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aeonidon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
briarrose1021's review against another edition
5.0
This book begins by introducing us to Ben, a domesticated Bengal cat who is a descendant of a Great Asian Leopard Cat. Ben lives in Wales with his humans, who feed him regularly and also provide him with yummy salmon snacks. They spoil him, as any good humans should do for their cat owners, and Ben has no plans to give up this life.
Unfortunately for Ben, life has very different plans for him. Those plans start when Ben is suddenly - and without warning - whisked away to a different land by a warlock. Unfortunately for Ben, his new home has no windows that he can lounge in front of and look out of. Nor does the warlock give him yummy salmon snacks. Clearly, he is an evil warlock. Instead, Ben feeds himself by catching the many mice that get into the tower in which he is trapped. But, being a cat, being trapped does not suit Ben well, and he takes it upon himself to plan his escape.
Unknown to Ben - at least at the time he is trying to escape from the evil warlock's tower - there is a dragon in an academy. But this dragon is incredibly bored. She is unable to wear a saddle, and no human dares to try riding her. Until she can find a rider to bond with, she won't be able to participate in the battle against the evil warlocks.
Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?
I don't think it would be much of a spoiler to tell you that our resident awesome cat Ben will end up bonding with the dragon and becoming her rider. The title of the book kind of gives that away, after all. What comes after that is a fun story with wonderful writing. I am quite convinced that the author Chris Behrsin has at least one cat at home. He manages to capture the character of Ben so well that I can't imagine him not having experience belonging to a cat.
The book is told using the first-person point of view, with Ben as the narrative voice. That narrative style, along with the main character being a cat, offers plenty of opportunities for fun and snark. Ben's commentary about what was happening had me smiling frequently.
But, don't be fooled by the levity and humor that is present. There are several scenes that are actually pretty dark - no, I'm not going to tell you what they are. That would be spoiler-y, and I'm trying to be good.
I will also say that I think part of my enjoyment of this book was in listening to the audiobook. Matthew Lloyd Davies did such a wonderful job with the voices and narration that he added to my enjoyment. While I would have liked the book if I had read it myself, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. After listening to this book, I will absolutely be continuing this series, and if I get the chance to listen to the audiobook versions of those sequels, I will definitely do so.
Unfortunately for Ben, life has very different plans for him. Those plans start when Ben is suddenly - and without warning - whisked away to a different land by a warlock. Unfortunately for Ben, his new home has no windows that he can lounge in front of and look out of. Nor does the warlock give him yummy salmon snacks. Clearly, he is an evil warlock. Instead, Ben feeds himself by catching the many mice that get into the tower in which he is trapped. But, being a cat, being trapped does not suit Ben well, and he takes it upon himself to plan his escape.
Unknown to Ben - at least at the time he is trying to escape from the evil warlock's tower - there is a dragon in an academy. But this dragon is incredibly bored. She is unable to wear a saddle, and no human dares to try riding her. Until she can find a rider to bond with, she won't be able to participate in the battle against the evil warlocks.
Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?
I don't think it would be much of a spoiler to tell you that our resident awesome cat Ben will end up bonding with the dragon and becoming her rider. The title of the book kind of gives that away, after all. What comes after that is a fun story with wonderful writing. I am quite convinced that the author Chris Behrsin has at least one cat at home. He manages to capture the character of Ben so well that I can't imagine him not having experience belonging to a cat.
The book is told using the first-person point of view, with Ben as the narrative voice. That narrative style, along with the main character being a cat, offers plenty of opportunities for fun and snark. Ben's commentary about what was happening had me smiling frequently.
But, don't be fooled by the levity and humor that is present. There are several scenes that are actually pretty dark - no, I'm not going to tell you what they are. That would be spoiler-y, and I'm trying to be good.
I will also say that I think part of my enjoyment of this book was in listening to the audiobook. Matthew Lloyd Davies did such a wonderful job with the voices and narration that he added to my enjoyment. While I would have liked the book if I had read it myself, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. After listening to this book, I will absolutely be continuing this series, and if I get the chance to listen to the audiobook versions of those sequels, I will definitely do so.
kateflegal's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
galaxymw's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
mariaschneider's review
This isn't light-hearted. People are not very nice to the cat in this book. The cat finds himself in unfortunate situations, which could be fun or resolved with humor, but aren't.
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