The Twyning Audiobook

Quotes

• “In this painful but mesmerizing tale, Blacker introduces a society of rats living in the sewers of Victorian London; his successful merger of sentience with the realities of rodent behavior is reminiscent of the rabbits of Richard Adams’ classic Watership Down…Well-wrought characters (both human and rat), a compelling presentation of difficult moral questions, and a devastating portrayal of society’s dark underbelly make this novel hard to forget.”

  — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• “Both characters are relatable, and readers will cheer for them as they find strength and grow in their adventures. For a book with a dire and at times bloody premise, the overall mood of hope and friendship will sustain readers long after they finish.”

  — School Library Journal

• “A meaningful story, both in the human world and in Blacker’s impressively comprehensive rat society, of the creeping dangers of mass hysteria and the power of bravery and compassion.”

  — Booklist

• “Rats and humans declare war on one another in this gory study in hidden fears and shifting loyalties.”

  — Kirkus Reviews

• “A pair of narrators tackle Blacker’s tale of two young street urchins who are trying to save a struggling rat community from annihilation by a mad scientist. Michael Page’s brassy voice is endearingly rat-like, and his precision and insight are well suited to the animals’ vivid dialogue and thoughts. Nico Evers-Swindell balances childlike intonation and swarthy stubbornness for his human characterizations, and his generous empathy comes in handy for the young protagonists. The story alternates chapters between the human and rat protagonists, and the use of two narrators helps to maintain clarity in the overlapping narratives. All of Blacker’s protagonists share a combination of trepidation, determination, and hope in frightening times, and both narrators deliver this blend with acuity.”

  — AudioFile