Many transformations in this one: people reborn as cats, cats reborn as people, and some who have tried both and need restoration to their preferred shape.

Barwood, Lee "A Woman of Her Word" - Tarberry, after a near-death experience in a breeding mill, uses new-found talents to help his rescuer.

Bell, Claire "A Tangled Tahitian Tail" - Told by the first European to set foot on Tahiti: the ship's cat.

de Lint, Charles "Saxophone Joe and the Woman in Black" - The sax player lost his woman when he stumbled across her true name - was she really human? And did he care?

Dunn, Marylois "Teddy Cat" - Cory Johnson's allergic - to everything her stepfather doesn't want her to have: ice cream, the teddy bear he destroyed. But Cory won't let him take the idea of Teddy Bear away from her - so the wild tom that befriends her is Teddy Cat.

Fontenay, Charles L. "Cat O' Nine Tales" - Adrian is a professional writer who makes a modest living through hard work. When Diana Colfax hired him through his agent to live at her family home and write her family history, he accepted the contract. But on his arrival, the situation at Nine Tales is fishy. A young man and woman greet him, saying that the old lady recently died and no arrangements were made for a book. Angered at having packed up his life, including his cat, for a long trip, then being fobbed off with an obvious lie (his agent's got the contract, only a week old, for goodness' sake), Adrian starts poking around. (The ending is somewhat rushed, but the setup is OK.)

Griffin, P.M. "Partners" - As indicated by the title, this is another Bastet story (as in Catfantastic 2 and 5), rather than the Trouble stories of 1 and 4. The cat facing Bastet before his next reincarnation has never had a human Partner in the full sense of the term. Not that he was physically abused in his past life, far from it; he spent his life as a pedigreed Persian, in show cages and stud cages, with excellent care but no affection.

Johnston III, John E. "...But a Glove" - With every full moon, Tom becomes a cat (a wayward gift shared by some descendants of Clan Chattan). Plays the devil with one's social life...

Inks, Caralyn "Fear in Her Pocket" - Jayle is called to help a camilicat shed her old life for a new one, but the price this time comes high.

Lackey, Mercedes "A Tail of Two Skittys" - See my review of her short story collection _Werehunter_, which contains all the Skitty stories to date.

Mayhar, Ardath "Hermione as Spy" - Hermione's first job as a wizard's familiar, fresh from school.

McConchie, Lyn "Moon Scent" - Tale of the dravencat Many Kills.

McQuillin, Cynthia "Cat's World" - Cat acts as Guardian of the Old Knowledge, preserving the laboratory where his kind were designed before the rest of the world ended, because of a prophecy that their creator had once traveled into their present, her future.

Miller, Ann; Rigley, Karen "Snake Eyes" - Lori's aunt and uncle recently died in a fire, survived by their cat, Silver, and their son, Ray. (No accident that her cousin comes second in that list.) But now the auditor hired as part of the proposed sale of the family business has been killed by a hit-and-run driver...

Miller, Sasha "One Too Many Cats" - Continues the tale of young wizard Ferdon, his wife, and his familiar. Ferdon's familiar was once a woman; she's now enduring life as a cat. (She's not much help as a familiar, has a hate / hate relationship with Ferdon's wife, and is *allergic* to cats even after her transformation). Ferdon, who's now aware of the nature of her problem, persuades his wife to help him return the cat to human form. At least, that was the idea...

Norton, Andre "Noble Warrior Meets with a Ghost" - "Noble Warrior" is the translation of Thargun's full name, a Siamese sent by a grateful Princess to young Emmy, the daughter of an Englishman who saved her father's life (see all Catfantastic volumes in sequence for his complete adventures). Here a thief seizes his traveling basket in a train station.

Reyes, Raul; Waters, Elisabeth "Connecticat" - The lama's young nephew hadn't learned the discipline necessary to successfully evade all the traps along the path to rebirth. When his uncle finally locates his reincarnation, he's a LONG way from home...

Scarborough, Elizabeth Ann "The Cat Quest of Mu Mao the Magnificent" - The secret valley of Shambala is the only haven left, after the world ended in blinding light and thunder. Mu Mao, who has achieved the highest state of enlightenment (rebirth as the last cat in the world), is, alas, now subject to feline urges - and having gone to so much trouble to get In to Shambala, he must now go Out.

