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The Cat Master

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"Buddy stood in the fading sunlight, his muscles twitching and tense. The Gathering! The new Cat Master would be anointed tonight. His mind raced. Jett would do anything to stop Buddy’s coronation, and if his plan succeeded, Zekki, Pris, and Shan Dara would be in great danger. The old Master’s words echoed in Buddy’s brain, and a resolute sense of duty filled his heart. He would honor his father’s wishes . . . even if it cost him his life."

Tension is growing between the Ferals and Indoors, and the old Cat Master, spiritual leader of all felines, is dying. Time is running out, and he must choose a successor that will rule wisely and keep peace among their kind. Of all his descendents there are only two brothers that are Jett, the powerful, ambitious Feral who has survived the perils of the alley and quiet, complacent Buddy, who was rescued by a human and now lives the pampered life of an Indoor. With his last breath, the old cat decides. He alerts Buddy through mind-talk. "Rise from the alley, my son," he commands. "Of all my blood, you are The Chosen." But his message is intercepted telepathically, and Darkness suddenly reigns in the cat world. Driven by jealousy and desperation, brother is pitted against brother in the fight to rule their species . . . a struggle that will confront Buddy’s deepest fears and threaten the lives of those he loves most.

Against a backdrop of dangerous alleyways and a scorching Texas summer, Buddy discovers the power of friendship, the lure of evil, and the knowledge that no peace can come without sacrifice.

260 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

2 people are currently reading
92 people want to read

About the author

Bonnie Pemberton

2 books3 followers

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5 stars
49 (43%)
4 stars
40 (35%)
3 stars
14 (12%)
2 stars
7 (6%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Michelle.
17 reviews1 follower
March 28, 2008
I have just started this book. I met the author Bonnie Pemberton while she was doing a book signing at Book People. The cover of the book was beautiful and we had an interesting conversation so I bought the book and had her sign it.

I am only on page 26 but so far the book is exciting and I am intrigued to see how the story goes.

So far the Spiritual leader of the cats has died and while he was communicating by psychic transmission who was his heir to become cat master, the transmission was interrupted by an evil cat. The leader died before he could complete his message.

Now the evil cat wants to become heir by preventing the true heir from rising to power. The evil cat has just begun to stalk the loved ones of the true heir.

It is suspenseful so far.

I finally had a chance to finish this book. It was a really fun read with suspense, drama, moral dilemmas, and even a hint of romance. Very entertaining.
Profile Image for Caroline.
22 reviews
May 11, 2012
This was a *very* good book, to say the least. Originally, I thought it was going to be a lot like "Warriors", and let me just say, I LOVE WARRIORS<3 I was really hoping it wasn't going to be a Warriors spoof... And guess what? This book, although it was about cats, had quite a different plot. It added funny twists, such as adding random characters' points of view (possum, mockingbird, lizard) and those made it original. All these animals, although it was mainly about cats, came together and linked in many unforeseen ways. They all helped each other out, to formulate a loving and satisfying ending.


Very good book!
Profile Image for Valerie.
84 reviews
July 19, 2013
This is a must read for all animal lovers and even for those who aren't, who knows, you may be after you turn the last page of this magical book.
A heart warming story that captured me from the very beginning and held me close right thru to the end.
In a way I wish there could be a sequel but a little imagination goes a long way...
I'm happy to have travelled the road with the various creatures great and small.
Profile Image for David .
22 reviews
April 20, 2012
Fun book! I really enjoyed this. Read it fast (for me), 3 days.
5 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2018
The leader of cats is dying and some one must take his place. Buddy, an average house cat, is called to be the new cat master, but it puts him and his friends into mortal danger. Animal control has had it and all feral animals are sought out. Dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents and birds unite as one to help ensure a rightful master ascends to power.

Through out the book Buddy has to face difficult choices and challenges. Buddy used to be a feral cat but was adopted by a human boy after almost being killed by his feral brother, Jett. In the book, during certain situations Buddy is forced to make a quick and hasty decision, which could lead to death or surviving another day in the "outs." Buddy and his friends are all in mortal danger and major conflict is forming between feral animals and indoor animals. Fights break out and forced decisions are made, and this is why Buddy has to learn some street smarts in order to survive.

I loved this book, it had a great plot and was always drawing you in to read more. The characters all had unique personalities that worked well with the story and made it flow. The Cat Master was a heart filled story about friendship, betrayal, and loyalty.
Profile Image for Janeen-san .
265 reviews
January 31, 2011
This is an enchanting tale that will leave you wondering just what goes on in the mind of your pet cat.
Erin Hunter calls them Warriors and Kittypets, and Bonnie Pemberton calls them Ferals and Indoors. She has created a wonderful story filled with mystery and adventure, about two cat brothers in a race against time to reach the throne and become The Cat Master, ruler of all felines.
Who will get to the throne first?

Reread Jan 20 2011 to Jan 24 2011:
I still liked this book, it was cool to reread. My favorite character was Orie! He was hilarious. But I wished the author could've explained Buddy's selflessness a bit more, because while I was reading this he seemed to..perfect. He had flaws, though, but I think more of what he felt rather than his actions could've been shown at the end, if you know what I mean. His feelings. But instead it just said what his physical actions were. Get it?
But, I thought this book was clever and funny. A well-though-out book with lots of cool characters. It makes you wonder what your cat is thinking about all the time! Also, the first time I read it, we didn't have kittens, so when I first read the book I wasn't sure exactly HOW the playful kittens acted, but now we have kittens of our own!! They are a blast and they run around the house all the time, and because I have real kittens to play with and relate to, I could interpet the storybook cat's movements better. This is a good book to read aloud or to oneself. It was fun to reread! 3 stars
2,365 reviews
December 27, 2014
I read a lot of good books but the great ones shine like gems among them — to name a few: Wolf Brother, Inkheart, Eragon, and now... I wasn't expecting The Cat Master to blow me away; the blurb just sounded silly.

