Showing posts with label Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fiction. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 August 2024

CAT WINTER

Written by MOLLIE HUNT.  

    

A black cat, sprinkled with some snow, occupies the bottom half  and foreground of the cover. They sit in front of a snow covered woodland clearing with snow covered grey and black trunked trees behind. The title, Cat Winter, is written above in a chilly blue and white curly script. The authors name in capitals is along the bottom. To the left of the cat in the near foreground sits a Siamese-like cat. To the right of the black cat, and in the background sits another cat, possibly light tabby in colour. The cover has a very wintery feel due to the snow and black trees.

                                                                                   

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my weekend Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Adult Fiction from CWA member and prolific writer of cosy and less cosy mysteries and adventures, Mollie Hunt.

No rambling intro this week, so let's dive straight in to a chilly adventure where things very soon HOT up. . . . 

A black cat, sprinkled with some snow, occupies the bottom half  and foreground of the cover. They sit in front of a snow covered woodland clearing with snow covered grey and black trunked trees behind. The title, Cat Winter, is written above in a chilly blue and white curly script. The authors name in capitals is along the bottom. To the left of the cat in the near foreground sits a Siamese-like cat. To the right of the black cat, and in the background sits another cat, possibly light tabby in colour. The cover has a very wintery feel due to the snow and black trees.



AUTHOR:  MOLLIE HUNT

 

Cover art by:  Roslyn McFarland

 

Published by:  Independently published

 

Publication date Paperback:  19/12/2020

 

Paperback ISBN: 198 406 2247 


Cover price for Paperback:  £11.95 / $15


Kindle price: £4.73 / $5.99

 

Pages: 365

 

Age range:  Adult


Any dogs or cats? As this is Mollie, there are lots and lots of cats, with some human companions/cohabiters

 

 

SPOILER ALERT


Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to... 


I treated Mrs H to this as I was keen to see what happened next. So, unusually, it is Mrs H thanking me!  


As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

 

The plot


Our main protagonist is Slayter, an elegant and lithe black cat, who lives with another feline, Emma, in the home of their cohabiter human, Claire.


We also have Zaadkiel, an entity that had recently attained consciousness in the cosmic soup from which all life and planets began. In the beginning, we see how this entity changes over millennia, finally through curiosity reaching out across all of time and space to become informed. 


It is the eve of a new season, Spring, and snow is in the air and on the ground. But it is also a moment in time called the Winter Verus, a time when winter stops still, literally suspended, and things can no longer be measured in time as we recognise it. Snowflakes are frozen mid-air, and a deafening silence swallows all who tread this space. During this period, nine feline emissaries of the council can slip between the seconds to execute the Rectification of the Variants and put to right the human wrongs, at least those they can impact. In doing so, they reset existence for Earth and every creature hereon.  


The two cats head off on a mission; two of the nine cats chosen by a feline council to correct the wrongs that have happened. It is a given the wrongs or incidents that need correcting all involve humans. Incidents that, though seemingly trivial, if not corrected and the humans sent the right way, will lead to tragedy and travesty on a scale dangerous to all species and the planet. Simple choices that, when corrected, would stop an individual man from committing a second murder, which would have led to starting a dangerous cult, causing widespread death and fear.


Each of the nine cats chosen for this year's Verus has a connection to the events and humans that cause the variants. Each cat has come from afar and wouldn't, under normal circumstances, have worked in a group. They meet up, and after introduction, the adventure begins, but not without tensions evolving into blows. It is more than a quest and potentially far more perilous. 


When Slayter's task differs from the others, things take a turn for the worse. He arrives in a place and amongst people, scientists and cosmologists, he does not know. It seems that all he had to do was awaken one of the astronomers from his sleep. In doing so, the man sees something in the night sky far away that otherwise he would have missed. But Slayter senses something terrible, a shadowy malevolence lurking beyond sight and mind. It is the same evil that Zaadkiel, the star-chameleon entity deep within its black hole, could feel, too. It was a poison in the new world he had so very recently discovered. The entity knew this disease must be cut out.


Lost in a daydream about his strange task, Slayter catches up with the others to discover one of the cats has arrived at their scene to find the human they needed to help was dead. A husk that, on touching, disintegrated with a curdling scream into dust and a small ashen pellet.


It is thought to be a freak coincidence, yet, in this suspended between-seconds world, there is only one true answer – a murderer is running amok.


Fearful of what may have happened or will happen to Claire, Slayter and Emma rush home. It is from here on that Claire becomes involved. Slayter's fears over what is happening, the scientist, and the malevolence he feels cause him to reveal the cats' ability to speak, the task and the dangers. If anyone can help the cats, Slayter feels it is Claire, which, indeed, she can. Having contacted the scientist, the three head off to meet him.


