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In the aftermath of the War With No Name, the Colony has been defeated, its queen lies dead, and the world left behind will never be the same. In her madness, the queen used a strange technology to uplift the surface animals, turning dogs and cats, bats and bears, pigs and wolves into intelligent, highly evolved creatures who rise up and kill their oppressors. And now, after years of bloodshed, these sentient beasts must learn to live alongside their sworn enemies – humans.

Far removed from this newly emerging civilization, a housecat turned war hero named Mort(e) lives a quiet life with the love he thought he had lost, a dog named Sheba. But before long, the chaos that they escaped comes crashing in around them. An unstoppable monster terrorizes a nearby settlement of beavers. A serial killer runs amok in the holy city of Hosanna. An apocalyptic cult threatens the fragile peace. And a mysterious race of amphibious creatures rises from the seas, intent on fulfilling the Colony's destiny and ridding the earth of all humans.

No longer able to run away, Sheba and Mort(e) rush headlong into the conflict, ready to fight but unprepared for a world that seems hell-bent on tearing them apart. In the twilight of all life on earth, love survives, but at a cost that only the desperate and the reckless are willing to pay.

386 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2017

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About the author

Robert Repino

14 books179 followers
Robert Repino grew up in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. After serving in the Peace Corps (Grenada 2000–2002), he earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Emerson College. His fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize among other awards, and has appeared in The Literary Review, Night Train, Hobart, Juked, Word Riot, The Furnace Review, The Coachella Review, JMWW, and the anthology Brevity and Echo (Rose Metal Press). Repino is the pitcher for the Oxford University Press softball team and quarterback for the flag football team, but his business card says that he’s an Editor. His debut novel Mort(e), a science fiction story about a war between animals and humans, was published by Soho Press in 2015. His novella Leap High Yahoo was published as an Amazon Kindle Single later that year.

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5 stars
188 (26%)
4 stars
283 (40%)
3 stars
185 (26%)
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41 (5%)
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9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
Profile Image for Kevin Kelsey.
429 reviews2,271 followers
June 16, 2017
Posted at Heradas Review

This sequel to Mort(e) picks up right where we left off and then propels itself forward. It feels like a few different genre novels married to each other: A western, a murder mystery, and an action/adventure story. I’ve always enjoyed that approach in speculative fiction. You take something fantasy or scifi, and write a story in that world from a different genre.

I thought it did a great job building up a mystery, while expanding on the mythology and worldbuilding quite nicely. In some ways it’s also a coming of age novel; a moral tale about choosing your own path, and writing your own story.

Repino’s writing is extremely clean and tight. It reads effortlessly, and never gets in the way. Simple declarative sentences lay it all out for the reader. When the story really starts to get going, it’s almost like the writing entirely disappears, and you’re just… in it. I have to applaud him for that. I’m not even sure how one accomplishes something like that, but it’s impressive.

There was some fun closure for secondary and tertiary characters from the first novel, particularly Wawa. I really loved her arc in this. She was one of the better developed characters in Mort(e), so it was nice to see her get something good to chew on again in this one.

The last third, and the conclusion to the story didn’t really work for me. Early on there were a few big questions that were set up, and a great antagonist built through his own POV chapters, but those questions were mostly sidestepped, and the antagonist just fizzled out. I suspect that there will be more novels that may resolve my questions, and in fact, there was quite a bit of setup for what may be coming next. I have to admit it sounds very interesting. The world really is ripe for more stories.

All in all, it’s a fun continuation of the story that began in Mort(e), but it feels much less it’s own thing, and more an interstitial chapter in a continuing saga; something that needed to happen before the next part can occur. I'm still very excited for that next part though!
Profile Image for Loring Wirbel.
311 reviews90 followers
April 18, 2017
It's fun to read the discussions on Goodreads between one-star and five-star rankers for the opening book, Mort(e), in the Animal Apocalypse (War With No Name). Maybe the community ranking is higher for this second full-length book (not counting the novella Culdesac) because fans were the ones tending to grab the advance reader copies first. I will admit up front that I joined the party at D'Arc, and that I don't have a natural proclivity to like a melding of dystopia and cosplay. The very intent feels at times like an update of Animal Farm, or a mashup of Wind in the Willows and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Still, I had a reasonably good time reading this installment, though a few inherent limitations tripped me up. (I'll say up front I'm glad I entered the series with the first book to feature a dog as protagonist. I'm a residential co-occupant with both a dog and cat, but somehow the idea of cat as hero leaves me cold.)

