Hellcats Anthology: Volume 1

Hellcats Anthology #1

by Kate Pickford (Editor), A.A. Briggs, A.G. Marshall

Hellcats - The Time to Rise is Meow!

Revenge, reckoning, and HELLCATS, THE ANTHOLOGY has it all. Presenting The first volume of the sixty nine stories of feline adventure that will make you chortle, chuckle, gasp, and guffaw. We Pirates, cowboys, and spacewalkers. Soul suckers, seers, and swashbuckling heroes. With guest appearances by Mr. Darcy, The Madwoman in the Attic, and Hunter S. Thompson as a cat. In the far reaches of outer space, cats crawl and pounce, shift and slaughter. While back on Earth, the wicked are punished, the weak avenged, and the good guy wins against all odds. We have paranormal fantasy, sci-fi, swords and sorcerers, cozy mysteries, romance, literary fiction, and much, much more.
All proceeds from this anthology will go to support a 79 year-old grandmother, Erada, who has been hounded through the courts and is in danger of losing her home. The HELLCATS are a group of writers who banded together to try to prevent that from happening. Help the HELLCATS help Erada keep her home.


* Foreword Kate Pickford
* Vade Mecum / short fiction by J. A. Clement
* The Graphene Rat / short fiction by E. G. Bateman, Jon Evans
* Cat Futures / short fiction by Lawrence M. Schoen
* Hellcat One-One / short fiction by Arleigh Jacobs
* Chaos on the Horizon / short fiction by Lillia Hunter, Aidan Pilkington-Burrows
* Glamour Puss / short fiction by Audra Spicer [as by H. L. Beatty]
* The Smollest Assassin / short fiction by Gage Lee
* Bewitched Warrior Cats / short fiction by Efthalia
* The Train Case / short fiction by Michael Raymond
* Tough Times at Tomcat Talent / short fiction by Marcus Alexander Hart
* Slug / short fiction by Ella J. Smyth
* The Cat from the Silent Kitten • short fiction by Chris McFarlane
* Hissing Hellcats / short fiction by Clare Sager
* Under the Apple Tree, Released May 1942 / short fiction by David John Dowd
* Hellcat Invasion / short fiction by A. M. Scott
* Kitty to the Rescue / short fiction by Ann B. Harrison
The Curse of Gold / [Once Upon a Short Story • 5] (2019) / novelette by A. G. Marshall
* Here Kitty Kitties / short fiction by Jenn Mitchell
* Frisky Blue / short fiction by Bokerah Brumley
* Hellcat Rescue / short fiction by A. A. Briggs
* Moon-Kissed Cat / short fiction by Judy Clothier
* The Bundle / short fiction by William Van Winkle
* Sashelle's Quest / short fiction by Julia Huni
* The Hacker / short fiction by Kasia Lasinska
* The Palace Plot / short fiction by Katy Hollway
* The Hellcat A Retelling of Red Riding Hood / short fiction by Sonia Rao
* The Nature of the Beast / short fiction by Jon Tobey
* The Path of Kahinae / short fiction by R.R. Virdi
* Fries Before Guys / short fiction by Lasairiona McMaster
* My Familiar / short fiction by Erin Lindsay McCabe
* Felicity Tenderfoot and Nashwa Lightbody / short fiction by Liam Pickford
* Can We Keep It? / short fiction by Mark Stallings
* The Cat's Consortium / short fiction by Kimberly Kennedy
* Wings for Azazel / short fiction by Mhairi Simpson
* The Midnight Journey of Cat'thulu / short fiction by N. H. Paxton
* Of Fire and Furry / short fiction by Ben Wolf
* Devourer of Souls / short fiction by Kris Bowes
* The World's Greatest Being / short fiction by Navin Weeratne
* Where the Three Worlds Meet / short fiction by Nicole Grotepas
* Black Devil Spawn / short fiction by Penelope Cress
* Back to School / short fiction by Russell Zimmerman
* The Great Milk Heist / short fiction by S. E. Clement
* The Witch, the Hellcat, and the Wormhole / short fiction by Kathryn Pickford, Ginger Rinkenberger
* The Eye of Ra and the Cats from Hell or a Retelling of the Book of the Heavenly Cow / short fiction by Tom Fruman
* A Plan to Destroy Humanity / short fiction by Shanda Forish
* Chapalu / short fiction by Erika Santiago Domeika
* Shipyard Cat / short fiction by Grayson Walker
* Scratch the Surface / short fiction by Aleta Goin
* Thelonious and Mr. Carter / short fiction by A. J. McWain
* Rescue Cat / short fiction by C. J. Lazar
* A Cat Named Felix / short fiction by Stephanie Mylchreest
* Soul Cats / short fiction by Wes Pollock
* Cat Got Your Tongue? / short fiction by Kathryn Pickford
* The Loyal Beast / short fiction by Sarah Noffke
* Deeva de Mission 666 / short fiction by Katie Cord
* Birth of a Were-Cat Medic / short fiction by Jamie Davis
* Iconography / short fiction by Wunji Lau
* The Tavern Cat / short fiction by J. T. Williams
* Cats on the Prowl / short fiction by DJ Cooper
* Hellcats to the End / short fiction by Chelle Honiker
* Butters / short fiction by Brandon Ellis
* The Fusion / short fiction by B. K. Boes
* Da...

