Not quite a 5 star read, but definitely 4 and a half!

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to - wasn't initially convinced by the premise, but I enjoyed it more and more as I went on. The dog characters are actually pretty convincing (ignoring a few improbable instances - I know dogs are smart but c'mon!) and the storyline is engaging. It even tugged on my cynical old heartstrings in places - not easily done! I really enjoyed the final section with the revelation of the bad guy's identity, his redemption and ultimate death. A really solidly entertaining read, engaging and even thought provoking.

This book is interesting. It’s a fantasy book which the protagonist is a dog.
This book is thought provoking and it talks about grief.
This book is written so well. A complete page turner.

Unfortunately a DNF for me after a few chapters where I could tell it just wasn't going to be my kind of book despite being drawn in by the synopsis and various reviews relating to similar books I have read and liked. My thanks to the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read.

First of all, isn’t the idea spectacular? A book written from the point of view of a 217-year-old dog on his search for his master throughout the centuries… I wonder what it requires to come up with such a plot!

Anyways, the execution was brilliant. I loved this book from start to finish!
The author took me on a rollercoaster of emotions; wrote about horrific as well as very moving moments and left me wondering how this story would end until the last pages.

I had the impression that the historical aspects of the book were very well researched and partially very described in great detail.

I will definitely read more magical realism and historical fantasy (is that a thing?) in the future. But first, I have overcome this sense of loss this book left me in.

I love Historical fictions. And anything that had dogs and cats in it, I'm in! Thank you author for writing such a beautiful immersive book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was hooked to the book! Totally recommended!

"And tomorrow - tomorrow we begin again."

Honestly, this book is a perfect example of how the books, where protagonist (or one of) is a dog, should be written. No childish speech, no over-the-top language. It's just such a great balance. Well paced, keeping constant reader's interest and attention. I just could not put it down. Heart warming story, filled with history, adventure and philosophy of life.
I love dogs. But this is not just canine loyalty and fascination about them. This story is so much more. Friendship, family, life goals, decisions we all make in life.. every day. This book is a keeper.

Tomorrow follows the journey of a 217 year old dog who has followed his owner through the centuries

I feel that I was transported to another world with this book. At times, the dog was very human in behaviour but always brought back to being a canine.

I loved the concept and enjoyed the book, I felt at times it jumped around but this may have been because I had a little break. The book covers themes of how humans are hell bent on destroying themselves, the beauty of art and entertainment, family, friends. It is a very well written book and I would buy this as a gift for others. The cover depicted for this release really drew me to the book,

Thank you to NetGalley and Damien Dibben for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

Beautiful, such an unusual premise. Anything with a dog and I’m always sold. It did not disappoint.
Gorgeous novel, a wonderful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Personal Review: 3.75/5

Tomorrow was a dog whose master served as a chemyst in the early 1400s. The master was a lover of inventions as well as a humanitarian. At one point, both of them became immortal all thanks to the master's invention.

To be honest, I was having a hard time finishing this book because of how dragging it felt in the beginning. I was considering to not finish this book at all. It felt like the dog's narration was too descriptive and too human-like to my liking. It started off as if I was in a man's perspective, not a dog's.

However, it picked up in Chapter 5 when Tomorrow saw a man from his past. I was hooked immediately from that point on.

Along the way, I tried to make sense of why the dog felt more human than his companion, Sporco. After reading half way, it make sense to me because I have a dog at home and sometimes I felt like my dog actually can feel emotions. They are living things, anyhow.

There are a few storylines that I felt heart-wrenching and relatable. For example, we get glimpse of why Vilder, Valentyne's brother reacted such way; and it taught me that perhaps living a short-span of life isn't too bad. Immortality, at it's best, can only be appreciated if the things and the people you love are immortal themselves.

Towards the end, I shed a few tears because of how tragic some of the stories in this book was.

It was a medium-paced read, I reckon. So if you're into fast paced, I would not recommend this because you might get bored reading the first few chapters of this book.