Straub, Mary H. "The Cat, the Wizards, and the Bedpost" - A continuation of the Flax & Drop stories from 1 & 2 (which are concluded in 4). Drop, the stray accidentally changed into a human boy, may finally return to normal: the wizard who developed the keep-shape spell has asked Flax for help in another matter.

Schimel, Lawrence "To Skein a Cat" - The lonely Fates have adopted 3 kittens - and we all know about mixing kittens with thread.

Schwartz, Susan "Asking Mr. Bigelow" - Lisa isn't a cat person - she's more of a mouse: the kind of mouse who waits in lines forever while the cats get served first. Now she's suffering from a migraine after losing yet another promotion, and someone on the street directs her to Bigelow's (an upscale drugstore). But Mr. Bigelow is a cat, and he can see what she *really* needs for her problem. If you like this, try "Cat Tale" by Vicki Ann Heydron (M.Z.Bradley's _Greyhaven_ anthology).

I loved this continuation of stories about our most beloved pet-the cat. I especially liked the diversity of styles. Glad to see continuations of Skitty and Noble Warrior

Once again a delightful blend of authors have come up with tales about cats and the people who are owned by them. I always enjoy a collection of shorts and this was no exception!

This book was really good. I am a big Dean Koontz fan, and was wicked excited to see this book. However, this book has it's flaws: one major flaw is that it tells WAY too much stuff about his novels, i.e. secrets that you learn in the climax of the suspense are told throughout the book. What's more, it was made in 1994, it has missed a lot of newer books since then, including Dark Rivers of the Heart, Intensity, TickTock, Sole Survivor, Fear Nothing, Seize the Night, and False Memory. It should be revised every time Koontz comes out with a new book. There is plenty more I need to know about Koontz than is told here, therefore it could stand some improvements. Oh, well. All in all it was good.

Anyone who enjoys Mr Koontz's work should get a real kick out of this book. You come to know the forces that shaped him into the writer we have all come to love. If you're curious about what impact the grep had in his life, this book will tell you the answers (actually, it wont tell you anything...you have to read it...unless you get the book on audio cassette, then it will tell you) Seriously, this is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who would like to read a story of one mans struggle to recieve a paycheck for something he loves (an what a paycheck it must be!!) And he must be a hell-of-a-guy for his wife to do what she did for him. PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK AND ENJOY.

If you are a Dean Koontz reader, you must be curious where he got his unique imagination and peculiar style. This is a funny and creative explanation of his life and work. It is not just a chronological biography, but a creative touch of this and that. FULL OF HUMOR!

Berman, Ruth: "The Dragon's Skin" was the armor of the legendary hunter Nimrod (see book of Genesis), but the lady-knight Bradamant defeated its current incumbent once before - although she no longer has the enchanted weapon that previously tipped the balance. Some unrealistic elements, along the lines of Malory's Table knights running into kings casually.

Delaplace, Barbara: James' abuse of Sarah (drawn from her point of view) is either bringing out "The Hidden Dragon" in her - or pushing her over sanity's edge.

Foster, Alan Dean: "Lethal Perspective" is also in Foster's collection _Impossible Places_. The dragons have met upon the Roof of the World - the environs of Everest - to compare the disasters they've secretly inflicted upon mankind, determining who has displayed supremely effective skill.

Forrest, Elizabeth: All Alben and Rain got from their encounter with a dragon was a lungful of smoke and the death of their horse - and Rain's illness from using blackthorn elixir to augment her powers during the fight. But the shaman in the nearest village sets a steep price for help; they must finish the job, since the moss needed to treat blackthorn fever grows at the "Cold Stone Barrow" where the dragons bide their time.

Friesner, Esther M.: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" The wizard who summoned the dragon (who talks like a genie) has trouble explaining why he's to eat one of the Mets. "A bitter man is not a pretty sight, but one who has had his innate bitterness refined by long years of backing the Cubs is about as ugly as a Gorgon with PMS." (Particularly given why he has a dependable source of virgin's blood for the spell.)

