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Godsfire
Heao is a member of Academe, a future group of intelligentsia on a planet in the throes of a receding ice age. She and all her people have been conquered by a primitive king whose dreams of destruction haunt him, and may doom all her kind. Heao is intelligent and loving, a devoted helpmate and mother. But Heao is not an ordinary woman. She is a member of a feline race, and her body, along with those of her peers, is covered with fur and ends in a long busy tail. She is a member of the master race of Shadowland, the race that keeps human slaves to do their work for them, the race that stands in powerless awe of the fiery ball of light she sees once a year—Godsfire!
In Heao’s world she is a pathfinder, a mapmaker, and she is the Galileo of her world, determined to bring light and wisdom to her shadowed world where most folk see slaves not as merely different but inferior. Heao knows better and won’t deny her belief that slaves are intelligent and if not human, certainly more than animals. Her temple adversary, Tarana, would subdue and control, the young pathfinder to steal her dream-goal, or kill her if that fails. The king-conqueror, with tortured dreams of his own, needs Heao’s mapmaking skills as much as he needs the Temple’s support. Even Heao helper-in-life, Baltsar, and her trusted slave, Teon, are affected by the unintended consequences of Heao’s convictions and her quest to follow her dream-goal. It will take all of them through the Evernight Mountains to discover the truth about her world and the blinding vision of—Godsfire!
“Some of the most unusually ingenious scenery in recent SF, and fascinating characters,”—Joanna Russ, author of THE FEMALE MAN
“A combination of Margaret Mitchell and early LeGuin,”—Edward Bryant, author of Cinnabar
“Felice has created an intriguing, entertaining story woven through a beautifully developed secondary world.”—Jeff Frane, UNEARTH
“A really fresh depiction of an alien society and its people, and a vigorously told story of character and adventure—one of the best of its kind…”—Publishers Weekly.
About 90,000 words
264 printed pages
In Heao’s world she is a pathfinder, a mapmaker, and she is the Galileo of her world, determined to bring light and wisdom to her shadowed world where most folk see slaves not as merely different but inferior. Heao knows better and won’t deny her belief that slaves are intelligent and if not human, certainly more than animals. Her temple adversary, Tarana, would subdue and control, the young pathfinder to steal her dream-goal, or kill her if that fails. The king-conqueror, with tortured dreams of his own, needs Heao’s mapmaking skills as much as he needs the Temple’s support. Even Heao helper-in-life, Baltsar, and her trusted slave, Teon, are affected by the unintended consequences of Heao’s convictions and her quest to follow her dream-goal. It will take all of them through the Evernight Mountains to discover the truth about her world and the blinding vision of—Godsfire!
“Some of the most unusually ingenious scenery in recent SF, and fascinating characters,”—Joanna Russ, author of THE FEMALE MAN
“A combination of Margaret Mitchell and early LeGuin,”—Edward Bryant, author of Cinnabar
“Felice has created an intriguing, entertaining story woven through a beautifully developed secondary world.”—Jeff Frane, UNEARTH
“A really fresh depiction of an alien society and its people, and a vigorously told story of character and adventure—one of the best of its kind…”—Publishers Weekly.
About 90,000 words
264 printed pages
- GenresScience Fiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
6 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Felice
16 books12 followersAn American science fiction writer. Her first novel, Godsfire, and her first short story, "David and Lindy", were published in 1978. She and Connie Willis have co-written three novels that are often considered young adult fiction, according to Willis.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 14, 2024
I read this book on a whim because there was a meme being circulated using the original paperback cover of this book out there. I saw the picture, thought it must be an old sci-fi cover, and spent a few minutes in google images looking for it. I would not be me if I wasn't at least a little curious about a cover like that. This went into my tbr as soon as I found it.
Onward, to the review. I give this book a 4 star rating for my interest in the world built, though the plot without that world might have only gotten a 3. I have a few problems. One of them is that the author left a huge gap of time in the middle unwritten. I like the characters enough that I would have preferred a short chapter that covers that time period in the same sort of way movies pass time in montages. I don't like hard time skips. I also don't like that the author gave me this great world with an alien culture, but often did not take the time to explain things to me. Explaining simple world concepts to readers might be an unrealistic way to write, and very over-done, but there's a reason for it. I know that there is a glossary in the back to explain the new words, but I didn't find out about it until I had read the whole book, and by then it was too late. If you prefer to do a glossary like that then place it in the front of the book, please. I also wanted more than the ending I was given. That wasn't really the end, it was only a pause when one of the plots was resolved but others were still waiting for their turn. For all that criticism, I still really enjoyed the book. I know that those things would not have bothered me if I had not enjoyed the book. Not to mention, when I was reading the conclusion my partner got a bit annoyed with me for ignoring them. If you are looking for tropes in this book I'm sure that you could point some out to be annoyed by, but I felt like the book trod some new ground. What would it be like if there were aliens like this and they discovered people wandering their wildlands? What if we were just different enough from them that they didn't consider us people, but animals? If aliens that resembled cats existed, would they be offended about us saying they looked like cats when they saw what a cat is? What would it be like if you lived somewhere where the sun was always under cloud cover and you had never seen it? I tried to explain the interesting concepts in this book in more detail to my partner and failed miserably, so I won't open up any spoilers attempting it here. Overall, for a book that I decided to read because the cover art was being used as a meme, it was really good. It was one of those stories that you know had potential to be great, but hadn't quite made it. The e-book has a new cover that is just as tacky, but not nearly as magnificent as the old paperback cover. I really wish amazon had not tried to give it a new cover. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who isn't freaked out by furries.