Let's admit at the outset that George Orwell was really making a somewhat simplistic point with Napoleon and friends: Hierarchies are inherent in evolutionary struggles, and any time sentience emerges, so will greed and violence. Orwell was operating on the single-species level, however. Repino is trying to bring out a next level of eat-or-be-eaten complexity: If sentience expands to many species, alliances will form and dissolve, genocides of various sorts will be seen as necessary, and every species will justify its own attempts at dominance. In the war between land creatures and Sarcops, each side sees the eradication of the young and the eggs as being a necessary step for survival, while the other sees the attempt at species eradication as an atrocity unable to be forgiven. And we thought problems were tough when just humans were in the picture.

Repino can make these points subtly and sometimes kindly. But there are only a few writers of sci-fi and fantasy series novels who are such masters of the language, the series becomes an instant classic a la Tolkien or Martin. Repino simply isn't at that level. He writes adventure tomes with a breezy and interesting cadence, but this isn't classic prose. There are certain language tricks employed by Repino that I personally find annoying. For example, the cat named Mort(e) - I am a healthy opponent of over-use of parentheses at phrase or word level, and this just bugged me somehow.

When having to keep track of the different sentience and societal-organizing assumptions involved with beavers and wolves, I realized that too much sentience can make a book's premise harder to follow. Difficult books are fine, don't get me wrong, but something about an overabundance of cultures in this series made the book lose its focus at times.

A three-star ranking for this one shouldn't imply that D'Arc is mediocre, merely that it ain't my cup of tea, in the same way that I have no desire to get my furry on. Repino has come up with an interesting concept for this series, and will no doubt attract more fans as D'Arc goes on her journeys around a post-apocalypse world.
Profile Image for Amy Gardiner.
10 reviews
January 13, 2022
This is kind of a coming of age story in a post Great War world where humans and animals try to make peace after years of trying to murder each other. Also, there are new killer fish monsters for good measure!

Is it as good as Mort(e)? No, not quite. There were definitely some cool plot moments but the main story seemed a bit all over the place. The character development of D’arc herself also felt a bit disjointed. But there are singing beavers and giant crab spiders to balance it all out.
Profile Image for Sam.
19 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2018
This is a sequel to Mort which was a novel about animals being uplifted, getting larger, standing on two legs and growing arms. It was all the work of sentient ants who decided to remake the world and destroy humans. Mort is a very interesting scifi premise and has great characters and motivations. This continuation of the story adds in newly uplifted fish/crabs and it starts to get a little tiresome. I really wanted to like this, but often found myself bored and wanting it to end.
Profile Image for Noel.
96 reviews4 followers
November 13, 2023
Not quite as enthralled with this one as the first but I still enjoyed it. And again, somehow Repino manages to maintain a level of credibility in an otherwise whacky scenario. I mean, a big spider (which turns out to be a land crab) plaguing a city of beavers, who are meanwhile fighting with the local bat tribe, and a bunch of violent amphibious fish that want to take everyone out. What more could you ask for, right? But for some reason, I didn't toss either of these books in the trash, rather I read avidly and enjoyed them both. And I still think Mort(e)'s a badass.

This one lost me just a bit in the middle but picked back up toward the end. And I was pleased with the end itself. 3.5 stars.

Already downloaded and started the third and final book.

11/12:
Another thing I had to say here is, when I first saw the title I thought it was kind of cheesy but as is indicative of these books, when you get the story behind that name, it turns out there's some depth and cleverness under what appeared to be cheese.
Profile Image for Eric Johnson.
Author 41 books125 followers
August 31, 2022
Looking at the rating on Goodreads I expected a bad book. I really did. But I was taken away with the book and enjoyed reading it. I don't know why he got bad reviews but the story had everything it needed to be, and I was not let down by reading this book. It has some down points but overall the story had a good flow, and wasn't hard to understand.
13 reviews
September 3, 2023
Robert Repino delivers another great story full of action, suspense, and intrigue.