Now, from here on in, things ramp up. The malevolence gets a name, in fact, two, the first being 'the Other'. It is intent on consuming all things on a galactic and dimensional scale. But he has found adoration among the tiny worthless inhabitants of one of the many planets he seeks to destroy. He will spare them as he is vain and loves the adoration. He loves to watch how, when he turns one of their number to dust, they praise him more. Yet, on the same planet, there is an irritation, a force that can harm him. The Other is aware of Zaadkiel, too, and seeks to destroy it, to suck out its energy. 


Zaadkiel needs help to remove the evil, which they realise they can't do themselves. Reaching out across time and space faster than light, it finds, or rather senses, an ally on Earth in the form of a small sentient being known as Slayter. 


And so Earth becomes the battleground for two mighty opposing forces. Primordial good and evil incarnate. It becomes a place where the fight to save everything from the moment of creation forward will transcend time, space, and even life itself. All actions have consequences, and Slayter and his newfound friends have only one chance to put right the biggest variant of all. They also have a whole new earth-bound enemy, too!


So, what did we think?


I was half expecting this to be an extension of the first-in-series and wasn't entirely sure what 'new' could be brought to a previous all-encompassing and seemingly complete story. And for a moment, in the opening chapters, it seemed I was right. I really needn't have worried, as soon enough, with obligatory character introductions and scene setting complete, we ventured where no reader has boldly gone before. The cast of felines, naturally enough, have more than an inkling as to what must be done. Thankfully, they, too, were unprepared. 


Like the best, and I do mean the best, sci-fi movies, we were enthralled by diving ever deeper and ultimately into an almost maelstrom of physical and astral planes through which our protagonists must travel. The text is rich, evocative, and full of terms that had Mrs H reaching for her science dictionary and brought added credence (though not needed for us) to the plot. 


We both, after trying to draw comparisons to works we already know, especially movies/TV, which many more will be familiar with than sci-fi fantasy books. We came up with four: Inception, Contact (by the late great Carl Sagan), Interstellar, and Quantum Leap. 


It is highly appealing that this book inhabits time and space, has earthy, earthly and unearthly characters, good and heinous, and has a spiritual flavour, something for everyone. And it does all that with so much aplomb. It became a seat-of-the-pants tale that was wholly satisfying. 


Fear not; this story isn't spaceships and warp-speed antics. Though those have their place, elsewhere, for those who need them. This tale found its feet for us when we ventured to an earlier and brutal human civilisation. 


I always hope to do a book justice without giving too much away. I can give away the fact that I just didn't see the end coming and that the build-up was intense, a volcano erupting tense. As I said, this is real seat-of-the-pants stuff.

 

So . . . .

Crunch time. 


Molly has taken cat adventures to a whole new level, and our reading has never been more exciting or rewarding. It's an all-around delight and deliciously satisfyingly different. Onwards to book 3! 


 

Want to buy a copy?


You don't have to transform into a feline to get a copy. Lovely though that would be, there is nowhere to carry change or credit cards. Just get yourself down to your local independent bookshop. Or order online. However or from wherever you buy, you support an independent author, fellow cat carer and member of the Cat Writers Association. 

 

Mollie Hunt's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://molliehuntcatwriter.com/

 

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this link to see Janet Blue's selfie page.

Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

I shall leave you with a selfie of me doing a spot of light loitering for tickles in the doorway.




🙂 🙂

Till laters!

ERin


Sunday, 3 March 2024

NOAH FRYE GETS CRUSHED

by Maggie Horne;  

                                                                                       



An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my weekend Book Review featuring this week an Middle Grade Adventure Fiction.
 

This week marks the start of a short break for us. Well, maybe it should be entitled a short sprain cum crushed knee joint but not break, as Mrs H hurt her knee. Trying, of all things, to pull the horse carriage across the sodden lawn to hard standing so it didn't sink into the mud. Mud which has been caused by torrential rain here in the village. And not the sort of floods caused by our neighbour leaving his lawn sprinkler on overnight. I told Mrs H that we have a horse for pulling the cart, and he, even though aged, is well used to getting soggy and muddy in the paddock. Personally, I think Mrs H was trying to prove she still has 'it'. What 'it' is, I suspect we'll never quite understand. What she now has, is a crushed knee. Oh well, at least now she's housebound, I can get some room service 23 hours a day.

And talking of crushed, but of a different kind, not that I know about such things, let's get on to this week's FAB new read. The path to younger love never seems so fraught, or entertaining, as this. We hope you'll enjoy . . .

 



AUTHOR:  Maggie Horne

 

Cover art by: TBA

 

Published by: Firefly Press

 

Publication date Paperback:   28 May 2024

 

 

Paperback ISBN: 978-1915 444 530

UK Cover price for Paperback:  £7.99


Kindle UK price: N/A

 

Pages: 297

 

Age range: Young Adult


Any dogs or cats? 


