Editorial Reviews for Nominees
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Editorial Reviews for Nominees
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Score: 91/100 (9.1 out of 10)
Infinity Tales by M.C. Ryder puts us in the shoes (or paws) Leo, the enigmatic, seemingly omnipresent vampire cat who has appeared at various points and to various lead characters in the Dark Series. That's right! This is a CAT BOOK! If that doesn't get you pumped and excited, we don't know what will! This book finally reveals how and why Leo has shown up at odd, random, and often fortuitous points in the series and how he came to accompany many of its protagonists (and anti-heroes). Not only is this the best-written book in the series, it also fills many of the gaps and gives us a unique and interesting new perspective (like a fly on the wall)! Leo has a unique and special charm, definitely inspired by the author real-life, beloved cat, the late Tiggie. Despite having typical cat inclinations like demanding/commanding/expecting non-stop attention and to be fed often, Leo also seems to genuinely care about people and want them to be happy and contented. Anyone who has had a pet cat or dog knows that they become like family, and they can lift us up and comfort us during our sad and dark times (which are, unfortunately, frequent for the characters in this series). In a sense, Leo serves almost as a kind of guardian angel. He also has quite a few powers that were alluded to in previous books. He can scrap/fight and is said to have a “mean southpaw” (left-paw). Though he uses violence as a last resort and prefers to stay safe and hidden, he's not above jumping into combat to protect the ones he loves from the likes of vicious canines, wolves, and other dangers. This might spring from the examples that his mother and mentors set for him. In the beginning of the book, Leo ended up in an shelter “where all of my kind are caged” following the loss of his cat mama in an undisclosed way. This already sets the tone for Leo's arc as he has learned from the experiences of losing his mother as well as being trapped, imprisoned, alone, and afraid. These experiences help him to learn empathy, the empathy that he later shares with the likes of Nadia, Camille, Melia, Vinsent, and Beckett in their times of need. He also learns courage, bravery, and self-sacrifice from Tom, an older cat who takes Leo under his wing before sacrificing his life to protect him from danger. Probably the most charming aspect of this entire is how Leo is presented as being distinctly a cat, even with his advanced vampiric abilities that develop later. He's still undeniably a cat. He curls up in a ball with his tail by his nose. He's afraid of water. He expects to receive attention, food, and water perpetually. Seriously, he even notes when the human hasn't changed his food or water in a while. He always expects his water to be fresh. In terms attention, he says of Nadine: “I don’t tolerate her ignoring me. I’m like the sun that makes the color inside glow brighter.” However, he also says that “I take care of her, like she takes care of me. Fill her with warm and joy.” This shows that the love and attention is mutual and complementary. So, despite Leo being a bit self-centered like many cats, he is also caring and can give as much as he takes (in that regard). Another funny and cool aspect of his cat-like behavior/inclinations is that he doesn't really understand what humans are saying for about half of the book (until his vampirism and maturity develop). So he constantly described what they're saying as “gabble.” This reminded us of the adults from the Peanuts/Charlie Brown flicks. He also calls objects amusing things. For example, he calls beds “familiar large rectangles” and cars “metallic boxes.” He wonders about things like why humans only have hair on their heads. Perhaps Leo's greatest superpower, which was apparent early on in the series, is his unique ability to sense positive and negative energy. He knows when someone is good or bad. He knows if someone is trustworthy or not. This especially comes into play in the relationship between Nadine and Vinsent in which Nadine had no reason to trust Vince beside the fact that Leo saw good and trustworthiness in him. Leo also seems sensitive to feelings and emotions, and they affect him profoundly. When Leo witnesses the argument between Nadine and Camille, Leo concludes: “When one hurts, they both hurt which hurts me too. All I can do is offer them my love. Usually, it’s enough.” If you're up for a tale from a cat's perspective, check it out on Amazon!
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