While I love the writing style and how Repino brings his characters to life, I just couldn't get behind where this book was going plot-wise.

The entire first book was about the Warrior finding the Mother. They finally found each other and we get what, maybe 5 chapters of their life together before something (or someone) pulls one of the main characters away from the other?? Not into it.

Not only that, the book fails to address the cheating, physical and mental, that took place and glosses over it with a "it's a new beginning for us" speech which I wasn't a fan of.

Overall, very good book, average plot, not as great as the first in the series. That being said, I will likely be purchasing the Culdesac novella and book 3 to begrudgingly see where the story takes D'arc and Morte.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Reviews May Vary.
1,217 reviews103 followers
March 20, 2019
This series is a trip, but mostly because of the whole Animals become human-like thing. At one point I asked myself, would this even be interesting if it was just regular people. I think the answer is yes.

In this second book, Morte and Sheba live on a ranch, but their peace is disturbed by the creatures that the Queen's plan created in the sea. Plus, humans continue to suck.
Profile Image for Ronda Bradley.
126 reviews2 followers
December 8, 2020
Thinking sentient animals would be just as bad as humans is sad, but probably accurate. This book felt like a setup for more, and I will read the 3rd because even if they are sad, the storytelling is good.
Profile Image for David Katzman.
Author 3 books494 followers
February 1, 2021
Morte

This is a review of all three books in the War with No Name series: Mort(e), Culdesac and D’Arc.

This series is an interesting new spin on Planet of the Apes. It surrounds a war between evolved animals and humans. The greatest foe of the humans, responsible for the mutation of the animals, is a giant ant queen. The ant queen grew larger and larger over thousands of years, existing deep underground in Africa served and fed by its growing colony and absorbing human knowledge from the surface. The queen sent out ant troops across the world to infiltrate and learn about human technology and pass knowledge back to the queen. The queen invented an advanced scent-based language that allowed it to communicate across the world using headsets. It went further to invent a chemical that would warp the DNA of the majority of animal species to become as intelligent and as capable as humans. At the same time, the queen grew its own ant legions to increase the size of its soldiers—to be as large as SUVs or vans.

And then when it had everything ready, the ant queen strategically released the chemical to evolve the animals and simultaneously launched its giant armored ant troops across the world to wipe out humanity. Animals, as they evolved, wreaked chaos across the country. Dogs and cats that had been pets suddenly felt like they had been “enslaved” by humans and many, but not all, turned around and slew their former owners. It was a very clever plan, and many of the freed animals that had grudges against humans joined the queen as elite troops.

The main characters are relatively well-crafted, flawed beings. And the plot is pretty exciting—it’s a war story thriller. I felt that one of the most interesting aspects of the premise, the various motivations for the war as expressed by different animal characters, is a bit ambiguous and never wholly satisfying. Which in some way perhaps made it more authentic. The queen saw her anthills stomped on and burned by humans across an entire country. She also despised human religions as the enemies of logic and nature. One bobcat saw his brother slain by hunters. A dog’s pups were killed by a human. Farm animals ended up in slaughter houses.

Here’s the thing. I’m a vegetarian and prefer reducing the suffering and death of other animal species. But many of the animals who turned against humans—in fact most—are not vegetarian. For example, the bobcat loved the hunt and slaughter and got a thrill from it. It also perpetrated what could be considered “rape” towards a female of its species (before the evolution occurred). One can consider the story of a female praying mantis that eats her mate after fertilization. In other words, these animals killed and enjoyed killing to survive. Cats kill rodents or birds. Dogs hunt in packs except when domesticated. Their personal motivation to hate humans is a bit hypocritical or at best, oblivious. The animals that would have the greatest motivation to hate humans—barnyard, farmed creatures are only lightly involved in the story. The biggest reason to hate humans is briefly touched on, the fact that our species treats the natural world as a toilet for all our garbage, pollution and poisons. But one interesting thread throughout the story is that the great warrior of the title, Mort(e), believes that if the animals win…they will eventually become just like the humans. An interesting perspective. Humans are a destructive species but would another species that became dominant be any better? While self-destruction isn’t necessarily inevitable, it’s perhaps very likely. I wonder on other planets in the universe whether there are intelligent species that could live in balance and restraint without eating up all their resources and self-destructing. Perhaps certain restraints are required—whales might very well be as intelligent as humans, but they lack the kinds of limbs required to build technology. Is it our fingers that doom us?

