He (currently) lives in the Great White North of the United States as a bearded, single man.

He’s a lover of words, many of which are in all his books.

He’s an admitted scotch whisky and beer snob and his liver would not argue with him.

He has written five books now, but the three in the Roboverse are funny and not nearly as sweary or violent as Where Blood Runs Gold.

You can find more about him as well as some neat little free stories at www.aaronccross.com.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Zoo is a wonderfully introspective novella, with shades of dark humour and a large dose of creativity. Perfect to pass an early evening by, it was an entertaining delve into the depths of author AC Cross’ mind.

It is incredibly brave of AC to so openly share his inner demons with the world, albeit in the realm of a fictional zoo filled with all sorts of inventive creation. Although really it isn’t a fictional zoo, more a microcosm of the inner turmoil of AC’s mind.

The story is told from the perspective of an omniscient tour guide, in a rather ringleader-esque manner. We are introduced to all manner of wonders and dangers, each one representative of a different aspect of AC’s mind. As we travel deeper into the tour, the creatures slowly get darker, but with AC’s acerbic commentary and self-deprecation, we never fall too far into any pit of despair.

I was most impressed with the insight, as well as the ingenuity that went into connecting subjects such as depression, anxiety, relationship fears into numerous types of zoo animals, each one oddly fitting.

An emotional tale, it did leave me entertained as well despite its short stature.