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Ratha's Creature (The Named #1)

by Clare Bell (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 635 ratings · 44 reviews

Ratha is a young herder of the Named, a clan of intelligent prehistoric wild cats who keep deer and horses. The Named fight for survival against Un-Named cats, enemies who raid clan herds. Meoran, leader of the Named, claims that the Un-Named are no more intelligent than herd animals, and Ratha believes him, until a clash with an Un-Named raider who taunts her in Named spe...more

Paperback, 296 pages

Published February 7th 2011 by Imaginator Press (first published 1983)

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Nov 09, 2007 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2007, fantasy, favorite-covers, read-before-2000

I originally read this about 15 years ago, and it's always stuck with me as one of my favorite series ever. I'm working on re-reading them all, especially with a brand-new book in the series having just been released.

So far, they're as good as I remembered them being. The story is set sometime in pre-history (it's hard to tell at times), where a Clan of sentient big cats survive by herding their own deer for food. Ratha begins the story as a cub just learning the ways of the herder, when a light...more

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Feb 23, 2013 LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star, read-2011, ya, format-print, acquired-library

I first read this book when I was younger, and the only thing I could remember about it was that all its characters were cats and that one of the prominent characters died horribly and tragically of a crushed ribcage. I made the mistake of trying to hunt the book down via Google searches, and, after turning up nothing but veterinary information and things too horrific for me to want to remember clearly, I finally turned to the catalog of the library I used when I was younger. By searching for "c...more I first read this book when I was younger, and the only thing I could remember about it was that all its characters were cats and that one of the prominent characters died horribly and tragically of a crushed ribcage. I made the mistake of trying to hunt the book down via Google searches, and, after turning up nothing but veterinary information and things too horrific for me to want to remember clearly, I finally turned to the catalog of the library I used when I was younger. By searching for "cats fiction" and limiting my search to the library's young adult location, I found the book in a couple minutes.

My younger self had a greater tolerance for tragedy than I do now. Although I wouldn't say that this book ended very badly for Ratha, the main character, there was still more death and pain in this book than I remembered. By the end of the book, Ratha has experienced being an outcast on at least two occasions, her clan has nearly been wiped out, several cats have died horrible deaths, and Ratha's children turned out to be a huge disappointment to her. My younger self lapped this kind of stuff up. I, as I am now, had to push myself to make it to the book's ending. I had originally planned on reading the second book in the series, but now I'm not so sure. It's not that Ratha's Creature was a bad book, it's just that I don't think books like this are a good fit for me anymore.

Even though all the tragedy, pain, and death weren't my cup of tea, the book did have long stretches of things I really enjoyed. After Ratha became an outcast from her clan, she had to learn to live on her own. At first, she wasn't very successful. Ratha is smart, and her ideas about hunting seemed logical enough to her, but they weren't quite good enough. She's more than capable of learning from her mistakes, but her mistakes meant starvation. Her miserable situation forced her to accept the help of one of the Un-Named, a cat she decided to call Bonechewer. I loved reading about Bonechewer teaching Ratha to hunt and take care of herself.

I had forgotten almost all of the events in this book, so I was able to almost read this as though I were reading it for the first time. I kept reading because I was interested in finding out more about the Un-Named and, after Ratha got pregnant, I wanted to see her cubs and how things would turn out for them. Before Ratha was kicked out her clan, I wanted to see her triumph over Meoran's hidebound "females can't be herders" ideas. I also enjoyed reading about Ratha experimenting with her little flame - from her perspective, the flame was a living creature, and that was how she treated it.

However, just about every event in the book had some sort of painful/tragic aspect, which got to be almost too much for me.

I am amazed that the only thing about this book that stuck with me over the years was the cat who died of a crushed ribcage. That is by far not the only thing I would have thought would make a big impression on my young mind, which just goes to show you how many things you probably don't have to worry will scar your kids forever. I'm now convinced that it is absolutely impossible to predict what will stick in the minds of young readers and what won't. I remembered the cat with a crushed ribcage, probably because it was part of the tragic ending of a semi-romantic storyline. I did not remember that Ratha went into heat, that Ratha had sex (Bell doesn't give detailed descriptions, but there's enough there to make it clear that Ratha did have sex and that it hurt), that one character died horribly of a flaming stick jammed into his lower jaw, that Ratha almost killed one of her own cubs, and that Ratha's teacher, Thakur, had his eye on her as a potential mate.

This book was darker than I expected. I knew that it would have some dark moments, because I remembered the crushed ribcage bit, but I hadn't expected it to be quite this dark. Even the adventure and action scenes are tempered by the knowledge that characters are getting hurt or dying - this is not the kind of book where action scenes are intended to be cool.

