Product Description

A striking new reissue of an epic fantasy by popular Harper author Shirley Rousseau Murphy, featuring a princess's dangerous quest to reclaim her throne...and, of course, cats!

There is a door in an artist's garden: an elaborate carved passageway into a realm ruled by a dark sorceress queen. There entities strange and wondrous roam the Netherworld––yet none as astonishing as the shape–shifting Catswold...

Raised by the oldwitch Mag, Melissa discovers a perilous secret. She has more than one form––human girl and magical cat––and once inhabited two worlds. And it is her destiny to return to a mystic realm of wonder and terror, to do battle for her people's liberation and the crown that is rightfully hers.

A man beset by tragedy, painter Braden West is intrigued by the calico cat who has charmed her way into his studio. But his "guest" is more than she seems, and Braden's very existence will be radically altered as he follows Melissa from the Hell Pit into the dread perils of an evil ruling court, thrust into the heart of a magical conflict with more at stake than he could possibly have imagined.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #159111 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-01
• Released on: 2005-01-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 432 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060765408
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
This delightful fantasy posits a Netherworld located under modern California and peopled by humans, mythological creatures--including Harpies and Griffons--and shape-changers such as the Catswold, who can shift between cat and human forms. In this land where technology fails but magic works, Melissa, a young woman with no memory of her past, goes to the city of Affandar, ruled by the cruel Queen Siddonie, to learn her history. Taking a strange interest in Melissa, the queen teaches her magic spells far superior to those of the common people. From an imprisoned Harpy she sets free, Melissa learns she is heir to the Catswold throne, but for her disobedience she is turned into her cat form and cast forth in the upperworld. There she is taken in as a pet by artist Braden West, who, unaware of her true nature, falls in love with her. Then Melissa discovers how to regain her human form and returns to the Netherworld pursued by Braden. Murphy, a writer of children's books, balances her rich, detailed Netherworld with a vividly characterized earthly realm. Her cat people, in particular, ring true.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-- In 1957 in the San Francisco area, a garden shared by six surrounding houses has a tool shed built into a berm. The shed is closed by a magnificent, intricately carved wooden gate featuring nine rows of nine heads of cats, each projecting out of the wood. Unbeknownst to Earth dwellers, this gate is one of several conduits connecting the underground netherworld with the upperworld. Living belowground is the evil Queen Siddonie, who wants control of both realms; attempting to stop her is Melissa, a kidnapped abovegrounder. The book offers a diverse collection of characters, from the elusive Catswolders who are able to shape shift between human and cat form; to the cantankerous but warm-hearted Harpie; the magnificent, powerful Griffon; and the Black Dragon of the Hellpit, who epitomizes everything that is loathsome. Rich, descriptive imagery is found on every page, making this underground world come alive. And in the end, the power of art, magic, images, and love help Melissa as she overcomes the malevolent queen.
- Pam Spencer, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A young woman struggling to free her people and claim her rightful place as the queen of the faerie finds unexpected assistance from an artist coming to grips with his mental demons in this first adult novel by a popular author of juvenile and YA fiction. Shapechanging catfolk, an evil sorceress, an oracular toad, and a magic mirror lend a fairytale-like quality to a story that takes place in two worlds: the underworld of the faerie and mid-20th-century San Francisco. Like Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff, Murphy demonstrates a rare feel for crossworld fantasy, bringing modern and mystical landscapes and people into an illuminating juxtaposition. More than a "feline fantasy," this engaging story should be considered a priority purchase. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Fond memories of reading this book
I'm glad to see that in the reprint the cover art has been fixed. While the painting on the first edition is well executed it has NOTHING to do with the story. The new cover art is closer to correct, though I would have loved to see the little calico standing in front of the ornately carved blue door rather than inside the tool shed. I guess the door would have been quite difficult to do justice.

I also have to admit that once I was about 1/3 through this book, I realized and remembered that I had read this book when it had first come out (but had forgotten much of the plot). I can recall reading it for the first time in a salon on State Street as a freshman at UCSB. I remember thinking it would be cool to have a calico cat (I now do). And I remember being annoyed by the cover art.

One piece that confused me about the story is the timing of the events. Only until the last chapter and the epilogue is the story given a timeline of 1957 being the "present" but the way San Francisco and Marin are described, pieces of the story feel like they should be taking place either now (late 1990s when the book was written or 2000s if the present was meant to be the near future). Other events make the book seem like it should be taking place in the 1920s or 1930s. I think the biggest sticking point is the mention of an earthquake being strong enough to kill some characters in the back story. San Francisco is known for two big quakes: 1906 and 1989. Of course it turns out that the earthquake in question is completely fictional but I think it would have been better if the timeline could have been wrapped around an actual quake or the city in qusetion moved to a place not so known for two quakes. In other words, I found the odd details distracting at times that I just wanted the plot to take where it wanted to go.

The author though excels at two pieces of this book: her understanding of cats and her ability to describe paintings. It helps that she is an accompished artist in her own right. When she was describing Braden's series of portraits fo Melissa I could see them so clearly! When she was describing the little calico cat, I felt as if she were in the room with me.

A lifetime favorite
Like many others writing this review, I read this book a long time ago, before I was in my teens even, and I love this book. A decade later I still like to reread this book from time to time. Not only do I get pleausre from the feeling one gets from revisiting a childhood favorite, but it really is set in a wonderfully imaginative world, with a unique fantasy plot and setting. It's an incredibly easy read, which kind of adds to the charm, and I would almost consider it young adult, if not for the adult situations and language. It's probably the only reason I'm rating it 4/5. It's such a unique story with lovely characters, but it's not necessarily the most complex writing I've seen or the deepest development. However, as an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader I would say that Murphy gives other writers I've read a run for their money, especially this being a genre that she isnt recognized for, if recognized at all. Imagine my dismay after reading this book so long ago to find that no, there are no further books to let us explore these characters or world more, but that she doesnt even write fantasy.....she writes about cats. Still, I will always love this book.

Excellent background for the Joe Grey series
Many Joe Grey books hint at the world portrayed in the Catswold Portal - this provides excellent background information and is an entertaining novel in its own right.