What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ninja Kat #4
Velcro: Polluted War
War is imminent. And Velcro has begun her preparations to set out and gather her allies. First she'll travel to the hamsters' hideout, then to the village of Redfield, before they collectively make their way across the border to the Country of Rath, where they intend to meet with the Elder Meow in order to request Rath's aid in the impending war with the Devil Corps.
Meanwhile, blinded by his jealousy and pride, Charlie is still in pursuit of Velcro. However, a revelation he discovers along the way will send him down an even darker path than he's already traveled, and present him with the greatest challenge of his entire life.
It has all been leading to this moment. In Velcro: Polluted War, a history of corruption has finally caught back up with our heroes. Unlikely alliances will be formed as it all comes to a head, when Velcro and Rath's Bone Army battle against the Devil Corps in a fight that will determine the fate of the Country of Widows, and quite possibly the whole world over.
Meanwhile, blinded by his jealousy and pride, Charlie is still in pursuit of Velcro. However, a revelation he discovers along the way will send him down an even darker path than he's already traveled, and present him with the greatest challenge of his entire life.
It has all been leading to this moment. In Velcro: Polluted War, a history of corruption has finally caught back up with our heroes. Unlikely alliances will be formed as it all comes to a head, when Velcro and Rath's Bone Army battle against the Devil Corps in a fight that will determine the fate of the Country of Widows, and quite possibly the whole world over.
177 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2017
About the author
Chris Widdop
10 books3 followersChris Widdop grew up with his cat, Velcro. And together, the two would constantly escape into the fantasy world that was their vivid imaginations, where they took part in many adventures. Now, as a young, new writer, Chris wants nothing more than to share those adventures with the world.
When he's not working on his writing, he enjoys watching movies with a critical eye and voicing his opinions on them in his movie review blog. He's a big film buff, and has begun work on his own film projects.
He also reputably likes chicken. Chicken is delicious.
When he's not working on his writing, he enjoys watching movies with a critical eye and voicing his opinions on them in his movie review blog. He's a big film buff, and has begun work on his own film projects.
He also reputably likes chicken. Chicken is delicious.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 10, 2018
One of the great joys of watching a series evolve is the growth of the story, characters, and worldbuilding. Every addition reveals where the journey is going to venture. When author Chris Widdop announced the fourth installment Polluted War for the Velcro series, I was excited to receive a copy to review.
A masked vigilante feline Velcro begins her adventure in Velcro: The Ninja Kat, righting the wrongs in the Country of Widows when villages across the region are attacked and the activities of a military organization The Devil Corps becomes increasingly suspicious. As the series moves along with The Green Lion and The Masquerade, Velcro begins to understand her connection to the land's magic, and just how deep the corruption with her enemies runs. Her strength helps win allies to join her cause but also the attention of those from the other side who want to stop her. Now, in Polluted War, the stakes are at their highest as Velcro delves deeper into a war that continues to unfold.
Since the beginning Widdop has created an imaginative world filled with anthropomorphize animals who are a vessel in telling his story. Full of charming and complex worldbuilding, I was wondering what Velcro's magical abilities meant and how it was used across the world; what was the history of magic that made the Devil Corps want to remove it from the world and how those who wield magic might use it to defend themselves. Between Velcro and the villages who are ready to stand up for themselves, The Devil Corps willing to do anything to win, and The Masquerade who want to protect magic, there's a lot of conflict brewing at the forefront and Widdop breaks it down in a unique way in a manageable pace. Slowly but surely, the direction Widdop has taken with Velcro comes together from revealing pieces of the story and letting them fall into place.
The previous books showed that war affects everyone, and that the supporting characters have their own personal battles or reasons for justice which makes them want to fight. While Velcro is still the leader of the pack and drives the story, Polluted War feels much more like an ensemble piece. Her brother Charlie, close-by comrades, and leaders vying for the Devil Dogs are on their own arc of self-discovery and are challenged to choose which side they're on. Behind the use of magic and the villages vying to protect each other is a real sense that every piece adds up to the whole of the battle. It's easy to become invested in Widdop's variety of friends and antagonists because they are not one-sided or weakly written. Outside of his spirited, determined, and empathetic heroine are sidekicks and advesaries with their own motivations and create a genuine atmosphere of sacrifice that the war is producing.
In terms of the writing and world-building, the attention to detail is as strong compared to the previous books. While in my last review of the first three books I nitpicked about the geography, that slight issue still arises here and there but not as much as it used to. His attention to his characters isn't missing in his worldbuilding, but in terms how the characters travel from place to place rather frequently, it's a little confounding to figure just the wide scope of where going or leaving. But again, that's nitpicking. Widdop has a great sense of who his characters are and the conflicts that they are imbued in, which reflects in his engaging style as the story goes deeper with familiar and new characters.
So far, the Velcro series continues to be charming and action-packed. Polluted War maintains that same sense of adventure as it did in the beginning, just fuller and rounder as the books continue to grow. This series is a wonderful start for fans of action mixed with fantasy who enjoy an engaging quick read filled with complex animal characters. I'm excited to see where Velcro and the revolution heads to next!
A masked vigilante feline Velcro begins her adventure in Velcro: The Ninja Kat, righting the wrongs in the Country of Widows when villages across the region are attacked and the activities of a military organization The Devil Corps becomes increasingly suspicious. As the series moves along with The Green Lion and The Masquerade, Velcro begins to understand her connection to the land's magic, and just how deep the corruption with her enemies runs. Her strength helps win allies to join her cause but also the attention of those from the other side who want to stop her. Now, in Polluted War, the stakes are at their highest as Velcro delves deeper into a war that continues to unfold.
