The Wild Road by Gabriel King Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Wild Road
Book Review: Not for young kids
Summary: 2 Stars
I purchased this book for my daughter who is a lover of all things Cat! The book was supposed to be for the nine to twelve age range (my daughter is nine and an advanced reader) so I felt it would be a good choice based on many positive reviews. However, about a quarter the way through the book, my daughter brought it to me and said she was uncomfortable reading any further because a cat was going to be raped! I assumed she was incorrect, but after reading the page she was at, there was indeed a potential cat-on-cat rape scene being set up. Although the character does not actually get raped, the word "rape" is used, and I don't feel this is the most appropriate subject matter for a little girl. This may very well be a great book, but parents of younger readers should be aware that there is some fairly heavy subject matter in this story.Book Review: Okay, but not great
Summary: 3 Stars
I picked up this book because I enjoyed Tailchaser's Song and thought I would try another novel with feline protagonists. The beginning intrigued me. The main character, Tag, starts his life as a spoiled and pampered house-kitten, until a strange cat named Majicou begins to appear to him in his dreams, offering visions of another, much wilder life.
Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, the plot quickly becomes overly complicated and confusing and the story becomes bogged down with too many secondary characters. Even halfway through the novel, it seems, the author is still introducing new characters who then become a part of the book's central cast. I practically needed a glossary to keep track of them all. Many important issues are never clearly explained. In what sense are Ragnar and Pertelot the King and Queen of cats? They don't seem to have any powers or special qualities, aside from being pure-blooded and unusually attractive. Why is Tag so important, and what can he do that the seemingly all-powerful Magicou can't? And since it's Majicou who fights the book's villain at the end, what did Tag ultimately accomplish? Generally, in fiction, the main character is supposed to be the one the story hinges on, the one whose choices and actions shape the plot. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in the spotlight. Tag, however, seems to be simply swept up in the circumstances surrounding him. He and his companions bumble around without any definite goal to guide them. They become separated, find each other again, run from bad guys, et cetera, but I never had a clear sense of what their purpose was or what was at stake. Majicou is a feline Gandalf, appearing to dispense cryptic advice, then disappearing, seemingly when he is needed most, and generally acting like an arrogant prat. It would be nice, for once, to see a "powerful mentor" character who didn't have such an obnoxiously condescending attitude toward the people he uses toward his ends.
The idea of the wild roads is an interesting one, but most of the time Tag and his companions don't even travel by the roads (what's up with that?), so I felt like this concept was never fully developed. The villain is a scientist who wants to gain control of the wild roads. When his true identity is revealed, it's not mind-blowing, it's simply baffling. Why Isaac Newton? Was he known for his cruelty to cats? Or for dabbling in alchemy and witchcraft? I don't feel like this is a spoiler, since Newton's real-life identity seems to have no connection to the cartoonishly evil character in the book, aside from the fact that they're both scientists. And how many times must we see the cliche of the power-hungry scientist who tampers in God's domain?
It wasn't a horrible book--it had its moments--but I probably won't pick up the sequel unless I'm desperate for something new to read. If you're a cat-lover who reads every piece of cat-fantasy you can get your hands on, you might want to check this out. If not, give it a pass.
Book Review: Original and Enthralling
Summary: 5 Stars
While the dialect of the British author takes a few pages of getting used to, this delightful read is a must for any feliphile. The characters are as real as you get, and Tad, the unselfconcious "hottie" of the book is the sort you'll certainly grow to love. The ending, while satisfying, leaves you yearning for more, which is promptly quelled with his also wonderful sequel (but there's another place for praises for that one).To sum it all up, HIGH RECOMMENDED.
Book Review: Red-eyed but content.
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished this book, and even though my eyes are red from weeping throughout, I think this is one of the best books I've read this year. (I am usually *very* harsh in my reviews.) The writing is exquisite, and the storyline fresh and unique. It is in the style of Watership Down and Tailchaser's Song, but it has its own integrity. Word of warning: there are LOTS of sad bits. If you can't bear the thought of animals being hurt, don't read this book.Book Review: Rich cat fantasy--take a walk on the wild road
Summary: 5 Stars
A very enjoyable, pleasurable, yet philosophical read that you will want to put down from time to time to take it all in. A great amount of description nudges, catlike, the narrative along,with spectacular lyrical writing and many active verbs. It surprised me to see one of my co-reviewers describe the style as a passive/preponderance of wases. Sentences like "A shaggy-coated pony stood, one leg bent, in a muddy corner, looking boredly over a gray wooden gate." (p 254) or "Clouds roared past the moon." (p 301) hauntingly insinuate themselves as turning points in the story, as if the wild roads themselves embody a heretofore undiscovered sense of cat story-stelling. The hero beings, mostly furry feline, one just furry, one a bird, each have a distinct personality and a complicated and enlightened (enlightening!) sense of self. Humans, rarely present, don't come off so well. Tag, the naive lead hero, is a fun, optimistic, energetic and playful APPRENTICE of the mysterious master cat guardian of the wild roads, Majicou. My one reservation would be that having finished the book and enjoyed it tremendously (in spite of some of the graphic gore which was necessary to the story) it will be a long while before I attempt the sequel or anything of the same subgenre like Tailchaser's song or Watership Down. I especially want to read Golden Cat and Watership Down, but this is so saturated with senses of 'furry beast, 'spiritual enlightenment and honesty,' and 'the grim tortures of reality,' that I will need to take quite a break from this sort of thing. And this is my first one. And naturally if this is derivative, I wouldn't know it because I haven't read those others, but I certainly doubt it. It's a very rich, satisfying and sweet read, but I'm full.