Lord of the Kill by Theodore Taylor

Lord of the Kill Reviews

• 
  Wilson

  Wilson Mather-Glass
  Mrs. Romaniuk
  Reading/L.A: Book Review 9
  17 February 2011
  Lord of the Kill:
  “Big Cat” Murder Mystery
  Ben Jepson has lived on his L.A. wild cat preserve his whole life, with his animal-loving, ambitious mother and father, without any real problems. However, it appears his parents pissed off the wrong people, when a half-eaten body is found inside his favorite tiger’s cage. With his seemingly impossible to reach parents in India, Ben is forced to take over the preserve. At first the murder seems like a dead end, until information is dug up about his father’s interactions with the infamous Triads gang in Asia. These enemies could be back at anytime, and Ben’s ability is tested, as he is forced to take control of Los Coyotes in the midst of all the danger. Lord of the Kill, written by Theodore Taylor is an intriguing novel that leaves you a little puzzled. What problems will Ben encounter, and how far will he go to ensure the safety of himself and his parents? Lord of the Kill deals with many issues involving animal cruelty, because it talks about the reality of zoos, the cruel, ancient traditions in Asia, and gangs’ involvement with exotic animals.
  Lord of the Kill deals with animal cruelty because the author talks about the reality of zoos. When I was much younger, I thought zoos were amazing places, where the animals were in a safe, happy environment. As I got older though, I started to realize that zoos weren’t natural, and most of the animals were basically being used as entertainment. As it turns out, I was more than right. Ben’s father talks about “canned hunting”, describing it in detail: “The animals, most raised in captivity, are placed in cages or enclosed areas, then killed by so-called hunters for a fat fee. The heads are taken to a taxidermist and mounted for home display.”(18) As it turns out, the zoos are connected. Ben’s father proceeds, explaining that the zoo’s “surplus animals”(18) are sold to dealers. When they are sold, the buyer must sign a document, ensuring that the animals will not be used in canned hunt operation. However, these documents don’t really mean anything, and Ben’s father describes them as “worthless”(19) and “blood-drenched”(19). While during further research I discovered that exotic animal canned hunting is still legal in nine states. It seems as if most people do not know about canned hunting, but Theodore Taylor seems to be trying to enlighten people on the issue.
  Secondly, Lord of the Kill deals with animal cruelty because the author talks about awful traditions in Asia. The one that I found unbelievable is the “moon bear” business. Ben describes it like this; “(Moon Bear farmers) milk green bile from about seven thousand bears, sticking catheters in their gallbladders. The bile is sold to treat liver and heard disease. These bears are beautiful, gentle creatures who have a golden crest on their chests like a new moon. Some have been in cages for almost a quarter century. Their teeth are worn to bloody gums from chewing on iron bars to get away. They moan and rock their narrow, rusty cages.”(50) Basically what Ben is saying, is that harmless bears lay in crammed, disgusting cages their whole lives, with gaping holes in their stomachs, never to be freed. When I first read this, I thought for sure that this was made up by the author to develop a better story and prove a point. As far as I was concerned, there was no way these businesses could exist for more than a day before being shut down. Just to make sure, though, I searched online, and sure enough, discovered that these businesses were up and running, and have been for decades. If this is not considered animal cruelty or just torture in general, I don’t know what is.
  Lastly, Lord of the Kill deals with animal cruelty because the author talks about certain gangs, and their involvement with exotic animals. In this book, Ben’s parents go to extreme measures to tell people of “The Triads” and their intentions with wild animals; in specific, big cats. The Triads are an existing gang, who specialize in pretty much any type of organized crime you can think of. Ben’s father, Dr. Jepson, says, “(The Triads) make the mafia look like boy scouts.”(20) Apparently, they are involved in some sick, criminal acts involving tigers. Dr. Jepson describes their actions by saying, “They have tigers slaughtered for the sole purpose of reducing body parts to medicines, sold under the counter in Chinese health shops. Powder ground from tiger bones is sold to older males as a sex stimulant…”.(20) What Ben’s father is saying, is that tigers are killed just for ancient medicines. It is completely unnecessary, not to mention unethical, and is most likely illegal. The part I found the most odd was the grinding of bones to use as a sex stimulant. There are obviously other ingredients that don’t involve the brutal killings of animals. I am almost positive that the only reason tiger bones are put into it is because it’s marketable, which is something I find very sick. By talking about this, I think the author is, yet again, trying to inform of this cruel act, and to show that something needs to be done to stop it.
  As you can see, Lord of the Kill deals with many issues involving animal cruelty, because it talks about the reality of zoos, the cruel, ancient traditions in Asia, and gangs’ involvement with exotic animals. I would probably give this book three point five stars. The information in it was great, but the ending left things that I would’ve liked to know the resolution of, unsolved. The only book I could think of that resembles this one in any way, is Taming the Star Runner, by S.E. Hinton. In both stories, the main characters are in many ways, closer to animals than they are humans. Travis, in Taming the Star Runner has a special relationship with horses, and Ben in Lord of the Kill, has a special relationship with tigers. Every morning, when Ben goes around to check on the animals, Dmitri, a horrifying 800 pound Siberian tiger, goes up to Ben and licks his hand. That seems like a little bizarre for an animal that would be considered a “killing machine”. Strangely enough, in both books, the main character’s favorite animal is taken away from them in some way. I learned some valuable things about animal cruelty in this book, as well as getting to know the author a little better. Theodore Taylor has written The Cay as well as Lord of the Kill, and both books are extremely different. I like that this author tries different things, instead of just sticking with the same genre.
  I think I deserve an A on this review because I had a solid thesis, I picked out quotes I would consider good, and this review was quite long. I found picking out quotes fairly easy, since many of the good ones occurred early in the book. Connections to Lord of the Kill were difficult because this book is different than most. I plan to improve my going even more in depth with my connections in the conclusion, and if I had more time
• 
  Brya