I'm glad I reread the book, because I'd forgotten enough for it to still be an interesting read, and it gave me a new appreciation for the kinds of things that did not have a lasting effect on my younger self (I'll try to keep that in mind if I ever have kids of my own). However, I don't think I'm going to hunt down the next book. There's only so much death, destruction, and tragedy I can stand.

(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Heavensent1 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ratha's Creature is the first book in the Named series.

Ratha is a yearling herder of the Named, she is from a clan of intelligent, prehistoric wild cats who keep deer and horses. Her mentor, Thakur, believes she has great promise and also believes she would make a good mother to his cubs, however, before any of this is to occur, a fire breaks out and sends the clan scampering for protection.

During this panic, Ratha has learned how to "control" fire and her leaders are afraid and ban her from the...more Ratha's Creature is the first book in the Named series.

Ratha is a yearling herder of the Named, she is from a clan of intelligent, prehistoric wild cats who keep deer and horses. Her mentor, Thakur, believes she has great promise and also believes she would make a good mother to his cubs, however, before any of this is to occur, a fire breaks out and sends the clan scampering for protection.

During this panic, Ratha has learned how to "control" fire and her leaders are afraid and ban her from the clan and leave her at the mercy of the Un-Named ones, those who lack intelligence, and survive on instinct and hunger alone.

Ratha sets out to find others like herself, while braving the elements and the creatures not of her lands. Upon her journey, she befriends Bone-Chewer, who shows her how to survive in the wild. Ratha dreams of returning to her people and after years of running, she returns to find that the Un-Named ones are masking for an all out attack. Ratha must warn the others and believes she has the answer to their problems but first she must face the challenge set before her by the fates that have steered her to this point in destiny. Will Ratha have the courage to do what is right for her clan or allow the old ways to kill them all?

This is marked as a young adult fantasy and wish for you to note that some of the scenes may be graphic for the more sensitive reader, when the clans war, it is rather bloody and descriptive.

I thought that the read was an intelligent one, using cats as the characters set in a prehistoric was outstanding. This read often reminded me of other clan stories I have read however, with humans and not animals involved. The quest for fire was interesting from the point of view of a cat and the naivete was captured splendidly.

I didn't enjoy reading the terms three horns and dapplebacks and horses and deers, I kept thinking there were more than the two animals that the Named ones tended. The references between them was aggravating, either they are three horns and dapplebacks and describe them to the readers as you would explain a deer or a horse or just call them deers/horses. The flipping back and forth, even in the same paragraph, wasn't an enjoyable experience.

I thought that the book was rather fast paced and I didn't really get a feel for Ratha nor her plight. Her inner thoughts and such didn't give me a better glimpse at her overall makeup. After all that she survived, one would think she'd have a bit more maturity and wisdom to bring to the table, but she appears immature and headstrong.

I would give this book a three out of five stars, while the storyline was enjoyable, I had issues with the characters and need more depth to give me a better understanding of the Clan and its inhabitants. Many interesting back stories could have been incorporated but were left out, leaving a story without any life. However, for you younger readers, I am sure you will find this a fabulous read as it sets you in a different area outside the box, then you are used to believing.(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Teri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

I originally read this book, for the first time, when I was in the sixth grade (roughly 1994, I believe.) Back then, it had a different cover, though. I remember thinking "Didn't I see this as a cartoon once...?" because of the CBS Special that aired about it. In any case, I'm a big cat person, so to have found a book about talking cats that was so well-written was something that excited me beyond belief.

The way the story flows, the hardships that Ratha faces (as well as the other characters of...more

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Jan 03, 2009 GirlwiththeBraids rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Named, a group of prehistoric cats, herd packs of various animals including dapplebacks and three-horns. Ratha, a yearling, was getting trained to be a herder by Thakur. But he is hiding something about the mysterious Unnamed pack. Ratha can smell it. All of the Named have been taught that the Unnamed are stupid; they don’t know how to talk. Ratha swears she heard one speak. Then the forest is devoured by the “Red Tongue”-fire. Ratha discovers that fire can be used to their advantage and not...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Katarina Bambina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Despite the cheesy tag line on the back of this book, I thoroughly enjoyed rereading it (I first read this book when I was 12). The description is amazing, the characters interesting, and the idea more or less original (despite all the cat books that have been written after this book came out in 1983). If you like "Watership Down", I would highly recommend this book-- and so far my students like it!

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Feb 23, 2008 Xarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, own, series

I first read this years ago and remembered really enjoying the series. In re-reading it, I found I didn't remember any of it, but I still really enjoyed it! I also found it to be a little more "grown-up" than I had remembered it to be, especially for being classified as a young adult.

