One of my very favorites of Duane's work - and really, one of my favorites generally. ( )

But truly, a lot of this book was boringly long travel through the Downside. I felt a fairly distant empathy with the feline characters. I'm sure it's tough trying to conceptualize and then explicate Felix character and thought processes. Even the ending was out of reach of my ken.

One bright note was the revelation that The Powers That Be hold the hope that the Lone Power can be redeemed. That's an interesting theological concept, also shared by Madeleine L'Engle in the Time Quintet.

Typically, I enjoy the Lone One's interactions with Kit and Nita in the Young Wizards books, but he's almost an absent character here.

This is an amusing book, but it also has more depth to it than you'd expect from a book about cat wizards. It discusses silly things like how cats can seem to appear out of thin air, but also more serious things like entropy and choice and why even fights that seem hopeless are worth fighting.

That is actually what I like the most about this whole greater world... the Young Wizards series as well as the Feline Wizards series. It is a set of fun stories that tell deeper truths; YA novels that continue to carry meaning for adults.

Be warned, though, this one does have some sadder moments, especially for cat owners. It's mostly silly and happy and uplifting, but... well. For any story to have real depth, it must also have some sacrifice. ( )

Some pages and cover detached. ( )

Not as good as I'd hoped from the first young wizards booka ( )