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INTRODUCTION
In the Hour before time began, Meerclar Allmother came out of the darkness to the cold earth. She was black, and as furry as all the world come together to be fur. Meerclar banished the eternal night, and brought forth the two.
Harar the Goldeneye had eyes as hot and bright as the sun at the Hour of Smaller Shadows; he was the color of daytime, and courage, and dancing.
Fela Skydancer, his mate, was beautiful, like freedom, and clouds, and the song of travelers returned.
Goldeneye and Skydancer bore many children and raised them in the forest that covered the world at the beginnings of the Elder Days. Climbfast, Wolf-friend, Treesinger, and Brightnail, their young, were strong of tooth, sharp of eye, light of foot, and straight and brave to their tail-ends.
But most strange and beautiful of all the countless children of Harar and Fela were the three Firstborn.
The eldest of the Firstborn was Viror Whitewind; he was the color of sunlight on snow, and of swiftness....
The middle child was Grizraz Hearteater, as gray as shadows and full of strangeness....
Third-born was Tangaloor Firefoot. He was as black as Meerclar Allmother, but his paws were red like flame. He walked alone, and sang to himself.
There was rivalry among the Firstborn brothers. Whitewind was as fast and strong as a cat could dream of being—none could overmatch him at jumping and running. Firefoot was as clever as time; he solved all puzzles and riddles, and made songs that the Folk sang for generations.
Hearteater could not match his brothers' exploits. He grew jealous, and began to plot the downfall of Whitewind and the humiliation of the Folk.
So it came to pass that Hearteater raised up a great beast against the Folk. Ptomalkum was it's name, and it was the last spawn of the demon-hound Venris, whom Meerclar had destroyed in the Days of Fire. Ptomalkum, raised and nurtured with Hearteater's hatred, slew many Folk before it was itself slain by the gallant Whitewind. But Viror Whitewind received such wounds that he soon wasted and died. Seeing the downfall of his schemes, Hearteater was afraid, and crept down a hole and disappeared into the secretive earth.
There was great lamentation in the Court of Harar at the death of Whitewind, the best-beloved. Firefoot his brother fled the Court in heartache, renouncing his claim to the Mantle of Kingship, and wandered the world.
Fela Skydancer, Whitewind's mother, was ever after silent, all her long life.
But Harar Goldeneye was so full of rage that he wept, and swore great oaths. He went howling into the wilderness, destroying all before him in his search for the traitorous Hearteater. Finally, unable to bear such great pain, he fled to the bosom of the Allmother in the sky. There he still lives, chasing the bright mouse of the sun across the heavens. Often he looks down to earth below, hoping to see Viror running once more beneath the trees of the World-Forest.
Countless seasons turned and the world grew older before Firefoot again met his treacherous brother Hearteater.
In the days of Prince Cleanwhisker, in the reign of Queen Morningstripe, Lord Tangaloor came to the assistance of the Ruhue, the owl-folk. A mysterious creature had been pillaging their nests, and had killed all the Ruhu hunters who had come against it.
Firefoot laid a trap, clawing away at a mighty tree until it was near cut through, then lay in wait for the marauder.
When the creature came that night, and Firefoot felled the tree, he was astonished to discover that beneath it he had trapped Grizraz Hearteater.
Hearteater begged Firefoot to free him, promising that he would share the ancient lore that he had discovered beneath the ground. Lord Tangaloor only laughed.
When the sun came up, Hearteater began to scream. He writhed and screeched so that Firefoot, although fearing a trick, liberated his suffering brother from beneath the pinioning tree.
Hearteater had been so long beneath the earth that the sun was blinding him. He clawed and rubbed at his steaming eyes, howling so piteously that Firefoot looked about for a way to protect him from the burning of the day-star. But when he turned away, the blinded Hearteater dug himself a tunnel, more swiftly than any badger or mole. By the time the startled Firefoot bounded over, Hearteater had disappeared back into the belly of the world.
It is told that he still lives there, hidden from the eyes of the Folk; that he works foul deeds underground, and aches to return to the World Above....
Anonymous
Posted January 1, 2011
So I'm looking up Tad Williams books when I come across Tailchaser's Song. Even though it seems so different from his other stories I decided to download it because 1- I love cats and 2- Tad Williams is a pretty good author. I can't begin to tell you what a clever, emotional, and fantatic adventure this book is. I haven't been this engrossed in a story for a very long time. It's been endearing and heart-wrentching with charactors I will remember always. So beautifully written and so tragic at times. Not a cutsey kitty book like I was expecting. Certainly my most favorite Tad Williams books and now one of my all-time favorites. You won't be able to put it down.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 18, 2012
Fantastic story. Beautifully executed theme.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 21, 2011
Really good book bette than i expecred
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.2346980
Posted October 2, 2011
I love kittys. Peops like me, who will hug, kiss and respect cats, it's a MUST read! * * * * * stars!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I absolutely love this book. I've read it about five or six times in the past two years and I never grow bored with it. If you love a thrilling mystery with talking animals and plots that turn you around every time it can, then this is the book. The first time I read it, the plot threw me so many times. It's a really interesting book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Soul-Stealer
Posted July 16, 2010
I read this book over 6 years ago. Yet, it has stuck in my brain ever since. I can still remember scenes from this book. By far one of the best books I have ever read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This books was just great. If you are a fan of whiskery legends then this book is defiantly for you! I garuntee you will fall in love with the main characters. When you are done reading this piece of art you will be sad that it is a stand-alone novel.
