Customer Reviews

Ratha's Courage

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

 

 

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of 'Ratha's Courage' and hope I can do it justice with my review! Clare Bell has been in hiding for many years now, but she has finally come back to her fans with "Ratha's Courage". It picks up where "Ratha and Thistle-Chaser" left off, furthering the tenuous relationship between the Named and the communal followers of True-of-Voice. I was awed by the amazing twist the story took towards the end as the lines of friend and foe blurred into something altogether new and different. Ratha continues to mature as leader of her tribe of fire-wielding talking cats. Ms. Bell's time away from the unique feline world she gave us has not lessened her familiarity with the personalities of the individuals (most noteably Thakur, Fessran and especially Ratha herself) integral to the story line, and the continuity is fantastic - no plot holes here! The story line is somewhat more sophisticated than the original 'Ratha's Creature', and would probably be hard for young (under 8 or so) readers to follow, but any pre-teen or 'young adult' should be able to catch on with ease. As with all the books, there are some sexual overtones parents may want to watch for.
'Ratha's Courage' was definitely worth the wait, and hopefully there will be another adventure of the Named waiting in the wings.

Despite the 13-year time gap between the writing of "Ratha's Challenge" and this, "Ratha's Courage" does an excellent job of keeping the characters' personalities intact, evolving lesser characters, and introducing new ones, all while carrying you through an exciting and highly original plot. Probably due to the influence of more modern styles of writing, Clare Bell's writing voice has changed a bit, but not at all for the worse. I enjoyed this just as much as the others in the series and I hope she writes another book soon, be it about Ratha or something else.
Here I offer a maturity warning. It's nothing graphic at all, but if you're sensitive to slight sexual themes then you might want to stay away. They play a major part in said 'highly original plot'. Not in a bad way, but I just want to warn wary readers.

I was also fortunate enough to recieve an advance copy of Ratha's Courage. It is amazing how vibrant and alive Bell's characters continue to be after all this time has passed between her last wonderful Ratha novel (Ratha's Challenge) and this worthy successor. Time has in no way dimmed Bell's skill as a writer and Courage delivers in every way possible.

I may be getting ahead of myself here but I can't wait for the next installment of The Named series. Through the power of Clare Bell's writing you end up caring about Ratha and her clan that much...5 Stars.

:)Steve Sikes-Nova
Educator, Audio Journalist, Music PR
Tidewater, Virginia, USA

It has taken me quite a while to get around to reading this book, including many years plus a rediscovery (and thus rereading) of the rest of the series.

Even so, Clare Bell did wise in resurrecting the series and adding an entirely new gem that rivals the other books.

This installment is more romantic, sexier, and more daring than the others, while still maintaining that wonderful prehistoric fantasy feeling that made the others so marvelous.

In an effort to create an alliance with the Hunters, another group of sentient cats, Ratha decides to teach them about fire. However, things go awry, leading into all-out war and emotional terror.

The writing is smart, strong, and full of passion. Characters develop further than ever and the action is amazing.

Now I wonder if Ms. Bell would dare write another...

After a thirteen-year hiatus, Clare Bell returns with RATHA'S COURAGE, the fifth book in THE NAMED series.

The story is about a clan of prehistoric cats that are working toward making a civilization. Ratha, the clan leader, knows the gift of fire and decides to share it with another, different civilization of the "face-tails", which is a clan of mammoth and mastodon hunting cats.

But her courage to reach out to another group might bring the downfall of her own clan.

Bell writes an interesting story that takes the reader into another world where cats rule and try to become more civilized. The reader goes through the story with Ratha, facing every challenge along with her. This book is an excellent addition to THE NAMED series.

Reviewed by: Steph

I remember reading Ratha's Creature and Clan Ground at a very young age. I was enthralled by the world of the Named and read my copies so often they eventually fell apart. What intrigued me was the emotional impact and the sense that this community was evolving in a very realistic way. I thought the author did a wonderful job of describing the culture without overdoing things- there was plenty left to the imagination. In those early books the focus was on the characters, not their species or the period of time in which they lived.

Unfortunately, I do feel that some of the early magic has been lost. The focus seems to have switched to introducing new prehistoric animals and describing them at length. In Ratha's Creature I was never sure if the main characters were cats or wolves and it didn't effect my enjoyment of the story at all. It didn't matter what era of prehistory they existed in. More and more fantasy elements have been added as well, removing that sense of realism. The "lessons" are also presented more heavily, although I do enjoy that are still morally gray areas to consider rather than simple right or wrong. I also find that certain circumstances feel very forced, with characters finding each other after long separation not once but twice (at least it is implied that a new lost character has been found). The world is very large, but Ratha always seem to be in the right place at the right time for this type of thing.

I don't normally review books here, but I loved the first two in the series so much that I felt compelled to point out what I view as some important differences in these later editions. I don't think Ratha's Courage is a badly written book by any means, but do feel it lacks the emotional drama that I remember so well.

Culture Clash is always a problem when two peoples meet for the first time. "Ratha's Courage" is the fifth book in the Named series of Fantasy novels. Ratha is faced with her clan's encounter with a new group of hunters who depending on how diplomacy goes, may soon be an enemy if she doesn't watch her step and her words. Offering a solid moral lesson as well as entertainment, "Ratha's Courage" is a solid fantasy pick for young adult readers.