Post by Rolo on Oct 13, 2012 8:42:32 GMT -6
So, I mentioned on the c-box the other day about a book very similar to Warriors. This book, I will eternally argue, is a far better quality book than Warriors in about every way imaginable.
Now, you'll have to forgive me in that it's been a long long LONG time since I read the book. It was at least 5 years ago now. But I read it twice, and I remember it vividly. But still, there may be a few bits of misinformation here.
Written by the author of The Animals of Farthing Wood, Colin Dann wrote a series based off feral cats. This series takes a far more realistic view on the whole thing, with a single clowder run by the strongest and most aggressive male (who has greater breeding rights as a result). There's no mystical undertones at all, it's simply a grim depiction of survival in the wild. To anyone who has read the Animals of Farthing Wood, you should know that Dann doesn't shy away from death or suffering, and this book is no exception.
Like Warriors, the story follows a cat named Sammy's journey from being a house cat to a feral cat. Sammy's character is a little bland, but luckily he has both good motivation and he changes as he goes through the book. But he's ugly. YES, AN UGLY PROTAGONIST. But yeah, in this book, it's a stated fact that Sammy's father is a feral cat, and it's his desire to meet him that drives him to 'The Quartermile field', where the ferals live.
Oh, so like Warriors.
But nope, Sammy's integration into the life of a feral cat isn't that easy, and he isn't welcomed into the fold like Rusty is. Nope, in fact, the first time he meets a feral cat, the feral cat /uses/ him. Sammy, drawn to the idea of fresh prey, is duped into making a deal where he will give some of his petfood in exchange for some wild food. In this universe, instead of being seen as bland, petfood is seen as gormet and very desirable, and the feral cats will take any opportunity to eat it. The feral cat (which changes every night) gives him but a mouse, which is hardly enough to fill his stomach. After several nights of this deal, Sammy realises he's got a raw deal, and is excessively embarrassed. And so, we're treated to the deceptive, out-for-themselves nature that feral cats have very early on.
When Sammy finally ventures into the Quartermile field, he quite seriously has to fend for himself. And none of the cats respect him. In fact, I believe some bully him horribly, and he has to prove himself before he gets any kind of respect (in a really unusual way, which I won't spoil). He is also introduced to the idea that, if he doesn't catch a meal, he will go hungry.
In fact, he suffers terribly. At one point during the book, he is reduced to hanging out with a lame cat who is unable to catch his own prey, begging around the human areas. This is seen as the lowest you can possibly get, and he gets little respect in that position.
In addition, he attempts to go home at some point, and he realises that his very nature has changed so fundamentally that he can never be a housecat again. And this twist is seriously well done and hard-hitting, so I won't spoil that either.
In addition, the characters a vivid and mostly grim. And shaped by real feline behaviour also.
Brute, the leader of the clowder, is the typical dominant male. A tyrant, a bully. He has top breeding rights, and he's also a roving male. He has several females to himself, including a beautiful female called Pinky. In addition, he doesn't join the daily hunt, he simply muscles in on someone else's kill and takes it from them, and they simply have to accept it.
Pinky is awesome. After looking at the queens in Warriors, you'd get the feeling that they were all passive, soft-natured and incapable cats. Not Pinky. Pinky is a bitch. She isn't paired with Brute out of love, but because he's the strongest, and she selects him. She's a strong female, and quite opinionated.
Stella, Sammy's mother, is also great. An older female, she employs 'tough love' and has a sense of 'seen it all before' to her. She's an interesting character, and the opposite of a doting mother. But she's dutiful and strong regardless.
I don't remember his name, but there was also a straggly, ugly limp cat that Sammy befriends... who I remember was quite a character. He was my favourite. He was the one who was consigned to begging for food from the humans, or he would perish otherwise.
But yeah, the book is incredibly recommended, I'm pretty sure all of you would love it :3 So much better researched and a nicer book overall. It only had limited prints, though, so you'll have to buy it second hand from places like Amazon.