  Lord of the Kill
  By Theodore Taylor
  Breakdown
  16 year old Ben Jepson is in charge of his parent’s Big Cat sanctuary when mysterious and dangerous things start occurring while they’re away on a trip to India. Ben’s Dad, Dr Jepson, has no shortage of enemies as he is an outspoken conservationist, going toe to toe with an international Chinese gang known as the Triads as they kill and sell tiger products for their supposed medicinal properties, as well as being a strong voice against the canned-hunt ranch communities.
  In his absence, his enemies grow bold. Leaving a body in the black leopard’s cage to frame the big cat’s for a malicious deed, while others also try to sabotage the big cat conservation in one way or another. Ben does his best in his youth to manage the reserve as people do their best to drag it down. The final straw is when the tiger Dmitri is kidnapped, and Ben can’t rely on the authorities to help him this time.
  My Thoughts
  Heavy on agenda – light on plot seems to be the most accurate and apt way to describe this book. I wanted to enjoy it more than it would let me.
  Early Reading
  It was released in 2002, yet it’s written an old-school style that’s more reminiscent of books such as The Black Stallion or Black Beauty (though, admittedly, these are much better books and I recommend these first). It is apparently a sequel to the book “The Sniper” (1989) which seems to be referenced throughout this book as a “previous incident” (though I haven’t read this book, and had no idea it was a thing until I looked up other reviews). The author of this book was roughly 79 years old when he wrote this book, which could be why it is written in this style.
  It tends to state things rather than describe it - “Then he was running to the Jepson’s cottage, heart now drumming with shock and fright, mind clicking away about what to do.”
  He spends a lot of time on things that aren’t really relevant – talking about each animal in the cages, and minimal time on the interesting stuff that would keep the reader interested, like the finding of a body in the cage. The reaction from the child was also unrealistic – he saw the body and set about doing tasks – I feel if there was more time spent on him finding the body and how he felt about it, it would’ve been more drawing for the reader.
  “Then, behind their den house, Ben saw a pile of torn greem cloth. The low fog partially obscured it. In the ripped cloth, there seemed to be a half-eaten human corpse with dark stains soaked into the yellow sand beside.”
  “Some would be pacing reckless or sprawled out in the sand. Their moods were different when the moon was full or when the wind blew through the cottonwoods. He talked to them as he went by, calling them each by name. Their eyes, mostly coppery green-hued at night, shined at him, particularly when the night was so black as to be solid.”
  You can see his passion for the animals though – quickly addressing the real life issues he wanted to outline, including the gang called the Triads, poaching, zoos and misinformation. You could feel the soul behind it – you know its about raising awareness and to give information – challenge the reader to think: “does this really happen?” and given we are in an information age – its easy to look up.
  “There are more than a thousand canned-hunt ranches in this country, legal and illegal. The animals are raised in captivity, are placed in cages or enclosed areas, then killed by so-called hunters for a fat fee. The heads are taken to a taxidermist and mounted for home display.”
  “He then showed video footage of a fifteen-year-old Siberian tiger being shot four times in the sides while penned, then made to bleed slowly to death. The hunter was careful not to damage the head. ‘The rest of the skinned carcass was sold to a medicine shop in New York’s Chinatown, courtesy of the Triads...”
  Middle
  As I kept reading, I found there was not much substance to what was happening. It goes day by day with him doing the same thing. The most interesting thing that happened was when he went to a canned-hunt ranch – but it seemed to ‘brush it over’ rather than let you experience the moment because it relays thing as events, rather than delving into.
  “Life had to go on despite the chopper visit and the cats going ballistic; it had to go steadily on without a word from India. The idea that his parents may be in terrible trouble, even dead, was eating away at Ben day and night. He had been hoping to take his mind off the embattled acres.”