Gunderson, Kimberly: When a grubby kid knocks Jud's wineskin into the street just after he's come off guard duty, Jud searches the kid to find "The Stolen Dragon" - a statue spelled to torment the possessor until returned to its rightful owner.

Haber, Karen: After suffering 3 robberies, Christine arranges for a virtual-reality dragon as "Home Security", even though the dragon was built for a gaming rather than a security system.

Huff, Tanya: 17-year-old Donna received the talisman of "Shing Li-Ung" at her grandmother's deathbed, but only gradually learns that the dragon on the cheap-looking brooch must protect the talisman's bearer. Unfortunately, her younger brother is the one who needs protecting, but her parents see no need to curb him - even after he's given probation for gang involvement. After all, he gave his *word*. (Good folk, I hasten to add, but with blind spots.)

Kreighbaum, Mark A. and McKiernan, Dennis L.: Smael is young and lazy; although married and expecting his first offspring, he's still living in his father's cave, and his chore this morning is to extract an overdue gold tithe from the local villagers. Smael's allergic to burning thatch, and gold attracts pests in chainmail, so he's interested in an ugly little man's proposition of "Straw into Gold: Part II". :)

Lindskold, Jane M.: Whatever the cause - a shooting star landing in the garden, an Italian tomato plant "Between Tomatoes and Snapdragons" - the odd speckled flower on Jinny's tomato plant has burgeoned into an egg - and in bright light, the lizardlike shape within is clearly visible. Regardless of the egg's fate, just being there injects some much-needed wonder into Jinny's exhausting daily round.

Malzberg, Barry N.: "Concerto Accademico" is dedicated to Sir Adrian Boult, the conductor to whom Ralph Vaughn Williams dedicated 2 of his symphonies - though not the 9th, which the Tarrytown Symphony is rehearsing when a dragon wanders into the auditorium. The conductor, of course, is the one person who can't see what's distracting his musicians, since he's facing the wrong way. :)

Reichert, Mickey Zucker: Once a decade, "The Champion of Dragons" is chosen to seek and slay the dragon, although the dragon long ago ceased to bother the village. Although none of the previous 13 champions ever came home, Miura Usashibo has fought hard for the honor, sacrificing everything toward his quest for perfection save his love for his wife Rumiko - but he's now demonstrating his priorities.

Resnick, Laura: Esther, the narrator, comes home after a *long* day of unsuccessful auditions to be buttonholed by her annoying neighbour, with a tale of a dragon in the basement - although "Fluff the Tragic Dragon" didn't even break her stride in going grocery shopping. As Esther says, "What's *wrong* with you people who keep investigating strange noises? You *deserve* to be eaten by a dragon!" Guess who gets nominated to check out the story.

Resnick, Mike: "The Trials and Tribulations of Myron Blumberg, Dragon", the narrator, who's begun changing into a dragon - but although gradual, the change makes quite a contrast with Stephen Donaldson's "Mythological Beast" (_Daughter of Regals and Other Stories_). Morton's nagging wife Sylvia sends him to a dermatologist, to begin with. :) And provided you're a *healthy* dragon, there's a limit to how far your unemployment benefits will stretch...

Schimel, Lawrence: "Phobiac" The only piece in Fennwick's (an antique shop on Museum Mile in New York) that the owner refuses to sell or discuss is a tenth-century suit of armor. (Short but good story).

Sherman, Josepha: "Dragon's Destiny" has a Russian folktale setting. While dragons per se may not exist, there *are* dragon-sorcerers, such as Gorynich, who barely remembers life as a human. He's concerned with the knight Dobrynya only because a scrying indicated that Dobrynya would be his destiny or death; as a kidnapped princess later points out, while Gorynich is hungry for "power", he doesn't *do* anything. A bigger problem is that the first encounter between knight and dragon is inconclusive for reasons that don't seem consistent with later events; fixing this would require cutting the story drastically, or lengthening it to build up the second encounter properly.

I read this book several years ago and it still sticks in my mind. Matter of fact, I think I'll go read it again now. Smoking-who knew one of them was the cause of human ruin?