Review edited (2024) to fix some grammar stuff.
Onward, to the review. I give this book a 4 star rating for my interest in the world built, though the plot without that world might have only gotten a 3. I have a few problems. One of them is that the author left a huge gap of time in the middle unwritten. I like the characters enough that I would have preferred a short chapter that covers that time period in the same sort of way movies pass time in montages. I don't like hard time skips. I also don't like that the author gave me this great world with an alien culture, but often did not take the time to explain things to me. Explaining simple world concepts to readers might be an unrealistic way to write, and very over-done, but there's a reason for it. I know that there is a glossary in the back to explain the new words, but I didn't find out about it until I had read the whole book, and by then it was too late. If you prefer to do a glossary like that then place it in the front of the book, please. I also wanted more than the ending I was given. That wasn't really the end, it was only a pause when one of the plots was resolved but others were still waiting for their turn. For all that criticism, I still really enjoyed the book. I know that those things would not have bothered me if I had not enjoyed the book. Not to mention, when I was reading the conclusion my partner got a bit annoyed with me for ignoring them. If you are looking for tropes in this book I'm sure that you could point some out to be annoyed by, but I felt like the book trod some new ground. What would it be like if there were aliens like this and they discovered people wandering their wildlands? What if we were just different enough from them that they didn't consider us people, but animals? If aliens that resembled cats existed, would they be offended about us saying they looked like cats when they saw what a cat is? What would it be like if you lived somewhere where the sun was always under cloud cover and you had never seen it? I tried to explain the interesting concepts in this book in more detail to my partner and failed miserably, so I won't open up any spoilers attempting it here. Overall, for a book that I decided to read because the cover art was being used as a meme, it was really good. It was one of those stories that you know had potential to be great, but hadn't quite made it. The e-book has a new cover that is just as tacky, but not nearly as magnificent as the old paperback cover. I really wish amazon had not tried to give it a new cover. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who isn't freaked out by furries.
Review edited (2024) to fix some grammar stuff.
May 26, 2021
This book is, in a way, an outstanding piece that was ahead of its time by decades. Impressive, really. It is everything I hate about modern fantasy, all disguised within a seemingly harmless cover. Please, take a minute to look at the cover. A strong man and a hot cat, completely destitute of gear, in an apparently desolate place, having no one else but each other. It speaks of a bonding between two different species that must find common ground in hopes of survival.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The man in the cover is not a strong character at all. He is, in fact, a slave. But not only a slave, for that would be a circumstance outside his control and he could not be faulted for it; thus, not content, the author also made him into a cuck. The ultimate cuck, if you will. I won't spoiler shit because I hope nobody ever reads this garbage again, and if they do it is because they wish to do so with full knowledge of what's inside. So, if you don't want spoilers, stop here.
The main character is the cat lady there. She is a scholar and a map-maker. In one of her map-making journeys she meets another cat merchant and proceeds to fall in love with him. This merchant is the owner of the human on the cover. In a way or another, the human ends up teaching the cat lady his human language because she asked him to. 17 years later the cat-lady is married with three kids and the human is always willing to please his masters. One day the cat-lady gets screwed over by her church for telling truths, after which the husband abandons her to her fate, upon which the cucklord is all too ready to make sure she is alright. He kisses her and gives her an erotic massage, ending up with an erection that prods her on the behind. The cat-lady, seeing that her little piggy is getting out of line, is quick to slash him with her claws, almost killing him on the spot, had he not stepped back. He gets upset, but not for too long, and is in no time groveling at her feet and making sure she is pleased in hopes of one day uttering the words "my wife's son". Of course this doesn't happen.
The church comes for her, killing some people. One of those was the human's daughter, that he had with another slave. We now have a character with nothing to lose. He is a slave, the woman he loves despises him as nothing more than an animal, and his daughter is dead. What does he do? Why, grovel, of course. Maybe he'll get that sweet pussy if he keeps doing it.
