Catacombs

A Tale of the Barque Cats, Book 2

By: Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Narrated by: Laural Merlington

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In Catalyst, award-winning authors Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough introduced listeners to the beguiling Barque Cats: spacefaring felines who serve aboard starships as full-fledged members of the crew. Highly evolved, the cats share an almost telepathic bond with their minders, or Cat Persons - until, suddenly, there is no “almost” about it, and a particular Barque Cat, Chester, learns to ex- change thoughts with his human friend, Jubal. Other cats soon gain the same ability.

Behind the seeming miracle is a mysterious cat named Pshaw-Ra, who possesses knowledge and technology far beyond anything the Barque Cats - or their humans - have ever seen.

When fear of a virulent plague leads the government first to quarantine and then to kill all animals suspected of infection, Pshaw-Ra - with the help of Chester, Jubal, and the crew of the starship Ranzo - activates a “mousehole” in space that carries the refugees to a place of safety: Pshaw-Ra’s home planet of Mau, where godlike cats are worshiped by human slaves.

But Pshaw-Ra’s actions are less noble than they appear. The scheming cat plans to mate the Barque Cats with his own feline stock, creating a hybrid race of superior cats - a race destined to conquer the universe.

Yet right from the start, his plans go awry. For one thing, there’s a new queen on Mau: Pshaw-Ra’s daughter Nefure, a spoiled brat - er, cat - with a temper as short as her attention span. Pshaw-Ra’s other daughter, the rightful queen Renpet, is exiled, running for her life in the only direction available to her — down into the vast catacombs beneath the Mauan desert. Far from receiving the hero’s welcome he expected, Pshaw-Ra must use every bit of his considerable cleverness just to survive.

Spend some more time with the Barque Cats.

©2010 Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good but disappointing

I have most of the books by both these authors, but mostly in paperback. I was expecting a wonderful and enchanting story that I could not "put down." This book just came off flat. I don't know if it is because of the narration or the story or the combination. The narration was a major factor for me. I think I would like it better in paper back...

My advice, if you like the authors, and the barque cats, then I would borrow it from the library. That way if it comes off flat, you are not out anything. If you love it, you can get it and listen

Sequel to CATALYST

As much fun as the first book! Telepathic space cats...MEOW...PURR...HISS...and POUNCE their way across the cosmos.

Meeeeeow!

Great story, but, like others, I became annoyed by the baby sounding voices the reader gave the kittens. I know there must be a third story forthcoming or already done. I will devour it like a fishy treat.

Must be a cat lover

A fun tail of cats. With a great mix of lore and space. Barque cats needed their own story as they are mentioned in many other stories by Anne McCaffrey. This adds to their mystique

Love Cats!

What made the experience of listening to Catacombs the most enjoyable?

Several of my cats could have played the cats in these books. .

Which scene was your favorite?

I have a "Chester" for sure. and he had his nose knocked on the side of his head several times just trying to please the females. Had to have him neutered before he got his nose knocked off.

For anyone who has known a cat...... Great fun!

McCaffrey & Scarborough do it again. Merlington's delivery is spot on as well, really brought the characters to life. Anyone who has spent any time with cats will delight in this series. You will think "YES! That's JUST what they are thinking!"
So, McCaffrey & Scarborough, what's up next? Will cats rule the universe? They certainly feel they have the right to it.

good book

an enjoyable and relaxing listen. relaxing and fun. quite funny and anicdotal through out. loved it.

great read!

I have always been a fan if Ann McCaffrey and this is a great book. I read the first one a while ago and it was great. this one flows well, keeps you guessing and has some fun twists. the performance us very well done and it makes for a good book to listen to.

Good fun

If you like Anne McCaffrey’s style, you will love these 2 books. I wish there had been more, but the story line is fully contained with no cliffhangers. A very pleasant way to pass a long drive.

Wonderful story great characters and plot line.

Wonderful story, characters, plot line. If it weren't for the narrator the rating would be 5 stars. The pronunciations af many words will damage at least a generation of listeners vocabulary. I wish people would look up pronunciation for words they have never heard before. The English language has many words that don't sound as written. Her unreasonable volume for the cat meows was jarring. Hasn't she heard of the whisper shout?