The Blight

by Andrew Dart

They are cats .
They are proud, independent, intelligent, deadly, and brave.
And they make their own choices. Brash and self-assured, ginger tomcat Marmalade thinks he has the world figured out. He is the master of his territory, has a family he loves, and is more than a match for anything that might come his way. Or so he thinks. For a new threat has descended upon the peaceful village of Whilsden, a threat that the humans cannot see, a threat that puts the lives of all the village children at risk. With everything he holds dear on the line, Marmalade is catapulted into a life or death race for answers. With his dwindling troop of animal allies he plunges headlong into a terrifying world of violence, danger, and heartbreak. For there are monsters out there in the dark, and when night falls they will strike again, and this time no one will be safe.

Reader Reviews
★★★★★ "I really loved this book. It was full of action and was very hard to put down"
★★★★★ "Great book, thoroughly enjoyed the story from the cat’s perspective!!!"
★★★★★ "The Blight was so good in so many ways. It’s both easy to read and also hard to put down."
★★★★★ "Excitement, plenty of action, some tender moments and a few twists before the surprising and poignant ending."

400 pages, Paperback

Published April 14, 2023

About the author

Andrew Dart has a Master's Degree in Psychology from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, which sadly does not give him the ability to read minds. His titles include Little Words of Wisdom , a cosy mystery novel set in London, and Building your Skeptical Toolkit , a beginner's guide to science, skepticism, and critical thinking skills, which was described by one five star reviewer on Amazon as being "as described by merchant". He is part of the team that runs Cambridge Skeptics, a not-for-profit community organisation promoting science, positive skepticism, and critical thinking skills via public engagement. When not writing, which is most of the time, Andrew likes to play both board and video games (he is bad at both), write pointless computer programs, and engage in ridiculously in-depth and pedantic world building projects. He is fond of quoting The Princess Bride, and various other popular movies from the 80s, though he usually gets the quotes wrong in some way (inconceivable!). Andrew lives in a small village outside of Ely with, in no particular order, his partner Ellen and their cats, Millie and Lulu.

Reviews

[Jacqueline Brocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I am friends with Andrew and name checked in the acknowledgements. I think that's worth mentioning.

Having said that - this is a great read.

The Blight can be summed up as Stranger Things, with cats instead of kids. And set in a modern English village rather than small town America in the 80s. Still, the comparison stands and if you like your Horror-Fantasy with a touch of mystery and action and really delightful, fully realised characters (who go about on four legs instead of two) then I think you'll like this very much.

Told in first person though the eyes of a ginger cat called Marmalade, The Blight tells of a village beset by some nasty beasties - truly devilish goblins, fairies and trolls, and worse - that go after babies and children that only the pets can see. With the humans unaware and powerless to stop their children getting sick, Marmalade and his friends - and sort-of friends and also enemies - take it upon themselves to stop what they come to call the Blight - only to realise that this might be more then they bargain for.

One of the strongest things is Marmalade’s voice - you could easily believe that this is how a cat thinks and sees the world. It carries the story so well. He's likeable but also cocky and full of himself, and really cares about those around him. What also really works are the cat - and sometimes dog - politics. If you know cats, you'll appreciate that side of this for sure. The humour is great too.

Furthermore - the ending made me cry. And I rarely cry at books. In fact it made me cry twice - and then laugh. No spoilers for the epilogue, but if you read The Blight, you'll know what I mean.

So if you like cats and Stranger Things, I think you'll like The Blight. This will be a good summer read for sure.

[Ashley Ottesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I’d like this book as much as I did. I mean, it’s from the point of view of a cat, surely it couldn’t be that interesting. I was wrong. Andrew Dart knows how to write suspense and fully captured the feline personality with sarcastic witty dialogue and descriptive imagery.

I don’t have a cat myself, but after reading this incredible story, I’m rethinking that fact. Well done!

[Alice Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! Took me through a roller coaster of emotions from laughing to full on balling my eyes out I won't be forgetting about this book anytime soon! A must read for anyone that comes across this author!!!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It was full of action and was very hard to put down. The characters were incredibly well crafted - from the overly confident Marmalade, to the mysterious Shadow, and the lovable and dippy Toby. The animals were perfectly represented, with their opinions of humans being exactly as I imagined they would be. There was excellent contrast between the comfort and safety of their homes, and the dark and ferocious battles on the streets. The breath-taking pace was maintained to match the action and there were some excellent reveals and plot twists. This is a fantasy adventure story that will leave you on the edge of your seat, but with humour and love running throughout.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blight was so good in so many ways. It’s both easy to read and also hard to put down. It made me cry multiple times - a good thing I think!!

I can’t decide who my favourite character was - either the protagonist Marmalade, a cheeky and charming male cat, or Marmalade’s friend Snowbell, a badass and no-nonesense female cat.