I love dragons, so when I found this book I had to get it. Now, I'm very gald that I did. I found this book to be entertaining and I'm sure you would too, even if you're not big on dragons. So, I suggest you get it now, you won't regret it

I remember reading this anthology as a child, and I remember wishing that i was different like one of the children in the book... it's a great escape for kids, i suggest it to anyone with a young reader

I read this book as a child, and it occured to me recently what an intriguing book it is. I spent a long time trying to track it down, and finally found it! It is a marvellous, eclectic collection of stories, including an excellent offering from Ray Bradbury.

mutants are "freaks of nature" that have special and unique characteristics or powers that "normal" people don't. As you read, you ask yourself if its a gift or some kinda punishment. There is one story about a boy who is born with wings, I would say is one of the best short story I have ever read. Buy this book!

From Christmas to New Year's this book has stories for all of them. Even the holidays less known, such as Boxing Day. Some of the stories are written by famous authors such as Carole Nelson Douglas the author of the Midnight Louie series. While others are written by unknowns.

This was an enjoyable book, but slacked off at times, producing somewhat boring stories. I recommend this book to any fans of mysteries, and cat lovers.

The seventh entry in the short story series starring feline detectives overall is very good, but has some disappointing tales. Each of the stories involve a crime occurring on a different holiday. The holidays range from the obvious such as Christmas and New Years Day to the less celebrated (at least in America) such as Arbor and Boxing days. Some of the most renowned cat detectives,d including the world famous Midnight Louie, are featured.

This collections is well written, but some of the more famous cats like Louie only whet the audience's appetitie for the longer full length novel format. Still, fans of the sub-genre or just cat fans in general will enjoy this and the previous six cat crime books.

Harriet Klausner

A great deal of astrological monkey business and fun. Lawrence Block tells a terrific tale as do Simon Brett, Peter Lovesey and Anne Perry herself. There are astrological clues, astrology murders, detective work by astrology and a great deal of well written stories. Some that may even scare a Scorpio or a Taurus! This is a really fun book and all mystery lovers of any sign should love it.

It's a star spangled banner, this collection of short stories by some 16 luminaries of the printed page, themselves! While most readers will be familiar with the novels of many of these authors, it's a refreshing change of pace!

Edited by Anne Perry, the stories revolving around astrology and astrological themes goes over with a big bang! In the Introduction, Perry asks, "Do you believe in horoscopes?" Then she invites us to "meet those who care passionately about the real stars and the astronauts who journey toward them."

The acclaimed authors who are included know their stuff and that's no mystery. From Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma--who's always given us a turn for our money and time--to Edward Marston (departing from his usual Medieval mystery setting) to Lawerence Block to Peter Lovesey to Simon Brett and concluding with Anne Perry herself, this is a delightful read. Granted, a change of pace, but a delight nonetheless.

What a clever idea to arrange such a collection around such a theme! The sky's the limit! ...

Davis, Russell: "Father of Shadow, Son of Light" The warrior Kham-Ridhe, sweeping into conquest of a new continent, are great believers in fate. One of their prophecies is that a child will cause them to take up the cause of peace forever - and their commander's newborn son is that child. (This story is part of the foundation for a novel, working title _The Crown of Sands_).

DuBois, Brendan: "The Cross of God" follows (in 3rd person, time of the 1st Crusade) Brother Frederick, an abbot in Germany, woken in the dead of night because his cousin Sir Geoffrey has returned from Jerusalem to see him. But Geoffrey won't trespass on holy ground, because a wizard in the Holy Land cursed him with a horrifying vision of things to come.

Edghill, Rosemary and Edghill, India: "Killer in the Reign" combines elements of the legends of Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer in the same hard-boiled style as "The Maltese Feline" (see _Catfantastic V_), as a serial killer stalks the neighbourhood of Carterhaugh. Hired wand Artos of Pendragon & Lake is called in because all the victims resemble the Queen, who doesn't permit the Table Knights to handle her security arrangements.