  He also sometimes has his writing in italics – but there doesn’t seem to be much reason behind it, sometimes it’s Ben thinking, sometimes it’s a flashback, sometimes it’s real time. It’s a little off-putting – but this is being nitpicky.
  The fact that his parents are missing seem to be more of a plot device than an actual distressing event. You don’t feel the panic, or worry. It’s stated that he feels it, but the reader doesn’t feel it. Or, at least I didn’t.
  Then there’s the idea that you have a 16 year old running a big cat reserve, the adults are there are side characters and moral support, but don’t seem to do much more. His parents are missing, possibly targeted by this international gang, maybe killed. He finds a body in one of his cages, the police “look into it” yet there’s no real concern from anyone. Dr Jepson commented on how the Triads make the mafia look like Girl Scouts – yet there is no extra police surveillance, no one has the idea to leave, and besides from Ben walking around with a gun at night sometimes, there isn’t much more about it. He gets threatening messages, pissed off a dangerous man who had been in jail for manslaughter – it all sounds exciting, but it comes off really bland and there is no sense of urgency. It’s like someone is telling you how worried they are, with a smile on their face and relaxed look in their eye.
  Ending
  Ben seemed to jump more and was more urgent when he discovered the tiger had either escaped or had been kidnapped, than with his parents being missing, or that he or his friends were in danger. The adults in his life seems next to useless, for example, when Dmitiri was potentially loose in the zoo, they hid in a trailer home while Ben went off to capture the tiger by himself.
  This novel is written like more of a telling than a story you feel emotionally involved in. It just falls short in his telling and describing of events – the story is interesting and you can feel there would be more to it but it fails to deliver. Its hard to feel excited to read and keep reading – lacking substance, as well as failing to be realistic.
  When the book is concluded – you are left with threads that were never answered, plot holes, and more questions. Everything seems to get “wrapped up” in a few short pages, but there is no little neat bow.
  Spoiler, but you never find out about the green hand and what it means or who it is from, there is rumours about where his parents might be, but no real conclusion in finding them. There was speculation with who put the body in with the black leopards, or who Quan Li actually was or what he was doing or who was involved with.
  And I’m apprehensive to say, but it uses language that didn’t age well and has some Asian ignorance dotted throughout. Ben at one point drills their Teipan student about why Asian people kill tigers, if his government were doing anything. The whole conversation seems to be blaming an entire culture for the actions of some, and he seems to blame the student, Quan Li, for the tiger medicine trade, among other things.
  “Quan Li turned his head from Dmitri and looked at Ben ‘I am thin and I lack courage.’
  ‘When will your people stop having the tigers killed for medicine?’
  I can say – it did a good job to be educational, and raise awareness. It was relevant into 2002, before that and still is. The conservation effort behind canned-hunts, Moonbear farming, zoos breeding animals and selling off the older ones with no care where they end, the tiger medicine trade. Its paints it out, isn’t afraid of the gorey details in this regard and doesn’t shy away from the outspoken agenda. I really do wish that I could’ve enjoyed it more and the balance between plot matched the agenda.
  “You know about the Moon Bears? The beautiful bears that live in cages for years, a gaping wound in their stomach? How green bile is drained them for medicine ingredients?”
  It is easy reading, with short chapters, it’s one of those books that if you felt inclined, you could binge it in a couple of days easily.
  The Triads:
  https://news.mongabay.com/.../chinese...
  Moon Bear Bile Farming:
  https://www.animalsasia.org/.../end-b...
  Canned- Hunting Ranches:
  https://www.discoverwildlife.com/.../...
• 
  Curtis Clark

