The Last: Endling #1

Endling: The Last is a novel by best-selling children’s author Katherine Applegate. This novel is the first in a three-part series that follows Byx, a dairne—a dog-like creature that walks and speaks like a human—and the ragtag group of companions she gathers around herself. Byx’s pack is killed by the Murdano’s—the king—soldiers. Byx is rescued by Khara, a human who recognizes her importance as a member of a rare, governing species. Khara takes Byx and her new friend, a wobbyk named Tobble, to a scholar whom Khara hopes can help Byx. However, they arrive just in time to discover that dairnes have been declared extinct. Endling: The Last is followed by The First and The Only.

Other works by this author include The One and Only Family, Odder, The One and Only Ruby, and Home of the Brave.

This study guide refers to the Kindle e-book published in 2018 by HarperCollins e-books.

Plot Summary

Byx is a young dairne—a dog-like creature who has the innate ability to tell truth from lies. One day, Byx has trouble sleeping, so she slips outside the mirabear hive—a large wasp-like hive that serves as the home for her entire pack.