Customer Reviews

The Blood Jaguar (Tor Fantasy)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We have all read the same story before (over and over again) -- small band of plucky heroes must travel long distances to overcome powerful bad guy. It's been done best in the "Lord of the Rings" series and countless times since. You can describe the plot in your sleep. I always enjoy books that take this approach and set it on it's ear (and I'm not talking about a "Bored of the Rings", I mean a real reworking of the plot). "Villains by Necessity" is a wonderful example of what I'm talking about, and so is "The Blood Jaguar". The principles of the story (Skink, Fisher and Bobcat) have only the vaguest clue what's going on, and Bobcat not even that. They aren't guided by any prophecy (at least overtly), they aren't "pure", they're just muddling along trying to save the world. Add to this a really nifty world set up (talking self-aware animals, reminds me of the "Spellsinger" series) and characters that you really care about (no large ensemble casts to confuse you) and you've got a funny, clever book that is very easy to read. I hope Mr. Payne will write more about this universe.

Every so often you find a rare surprise. That first novel that captures the imagination and holds it from cover to cover. Michael H. Payne's _The Blood Jaguar_ is just such a book. He's created a rich world of possibilities, a North America on an Earth where man never arose and the other animals did, with their lives guided by the twelve Curials. The trio of heroes, Bobcat, Skink and Fisher, are all fully realized characters whom you really feel for as they take a remarkable journey to stop the thirteeth Curial, the Blood Jaguar, from unleasing her Plague Year. Here's hoping Payne takes us back to their world for further stories.

When I bought "The Blood Jaguar" I was not sure what to expect (paperback ed.) The cover was enough to hook my interest, and as soon as I opened the book I couldn't put it down. The moral, psychological, theological and fantastical situations that Bobcat, Skink, and Fisher find themselves in are thought-provoking. The 'gods' in the story have many burdens which have been layed out before them, especially the Blood Jaguar. Bobcat's confrontation with her is poignant and ironic. I hope that you'll find the ending satisfying, and I relate to another reviewer in saying that the book ended too quickly. I want more! Thanks, Michael H. Payne.

This is a wonderful telling of the classic mythic quest. Like all great journeys, it is as much about self-discovery as acheivement of the ultimate goal. The Blood Jaguar is a book that appeals to a wide range of people, from parents to kids. The characterizations are fantastic; the Bobcat and Skink and friends were more "real" to me than many human-type characters I've encountered elsewhere. I eagerly await Mr. Payne's next work.

Have you ever looked at an animal and known what it was thinking? Then a moment later you shrug and laugh at yourself for anthropomorphizing? Suppose you're not. Suppose your cat really is an irreverant catnip junky snoozing through his potential.

In Michael Payne's debut novel "The Blood Jaguar", Bobcat is exactly that. Bobcat's cohorts are equally real and equally flawed in their own ways. And, just like your house cat, Bobcat and his companions are precious and dear.

I found Mr. Payne's book to be involving, his world to be clever and original, but what I liked best about this book is the characters. They are willing to do what they must if only they knew just what that was. They shine...pretty impressive for fuzzy animals.

I can strongly recommend The Blood Jaguar. It is a gem. I hope to see a lot more of Michael Payne's work in the future.

One of the best books I've read this year - I'll be disappointed if this book goes out of print too soon. As other reviewers here have said, it is the characters that make this book - they are flawed, quirky, and mismatched, yet so likeable and such a joy to read about. Anyone old enough to read the Redwall books or The Chronicles of Narnia should be able to enjoy "The Blood Jaguar", but there is plenty here that adult readers will appreciate. For example, while not overtly comedic, there are some humorous twists on a few cliches from the fantasy genre.

Payne has very good writing style. Some books pile on the colorful, descriptive phraesology until it's like trying to eat a dessert so rich it's hard to finish, but "The Blood Jaguar" provides just the right amount (or perhaps the right type) to enhance the reading experience.

My biggest complaint about the book is that it was too short. Maybe the author has more stories forthcoming to address that situation. I hope so!

It's just very refreshing to find a good book like this. I haven't had much luck recently in locating books good enough to warrant actually finishing them.

Brains and eggs, I say, brains and eggs. What a magnificant read. Now I've got another book to read to my daughter! This book is so good on so many levels, I have found myself returning to it again and again. So many questions, I can only hope that Mr. Payne will continue to grace us with more from his fantastic fury animal world. So did Bobcat sell his soul? You read it, and tell me.

The plot has a lot of Tolkien-esque flavor to it...A small group of folkare thrown together to go on a quest to meet an uncertain fate at the end of their journey. It's a very standard form of fantasy adventure. What really makes The Blood Jaguar stand out is the characterization put into it. Bobcat is semi-recovered catnip addict and often self-proclaimed idiot, who's thrust quite unwillingly into the whole adventure. Fisher is a know-it-all, sarcastic shaman whose opinion of Bobcat is low indeed. And Skink is a follower of the Curial Lord Eft, and is given to long, academic discourses about the folklore of the Curial Lords. The interaction between this unlikely group is a joy to read.

Payne's world itself if often quite interesting, and sometimes perplexing. It's quite clear that we're dealing with non-morphic animals; animals that still walk on four legs, but still manipulate objects and build cities and a simple civilization. Fisher displays an awfully current awareness of star formation at a rather amusing time. Yet, they don't have any mechanical power; a neat demonstration of this is the otter-powered caravan the travellers encounter.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Hopefully, this isn't the last we'll see of Michael Payne.

I grabbed this book off the "used" shelf simply because it was A) about furs, and B) cheap. Upon reading it, I discovered that I would have enjoyed it if the characters were human and I'd paid full price. The way the story was set up fascinated me, especially the idea that it had all happened before. I enjoyed the "impossible tasks" set before the heroes and the way everything was acknowledged as part of a complete story. The Curials, however, were the most fascinating part. The gods are equally as human as the mortal creatures they preside over.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, furry fan or not.