Of the three books, if the premise interests you, Mort(e), is the only one that I recommend as worth reading. Culdesac is nothing more than a short story that provides a backstory and more detail on the life of one of the characters from Mort(e). D’Arc picks up where Mort(e) left off. A continuation of the story that unfortunately loses its way. It felt aimless and seeking a reason to exist. Mort(e) is contained and tells a story in full. The other two books unnecessarily stretch out the world beyond what is necessary. Mort(e) is worth reading for the unusual perspectives it presents. I think the aspect that I enjoyed the most, and that kept me coming back, was the story being told from an inhuman POV.
Profile Image for Kathie.
195 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2019
"D'Arc" by Robert Repino continues the War with No Name series, this time by following Sheba, who has taken the new name D'Arc. Sheba/D'Arc continues her life with Sebastian/Mort(e) although the two have turned their backs on the continued fighting between the humans and the animals and have built a life in the wilderness. All is well until a new threat arises in the form of other intelligent creatures.
"D'Arc" is another great read by Repino, although not quite as entertaining as "Mort(e)," but then it is the second book of a series. Once again, the plotting was interesting, and it was fun to follow the main characters in their quest for lost contentment.
Profile Image for Melissa.
345 reviews6 followers
April 19, 2018
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books

The Colony has been defeated, it's mad Queen lies dead. In an effort to defeat the humans, the Queen released a strange and unknown technology in to the world. It's purpose: to uplift the surface animals - cats, dogs, wolves, bats, etc. - and turn them in to sentient beings. These creatures would then rise up and kill their human oppressors, making way for a new era. Things however did not go as planned. The War with No Name is over and the world left behind will never be the same.

After years of bloodshed, these animals must now learn to coexist with the humans who were once their sworn enemies. Each side must learn to trust the other even as outside forces threaten to crush the fragile peace.

Our intrepid hero, Mort(e), still survives and has reunited with his beloved Sheba. Left "pure" by the Queen, she has received the mysterious treatment and has become like the other animals. She and Mort(e) have created a quiet life far from the new civilizations; and while he is content, she begins to yearn for more. When a series of strange occurrences threaten the holy city of Hosanna, she is given her chance. And Mort(e) has little option but to follow, whether he wants to or not.

Back when I reviewed the first book, I said I hoped Repino would write a second tale with these characters and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this book at my library. Picking up shortly after where Mort(e) left off, D'Arc is the sequel that I was waiting for.

At first, everything starts normal enough - Mort(e) has been reunited with his beloved Sheba and the two of them are living what many would consider an idyllic life. However things begin to change them, especially when news of strange goings on in the city of Hosanna reach them. When Sheba decides to leave the cabin and travel to the city, Mort(e) is angry at first. The image of the life with Sheba he built in his mind has come crashing down around him.

As in the first book, Repino handles these different scenarios quite well. From the danger of the first battle with the mutant spiders to the heartbreak of Mort(e)'s and Sheba's parting, it almost feels as if we are there with the characters. He further builds and expounds on the world created in the first book, introducing new characters as well as bringing back familiar faces.

The narrative switches several times during the novel; at times we are with Sheba (now known as D'Arc) in the city of Hosanna, and at other times we are with a strange group of sea creatures as they travel towards an unknown destination. While the sea creature plot line wasn't as strong nor as interesting, it is a good setup for a potential book somewhere down the line.

Just like with the first book, I was held rapt with reading D'Arc. I shed several tears, especially towards the end.

If you have read and enjoyed Mort(e), then I highly recommend you pick up the sequel, D'Arc.

And just as I did when I finished the first book and wrote the review, I must go and hug my dog.
June 6, 2017
The premise of this series was at first strange. But this author did strange and he did it extremely well. Sometimes I got so lost in the characters and their personalities that I had forgotten that they were animals, but I guess maybe that was the point. For the question remains: what makes us (humans) so different from "animals"?

The next comments may include SPOILERS...

