My son really wanted to love this book, but he felt that the story was a bit slow paced and had a really hard time maintaining interest. He was really looking forward to this book it had cats and ninjas, two things he really likes.

thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the Squirrel Squire and was excited to see the second installment was a cat ninja - what’s more fun than that?? And I truly did enjoy the character of Miko. But, I felt like this one lacked in details, glossed over major plot points, and simply told the reader what to believe without any proof…plus that ending just turned everything the reader had been told on its head with no hint of a sequel coming! Overall, I think the young readers that this book is geared towards will love it, but as a seasoned reader it lacked finesse in my opinion.

I wanted to like this book so much but it was so slow going. For a book for younger kids I always expect the pace to go quickly to keep kids interested and this was very clearly by an adult who does not know what kids like. I couldn't get through it for how bogged down it was in unnecessary details, I can't imagine kids liking it any better.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Cat Ninja is the second in the series of Fantastic Tails Adventures series. Mr. DeLeo has a gift of creating delightful and exciting scenes that are perfect for readers of all ages. It has the right balance of adventure and emotion to keep even reluctant readers engaged. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Spoiler warning. This was the first book I read by Eric DeLeo and it was so good. It us cute enough and mature enough for a middle grader to read. I loved the descriptions of Miko and the teahouse where she lived. I felt so very bad for her that her mom had died and she blamed herself for it. I was also so so happy that she found out her brother is still alive. I also couldn't believe that Kobayashi was working with the Barkuza to steal the puppies. Sukoshi also made me laugh because he was always hungry or thinking about food. I'm going Mr. DeLeo brings out a second part to this book so we can see if Miko finds her brother.

My son loved it when I read this one to him. Very fun and right up his alley! Can't wait to read another one with the same character!

This is book two of a series but can also be read as a standalone. This MG series follows Miko, the cat Ninja, and her companion, Sukoshi. A fantastic cast of characters is sure to leave every reader cheering for someone. Can't wait for the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley and Erik DeLeo for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

This is the second book in a series but can also stand alone. I enjoyed this enough to seek out the first (Squirrel Squire) and wait for the third (Owl Apprentice.) Plenty of Japanese terms for true Ninja fans. Exciting fight scenes. Fun to read!

When I chose this middle grade book, I was looking for something different from what I had been reading this month, which was a lot of adult books. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t say that I loved it. Miko is a cat who is trained as a ninja and even carries a sword and throwing stars. Her companion is a field mouse named Sukoshi. She takes jobs from other animals to make money while also seeking to revenge the death of her mother and brother on the dog who killed them. She goes up against a gang of dogs in search of a lost puppy, breaks into a house and uses her stealth to try and break up a puppy smuggling ring of dog gangsters.

While this was a good story, I felt like the animals were all way too human, and it left me wondering where any humans were in the story. Obviously there are some as the tea-house owner leaves out milk and food for Miko and there are humans in the house with the dogs who have lost their puppy. But they are barely even mentioned. Why aren’t the humans worried about this missing puppy? How can dog criminals just take over the port? How does a cat run its thumb over a sword? How does a cat hold a sword or throwing stars? It just all seemed a little too fantastical to be an enjoyable story for me.

In The Cat Ninja: and a Cabal of Shadows, DeLeo invites readers into the revenge-driven world of young Miko, who is determined to find the animal responsible for taking her family away from her. Now a courageous ninja, Miko finds herself unwittingly entangled in a plot far thicker than she could have imagined. It remains to be seen if revenge will be enough to satisfy her, or if, perhaps, she will find something more worthwhile to live for.

This is a well-written tale with an engaging plot and an eclectic cast of characters. It's sure to take readers on a journey that will entertain them, while also teaching important moral lessons about revenge and anger. That being said, the story seems to be missing the whimsical charm that made The Squirrel Squire such a fun and enchanting read, making it somewhat less magical, but still a story worth reading.

One of the many wonderful things about NetGalley is that you come across books that would otherwise never have crossed your radar. Over the last year I have discovered that I have a love for fantastical, magical, middle grade, adventure stories.The Cat Ninja by Erika DeLeo

The Cat Ninja and a Cabal of Shadows by Erik DeLeo is my latest read and guys it was just as much fun as the title suggests.

Yes we have a cat who is a ninja, she has an agent who happens to be a mouse, she has a tragic backstory and a thirst for vengeance. What more could a reader ask for? Puns? Well we have them too. The bad guys are after all known as the Barkuza and they are heavily tattooed, muscular dogs who aren’t to be messed with. The Cat Ninja is a glorious feast of fun for your eyes and imagination. Also, cutest cover ever!

