Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – The Golden Owl (Clockwork Calico #1)
Author – Lana Axe
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 213

Cover – Very nice!
POV – 3rd person, past tense, omnipresent
Would I read it again – Yes

Genre – Steampunk, Action, Adventure, Young Adult


** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **



What a fantastic story!

It's not often that I come across a book told nearly totally in an animal's POV, but this one was and it really worked. Though omnipresent, with a few various POV, the story is primarily told through three characters – the calico cat, Cali; a mouse called Emmit; and Cali's owner, Lionel. This way we get to see all the goings on that are important to the story.

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't like about this story. And the only grammar/spelling notes I noticed and made, were when two words were accidentally switched for something else, which I'm sure is a very minor error made during the excitement of writing such a great action story. I completely disregarded these mistakes, when considering my rating, because out of a book that's 200+ pages, two small mistakes are totally natural. (Just for note, the mistakes were; meanly sum, instead of measly; expressed an entrance, instead of interest.)

Yes, there are talking animals. I found it quite exciting, as their actions and thoughts were very natural to their species. Mice acted like mice, cats like cats and horses like horses. Yet, there was an air of human intelligence about them that was fun to explore. It's sort of like crossing over Ratatouille (with mice instead of rats) and The Aristocats, while adding a Steampunk element. A lot of fun for kids and adults alike. (Especially since these are two of my favourite animated movies ever.)

As for the characters, I really loved Lionel and Florence. You could see that they were related, through little nuances, as well as how they interacted with each other. They weren't overly affectionate siblings, but naturally close and happy to spend time with each other and share news. Lionel is the eccentric tinker, inventing all sorts, while Florence is a strong, independent woman, who knows her own mind and it's locked into a world of social conventions. I really loved how she was shown, as many women of Steampunk are either caricatures of Victorian women or simpering maids, who need rescued. Florence is a great role model for young girls.

Without spoiling the plot, I do want to say that the whole spider idea was genius! Not only do humans rarely notice spiders, unless they make themselves known, but they're ingeniusly clever little beings, getting into all the nooks and crannies, without ever being noticed.

~

Overall, this was a beautifully presented (with nice chapter headings), cute steampunk story about an enhanced cat and her owner. It's about forming unlikely friendships – cat and mouse – protecting what's important to you (friendship and loyalty) as well as discovering you're much braver than you think.

While exploring lots of adventure, and never a dull moment, the story doesn't stuff you full of ridiculous or unbelievable events. Which, believe me, is saying something when two of the three main characters are a cat and a mouse!

Inspired!

~

Favourite Quotes

“Enhanced. A marvel of the ages. Superior to all other felines. That's how her creator, Lionel Cogg, put it. He named this special cat Calico Cogg. Cali for short. A masterpiece of engineering, a creation of pure beauty.”

““Well, Cali, I saw your master this afternoon,” the mouse began.
“He's my friend,” she corrected. “Cats have no masters.”
“Of course,” Emmit replied. “I was having a snack a few blocks away from the bakery,” he explained. “I heard a shout and ran to see what was happening. Sometimes humans shout when they've dropped food, so it was worth a look.”
Cali rolled her eyes. Mice, she thought with disdain.”

“Cali was surprised to discover that candy worked better than a pistol.”