Carson, Rae: The Shadow Cats
The Shadow Cats (2012)
Written by: Rae Carson
Genre: Short Story/Fantasy
Published by: Greenwillow Books
Rating: Good Read
This review will be short, sweet, and to the point. With no spoilers!
The Shadow Cats is a 54 page prequel to Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns, which debuted last year. I wish I could find the specific word count though, because the story, despite the electronic page count, feels shorter than 54 pages. No matter. It's not a tale that's absolutely necessary to the understanding of The Girl of Fire and Thorns; rather, it's an icing story. You know, as in icing on the cake? If you've already read Carson's debut, The Shadow Cats is a nice little prequel that explores the world through the eyes of Elisa's sister Alodia, and we learn a little more about the tension between the sisters, and how Alodia really views Elisa and her gift.
Despite having read Carson late last year, I'd forgotten a lot the world-building details, so I found myself a little confused as to how many characters I was supposed to recognize, and which places to recognize. Once I let that go, I realized it didn't matter. This story stands easily on its own two feet, and I loved getting inside Alodia's head. Like Elisa, she's another great heroine, yet she's a completely different type of person than her sister. Both women are strong in their own way, and seeing how Alodia's story segues into Elisa's in The Girl of Fire and Thorns was fun. After reading this, I'm really, really, REALLY hoping we get more of Alodia in some form or fashion. Despite this being a short piece, I'm already invested in her story and her fate. Especially since I sensed the seeds of a love story blooming in this short tale, but never fear, those of you who shy away from romance. That's all they are, seeds. The real story is one of political intrigue and a dash of adventure, with the women in the story doing what needs to be done to save themselves and others.
It's a good tale. While I didn't need it, my Kindle download also provided excerpts of The Girl of Fire and Thorns as well as the sequel, The Crown of Embers, which I already have on pre-order.
If you were a fan of Carson's debut, you definitely should get your hands on this!