The Big Meow by Diane Duane

I DNF’d this about halfway through. It was alright, but the pacing was like rubbernecking through traffic and I hate that. I’m not interested enough in what happens to Rhiow and the crew to continue torturing myself getting through the slow parts.

To Visit the Queen by Diane Duane

A Spoiler-Free Reread Review

I had a lot more fun with To Visit the Queen than I did with The Book of Night with Moon. I’m not sure exactly why this is, but *much shrugging.* I found To Visit the Queen to be delightful. A good mix of time travel and alternate universes, I think.

There is a lot of details concerning the gates and the time travel aspects of the plot. Like, a lot. I didn’t find it particularly mind-numbing, though I may have read it and immediately forgotten most of it. I like the detail, though, makes things more grounded, I think. Gives the reader something to look up later, if they wish, or just kind of go with.

To Visit the Queen also scratched a bit at my Anglophile brain. Very Doctor Who vibes, if I’m honest. (Probably also why I can hand-wave the techno-babble) Rhiow and the team spend just enough time running around London, or bits of it anyway, to amuse me. And, of course, things being centered around Queen Victoria was also a draw.

I also appreciated the fallout surrounding Rhiow’s human. It’s nice to have some follow-through as opposed to just “Rhiow’s human’s dead now and her partner doesn’t want the cat, so Rhiow’s a free agent now” kind of a thing. Duane’s good at the grief follow-through. It’s a big theme of the Young Wizards series more-so than this one, but I like that it’s there nonetheless.

I did remember about Arhu and Siffha’ah’s relationship from my reread, so I did spend a bunch of time wondering when that was going to come to a head as I didn’t remember the exact details. Same with Auhlae’s whole thing. I also remembered Artie, after he showed up. I won’t say more about that stuff, though, as it does spoil things.

Overall, To Visit the Queen was quite good. Definitely not prefect, but perfectly enjoyable.

Favorite Lines

"Telling it won't help," he said. "You've got to ask nicely. Most things in the Universe react positively to that. Sass them, and they get stubborn." - Urruah

     "You are little angels of God."

     "Please, madam," Arhu said, "don't get confused. We're cats." - Queen Victoria & Arhu

The Book of Night with Moon by Diane Duane

Spoiler-Free Reread Review

The Book of Night with Moon was not what my brain wanted, this time around. That does not mean it wasn't a good book (it is), it just wasn't what my brain is vibing with at the moment. The Book of Night with Moon is, for a book featuring cats as the main characters, less escapist than one would think. It is very much rooted in the real world and a good chunk of the darkness that surrounds us all. Also not saying The Book of Night with Moon is a dark book... just contemplative about life. I didn't remember that from my first read... and what I did remember was super small potatoes, as far as the story is concerned. I think the technical stuff just didn't want to stick in my brain either.

Anyway, I really did and do enjoy the world-building here. As a fan of the Young Wizards series, getting a more expanded world-view is a lot of fun. The Book of Night with Moon follows a entirely different species of wizards that are at the same time super familiar and alien. After all, do we really know what's going on with our cats at any given moment? It was also interesting getting a view of a new wizard from an older wizard's standpoint. Arhu is a cute character... though I think he comes into his own more in the next book, if memory serves.

I wasn't super fond of the ultimate quest thing at the end... Rhiow and the gang getting down to where they needed to get honestly felt quite tedious. I'm not at all attached with Ith, which I think mostly mirrors Rhiow's feelings on the matter... which makes sense, given her emotional state at the time.

I was honestly much more hyped on my scant memories of The Book of Night with Moon than I was reading it. It felt heavier, this time.

Favorite Line

"Kitling, we got a saying in this business. 'Stupidity can be accidental. Ignorance is on purpose.' Ignorance gets your ears shredded. The only thing that saved you is, you asked the question. Always ask. You may get your ears shredded anyway, but afterward you'll still be alive to wear them. Maybe." - Ehef

In Other News

I finished another OviPets project! Another in my "Mystique Color Series." This one's called a Testa. Took me about 8 months to complete.