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Animals

1384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2020

Reviews

[Nadishka Aloysius · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do shapeshifters, night witches, pirates, spacewalkers and characters from classic literature have in common?
.
I bought this because I know one of the authors contributing to it, and my kids LOVE cats
The anthology was compiled to raise money for a charitable cause (okay, that too nudged me to reach for my purse...)
It's quite a comprehensive collection - there are 69 short stories covering a plethora of genres including historical fiction, kidlit, YA, fantasy, scifi and romance. There's something for everyone. This also allows the reader to sample different styles of writing that they would not normally pick up.
Another plus point with reading any anthology is that you can take it at your own pace.
The editor -in-chief Kate Pickford in her Foreword says she left the interpretation of the theme HELLCATS open to the authors so there are some very interesting and creative takes on that. Some will make you think, some will make you laugh, and others will leave you with goosebumps on your arm.
.
I personally think cat lovers will really enjoy this read. If you have a cat (or a cat owns you) you will be able to engage with the stories at a whole new level.
A good read in aid of a good cause.
It's on KU so try it and see!

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

CHAOS ON THE HORIZON by Lillia Hunter

HANNAH AND CHARLIE

I enjoyed this paranormal story that was a quick read, yet a page-turner. The story has two main characters, a human woman named Hannah, that holds magical powers and is a Beacon, and a hellcat, named Charlie. Together, they will fight evil forces known as Ivza and Knazh.

"Knazh are apex predators, not like the Ivza who are basically drones who just follow orders. The Knazh aren't discerning. They'll kill anything and everything."

The story is a battle of good versus evil and will have Hannah and Charlie in multiple battles together.

I had to lookup more on hellcats, who come from a spiritual realm. From the Encyclopedia of the Spirit Keeping, Paranormal Collecting & Magic:

Hellcats are the feisty, energetic, sometimes sinister residents of the Spiritual World. They are known to walk all 3 Realms and are usually accompanied by spikes in temperature or a metallic odor. In mythology, Hellcats were thought to have accompanied some of the Underworld Immortals, and some believe Hecate could transform herself into a Hellcat. They are usually dark in color, fearsome and intimidating, and are quite territorial. They are great companions to those who practice magick and spirituality as they are guardians and protectors with extraordinary force and creativity.

As spirit companions, they can add a significant amount of energy behind your magickal endeavors. They are impressively strong-willed and have a halo of mystic energy that inspires your magickal mind. They can bring you closer connection and interaction on the Spiritual Realm and will work well with any other Dark Arts spirits or living entities. They are uniquely helpful when it comes to working with the Immortals associated with the Underworld.

