A review by foxwish
Swashbuckling Cats: Nine Lives on the Seven Seas by Beth Cato, Grace Bridges

adventurous dark lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Some of the writers play very loosely with the theme "Swashbuckling Cats", others played into it very well. I expected a group of extremely lighthearted short stories and what I got was a surprising mix of light hearted action adventure and serious prose, featuring themes of family and found family, illness and death with more monarchy than initially expected.

The brilliant stories included Comeback Kitty, The Cat and the Cook and Buccaneer's Revenge. Two of these stories I favoured due to how heartwarming and cosy they felt, the other had a twist that made for an excellent read.

There were a couple stories I genuinely couldn't wait to be over because I either hated how the story was progressing or, in one particular case, I loathed the PoV character and the way they made decisions and interacted with the world.

Outside of the lows, most of the other short stories included in this anthology were heartwarming and pleasant reads, with only minor flaws. I'd say it's worth a read if you're here for the cat part more than the swashbuckling part though.
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