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Dipple #1
Catseye
The big cat cried "danger!" Troy Horan heard it with his mind just as he had heard the fox's warning and the kinkajou's. He didn't understand how he could communicate with the animals or why they were contacting him. But from the moment he began work at Kyger's pet emporium on Korwar he was enmeshed in a perilous intrigue... an intrigue that would leave more than one man dead, an entire government in jeopardy, and Horan himself both master and captive of the most extraordinary band of warriors his world had ever known.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
650 people are currently reading
1589 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
695 books1,386 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
February 4, 2019
This was my first time reading anything by the legendary Andre Norton, and while I found aspects of it intriguing — particularly its approach to animal intelligence and sovereignty — I also found it strangely uninvolving. She writes in an interestingly offhand style, and her world building is thorough and convincing, but I wanted to care about the inner lives of her human characters more than I did.
January 8, 2019
I'm giving it an extra star because I didn't pay attention so when I tuned back in and didn't know what was going on, I can't blame it. I do however blame it for being dry enough that I couldn't pay attention for the mere 6 hours this audio lasted.
This is the second Norton I've read. I found the animal parts cute. She obviously loves animals and that's sweet. But for whatever reason her books are still not considered children's books. They have none of the depth I expect from adult fiction--it starts with infodumps, the dialogue is opaque and the plot took its time starting.
I can't say anything about this book; I don't know what the plot was, I barely remember who the main character is or the politics of the world. I did listen to the whole thing. The narrator has nice vowel enunciation.
I think perhaps the decades between these books and me are insurmountable.
This is the second Norton I've read. I found the animal parts cute. She obviously loves animals and that's sweet. But for whatever reason her books are still not considered children's books. They have none of the depth I expect from adult fiction--it starts with infodumps, the dialogue is opaque and the plot took its time starting.
I can't say anything about this book; I don't know what the plot was, I barely remember who the main character is or the politics of the world. I did listen to the whole thing. The narrator has nice vowel enunciation.
I think perhaps the decades between these books and me are insurmountable.
June 11, 2023
Oh. Great ! Another review deleted ta for that Goodreads! And why do you keep showing that ugly cover when I am trying to select the one I have...?
2023 - Since my original review is gone, or maybe moved somewhere random:
Andre Norton was one of the early greats of sci-fi, even though she often wrote what we would think of today as fantasy. In Catseye, we have a true sci-fi in that the main character, though of Earth descent was born on a planet of Norden. When the inhabitants of the planet are forcibly evacuated due to war, Troy Horan ends up orphaned and alone in a slum created for the evacuees on a different planet.
In a stroke of good fortune he gets work with a merchant who imports animals for the exotic pet trade on this wealthy planet and in the course of this precarious employment Troy finds that he can comunicate telepathically with five of the animals.
I am not going to say more about the plot, it is an old book, from 1961 and I am sure that plot descriptions exist. I loved the fact that as well as cats and foxes, the earth animals included a Kinkajou an a charming animal that one does not encounter in fiction that much. I loved how well Norton describes the animals and of course, I adore the notion of being part of a multi-animal pack.
Interesting side note; this book, today, would probably get called YA, because Troy is nineteen. Back then I believe they called it 'Juvenalia' but there is no marking of the sort on this book.
Great, top notch, early, classic sci-fi and I talk about it a bit more on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ImkH...
2023 - Since my original review is gone, or maybe moved somewhere random:
Andre Norton was one of the early greats of sci-fi, even though she often wrote what we would think of today as fantasy. In Catseye, we have a true sci-fi in that the main character, though of Earth descent was born on a planet of Norden. When the inhabitants of the planet are forcibly evacuated due to war, Troy Horan ends up orphaned and alone in a slum created for the evacuees on a different planet.
In a stroke of good fortune he gets work with a merchant who imports animals for the exotic pet trade on this wealthy planet and in the course of this precarious employment Troy finds that he can comunicate telepathically with five of the animals.
I am not going to say more about the plot, it is an old book, from 1961 and I am sure that plot descriptions exist. I loved the fact that as well as cats and foxes, the earth animals included a Kinkajou an a charming animal that one does not encounter in fiction that much. I loved how well Norton describes the animals and of course, I adore the notion of being part of a multi-animal pack.
Interesting side note; this book, today, would probably get called YA, because Troy is nineteen. Back then I believe they called it 'Juvenalia' but there is no marking of the sort on this book.
Great, top notch, early, classic sci-fi and I talk about it a bit more on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ImkH...
January 2, 2021
“Knowledge could be both a weapon and a defense.”
Slow start, but Norton delivers. Her character and world building are leisurely, but do the job. Satisfying end to this story with hooks into the next. A skill rare among today’s writers.
“Look, listen and keep your thoughts to yourself—the law of survival”
One can’t help but think Norton was writing about more than man’s relationship with animals formerly kept as pets when this was written. (I’ve tried to say more three times, but quit because anything more would be spoilers. Just read it and enjoy.)
“Belt knives shift from one wearer to another without losing their edge.”
No female humans appear in this story written by a woman. I find that odd.
“Few men are going to accept readily a co-partnership with creatures they had always considered property.”
Awarded an extra star because, though first published in 1961, this story weathers the last half century of technological innovation very well. Many stories written only twenty years ago sound dated. Perhaps it’s because the people, creatures and relationships are so real.
“One does not throw away a new thing merely because it is strange.”
Slow start, but Norton delivers. Her character and world building are leisurely, but do the job. Satisfying end to this story with hooks into the next. A skill rare among today’s writers.
“Look, listen and keep your thoughts to yourself—the law of survival”
One can’t help but think Norton was writing about more than man’s relationship with animals formerly kept as pets when this was written. (I’ve tried to say more three times, but quit because anything more would be spoilers. Just read it and enjoy.)
“Belt knives shift from one wearer to another without losing their edge.”
No female humans appear in this story written by a woman. I find that odd.
“Few men are going to accept readily a co-partnership with creatures they had always considered property.”
Awarded an extra star because, though first published in 1961, this story weathers the last half century of technological innovation very well. Many stories written only twenty years ago sound dated. Perhaps it’s because the people, creatures and relationships are so real.
“One does not throw away a new thing merely because it is strange.”
April 23, 2016
Catseye by Andre Norton is an older story but just as good the second time around! I loved it as a young girl and love it now. It brings out the need to fight for the underdog, or cat, and whoever else is downcast in this society despite species, skin, fur, or colors and to make things right for them. An orphan is with many animal species, esp. cat-like creatures, and traders with no good intentions. An exciting story with an excellent plot, great dialogue, and well developed, unique characters. A thriller, adventure, and yet fun novel of befriending animals while trying not to get caught. Loved it. I received this book for a honest review and it in no way effected my review or rating.
April 28, 2020
A 6 hour conversation about whether Catseye should be written Cats eye would probably be more interesting than this book was. An unremarkable story that doesn't merit a review, but is getting one anyway. Definitely won't be reading the next in the series.
December 15, 2018
I might have gotten an early start on this -- it hit my Hoopla search by chance, and it might become the January Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club science fiction book.
Good stuff -- not among Ms. Norton's greats, but a solid adventure with some good themes. I can't believe that I hadn't read this in my youth -- think I searched out every Norton book in three libraries by the time I hit my teens.
Good stuff -- not among Ms. Norton's greats, but a solid adventure with some good themes. I can't believe that I hadn't read this in my youth -- think I searched out every Norton book in three libraries by the time I hit my teens.
April 6, 2020
This was a middle-of-the-road read for me. I wasn’t engrossed by it, but I wasn’t bored either. It was a cute and moderately entertaining story that didn’t stand out to me in any way. I hardly even know what to write about in my review.
The story follows a young man named Troy who is unemployed and looking for work. He receives an unexpected job offer to work at an exotic pet shop, where he begins having unexplained telepathic communication with some of the animals.
To me it felt like the author had developed an interesting and detailed world to place her story in, but then she only skimmed the surface of it when she actually wrote the story. For example, I was very interested in the creepy alien ruins she introduced. We were given a hint of an interesting background story about the ruins and it served as a backdrop for part of the action, but the mystery surrounding that area remained a mystery. Even the main plot that Troy got caught up in wasn’t really fleshed out in much detail
I did enjoy Troy’s interaction with the animals, but there wasn’t a lot about this story that really grabbed me. It’s really short though, so it was a fast read.
The story follows a young man named Troy who is unemployed and looking for work. He receives an unexpected job offer to work at an exotic pet shop, where he begins having unexplained telepathic communication with some of the animals.
