When Marcus Kyle found an old book, C.A.T. Tricks, and Tricks, in his employerâs archive, he thought it would be good for a laugh and maybe help teach his cat something. But the type of tricks this book includes are more alchemical than entertaining. After an explosion, he and his fiancĂ©e, Alana Kym, and their cat, Purloin, have their lives altered forever as a new world of magic and mysteries unveils itself before them. With every discovery, more questions arise, and
hints at a darker destiny unfurl.
What changes did the accident force upon them?
How does their employer, Wonderland Pharmaceuticals, tie into this?
And most important of all, did that cat just talk?
Catatonic is a tale that is a must-read for cat lovers and fantasy lovers alike. Full of humor, groan-inducing puns, and feline hijinks.
By the end of this fast-paced story, youâll never look at your cat the same way ever again.
When Marcus Kyle found an old book, C.A.T. Tricks, and Tricks, in his employerâs archive, he thought it would be good for a laugh and maybe help teach his cat something. But the type of tricks this book includes are more alchemical than entertaining. After an explosion, he and his fiancĂ©e, Alana Kym, and their cat, Purloin, have their lives altered forever as a new world of magic and mysteries unveils itself before them. With every discovery, more questions arise, and
hints at a darker destiny unfurl.
What changes did the accident force upon them?
How does their employer, Wonderland Pharmaceuticals, tie into this?
And most important of all, did that cat just talk?
Catatonic is a tale that is a must-read for cat lovers and fantasy lovers alike. Full of humor, groan-inducing puns, and feline hijinks.
By the end of this fast-paced story, youâll never look at your cat the same way ever again.
A man, woman, and large white cat sat side by side on metal folding chairs. While free to move from their seats, none were in any position to leave the area. Large flood lamps shone into their faces, preventing them from seeing the shadowy figures behind the lights. The figures moved about, murmuring among themselves. What was being said was impossible for the trio to make out, but how it was being said was not reassuring.
The man was dressed in a long coat, jeans, and a torn-up tâshirt bearing an obscure cartoon. He was covered head to toe in various bandages and wraps, giving him the appearance of a half-finished mummy. His only serious injury seemed to be a splint on his arm. His curiosity seemed to have gotten the better of him as he attempted to make out the shadowy persons behind the lights. When he found he could not identify any distinguishing features, his attention shifted to the room, then to the lights themselves. Each time he tried to speak, a cough from the woman caused him to remain silent.
Beside him, a woman in pink workout attire sat with a glum look on her face. Her brow creased as she waited. She looked inconvenienced as she studied the ground, angry and disinterested in the delay, but every so often, her ear would twitch or her eyes would shift to the shadows. For now, she was content to gauge the tone and nature of the hushed conversations. If she could just make out what was being said, she might have a better opportunity to prepare her answers.
The third seated occupant, a large, fluffy white cat, sat annoyed at the very existence of this tribunal. From what he could gather, this was merely human meowing and pointless chatter, and he had to attend to important activities at home. Namely, he needed to nap upon his tower and have the fanciest of feasts brought to him by his human servants. Instead of doing any of these things, he now sat on a chair like some trained fool. It was almost to the level of being a dog, and that offended him to his core. The simpletons beside him sat obediently in their chairs, but he expected humans to abide by such silly rules. As a cat, he would partake in this game of words only until it fully bored him. At the very least, the annoying beings that wanted him to sit on this chair had taken care of his wounds and provided him a nice plush pillow on which to sit while they wasted his time. He considered not biting them when this was over, but that would depend on how much of his time they wasted with their questions.
A mechanical click came from behind the lights, and a deep voice spoke. A device altered the figureâs voice, protecting the speakerâs identity. All the shadows spoke in the same monotone, echoing voice.
âPlease state your names for the record,â the mystery voice announced, followed by a pop as the microphone cut back off.
âMarcus Kyle,â the man said, leaning forward as if there had been a microphone.