However, if you enjoy a good descriptive read, this book might be for you.

This is a story about three immortal beings. A man, his nemesis, and the man's trusted dog. Our main character is the dog, and everything is from his perspective. Where the story begins is in Venice with the dog - waiting for his master after they got separated.

The pace is slow, and I found the writing style difficult for me to get into - and at the beginning, I had trouble following the story. This might be due to the fact that English isn't my first language. To me, the writing seemed very old fashioned. The story isn't told chronologically - it jumps between the present (which is at the beginning of the 1800s in the book) and flashbacks to the dog's time with his master. I do believe that these two factors are what made it difficult for me to get into the story with the old fashioned writing and jumping around in the timelines. Had I listened to this as an audiobook I might have gotten into the book quicker, since I was struggling there for a bit. However, even though I had a difficult time with the writing style, the story itself pulled on me.

Our MC - an intelligent; lovable; loyal; and at times a disdainful dog - is a good boi. He both admires and respects humans, but due to his immortality, he has also experienced some of the horrors that humanity is capable of. The biggest impact on him being war. MC's master is an alchemist of sorts and through flashbacks, we are told about their adventures together as well as the love and respect they share with each other. Throughout the story, we meet many interesting characters - both characters that have an impact on the MC himself, but also people that had an impact on the history of humanity. The master's nemesis, Vilder, is a looming shadow that follows us. Vilder is another immortal that used to be a companion of the master.

This is a sweet, adorable, and touching story - which both made me laugh and cry. I will definitely get this as an audiobook.

Who would like this book? People who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction.

The author of the History Keepers series has written another entertaining novel, this time aimed at older readers, but just as imaginative. Highly recommended, especially for people with an interest in history and dogs.

A rare breed.
It took me a few moments to realise that this was written from a dogs perspective, it read like the narrative of a lover., which indeed it was. Who knows what goes on in the minds of our dogs?
The travels of Vallentyne and tomorrow are far reaching and fascinating, his descriptions of Venice, its colours and buildings are glorious. The horrific portrayal of battles and their aftermath are horrific and chilling.
The basic goodness and desire to good for his fellow man pitted against the evil of Villier is obvious but covers up a lot of jealousy and bitterness.
Poor Tomorrow, his trials and loyalty are eventually rewarded. His longevity and experiences make him a king amongst his own kind.
The writing is thrilling and involving, although a long book it never falters in its outstanding use of language.
Thank you Damien and NetGalley.

This was an incredibly sweet, emotional, heartwarming, moving book.

Perfect combo for me (animals + historical fiction). I knew this one was just for me, because I love reading stories about animals, especially if, like this one, we follow it from the animal's perspective!

Tomorrow is the epitome of loyalty. In this story, you get an insight into loyalty, love, but the truest of the true kind. The unconditional love, you don't really see today, not as much anyways.

Don't expect that a story like this will leave your eyes dry. Make sure you grab a box of tissues, because this book has it's moments.

It's a slow burner, but I like slow burners. Gives me time to tie myself to the characters and really move through the story as they do.

I would highly recommend this one to all those who love reading about animals, pets, dogs, historical fiction, about the bond between a human and his pet.

Thank you to Damian Dibben and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the free review copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Tomorrow is an interesting story that tells the adventures of a 217-year-old dog and his long search for his lost owner. It is listed as a fantasy book, but I do not necessarily feel it will appeal to those who commonly read this genre, though some would enjoy it. Both the dog and his master Valentyne are irregular characters, eternal life spanning across centuries, the story flicks back and forth through time, exploring time in a way that is beautiful but bizarre from a dog's POV.

Though this book was a wonderful break from the standard books I usually consume, it wasn’t really my thing and I had to re-read several chapters/pages as I couldn’t get into the story. It’s a bit of a slow burn to get readers invested in the characters, I was flung into backstory/flashbacks way before I cared about the characters main story and the insight didn’t really make me care more either. It’s different, which doesn’t at all mean bad, but it’s not something I personally enjoyed reading.

