The Book of Night with Moon (Paperback)

Reflecting her other career as a writer of sf (she's perhaps best known for several Star Trek:TOS novels including the excellent Rihannsu subseries), and perhaps a belief in the corollary of Arthur C. Clarke's maxim "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Duane's magic is sometimes extremely technical (I can't work out how the Gates function *at all*, though the cats can). And there are a couple of places where she might have clarified better how her world works (why did the dinosaurs retreat to a subterranean existence? Why don't they have wizards as other sentient species do?). The story she tells is, like that of C. S. Lewis's Narnia, an allegory of Christianity, yet it partakes of early mythology from Egypt and Sumeria as well, and even has a touch or two of Zoroastrianism. What makes it all work is her characters. She obviously knows cats and has spent a lot of time observing them: Rhiow, Saash, Urruah, Arhu, and the other felines who appear briefly in the book are at once distinct individuals and recognizably animals. Even her villain, the Lone Power, is motivated and delineated in a way that makes It seem very real and understandable. There are moments of humor (Urruah's attempts to explain the concept of opera to Rhiow when they attend a Three Tenors rehearsal in the Sheep Meadow, Arhu's delighted discovery of mozzarella cheese, Saash's ongoing attempts to elude a human with a can of flea powder) and poignancy (Rhiow's return to the apartment she shares with Hhuha and Iaehh (Susan and Mike) to discover that Susan has been killed by a runaway taxi), and an epic battle deep underground between the Team and an unexpected saurian ally on the one side and the Lone Power and Its wizardly pawn on the other. The pyrotehnics and wild action salted throughout would make an eye-catching movie or miniseries, if sfx could figure out a good way to do the cats!

Chalk it up to my love of cats, but I find it easy to step into their world. Or maybe it’s the writing. Either way, the transition is smooth. The plot unravels slowly, building to a climax that is well worth the wait. Duane’s attention to character development pays off. The reader cares what happens to the four feline wizards.

The fact that most of the characters are cats could have been reduced to the level of gimmick. This is an area where Duane’s skills as a storyteller are quite apparent. She invites you into a willing suspension of disbelief, and you happily accept. While the cats seem as "real" as people, one never forgets that they are cats. Body language, indeed. Every movement, every reaction, is true to feline behaviour.

Each of the cats has a distinct personality, which keeps the reader's interest even through the slower parts of the story. Urruah is the most entertaining, with his sardonic attitude toward just about everything. Saash is the ultra-professional, despite the fact that she has the most to lose. Rhiow functions well in her central role, giving the reader an accessible heroine. Arhu is the most riveting of the main characters. He undergoes the broadest changes, which serve as a benchmark for the developing plot.

As much as I like Ith, I find it difficult to take him seriously. Maybe it all comes down to the image of him casting spells with his stunted arms. I realize Duane must have meant to make him exceptional, to break the "stereotype" of the dinosaur, but he is the weakest part of the story. In the midst of the climactic scene, along comes Ith and the tension is blown.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. Duane has created some wonderful characters. Their interactions ranged from hilarious to poignant without ever losing realism.