‘The sun had broken through the morning gray, and it’s gleaming rays were beginning to heat up the tile floor. It called out silently to Miko, tempting her to get off the chair.
“Since I get moody without enough light, I’m going to go lay down by the window. It helps prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder.”
“Cats can’t get that.”
“I’m a unique case.” ‘

I think Miko is an entire mood. I love her.

I don’t want to delve into the story to much as it will ruin the fun of reading it, but I will say Miko, our cat ninja, has taken on the job of finding a missing puppy, which goes against her better judgement, especially when she discovers the father of the pup is the dog who murdered her own family. Everything gets mighty complicated for Miko and she soon discovers that it isn’t just one pup that is missing. Someone is trading in dogs.

This was a blast to read, it’s fast paced with plenty of action and lots of twists and turns. The setting is wonderful. The streets of Kyoto, with the vivid descriptions, make for a wonderful backdrop to the story. The attention to detail was great. Miko is a teahouse cat, which adds a whole other element. We get so much cat purrsonality, she likes naps, she likes the sun, she hisses when scared, she is emotionally distant with a dislike of getting wet. It’s cliché, but fun.

One thing that did get on my nerves as I was reading it was the way the author would use the Japanese word for something and then immediately follow it with a translation. Essentially saying the same thing twice in a sentence. It didn’t happen once or twice, it continued for most of the book. I think that the author should have had a bit more faith in his readers and their ability to work it out for themselves without constantly being told. It seemed to be a classic case of telling not showing.

Other than that, it was a fun, quick read that I would recommend for anyone after an enjoyable, quirky read.

Review: The Cat Ninja.

This book was too cute! A female cat ninja and her male mouse sidekick steal items. This story had me giggling the whole way through. This would be a great read for a 6-10ish year old I’d highly recommend.

If your son\ daughter is into ninjas and animals this is definitely a cute action packed book for them to spend the afternoon reading.

4/5 stars because the world building wasn’t as much as I wanted, but it is also a children’s book and they aren’t always hugely world-built.

Thank you netgalley for this free arc in exchange for an honest review.


I posted this review on amazon and goodreads and will be posting to my Instagram @aaron_austin_author

This was a great addition to the Fantastic Tails Adventure series. I actually liked this story more than The Squirrel Squire (which was also very good). Being a dog owner I was a little bummed the villains were dogs, but it led to the "Barkuza" which was pretty clever. This series, and this book in particular, is perfect for young readers who have enjoyed the Warriors series. I liked Miko as a lead character and Sukoshi as a friend/sidekick. They're unlikely friendship was sweet and they worked well together. The twist involving one of Miko's most trusted advisors was predictable (for me as an adult) but the audience for which this is written will probably be surprised. I would love for more books about Miko's investigative adventures and his search for his brother!

This is an adorable story of a kitten who has trained to fight as a ninja. She went through this training to be able to protect herself and others . She feels she is responsible for her mother and brothers death and she caries the guilt for her irresponsibility. She and her friend Sukoshi (a rat) find jobs to do for pay to be able to get food and provide for the rat's prolific family. The current job requires Miko to find the missing son(puppy) of her sworn enemy(the dog who she believes killed her mother. If you enjoy fighting bad guys and talking animals and justice prevailing, you will enjoy this book. It is a really good story.

Cats and mice living together! It is anarchy! OK, maybe not. I don't even remember what that is paraphrased from, but it went through my head as I was reading this cute story. A cat and a mouse working together to solve crime. And a missing puppy!

This has a little something for all kids-talking animals, bad guys getting beat up by ninjas, and action! I can't wait to get back into my classroom, eventually, and put this series on my book shelf. Fun to read.

Miko’s story compelled me to consider the each characters’ emotions. I giggled and cheered her on.

The plot was neatly crafted, with each scene sharing kid-inspired messages - how to handle anger, self-doubt, fear, facing the past and letting it go, teamwork despite noticeable differences in appearance and life choices.The conclusion answered all of the questions posed within the story and resolved the plot.

The suspense elements and action scenes were realistic, yet subdued, which is perfect for a younger audience.

If you (or a young person you know) become thrilled at the mere thought of animals that speak and act like humans, epic sword fights, and daring exploits, then you may enjoy The Cat Ninja.

Highly recommended for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

Princess Fuzzypants here: This book would be great fun for young and old readers alike.... and for kitties like me. It tells the story of Miko, who was orphaned as a kitten when a vicious dog killed her mother and brother. Mentored and trained by a wise teacher, she becomes a ninja cat who is hired out by her agent, a mouse with 12 children, of whom he constantly reminds Miko.
This unlikely duo are hired by a dog family to find their kidnapped pup. Miko never likes working for dogs but is made an offer she cannot refuse. Complicating the issue is the father dog is the one who killed her family and upon whom she has sworn revenge. She is conflicted and even has a perfect opportunity to exact that revenge but something stops her.
She returns to her teacher, fearful she has lost her edge, and enlists his help. But things are not as they seem and there are some deadly twists that could easily be the death of her and her mouse friend. She must find the inner strength and courage to battle on even when the odds are so clearly against her. In the end, she learns lessons that are both joyful and tragic. It makes for an entertaining read.
Five purrs and two paws up.

Clearly inspired by Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, Erik DeLeo has created a world where a cat and a mouse work together to secure jobs that require the special skills of a ninja and where humans may live in, but are never seen.

The story opens with Miko in the middle of a job where she has been hired to steal a rare Japanese coin. Scaling walls and walking in shadows with only her kobachi sword in paw. The night doesn’t end the way Miko or her mouse partner, Sukoshi, would have liked and now they are desperate for a paying job. After all, Sukoshi has 12 mouths to feed at home.

Not to long after Sukoshi is able to find a job that gives hope of a nice payout: A young puppy has gone missing and the mother is desperate to find who took her baby. But, the more Miko looks into the disappearance the more danger Miko and Sukoshi find themselves in.

Miko, our cat ninja, is a complex and compelling character. As the story progresses we learn more and more about what has made Miko into the cat she is today. When still a young kitten, she lost her mother and brother and this fact still haunts her and has defined who she has become. Now, her heart is dead set on revenge and she keeps her friends and others at a paws length, even as she fights against some of the negative tendencies. However, her reasons for revenge on one individual dog is never fully explained as we are only given a single name that caused the death of her mother, but never given any information as to how Miko came to this decision. As a reader I wasn’t sure if Miko was just jumping to conclusions or if the information was based on facts.

Although there is quite a bit of action that keeps the story moving forward, the center and heart of the story is Miko’s journey to forgive and open herself up to friendship. As a reader, I really enjoyed reading the story, but there were lingering questions about the cabal and other things that I felt it missed. The cabal is only seen or known about at the end of the story and you never quite see their full influence in society. I do think a second book would help flesh some of these things out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to reading this second one. I just really could not get into this one. It was a lot more complex than Squirrel Squire. I did finish although I was tempted not to. Students may enjoy this one more than I did. The cover is absolutely adorable!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.

This was a cute idea that was poorly executed. I wasn't expecting a lot going into this simple children's book, and even then I was disappointed. I had four problems with this book while reading it: the language, the plot, the world building, and the audience.

The audience - DeLeo has trouble throughout the entire book deciding on what audience level he is writing for. One minute he is shoehorning in word definitions with the assumption that the reader won't be able to understand things from context clues and the next dealing with themes of animal cruelty and gangsters and throwing in a joke about Seasonal Affective Disorder. Is this book meant for a six year old or a twelve year old?

The plot (spoilers): very, very generic and relies on a lot of unbelievably convenient clues being left around/overheard to keep moving. DeLeo spends the entire book telling the reader what they should be thinking/feeling at every moment. The main point of Miko's entire revenge story-line literally only works if you keep listening to DeLeo tell you that Mr. Kanin is the villain because this is not actually backed up by any evidence stronger than "he's the dog breed that did it so it must be him. She KNOWS." How? How does she know for sure?

The language: A lot of the English sentences are clunky and fractured while the "Japanese" use reads like DeLeo had a short vocabulary list to tick off, which he was going to do no matter what. There are a lot of ungainly sentences like "The cool, damp air heightened the smell of the cherry blossoms called sakura," or "don't be baka!" or, my personal favorite, "This is Nihon." For that last one DeLeo literally just named a character Japan in case the reader forgot that this story takes place in Japan.

The World building: The above sentence brings me to my final point. The world building is shoddy. First, aside from the occasional toss in about a famous temple or tea house, this book could have been set in any small town. Second, I honestly could not tell if humans existed in this world or not. And this really bothered me because Miko would do things like go into a dog's house and there would be a regular kitchen table for eating, and dog bowls on the floor, but no humans even mentioned despite the fact that she's in a home in the middle of the night. Further, there is a big deal made about the fact that Miko absolutely cannot ride the bus, but the why is never explained. Why would a cat riding a bus freak people out more than one walking around town dressed in a ninja suit (no shoes), walking upright, and carrying a sword? A different cat even says later that he has "bills to pay." Again, are there no people? Animals can pay bills but not ride the bus?

This might seem like an insignificant gripe, but it was numerous small, inconsistent details like this throughout the book that prevented me from being able to get invested in the world, plot, or characters.