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Mus of Kerbridge
Captured by a wizard and trained to spy on the princess of Kerbridge, Mus the mouse defects and helps the princess and her servant centaurs do battle against the warlady of the south. Original. 35,000 first printing.
31 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 30, 2015
Don't let the overly cutesy cover fool you - this is not exactly a children's book, although there is a certain fable like quality to it. It is a charming tale, with the typical Kidd-ish battle climax (although he writes them well and not in huge detail, so they're not hard going or anything) that I would guess is set in his "Lace and Steel" universe, with Centaurs, or half-horses, as they're called, being the dominant race. There are also Satyrs, Pixies, Harpies and Humans.
It begins with a Satyr called Pin-William capturing an ordinary mouse and making it extraordinary, forcing upon it intelligence and sapientism so he can manipulate it as a spy. Alas, things go wrong for him when the mouse breaks free of its control and befriends the person it has been sent to assassinate. The "person" is Miriam, a half-horse heiress whose kingdom is currently at war against the fierce and bloodthirsty Queen Aelis. Aelis reminds me a lot of the "Whisper of Wings" antagonist. Miriam christians her small friend "Mus" and his noble and valiant nature soon becomes obvious, along with an appealing naivette, that will time and time again get him into trouble. Together and with the aid of the ferocious stallion, Retter, the foppish William and the pretty wee satyr, Frielle, along with a great many men and half-horses, must save Kerbridge, the only city that stands between Aelis and her dominance.
There were two things that rankled with me - one is that as far as I can tell, Pin-William is killed within the first couple of chapters, and yet he isn't dead. I could never find anything to indicate that he had survived his apparently mortal wound or any explaination as to why he might not be dead. The other was that I could never work out how Mus found out his (Pin-William's) name, since noone ever actually told him. But when he was given the intelligence, he also inherited a number of the Satyr's talents and memories, so that might explain that, but damnit, I know I saw him die!
All in all, a cute and charming story that unfortunately has rather a few too many sexual references and comments re: Miriam's cleavage (what is it with guy writers and centaur fillies?) to make it entirely suitable for children, which puts it in the uncomfotable limbo of looking too much like a children's book but reading too much like an adult's book.
It begins with a Satyr called Pin-William capturing an ordinary mouse and making it extraordinary, forcing upon it intelligence and sapientism so he can manipulate it as a spy. Alas, things go wrong for him when the mouse breaks free of its control and befriends the person it has been sent to assassinate. The "person" is Miriam, a half-horse heiress whose kingdom is currently at war against the fierce and bloodthirsty Queen Aelis. Aelis reminds me a lot of the "Whisper of Wings" antagonist. Miriam christians her small friend "Mus" and his noble and valiant nature soon becomes obvious, along with an appealing naivette, that will time and time again get him into trouble. Together and with the aid of the ferocious stallion, Retter, the foppish William and the pretty wee satyr, Frielle, along with a great many men and half-horses, must save Kerbridge, the only city that stands between Aelis and her dominance.
There were two things that rankled with me - one is that as far as I can tell, Pin-William is killed within the first couple of chapters, and yet he isn't dead. I could never find anything to indicate that he had survived his apparently mortal wound or any explaination as to why he might not be dead. The other was that I could never work out how Mus found out his (Pin-William's) name, since noone ever actually told him. But when he was given the intelligence, he also inherited a number of the Satyr's talents and memories, so that might explain that, but damnit, I know I saw him die!
All in all, a cute and charming story that unfortunately has rather a few too many sexual references and comments re: Miriam's cleavage (what is it with guy writers and centaur fillies?) to make it entirely suitable for children, which puts it in the uncomfotable limbo of looking too much like a children's book but reading too much like an adult's book.
February 2, 2022
If you like fantasy with honorable heroes, a splash of supernatural, a dose of intrigue, and a breath of romance...and if you like non-human characters (centaurs, satyrs, harpies and humans coexist) then you will like this.