To me it felt like the author had developed an interesting and detailed world to place her story in, but then she only skimmed the surface of it when she actually wrote the story. For example, I was very interested in the creepy alien ruins she introduced. We were given a hint of an interesting background story about the ruins and it served as a backdrop for part of the action, but the mystery surrounding that area remained a mystery. Even the main plot that Troy got caught up in wasn’t really fleshed out in much detail
I did enjoy Troy’s interaction with the animals, but there wasn’t a lot about this story that really grabbed me. It’s really short though, so it was a fast read.
April 28, 2020
I read Andre Norton in my youth, some 25 years ago and was curious to reacquaint myself with her. I like the story as a whole, though I must admit I find her prose rather rigid and formal and the dialog clunky. I had difficulty finding a flow in her writing style. It’s not a complicated plot, though, and will definitely suit a younger audience. After all who doesn’t like a story about the accidental hero who can communicate with animals?
February 19, 2019
I didn’t dislike it, but I did have a hard time following what was going on in the latter third of the book. It took me a long time to listen to it, even though it’s quite brief, which speaks to the fact that it didn’t grab me.
It’s a good early SF mystery-type romp with animals one man can communicate with on a planet in a Star Trek-like universe (but not following the government (I. E. The Federation), but rather the people of the random planet it takes place on).
The narrator was good and read the somewhat dated style so that it was easily understandable.
Maybe more like 3.5* and I may one day listen to it again, and do less other stuff at the same time.
It’s a good early SF mystery-type romp with animals one man can communicate with on a planet in a Star Trek-like universe (but not following the government (I. E. The Federation), but rather the people of the random planet it takes place on).
The narrator was good and read the somewhat dated style so that it was easily understandable.
Maybe more like 3.5* and I may one day listen to it again, and do less other stuff at the same time.
January 8, 2019
This is a short SF novel, which is one of those fantasy stories that disguise as SF.
There is a city called Tikil on the planet Korwar. It has its district for unfortunate, named Dipple. There only three ways out of it: legal employment in Tikil, work for the strictly illegal but flourishing and perilous Thieves’ Guild; or he could sign on as contract labor and be shipped off world in deep freeze with no beforehand knowledge of his destination or work. Here lives our protagonist, Troy Horan. He was initially from another planet, but old interstellar war forced his relocation. He is dirt poor and despised by both legal citizens and other Dipplers. A classic young misfit.
He gets a work contract with the seller of exotic creatures, including rare animals from Earth. The work already heavily relies on contraband, but is it the only crime? Troy finds himself bonded with Terran animals and on the run, with many different groups on his tail.
Fast easy yarn without a pretenses of being a groundbreaking SF, initially written as a juvenile or what is today called YA. Colorful in a nostalgic way, like Technicolor Wizard of Oz – you see that the colors are wrong, but it is still a pleasure for the eye.
“Men have used animals as tools,” Troy said slowly, trying to fit into words something he did not wholly understand himself. “Now some men, somewhere, have made better tools, tools so good they can turn and cut the maker. But that is not the fault of the tools—that they are no longer tools but—”
“Perhaps companions?”
There is a city called Tikil on the planet Korwar. It has its district for unfortunate, named Dipple. There only three ways out of it: legal employment in Tikil, work for the strictly illegal but flourishing and perilous Thieves’ Guild; or he could sign on as contract labor and be shipped off world in deep freeze with no beforehand knowledge of his destination or work. Here lives our protagonist, Troy Horan. He was initially from another planet, but old interstellar war forced his relocation. He is dirt poor and despised by both legal citizens and other Dipplers. A classic young misfit.
He gets a work contract with the seller of exotic creatures, including rare animals from Earth. The work already heavily relies on contraband, but is it the only crime? Troy finds himself bonded with Terran animals and on the run, with many different groups on his tail.
Fast easy yarn without a pretenses of being a groundbreaking SF, initially written as a juvenile or what is today called YA. Colorful in a nostalgic way, like Technicolor Wizard of Oz – you see that the colors are wrong, but it is still a pleasure for the eye.
“Men have used animals as tools,” Troy said slowly, trying to fit into words something he did not wholly understand himself. “Now some men, somewhere, have made better tools, tools so good they can turn and cut the maker. But that is not the fault of the tools—that they are no longer tools but—”
“Perhaps companions?”
