Endling #1: The Last audiobook

my 12 year old son couldn't put this down. Carried it with him all around NYC yesterday, nose in the book, despite no mittens.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Children’s UK and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.This is the first of a fantasy adventure series, the Endling series, (I’m not sure how many books it has). Byx, our ‘heroine’ is a dairne, a dog-like creature who has opposable thumbs, can walk on two legs, and can speak. Their most valuable characteristic is their ability to tell when anyone (human or otherwise) is lying. Byx is the runt of her small pack, who themselves are the last few of the dairnes left in their land, hunted by humans and constantly needing to move about. One day, just before the pack has planned to move on, Byx sneaks off to take a last look at the sea, in which process she ends up rescuing and befriending a much smaller creature, Tobble the wobbyk. When she returns to her home, she finds her pack has been ruthlessly killed and she is the last of the dairnes left alive, an ‘Endling’. Now she must set off on a journey, accompanied by Tobble, and a young human girl Khara, who has actually captured them, to look for a home, or rather a place where according to legend other dairnes once lived. While this isn’t a very straightforward quest and their path is riddled with danger, Byx and her friends soon find that what they are looking for and what they are fighting is much bigger than any of them had realised when they started off, and there are very few along the way that they can trust.This was a very enjoyable read for me. While it may be set in a fantasy world, many of the issues it deals with and throws up are things that are very much a part of (and relevant to) the world we live in. Most important among them is inequality, not only between the sexes, but also between different living beings—certain species being dubbed (and treated) inferior simply because they don’t do things like others do. Then there is the more important problem—of humans’ destructive nature. Their greed for money, power, control, to demonstrate their superiority has led them to destroy everything around them, and then hypocritically mourning their loss after the damage is done. It is a characteristic of the humans in this fantasy world, as it is in our real world. [The fact that the book opens with a quote from Silent Spring pretty much conveys the message the book is trying to deliver.] But coming back to the fantasy element, I enjoyed the world the author has created—fraught with danger though it may be—there are several interesting beings and places, all of which I thought very imaginative (there is even some language that she’s created for the different species). I would have preferred a map of the world to help me picture it better, but one was not included in the ARC. The main characters themselves are from different species who find themselves thrown together by circumstances, and who must learn to overcome their mistrust and understand each other for who they are. As a result, they develop some unlikely but strong friendships which was nice to see. The characters themselves are all very likeable, though I particularly found Byx, Tobble, and Gambler the felivet endearing, and liked the relationship that develops between them. The illustration of Byx and Tobble on the cover is pretty perfect, and is really cute too.I liked that the author wrapped up the adventure (unlike some books which stop somewhat abruptly) although it is clear that the main quest will continue with more adventures and dangers along the way. Though this is classed as a children’s book, I think adults too would enjoy this read. Looking forward to the next instalment.The author Katherine Applegate has previously won a Newberry Medal in 203 for her book The One and Only Ivan. This book, The Last released on 1st November 2018.

This review appeared first on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/What a book! I was a HUGE fan of the Animorphs book series, so when I saw this book on the shelf at OLA, I just knew I had to pick it up. I typically don’t review middle-grade books, but I might have to reconsider. Bear in mind that my review won’t be discussing how appropriate this story is to a younger audience, but focusing on the sheer brilliance of the plot and its characters.I bet you can tell that I loved this book just from my previous sentence. When Byx’s family is killed, she fears that she is an 'endling', the last of the species of dairnes, which are doglike creatures that have human qualities, can speak, and can identify when others are lying to them.  Armed with nothing but a map she drew based on stories she heard when she was just a little pup, Byx is joined by other misfits on her journey to find others like her.  But it is quite possible that Byx is the endling, and that she will never find this mysterious land where other dairnes are said to have escaped.Endling is set in a dynamic and unique world that Applegate has created. While we see some animals that we’re already familiar with—dogs, horses, and even humans—there are new species introduced, like the aforementioned dairnes, as well as wobbyks, felivets, and raptidons.The world that Applegate has crafted is complex, yet she doesn’t spend pages and pages explaining the rules of this new world to the reader. She drops in hints and little tidbits of information as the plot progresses, which is a good style for readers of all ages, but especially since this is intended for a middle-grade audience.The gang of misfits that Applegate has created has a character for everyone to relate to. They all have their quirks and flaws, but it’s their strengths that Applegate chooses to focus on. Tobble, the wobbyk, is freaking ADORABLE, tiny, and seemingly weak. But he is courageous and determined to protect his friend Byx, no matter the cost.Applegate describes the setting in great depth, but not at the expense of keeping the plot plunging forward. A lot of the idiosyncrasies of the world mirror our own. For example, the raptidons, which are essentially the higher form of raptors that exhibit intelligence and cunning, treat crows the way that humans treat their dogs. They’re pets that they can use for specific purposes, in this case, as scouts. These little pieces come together to create a story that would otherwise be utterly implausible, but the writing and sheer amount of detail put into planning this world make it easy for readers to be immersed in a book about animal-like people going on a journey together.I absolutely adored this book. It fed my desire for anthropomorphic storytelling.  There are a wide range of species, from cute creatures, like the wobbyks, fascinating felines, like the felivets, and terrifying monsters, like the humans...*I received a copy of this ARC from Harper Collins Children's Books.*