[The Lusty Literarians · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for: Hissing Hellcats by Clare Sager

This story was a super fast and very fun read! I absolutely loved how it tied in perfectly with the series it is based on. This book is set during the same time period as book one in the series, Beneath Black Sails. In this story we get to go on a mini adventure with Vice and Knigh on their journey to rescue Barnacle, the pirate ship's resident cat. I thoroughly enjoyed this short story. While it does feature characters from a book series, I wouldn't say that you need to read the series in order to appreciate this story.

[Thomas Fruman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cause! Great read! What a great mix of authors and stories.

[Ann Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

So proud to be involved in this charity anthology. Can't wait to read all the stories.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this across so many social media feeds recently. The stories are all over the place in terms of craft, maturity and, in some ways, theme. But the good are good. The great more than make up for the dross, and the worst of them fade away in front of the best.

So very much worth the purchase price.

Highlights:

Rules, by an author I just can't promise to name properly. 4 stars. Cleverly done and smoothly written. The writer has a classic clean and contemporary voice that reminds me of writers from my early childhood, more from the sci fi side of things than fantasy and mystery, I'll say.

The Path to Kaine, R.R. Virdi. 5 stars. A level of evocative and seductive writing I haven't seen outside of Scott Lynch and Rothfuss. Smooth, subtle, strong first person voice and subversive tale about reputation, stories, and how they can make a man or myth. Like I said in the opening, this is one of the stories varying in theme as it only referenced cats yet had none.

The Witch, The Hellcat, and The Wormhole, Ginger and Kate. 5 stars. Utterly charming, spot of great humor, and thoroughly enjoyable.

These are my personal highlights and favorites. With as many stories as there are in here to pick, you'll find something for you. And whatever stinkers you find are just that too. More than enough to tickle your fancy and make you laugh or cry and enjoy a wonderful yarn.

To each their own, and I think this collection has some for everyone. Well pieced piece.

[Taylor Strumpf · Rating 5 out of 5]

#1: It's for a great cause -- charity.
#2: It's cheap.
#3: One story alone is worth buying this for when added to the other two things.

The Path to Kahinae by R.R. Virdi. I wasn't interested honestly in a whole story about cats and from those points of views. Nothing against the furbabies, but just not what I wanted to read about. See charity. Number one reason.

Many of the stories were fun and quirky. A few were entertaining. And nothing was so bad that it would knock off a star or make me regret buying this. But one of these stories was worth the price of the whole anthology.

It has all the writing and vibes and beauty of Name of the Wind meets The Witcher. A wandering, terse, gruff, and somber swordsman wandering through what sounds like Asiatic lush jungles. He's on the run from the Crimson Company, what sounds like a mercenary band of brothers he's defected from. The story is full of wordplay, subtlety, and great writing.

I'd like to see more from that world to be honest.

Support charity. Help someone save their home. And at least one story that makes the whole collection worth it.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like cats? Do you like fun? Then you'll love the HELLCATS anthology! With sixty-nine stories of feline chaos, ranging from romance, to sci-fi, to comedy, there's something in here for everyone. And at a telephone-book-like, thousand-plus pages, you can't get a better word-per-dollar ratio! Best of all, 100% of the proceeds go to help a kind old woman who is in danger of losing her home. HELLCATS is a great book wrapped in a good deed! Grab your copy today!

[Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great anthology about our favorite purring creatures... Or are they?

This is quite the collection of short stories and novellas, all varied in their subject matter. I particularly enjoyed the Hellcat Invasion addition by AM Scott. Cat lovers will adore this anthology!

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hellcats Anthology
Actual rating was 3.40

It was quite a feat for the authors to pull this together so quickly. This is by far the longest anthology I have ever read. As per usual there were some clunkers, but there was only one story that I would never read again. 1 out of 69 is outstanding. 30 of the stories were 4 or 4.5 stars using my system.