Tomorrow is the story of a dog called Tomorrow and his master, Valentyne. This book is unique, in that it is written entirely from the dogs perspective. The two are immortal beings - they cannot die, but they can be killed. They have traveled the world together, and are inseparable. Until one day, his master vanishes. Tomorrow waits in the place he last saw his master for 127 years, until finally he smells it. A very faint scent, but it's his master's none the less. And so begins a journey to find him again, where an old enemy resurfaces and a new pack is formed. He has made and lost many friends over the years, and is determined to find his master alone - butSporco has other ideas. (I love Sporco)

I really struggled between 3 and 4 stars for "Tomorrow", because I enjoyed the second half much more than the first. The book flicks between two time periods - the past, in the 1600's, and the present, in the 1800's. In the first half, going between these two times didn't always seem to fit in well for me. There wasn't always a clear reason for going back to a certain memory right at that point. In the second half of the book however, this was resolved, and the time changes seemed to fit in a lot better. Maybe it just took me a little longer than usual to get into it!

What I did love was reading everything from a dogs perspective, and his relationships made me laugh and cry ("you were my life") more than once. Reading about Tomorrow and Valentyne's relationship, but from Tomorrow's perspective, was beautiful. It would not have been the same had Tomorrow been Valentyne's human companion. Having just adopted a dog myself, I may be biased!

I thought that the way the author wrote about history was full of imagery, and not necessarily through flowery language. I just found it easy to picture the buildings, places, and events, from the way they were written about.

And this version of the cover needs an honourary mention - it is beautiful!

This was a book I enjoyed (but wasn't wowed by), with some parts that I really enjoyed, and will probably read again at some point. I would recommend it based solely on it being written from a dog's perspective, because that alone makes it an interesting and heart-warming read.

*free publishers version provided through netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

A sweet book. As I saw the books cover, I just knew I had to read it and see what it was all about!

Champion the dog who has lived for 217 years and was then separated from his owner for 100 years and along the way he met others whom he made connections with, the story flits back and forth with memories drifting about, I really liked the book because it was about a animal and I love the story,

It's beautifully written, well written and the characters fleshed out nicely, that said it was a little too predictable in places and it did drag a little bit in the middle but aside from that, it was well worth the read and the time periods really did make it super interesting for me as well as the knowledge that master and pup would be reunited.

A good read overall.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like books that are written from the perspective of animals, especially dogs. It's always an interesting experience to discover how an author deals with that kind of perspective.
The book and story are beautiful. It mixes sad and terrible with heartwarming occurences. It is also written in two timelines. This does not always work for me in books but I have to admit in this one the story, the perception of immortality, it is needed. It does get a little long at times but all in all it was still beautiful and I'm glad I continued.
I have read other books by Damian Dibben and I have to admit, none of them have touched me as much as this one has.

