In this unusual fantasy, nearly all characters are cats. The main characters start as litter mates and pursue different lives; we see that cats can be boatswains, and many other jobs in this world with organisation and commerce. But in their land, the cats agree not to kill and eat prey. This might explain why some of them tease other cats, instead.

I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just say that the book might be suitable for anyone from nine or ten, as long as they understand it's relatively long; and teens should get on fine with the read. Good vocabulary and nice descriptions. And cats. Definitely cats.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

A bit slow read, but thinking kids and cat lovers won't much care! It's a fun fantasy story about a world of cats. I am disappointed that I hadn't read the first book first, but, as it turns out, this was my intro to the series. I think it can be read as a standalone. I still want to get the first book!

I loved this book. If you like cats and fantasy, this is the book for you. This is the first book by Susha Golomb I've read but it won't be the last. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Momentum for this book built slowly, possibly because of world-building and a formal writing-style, but altogether I found it an enjoyable read that set my interest for later books. I might recommend this book to niche-readers who enjoy stories set around animal societies — maybe readers of Erin Hunter’s Warriors or or Deborah Grabien’s Dark’s Tale.