When I was younger, I would read just about any book that had animals in it. My love for anthropomorphic animals led me (eventually) to discover Tad Williams’ Tailchaser’s Song, an epic fantasy quest story starring cats.
These cats are feral cats, living away from the mysterious and not-to-be-trusted humans. One particular feral cat — our hero, Fritti Tailchaser — sets off from his familiar turf and clan to find a missing friend named Hushpad. Hushpad is the latest cat in a long line of disturbing disappearances. Along the way (as is the case in many fantasy quest tales), Tailchaser makes friends and enemies, narrowly escapes certain doom, and arrives at his destination a very different cat.
Just like in Richard Adams’ Watership Down, the cats of Tailchaser’s Song have a complex society with a rich mythology. As we follow the story of Fritti Tailchaser and his friends, we learn the tales of the feline deities. And like the rabbits of Watership Down, the cats have their own language and lingo. You’ll find a glossary in most editions of the book to help you decipher (or learn) catspeak.
Williams has an interesting take on the different animal species — each species sees themselves as the dominant species on earth. (Of course, if you ask any cat, they’d probably agree. Cats are in charge and their humans live to serve.)
If you’ve ever read Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats or seen the Broadway musical it inspired — Cats — you may recognize the idea of the naming of cats. T.S. Eliot posed that all cats have three names, and the cats in Tad Williams’ book follow suit.
Despite my reading this book at a relatively young age (it was first published in 1985), it may not be suitable for very young readers. There are some violent scenes and complicated concepts, so I’d rate this book as PG. But if you like cats, fantasy quest stories, or Watership Down, you’ll probably like Tailchaser’s Song.