Customer Reviews

The Golden Cat

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I give this book 5 stars, and I think it's much better than "The Wild Road," King's first book. It's not nerely as hard to stay interested to, and I particularly liked the focus on the character of Sealink, and how you learned a lot more about her origins. One thing that I found a little confusing is how the personalities of the characters changed, rather too abruptly into the second book to be realistic, Tag and Ragnar in particular. Other than that I found this book an interseting, enjoyable read, and much better and easier to follow than "The Wild Road".

It's obvious that Gabriel King has a great love and respect for the feline species, which positively purrs forth from his writing. Employing intense observational detail with moments of delightful comedy strong, King's clever prose in "The Golden Cat" will evoke a positive reaction from animal lovers everywhere. Admirably, King also explores and comments on animal cruelty throughout this part mystery/part fantasy tale. As a lover of cats, I found "The Golden Cat" to be a purrfect read.

I bought "The Wild Road" on a whim; I had read Tad Williams' "Tailchaser's Song" a few years ago, and wondered what it would be like to read a similar story by a more recent author. I was far from disappointed, and "The Golden Cat" exceeded my expectations, quickly becoming one of my personal favorite books of all time.

If there is one point to criticise, it would have to be the sometimes confusing narrative, which strays from the style many reader have come to expect. This, however, strengthens the story in my mind rather than weakens it. The characters are brilliantly presented, the plotline is strikingly complex, and the book makes you want to look for Wild Roads everywhere - I've already spotted a few in our own neighbourhood.

In short, anyone who's willing to stray from Fantasy norms and experience something different and wonderful, look no further!

The first book I read during a long event where I had lots of time to sit by myself. I'd read and read and read and then wonder, where is this going and when is he going to get to the point? But during the busier times that I wasn't reading, I kept finding myself thinking about the story... wanting to get back to the book and find out what came next.

The second book is paced better. I don't have problems with multiple subplots - switching points of view isn't a big deal for me. The writing and plot were both tighter, the conclusion satisfying.

Interestingly, I've noticed that nobody else has mentioned here in reviews the obvious: "Gabriel King" is not one person, folks. These two books were a collaboration between Jane Johnson and M. John Harrison, published under the name "Gabriel King."

I just finished reading The Golden Cat 20 minutes ago, and I must say, I thought it was as good as, if not better, than the first book, The Wild Road. Gabriel King's writing is outstanding, the plot is unique, and the characters are fully described without making the book long and boring. This book, along with the Wild Road, is a must-read for all animal lovers.

As with "Wild Road", couldn't put this one down till I'd finished it. Loved the reconciliation between what Majicou and the Alchemist represent, so at the end they could once more be just Isaac, and his cat Hobbe. Also loved the return of Mousebreath--although somehow I guess he lost his accent along the way (so we wouldn't know it was him). Another great character: Uroum Bashou, the Elephant (great name!)

One thing, though: both books kind of glamorize the lifestyle of feral cats and cast scorn on the pampered lives of housecats. This is where the anthropomorphizing creeps in (on little cat feet?); in real life, I'd say, housecats live by far the happier existence. But what do I know? Anyway, loved the book; very heartwarming.

THE GOLDEN CAT completes the story begun in THE WILD ROAD, and tells the tale of a young male cat's fantastic journey through several worlds and with a variety of cohorts to find the mystical Golden Cat whose powers are said to be the salvation of the world. Not a book for the extremely young, sensitive, or squeamish, THE GOLDEN CAT ultimately ends on a positive note, and is recommended for all who began the saga with its predecessor.

This is an excellent book. The storyline interweaves a cat lover's obsession with a mix of fantasy and mythology. The reader almost gets into the mind of the cats and sees through their eyes. I would definitely recommend this book.

A stunning sequel to a stunning debut. The characters in this one are equally as lovable. Anything that keeps me up as late as this one did is definately worth a read. There is not much I can actually say that hasn't been said before me, except, 'HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.'

I could feel the story evolving, and it made me cry several times. I could relate the story to my own cats, and how they act. I loved The Golden Cat.