This is The Enlightenment Adventures, Book Two. In Book One, "Persimmon Takes On Humanity", the raccoon Persimmon leads a tiny group of North American forest animals in an apparently hopeless drama of taking on all humanity to destroy its enterprises that exploit animals: commercial meat farms, fur farms, puppy mills, and especially circuses with performing animals. Persimmon starts out as an indignant but naïve protester against all human callous exploitation of animals for profit or amusement. By the end of the novel, she is a grim militant. She constantly argues with Rawly, another raccoon, as to what tactics they should use and what their next mission should be. They end up splitting, with Rawly leading the remnant of The Uncaged Alliance (including Persimmon’s younger brother Scraps), and Persimmon starting afresh with a new title, The Enlighteners. Vincent, a mink whom Persimmon rescued from a fur farm, has been organizing his own group, the Dissidents.
Persimmon wants to rescue animals without harming humans, while The Uncaged Alliance under Rawly doesn’t mind harming humans if necessary to help other animals. Both groups are horrified by Vincent’s readiness to kill humans. Vincent praises Rawly for being willing to harm humans when necessary. Rawly, flattered, doesn’t realize at first that “harm when necessary” means “kill whenever possible”.
The reader can see trouble coming. Animals can’t kill humans indefinitely without other humans retaliating en masse. Persimmon allows her followers in The Enlighteners the freedom to discuss, debate, and argue over her orders. This is fine for friendship and allowing all her group to express themselves, but as anyone can tell you, it is a lousy if not fatal way to run a military operation.
"Vincent and the Dissidents" is a fit sequel to "Persimmon Takes On Humanity". It is a sometimes humorous, sometimes harrowing read. It will lead to Book Three.
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