War Bunny (War Bunny Chronicles) by Christopher St. John – Review by Debbie Best

War Bunny: Book 1 of the War Bunny Chronicles by Christopher St. John
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shades of Watership Down! Set sometime after the year 2117, there is a new world order. Man, thanks to his ignorance to climate change, and to massive disease outbreak has been annihilated – at least within Million Acre Woods somewhere in Canada. The woods are now populated with a new world order. According to the History of the Known World, “at the end, the woods were full of animals. But the same winnowing that took the Dead Gods [Humans] took many animals too. Only six kinds of creatures are left for canids: deer, raccoon, rabbit, squirrel and moose.”
War Bunny’s focus is on the survival of rabbits. In the opening chapters we are introduced to the Blood Thorn Warren, in which our protagonist, Anastasia dwells. The runt of her litter, she is inquisitive, questioning, disobedient, has a touch of OCD “is not right in the head” and is barren. Instigated by her own mother (Olympia) and father (Darius), her perceived shortcomings become a cocktail for eviction from the warren. But is that the real reason for casting her out?
As her story progresses, we are introduced to a rigidly structured belief system, akin to human religious hierarchy. A system, dominated by the males of her species. In this system, “Dah” has written the rules for proper societal behavior. A rabbit must, at all times, be prepared to experience “the Giving” [surrender] and accept “Glorification” [death] to the “Blessed Ones” [Fox, Weasel, Hawk, Coyote] to enter “The Lucky Fields” where he/she will be able to romp forever. “There is no outrunning the mercy of Dah”, she is told, and yet Anastasia questions and wrestles with this and other truths she has been taught since she was a kit.
Once ostracized, Anastasia establishes a “warren” of colorful characters who both help and hinder her as she wrestles with the meanings of self, sacrifice, truth and faith. There is plenty of war, love, acceptance and action within War Bunny’s pages, as one little rabbit turns the entire rabbit world as they know it, upside down. Anastasia’s story is compelling, deeply thought provoking, and had me captivated until the very end.
Christopher St. John’s rich allegory is filled with nuances of politics, power, feminism and organized religion. It is book one thus far, of a trilogy that includes the books Summerday and City of Oom.

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