Catland by David Garrett Izzo (2003)

Catland is a treasure and by far the most extraordinary of the 50 plus cat books I've read in my lifetime. It is an amazing, enchanting fantasy about mystic heroic cats the size of lions who lived before recorded time. It is a story about good vs. evil, about romantic love, about generations of cats, and so much more. The hero of the plot is a cat named Maximus. You will quickly fall in love with him. Reading this book was an experience that will remain with me always. No book has touched me as Catland has.



HOW I CAME UPON CATLAND:

The author contacted me though my cat web site early in 1993 after finding a cat fantasy story that I wrote for my cat site. He wanted an opinion on a book he was working on. After reading the outline I knew I had to have the book. It was published at the end of 2003 and as promised Mr.Izzo mailed me an autographed copy. I have given Catland to many to read over the years and they all had the same reaction. The ending will bring tears of sadness mixed with joy to your eyes. Nothing I can say will do this book justice so instead let me quote a bit from the book.


EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK:


"Before recorded time, the big cats ruled
the world with mysticism, honor and courage."

"Know all that enter here at the Great River
that this is a place of peace. Leave your weapons
at the river's edge and when you cross the bridge
to the other side, believe that you are in Catland."

"The journey home was a thoughtful one for Maximus.
He considered the great mystery and at night he would gaze
upon the moon and stars and meditate upon the mystery deeper..."

"... yet the cats had learned that mysticism alone"



WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:

It is a beautiful, thrilling and magical action-packed fantasy. The dialogue between the cats is in human-speak... even Stephen, the tiny yellow sparrow speaks human-speak.



IN SUMMARY:

Don't miss this book. It consists of 118 pages that will keep you on edge. You don't have to be a cat-lover to appreciate it. At the time of this writing there is one copy for sale on ebay. Oh, yes... the author told me that there is, indeed, a Maximus. Maximus is his big long-haired cat, and it was Maximus that Catland was based on. I'll end by saying that if I were a cat, Maximus would be the man of my dreams. Happy reading!