I was disappointed with Mort(e)'s ending. I was hoping for some revelation, him seeing at least the side of religious views - not agreeing with, but not discriminating either. I am a scientist myself, having graduated from college with a BS in Biology, but I do not heartlessly throw doubt and discrimination against those who practice religion like Mort(e) did in the first book. So it was amazing to see Mort(e) finally have this slice of revelation, even slightly, at the end of D'Arc. I am so glad that I read the second book, being slightly put off by the character development in the first book.

I loved D'Arc and her eagerness to want to figure things out for herself, which was totally beliavable for someone in her situation. We received a glimpse of a post-war community trying to pick up the pieces of the disaster of the war between humans and animals. It was a believable reality, with hardships and not a peaceful "yay the war is done and there is nothing to worry about anymore". The aftermath was well integrated and obviously thoroughly executed.

Overall, I loved the series. I had some problems getting over some factual, minor (very minor) things like information about guns and physics. Modern guns use smokeless powder which is mostly odorless. The description in the book seemed to resemble more black powder guns (old guns) over the modern ones. In the first book, Mort(e) is stuffed into a torpedo... Torpedo's don't spin under water, it is the propeller that spins and the fins that stabilize the capsule so it doesn't spin. And even if it did, that would create a centrifuge and so the gun wouldn't be floating in the middle of the capsule, but pinned down next to the cat.
Again, I know this are tiny things - and there were more - but it are these things that make a fiction plot seem more real, especially one that is involving some kind of evolution to an individual (which is totally against the views of the scientific community).

Overall, I loved-loved-loved this book! It was well written and the writing flowed nicely from one scene to another. The author did an amazing job making me feel and philosophize along with the characters. The sequel, D'Arc, was enjoyed more than the first (Mort(e)). It answered a lot of my questions, worries, and doubts from the first novel. I am eager to see more from this series! Well done, friend, well done!
Profile Image for Hannah Givens.
1,792 reviews33 followers
December 20, 2018
It took me a long time to get into this one, despite absolutely loving both previous books. I thought it was just me, but after finishing the whole thing, the first half does drag. It's mostly setting up the events of the second half, and getting characters to places. The second half was more active though, and I love Mort(e) so much that I'll get through a lot just for him -- part of the problem for me was that Sheba turned out to not interest me very much, and more of this book is about her. I didn't dislike her, but she reads as a young character, understandably wanting adventure and to see more of the world, but that's just not interesting compared to Mort(e)'s experiences in the first book. I did think her story played out well, her arc of needing to see more and eventually understanding where Mort(e)'s trauma comes from is natural and understandable. It's just... never surprising. I would've liked to see more of it from Mort(e)'s perspective, dealing with those reactions from her, or just have her be less straightforward in the first place.

I loved the rise of mutations in the wake of the Queen, and the political developments. The experience suffered though because I couldn't remember what the different factions wanted in the first book, and it wasn't clear in this one, so some of the impact was lost for me. And the pacing of the Sarcops scenes seemed a little off, that more of it should've been included at the beginning so it seemed more time had passed before they showed up in person. I had trouble putting together why Sarcops would be found by other characters when they were still supposed to be somewhere else entirely, but I think it was because the timing was off and their scenes were actually set further in the past. I'm not actually sure.

Those are all fairly serious criticisms, but I still gave it four stars. This is still one of the most fascinating worlds I've ever read. I love Mort(e). I love that the narrative doesn't shy away from war being horrifying, people being insane when they're desperate for a purpose, animals being savage in their pursuit of survival. And, in the end, those confusions from the plot and scene choices, including Sheba's arc, contribute to the book as a whole in a way -- it's a book about being lost after the war. Trying to find a place and an identity you can live with, when everyone who survived wants something different, and parts of you died along with the casualties.

