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Cat Scratch #2
Cataract
CALL OF THE WILD
On Risthmus, the Landing Pact was law: felines were off limits. And for ten years Tsia, the rogue guide, had tried to honor that pact and ignore the irresistible pull of her forbidden link to the cats.
For ten years, she had hidden among the mercenaries. But now her latest mission was going awry. A crash landing was followed by one deadly mishap after another. The cougar cub Tsia had rescued from a storm refused to leave her -- even when she tried to send it away.
Tsia could save the mission -- if she deliberately broke the Landing Pact to enter the mind of the cat and command his help. But if she was found out, punishment would be the loss of her biogate, her telepathic link with the felines. Her past was about to catch up with her, and only if she faced it -- and used it -- could she hope to forge a new future... with the cats!
On Risthmus, the Landing Pact was law: felines were off limits. And for ten years Tsia, the rogue guide, had tried to honor that pact and ignore the irresistible pull of her forbidden link to the cats.
For ten years, she had hidden among the mercenaries. But now her latest mission was going awry. A crash landing was followed by one deadly mishap after another. The cougar cub Tsia had rescued from a storm refused to leave her -- even when she tried to send it away.
Tsia could save the mission -- if she deliberately broke the Landing Pact to enter the mind of the cat and command his help. But if she was found out, punishment would be the loss of her biogate, her telepathic link with the felines. Her past was about to catch up with her, and only if she faced it -- and used it -- could she hope to forge a new future... with the cats!
339 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1995
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126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 2, 2014
I wanted to give this 3.5 stars. Tara Harper does a great job with the psychic side of psy-fi. This book is not as good as her standalone Lightwing, but it's still good. I'd definitely recommend reading the
Wolfwalker books before reading the Cat Scratch books.
The one thing that bothered me about this book is that a clear goal was set in the beginning, and the cougar storyline seemed just thrust in to that main goal. Granted, it all comes together at the end, but still. I was reading like 50 pages thinking, "that's nice, but what about the goal that's been set?" Tara Harper is not the only author to do this kind of thing, so I realize it is a pet peeve of mine and not something writers generally avoid.
All that being said, the book was full of action and intrigue. Things were always happening, and revelations started out slowly but picked up towards the end. The action held everything together in the beginning, but the end had action and intrigue. There was a twist that was sort of expected due to a lot of foreshadowing. It also makes you wonder how much one character knew but didn't say.
That's Tara Harper's greatest strength, I think. Her ability to build characters. The novel is not character driven, but it contains some well developed characters. Lightwing was a great illustration of wanting more of the characters even after the book ended. I'd read about those characters just hanging out on a dull day.
I also must give her credit for including a note warning people not to try to own wild animals, and all the harm that can cause. Since a wild animal was a major character in the book, it was a nice touch, I thought.
Overall this was a pretty fun read. At first there was a lot of repetition of certain words, which waried me, but as I got further in I realized it was done for effect and not done because of authorial sloppiness. I would recommend this to anyone who liked Harper's other work. I would recommend reading some of her other stuff, like Wolfwalker or Lightwing, before reading this though, if you are unfamiliar with this author. Note that you don't have to read Cat Scratch Fever first, as I didn't, renewing my tradition of reading serieses out of order.
Wolfwalker books before reading the Cat Scratch books.
The one thing that bothered me about this book is that a clear goal was set in the beginning, and the cougar storyline seemed just thrust in to that main goal. Granted, it all comes together at the end, but still. I was reading like 50 pages thinking, "that's nice, but what about the goal that's been set?" Tara Harper is not the only author to do this kind of thing, so I realize it is a pet peeve of mine and not something writers generally avoid.
All that being said, the book was full of action and intrigue. Things were always happening, and revelations started out slowly but picked up towards the end. The action held everything together in the beginning, but the end had action and intrigue. There was a twist that was sort of expected due to a lot of foreshadowing. It also makes you wonder how much one character knew but didn't say.
That's Tara Harper's greatest strength, I think. Her ability to build characters. The novel is not character driven, but it contains some well developed characters. Lightwing was a great illustration of wanting more of the characters even after the book ended. I'd read about those characters just hanging out on a dull day.
I also must give her credit for including a note warning people not to try to own wild animals, and all the harm that can cause. Since a wild animal was a major character in the book, it was a nice touch, I thought.
Overall this was a pretty fun read. At first there was a lot of repetition of certain words, which waried me, but as I got further in I realized it was done for effect and not done because of authorial sloppiness. I would recommend this to anyone who liked Harper's other work. I would recommend reading some of her other stuff, like Wolfwalker or Lightwing, before reading this though, if you are unfamiliar with this author. Note that you don't have to read Cat Scratch Fever first, as I didn't, renewing my tradition of reading serieses out of order.
May 7, 2018
Really didn't like either one of these books was very disappointed that Tsia never used her powers/gate to help animals or others seemed to only use it when she wanted things for herself .
Book 2 was very confusing bring in a sister that to my recall was never mentioned in book #1
I was kind of hoping for a more clear animal human relationship with head speaking etc that Mercedes Lackey does this is not even close to that, others have said book #2 was better but I think it wasnt at all better .
Book 2 was very confusing bring in a sister that to my recall was never mentioned in book #1
I was kind of hoping for a more clear animal human relationship with head speaking etc that Mercedes Lackey does this is not even close to that, others have said book #2 was better but I think it wasnt at all better .
August 15, 2025
While it's nowhere near as dark as Cat Scratch Fever, it also is nowhere near as good. I like Tara K. Harper's books, and by this point have read most of them - but this isn't her best. It's definitely not bad (I disliked some of the Wolfwalker series a lot more), but it just didn't resonate with me. I wish I liked it better, or at least that it had a hold on me, "couldn't let this book go" like the previous Tsia book... That said, the writing itself is fantastic as always.
May 15, 2017
Thrilled she was able to use her horrible experience with the r-con from book one to her success in book two.
March 3, 2012
Glad to see a follow up 10 years after the first book. I felt the first 100 pages or so was very slow to start or at least circled around itself a bit too much. However once things started moving they kept the pace picking up quite well. Few parts I would nit pick about, her past personal relations I didn't really feel any attachment towards. Seems like they were just tossed in here to make the plot work. I would have liked a bit more resolution at the end as well, or at least an epilogue. Overall an interesting read, I would like to see more based on this world and/or with the bio gates.
November 5, 2014
This book was a very slow starter but made up about 3/4 of the way through. Tsia is a rogue guide to her home planet of Rithmus, which means she can sense the wild and the net. Hidden among the mercs her mission is to find a node but little does she know what that will take her and who she will find along the way.
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August 4, 2012I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
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September 17, 2012
I loved how the bond between the two were written.
Want to read
November 21, 2008TBR
March 21, 2009
This is a VERY good book. All of Tara K. Harper's books are very good.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews