Once upon a time there was a scheming, lying tart who cared for nothing but her own pleasures and her shoe collection.
Once the peerlessly beautiful Lady Catriona, consort to the king, Cat’s fortunes fall far when her aged husband dies. The king’s wizard turns her into a cat and tries to drown her in the mill pond. Fortunately Cat is a clever survivor and enlists the help of Julian, the miller’s youngest son, in her plan for revenge.
She originally sees Julian as a mere pawn for her plans to break her curse, but as they work together Cat comes to know and care for him. Even if the curse can be broken, can a good-hearted man love a woman who has been as vain and selfish as Cat?
If Cat’s Tale reminds you of a popular child’s fairy tale, it should. It is a take on Puss in Boots but in this version Cat is female. It follows typical fairy tale format with a pretty maiden, an evil sorcerer and a happily ever after at the end.
Catriona is the most beautiful female in the land. Her parents don’t have anything to offer a suitor so they rely on Catriona’s beauty to land to catch the King’s eye. Cat has her own plans to become Lady Catriona but little did she know that her time in court would be short.
Catriona is shallow and self centered and only concerned with her own pleasure. She spends her time in court either buying shoes & gowns or seducing the young men. Her ladies in waiting are scared into silence regarding her dalliances; she believes no one knows about them but she is proven wrong.
The evil wizard, Galfridus has his own political aspirations and plans on ruling their kingdom. His plans are spoiled when Catriona reveals his them to Princess Etheldred. He is determined to be king so he uses his magic on Cat and literally turns her into a Cat. He just never expected it to come back and bite him in the butt.
The story is a very fast, fun read. Cat can be a little annoying because she is so self centered, just want to yell at her to “get a clue”. She is smart and wily when it comes to getting what she wants, even as a cat. As the story progresses, we see a visible change in Cat as she realizes that there is more to life than possessions. Julian is good for her because he teaches her that friendship is one of the most valuable gifts you can give someone and it can’t be bought.
Through her scheming, Cat plans on getting Julian a title and provide Princess Etheldred a husband. She doesn’t count on the wizard’s magic and almost loses everything. In the end, Cat proves to herself as well as everyone else that she is worthy of Julian’s love.
Overall I enjoyed this story. I give Cat’s Tale: A Fairy Tale Retold 3½ Flaming Hearts.
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