Friesner, Esther: "In Days of Old" opens with the Sir Weylin early-warning system: Camelot's watchmen are to notify the king IMMEDIATELY whenever Weylin returns from a quest. This time, though, Llew and Baird argued too long over who'd deliver the bad news; they're dead meat if they can't get him to leave by sunrise. [I *like* this one. Guenevere being the kind of woman who'd design dopey-looking uniforms is a nice touch.]

Hoffman, Nina Kiriki: "Faint Heart, Foul Lady" (From the saying 'faint heart ne'er won fair lady.') Setting's like Malory's England, but the characterization's better and the cast differs. Young Sir Bran, the narrator, really wanted to be a bard; instead, he's a poor knight in several ways (no money, can't repair armour, terrible lancework), because his mother reared him to avenge his father's death. He's a good person, though; when Nix (a commoner who wants to be a knight) saves him, his mentor, and a damsel from a dragon on Bran's first quest, Bran wants to help Nix out. Makings of a deal, here...

Huff, Tanya: During one of the "Nights of the Round Table", Camelot's cleaning lady shows her granddaughter the ropes - and *nobody's* a hero to his cleaning lady. :)

Norton, Andre: "Red Cross, White Cross" were the emblems of the Templars and the Hospitallers, respectively - and now that Philip of France's greed has forced the Church to outlaw the Templars, the Hospitallers are to take their lands. But Michael, last left alive to keep the Templars' trust, has a brother among the Hospitallers, although he himself in a cruel jest is now a knight without a sword hand.

Patton, Fiona: "The Captain of the Guard" - Viktor Endrik - is his guards' only protection from the demon they serve: the Malik Lord, who used to hunt his own people in his nonhuman form before Endrik's bravery convinced him to prey only on his enemies. Now under siege from the kingdoms of the south, Malik captured a knight from the encircling armies who asks Endrik the key question.

Rabe, Jean: "Buried Treasures" follows the viewpoint not of the elderly Templar, last to escape from Philip's dungeons, but (in 3rd person) of Rogan, the ship's captain promised rich payment - including fabulous maps - if he can get the Templar safely away with the last of the Order's treasures. The old Templar's great integrity, more than his still-formidable fighting ability, is the most notable thing about the nameless knight, determined to continue to protect his charge from mortal greed.

Reichert, Mickey Zucker: "Squire Thorian's Trial", one way or another, marks the end of his life's dream of joining the Order of the King's Knights. Since he has not only his lady but their disabled daughter to support, if he can't earn knighthood he'll need to find a safer career than the usual runner-up choice of the army. Knowing Thorian must win at least 2 of his 3 final fights, his own squire offers him a terrible temptation, bought from the king's magician.

Schwengel, Kristin: "In a Lifetime" Gedyr, though he appears youthful, has been a sellsword for several lifetimes, always moving on. In the aftermath of the fight at the beginning of the story, Gedyr realizes that there are gaps in his memory - and that perhaps the secret of his fate lies buried therein.

Sherman, Josepha: Like Alan Dean Foster's Mad Amos, Andris has a mount at least as smart as he is - Meg, unusual enough as a "Knight Mare" even if she couldn't talk. But five years of spectacular success have brought their own punishment: a bored, aging king has set them a task designed to force Andris to choose death or dishonor.

Sinor, Bradley H.: "And the Wind Sang" Be warned that this story immediately reveals the secret of Lance's survival, although not the details provided by _Merlin_'s "Central Park". Here Nimue has a greater role; she's recalled Lancelot to post-Arthur Camelot because an old enemy has returned to kill again. The greatest shock, though, is the stranger claiming *he's* Lancelot...

West, Michelle: "The Knight of the Hydan Athe" Hydan Athe is unique among the Athelands - specially protected from the abuses of the outside world. Sanna, the innkeeper's daughter, loves the knight's only son - but Neville's only written twice since the prince took him away. Now he's returning in a time of ill-omen, as the mysterious 'white athe' - its more ominous name is not spoken - has begun growing in the wisewoman's garden, forshadowing death. [I've never seen West put a foot wrong in a short story; they're all good.]

Yolen, Jane and Stemple, Adam: "Rodergo's Song" goes one step past Yolen's poetic contributions to other anthologies, providing sheet music as well as lyrics.