The book finally picks up at about 80%, when the male decides to (finally) escape. The reason: a number of human female slaves were pregnant from the usual cat-dickings, so, being a good cuck, his instincts to protect the offspring of other males kicks in. He meets some humans that aren't slaves who get pissed when they find out people are being enslaved. Unfortunately, the author thinks it's her job to cuck us one last time, and when we think the cat fucks are about to get their comeuppance, some other stupid humans get in the way because it's "wrong to interfere" with other species.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The man in the cover is not a strong character at all. He is, in fact, a slave. But not only a slave, for that would be a circumstance outside his control and he could not be faulted for it; thus, not content, the author also made him into a cuck. The ultimate cuck, if you will. I won't spoiler shit because I hope nobody ever reads this garbage again, and if they do it is because they wish to do so with full knowledge of what's inside. So, if you don't want spoilers, stop here.
The main character is the cat lady there. She is a scholar and a map-maker. In one of her map-making journeys she meets another cat merchant and proceeds to fall in love with him. This merchant is the owner of the human on the cover. In a way or another, the human ends up teaching the cat lady his human language because she asked him to. 17 years later the cat-lady is married with three kids and the human is always willing to please his masters. One day the cat-lady gets screwed over by her church for telling truths, after which the husband abandons her to her fate, upon which the cucklord is all too ready to make sure she is alright. He kisses her and gives her an erotic massage, ending up with an erection that prods her on the behind. The cat-lady, seeing that her little piggy is getting out of line, is quick to slash him with her claws, almost killing him on the spot, had he not stepped back. He gets upset, but not for too long, and is in no time groveling at her feet and making sure she is pleased in hopes of one day uttering the words "my wife's son". Of course this doesn't happen.
The church comes for her, killing some people. One of those was the human's daughter, that he had with another slave. We now have a character with nothing to lose. He is a slave, the woman he loves despises him as nothing more than an animal, and his daughter is dead. What does he do? Why, grovel, of course. Maybe he'll get that sweet pussy if he keeps doing it.
The book finally picks up at about 80%, when the male decides to (finally) escape. The reason: a number of human female slaves were pregnant from the usual cat-dickings, so, being a good cuck, his instincts to protect the offspring of other males kicks in. He meets some humans that aren't slaves who get pissed when they find out people are being enslaved. Unfortunately, the author thinks it's her job to cuck us one last time, and when we think the cat fucks are about to get their comeuppance, some other stupid humans get in the way because it's "wrong to interfere" with other species.
September 4, 2022
This is the future liberals want. Science reigns, sexy cat ladies run the show, and human men are their submissive slaves. Five stars, would highly recommend.
May 16, 2024
When I came across this wild Boris Vallejo cover, I knew I had to read the book. I mean just look at it. It's glorious.
I expected a light science-fantasy adventure with some catgirl spice. I didn't expect a deeply philosophical novel full of discussions about science, religion, economy, history, the ethics of slavery and the biological differences between "cats" and humans. There's not a lot of action until the final act, and I was okay with that.
The story is narrated by Heao (which, appropriately, might rhyme with "Galileo"), a felinoid Academian--that's the science contingent--in a low-tech world. Heao is something of an outlier among her people. She is inquisitive, and skeptical of the mythology her people have created to explain their world. She believes the world is round and not stationary, that the much-feared "godsfire" is a natural phenomenon, and that there might be some truth to their human slaves' claims that they came from the sky. She doesn't back down when persecuted by her culture's religious order for her blasphemous ideas. She also takes some heat for her progressive views on slavery. I really liked her, and not just because of her species.
I may have had a frivolous reason for seeking out this book initially, but I found it a very rewarding read. I wish someone would reprint these obscure gems with their original cover art, like Paperbacks From Hell is doing with horror. Paperbacks From Space.
June 10, 2016
Disappointing. Very interesting premise of cat aliens with human slaves (from landing on planet), which went absolutely nowhere. Lukewarm romance, no dramatic tension. Felice has done better. I couldn't finish it.
November 7, 2019
With a flick of the tail
Decent premise for a quest tale. However it seems to come to a rushed conclusion whereas some chapters plodded as filler. Despite the cold and snow, odd that a civilization kept to its confined boundaries when they did partake in raids on their borders.
Decent premise for a quest tale. However it seems to come to a rushed conclusion whereas some chapters plodded as filler. Despite the cold and snow, odd that a civilization kept to its confined boundaries when they did partake in raids on their borders.
August 14, 2019
I was so happy to find this book re-released for Kindle. I read it years ago and it left a lasting impression. Humans are slaves to a fairly primitive felinoid race.
December 23, 2019
Solid sci-fi story.
I would love to see a Bakshi-esque animated adaptation utilizing modern technology.
I would love to see a Bakshi-esque animated adaptation utilizing modern technology.
August 8, 2009
Some cool ideas and some good writing.
November 16, 2014
1989 grade C+
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews