Reigning Cats and Dogs

by Tanith Lee

Fantasy - One midnight in the great clock-tower of the city, a man hangs himself - and secret desires are set loose. A demon now stalks the streets, slaying the wicked and innocent alike. Tanith Lee has also written Heart-Beast and Nightshades.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Steampunk, Science Fiction Fantasy

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.

Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.

Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.

Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.

Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.

Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.

Reviews

[Craig Laurance · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't her best book by a long shot. But it is interesting, none the less. It's an early entry into the Steampunk genre, crossed with the as-yet-unnamed Mythpunk movement set in an alternate Victorian England. It's a fever dream novel of secret societies, magic prostitutes, Egyptology, gin palaces and opium dens. It's kind of a metaphysical battle between Anubis and Bast, and cat and dog imagery abounds. The best parts concern a demonic ghost dog and a pair of gay cutpurses. Should be back in print!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this book in twenty years but I felt the need to add it here because I still remember it, particularly the ending, vividly. I'm not sure I can recommend it after all this time but for me it's still a great example of a beautiful and emotional fantasy novel.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reining Cats and Dogs is not a book filled with suspense. It's more like a spell that is slowly woven around the reader, until (s)he is enchanted by the horror and beauty of the battle. A battle inside the soul of one man, a battle between men and women, cats and dogs. A battle between Gods.
And Tanith Lee, as always, is the mistress who orchestrates it all with nothing but a simple word.

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reigning Cats and Dogs had atmosphere, it fantasy steam punk adventure came from quite an original universe. What let it down was that it lacked any feeling of suspense. Many passages could have been improved by creating some tension. As a result, I felt some of the scenes of death and destruction might as well have been news items, rather than threats to the lives of the main characters. I felt I could root for Grace the main female character, but Saul the main male character left me cold with among other things his role in a Masonic type cult. The relationship between the two seemed rushed as well and ultimately disappointing. I also felt the system of magic and references to drugs blurred any sense as to how the main characters could prevent the horrific murders that were going on. I hesitate to either recommend or condemn this book, what I would say to the curious is give it a go. It had a certain dream like quality that made me persevere with it.

[Teodora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased. My favourite authors always get a 5-star score - if it was Tanith Lee's shopping list, it would get a 5-star score, too.

[E.M. Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee is always interesting and she clearly had a fascination with the culture of Ancient Egypt. I didn't find this novel as absorbing as some of her other work.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gorgeous lyrical writing that will stick with me for a long time. And make me really, really glad I don't live in Tanith Lee's head. Not ordinary horror, but deep down creepy.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ретро-стиймпънк с мистика, египетска митология и викторианския живот на нисшата класа, с все насилието, ужасите и болката от ранна детска възраст – така може да се обобщи съвсем кратко една от най-смущаващите и за пореден демонстрираща превъзходството ѝ като автор с богоподобно въображение книги на непрежалимата магьосница на странното и красивото Танит Ли. Подобен текст вероятно никога няма да достигне живот на наш език, но може би е по-добре думите на точно тази история да бъдат усетени в оригинал, така няма да пропуснете нито една нота, или липса на звук, изграждащи картина от огън и дим, кръв и мътна вода, усмивки и вледеняващ ужас, или просто още един Град на изгубените души.

Може би ще си помислите в един момент, че това е любовна история. За съжаление – грешите трагично. Това е може би приказка за не-любовта, за срещата на две сродни души, преродени богове, поддържащи равновесието на цялата вселена, но толкова счупени от живота и използвани от най-гнусните животни на планетата – хората, че парченцата им този път не се съчетават като частици на пъзел. Моментът на разпознаване на любовта на живота ти се събира с мига на вътрешното убийство на всяко съзряващо топло чувство; желанието да променяш и да се променяш за другия издъхва в прегръдките на обсесията за унищожение и забвение; a мечтите за бъдеще, изпълнено със светлина и смисъл се разтрошават на ситно под петите на страха от отхвърляне, от изоставяне, от зависимост и липса на контрол.

Аленото цвете и бялото срещат Портите на Анубис, египетски богове тежко стъпват из отходните ями на западащ Лондон или по-точно безименен град с огромна река, затлачена с подпухнали трупове и вълни от ходещи мъртъвци, отдавна загубили човешкото в себе си. Той е Гневът, момче израснало в безмилостна борба за коричка хляб, насилвано, бито, използвано, пречупено в зародиш, изградило огън от ярост зад фасада от вледеняващо безразличие. Тя е Милостта, нежна и почти безтегловна красота, успяваща да блести като перла в калта, но без да си спести униженията, насилието, грижливото унищожаване на всеки лъч надежда за промяна.

Той е богат справедлив убиец, тя е проститутка със свръхестествени лековити способности. Когато Анубис дойде да затрие света такъв, какъвто го познаваме, само Пащ-Баст може да измоли отсрочка, и точно тези две объркани, уморени и разрушени души ще могат да помогнат, дори без да го съзнават. След което обаче няма хепи енд. Две счупени парчета не могат да създадат едно цяло. Ще имат други животи, ще поемат други пътеки, и от изключителния шанс да усетят истинската, единствената, случващата се на един на милион от човешкия вид любов, ще остане само сив спомен.

За доброволната жертва без сълзи на най-търсеното от хилядолетия съкровище на живота; за унинието пред красотата, когато сме неспособни да я разберем и приемем като реална; за пропуснатите шансове за щастие и приетите с отворени обятия възможности за неусетно самосъжаление – песента на боговете котки и кучета е онази елегия в тъмни зори, която ще чуе само сърцето ви, а умът… той не обича да му бъдат припомняни грешките. Танит Ли е вашата лична тъмна фея – орисница, позволете ѝ да ви омагьоса и отведе зад границите на реалността, където смело живеят мечтите. А смелостта – тя винаги ни трябва, тя винаги ни липсва…

[Seizure Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

An out of print gem I was fortunate to track down via interlibrary loan, courtesy the Free Public Library of Watertown, Massachusetts.

“This was where his happiness lay, to sit in the great library and to read all things.” - p. 28

"Like two prehistoric persons they were, up on their rock, draped in skins, powerless against the earth and the sky and everything, for which purpose of defence, their ancestors had invented gods." - p. 183

"There will come an hour when they will remember this with amusement, and there will come an hour, too, when what they have gained will again be taken from them, as from all living things it is. However, not yet." - p. 208

"Even the most generous gods cannot give what will not be taken. Soft, the paw of the Infinite Cat; the gods do not need to be cruel, we are so skilled in it ourselves." - p. 210

[Jax · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a lot of parts to this book that didn't come together and there were some incredibly graphic scenes at the beginning which were certainly egregious. The root of the story was interesting enough for me to finish the book but I can't say I was satisfied. A+ for the gay couple, D+ for the guy who just needs to get laid.

[Ninja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off strong, didn't finish so strongly though.

[Bronwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Tanith Lee's imagination, but she sometimes seems to run out of steam toward the end of her narratives. This isn't her best work, but it is an entertaining story all the same.

[Velvetink]

*note to self. Copy from A.