Since the beginning Widdop has created an imaginative world filled with anthropomorphize animals who are a vessel in telling his story. Full of charming and complex worldbuilding, I was wondering what Velcro's magical abilities meant and how it was used across the world; what was the history of magic that made the Devil Corps want to remove it from the world and how those who wield magic might use it to defend themselves. Between Velcro and the villages who are ready to stand up for themselves, The Devil Corps willing to do anything to win, and The Masquerade who want to protect magic, there's a lot of conflict brewing at the forefront and Widdop breaks it down in a unique way in a manageable pace. Slowly but surely, the direction Widdop has taken with Velcro comes together from revealing pieces of the story and letting them fall into place.
The previous books showed that war affects everyone, and that the supporting characters have their own personal battles or reasons for justice which makes them want to fight. While Velcro is still the leader of the pack and drives the story, Polluted War feels much more like an ensemble piece. Her brother Charlie, close-by comrades, and leaders vying for the Devil Dogs are on their own arc of self-discovery and are challenged to choose which side they're on. Behind the use of magic and the villages vying to protect each other is a real sense that every piece adds up to the whole of the battle. It's easy to become invested in Widdop's variety of friends and antagonists because they are not one-sided or weakly written. Outside of his spirited, determined, and empathetic heroine are sidekicks and advesaries with their own motivations and create a genuine atmosphere of sacrifice that the war is producing.
In terms of the writing and world-building, the attention to detail is as strong compared to the previous books. While in my last review of the first three books I nitpicked about the geography, that slight issue still arises here and there but not as much as it used to. His attention to his characters isn't missing in his worldbuilding, but in terms how the characters travel from place to place rather frequently, it's a little confounding to figure just the wide scope of where going or leaving. But again, that's nitpicking. Widdop has a great sense of who his characters are and the conflicts that they are imbued in, which reflects in his engaging style as the story goes deeper with familiar and new characters.
So far, the Velcro series continues to be charming and action-packed. Polluted War maintains that same sense of adventure as it did in the beginning, just fuller and rounder as the books continue to grow. This series is a wonderful start for fans of action mixed with fantasy who enjoy an engaging quick read filled with complex animal characters. I'm excited to see where Velcro and the revolution heads to next!
February 1, 2018
A continuation of the series-- there's a lot going on but the title is somewhat misleading as it feels not so much about the Polluted War rather than to some kind of buildup. There was a lot of exposition and backstory filling. And I get that there's a lot to do, but I think there's a little too much talking and not enough doing. I'm also a bit confused as to the genetics of this world... Though that's not much of the point.
All in all it was alright and the end was pretty rug jerking but it definitely sits as a middle book. I think fans of the series would enjoy it but for people just coming in, it's not a great place to start. I also really liked Charlie's role and aside from his was one of my favorite parts.
Also, this story is definitely a hell of a lot darker than the others. So something to keep in mind.
That being said I look forward to the next installment.
All in all it was alright and the end was pretty rug jerking but it definitely sits as a middle book. I think fans of the series would enjoy it but for people just coming in, it's not a great place to start. I also really liked Charlie's role and aside from his was one of my favorite parts.
Also, this story is definitely a hell of a lot darker than the others. So something to keep in mind.
That being said I look forward to the next installment.
March 4, 2018
This is the fourth installment in the Ninja Kat series and it follows Velcro and preparations for the coming war. But for a book titled "Polluted War" there was a disappointing lack of war. Despite that it kept up the quality of the first three books.
It's a darker story than the preceeding books, but I don't think it's out of place. I found the glimpse into Em's backstory interesting and I am glad to find out what actually happened to Honey the calico.
My one complaint is that it seems like the anthropomorphization of the characters doesn't seem to have any purpose to the story and it jars me when I read about a "duck" holding something in its "hands" and a surprisingly progressive rabbit-duck marriage...
It's a darker story than the preceeding books, but I don't think it's out of place. I found the glimpse into Em's backstory interesting and I am glad to find out what actually happened to Honey the calico.
My one complaint is that it seems like the anthropomorphization of the characters doesn't seem to have any purpose to the story and it jars me when I read about a "duck" holding something in its "hands" and a surprisingly progressive rabbit-duck marriage...
January 21, 2018
The fourth Velcro book delivers in major ways. The world is larger, and the fight bigger, than could have ever been imagined when we started out with a single cat on a one kitty mission of revenge.
Velcro, suffering from the loss of a companion in the previous book, and her allies travel to the country of Rath to enlist their aid in taking down the Devil Dog Corps once and for all. It soon becomes apparent that a third player, The Masquerade introduced in the previous book, are an even bigger threat.
The stakes are higher than they ever have been and the author’s weaving of backstory and theme throughout the book are masterful. The story manages to take the intimate themes of family and revenge and make a global adventure story out of them.
The battles take center stage on this volume, but there are plenty of humorous nods to lighten the mood when needed. Some of my favorites were a parrot named Picasso and a long-haired cat named Favio. A great adventure story that readers from middle grade on up will find something to appreciate in.
Velcro, suffering from the loss of a companion in the previous book, and her allies travel to the country of Rath to enlist their aid in taking down the Devil Dog Corps once and for all. It soon becomes apparent that a third player, The Masquerade introduced in the previous book, are an even bigger threat.
The stakes are higher than they ever have been and the author’s weaving of backstory and theme throughout the book are masterful. The story manages to take the intimate themes of family and revenge and make a global adventure story out of them.
The battles take center stage on this volume, but there are plenty of humorous nods to lighten the mood when needed. Some of my favorites were a parrot named Picasso and a long-haired cat named Favio. A great adventure story that readers from middle grade on up will find something to appreciate in.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews