The Great Timbers

A Novel

By: James A. Kane, Rusty Ogre Publishing

Narrated by: Erik Gamborg

When poachers invade an idyllic Wyoming meadow to scout the perfect location to build a lucrative hunting lodge, the animals' lives are forever changed. Marred by the harrowing intrusion, the grieving society of woodland creatures must summon the courage to unite, predators and prey alike, to protect their majestic utopia from the rifle-toting men.

Set in the scenic Rocky Mountains, The Great Timbers is a spellbinding story about friendship, loss, dignity, loyalty and war. It is a poignant piece of literary animal fiction in the spirit of the Richard Adams' classic Watership Down, George Orwell's The Animal Farm, or Johnathan Durham's Winterset Hollow.

Full of heart, The Great Timbers is a captivating and timeless animal adventure in which the hunters have just become the hunted.

©2023 Erica Summers (P)2024 Erica Summers

Protecting

What happens when poachers show up to build a hunting lodge? Waht will the animals do? Gosh what would you do to protect your land? What will they do if the animals hunt them?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The forest animals fight back

Beware of where you go if your intent is to hunt for sport in the great forest. Animals may have trained to not only defend themselves from other animals. They may have also learned to take on humans - and win.

Will look for other books by this author and narrator.

What a surprise

I really liked this novella. I honestly laughed, cried, became angry, and felt happy while listening. A great book for YA and Adults.

One of my all time favorite books.

I am a big animal lover and as a hunter myself from an inlawed family of hunters, I loved the look at poaching in this book purely because it taps into the adrenaline-filled instinct to claim a nice animal that is out of season. Ethical hunters obviously don't do that as we all know, but I love that these dynamic characters gave into temptation and then the wildlife got their revenge. It's an good versus evil tale where the animals fight back. It was a unique experience from a perspective I never really thought of before.

I thought it was well researched, well executed and I LOVED the narrator's voice in the audiobook version. Overall, one of my all-time favorite books.

For children

This book held the interest of my 9 yo son. He loves sentient animal stories. This book is not talk down to kids but is definitely well within their understanding. The audio voice is pleasing to the ear and the mental images. It provokes gives a detailed picture of the Rocky Mountains.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A great read

A wonderful book I would highly recommend. great story and characters. i loved the exciting ending! written so vidly
Excellent narrater! really makes the story alive

Whimsical allegory

As a fan of the underdog, I really enjoyed seeing how things worked out in this book. This is not a non-fiction work, so don't expect that. While I can see where some readers expecting non-fiction might turned off by the anthropomorphism, I'd instead encourage readers to enjoy the encouraging story and follow the lesson I think the author intended. Oh, that karma always came so quickly. ;)

While not a children's book, I think it could be used as an effective tool to teach empathy. This book is not a cartoon, but I could easily see it presented as such. More than a few animated princesses are friends with and championed by clever, innovative, and protective woodland creatures.

Loved the narrator's voice. Clear and concise with a nice timbre.

Unexpected

As a life long hunter i had my reservations going into this but i was pleasantly surprised. Well done.

Good But Not For Me

I enjoyed the premise of this story. I liked that we see things from both the view of the animals, and at times, the humans. After a while though I began to slow down as I love animals and hate to see them hurt and/or killed, and also don't like abuse. But I will go back to it. Erik Gamborg did a good job with his narration and I liked the different voices he used for the different characters- especially the hunters. I could visualize them so well.

Overall: 3.5 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story: 3 stars

Enlightening!

The Great Timbers is a beautiful read. It entertains and is an enlightening story that would be a great read in junior high or high school. Beyond the tree line emerges a beacon of such exceptional storytelling, a narrative that seamlessly intertwines adventure, environment, and the power of friendship. The characters are unique, each with a personality that will have you falling in love with wildlife and its inhabitants. The narrator did a fantastic job. The voices of the characters were superb. Kudos to this author for leading the reader on an emotional rollercoaster that resonates to the end and after the last page.