The Tygrine Cat (review)

Sent away by his mother as a young cat, Mati must adapt to a new community of mostly hostile felines, who are embroiled in a longstanding war with a nearby cat nation. Though he'd like to just blend in, Mati is secretly special, the target of evil supernatural forces that seek to destroy him and prevent him from gaining his full powers as the heir of the Tygrine Queen, and the cats surrounding him soon learn that all of their destinies depend on his survival. British author Iserles has constructed an elaborate feline world based on two very different types of cat, while also focusing enough on a few key characters to guarantee reader interest in how the longstanding war affects not only the two tribes but also individuals within them. Unfortunately, the complex plot is more ambitious than well crafted, and there's little development of the mystical evil, Mati's defeat of it, or the resolution of the old hostilities between his new community and their enemies. However, true feline fanatics, whether or not they are normally adventure readers, will appreciate the cat-centered world with its vocalized purrs, hisses, and references to "catisms," and they'll likely find the difficult plot worth sorting through for the satisfying offering of cat-centric mythology, kitty behaviors, and amiable kittenish protagonist. A map of Iserles' fantasy world is included.