April 3, 2020
This is my first experience reading Andre Norton although I remember seeing many of her books in the school library. Back then, for some reason — I think it was the covers — I considered Science Fiction as books for boys, comparable to romance for girls.
Anyway, TBH, I don’t remember how I came to purchase this book, and I chose to read it now solely because of the cat on the cover and the delightful idea of telepathic communication between humans and cats (although there are also 2 foxes and a kinkajou).
While I found the overall plot concerning Dragur, Kyger, the Council and the Confederation to be a bit weak and frankly confusing, I did enjoy Troy’s adventure with the animals. And Rerne reminded me of Aragorn, so I envisioned him as Viggo Mortensen. ♥️
3 stars, and I’m intrigued enough to want to read more Norton.
Anyway, TBH, I don’t remember how I came to purchase this book, and I chose to read it now solely because of the cat on the cover and the delightful idea of telepathic communication between humans and cats (although there are also 2 foxes and a kinkajou).
While I found the overall plot concerning Dragur, Kyger, the Council and the Confederation to be a bit weak and frankly confusing, I did enjoy Troy’s adventure with the animals. And Rerne reminded me of Aragorn, so I envisioned him as Viggo Mortensen. ♥️
3 stars, and I’m intrigued enough to want to read more Norton.
January 3, 2019
This was a nice and easy read, yet to somehow draw me in the characterisation as well as the plot should have dove deeper beneath the surface. The topic about human-animal communication was a good one, I just felt that it didn't really go anywhere apart from being the basis for a solid adventure story without great surprises.
June 8, 2019
A good young adult sci-fi story from the golden age (1961). The gambit of being able to telepathically converse with animals is a theme that Norton often used. Other than that, this is just a good adventure story of a young man coming of age, wanting to roam free. Norton was a pioneer and invented many of what are now clichés in science fiction. Recommended.
January 11, 2019
A ho hum adventure
This story neither excited nor bored me. While reading it, many times I thought of oatmeal. Oatmeal will sustain you and fill your belly, but nobody has ever salivated at the thought of a giant bowl. It's bland nourishment with minimal flavor. Catseye was bland entertainment with minimal adventure. That isn't fully critical. True, I can't place one high moment, but neither did I roll my eyes. It didn't move me one way or the other.
This story neither excited nor bored me. While reading it, many times I thought of oatmeal. Oatmeal will sustain you and fill your belly, but nobody has ever salivated at the thought of a giant bowl. It's bland nourishment with minimal flavor. Catseye was bland entertainment with minimal adventure. That isn't fully critical. True, I can't place one high moment, but neither did I roll my eyes. It didn't move me one way or the other.
September 4, 2025
Old school Sci Fi, originally published in 1961. Andre Norton writes with the lightest touch, and that is evident here. Unpretentious, fun, unique, and charming are the first adjectives that come to mind.
The ending was a bit pat, but the section from pages 120-200 was excellent. The story centers on human/animal communication, which of course also shows up in The Beast Master, a 1959 novel by Norton.
I should also add that anyone who loves animals will probably enjoy this.
If we could talk to our pets, would we have pets? We might have animal friends, but pets? I doubt it.
The ending was a bit pat, but the section from pages 120-200 was excellent. The story centers on human/animal communication, which of course also shows up in The Beast Master, a 1959 novel by Norton.
I should also add that anyone who loves animals will probably enjoy this.
If we could talk to our pets, would we have pets? We might have animal friends, but pets? I doubt it.
January 10, 2019
Relief. That's what I feel upon finishing this audiobook. I've been plodding through this slowly, but completed the last quarter or so tonight, in one go. Just to have it done.
It's not a bad book, per se. It's not badly written. The initial ideas and concepts are interesting. However, I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried. Perhaps it was the audiobook format itself, which I'm not used to. Maybe it was the narrator, though I can't put my finger on anything irritating he did. The animal characters were mildly interesting, but the human characters felt very flat.
I guess it just wasn't for me.
It's not a bad book, per se. It's not badly written. The initial ideas and concepts are interesting. However, I just couldn't get into it, no matter how hard I tried. Perhaps it was the audiobook format itself, which I'm not used to. Maybe it was the narrator, though I can't put my finger on anything irritating he did. The animal characters were mildly interesting, but the human characters felt very flat.
