The Wild Road [Mass Market Paperback]

Gabriel King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

In the grand storytelling style of Watership Down and Tailchaser's Song comes an epic tale of adventure and danger, of heroism against insurmountable odds, and of love and comradeship among extraordinary animals who must brave The Wild Road . . .

Secure in a world of privilege and comfort, the kitten Tag is happy as a pampered house pet--until the dreams come. Dreams that pour into his safe, snug world from the wise old cat Majicou: hazy images of travel along the magical highways of the animals, of a mission, and of a terrible responsibility that will fall on young Tag. Armed with the cryptic message that he must bring the King and Queen of cats to Tintagel before the spring equinox, Tag ventures outside. Meanwhile, an evil human known only as the Alchemist doggedly hunts the Queen for his own ghastly ends. And if the Alchemist captures her, the world will never be safe again . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When a runaway kitten named Tag meets a mysterious black cat named Majicou in his dreams, he learns he is destined for bigger things. Called by Majicou, Tag enters the Wild Road, a magical highway known only to the animals, and learns that he is needed to find the King and Queen of cats and bring them safely to Tintagel. When Tag accepts the quest, he has no idea of the long and dangerous road he's begun. Prophecy says this Queen of cats, latest in a long line of feline royalty bred by a dastardly human scientist called the Alchemist, will give birth to the Golden Cat, the key to riches and power. As if the threat of capture by the Alchemist weren't enough, Tag has his paws full just finding the Queen and protecting her from the dangers of the outside world. Fortunately, he has the help of allies like the Maine Coon cat Seaklink and scarred old veteran Mousebreath, as well as a fox named Loves A Dustbin and a crafty magpie called One For Sorrow. King's parade of animal characters is presented with a keen eye for the details of animal behavior. The cast may prove a bit too precious for general fantasy readers, but cat lovers and fans of anthropomorphic fantasies such as Tailchaser's Song are guaranteed to enjoy this London-based author's enchanting debut.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA?This book promises readers a fine fantasy, but delivers much more?an epic and emotionally powerful story of animals, humans, and the ethics of their coexistence. A frame tale relates the spiritual traditions of cats and the history of their relationship with humans. The Wild Road of the title is a dimension containing the memories of all animals that have gone before. An evil sorcerer has tortured cats for many lifetimes in a quest to harness the power of the Wild Road and now, as a modern scientist, he is on the verge of succeeding. With a masterful use of language and plotting, King gradually reveals the true identity of the sorcerer and the great humor, love, and resilience of the small creatures destined to oppose him. Descriptions of felines suffering in human hands are graphic and horrible, but true to life; this is a war. Yet readers will find comfort in the wisdom the characters gain and the joy they find in life despite the evil they must fight. Like J. R. R. Tolkien, King creates humble and ordinary beings who undergo great trials, find extraordinary courage, and fight the good fight against impossible odds. Like Richard Adams, King breathes life into a rich and varied cast of creatures who talk, yet remain true to their animal natures. For teens who have appreciated other books that evoke a greater universe than that described by consensual reality, The Wild Road should be equally well loved and remembered.?Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 460 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345423038
• ISBN-13: 978-0345423030
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #794,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much better than I expected!, December 10, 1999

By 

K. Freeman (Apple Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wild Road (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up this book expecting it to be sentimental and silly. I was very pleasantly surprised. Firstly, the author uses language beautifully, and has a keen eye for animal behavior. Secondly, the plot and characters are refreshingly original -- while reminiscent of Adams' excellent The Plague Dogs, the book resembles Tailchaser's Song (which I didn't like) rather little, and I'm not sure what the reviewer was thinking who made the connection with Gallico's book. If I have a criticism, it's that the villain ( so far -- I'm not quite done with the book) has a nebulous, confusing quality which makes him less than purely terrifying. Overall, this is an excellent fantasy, very much intended for intelligent adults.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, January 16, 2000

By 

Tanya - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wild Road (Hardcover)

Wonderful, amazing, fantasitic... Right away, this book became one of my favorites. It was adventurous and fun, and I couldn't put it down. I guess one of The Wild Road's secrets is that you fall in love with the characters from the first chapter and from then on you're eager to see what's going to happen next. The plot is very exciting and isn't like anything I read ever before. Being a cat lover, I cannot wish for a better book, because not only is it a very interesting story, it also present the reader with a problem of the cruel treatment of animals in labs. I recomment The Wild Road to all cat lovers! I have re-read it a couple of times, and each time it gets my interest from the first word, and keeps it to the last. Purrrs!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A personal favorite, but not for everyone., January 27, 2007

By 

Ren (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wild Road (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading some of the reviews on this page, I felt compelled to write one myself. I own the Wild Road as well as the Golden Cat, and read both when I was still a young student in highschool. I enjoyed the Wild Road especially but found the plot a tad convoluted and confusing, both due to the author's writing style, and the puzzling and fantastical qualities of the subject matter in general. Upon reading it at a later date a second time, I was able to appreciate it much more thoroughly, picking up on subtle nuances in the writing that made it a much more understandable read; it has since become among my favorite books.
However, it is not to be mistaken as kin to Tailchaser's Song, Watership Down, The Sight, or other animal epics; if you expect to read a book of those sorts, you will probably be dissapointed. The Wild Road and The Golden Cat alike are first fantasty, and secondly animal epic; you must be open to some extremely outlandish concepts traditionally only found in the realm of fantasy and sci-fi novels to enjoy this book. It deviates vastly from the very natural, organic approach most animal epics take, delving deep into the mysticism and allegory that are usually only found as small underlying currents in the genre.
Furthermore, the author of this book was clearly an animal welfarist (or even animal rights activist), as evinced be re-occuring motif of man's cruelty. Starving strays, tortured victims of vivisection, and similar themes dominate both books. This may be difficult for sensitive animal lovers and irritating to those who will percieve this as "PETA propoganda." I personally think that the element of graphic violence brutality gave the book more weight, but many found it gratuitous or offensive.
In short, this book is a fantastic read if you can keep an open mind and enjoy it for the writing and particularly the fantastic characters, but if any of the above comments have made you think twice, trust you SECOND instinct and pass it by. It is certainly not a book for everyone.