However, you can get it as a google Ebook for 3.99 here.
You can also see a preview of the first 3 chapters here
Now, you'll have to forgive me in that it's been a long long LONG time since I read the book. It was at least 5 years ago now. But I read it twice, and I remember it vividly. But still, there may be a few bits of misinformation here.
Written by the author of The Animals of Farthing Wood, Colin Dann wrote a series based off feral cats. This series takes a far more realistic view on the whole thing, with a single clowder run by the strongest and most aggressive male (who has greater breeding rights as a result). There's no mystical undertones at all, it's simply a grim depiction of survival in the wild. To anyone who has read the Animals of Farthing Wood, you should know that Dann doesn't shy away from death or suffering, and this book is no exception.
Like Warriors, the story follows a cat named Sammy's journey from being a house cat to a feral cat. Sammy's character is a little bland, but luckily he has both good motivation and he changes as he goes through the book. But he's ugly. YES, AN UGLY PROTAGONIST. But yeah, in this book, it's a stated fact that Sammy's father is a feral cat, and it's his desire to meet him that drives him to 'The Quartermile field', where the ferals live.
Oh, so like Warriors.
But nope, Sammy's integration into the life of a feral cat isn't that easy, and he isn't welcomed into the fold like Rusty is. Nope, in fact, the first time he meets a feral cat, the feral cat /uses/ him. Sammy, drawn to the idea of fresh prey, is duped into making a deal where he will give some of his petfood in exchange for some wild food. In this universe, instead of being seen as bland, petfood is seen as gormet and very desirable, and the feral cats will take any opportunity to eat it. The feral cat (which changes every night) gives him but a mouse, which is hardly enough to fill his stomach. After several nights of this deal, Sammy realises he's got a raw deal, and is excessively embarrassed. And so, we're treated to the deceptive, out-for-themselves nature that feral cats have very early on.
When Sammy finally ventures into the Quartermile field, he quite seriously has to fend for himself. And none of the cats respect him. In fact, I believe some bully him horribly, and he has to prove himself before he gets any kind of respect (in a really unusual way, which I won't spoil). He is also introduced to the idea that, if he doesn't catch a meal, he will go hungry.
In fact, he suffers terribly. At one point during the book, he is reduced to hanging out with a lame cat who is unable to catch his own prey, begging around the human areas. This is seen as the lowest you can possibly get, and he gets little respect in that position.
In addition, he attempts to go home at some point, and he realises that his very nature has changed so fundamentally that he can never be a housecat again. And this twist is seriously well done and hard-hitting, so I won't spoil that either.
In addition, the characters a vivid and mostly grim. And shaped by real feline behaviour also.
Brute, the leader of the clowder, is the typical dominant male. A tyrant, a bully. He has top breeding rights, and he's also a roving male. He has several females to himself, including a beautiful female called Pinky. In addition, he doesn't join the daily hunt, he simply muscles in on someone else's kill and takes it from them, and they simply have to accept it.
Pinky is awesome. After looking at the queens in Warriors, you'd get the feeling that they were all passive, soft-natured and incapable cats. Not Pinky. Pinky is a bitch. She isn't paired with Brute out of love, but because he's the strongest, and she selects him. She's a strong female, and quite opinionated.
Stella, Sammy's mother, is also great. An older female, she employs 'tough love' and has a sense of 'seen it all before' to her. She's an interesting character, and the opposite of a doting mother. But she's dutiful and strong regardless.
I don't remember his name, but there was also a straggly, ugly limp cat that Sammy befriends... who I remember was quite a character. He was my favourite. He was the one who was consigned to begging for food from the humans, or he would perish otherwise.
But yeah, the book is incredibly recommended, I'm pretty sure all of you would love it :3 So much better researched and a nicer book overall. It only had limited prints, though, so you'll have to buy it second hand from places like Amazon.
However, you can get it as a google Ebook for 3.99 here.
You can also see a preview of the first 3 chapters here
