Review of "Freedom Through the Narrow Gate" by Mark David Pullen

Score: 93/100 (9.3 out of 10)

Freedom Through the Narrow Gate is an allegorical animal adventure novel by Mark David Pullen!
It is conceptually and stylistically similar to David Bush's Animal Quest and General Jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms, similarly using charismatic, anthropomorphic animal characters to tell a compelling tale with historical and real-world implications.

Freedom Through the Narrow Gate follows the journey of Jacob, a young mouse, as he navigates a perilous world dominated by brutal rats like Caine, human scientists who treat them like fodder, and other threatening creatures (like Terrible Tom the snapping turtle, red-tailed hawks, and a mouse's mortal enemy: CATS). The book explores themes of survival, freedom, and moral dilemmas. The novel presents an engaging narrative with action-driven storytelling, attempts at deep character development, and an overarching struggle against oppression.

This oppression is exemplified mainly by the ruthless Caine and his fanatically loyal rats. Indeed, Caine is a tremendously formidable and menacing villain with a backstory that's as deep as some of the main protagonists. Caine is a bloodthirsty, ruthless, warmongering rat tyrant comparable to Genghis Khan or Atilla the Hun. He seems to represent the very worst conquerors, imperialists, and tyrants in human history, made worse by his view of rat superiority over the mice and his godlike influence on his devoted followers.

Despite being so ominous and nefarious, Caine doesn't make the book so dark that it becomes inappropriate or overly disturbing for younger (YA and teen) readers. A lot of his darker deeps are implied or tactfully described so younger readers are aware that he's a terrible guy without being scared or turned away from reading more.

Also, as a layered character, Caine is actually a somewhat sympathetic villain despire being so terrible a person. He is a victim of human experimentation just like Hoss, the white rat with the silver wristband. Much like historical figures shaped by harsh and traumatic upbringings, Caine’s ruthlessness and thirst for power are not entirely without cause. His time in the laboratory likely exposed him to pain, suffering, and dehumanizing treatment, stripping away any sense of compassion and replacing it with an obsession with strength and control.

This makes him comparable to real-world tyrants who endured brutal conditions before rising to power, such as Joseph Stalin, who survived childhood abuse and exile, or Pol Pot, who grew up witnessing colonial oppression before becoming one of history’s most feared leaders. In many ways, Caine is a creation of the cruelty inflicted upon him, and instead of breaking free from the cycle of oppression, he chooses to replicate it on an even larger scale, ensuring that only the strong survive.

His backstory adds a tragic element to his character—he could have been something more than a dictator, but the horrors of his past warped him into the very monster he once feared. His experiences in human captivity, like Hoss’, gave him knowledge and intelligence far beyond the average rat, but instead of using it for good, he saw dominance as the only path to survival. In this way, Caine is both a villain and a victim, making him a deeply compelling and multi-dimensional antagonist.

In fact, this character dynamic also reveals a lot about human nature and the different ways in which people deal with pain, trauma, and loss.

There are those (like Caine) who deal with negative experiences by becoming as bitter, wicked, and destructive as those who wronged them. Then there are those, like Hoss, who experience the same pain and suffering but choose a different path—one of resilience, caution, and quiet defiance rather than outright cruelty. While Caine embraces tyranny, seeing strength and domination as the only way to avoid becoming a victim again, Hoss resists the cycle of oppression, choosing to survive without subjecting others to the same suffering he endured.

This contrast highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: trauma does not determine one's fate—choices do. Two individuals can suffer the same horrors, but their responses shape who they become. Caine’s path is one of vengeance and control, ensuring that no one will ever have the power to hurt him again. Hoss, on the other hand, remains hardened and distrustful, but he does not seek to dominate others—only to escape and exist on his own terms.

So, we've talked a lot about Caine and Hoss, but what about the other characters?

Well, this points out one of the book's great strengths as well as one of its glaring weaknesses:
There are SO MANY characters!

Because of that, so many of them get lost in the shuffle.
It becomes an awful lot to keep track of.

There’s Jacob, the young mouse protagonist who serves as our eyes into this brutal world; Rudy, his mischievous and impulsive best friend, and Rap, the morally conflicted captain of the rat guard who struggles between duty and conscience. Then there’s Bandit and Goon, two of Caine’s enforcers who start out as loyal enforcers of his regime but eventually begin questioning their allegiance.

Bandit and Goon actually have rather big arcs, playing huge roles in later parts of the book.

And let’s not forget Michael, Jacob’s courageous brother, Israel, the wise and experienced elder, and various other recruits, soldiers, and villagers—all of whom add layers to the story but, at times, blur together due to the sheer number of them.

There's also the legendary Great Mouse who is said to have epically defeated Caine years ago. The Great Mouse's identity is eventually revealed, giving truth to the notion that you should never meet your heroes, they will disappoint you.

The struggle between the Great Mouse and Caine that's described actually reminded us a lot of Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty battling atop of Reichenbach Falls or the climax of The Nutcracker Prince, which also featured an evil Rat King.

Another thing that's a bit strange about this book is that it's supposed to be an installment in the Oasis Chronicles series. Our impression of the Oasis Chronicles series was that it was about a family discovering and living in a fantastical prehistorical world full of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. However, this book seems to veer away from that, focusing more on modern animals like mice, rats, cats, and hawks. In other words, we're not sure if it really fits. It seems like it's a part of another series entirely.

With that said, it's still captures the spirit of exploration, discovery, and adventure as the previous book—only with animals this time around.

Check it out on Amazon!