Bonnie Pemberton has populated her story with the animals you expect to find in an urban landscape: feral and domesticated cats and dogs, and wild animals such as birds, reptiles, and possums. This adventure story is told from the various animals' points of view. The characters range from the self-centered lizard named Orie, who never helped anyone until a cat's cry shook his world, to a selfless friendly dog named Tenba, who would help a cat in need if it asked for it, and a possum, who often thinks with his stomach and forgets about any consequences that may arise by chasing that runaway bug. And the cats? Well, wow... How do I describe all of them? Just get the book and enjoy it.
1 review1 follower
January 11, 2014
With his last breath, the old Cat Master, leader of all felines, summons his chosen heir through mind-talk. But all is not well, and a darkness descends upon the cat world as the message is intercepted by Jett, brother of the new heir, Buddy. He becomes enraged because he had not been chosen instead. Thus, a deadly sibling rivalry ensues. Will they plunge into darkness, or will the light win out?

This was an outstanding and well paced story that held my attention all through the book. I was easily able to visualize the everything in my mind as I was reading. It reminded me a lot of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. My biggest downside to the book is that I felt it was a bit predictable.

A satisfying book for those who wish to delve deeper into the secret world of cats in an outstanding and uplifting fictional tale.
Profile Image for Katy Ann.
57 reviews
July 11, 2013
I know, I know. You should never compare one book to another because each is different. It just so happens though, that it's human nature to compare. I picked this one up because I loved the Warriors series in middle school. With this new take on ferals/indoors I did not find much pleasure. Perhaps it is due to the fact that I attempted to read a type of book I loved as a middle schooler, now as an adult, therefore my tastes have changed and my mind grown. I did enjoy the different animals other than felines giving their point of view. I simply won't be picking this story up to re-read.
30 reviews
May 11, 2016
I liked this book because it was interesting and I liked the cats. I also liked it because it was exciting. My favorite part was when Buddy and Jett fight to the death for who gets to be the cat master. This part was important because if Buddy didn't kill Jett he wouldn't become the cat master. I was confused about how the indoor cats knew about the gathering when they didn't do the mind talk. I would recommend this book to another student because it was interesting. I liked how the author changed to different characters perspectives every chapter.
Profile Image for Kelly.
193 reviews12 followers
September 11, 2009
I must say that I wanted to gouge my eyes out with this one. I was so bored, I had to skip to the end. I must admit that I only read the first 200 pages or so and then skipped to the very predictable end, so I can not comment on the middle. Maybe I missed a lot, but I somehow doubt it. I found the writing itself to be condescending, which maybe the author wanted the book to have the feel of superiority because of the topic. I was however, annoyed by this.
Profile Image for Lunarlight.
5 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2012
Well, I honestly think it was very good but some parts bothered me. WHY WAS THE LIZARD IN IT AT ALL!?!? Every time I saw his name I skipped a couple paragraphs. PLUS, what was up with the Animal Control people? I am reading to get it done to read another book so yeah Warriors is better. I think Seekers is kinda slow though, I'm gonna stop reading about bears and move on to finishing the cats, currently on Long Shadows
Profile Image for B Janie.
452 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2015
Nice change of pace in my book genre. "The Cat Master" is a book reminding me a lot of "The Lion King" - Good brother vs Bad brother for the kingdom. I enjoyed the many characters in the story, especially Orie the lizard, the oppossum, and Frank the miniature wiener dog. I believe the author was spot on with the characteristics of the different species and I enjoyed reading this light hearted story.
Profile Image for Khro.
46 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2011
I'm not a typical reader of animal fantasies, but I got hooked a quarter of the way in. It's one of those books where you know how it's going to end, but getting there is quite the adventure. After you read the last page, it still resonates; which is what I think everyone looks for in a book. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Dominique.
46 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, I've always loved books about animals, and the author did an amazing job telling the story from the viewpoint of cats, dogs, a lizard, a possum, and a bird.
It was very touching and also hilarious at times.
My sister first read it, and loved it so much that she encouraged my mom to read it, who told my dad and I to read it. We all loved it!
Profile Image for Kristy McRae.
1,369 reviews24 followers
August 17, 2013
I admit, I've always been a sucker for books with animal characters. This one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the story, and the feline characters. Also the secondary animal characters were great--the dogs, the lizard, the birds. Loved this one!
Profile Image for Hello.
2 reviews
January 4, 2014
I don't like how people are comparing it to warriors cats. These are totally different books. Do people compare Harry Potter and Warriors?
No, Harry Potter,but
Warriors are both fantasys
. So why compare these two
just cause they both have cats in them?.
Profile Image for Larrirosser.
49 reviews
September 27, 2007
This is pure, shameless anthropomorphic fantasy. It's marketed for middle schoolers, but it was a great little escape for me.
Profile Image for Kusundree.
16 reviews3 followers
May 7, 2010
Its an exciting book, and even people who don't like cats should read it because it has a cute little dog that saves some characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Miranda.
18 reviews
January 28, 2010
so far it is pretty good and i love how you can visualize the characters in your mind!
8 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2010
My favorite quote from the book "Freedom isn't what you choose ... Freedom is having the choice."
Profile Image for Maggie.
403 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2012
This is simply one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Anyone who has ever been a child should read it:o)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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