Three books in, and I still want more.
April 16, 2019
Overall a good book. I enjoyed seeing these characters again, although I feel like this book wasn't necessary and didn't add too much to the overall world. Sometimes the characters seemed lost in a daze of self contemplation and the story dragged occasionally.
Profile Image for Andy Goldman.
Author 9 books15 followers
July 18, 2018
A bit more scattershot than the first book; it took me more work to get into the story this time. Still interesting, just not as focused.
Profile Image for Jess.
441 reviews94 followers
March 11, 2023
This sequel might have been even better than the first one. This is one of the most creative, original, imaginative stories I've ever read... that still manages to be completely inherent to the human experience (human pun intended given 90% of the characters are, uh, animals). I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Whereas Mort(e) was about a war and the making of a war hero, D'Arc is about the aftermath of war. It's about what it means to pick up the pieces, and how sometimes winning the peace is just as hard as winning the war. And also how much gd work goes into rebuilding a society from scratch. Mort(e) is there, but his character takes on a whole new significance in relation to D'Arc. The first book Mort(e) was driven by finding her, now he's driven to hold onto her against all odds... with those odds being D'Arc coming into her own and forging her own future outside the confines of their love. IT'S SO FUCKING HUMAN AND THEY'RE HYPER-INTELLIGENT HOUSE PETS-TURNED-LEGENDARY-WARRIORS IN A DANGEROUS DYSTOPIAN FRONTIER.

Also they farm ants, which is adorable but I won't spoil it.

This book saw the return of just a couple characters from the previous book, and introduced a lot more new characters. Wawa really came into her own, and I was glad to see her again given she was one of my favorite characters. Of the new characters, Falkirk is the obvious standout. Both his backstory, personality, and insecurities make him a good foil for Mort(e) as well as highly relatable. And while I found his feelings for D'Arc slightly unbelievable... I was willing to suspend that disbelief.

The violence in this story is something else. I won't spoil anything, and I'm not saying it's anything overly gruesome. Just... fascinating. The author really did think through what a human/sentient-animal society would be like, what their guerrilla warfare would look like, how their interpersonal conflicts would function. The climactic scene actually comes quite a bit before the end of the book (which isn't to say the ending drags, just that the wrap-up of the plot was much less action-packed than the big emotional climax). And it was heeeeeavy.

I'm slightly sad there's only one more book left in the series. But considering how much the author has packed into these first two, I predict I won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Michelle Arredondo.
491 reviews51 followers
June 17, 2017
What could have easily taken me a few days to read turned into a month. That's only because when I requested this book I did not notice that it was a #2 in a series. I don't know how that is that I did not notice it but I didn't. So when I received my book as was about to get started on it....blaaaah, I realized that there was another book before it that I just had to read. That book was Morte...book #1. About freakin' cats no less!!! It took my intrigue for reading this book up a notch. What I felt was going to be a fun read...just got funner. Not trying to sound corny or anything....but for real though!!

So I get my hands on Morte.....took a minute...but it happened and I read it. Great read (have to work on my review for that one coming very soon). Story of a house cat turned humanoid all for the sake of a battle that involves ANTS!! Yeah...it's insane...gets even crazier as you move through it. Made me excited for D'Arc.

As for D'Arc...Well, realizing after reading this book, I am glad that I did not dive into D'arc without reading Morte. It could not be read as a standalone. It just could not. There is too much complexity and craziness to this entire story and you would get lost if you just went for book 2 without reading 1. Such intricacy....character development....yes...character development even with animals...humanoids...ants...whatever. An insane world...a fascinating and fun read.

There are crazy battles, animal madness....I can't even describe what I read....but I know one thing...it was so very unique and fun. Def a must read....just dive right in...go for it...it's worth the reading experience. Oh and there is a #3 as well...have yet to get my hands on a copy...but I plan on it soon.

Thanks as always to the wonderful peeps of goodreads and to Robert Repino for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave and will share through out other book sites.
Profile Image for Megan (ReadingRover).
1,609 reviews42 followers
January 30, 2020
Wow! A lot happened in this book. Then again, a lot happened in the first book too. I’m a huge fan of anthropomorphic animals so this set of books is like crack for me. I had no idea what to expect going into D’arc. It picked up almost exactly where Morte left off. The story started off a bit slow but it steadily picked up pace. Honestly, I was bored by the whole search for the serial killer part of the story and the fish-head people. I was much more into the story of Morte, Sheba/D’arc, Fallkirk, the beavers and Wah-wah. I get that it’s all intertwined but I like the character study aspect of the book so much more than this whole fish-head assassin sidebar. I love that Morte has totally come full circle as a character. He has loved, he has lost, and he gives no fucks. D’arc is the only person who truly knows him and has given a reason to not just hole up in the woods.
This was just a two book series with an additional novella but I will definitely miss it. The characters had depth to them. It was a unique and interesting world to visit for a while.
The audiobooks are narrated by Bronson Pinchot and he was the perfect man for the job. The way he does the voices, accents and exclamations of the different characters works so well for these books. He manages to emanate so much emotion through his words. Each character sounds unique and realistic. He’s one of my favorite narrators.
4 stars.
Profile Image for Barred Owl Books.
399 reviews8 followers
July 30, 2017
In the aftermath of the War With No Name, the Colony has been defeated, its queen lies dead, and the world left behind will never be the same. In her madness, the queen used a strange technology to uplift the surface animals, turning dogs and cats, bats and bears, pigs and wolves into intelligent, highly evolved creatures who rise up and kill their oppressors. And now, after years of bloodshed, these sentient beasts must learn to live alongside their sworn enemies—humans.