  This book has a bit of a confusing beginning but once the action starts, it never stops. A boy was taking care of his fathers zoo while his parents were in China on vacation. He sees a human body in the tiger cage and was startled beyond belief. He notices that the lock on the gate was cut and he knows that someone came and dropped off the body, but he finds out later that they used a ladder to put the body in and he didn't even notice
• 
  Shashank Gupta

  First Favorite book
• 
  Nicole Mosley

  An intriguing murder mystery for teens surrounding mysterious bodies in a tiger sanctuary.
• 
  Laura

  This was my all time favorite book growing up. The mystery along side the beautiful creatures always kept me invested in the story.
• 
  Helen

  This is a coming-of-age book, in which a boy wants responsibilities above his level. The mystery is interesting, the book is exciting, and the resolution is positive!
• 
  Its Maura Your Mama!

  This book makes you feel like a super rock star! Adrenaline!!!! This book is about super cool fighting guys finding a tiger that killed a guy and the tiger is a big orange cat. READ IT!!!! You'll feel TOUGH! and COOL! and like you could possibly if you were in the right mood PUNCH A GUUUUUUUUUUYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 
  Shane Sutton

  I didnt really like the book because I found that the storys climax could have been more stronger
• 
  Jose

  this book is about how a mystery has started in Los Coyotes where there was a murder in cage 12, but the twist is that it was 2 tigers who was thought to be the murderer.
• 
  Nathan

  A very boring book, I stopped on the 20th page because I had better things to do.
• 
  Mary Ann

  Quite disturbing!
• 
  Stephanie A.

  Lots of excellent detail on wildlife preserves and the care of large predators, with a dash of mystery on the side.
• 
  Leigh Paddon

  A good mysteries that blends wild cats and India.
• 
  Damariz Perez

  What I think about this book is that this is a book about horror. The main character sees a dead body in one of the animals cage.
• 
  Brian

  This was an okay book.
• 
  Sofie

  This book was really good read. It was full of action.
• 
  Andrew

  My book was about this family in los angeles and they keep tigers and lions safe and they keep them by their house. It is like a preserve where people can go and see them while they keep them safe. It's like a zoo. This family was also kind of rich for having all these tigers and lions. There is this one tiger that is worth the most money in the world.
  
  He is the most expensive pet that ever lived. He is super expensive because he is not really a normal tiger. He is really huge and is 7”5 in length and ways almost 2,000 pounds. He is also a white tiger. Then there was one night where the spy murders came and throw somebody into the cage and the tigers ate them thinking it was food. Then the family thinks that somebody just climbed the fence and fell in. But then they find out somebody put them in there.
  
  
  I would recommend this to many people for many reasons. I would recommend this to people who like adventure and mystery. This book is for people who really like adventure and mystery because they go on adventures to find out who committed the crime.This is also a type of book for people that don't like to read a lot but still like to read. Because the book isn’t that long. This book was published by Theodore Taylor. You should read this book because the author is very descriptive and he builds up the suspense in the book so you get more and more anxious about what's going to happen. This book is for people who really like adventure and mystery because they go on adventures to find out who committed the crime. This book is a great book to read because there are many choices that need to be made and if the wrong choice has been made then it's over. If you like this review then go and find the book. Its called Lord Of The Kill.