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Posted February 1, 2007
This book was one of the best books I have read. If you are a cat lover, then you will love this book. I loved it so much, but when I got to the end, I said, ' I hope there will be another one!'
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2007
I am only twelve but I enjoyed this book as much as any one else! When I first started I kept having to turn back to the dictionary to find what the words meant, but then I memorized the ones that they used constantly! I first read the book when I was ten, and have reread it many times since! I reccamend this book to anyone who loves animals, and once you have read it, you will never look at life the same way, Tad Williams has written several books, and I have to say, even though this one may have been strange, and had a few disgusting moments, I have never, in my short life, read anything so beautiful and magical. I hope you all had a merry christmas and a Very happy New year
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 14, 2005
This is one of my all time favorite books!!! It really opens your mind to a whole new world and lets you think of felines in a whole new light. It's so exciting and once you start to read it you won't be able to put it down!
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Posted May 22, 2004
This is my favorite book of all time. The complete hermetic quality of the story does not eliminate the desire for a sequel, but the author himself has given indication that such may never be. The story is fine by itself, although I do know of a role-playing website that allows fans to write their own sequels. Nonetheless, in an online world where many people adopt fictional characters as their screen names, I am proud to point to this book on a regular and ongiong basis when asked about mine (and I am the most visible Lord Hearteater out there). Anyone who enjoys a well-thought-out, well-written story, or who has ever known the affection of a cat will be positively enthralled. I give this book as a gift quite often (finally started dating after divorce 4 years ago), and the responses are always similar; people love it. Try a Google search of 'Vastnir' to find the message board that I have dedicated to this book.
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Posted January 19, 2004
This is easily my favorite book and the best one I have ever read! Williams is a genius. I never wanted it to end. After I had finished, I went straight back to the first page to read all over again! I'm hoping for a sequel.
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Posted December 8, 2003
Tad Williams deserves a great heart-felt thanks from all of us cat fanatics for FINALLY giving cats the glory they so greatly deserve! And it was great seeing the glory taken away from dogs. (Now don't get me wrong, I like dogs and all, but they are ALWAYS the heroes and cats are ALWAYS the villains. It was just nice to see the tables turned FOR ONCE!) 3 cheers, Mr. Williams, for understanding that those old myths are so stupid, and that cats (or at least not all of them, anyway) are NOT EVIL!!!!
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Posted May 5, 2003
Not only does this book have an excellent storyline, it has vivid imagery so you can see the cats' world as they do, and not to mention the unforgetable cast of friendly felines and vile villains. This book is an amazing adventure (that I, personally, cannot get enough of) about Fritti Tailchaser making an impassioned pledge to search for his friend, Hushpad, and ending up in places beyond is imagination.
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Posted April 16, 2003
I am 13 and have read countless numbers of cat books. I must say that this was certainly the best one I have ever read. The storyline was very poignant and when I started reading it I could not put it down. I finished it in a matter of days because I literally spent hours at a time reading it. I've never looked at cats the same way since then, and I recommend this to all cat lovers. I could write page after page of praise for this book, but of course I can't here. Tad Williams is a genius. This book was definitely awesome!!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 27, 2002
I think this book is one of the best cat books i have ever read. While I was reading it I read as slow as I could because I didn't want to finish the book.
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Posted July 22, 2002
I loved 'Tailchaser's song'! This is truly a great book. Tad Williams really captures the life of a cat. In this book you can see life through the eyes of a cat. If your a cat lover you will LOVE this book. A must read!
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Posted May 25, 2002
This book was, is, and forever will be the best! A perfect story for anyone who likes cats. I never looked at my cat the same after reading this! This book will leave you amazed, entanced, in wonder, and forever in the world of Tailchaser! The best cat fantasy book ever, if you like those kinds of books, READ IT! OH yeah, it definitely needs a movie and a sequel, too!
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Posted May 2, 2002
I enjoyed the story and everything. It was a good book, I admit, but there was one thing that made it less-than-perfect, the ending. The ending was so unexpected that it seemed...well like the author didn't know how to end it. I mean, the storyline was great! It had an amazing plot, but when it came to the conclusion...I just didn't think it was that great.
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Posted January 13, 2002
If you like cats and you like fantasy or just one you have to read this book. The characters make you forget they are cats. Or until they eat mice. There are such few cat books out there of this quality you don't want to pass up this chance. I read this book every summer and I find something out I missed the year before. It draws you into the world they live in. They have their own religion and history and customs. You laugh part way, cry part way, and dream part way, but you love it all the way. Bottom line: It's good, real good.
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Overview
Fifteen years ago, a young author surprised and enchanted readers with his first novel—the story of Fritti Tailchaser, a courageous tom cat in a world of whiskery heroes and villains, of feline gods and strange, furless creatures called M'an.The book was Tailchaser's Song, the author was Tad Williams. The legend was born.