Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Kingdom of Needle and Bone by Mira Grant Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Published by Tantor Audio on April 30, 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Horror
Length: 3 hours, 3 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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We live in an age of wonders.
Modern medicine has conquered or contained many of the diseases that used to carry children away before their time, reducing mortality and improving health. Vaccination and treatment are widely available, not held in reserve for the chosen few. There are still monsters left to fight, but the old ones, the simple ones, trouble us no more.
Or so we thought. For with the reduction in danger comes the erosion of memory, as pandemics fade from memory into story into fairy tale. Those old diseases can’t have been so bad, people say, or we wouldn’t be here to talk about them. They don’t matter. They’re never coming back.
How wrong we could be.
It begins with a fever. By the time the spots appear, it’s too late: Morris’s disease is loose on the world, and the bodies of the dead begin to pile high in the streets. When its terrible side consequences for the survivors become clear, something must be done, or the dying will never stop. For Dr. Isabella Gauley, whose niece was the first confirmed victim, the route forward is neither clear nor strictly ethical, but it may be the only way to save a world already in crisis. It may be the only way to atone for her part in everything that’s happened.
She will never be forgiven, not by herself, and not by anyone else. But she can, perhaps, do the right thing.
We live in an age of monsters.
I’ve read almost everything written under this author’s other name of Seanan McGuire, I can’t get my hands on her books fast enough. This is the first book I’ve under the name Mira Grant and color me impressed. I work in a science field and I loved this sci-fi worst-case scenario of “what if” with the increasing number of un-immunized children; there was an unseen consequence that a new pandemic could arise. It is smart, well thought out, and told in a very gripping manner.
There is a forgotten time when pandemics ran rampant; quarantines were common and the threat of a loved one dying from something like Measles, Mumps, Smallpox or Whooping Cough was real. When a viral infection could decimate an entire community or reduce the world’s population by 25%.
Those times have been almost forgotten and with the invention of vaccinations those diseases, almost eliminated from the face of the earth. But what if the new movement of not vaccinating your children, made it possible for that to all come crumbling down and a new slightly modified version of something thought practically gone from the world is back and so are the fatality rates of old.
I loved the way this story was told. You see it from a few perspectives, all from women in the same family. It feels real, like this is definitely how an event like this could play out and what societies response would be. I found it to be smart and scarily plausible in many ways. Fantastically executed novella.
I think Kingdom of Needle and Bone really makes you think about when the next pandemic hits – what will it mean for our new global society? If you are one of those people who are completely against vaccinating your children, well, this will either make you seriously think about your choices or you are going to hate the overall content of this story. Did I mention I work in science (in a health associate profession)? I’m completely pro-vaccination and hope maybe this fictional story will be some food for thought for people who haven’t really considered this subject before.
Narration:
Cris Dukehart did a really good job with both the seriousness and heart of the story. The performance was completely spot on and transported me into this tale. I listened to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Mira Grant
Mira Grant was born and raised in Northern California, where she has made a lifelong study of horror movies, horrible viruses, and the inevitable threat of the living dead. In college, she was voted Most Likely to Summon Something Horrible in the Cornfield, and was a founding member of the Horror Movie Sleep-Away Survival Camp, where her record for time survived in the “Swamp Cannibals” scenario remains unchallenged.
Currently, Mira lives in a crumbling farmhouse with an assortment of cats, horror movies, comics, and books about horrible diseases. When not writing, she splits her time between travel, auditing college virology courses, and watching more horror movies than is strictly good for you. Favorite vacation spots include Seattle, London, and a large haunted corn maze just outside of Huntsville, Alabama.
In her guise as mild-mannered urban fantasy author Seanan McGuire, Mira was the recipient of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. You can find her works as both Mira and Seanan at her main bibliography page. Seanan’s website is the best place to find information on where both she and Mira will be appearing.
All three Newsflesh novels have been nominated for Hugo Awards, as has “Countdown,” the first novella in the Newsflesh universe, and Parasite, the first novel of the Parasitology series.
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I have read quite a bit by this author, The Incryptid Series is a fave of mine! I am interested in this book now and thanks for sharing your great review.
I totally love all of her UF stuff. I think she is inventive and creative always. This is different but I think it was a good place for me to get a taste of her in her other genre to see if I’d like it. I did, so now I’ll look at some of her other stuff in this genre.
I may have to get this one. Great review. It is not at my libraries yet but it is in the Audible sale this week.
Audible sales are the best and I think that it is totally long enough to get a good taste of her work but short enough to have to over commit.
I almost went with audio, but was offered an early copy. I really enjoyed it and I am glad to see the audio was well done.
I’m glad you liked it too. It seems to be a little polarized in the ratings but that could just be because of the heavily pro-vaccination tone to the book.
I’m totally excited to check out some other stuff by Mira Grant
I really need to get busy reading this author. I love the premise of this book though! It is so relevant to what is going on in the world. Thanks for putting this one on my radar!
Right, so relevant. I thought it gave some decent insight on the difference between things that are an invasion of you body and why vaccinations shouldn’t be lumped in with them.
I think you might like the way this story is told Carole.
I really really need to read her books as Mira Grant!
Yes, I really didn’t know she wrote under another name too. I was actually surprised since she puts out a decent number of books a year as Seanan McGuire. To know she writes under both and puts out more than one a year as Mira Grant too, that is a staggering number of books to publish. She must write almost constantly.
Ooh. this sounds right up my alley!
I hope you enjoy it Laura 🙂
I just finished this one. I’m the exact opposite of you. I’ve read all the Mira Grant stories, but haven’t tried Seanan McQuire yet. I plan to. I swear. I just love her writing style and her characters.
Melanie @ Hot Listens & Books of My Heart