This one looked interesting to me when I found it at the library. So let's have a look. Spoilers ahead.
Podkin is only a young rabbit when his family's keep is attacked by the Grom, frightening violent rabbits made out of metal. He and his siblings manage to escape, however now they have to find a way to stay safe while also avoiding the Grom and other villainous rabbits. Will young Podkin grow into the hero the world needs?
Overall I liked this book. It's clearly a first book in a series (with the framing device making it clear that Podkin will still go on many adventures in the future) but for a first installment I think it was pretty good. I was instantly hooked because of the framing device (a bard telling a story to a bunch of rabbit children). It almost feels like we, the readers, are there in the audience with the children, listening to the bard. The bard also frequently interrupts his story so it never stops feeling like this is a story that's being narrated to us (something I think, for example, Mossflower by Brian Jacques is lacking).
The story takes place in a world of anthropomorphic rabbits. They're definitely higher on the anthro-scale than Watership Down, for example, being pretty much just small and furry humans similar to Redwall. Some people might think you might as well make them humans at this point, but I'm not one of that opinion. If people want to tell a story using animals that act like humans, I really see no problem with that. Especially since this is supposed to be a whimsical world for younger readers. I personally think Podkin and his kind being rabbits just adds a bit more whimsy and fun to this otherwise pretty damn dour world, where more and more rabbits are being turned into Grom.
The characters I honestly thought were fine. They weren't too fantastic or anything but they have basic wants and needs and flaws, which was enough to keep me hooked. I particularly enjoyed the old mentor figure Podkin ends up bonding with. His sister Paz was also a neat character, though his younger brother doesn't really have much to him (at least not yet).
My only qualm regarding the characters is that I think Podkin goes from being a bit of a brat who runs away from his troubles to facing up against the Grom a bit suddenly. Like, don't get me wrong, this is good character development, but the whole turn he makes just feels a tad abrupt and sudden and could've been handled more gradually. It's still satisfying to see him stand up to the Grom and defeat them (at least for now), but it's how he got to this point in the story that just feels a bit sudden.
The book is, granted, a bit simplistic and not too deep or anything, so I get why maybe it won't appeal to an older audience, but personally I liked it fine. It's not amazing but I had a good time reading it and may eventually check out more of Podkin's adventures. I also really liked the final reveal near the end, where it turns out the narrating bard is actually Podkin's younger brother from the story, and an elderly Podkin himself makes a brief appearance even. That was a pretty sweet reveal.
Overall not the most amazing story out there, but for younger readers or older readers who don't mind a more simplistic story about anthropomorphic rabbits, this is honestly fine.
Rating: 3.5/5
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