This fourteen story and one song collection focuses on Knights as the lead protagonist. The prime knight or in some cases knights perform bravely and chivalrously difficult dangerous deeds of daring against impossible mundane and magical odds.

KNIGHT FANTASTIC is a fantastic anthology as each of the fourteen tales is well written and keeps reader's attention. The knights are all heroes that strive to meet the expected code of conduct in a medieval world filled with deadly mystical and human foes willing to cheat to kill them. The opening ballad is different, but adds credence that the editors and all the contributors were paying homage to one of the more interesting characters of history, The Knight of the Realm.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoyed this book, and although not EVERY story was great, they were very good. I think that it makes a fine book by itself, and a great book in memory of the late Roger Zelazny. This is a must have for Zelazny fans.

I was one of the contributors to this book, which was originally to be titled FRIENDS OF ROGER. I still wish it had been . . . although a book by all of Roger's friends would be a very thick one; I don't believe there was anyone who knew him personally who didn't love him - and I think everyone who knew and loved his writing felt they had lost a friend when he died.

I won't comment on my own story, but there are plenty of others of outstanding quality, well worth the price; John Varley's is my pick for best of the bunch, with Walter Jon Williams in there pretty close . . . but really, you could hardly go wrong just opening this book at any one of the stories and beginning there.

The cover is, admittedly, butt-ugly; and this should have been a hardback - as much money as Roger made for Avon in his lifetime, you'd think they could do a little better by his memory - but never mind; the contents more than make up for the exterior.

If you are one of those (us) who cherish Roger's memory, buy this book as your expression of appreciation for his memory. Or if you're just looking for a lot of damned good reading . . . .

This book is great for those of us who like stories with a twist, stories about Mardi Gras, or just plain good reading. Overall, I think it is a great collection of short stories that, for the most part, are entertaining to read.

Here's one of the main problems that I have with the book. If it's a collection of stories about New Orleans Mardi Gras, why do most of the stories appear to be written by British authors? If you look, you'll see some traits of UK vocabulary and spelling, such as using "realise" when a US author would have spelled it "realize". That doesn't give these authors as much credibility to me, but, who really cares?

I think the last story of the book was DEFINITELY the best. If you've ever been to New Orleans and done one of the Haunted History tours, you'll surely recognize the characters in this story. Wonderful!!

Mardi Gras Madness is a collection of eleven stories by as many authors, the topics ranging from the light-hearted to the macabre. All of the stories are set primarily in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy dark tales of murder and the supernatural. The stories will send delightful chills of terror down your spine, and make you want to sleep with the lights on.

This book would make a good purchase for those with a-- twisted-- sense of humor. All eleven are short stories, but there are elements in many of them that will have you going back to read it again.

One of my personal favorites out of this book was "The Invisible Woman's Clever Disguise", one of the more light-hearted pieces about a middle-aged woman from Portland who discovers she's become invisible, and decides to have a bit of fun. She goes to New Orleans for her first Mardi Gras, where she gets an surprise invitation from a new and rather unorthodox krewe.

Two more of my favorites are "Farewell to the Flesh", a decidely darker tale about a vampire who gets involved with a group of cultists; and "Down in Darkest Dixie Where the Dead Don't Dance", another dark story about the spirits of New Orleans and the ones that return to do their evil work, year after year.

I highly recommend this book, all of the stories are absolutely wonderful!

This is a good collection of ghost stories, many by authors who are known for other genres of literature, such as Edith Wharton, Graham Greene, Charles Dickens, Joyce Carol Oates. I recently have been told that this collection is going out of print. I wish it weren't! I've been using this collection in a class I teach, with good results. It's so hard to find a good collection of shorter horror fiction.....

I used this in an English course and my students loved it. It is one of the most accessible ghost-story collections ever. Many other anthologies focus on just Victorian era (langauge too difficlut for many) or modern (subject matter too visceral or abstract). This had a beautiful blend of everthing from artistic use of langauge to psychological and visceral themes. It did not bore anyone in the class. I wanted to use it again and discovered it was out of print. HISS-BOO! PUBLISHER TAKE NOTE: If this book isn't revived, it will come back to "haunt" you!