Griffins and Cats

I'm currently reading the first book in the Griffin Mage trilogy by Rachel Neumeier. Her griffins are huge creatures that carry the heat of the desert -- and they are not the cute little winged kitties from fantasy art. These griffins are like the beat in Peter S. Beagle's Two Hearts -- they are perilous to humans, even if they consent not to be your enemy ... which is not the same as saying they are your friend. The differences between the two species are too great ... and the griffin mage Kairaithin has transmuted Kes' healing powers so she can heal his people ... Kes has never quite fit into human society; she prefers quiet solitude to the noisy business of living among others. Now she's the apprentice to a nonhuman mage. The griffins and humans are on the verge of war ... though whether it's over territory or survival, I'm not quite sure. Since griffins prey on humans' flocks -- and there are horror stories of man-eating griffins (which hasn't happened though an injured griffin could do major damage to any stranger trying to aid it), Kes' people are ready to exterminate the flock since their mere presence scorches the earth ...

I'm also reading Battles of the Clans by Erin Hunter. Yes, I read kids' books. The Warriorcats series helped me forge a bond with one of my SPED (aka special needs) students this year. He loved the fact that I knew the characters and could discuss the plots with him -- and I didn't criticize when he brought the novels to class ... although I did make him put the book away when we were working on other stories. Cats and Shakespeare are a difficult mix, even for me, though Firestar has made speeches to rally his warriors just as Henry V did ... Erin Hunter's Warriorcats series is an ongoing soap opera of sorts, with many hero journeys for Firestar and his descendants ... I think we're on the grandkits now. BTW, Firestar and the other leaders live longer than normal lives because the cats in Starclan give 9 lives to the clan leaders ... I must admit that I've grown fond of Bluestar, the leader who mentored Firestar. In her book Bluestar's Prophecy, the Thunderclan leader must choose between saving her clan from bloody extinction or raising her kits ... Her choices affect her clan and her family in several books. (I told you it was a feline soap opera!) Firestar, since he's a male, never has to make the same gut-wrenching choice of leadership or motherhood ... only a Brit author would include such a mature theme in a children's book.

Ah, what's the deal with the cat in the tutu? Well, this IS "Dancing Doll Cats," and tonight I plan to attend ballet class. I may not get as high as Margot Fonteyn once did with my pas de chat (step of the cat), but I get higher than most ladies my age!