The first thing that struck me about the book was the odd writing style. The names of the cats and the places took some getting used to, but once I was able to not concentrate so much on the distinctive writing I was able to get sucked into the story.
The story centers around a cat named Fritti Tailchaser (who is referred to by both names throughout the book, something that was mildly confusing for me at first) and his quest to rescue Hushpad, the fela (female cat) that he likes. While on the journey to find where Hushpad has gone, Tailchaser ends up confronting all manner of fun, crazy, and dangerous adventures with a young kitten sidekick named Quickpounce. I was drawn into the story and enjoyed finding out what would happen to the cats next.
There were several other supporting characters, and all added their own flavor to the tale. The descriptions of the characters were well done, although I sometimes did have a hard time picturing them in my head. Tailchaser seems to be a normal housecat, while some of the other cats are described as being very large comparitively. For those cats I had more trouble because I was unsure of just what kind of cat they might be. Not a big problem though, and it certainly didn’t draw me away from the story for long.
Tailchaser’s Song was definitely a fun read. I was reading the book while on a train ride, and it definitely helped me to pass the time. It’s a fun fantasy romp, and I highly recommend it if you think it sounds like you’re kind of thing. I believe I may check out some other books by Tad Williams, just to see how they compare. This one feels like it has a distinct style to it, so I’m curious.
If you do happen to pick it up, share your thoughts!