I always try to give a short synopsis with my review. I have enjoyed reading other reviews where the readers gave us such information. Due to just how many stories there are my review will be broken up into sections. The three star and below rated stories will be in a comment.

3.5 and above stars

Hissing Hellcats
Clare Sager
4.5 stars
Barnacle, the cat of the ship the Morrigan, has been taken by Jack Rackham. The crew has been told by their captain that they are to do nothing to rescue her. Vice, with the help of Knigh Blackwood, has other ideas. You don't mess with a ship’s cat. These are characters from the Beneath Black Sails series. I don’t read romance, so this is new to me. In the series Lady Vice is a notorious pirate and Knigh is a member of the royal navy dispatched to stop her. I loved her attitude about the kitty Barnacle. This is my favorite story so far.

Thelonious and Mr. Carter
A.J. McWain
4.5 stars
Peter wakes up to that he has shrunk down to five inches. What's more his cat seems intent on playing with him as cats do. Add in a wise stranger and you have a fun, sweet tale.

Wings for Azazel
Mhairi Simpson
4.5 stars
Azazel the fallen angel is in cat form, and he is being forced to bring six souls or lose his wings and with them the ability to teleport to the surface.

Birth of a Were-Cat Medic
Jamie Davis
4 stars
Leah, a were-jaguar wants nothing to do with her family's criminal empire. Short story set in the Extreme Medical Services universe.

Can We Keep It?
Mark Stallings
4 stars
After Don’s young daughters rescue a kitten, his life becomes complicated.

A Cat for the Keeper
Lilly MacKenzie Hurd
4 stars
Catherine MacLeod is determined to take a kitten to the lighthouse keeper. I don’t care for romance at all, so I was surprised I liked this. Granted there was very little in the way of romance, but that would be the genre it most closely resembled.

Cat Futures
Lawrence M. Schoen
4 stars
Steven’s new girlfriend finds a cat who can tell the future. If this had ended differently, I could see this becoming a series à la “The Cat Who” series, but with an actual soothsaying kitty telling the future instead of helping Qwill solve crimes.

A Cat Named Felix
Stephanie Mylchreest
4 stars
Jailed under an authoritarian regime. Alone in her cell with only the voice of a neighboring prisoner. A welcome distraction comes in the form of cat that visits. It was dystopian, so not anything I would normally read, but it held my interest.

Caught Dead
Kenzie Kelly
4 stars
Myka is a new “hunter”, a job given to those who have died. Her companion is Dax, a cat on his last life. His soul was kidnapped and Myka has to find it before the sun rises otherwise Dax will be no more. I really would have liked this to be a series.

Chaos on the Horizon
Aidan Pilkington-Burrows and Lillia Hunter
4 stars
Hannah can see the creatures that cross over into our dimension. She is a “beacon” that they use as a guidepost to our reality. Charlie is a “chaos cat” (with wings! and not one griffin reference was made) who has come here to protect Hannah and help her slay those who are trying to take over our planet. I wish this was a series. (I get the feeling I’ll be saying that a lot.)

Chapalu
Erika Domeika
4 stars
After 3 deaths the town leader decides to hire a knight to come and kill the beast responsible. Lauseanna, the town witch, knows what is happening, and how much of a fool Artus is.

The Curse of Gold
A.G. Marshall
4 stars
Emily has the power to turn items into gold. She doesn't want it and cannot control it. Then a cat comes into her life. Since this is a short story. we aren’t given much background other than her mom was fae and she abandoned the family. Considering what Emily’s father is like I don’t blame her for leaving him. This is a new take on the “Rumpelstiltskin” fairy tale.

Deeva de Satanica: Mission 666
Katie Cord
4 stars
Deeva de Satanica is a demon of revenge. Her latest mission has her in the body of a cat. That isn’t unusual. What is though is that the dog has an angel inside and it seems as if The Powers That Be want them to work together to protect Heather and her mom, Justine.

Devourer of Souls
Kris Bowes
4 stars
Anyone looking at Nova would see cat. Her human, Lily calls her “Cleocatra”. Nova is actually part of a sect of creatures called Gate Guardians whose purpose is to keep the eldritch beings of old out of our dimension. They do this with seals that are powered by souls. The darker the soul, the more power it gives to the seal. It sounded like it would be a cool series, especially with Lily being an investigator of some kind.

Felicity Tenderfoot and Nashwa Lightbody
Liam Pickford
4 stars
Felicity Tenderfoot is a cat, a familiar to a nasty witch who died while casting a spell. When Doris the witch died, she broke the casting circle thereby freeing Felicity. All of the is on the first page. What follows is a delightful story of Felicity’s search for a house that she had seen in her dreams.

The Fusion
B.K. Boes
4 stars
Aiden was supposed to be one of the Chroniclers, those that preserve of knowledge. But in his heart, he knows that his true purpose is to be a Defender. All he has to do is find the hellcats and convince one of them to fuse with him. This was one of the best stories, another than would make an interesting series.

Hellcat One-One
Arleigh Jacobs
4 stars
The only plane I know on sight is the AWACS. They were always flying overhead when I was kid. So, I figured I might be bored with a story about WWII planes at an air show. I was wrong. Lt. Talia “Colt” Levin gets roped into flying one the planes when the pilots who were supposed to couldn’t. If I was into military fiction, I could totally see me reading more about her.

Hellcat Rescue
A.A. Briggs
4 stars
Captain the duck, with the aid of Seven the cat and other various birds and furred creatures, is on a mission to save a kitten from the horrible man next door. At first, I thought this would be a great children’s book. It still would, except for the fact that the bad guy is a meth dealer, so not exactly kindergarten material. Still, it was a cute read. It reminded me of how the horses, cats and dogs all called to each other in “101 Dalmatians”.

Moon-Kissed Cat
Judy Clothier
4 stars
A stray cat with a secret rescues an elderly woman from some thugs and then follows her home. It’s a good thing too since the thugs aren’t done with her and her house. I really with this one had a sequel. There is so much more that can be told.

My Familiar
Erin Lindsay McCabe
4 stars
I have never read Jane Eyre, nor have I seen any of the adaptations. I didn’t even know what it was about. I always figured it was a romance novel. Looking it up I found out it is. I doubt I would like the original, beloved though it may be. My Familiar however was great fun. Jane is barely a peripheral character. This story is told from Antoinetta’s cat’s perspective. Again, having never read the book I do not know if she had one. Looking up the synopsis of Jane Eyre shows Antoinetta existed in the book. Her storyline is so tragic. I am not sure if those who read and loved Jane will enjoy this, but I sure did.

Of Fire and Furry
Ben Wolf
4 stars
Garrick Shatterstone owes Ronin Shroud a favor. All Garrick wants to do is drink some ale and be left alone. Unfortunately, Garrick is a man of his word, so when Ronin shows up needing help stealing a hellcat, he has no choice but to help Ronin out. This is a Blood Mercenaries short story.

A Plan to Destroy Humanity
Shanda Forish
4 stars
Arcmaros boss comes up with the bright idea of putting him in a kitten’s body. Too bad that Arcmaros finds it is harder to corrupt humans while being lavished with affection.

Rescue Cat
C.J. Lazar
4 stars
Helen’s morning routine got a bit flummoxed by the kitten that she was just supposed to be fostering. There were moments that anyone who has had a feline will appreciate. There were some continuity issues though. The preface to the story said “Brenda…” I am going to guess the authors have nothing to do with those. The author would know what her character’s name is. A text came in from “Brenda”. We don’t learn Helen’s name until almost the end. Some minor issues within the story would have been under the author’s purview.

Rules
Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
4 stars
Gary and Art go from town to town ridding the populace of demons and other unsavory things. Gary is “God-touched”, but not too bright. Art is the brains because, as he says, he’s a cat.

Sashelle's Quest
Julia Huni
4 stars
On a different planet from Earth humans are doing what they do best-destroy everything. When the humans finally start tearing down the trees in one of the local fauna areas the animals there are not going to allow it. The queen of the tribe has sent Sashelle along with the “Larrys” to deal with it. This is Sashelle’s first quest for the tribe and even though she is young she is determined to get the humans to leave. Why don’t they listen to her when she says to go away? The story is part of the Krimson Empire series.

Soul Cats
Wes Pollock
4 stars
Shadow teaches young Mewly what it means to be a soul cat.

The Tavern Cat
J.T. Williams
4 stars
Wynder is a cat who has the ability to see goblins. He has made it his mission to protect the tavern that he calls home. It is set within the Dwemhar World universe.

Where the Three Worlds Meet
Nicole Grotepas
4 stars
A scientist named Kiv and her daemon Bastet try to figure out what is causing three worlds to bleed into one another.

The Witch, the Hellcat, and the Wormhole
Ginger Rinkenberger & Kate Pickford
4 stars
Grimalkin is searching through time to find Hecate after they become separated. Hecate has lost her sense of self and Grimalkin needs to find her.

The World’s Greatest Being
Navin Weeratne
4 stars
“…Mewlius Caesar. I’m a Persian crime boss”. This is how he tells us his name. The comical story is about Mewlius’ mission to find a girlfriend for his human, Sam.

Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers
Steve Higgs
3.5 stars
Albert and his dog Rex get into some trouble. Albert notices his late wife’s wing is missing, while Rex is upset that a cat had the audacity to come into the home uninvited and sleep on Albert’s bed! As usual, Rex is a handful. There is a reason he was fired from being a police dog. Albert and Rex are the main characters in the Albert Smith's Culinary Capers series.

Bewitched Warrior Cats
Efthalia
3.5 stars
Ginger, Sassy and Minnie are warriors who were changed into cats a century earlier. They hope that Xen Lyson, the leader of their group, can recognize their true selves within the bodies of cats. This takes place in the Phi Athanatoi universe.

The Cat from the Silent Kitten
Chris McFarlane
3.5 stars
The story is told from the perspective of an unnamed RAF airman. In 2002 he was sent to the Falklands for a four-month tour. On the way he meets a fellow airman named Stephen Catman aka “Cat”. What follows is a bit of what they did during their tour. It was comical. Fair warning for Americans-the books is very British. That was fun. The blurb says the author isn’t a writer, but I think he did a great job.

The Great Milk Heist
Sally Clements
3.5 stars
Patrick Bernard Louis the 3rd, formerly known as ‘Snowball’ has been relegated to the streets where he winds up helping the local Meowfia deal with a neighboring gang.

The Hacker
Kasia Lasinska
3.5 stars
In a future where people are given a date on which they are supposed to die Emmeline doesn't die like she should have. Her mother tells her to escape before the government comes to claim her body. Her comp (that is the handheld device that every citizen has) is named “Hellcat”. It is part of The Deathday Chronicles series.

Hellcats to the End
Chelle Honiker
3.5 stars
Hendricks and her sisters are tasked with stopping the hound-shifters from unleashing a spell that will kill all shifters.

Iconography
Wunji Lau
3.5 stars
The story revolves around a Hell-Cat fighter plane that crashed in 1944. We see it throughout millennia.

The Loyal Beast
Sarah Noffke
3.5 stars
The story is several vignettes about the author's childhood pet.

Scratch the Surface
Aleta Goin
3.5 stars
Sci-fi (hopefully) where Wesleyn Price is a genius in both technology and business. After building the most expansive platform ever, why wouldn't he believe that he should rule everything. Now if only he could figure out what is hiding in the system.

[Clinton Sites · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of stories that every cat lover needs in their personal collection

Titled "Hellcats" one could be forgiven in jumping to an obvious conclusion (I did) - but don't. I am personally glad I didn't.

