Review of Andar

[Caroline Anne Richmond]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Andar" by Fulris.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Andar is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel written by Fulris. Andor is a barren and hopeless land where a family of three wolves spend their days hunting for food and water. Every day consists of fighting to survive. There are no friends in Andar, every wolf, bear, and cougar sees the family as the next potential meal, and so the family must never let their guard down to endure this terrible life.

Kalamu is an adolescent wolf. He is the son of Darus, a fiercely protective mother with incredible strength. Kuimu is the father, and their father-son relationship is distant. The family have suffered a plethora of personal traumas, and their only focus is to survive and keep their last and only son safe.

Kuimu leaves the family to scout the surrounding area and finds a pit full of corpses, a perfect food supply, and a river in the distance. The family know their only chance for survival is to travel back and forth between the food and water. Their journey is arduous, and they encounter many predators, so there is never a chance to relax. Kalamu must be brave and grow into an adult quickly because, in Andar, there is no time for childhood.

The book is relatively short at just eighty-seven pages, but each page consists of tension and suspense. The book is highly captivating, and the momentum never stops. You cannot help but feel terrified for the family as they struggle to survive in this horrible environment and sympathise with Kalamu’s constant fear and lack of childhood happiness. As well as having a post-apocalyptic theme, there is a coming-of-age element. It is engaging reading Kalamu’s development throughout the book. I empathised with his struggles to be brave and his urgency to use his instincts and lessons learned from his parents.

I enjoyed how the author gave the adult wolves personal problems. Like any couple, they had unresolved issues, tragedies, and arguments. The sadness they feel about their previous traumas is evident, and the love they have for her son is paramount in all their actions. The estranged relationship between father and son is interesting too, and I particularly liked how this relationship begins to get repaired as the story progresses.

When I picked this book, I thought it would be suited to a teenage audience, but non-borderline profanity is frequent throughout the book. Many fight scenes result in death and include graphic details, and are gory in parts. For these reasons, the book is only suitable for an adult audience.

The book is exceptionally edited, as I only found two spelling and grammar mistakes. I found absolutely nothing to dislike about this book. I loved the storyline, and I thought the characters were great. It is a page-turner as the tension never stops, so I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. Adult readers who enjoy a unique story will enjoy this fantasy tale. I was left wanting more and hoping the author may write a second instalment.

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Andar
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[Eddy E]

Honestly, I've never been a fan of novels or movies centred upon animals but the way the review is written making the characters seem like real human is quite interesting. Well done

[marta baglioni]

How peculiar for a YA/Adult book to have animals as the main characters! Very interesting review

[Amy Luman]

I’m really getting into sci-fi and fantasy. I read one book and then I had to read its sequel. I like how this book focuses on a family of wolves. Animals are not very common in this genre. Thanks for the review.