If you like the role-playing-game "Lace & Steel," you will love this, because it is set in that world. If you like "Stinz," you will love this.
Note: PG-13 for risque situations.
The main character is exuberant and boastful, but charmingly so.
If you like the role-playing-game "Lace & Steel," you will love this, because it is set in that world. If you like "Stinz," you will love this.
Note: PG-13 for risque situations.
The main character is exuberant and boastful, but charmingly so.
July 3, 2019
I LOVED this book!^_^
I first read it back when I was waaay much younger. I'm 47 now. I bought it when it first came out in paperback in Waldenbooks.
This is one of the GREAT books! One I so immensely enjoyed reading then. Seeing it here takes me back to my younger years, back when everything was better.
I first read it back when I was waaay much younger. I'm 47 now. I bought it when it first came out in paperback in Waldenbooks.
This is one of the GREAT books! One I so immensely enjoyed reading then. Seeing it here takes me back to my younger years, back when everything was better.
October 27, 2020
The story was fascinating, but I rank it down because I am not a fan of the sexual and sometimes crude references sprinkled throughout. Others may want to read this book because the characters and story are intriguing and quite frankly enjoyable; yet I myself prefer to stay away from books like this.
November 7, 2019
Fun adventure. Great fanatasy book full of magical creatures
August 24, 2025
Ein tolles Buch. Manchmal etwas "Wargame" lastig, ob der Autor wohl Kosim-Wurzeln hatte?
Eine teils lustige, teils ernste Geschichte in einer sich von der breiten Masse abhebenden Fantasywelt. Die Hauptpersonen sind Zentauren als die herrschende Rasse, Satyre und unsere intelligente Maus. Die Charaktere haben viel Tiefe und die Handlung bleibt bis zum Schluss spannend.
Habe das Buch vor vielen Jahren in der deutschen Übersetzung gelesen und war damals total begeistert. Heute, nach der Lektüre der englischen Originalausgabe musste ich feststellen, dass die Begeisterung etwas nachgelassen hat. Das Buch ist nicht ganz so gut gealtert. Aber trotzdem noch lesenswert.
Eine teils lustige, teils ernste Geschichte in einer sich von der breiten Masse abhebenden Fantasywelt. Die Hauptpersonen sind Zentauren als die herrschende Rasse, Satyre und unsere intelligente Maus. Die Charaktere haben viel Tiefe und die Handlung bleibt bis zum Schluss spannend.
Habe das Buch vor vielen Jahren in der deutschen Übersetzung gelesen und war damals total begeistert. Heute, nach der Lektüre der englischen Originalausgabe musste ich feststellen, dass die Begeisterung etwas nachgelassen hat. Das Buch ist nicht ganz so gut gealtert. Aber trotzdem noch lesenswert.
April 12, 2013
I found this book as a child and read it until it it fell apart. While there are some details that are adult, most were worded in such a way that I had no idea what was going on until I re-read this book as a teenager.
Mus is a magically created mouse, give intelligence and set to a task by a satyr magician--to fetch a lock of a centaur girl's hair. But as Mus is a pawn for his maker, so is the satyr a pawn in a larger, sinister game.
What can a little mouse with a big heart protect? More than you'd think.
Mus is a magically created mouse, give intelligence and set to a task by a satyr magician--to fetch a lock of a centaur girl's hair. But as Mus is a pawn for his maker, so is the satyr a pawn in a larger, sinister game.
What can a little mouse with a big heart protect? More than you'd think.
November 16, 2015
A stunning and delightful book that reminded me at times of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, The Three Musketeers, Dangerous Liasons and Gone With the Wind. The scope ranges from the small, personal drama to sweeping historical epic with deft grace. I can't recommend this on highly enough.
July 15, 2008
A sweet and silly read, the main character is a valiant rodent brandishing a sword (needle). Freaking cute.
September 23, 2015
I read this book as a child and never forgot it. After years of searching I was able to purchase it on Amazon and fell in love all over again. This is an amazing story!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews