From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up?When a tribe of prehistoric sentient cats face challenges to survival, their leader, the female Ratha, hopes to domesticate the tusked and shaggy face-tails, mammothlike creatures, to insure a steady food supply. However, another tribe of cats stands in the way. What baffles Ratha is that these felines are like none she has ever encountered. They appear to be intelligent, like her own clan, and yet they do not think for themselves; instead, they act as a group, wordlessly connected to some central mind. Should she attack them? Retreat? Although Ratha herself cannot connect with these eerie others, it is her damaged daughter, Thistle, who finds a way to bridge the gap between the two societies. In this fourth volume of the series, Bell continues to explore themes of culture, politics, individuation, and family relations, all through the eyes of a riveting set of characters. Readers who have already come to care for Ratha and Thistle will be swept into this new confrontation that brings the strained relations between the commanding Ratha and her outsider daughter to a dramatic climax. Those new to the series may be caught short by the awkward re-capitulation of the earlier books, which mars the opening chapters. But those who like fantasy or cats will fall under the spell of the vivid descriptions of their society, life on the veldt, and the struggle of a daughter to grow up, despite the damage done to her in early childhood. Adults may be the most able to appreciate Ratha herself, a guilt-ridden mother who must learn to love and let go.?Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. The latest episode in Bell's series about the Named clan of prehistoric cats has the Named confronting a strange clan of hunter cats that is driven by and completely dependent upon the telepathic song of its leader, True-of-voice. When an accident leaves True-of-voice on the brink of death, Named clan leader Ratha, who is fighting her own internal demons as she struggles to reconcile with the daughter she once tried to kill, must choose whether to destroy or to save the hunters. Her realization that much of the violence she has perpetrated in the past, under the guise of protecting her people, has been nothing more than a lashing out at things the Named did not understand--and therefore feared--sends a subtle but effective message concerning tolerance. The writing is smooth, and the characters, each with a distinctive voice, are well-developed, but YAs unfamiliar with the territory may have difficulty getting into the story. The gradual unfolding of hidden layers of guilt may be clear only to better readers, and at times there is too much introspection, some of which is repetitious; but, overall, readers will find enough suspense, adventure, and even romance to satisfy them. Helped by effective jacket art, this is a solid choice for collections looking for something a little different for better young readers who are fans of the series.
Jeanne Triner
