The Catswold Portal

I read this book once a long time ago, and later on asked for a copy for Christmas. It was no less better the second time around. If you love cats, you WILL love this book.

One thing I loved was the idea that magic and science were restrained to their respective worlds - so that someone with guns and technology couldn't take over Affandar, and a skilled magician couldn't take over our world - making for a wonderfully plausible book that has a mixture of magic and science. I also liked the subtle way that magic and science could bleed into one another, like being able to perform small spells into this world, or importing objects from this world (such as wine) into the other world.

The story's interesting from the first page, and bit by bit show more you see the full story reveal itself as Melissa's significance is revealed. The character of Siddonie is also fascinating even though she is the villain, and I was feeling sorry for her son until it was revealed that he hated cats and liked to torture them (good thing he got a whooping when one of Melissa's friends caught him)

Personally, I'm iffy on the whole 'power in a image thing'. Not that it's not a plausible plot device, but at the same time it simply didn't make sense to me. Still, this is a solid and entertaining read, and a must for any cat-lover. 4.5.5 stars. show less

This one starts out a bit weak, but once it picks up enough momentum it's quite good, especially if you like cats, fantasy adventures, and books about overthrowing an evil tyrant.

Murphy does a nice job of telling a very intriguing story with a very imaginative history of cats. However, if you're a serious fantasy reader in the likes of Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, and David Eddings, this book may not be for you. Murphy's previous work as a children's author definitely shows at times during the book with short, choppy chapters along with trying too hard to write for an adult audience by incorporating sex and a couple curse words into the mix. That being said, she did a great job in adjusting to a new audience.

SRM is very hit or miss for me. I think she does better in the short form, and maybe in juvenile. Between how I was not enjoying this, and the particular reasons other folks stated they disliked (or liked!) this, I just gave up, I don't remember how far in but somewhere near p. 50 I imagine.

Very enjoyable. Melissa is very likeable character and Siddonie is a very bad baddie.

One star off for the Sausalito gaffe.

A different cat story. A great quest.