I guess it just wasn't for me.
March 3, 2025
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶😕🎉
This kindle ebook novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account
A great futuristic fantasy world 🌐 adventure story.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of futuristic fantasy world 🌐 adventure novels 😉🙃 2025 🐈🙂
This kindle ebook novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account
A great futuristic fantasy world 🌐 adventure story.
I would recommend this novella and author to readers of futuristic fantasy world 🌐 adventure novels 😉🙃 2025 🐈🙂
February 25, 2010
Troy Horan is a Dippleman, a refugee living in a restricted area on a planet after his own world was "appropriated" as a military base during an interstellar war. He gets a short contract working with a luxury pet shop and finds himself slowly dragged into a murky web of plots and subterfuge in which imported Terran animals seem to play a central role.
I felt that this was quite sophisticated for a children's book. The world building was quite good, with a lot of depth and the characters were all quite interesting. A large portion of the pleasure planet that the book happens on is a preserved wilderness, and the protagonist is from a similar area and the impression is that these are things that the author cares about and recur in Norton's work a lot.
I felt that this was quite sophisticated for a children's book. The world building was quite good, with a lot of depth and the characters were all quite interesting. A large portion of the pleasure planet that the book happens on is a preserved wilderness, and the protagonist is from a similar area and the impression is that these are things that the author cares about and recur in Norton's work a lot.
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March 27, 2010Most people remember their 1st Norton Book--this was mine. My mother gave me a different edition, saying I might like it.
As a teenager, I didn't question the police state nature of the luxury planet of Korwar--now I'm more sensitized to how little freedom ANY of the people have. The escape to the Wilds by Troy Horan et cie is arguably the only chance any of them have to achieve freedom--and that's iffy, at best.
I should note something general about Norton--aside from Earth and the Witch World, she seemed to have difficulty apprehending the largeness and variety of planets. Korwar is better realized than most...but I think most people would be puzzled how to create a map of the planet.
As a teenager, I didn't question the police state nature of the luxury planet of Korwar--now I'm more sensitized to how little freedom ANY of the people have. The escape to the Wilds by Troy Horan et cie is arguably the only chance any of them have to achieve freedom--and that's iffy, at best.
I should note something general about Norton--aside from Earth and the Witch World, she seemed to have difficulty apprehending the largeness and variety of planets. Korwar is better realized than most...but I think most people would be puzzled how to create a map of the planet.
June 9, 2008
One of my favourite Andre Norton books. It's more what it doesn't tell you than what it does so the story lodges in your subconcious.
June 19, 2017
This has been one of my favourites for years. This copy's nearly falling apart, it's been read so often.
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February 23, 2019I love this book!
I first read Catseye when I was a 14 year-old junior high student. It spoke to the uncertainty of where I belonged in the world, of the need to be honorable in my dealings with others, of the possibility of finding true companionship in beings who don't look like I do. Nearly 50 years later, I also see that it speaks to the need to husband our natural resources and of the arbitrary politics of wars where the needs of the few apparently outweigh the needs of the many. Andre Norton masterfully combines all these elements into an outstanding adventure of unforgettable characters in a well-crafted alien world. I feel a pressing need to reread more of her books. I believe they will all hold up to my memories as well as this one has.
I first read Catseye when I was a 14 year-old junior high student. It spoke to the uncertainty of where I belonged in the world, of the need to be honorable in my dealings with others, of the possibility of finding true companionship in beings who don't look like I do. Nearly 50 years later, I also see that it speaks to the need to husband our natural resources and of the arbitrary politics of wars where the needs of the few apparently outweigh the needs of the many. Andre Norton masterfully combines all these elements into an outstanding adventure of unforgettable characters in a well-crafted alien world. I feel a pressing need to reread more of her books. I believe they will all hold up to my memories as well as this one has.
January 10, 2019
Read for SFFBC.
I too had trouble with the style. All storytelling, all adventure, very little character development. Maybe if it were *L*iterature I would expect things to be alluded to, expect things to be oblique, expect loose ends... but it's just an adventure and I don't feel like I should have to work to get more out of it.
I agree that it was 'flat' and 'dry' and had more potential than what was delivered.
