Cat O'Nine Tails

Cat Royal Adventures #4

by Julia Golding

Herewith begins the fourth volume from your hardy heroine, Cat Royal. In which I become an unlikely recruit for the British Navy, take passage to America, and navigate my way through a fiendish plot to do away with Lord Francis, heir to a dukedom.

Cat is living in the lap of luxury--and so bored she's out of her mind. But when she and her friends are captured and forced to work on a boat bound for the New World, Cat may finally be in over her head. Sail with Cat to America, to explore the wilds of a new frontier and maybe even find a place where she is finally free to be herself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Adventure, Mystery, Middle Grade, Childrens

381 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2007

About the author

My journey to becoming an author has been a roundabout one, taking in many other careers. I grew up on the edge of Epping Forest and was that dreamy kind of child who was always writing stories. After reading English at Cambridge, I decided to find out as much as I could about the wider world so joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland. My work as a diplomat took me from the high point of town twinning in the Tatra Mountains to the low of inspecting the bottom of a Silesian coal mine.

On leaving Poland, I exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. I then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of conflict on civilians living in war zones - a cause about which I still feel very passionate.

Married with three children, I now live in Oxford between two rivers, surrounded by gargoyles, beautiful sandstone buildings and ancient trees.

My first novel, 'The Diamond of Drury Lane', won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2006 and the Nestle Children's Book Prize 2006 (formerly known as the Smarties Prize). I was also chosen by Waterstone's in 2007 as one of their 'Twenty-five authors for the future'. In the US, 'Secret of the Sirens' won the honor book medal of the Green Earth Book Award.

My latest series, which starts with Mel Foster and the Demon Butler, about an intrepid Victorian orphan who lives in a household of monsters, won Bronze in the Primary Teacher awards in 2015. The next part, Mel Foster and the Time Machine, has set the time-dial to arrive in 2016.

Reviews

[Ali Book World · Rating 3 out of 5]

در ادامه‌ی ماجراهای کت رویال، اینبار کت به شکل غیرمنتظره‌ای به خدمت نیروی دریایی بریتانیا در می‌آید و سفر خود به امریکا را آغاز میکند. در این راه، او به دنبال شخصی میگردد، توطئه‌ای را خنثی میکند، افراد جدیدی را ملاقات میکند، با حقایقی رو‌به‌رو میشود و ....

جلد چهارم هم تمام شد...
مثل جلدهای قبلی، پر از هیجان و اتفاقات جذابی بود.
اما این جلد کمی متفاوت‌تر بود، شخصیت‌ها بیشتر شدند، کت و دوستاش بزرگتر شدن و بالغانه‌تر رفتار میکردن، مکان وقوع حوادث خیلی خیلی بیشتر شده بود و دیگه محدود به لندن نبود.
اما اون حسی که از سه جلد قبلی میگرفتم رو نتونستم از این کتاب بگیرم، با اینکه روند خوبی داشت و هیجانشم بالا بود ولی حس میکنم نتونست مثل جلدهای قبلی جذبم کنه.
در کل خوب بود اما به دلایلی که گفتم مجبورم یک امتیاز ازش کم کنم و سه ستاره بدم...

بریم که ببینیم جلد پنجم چی میشه💜

[GSGS · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, if this had been the crappiest book in the whole universe, but still included the scene in which Cat and Syd have to fight, I still would've rated it five stars.

BEST. SCENE. EVER.

I actually vote this the best scene I have read for yeeeeears. It made me laugh so hard. Even now I smile when I think of it. Boxing champion vs four-foot tall girl? And Cat's taunts...

Onto that - Billy Freakin' Shephard kissed her? Eew!!! I nearly died. I've never wanted to hit a fictional character so much in my life. Yech.

I rather liked the premise of this book. Being forced onto a ship, travelling beyond Europe (gasp). The whole time there's the lingering question of who the enemy is. I thought there must have been a reason for having Dixon turn up. The fact he has the same name as Billy rang some alarm bells, too.

To be honest, I found the part in which Cat's adopted by Native Americans a bit boring... I just enjoy the jokes Cat shares between the other main characters too much. Although her riding into a ballroom, dressed in Indian clothes, ON A HORSE. L.O.L. Best thing ever.

And then dancing with Frank! Gahhhh. I love him too much. Except now I really don't know. Syd just about proposed to her, except... Ughhh....

' "Aren't you coming?" I called (to Pedro).
"Heavens, no, Cat," he replied with a laugh.
"He's worried someone will ask him to dance," said Frank.'

' "What's this?" I asked, turning it over.
"It's your price tag," said Frank, fastening it to my wrist for me. "All the single ladies carry one. Two thousand a year in bonds. Only child of ailing banker. Fifty pounds a year." '

And, from aforementioned fight:

' "What's going on, Cat? Who's Syd taking on?" - Frank
"Me."
"What!"
"I know. It's Pedro's idea, not one of his best."
...
"What's all this about, Cat?" Frank
"Syd and I argued; someone got the wrong end of the stick."
"What on earth were you arguing about?"
"My tattoo."
"Your what?"
"I'll show you later." I gave him a reckless grin.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Frank grumbled. '

I reeaallllly want to read the next one but none of my libraries have them. Gahh.

[Saba (mybookfortress) · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, I can’t give the books of this series anything but five stars! I love love love love them! I mean, a collection of adventurers, along with a bunch of crazy lovable characters. God, I love them all!
While reading this book , at first I was like: “ well... maybe I’ll go with four stars this time, huh? Maybe it’s not as good as...” But this story didn’t even let me finish my sentence. It impressed me WAY more than I expected! The Syd fight scene... The scene where Cat was sick and exhausted and he carried her... Alright, I’m starting to love Syd as much as I love Frank!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who might still be in the mood for teenage adventures. It gives the reader such joyful vibes!

