The Puppy War

April 15, 2021
A year after the events of Wild & Chance (2020), superdog Wild reunites with her human, Chance, when both are threatened. Wild's luck runs out when she's finally caught by an Uber-driving Russian goon who manages to drug and capture her--ultimately leading to an intense aerial action scene. An overheard comment indicates they're after Chance, too, so Wild decides to go to him after having stayed away to keep him safe. Following an awkward reunion, they're soon back to their old tricks, including a daring escape in a stolen car and enlisting hacker Junebug's help. With Maelstrom defeated, they're now dealing with CAT (Canine Action Team), a band of Russian genetic scientists so nefarious they've been exiled from Russia. CAT is battling it out with rival company Puppio, a maker of genetically engineered puppies that is helmed by a familiar friendly face. Amid all the plot twists, there are prominent themes of abandonment and complicated parent-child relationships, especially concerning obligations. Though a bit heavy-handed, these thematic moments quickly make way for betrayals and desperate action scenes that endanger Wild's life. The somewhat abrupt ending gets the characters out of immediate danger, leaving many plot threads dangling as setup for the next book. While racial descriptors for human characters are absent (resulting in a White default), diversity is implied occasionally through characters' names. Easy-to-follow action and touches of humor smooth out unsubtle elements. (Science fiction. 9-12)

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