Short story, part of the continuing story of Mort(e), where the ants have risen from their insect world, communicated and given intelligence to animals, in order to overthrow humans. Written from the bobcat Culdesac's point of view it is a gruesome description of hunting and killing humans, while civilian (previous pets) inhabitants of the town of Milton begin to question the authority of the ants, and plant the idea of possibility that humans could live side by side with the animals. Well written. ( )

Not essential; we get to see Culdesac's origin story and Mort(e) being perky. Still a good read as it complicates the story told so simply from the house cat's view; instead of a global transformation of all the mammals and birds, there are the disastrous and horrifying failures and the animals whose loyalties persist. ( )

This short book, although mostly a backstory on one of the most terrifying characters from Mort(e), was more of what I wanted and expected from a novel about a war. We saw the war from Mort(e)'s point of view and now we see it from Culdesac's. It is way more brutal, raw, and, well, natural. He is a bobcat, after all and oh, does he miss the hunt. He was born and bred to wreck havoc and it's admirable, in a way, how he does so without missing a beat. This book almost makes me want to go back and give Mort(e) a re-read, with this new understanding of the fearsome Captain. ( )

I think I ended up liking this more than Mort(e). It was interesting, concise, and kept me hooked the whole way. ( )

I stumbled onto Mort(e) at my local library, attracted by the striking cover portrait of Mort(e). Animals are transformed into speaking creatures with opposable thumbs, and a war with humans results (The War with No Name). Both humans and animals are portrayed in a very realistic manner. Repino understands cats and soldiers, despite, apparently, being neither.
I usually prefer hard science fiction, where the science and tech are made believable. Repino doesn’t bother much with that part of the story, but his storytelling and characters made this a memorable read.
Sebastian is a neutered and declawed housecat when the Change occurs. Despite his disabilities, his exploits lead to him becoming known as Sebastian the Warrior. He becomes a special ops trooper with the Red Sphinx, an all feline unit. This is a perfect touch. If I were recruiting intelligent animal commandos, I know two feral cat colonies where I would start. Sebastian adopts the nom de guerre Mort(e), illustrating both his sardonic sense of humor and erudition, and Repino’s playful use of French.
Mort(e) is the best feline character in fiction. Mort(e)’s story continues in D’Arc , and they should be read in order. Culdesac is a novella that should be read after Mort(e), but not necessarily before D’Arc.
Culdesac is the bobcat who commands Red Sphinx. Mort(e) is only a minor character in this work, but Nox is the second best feline character in fiction. Don’t miss her. ( )