Far removed from this newly emerging civilization, a housecat turned war hero named Mort(e) lives a quiet life with the love he thought he had lost, a dog named Sheba. But before long, the chaos that they escaped comes crashing in around them. An unstoppable monster terrorizes a nearby settlement of beavers. A serial killer runs amok in the holy city of Hosanna. An apocalyptic cult threatens the fragile peace. And a mysterious race of amphibious creatures rises from the seas, intent on fulfilling the Colony’s destiny and ridding the world of all humans. No longer able to run away, Sheba and Mort(e) rush headlong into the conflict, ready to fight but unprepared for a world that seems hell-bent on tearing them apart. In the twilight of all life on Earth, love survives, but at a cost that only the desperate and the reckless are willing to pay.
Profile Image for Cayleigh.
433 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2017
Read this book on an Audio CD. Narrator was very good.

D'Arc is the name that The Mother, Sheba, decides to take a little while into the book when she feels like it is time to give up her 'slave name'. I won't tell you when, because then there would be spoilers. D'Arc picks up right after Mort(e) ends. As much as I liked Mort(e), I felt a little lost while reading it...I'm not sure if it was because I listened to D'Arc that I understood it much better or because it just made more sense. This is a post apocalyptic world where the Queen Ant turned all animals into sentient beings, who walk on 2 feet and are the size of humans. The details are in the first book of the series. In this second installment we get much more information on how the Animals, Humans and a new species they call 'Fishheads' are evolving to live in this new scheme of things. The relationship between Mort(e) a cat, a neutered cat, and Sheba/D'Arc, a dog is very complex. There was love and friendship that they had before the War, and now this new life they have made together after the War. I don't know how to put into words the feelings that I had about their ongoing relationship...I felt so badly for Mort(e), who can't help it that he is a 'choker', there was some allusion when D'Arc was talking to a Husky named Fallkirk, that Mort(e) tried but couldn't love her in 'that way'....it made me mad. All the things that he went through, and did for her....he loves her in every way that counts. All in all, enjoyed this one very much and I found out about the novella Culdesac, so looking to get my paws on that as well.
Profile Image for Maria Haskins.
Author 48 books133 followers
June 6, 2017
This is a powerful sequel to the outstanding 'Mort(e)' and takes place soon after the end of the first book. The ant queen has been defeated, but another enemy rises, this time beneath the surface of the ocean.
While not as grand in scope as the the first book in the series, this one is a page-turner in its own right. 'D'Arc' is action-packed and full of memorable characters. I was especially pleased to encounter the former fighting dog Wawa again (she made me cry this time, too!). Sheba, the dog Mort(e) risked everything to find in the first book, gets her own story this time around, and I love how Repino delves into her story, while at the same time illuminating new facets of Mort(e)'s character. The beavers and the bats are also terrific additions, adding new layers to the world created by the ant-queen's machinations.

Beneath the action, the book deals with some big, existential questions: love vs. ideology and religion, isolation vs. community, vengeance vs. life. A terrific read.
Profile Image for Steve Wiggins.
Author 9 books76 followers
June 11, 2017
Mort(e) is back! Continuing the intriguing story of the War With No Name, Robert Repino picks up the narrative of Mort(e) a few years later as Sheba is turning into D'Arc. A story of friendship, growing up, and war, there are many moving moments in this narrative.