This is a collection that has something in every genre for the cat lover. There are stories that even make one wonder why this one - what does it have to do with cats? I found upon some skull sweat the reasons (you can't always have it handed to you).

I will warn the cat lover - there are stories with happy conclusions, ones without and ones that never quite end.

Enjoy!

[Melanie Connaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mix and collection of short stories to please all. Thumb through the ones you don't. Savor and reread the ones you do, and it's for a great cause. CHARITY!

Stories that stuck out and or my favorites.

The Tavern Cat by J.T. Williams was a nice story. I give it a 3-3.5

The Loyal Beast by Sarah Noffke is a 4.

Rules by Yudhanjaja Wijeratne got a 4-4.5.

Cat Got Your Tongue by Kate Pickford scores a 5. Absolutely wonderful.

The Path to Kahayne by R.R. Virdi. Another 5 stars. Brilliant. Beautiful.

Those are my favorites in order up. But you'll be sure to find plenty of your own! There's so much good in there even if it might not be your taste. Some might just be average or not your cuppa.

[Audra Spicer]

I was one of the authors who submitted to Hellcats, and it was a fun enterprise. There's something in this collection for everyone!

[Efthalia Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Rocket Raccoon, these cats have some kick ass skills.

[A.R. Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrfection!

What can be better than 69 cat stories all jam-packed into a single anthology? I cant get enough of Hellcats! There’s something in here for nearly every reader, especially if they love cats! Great job! I definitely recommend this book!

[Grayson Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

MEOW! what a wild ride! Loved this mix of stories!

[Penny Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't write reviews. I'm not good at them and they are a lot of effort. But a friend told me about this charity anthology and she bought it to help and found a story she really loved. I love fantasy and sci fi and decided it's worth it to help for charity and even one great story.

She was really right.

The story is the path to kayinae by r virdi. It's absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. It's almost like listening to a song in places. I was lulled along in the best way. It's pleasant, it's exciting, vivid, and gorgeous writing. I need more of this world and story. It felt so deep and broad for something so short.

It made me think of all the old epics in how it felt.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reviewing Slug’s story which is part of the Second Chance Academy series by Ella J Smyth. This is an excellent story, especially if read in conjunction with Book One of the series. It gives that story that needed hook to make it interesting and want to find out what happens for the rest of the series. In my opinion, Slug is the true MVP of Book 1 and deserves a better name!

[Mary Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense, Savory, Multi-Faceted, Wide-Ranging Anthology

Took me a very long (relatively, for me) time to get through the entire tome. Not a single stinker in the entire book; different tones, pacings, settings, from mundane to phantasmagorical, but all engrossing and all to “short”!

An embarrassment of riches here. Dive in!

[Esther Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book! Amazing stories for a great cause!

You'll cry, laugh, snort and chuckle as you make your way through 69 stories written by some of today's best authors!!!!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good stuff

These are some really good shorts. There were a few I didn't like, but the majority of them are good.
Well worth it.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cat” stories of all kinds. There are quite a few dark tales, but there is surely something for everyone!
*I loved Hissing Hellcats & Kitty to the Rescue.
*I liked Frisky Blue.
*Moon-kissed Cat is a keeper.
*The Bundle is a horror story.
*Sashelle’s Quest * is a really cute story.
* The Hacker is nice.
* The Palace Plot has editing errors & is a bit confusing. The plot is unfulfilling.
* The Hellcat Chronicle: A Retelling of Little Red Robin Hood
* Hellcat Invasion by AM Scott. An interesting story of guilt, injustice, and the need for retribution. The ending has elements of both vengeance and mystery. See what you think!
* The Path to Kahinae by RR Virdi 5 stars. Excellent tale; it is exciting, intelligent, heroic, with a touch of mystery and a hint of humor if you look deeply enough.
* My Familiar by Erin Lindsay McCabe. Beautifully written short tale of horror.
* Can We Keep It? by Mark Stallings. 5 stars. Short and to the point. Mr. Kitty is SPECIAL. Loved it!
* The Cat’s Consortium by Kimberly Kennedy.
* Wings for Azazel by Mhairi Simpson. Cute tale.
* Of Fire & Furry by Ben Wolf. Cute, humorous story.
* Devourer of Souls by Kris Bowes.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Specifically for “The Path to Kahinae” by R. R. Virdi, which I actually got as a pre-order bonus for “The First Binding.” However, this is the only listing of the short story available. Unfortunately, this will throw off my numbers for the year.