I think that I would have liked it more if it were told in first person. After all, we only know one character's perspective and it's basically his story....
I'm glad it was short and I will not be reading more by the author.
(Giving it two stars, not one, because I do like the concept of a team of *six* animals.)
I too had trouble with the style. All storytelling, all adventure, very little character development. Maybe if it were *L*iterature I would expect things to be alluded to, expect things to be oblique, expect loose ends... but it's just an adventure and I don't feel like I should have to work to get more out of it.
I agree that it was 'flat' and 'dry' and had more potential than what was delivered.
I think that I would have liked it more if it were told in first person. After all, we only know one character's perspective and it's basically his story....
I'm glad it was short and I will not be reading more by the author.
(Giving it two stars, not one, because I do like the concept of a team of *six* animals.)
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December 19, 2014Norton's classic outsider story. Norton's early books are almost completely romance-free and sex-free - the main characters never show any sign of interest, and there's only the slightest hints that anyone ever does (usually the vaguest allusions to pleasure girls). This one, however, is also known as "the one with the gay subtext". There's no definite romance, but you can certainly see Troy/Rerne following many of the standard romance beats - the meet cute, the getting to know, the estrangement, the reconciliation.
It's also a great example of constantly changing the situation up so that the reader's interest never flags.
It's also a great example of constantly changing the situation up so that the reader's interest never flags.
November 21, 2014
Andre Norton never disappoints, loved the connection between animals and human, have you noticed how there nearly always a cat type animal in her stories? As I am also a cat lover myself I love that they're included in her stories. My first Andre Norton was Year of the Unicorn I was hooked from then on, I will always read and re read Norton books, they're so interesting and they never date, Andre Norton was a Visionary
June 23, 2015
I have a tendency to confuse this book with Beast Master. Both have similar themes of men separated from their homelands, using their ability to communicate telepathically with animals to help them survive. In this book, the hero is unaware of his ability at first. In Beast Master, the ability is perfectly honed, and the man/animal team functions smoothly. Both are good stories. I love Andre Norton and consider her one of the best SF/Fantasy writers ever.
February 17, 2018
A good adventure story that includes a young man's coming of age tribulations and his discovery of a power he didn't know he had.
This is a story for all age groups, for anyone who remembers the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult, anyone undergoing this trials and tribulations, anyone seeking a few moments in adventure, for anyone who has ever wished they could communicate far more effectively with their furred companions.
This is a story for all age groups, for anyone who remembers the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult, anyone undergoing this trials and tribulations, anyone seeking a few moments in adventure, for anyone who has ever wished they could communicate far more effectively with their furred companions.
February 15, 2019
Andre Norton wrote numerous variations of this story. A lone human who is an outsider and/or outcast who has a psychic connection to animals. It’s an okay little adventure whose message is a basic one of “every creature deserves to live free.” It’s competent but unexciting. It sure would be cool to have a psychic kinkajou though.
June 7, 2019
Explores the kinship between animals and humans via the ability to communicate using thought - this highlights how the relationship between the animal kingdom and humans can be both constructive and destructive.
The story follows Troy, and inhabitant of the Dipple - an area of poverty where outcasts and immigrants from other planets are forced to seek out a meager existence. He is hired to work in a high class shop catering in exotic animals and amphibians where he unwitting becomes embroiled in political machinations and secret plots using animals of high intelligence who possess the ability to communicate with humans.
This throws up a variety of moral dilemas as Troy seeks to liberate the manipulated animals and escape from his constricting life in the Dipple. Will his kinship with the animals he has saved ultimately save him?
An excellent sci-fi adventure from Andre Norton. Written for younger readers though I do think that the stylised language would find most children struggling nowadays.
The story follows Troy, and inhabitant of the Dipple - an area of poverty where outcasts and immigrants from other planets are forced to seek out a meager existence. He is hired to work in a high class shop catering in exotic animals and amphibians where he unwitting becomes embroiled in political machinations and secret plots using animals of high intelligence who possess the ability to communicate with humans.
This throws up a variety of moral dilemas as Troy seeks to liberate the manipulated animals and escape from his constricting life in the Dipple. Will his kinship with the animals he has saved ultimately save him?
An excellent sci-fi adventure from Andre Norton. Written for younger readers though I do think that the stylised language would find most children struggling nowadays.
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