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Sep 10, 2008 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My absolute favorite book! A coming of age story told through the eyes of a prehistoric clan of wild cats. Themes like learning, belonging, and loyalty are key.

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Jun 18, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book but there were also things that I didn't like, such as the unneeded mating scene and the overall sadness and bitterness in the book. You always feel like "No! Can't it be happier?". Or why can't they acknowledge that Bonechewer and Ratha love each other. It's not out and out "I love you" but I did make them an addition to my favorite couples.
But even though I didn't like the mating scene it did add to the depth of Ratha's experiences and hardship.
You feel like nothing is going...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Austin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Not many people

Shelves: animals

I give this book one and a half. I started off liking this book a lot but in the end I thought it was okay. I didnt like Ratha as a main character. Thakur and Bonechewer were much better. Bell's writing is good but this book lacked story. I found it kind of found it that it dragged on and on. The book is called Ratha's Creature but the creature(Red Tounge) had nothing to do in this book. She caught the creature, got kicked out of the clan and then the creature drowned. This book also lacked agoo...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Kaila rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Now Ratha's Creature was not a disappointment at all and in fact it over exceed my expectations. I thought it would be simple pleasant story of a big cat like character who struggles of trying to fit in with her pride and then finding she was truly meant for more than fitting in but to lead. sort of like the Warriors.yes similar qualities was however there was so much more depth to this book than the Warriors. Ratha's Creature was much more serious and had a very mature substance.the difference...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Sparrowkeeper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is now one of my all time favorites - it is an amazing story written by Clare Bell, and a story I shan't forget anytime soon. I was brought into the thrilling world of Ratha and the Named, intelligent cats living millions of years ago. By the first page I was hooked; all the characters were well developed and the plot exciting and original. Clare obviously researched to write these novels, and for that I respect her for it. She's an amazing, talented author and now one of my all time f...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book follows the life of the prehistoric cat, Ratha, from when she was a young cub to all grown up. She is part of a clan, among other cats such as Thakur and Fessran, but breaks away to be on her own for a while. She makes an interesting discovery, and uses that to later return to her home and challenge an oppressive clan leader.

The series is smart, touching, and enjoyable for all ages. I first read Ratha's Creature in 4th grade, but it has remained my all-time favorite book these 21 year...more

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May 03, 2013 Sammmmmmi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, on-my-shelf, books-i-hate

Isn't the main character in a book supposed to be one of the most likable characters in the book? I really didn't connect with Ratha. I didn't feel sorry for her, I didn't agree with her motivation, and she doesn't seem like someone I would want to lead me. She had MAJOR anger management issues, she, frankly, doesn't make any sense, and she couldn't make up her mind on ANYTHING!!!!! I really hated the story line. It always changed drastically for the worst in the least probable places. The whole...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Ratha is one of the Named and her whole life has been dedicated to hearding the Three Horns and protecting them from the Un-Named. One day after a forest fire she finds a spark of the fire left and she names it the Red Tongue. She finds out how to harness it and keeps it with her but when the clan leader finds out he exiles her in fear of the Red Tongue and she is forced to flee from the only life she has known.

The only reason I picked this book up was because of the cover. I would have skipped...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kelly Dykwell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-magic-and-other-worlds, teen, warriors-and-animals

(This is another book for which I wish GoodReads allowed fractions of stars, but anyway)...
I picked this up as a Read-a-like for the Warriors Series, which I love to pieces. This book had a similar feel, while still holding a very separate identity. I would indeed recommend it to someone looking to for new "animal-related fantasy."
In many ways, this story reminded me of the Lion King. And, since this is copyrighted in 1983, it came first! The main character, Ratha, is far from perfect.. and I l...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Sean Silva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Ratha's Creature" is the first novel in the series of the Named, and it's about intelligent prehistoric big cats who have learned to tame and herd livestock. The main character of the story is Ratha, a young, strong-minded female who is learning the ins and outs of being a good herder, but when Ratha discovers and figures out how to handle fire, her world and the world of the Named undergo a drastically change.

Not only did Clare come up with a phenomenal idea for her novel, but the way she hand...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Rain rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I put this at 2 stars, as it didn't really grab me. Disappointing, after seeing its popularity, I wonder what I missed that so many others see? I gave the second star for the author's writing skill as I liked the story-telling, the world-building etc - but not so much the characters. I was puzzled by it being framed as a children's or YA book, it seemed too violent and explicit and the characters too unlikeable for that genre, although Ratha sure did "come-of-age" in it.

