Customer Reviews

Foxes of Firstdark, The

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great literary work, one of the best animal stories ever to be printed. Mr. Kilworth is to be commended on his fine job on this book. The book develops animal and environmental description, plot, and dialogue incredibly well. You really care for the animal characters! The book also provides a view of man's developments from the animals' side. Mr. Kilworth also presents the animals' society in a very creative way, with religion and values not unlike our own. He also develops mood well, like when the story line is tense, you felt nervous, and when something good happens for the characters, you feel great about it. This book deserves all five stars I've given it. I'd recommend it to anybody, especially fox lovers, animal lovers, and people simply looking for great books.

As a great lover of foxes, I had greatly hoped to find a copy of this book after having heard about it. It is truly an excellent book, both joyful and wonderfully bittersweet. I can read this book again and again, it is still captivating and as spellbinding as ever. Kilworth paints a vivid picture of what it is like to live as a fox. This book is extremely accurate scientifically, but also greatly enhanced by the intricate mythology which Kilworth creates.

One note, however. This book was published in England under the title Hunter's Moon. I bought my copy of it from England and it was substantially cheaper than the American version. The only difference of which I am aware is the title.

This book is truly that. A montage of human and animal relationships leaves the reader with a more compassionate respect for all life. Garry Kilworth is a masterful writer, drawing one deep into this story through the well-developed characters and insightful content.

I'm very unhappy this book is no longer in print, and that I have been unable to find it through any bookstore. However, my library carries it and yours may as well. No one will probably see this review, but I had to put in a comment..

As a fox lover personally, this book was a real treat to giving foxes a sense of character away from the common stereotype (i.e. thieving, stealing pests) and give them an attitude that makes you admire them. I love how they have a sense of deity, design of name and vocabulary, very similiar to Watership Down. O-ha is a great heroine and she presents a demeanor that helps you appreciate foxes in a family perspective. Thank you, Garry Kilworth. Cheers!

I feel so upset about not seeing this great book in book-stores anymore. Seriously, it's one of the greatest books I've ever read. Full of sense, feelings and life, this treasure deserves to read to.
When young O-ha, the vixen, loses her husband A-ho and her little cubs, all world seems dark and broken. But then in trinity forest appears kind and lovable fox named Camio. He shows O-ha what words "Love" and "Care" means.
O-ha seems calm and happy with her new mate and cubs, but ghosts of the past don't letting her go in her dreams. Many horrors and fears pursue her and her family. Untill one day, when it's all comes to one in severe fight for life....
WONDERFULLY written, this book never let you get bored.

I rented this book from the libary just for fun. I picked it out solely because I like animals and I had no particular love for foxes at the time. I rented this book and read half of it and I began to love foxes. Unfortunatly, I couldn't read the rest because it was stolen. I know it sounds pathetic to say it was the best book I've ever read when i have only read half of it but it really is. I've read tons of books since it is my hobby, and none have matched up to this. Seriously, if you are thinking about buying this book, don't think. Just buy it. You'll be the most happy bookreader of all time.

I first fell in love with this book back in high school, where I rented it from the school library. Years later I couldn't forget the book and found a used copy online. It is a truely captivating story of these animals, their faith, religion, mythology, etc. Mr. Killworth has portrayed them in such a unique & interesting way. I would recommend this book to animals story lovers & fox lovers everywhere!

This was a very excellent book. Anyone who loves foxes or just likes animal stories will greatly enjoy reading this book. The way the author wrote it, it was like he knew all about their mythology. I'd say this would be the best fox story I've ever read, and I have read plenty of them...

I must admit, I'm a little more than surprised at the gushing reviews. I found this book good, but not great, and largely underwhelming.

I've read many works of animal fiction, among them rabbits from Watership Down, prehistoric cats from the Ratha series, bats from Silverwing, wolves from The Sight and Fell, and owls from the Young Adult Guardian series, to name a few. I found this book somewhere in the lower-middle.

The story revolves first around a vixen and her life within the forest, then shifts to a male and follows him until their paths cross. If I had to say what the plot was, it would have to be that much of the world wants to kill foxes cruelly, inhumanely, and viciously, so sit back and listen about it. None of it's fair, and the antagonists are completely devoid of humanity (though I suppose that's fitting, many of them being non-human) or relatability. Their motive is simply to kill foxes and otherwise make their lives miserable, sometimes at any cost. The whole ordeal often leaves you feeling tightly-wound (there's a hefty amount of tension, almost all the time) and weary.

From the title, I think I expected a tale revolving around a clan of foxes, but in fact, "Firstdark" (unlike, for example, Robert C. O'Brien's The Rats of NIMH) isn't a concept that feels particularly important to the story, and the "foxes" didn't feel accurate, as even the main characters didn't feel convincingly fleshed-out. Nothing is very solid. The writing is nice, but not by any means great. I found myself resisting the urge to skim quite a few sections, some being large portions of descriptions of the surrounding weather, flora, and fauna (mostly weather and flora), others the mythology. Apart from that, I noticed that the writing had a tenancy to be repetitive and inconsistent. In an effort to feel whimsical, I felt that much about the mythology along with the story itself had no solid footing, and thus I had difficulty fully grasping the personalities of the characters or making complete sense of the mythology. While I completely adore, for example, the folklore of Watership Down, these little tidbits of scattered tales felt contrived and unimaginative. I was very aware of the effort the author was putting into attempting to tie and ground his mythos to reality, and it in no way felt effortless. I suppose the intention might have been to mimic the wayward, very symbolic and almost zany narratives that come from Native American culture or perhaps Grimm fairy tales (or a combination of both), but unfortunately, these held little of that same charm for me.

Another small complaint I had was that, unlike The Sight or Watership Down, the author chose to italicize all the fox terminology he had created. For me, this was a major lapse in judgment, as it made it impossible for me to read the word effortlessly, as if it had belonged in the sentence and was thus just a natural part of the text.

My overall impression is that the story the book tells is a sad one, and the dominating feeling when you close the book at its end is that there wasn't really a point to what you just endured. In a way, maybe this is clever, as a fox's struggle for life can be harsh, unforgiving, and in the end, without reward... but I have a feeling the senselessness is a product of subpar writing, not intention.
The level at which it is hopeless, nerve-wracking, or just depressing prevented me from feeling any enjoyment at it's completion. In a way, I was kind of happy (although it only took me a day of reading) just for it to be over.

I don't recommend it, but then again from the looks of it, there's the chance you'll end up like one of the other reviewers, who clearly enjoyed this book. For me, it missed the mark on more than a few levels. As much as I like to return to the worlds found within animal fiction, I don't see myself reading this again. There's nothing about it I'd want to return to.

This book is one of the best I have ever read! I love reading books where animals are the main characters, and that in a way they are humanized. All animals have souls and personalities, and this book creates a stunning story that tells just that. If you are a fan of foxes, then this is a must. I love foxes, one of my most favorite animals. But all together, this was just simply an epic tale!