Fantasy Review

When Buffalo Roam: A Fantasy
by W. G. Palmer
ISBN-10: 0595392741

George Orwell's "Animal Farm," taken ten steps further! That's the best description I can make of W.G. Palmer's book, "When Buffalo Roam."

Imagine a world in which animals have secretly learned human language, where they have evolved beyond us and show the intelligence to keep quiet about it until the right time. The right time to what? Kill all humans of course. In a hidden society, deep within a mountain of caves and tunnels, a plan is developing. With the initial help of a radical human and her bewitched lover, the beginning of their time is born. Their society is based on Orwell's book, "Animal Farm" with thoughts from the Bible and other works of authority thrown in. Will the animals take over the world and become the higher dominance?

W.G. Palmer must have been influenced greatly by Orwell; it shows in his style and of course in the concepts in the book. An intense read with multiple layers of things to think about, this book is not light reading, though it fits the fantasy genre well. Marketed as Juvenile Fiction - I disagree. The text can be confusing, the plot a bit difficult to follow for the younger set. Young Adult and older is more the target audience and the book should be well received.