In short disappointing,...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Anna11 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I Think that this is a great book. I LOVED it! Not only has it taught me quit a bit about mountain lions it has also inspired me to want to read more books. Before I read Ratha's creature I didn't want to have anything to do with reading. I also love goodreads it is amazing i started to find many books that i would like to read. I loved the way ratha really learned to like the red tonge(fire) and used it to help her clan keep the "un-named" cats off her land.

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Oct 27, 2010 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started this book, but for some reason it called to me anyway. I had read the author's Jaguar Princess and this title was acutally recommended by LivingSocial books, so I bought a paperback copy at my local Borders. I ended up being hooked! I mostly read these kinds of books growing up, with intelligent animals, etc, and I was able to jump back into it. The story was fun and the characters where interesting. The description and details were just right (...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Achilles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My wife gave this to me and I was surpised how much I liked it. It’s a young adult novel that actually covers a lot of emotional conflicts. The relationship that starts between two characters is very interesting and probably my favorite part of the novel. They never actually say the words “I love you” to each other, but you completely see their feelings illustrated in their action.

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Jan 22, 2010 Dragon Eyes Loves Manga rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ratha's Creature was apparently about cats of some kind, but in the context of the story I couldn't actually tell what kind of animal they were. It starts out talking about herding animals and a person automatically thinks of dogs, (or occasionally someone think 'Babe.')
Overall it was a good story that grew more exciting the farther I read. I'm not especially looking forward to reading the next three in the set, but this book was good enough that if I come across them in the library I will defi...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like how the protagonist is a female since the clan leader was saying herders cannot be female. He only let her train as one because, the Named were in need of more herders. I did not like how Ratha mating with Bonechewer was depicted, but that showed it is probably better suited for mature people. The chapter when the clan leader died was really good. I recommend this novel.

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Jul 12, 2009 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-all-time-favorites

This is my favorite book of all time. It isn't a literary masterpeice or anything but something about it just gets to me. I found it in the Seattle Public Library on a random shelf when I was about 12 or 13 and have probably read it about 15 times since. No one has ever heard of it. It's now a series and the following books were not as good- but this one is a gem to me.

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Jun 19, 2009 Ali M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had difficulty predicting where this was going nine times out of ten, which surprised me. The scope of Ratha's character arc is immense. Loved the author's prose, and how unrelentingly harsh many of the decisions Ratha faces are. Her hot-headedness is portrayed as both a blessing and a curse. I'm definitely interested in picking up the rest of the series at some point.

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Jan 03, 2012 Faith Fishcrazy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Did anyone else find this book disturbingly depressing? And the mating scene was a little too explicit...
POOR RATHA!!!! Everything bad that could happen happens to her!I am going to give the next book a chance - hopefully it improves on this story! If not...
This would have been a five-star book if not for that scene and being overwelmingly depressing!!!!!!!!!

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Feb 01, 2013 Reeva rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!

I liked Ratha; she was a bold and feisty heroine. I didn't want her to stay with the clan and I knew she would end up with Bonechewer, I didn't want her to get with Thakur. Bonechewer was awesome and such a little devil. I wasn't expecting the animal mating part lol! I was really disappointed that the cubs were UnNamed. That was stupid and she left Bonechewer which really made me mad. Then Bonechewer died! Ugh, WTF. I liked how they called fire Red Tongue. I never unde...more

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Jul 09, 2011 ~Megan~ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been on a quest to find good anthropomorphic cat books for the past while. It's funny how there's this book, which is about prehistoric cat-like creatures, is so different from the Tales of the Barque Cats series (which is about cats who inhabit spaceships). So far Warriors is still my favorite. :)

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Sep 21, 2012 Amber Mcdonald rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Must read! It's not a cute little animal story, but about an animal who knows she had to fight to survive and has the drive to reproduce!

*SPOILER*
This is the first time I have come across a main character that developed enough to have children in the first book of a series!

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Oct 16, 2011 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: depressing, tore-my-heart-out

I came back and gave this a three star rating, because my previous one was only 2 stars. After I finished it, I couldn't get it out of my head, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. Though gruesome and depressing, it's almost poetic in a dark, haunting way. It actually makes me want to get the second one and possibly read the whole series.

UPDATE 10-16-11: Ah, to heck with it, I'll give it a four star! *audience cheers*

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About Clare Bell

I've been really busy with the Ratha's Creature Graphic Novel project! The idea of adapting Ratha's Creature as a graphic novel is now moving much closer to reality. Our Kickstarter is 75% funded, with 5 days left.

http://bit.ly/rathakick

Tod, Dani, Ian, and Sheila have put together a real treat for Ratha fans -- a music video about how the artists are developing and visualizing Bonechewer for the R...more

More about Clare Bell...

Books by Clare Bell

Ratha and Thistle-Chaser (The Named, #3)

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Ratha's Creature (The Named #1)

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