The Broken King: A McFalls County Story by Brian Panowich
My rating: 4/5 cats
oh my god, this exists??
it does! and now i have read it!
it exists and it is 23 pages long and even though, chronologically, it can be called a prequel to Bull Mountain and Like Lions, and is (presumably) being released now in order to build excitement for Like Lions’ U.S. release date (april 30!!), it would be my advice to read this after Like Lions. there is a moment in that book where TRUTHS are REVEALED and long-held BELIEFS are OVERTURNED and this short story will remove all of the GASP of what is meant to be a pivotal scene. i’m not sure why this particular cat is being allowed such a head-start out of its bag, but it makes more sense to me to read this one last. but you’re a grown-ass human and will make your own grown-ass decisions.
in any case, this is another great piece of writing from panowich—a blunt, descriptive, and brutal story about a very bad night for the burroughs clan and also for the hamburger man (shudder).
99 cents also gets you the first few chapters of Like Lions, which you will have already read by the time you read this story because you heeded my advice.
or not, you grown-ass human! read or heed, do what you need!
