellers? And Rabbits?
Then The Five Realms: The Legend of Podkin One-Ear by Kieran Larwood is the book for you!! Also if you don’t have time to get into one of those massive adult fantasy book series (I’m looking at you J.R.R.) then this might be the cute kids book for you!
I don’t know why I’m talking like a travelling salesman. But there we go.
Plot and Review
It’s a sweet story about three rabbit siblings who have to fight for their lives as evil takes over their warren and threatens the whole world. It’s really cleverly told. The tale itself is narrated by an old bard rabbit during Bramblemas. So we get some really nice (and simple) jumps between the story and the bard’s interactions with his audience. I’m in the middle of In the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss right now and that does a very very similar thing. Except there are almost no rabbits in Rothfuss’ world so I’ll let you decide which is better. (Ps. It’s the rabbits…)
Not to be a goober or anything but it’s also Waterstones Kids Book of the Month so if you want to go help out your local friendly booksellers reach their weekly targets go buy it from there! It’s really cute.
Final Thoughts
If you want a small dose of fantasy without having to start a new six-book series then give it a try. Definitely for kids and for adults that wish they were kids.
Genre: Kids (9-12) Fantasy
Pages: 282
Time Taken: 2.5 hours
Tangent Time…
If you’re looking for other books or stories with talking/anthropomorphic animals then I can help! Here are my favourites. These are all classic kids books but sometimes you can’t beat a classic!
There are so so many books featuring talking animals out there. In fact if you could just google your favourite animal you’ll probably find a book to your liking.
Books
Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Redwall by Brian Jacques
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Films
It’s not only books! Films too! Again these are my favourites! You won’t be surprised to learn that Disney champions the talking animal subgenre of films. They just a big ol’ anthropomorphic-churning-out machine.
Disney’s Robin Hood!
Ratatouille.
Antz. Contravercial but I think it’s better than A Bug’s Life.
Pom Poko! Studio Ghibli
The Cat Returns.
Chicken Run
Kung Fu Panda
And finally! Before I let you go! Here are a few of my favourite anthropomorphic characters!
The White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland
Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service
Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy
Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web
Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh
Brewster from Animal Crossing
Donkey from Shrek
You can probably tell that I really like talking about this stuff. My dissertation was on anthropomorphism. Yeah. I like it. It’s fun for me.
If you want to read more reviews that aren’t reviews: Click here!
Thanks for reading!