I randomly picked this off the shelf today simply because the cover was intriguing; why is that dog standing on such a strange angle, and whatever the cute bunny thing is I wanted to know. What I found in the pages was a rich fantasy novel that was actually marketed to kids but I felt was more like YA in places. It had interesting characters, and some really epic world building. The characters are what makes this book; it has a surprising heart that I felt immediately drawn to. I think I will actually break my Kindle 'rule' and buy the next book even though it's above $10 currently, simply because I loved this one so much!I would hate to see this series fall through the cracks as just a kids book, and it's the kind of book I want to jam in everyone's face until they read it. This one caught me by surprise and I hope it does the same to other readers! If you're on the fence then give it a try; it's quick, action packed and memorable. So glad I took the impulse to try it! Five stars.

Wow.Me ha gustado tantísimo el mundo que ha creado la autora, con criaturas fantásticas, y una historia llena de aventuras, de lucha, y con valores para parar un tren: la tolerancia, el respeto por los demás, y también hacia los animales. Estoy deseando continuar la saga.

In the beginning it started out quite slow and I was wondering if this was the right book for me, but the further I got the more I started to enjoy it. Defenitely want to go on with the series!Oh and we all love a map right? There's one on the endpages! :D

Ahhhh! This was soooo good!!💖🤩Language: CleanViolence: Clean, a few mentions of blood and people being burned, but nothing too gory.Magic: It didn't really have magic, more like tricks. Someone can make fire follow people, someone else can find things by using light, and little things like that, but not really magic.Eeee! This was soooo exciting!!! It was a really fun read!!!! I like how there was a lot of action and depth to the characters but there was enough humor to make it really fun as well! Byx was a great character! She was very believable in how she felt about everything going on, just the perfect amount of conflict not too much to where it will bored the middle grade audience but enough to make you feel what she's going through! Perfectly balanced character!!!💖 Side characters, I loved Tobble! So brave, nice, and funny! Eeee! I just loved how he was always there for Byx! Ah, everyone needs a Tobble! Such a true hearted little friend!💖🥰 I like Khara, didn't know if I would at first but she definitely grew on me! And her and Renzo together😂 oh, man, gold! Pure gold!😂😂 Renzo was sooo fun! I loved how he's a thief! (My current WIP is about a thief so ya know, I have a weak spot for thieves😉) he was such a great add on! He was just so funny and his dog, Dog!😂 hahah....Luca was a nice addition, I like the scholarly types always and he was very well developed!💖 And last but in no way least...Gambler! Ahhhh! He was my favorite! I loved him!! He's soo cool and the way he carries himself is just, ahhh! I love him, okay?💖💖🤩🤩 The story is soooo good! The characters work good together, the villains are interesting and I can't wait to see what happens in the other books!! The plotwists and action were on point! The character voices were strong and it was beautifully written!!! Awesome read! One of those books ya don't want to end!🤩💖Recommended for ages 9+!

4.5 StarsThis is an engaging read. The Last, which is actually the first in the Endling series is a book targeted to middle-grade readers. It should appeal to children who have loved anthropomorphic fantasies along the lines of the Redwall series. Applegate gives us an appealing protagonist in Byx, member of a sentient species called the dairne, who have a dog-like appearance but walk upright like humans. Set in the world of Nedarra, war ravages Byx's world as humans try to conquer the other sentient races. A simple nighttime escapade leads Byx away from her family's camp and she later returns to find them slaughtered. Fearing she is the last of her kind, Byx sets out with her friend Tobble, a wobbyx, to find safety and hopefully other dairne. Along the way, Byx attracts a band of friends of different species, including some humans, finds intrigue, and a potential threat to Nedarra.A charming and well-written book, Newbery Award-winning author Applegate gives her readers an epic fantasy with a heroine you root for and some deeper thoughts about extinction. One of the benefits of anthropomorphic fantasies is that they encourage children to view animals as sentient creatures, capable of emotions and higher thought, and thus a little bit more like us humans. That hopefully leads to deeper thoughts about humans and the way we impact our world.I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Edelweiss and Harper Collins, in exchange for an honest review.

Katherine Applegate is such a wonderful writer. Having loved Ivan and Wishtree, I was super excited to get my hands on The Last Endling. Such a beautiful story! I absolutely loved the characters! Non-stop action will make this popular with students. It will be torture to wait for the sequel.

Katherine Applegate wrote books that defined my childhood, books that rank among my favorite to this day. So, be warned that my opinion comes with a strong positive bias.What I love about Applegate's writing is how she knows her audience, and she doesn't shy away from them. Her writing voice is simple and straight-forward; she uses simple words and short paragraphs that are easy to follow and comprehend. From my experience, she tends to focus on YA and MG books, with an audience targeting middle and high schoolers for the most part.It is her themes that are for adults. It is the underlying starkness of the pain and evil of the real world that earns my respect.Endling is, in part, what I expected of Applegate. Simple enough for a middle-school child, but with hopeful themes any adult can appreciate. She uses many "standard" fantasy templates- the exiled/deposed heir, a magical sword, a rogue with a heart of gold, magic and betrayal and long quests through a fantastical land- but she also brings new themes. It is a bit relaxing for a lover of fantasy to not have to see rehashed Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Wizards identical in all but name. She creates new races, with their own powers and realms and backstories that don't readily trace back to the fantasy tropes. There is magic, but it is used both by powerful wizards in towers and common men replacing their worn-out shoes. And while the fantasy land is beautiful to look at, its characters so whimsical you sometimes expect them to rhyme, Applegate, in her usual style, doesn't hide the dark side. **Minor spoiler, but in the first few chapters, our hero, already part of a dying species, must see, in brutal, stark clarity, her whole family, her entire species as she knows it, killed without mercy or care. She sees the bodies, she smells the blood, and it deeply upsets her. When I read Applegate in middle school, this brutality hidden in plain sight with simple words is what I loved the most. She doesn't talk down, or hide, or belittle her audience. She trusts her readers, though young, are mature enough to handle what she offers.Her characters are young as well- the oldest character with a given age being about 14, and the youngest being the equivalent of 8. And yet, in their own way, they are all strong, and brave, and courageous, and prove highly positive role models to live up to. The youngest, a little mouselike creature named Tobble, always being praised for his heroism and bravery, even though he is usually too small to fight, too weak to help, but he is always, always the first to offer.Our heroine, Byx, I especially adored. Where we have her friend Khara as the woman-warrior, strong in battle and brave and honorable, Byx is small, and weak, and humble. Even though Byx is in several battles in the book, her instinct is not to harm. And she is not the meek hero who slowly becomes a strong warrior. Byx's strength is her honesty, which she uses time and again to save herself and her friends.In truth lies strength. Overall, it's a book I highly recommend to adults both young and middle-grade. And I am thrilled to see she has more books planned in the series, and she will not end this in a major cliffhanger like she ended EVERY OTHER SERIES I HAVE READ FROM HER.

Byx may be the last member of her race, the Dairnes. They look like dogs, but walk upright: they can speak and think and become threatened by humans because of their innate ability to tell when someone is lying. Out wandering around one morning, Byx saves the life of a wobbyk (named Tobble) in a daring rescue, making the tiny Tobble indebted to her (to save Byx's life three times.) Shortly thereafter, a human girl (Khara), masquerading as a boy, captures Byx, saving her from the deadly fate of her pack. Khara too is more than she seems, and the three head off to see a leading Scholar to preserve Byx. Treachery threatens them, and Byx is hidden in a prison, where they find a fourth comrade: a large cat-like felivet, named Gambler. After a daring escape from the celebration (?) mourning the end of the Dairnes, the assembled group head off to find Dairneholme, a mythical sentient island, where there may still be Dairnes. It's quite an adventure, filled with camraderie and loyalty, with the classic good versus evil overlay.

I will read anything that Katherine Applegate writes! Her writing is so versatile and accessible for readers, young and old. This is the fourth book I've read by her, and it most certainly won't be the last.The Last is the story of a young dairne (a dog-like anthropomorphic character) named Byx, who is thrust into an unplanned journey and a fight for survival. Along the way, she finds herself in the company of some unlikely creatures - a wobbyk, a felivet, and a young human - who join her in her quest to find others like her and to escape the evil plans of those who seek to harm and exploit her. This book is the first in the Endling series. If you have a young reader in your life, or if you are a fan of fantasy, adventure, and solid storytelling, then I highly recommend this book.

I want to say that I heard the audiobook but kind of wished that I would have read the physical copy better. I think I would have enjoyed it better since I heard they include pictures in there. I picked this up because i loved the one and only Ivan and Crenshaw. I loved the characters in this book and i enjoyed the story. I will probably continue with this series but in physical form. 4☆☆☆☆

This book....I don't know what to say about it.....it was...it was.....I can't describe how much I enjoyed it!!!!!! It was....oh my goodness you guys it was incredible!!! Such a beautiful MG book everyone should read! A new favorite!!! If your looking for a good book this is one!For concerned parties....there is a small, teeny, tiny bit of magic. But not weird magic, it's called theurgy and it's basically like magical tricks.