Dogsbody [Paperback]

Sirius is the Dog Star, a luminary celestial being -- and a pretty powerful one at that. But when he is falsely accused of murder with a Zoi -- an object of power, he is banished to Earth in the form of a dog. A real dog, canine, woof woof. He's horrified, and for a while we follow his transition from a barely-aware pup to an adult dog who is starting to remember his true identity -- and his mission. He was adopted early in his dog's life by a girl named Kathleen -- he is her only friend, as her mother ran away her father is imprisoned in Ireland, and the people around her treat her with scorn for being Irish. "Duffie" in particular is nasty, forcing Kathleen to do all the housework and repeatedly threatening to have Sirius put down.

Then his real life behins to catch up with him. He meets the Sun luminary, Sol, and encounters such creatures as his ex-Companion -- whom, he remembers, helped set him up. There is also the sinister, icy-cold dog Yeff and his strange Master, where threads of Celtic mythology are woven into the storyline. With his human friends, dog and cat friends, and the assistance of the Sun and Earth, Sirius tries to find the Zoi and save not only himself, but perhaps even the world.

I expected a great deal more from this book than I got. Perhaps it's because the idea of stars in semi-humanoid form is so very rich in potential, but often the story veered dangerously close to a straightforward anthropomorphic fantasy. You have no idea how relieved I was when Sirius encountered Sol and was reminded of his former status.

Wynne-Jones's writing is impeccable yet again, and her descriptions of a dog viewpoint were pretty good, in my limited experience (having never been a dog). I enjoyed such interactions as the ones between the dogs and cats (such as Sirius's rescue of Tibbles) and between dogs and humans, as Sirius finds that not all humans dislike him and becomes loyally steadfast to Kathleen and to the quirky old Miss Smith.

Kathleen is a fairly straightforward Cinderella heroine -- only the scene where she smashes pottery and where she is bullied for being Irish really stand out. Basil and Robin, her cousins, are slightly darker horses in that you sometimes don't know whether to like or dislike them. Miss Smith is delightful, as is the poisonously polite, extremely steadfast Sol. There is also the quiet, gentle Earth; Patches the idiotic dog; Tibbles and the other two cats; the despicable Duffie; and the cold, shrill, even more despicable Companion.

This is a fairly straightforward story, and though I was somewhat bored by the first two thirds, the last third speeds up and becomes truly intriguing and amazing. Read and enjoy.

I didn't really like the ending, because it was pretty sad. I won't tell you what happens, but if you don't like sad endings, don't read this book. I cried, and had to force myself to read the remaining few pages. But even though the ending was sad, the whole book was awesomely written, and I totally advise you to read it. :)