A lovely addition to the world of Tremaine. Read in preparation for “Doors of Midnight!”

[Kemlo]

I love the collaborative efforts that went into creating this book, and the fundraising goal behind it (5 stars!). I’m also very fond of cats, so I think the concept (“Hellcats - The Time to Rise is Meow!”) is delightful.

Of the 69 stories included in the anthology, these were my favorites:

3. Cat Futures by Lawrence M. Schoenberg, which includes this line: “Cats aren’t pets. They’re autonomous beings that sometime choose to share their lives with you.” A delightful story about a young couple in the early stages of their relationship, and a mysterious cat named Mr. Buttons.

9. The Train Case by Michael Raymond. My favorite kind of story blends humor with heart, and that’s what we get with this story. At first, I was attracted to the playfulness, which is evident in the opening line: “I’m sixty miles outside Flagstaff barreling toward the Valley of the Gods with an angry ferret, a Marxist emu, and an eight-year-old boy when I become aware that my catnip has been laced with LSD.” I was reminded of Hunter S. Thompson and laughed out loud at the image of this crew. But the underlying message of the story was what finally won me over: True freedom comes not from trying to erase one’s past but from trying to understand it.

[This review is a work-in-progress . . . I’ll add notes for the rest of the stories in the list soon.]

17. The Curse of Gold by A. G. Marshall (a clever retelling of Rumpelstiltskin)
21. Moon-Kissed Cat by Judy Clothier
22. The Bundle by William Van Winkle
30. My Familiar by Erin Lindsay McCabe
43. The Witch, the Hellcat, and the Wormhole by Ginger Rinkenberger and Kate Pickford
48. Scratch the Surface by Aleta Goin
57. Iconography by Wunji Lau (Hard to decide, but I think this is my very favorite of them all!)
63. Daybreak in Defiance by Tameri Etherton
64. Rules by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
65. A Cat for the Keeper by Lilly Mackenzie Hurd

[Ggkawaiibunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this in an email -- for charity to help an old lady avoid being homeless. Read it on KU. But I also bought a copy later because it's for charity.

I skimmed through a lot of the stories, and honestly wish it were in audio, it would have made things easier, but a few were good. The best and one that made me wish the author wrote more of a story or a book was by virdi. The Path to I can't pronounce the rest of the name. But it's a deep and beautiful sounding fantasy story. It sounds like the main character is telling a snippet of his story or life to someone else, a bard?

But it's very wonderful. I'm going to check out more of his work now. Very good.

[Sabetha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy, Cats, and a good cause—sign me the f up.

Love the various ways that cats can be woven into a story. Many great authors, within this anthology. You can always tell it's a well compiled anthology when you come for those you know, leave with a few to search out their back catalog.

As always, J.T. Williams brings a tale of battle and overcoming the neigh sayers. Fits perfectly within his world, and I hope to get more from Wynder in the future.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of stories here. Something for everyone all loosely related by the name hellcat. There are stories about felines, shape-shifters, the Grumman aircraft, and other things. Most people won’t like every story but still a good read.

[Kelvin Clements · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of stories

Not all about cat, some just named after cats. Of the 69 short stories, I only had problems with one story that I just couldn't follow. So all in all it was a very removable read.

[Veronica]

Awesome stories! The variety of stories is amazing, and there’s something for everyone. This is a must for cat lovers, and the proceeds are for a good cause as well.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Erada

Hang in there! I had to buy the book just because I knew the KU wouldn't net much and its just darn good reading!! Love the kitties!