I'm not inclined to leave any spoilers here, but Mort(e) and Sheba find their quiet lives as ant farmers interrupted by renewed hostilities involving arthropods turned somewhat human. Water and land form the front between new opposing forces, and Repino never lets the reader get away with supposing one side is evil and the other good. This world is too nuanced for that. The end result is a rollicking, action-filled tale of war, possible romance, and ultimate loyalty. It was hard to put this one down.

For those interested, I wrote a short piece on it here as well: href="https://steveawiggins.com/2017/05/30/... and Violence in the Ancient World. If you like the improbable but believable, this is a novel for you.
Profile Image for Charles Besancon.
23 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2017
Had to start with the second book in the series - the first was checked out. But it wasn't a problem, there is a short recap at the beginning and most things can be picked up from context.

So imagine you wake up one day to find your pet is walking about on two legs, talking to you, and if you have them in your house, pointing your guns at you. Oh, and they are that way because an ant colony has used its strange technology to quickly evolve your pet. Why? So they can be the ant's allies in a war to exterminate humanity.

Yup. Wacky premise, but tons of fun. This one takes place after the war, but I won't tell you any more and spoil the fun.

Couldn't put it down and read it in two days. Nothing earth shattering here, just an enjoyable read. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

It does make one re-evaluate one's attitudes towards pets - I kept eyeing the cat and wondering if I should put him out now before I catch him poking around in the gun safe!
Profile Image for Rebecca Bohn.
29 reviews
December 26, 2018
Like book 1, M'orte, this novel is completely implausible. It's also just as difficult to stop reading and to forget. After M'orte, I waited a year to read D'arc, and I can honestly say that I thought about the character of M'orte often. Eventually, I just *had* to find out if he got what he hoped for with Sheba.

No spoilers--find out for yourself.

These books are bizarre, but if you let yourself go with the premise (suspending your disbelief is quite nearly a physical act in order to read and enjoy this series), you'll be rewarded well. The characters are absolutely the beating heart of these books, and as others have mentioned, it's not just M'orte, but secondary characters as well. Wawa is a gem of a character.

I haven't read Culdesac, and if you haven't either, don't worry, book 1 to D'arc is a seamless transition. (also, Culdesac was never one of my favorite characters)
Profile Image for Shanna.
624 reviews13 followers
November 4, 2023
DNF about halfway through

Mort(e) takes Sheba to an isolated cabin, where they tend a herd of Alpha ants. Mort(e) keeps Sheba isolated, manipulating and controlling her so he can keep her to himself. [strike one] Meanwhile there are some fish evolving in the ocean, and one of them has some special, unexplained connection to the queen ant, who is supposed to be dead but still communicating with him and passing on her vendetta against humans? I couldn't quite picture the physical manifestation of these elevated swimmers who can also walk on land. I just didn't get the fish. [strike two] Oddly placed and uncomfortably detailed description of literal doggie-style. yuck [strike three - I'm done].

I liked the premise of the elevated animals, but I really didn't care for the direction Repino decided to take it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Centauri.
Author 1 book4 followers
March 11, 2018
It was filled with adventure, questions, and some decent action. However, it was not as memorable as the first in the series (which is quite sad). I like the emotional POV from Mort(e) and D'Arc (Sebastian and Sheba). It was a nice dichotomy that allowed knowledge of what was going on within both the main protagonists' psyche. One of the weaknesses was that it felt rushed in some parts of the storytelling. Not sure how I can explain that better. Either way, it was a nice read, and it was nice to see how the people (both Earth Human and anthropomorphic animal), tried to find a harmony with one another. Sadly, and not surprisingly at all, a good portion of the humans wanted the old ways back; they can't feel inferior to their pets or creatures they considered lesser beings.
Profile Image for Sarah.
300 reviews4 followers
January 10, 2023
3.5 rounded up
This was more of a mixed bag for me than Mort(e). Things I liked: the complexity of the characters, the way Ropino is able to fully express the pain of deep love and longing, the coming of age arc that D’arc has, the final fight of Wawa
Things I didn’t like: the sarcops were so strange as a new antagonist. I couldn’t picture them, I didn’t care about them, and in the end they just kind of gave up and went away. It just seemed like a plot device to give the characters something to do. It would have made more sense it there were alphas that gained sentience without the Queen. A lot of what happened in Hosanna felt busy and rushed. The whole murder plot could have been cut and nothing would have changed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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