Synopsis: Varjak Paw, the feral Mesopotamian blue, has mastered the six skills of the ancient martial art known as the Way. He has become a formidable hunter and fighter, but the city is becoming an unfriendly place. Sally Bones and her gang are extending their territory and brutally maiming all who stand in their path, and Sally Bones knows the Way much better than Varjak does. Soon their paths cross, and Varjak Paw finds himself declared an outlaw.

Review: In the sequel to Varjak Paw, SF Said continues the story of his feline hero's passage along the Way. The book reads like a Chinese wuxia movie with cats in it, and not anthropomorphised cats, but real, live cats with not a boot or tricorn hat in sight. The Way is also brilliantly realised; as described, it combines concepts of classical martial arts literature with a convincingly feline sensibility. It is easy to think that if a cat did learn kung fu, it would look like this.

Varjak's inner and outer conflicts are equally involving and his strange, pan-temporal encounters with Jalal the Paw are suitably dreamlike, an air that is greatly enhanced by David McKean's broad-stroke illustrations. The pacy plot and accessible language mean that the book can be enjoyed by readers from age 8+, although the sometimes dark subject matter means that discretion must be advised. oon their paths cross, and Varjak Paw finds himself declared an outlaw.