NOVELS about dogs, as opposed to novels with dogs, come in many breeds. Perhaps the one that springs most readily to mind is London’s Call of the Wild, essentially a survivalist narrative that is only partially successful in persuading us of being focalised through canine eyes. It’s a great book about indomitability and survival but I’ve always felt that it never fully shakes off a humanistic perspective. Buck always seems like a man in human form.
Then there are more postmodern approaches like Bakis’s Lives of the Monster Dogs, where the dogs in question are at least in part functioning in the realm of literary device. The dogs are there to symbolise aspects of human thought, behaviour and culture. It’s more deliberate than in the London but it’s there nonetheless. There is the argument, of course, that it’s just not possible for a human author to capture the point of view of a canine protagonist — and even if they could they would be so unrelatable as to render the entire operation pointless — so what would be the point even bothering? My (probably) favourite dog-centred novel, Olaf Stapledon’s Sirius, is the only one that I’m aware of that even attempts to engage with these questions. And even then, the conclusions seems to be that Sirius, the dog given human-level intelligence and communicative skills, finds the experience so intolerable that he ultimately chooses death as a dog over life as a human.
Tomorrow doesn’t concern itself even remotely with such discussion but is no the worse for it. But then Tomorrow is a very special dog in the first place. If you’re being asked to buy into the concept of immortality conferred by a mysterious process perfected by Tomorrow’s owner then having the tale told from the point of view of a dog is hardly a major cognitive leap to make.
What you get instead is a century-spanning tale loyalty and betrayal that seems to fit into the same company as Matt Haig’s How To Stop Time and Claire North’s The Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It’s a compelling tale, well told and which grabs you from very early on. Tomorrow is a compelling protagonist; flawed, riven with doubt, often less than generous but ultimately heroic. He is not, it has to be said, particularly dog-like and there is nothing in the central plot of the novel that would have manifestly changed if Tomorrow had been, say, a human child searching for their parent.
Nonetheless, it’s an effective fantasy-thriller that conjures up its wide span of chronologies and settings with compelling detail, particularly in the battlefield sequences. Author Damien Dibben successfully evokes the various time periods and has a nice eye for historical, artistic and architectural detail that helps bring the setting alive. But it’s in story and character that this novel really excels. Tomorrow is a largely compelling protagonist and there are a number of scenes that are highly moving. The cruelty to which Tomorrow and his companion Sporco are subjected will evoke outrage, particularly if you’re a ‘dog person’ and there’s one major death scene that should certainly evoke at least a couple of tears.
But books of this kind live or die on the strength of their antagonist and Tomorrow has a highly effective one in Vilder, a ruthless individual, on the same quest as Tomorrow, to hunt down his vanished owner. Vilder is no moustache-twirling villain, although we do seem him commit crimes of the most bloodthirsty and vindictive cruelty throughout the book and he is certainly formidable and a character with whom we share Tomorrow’s wariness almost from his first introduction. But we can also understand his pain and his motivations much of the time and ther are points where our reactions are as conflicted, it seems, as Vilder’s.
The key theme of the novel is, of course, loyalty, which is no doubt why a dog has been chosen for the central protagonist. This is seen most explicitly in Tomorrow’s steadfast refusal to forget his master Valentyne, waiting for him, Greyfriars Bobby-like, over the centuries until they are finally reunited. But it is also present in Sporco’s attachment to Tomorrow as we see this louche, womanising chancer of a canine grow into a new seriousness and into a cause greater than his next meal or bitch. But we also see the dark side of such loyalty in Vilder’s attachment to his former love. His grudge against Valentyne, and by extension Tomorrow, is relatable to an extent and is, in fact, borne from a more extreme version of the impulses that have guided Tomorrow and Sporco throughout the novel.
The other theme this novel tackles is that of immortality — pretty inevitable for a story that spans two-hundred-odd years. When taken within the context of the other novels mentioned above, this seems to be something of a recurring literary preoccupation of the last few years. It is, of course, a long-standing human preoccupation anyway, from holy grails to vampires to various other ways to cheat death but it is interesting that it has been capturing the public imagination recently. All these books are, of course, pre-pandemic, which would have perhaps accounted for a heightened sensitivity to mortality but possibly there’s a wider argument here for a current desire to remove death as a framing mechanism for human experience and transform it into something under relative human control (from whatever supernatural source) or a phenomenon that ceases to have a direct impact on the stories we want to tell about ourselves. Is it perhaps another manifestation of a desire for invincibility (also seen in the current vogue for superhero narratives) that seeks to neutralise the insecurity of a rapidly changing world, to create an immunity to the terror of history.
Tomorrow doesn’t delve particularly deeply into these themes (although they are definitely present). Rather it contents itself with being a well-written, often thrilling but nonetheless thoughtful fantasy tale, built upon enduring themes of love, loyalty and loss, presenting these themes across a broad canvas of human history and society.

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I was totally captivated and spellbound. Utterly immersive escapist fantasy in the best possible way

Brilliant plot, impeccable twist. I really loved the characterisation too. 5 stars, favourite of the year.