 

 

SPOILER ALERT



Some as to plot direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme at Firefly Press Independant Publishers for the privilege of getting to Read & Review this amazing follow up book from Maggie Horne book before publication.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, been given as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.


The plot

 

Twelve-year-old Canadian, Noah Frye, has just returned from her summer camp. Things have, however, changed in her friends, Luna and Zoey, since she was gone; they have discovered boys. Noah, who only teamed up with a girl at the camp called Jessa, feels left behind. A friend, after all, is not the same as a boyfriend, especially when the others conversations now revolve around how nice the boy is and kissing, or at least the promises of. Even introducing Jesse, who recently moved to Noah's school after her family came to town, to her friendship circle seems to go awry, as Jessa seems more popular than her. Noah decides she needs a boyfriend to have her first kiss and cuddle and thus remain actively engaged with her friends.

 

So, she tries, quite literally, through what she thinks are reasoned experiments to determine what is involved and if she can catch up. Picking on unsuspecting Archie, a boy from her school, she sets out to achieve results akin to those of her friends, and elder sister, Brighton. Archie's family have adopted Hank, a long-time resident dog from the shelter where Noah volunteers. Getting Archie involved seems the perfect way to get the data and, ultimately, the experience she needs and craves.

 

Noah has given herself a target to get her own boyfriend by. But her best-laid plans go awry when her PARENTS' home and garden renovating business starts to fail, caused by the arrival in the town of famous TV home makeover guru Brylee James and her Rural Makeover programme.

 

The resulting pinch on home finances means the open-door Halloween celebrations Noah's family holds yearly, a firm favourite of Luna and Zoey and all the other kids they know, won't be as glitzy as the other kids want. Noah fears her own popularity will suffer even more.

 

When, after a girls' sleepover at Noah's house, Jessa comes to the shelter with Noah, the whole dynamic of Noah's plan for Archie takes a tumble when, from inexperience in flirting, she insults him and hurts his feelings. So much so that the shelter's owner says that if she carries on, she will lose her job because of her bullying attitude. Jessa, quite reasonably, is confused by what she sees, mixed signals if you will, but ultimately tries to help Noah achieve her goal.

 

Now, because of all the ins and outs of this plot, the dynamics of Noah's family and the relationship between the friends, old and new and potential victims of Noah, I really can't say any more.

 

But as you might guess, things will need to, and do, go wrong so they can improve before we reach the end. You'll just have to read along to discover how things turn out for Noah, her family and friends. 

 


So, what did we think? 

 

We both loved how the young characters, friends and family interacted, the angst of figuring out life and the first steps to maturity, adulthood, friendship and, ultimately, love, irrespective of gender. 

 

Noah recounts her progress in a diary-like style. Each chapter has a heading and, beneath, bullet points of related matters, for example, things Noah likes, dislikes or wants to achieve.

 

Written most sensitively and wittily (despite our protagonist's misguided and sometimes blunt tactics) and told in the first person, Noah tries her best to navigate the changes within, and in her long-time friendship circle friends, Zoey and Luna, as the others discover boys and how to interact. 

 

What is quite clear for the reader, and I suspect deliberately so in a beautifully choreographed way, is a road map to understanding a broad range of emotions and oneself. Not everything in life is clear-cut. Friendships consist of more than just one thing. They can withstand many challenges if we take the time to understand our own feelings and those of the surrounding people. And why should these things be difficult, facts and advice obscured by others in an age of enlightenment?

 

The additional dynamics of a new girl, Jessa, Noah's parents' business problems, and Brylee James make this entire story so very compelling. For extra fun, Noah's parents rescue pugs, and have far too many around the house adding to the chaos of everyday life.

 

The twists and turns kept coming and kept us guessing, gasping and giggling. We were never entirely sure where we would end up with this read, which is why we loved it so. The final chapters are telling and appreciative of the situations portrayed and life. 

 

Writing at its very best, dealing with subjects for the young teenager in a form that is neither patronising nor slanted. Maggie Horne has created another go-to piece of literature for all ages that will help inform, entertain, and make a more tolerant society. 


Crunch time. 

 

An essential, balanced, unputdownable read and a rollercoaster ride of fun, tears, discovery, misunderstandings and friendship that is right here and now for younger readers and a recommendable read for all.


Want to buy a copy?

 

To get a copy, please sail or saunter down to your local independent bookshop and place a pre-order/ order. 

 

Maggie Horne's Author page at Firefly press can be found HERE or type this: https://fireflypress.co.uk/authors/maggie-horne/

 

Firefly Press's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://fireflypress.co.uk

 

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America.

Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

I shall leave you with a selfie entitled: Are you sure??? 🙂 🙂


 

 

Till laters!

ERin