âJust your name,â the shadowy figure added. âWe do not need your title, Magus. To clarify, your name is KyleâŠâ
Marcus let out a long, soulful sigh. There was an old agitation and weariness to the sound. In the past, he might have laughed at the mix-up or mispronunciation, but after hearing it so many times, he found the joke had worn out its welcome. âYou know, that was funny at first, butââ
âJust your name,â the voice repeated.
âMy name,â he said, putting emphasis on his words, âis Marcusâwith a C, not a GâKyle.â
The figures debated for a moment, muttering among themselves before one approached the microphone and spoke. âIsnât Kyle a first name?â
If the first sigh had been long, this one was an eternity that bordered on a breakdown. âYes, but itâs an old name. It comes fromââ
âAh,â the figure replied, as if the logic of that term said everything. âYour name, miss?â
âAlana Kym,â she answered, folding her arms over her chest. âAnd yes, my surname can also be a first name. Do you want me to spell it? I can almost guarantee youâre going to spell it wrong.â
âNo need, Ms. Kym,â the voice replied in a flat tone. Alanaâs face soured, as she was sure they were going to writer her name down wrong. Another pause followed, and a series of scribbling noises came over the crackle of the microphone. âOh⊠oh my, yes, that is quite enough, Mr. Purloin. Again, please accept our apologies for⊠Yes, we understand the insult.â There was a fear, and a bit of reverence, in the voices now.
âAre you talking to my cat?â Marcus looked between the darkened shapes and the cat on the pillow. âYou can speak feline? Why does Savannahâs police force have a cat whisperer?â
âWe are asking the questions here, Mr. Magus,â they stated. âWhat we can and cannot do is not up for discussion now. But in the interest of cooperation between civilians and law enforcement⊠Yes.â
Marcusâ eyebrow rose and he tried to fold his arms only for a sharp pain to remind him of his injury.
âNow, why donât you all tell us how⊠thisââthere was the general disturbance of a shadowy arm waving toward the three of themâ âall happened?â
Marcus, Purloin, and Alana looked at each other. The cat huffed, laying his head on the pillow as Alana shook hers. âFine, you can start. Just try to be brief⊠this time.â
His apprehension from moments ago forgotten, Marcus Kyle smiled from ear to ear and turned a little too quickly to his inquisitors. âThis will sound strange, but it all started one sunny day whenâŠâ
Cat-a-tonic Book 1: Marcus' Misadventures follows fiancées Marcus and Alana along with their cat, Purloin, as they discover that an old chemistry book is actually one of magic.
Mooreâs writing style is approachable and well organized. The words get out of the way of the story; they donât get hung up on being eloquent. The overall plot of this book, however, is mostly expositional. The characters who could potentially play the role of the antagonist donât have a chance to be fully developed because of the short length of the book, so the plot lacks a sense of growing tension and then resolution. It truly feels like the beginning of what would normally be a single book: inciting incident followed by exploration of new powers. Because this is Book 1, I anticipate an antagonist of some kind to appear in the next book, but as a stand-alone book, I couldnât help but feel a tad disappointed when I finished it.
That said, the main castâMarcus, Alana, and Purloinâare easy to connect with and love. As a cat-lover myself, I truly loved the way that Moore portrayed Purloinâs sassy cattitude in juxtaposition with Marcusâs love for puns. They make a well-balanced duo.
Despite my qualms with the lack of the classic rising tension, climax, and resolution that you normally expect from a bookâs plot, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to lovers of cats and magic who are looking for a light read. I finished the book in about two sittings. It was perfect for relaxing. I wish I could say more about the plot as a whole, because I am certain that the insufficient feeling I experienced upon finishing the book will go away once I read the next book, so take that as you will.
For the relaxed writing style, cute story, and expositional plot, I give Cat-a-tonic Book 1: Marcus' Misadventures 3 out of 5 stars.