Oh boy! The Rhino Tribe was definitely not what I expected…in the best way possible. This is not the sort of book that I usually pick up, but rather a kind of story I love watching in a tv show that I can binge all day to escape adulting and responsibilities. However, this book really played out like a tv show on paper, and I found it really well done. The way the chapters were built and the multiple perspectives really served to create a feeling of small details that fit into a greater narrative, which also justifies the slow beginning.

The world-building was one of my favorite aspects. There was so much attention to detail in the way things were described to make every tribe feel unique and different from the others. I especially loved the animal element, and in particular, I enjoyed reading about the Wolvish, as wolves also happen to be my favorite animals!

The characters all had great development, and though I resented a lack of dialogue, I enjoyed their complexities and their difficult relationships all the same. The protagonist, Stug, was especially useful in understanding the world and its politics. Although I enjoyed most of the characters, my favorites were the women. Each in their own way, they were all very empowering and showed many different aspects of women’s strengths. My favorites were Atta, the lover of Stug’s son, Urgon, and a member of the Wolvish tribe who was the kind of woman who knew exactly what she wants and how to get it. (I told you I loved the Wolvish, okay? Don’t be surprised!). Another character I enjoyed was Quetzy, a farmer woman who was captured by Warlocks and was able to escape death by using her brain and determination.

So apart from the slow beginning, this book was a perfect (and bloody) escape. I recommend it to readers of adult fantasy!