[Nessie Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gritted my teeth on the first three books hoping this chick who always gets into trouble and ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE SAVED would wise up and learn to defend herself. But she doesn't it just gets worse and worse. the lil summary said "Cat finds herself out of her depth for once" wrong in each book she is out of her depth. She smarts off and picks fights but whines and snivels when she gets beat up or outsmarted. And what made it all the more unbearable is she gets kissed by her arch enemy and likes it! after countless time of almost killing her and torturing her she says she likes him! what the hell is wrong with this girl. It doesn't follow her jacked up character at all. Isnt she suppose to be street smart. Yet she always gets her and her friends in trouble and like the guy who beat and tortures her. All in on Im dropping this series and cant believe the garbage that I put up with in hopes it would get better,

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms Golding is back in form with this Cat Royal adventure. The title and cover hint at what is in store. With Frank and Pedro Cat is visiting Bath for the 'season'. They run into Billy Shepard, now a gent?! Frank is the toast of the season, he holds the uncomfortable position of the most desirable bachelor in Bath. The other young men in town need not worry long- someone has decided to get Frank (and Cat) out of their way. They find themselves pressed into reluctant duty in the king's admiralty. Discovering who has done this is imperative and Cat realizes that she must jump ship somehow to protect her friends and unravel this mystery. When she does we all wonder, has she leapt from the frying pan into the fire?
Cat is every bit as engaging as Jacky Faber and still suitable for younger audiences.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was with considerable trepidation I began this book, thoughI thoroughly enjoyed the first two in the series, "Den of Thieves" (its predecessor) was awful. I was, though, thoroughly suprised. Not only bringing in classic and favorite characters (Syd, Frank, and Pedro) but a good lot of new ones, the bad guy even varies. Instead of the inevitable Billy Boil (who does make a rather dramatic appearance) Cat is off on another tale. Though plot wise, not that great, the writing is excellent and the characters true.
Now if only I could get my hands on the fifth one!

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it better than Den of Thieves.

The crew is on a ship for the better portion of the book, which wasn't bad, and the second half was really boring.


Right now, I feel like Syd would be a good choice as someone for Cat eventually, but I don't see that happening. Hate Billy. May that never ever happen in a bazillion years. Honestly, I like Frank. I would be more than fine with him. Just please not Billy. Frank? Yeah? Someday?

[Eloise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!


Anyone should read this girl/boy child/teen/adult!!!

Love this book!!!

Cat O'nine tails may seem dull in the first half but from the middle onward...

[Klux · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't know this book is part of a series. Reason for DNF: I do not care for the female protagonist Cat. I find her obnoxious. The falling-in-love-with-the-bad-boy trope is the other reason.

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to compare this story to Paul Dowswell's Powder Monkey. Here there is a writer telling a story with imagination and invention – and with a sparkling character in Cat Royal ever ready to fight, laugh, cry, even tell lies in order to survive and succeed. With Powder Monkey there is a teacher turned writer all too often determined to spell out a lesson – and in Sam Witchall a stalwart jolly Jack Tar in the making, the sort of boy who used to be called Jack Trueheart or something similar in books gone by.

For me Julia Golding comes out on top. It's true the historical and technical details can be a little shaky. When H.M.S. Courageous is struck by a hurricane strength storm off the Bahamas, “the foremast snapped like a twig. All hands were summoned on deck to clear the debris.” A broken mast, more like a tree trunk than a twig, in a howling gale and mountainous seas and sorting it out is as easy as that. The captain then has the idea of sailing for the American coast, finding a suitable forest, cutting down a tree and, hey presto, there's a new mast. Ingenious chaps these ship's carpenters. Despite that and a depiction of Creek Indians that may raise a few eyebrows, the storytelling wins through. I loved the image of Cat, dressed as a romanticised version of a chaste Indian maiden, riding through the streets of 1790s Philadelphia on her trusty pony Sasakwa in pursuit of Frank's evil nemesis – strangely, wearing spurs, but never mind it's the story that counts.

At one time it would have been called a rattling good yarn. The adventures speed through at a breathtaking pace with Cat, Pedro, Frank and Syd – as handy a quartet of heroes as one might find anywhere – battling the odds and bettering the villains. I recommend it to anyone who loves escapism turned up to full volume.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat Royal is visiting Boxton, the Duke of Avon's estate and she's dreadfully bored! With Lizzie in America and Frank and Pedro off with the men, Cat's left alone and expected to be happy doing womanly things. Only Frank's gallant cousin, Mr. Dixon pays notice to Cat. Since Cat is Cat and trouble always finds her, she is soon involved in more adventures. First she runs up against and old adversary who won't leave her alone, then she discovers that Syd Fletcher is missing. Cat and friends set out to find Syd and instead find themselves kidnapped and pressed into His Majesty's Navy where a cruel and sadistic master uses Cat to keep her friends in line. Cat has to summon the courage to leave behind her friends and everything she's ever known in order to save her friends. On shore, she encounters a band of Creek Indians who may or may not be allies. Cat just wants to go back to the life she's always known but this adventure may be her last. This story takes Cat from the English countryside to the high seas to the wilds of America. It's a lot like a Bloody Jack (Jacky Faber) adventure, but the writing isn't as sharp or descriptive. The story is slow in parts and too fast in others. The ending is too neat and quick but perhaps there will be more from the villains later. The characters on board the ship are all very stereotypical but the Indians are portrayed well. I like this book least of all Cat's adventures so far. I like Cat best when she's in London and think she should have stayed there.

[Sandeera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great read. Cat Royal is such a great character, and I loved how she was portrayed. One minute she's funny, smart; the next she's reckless and adventurous. I loved the plot, how she met the Creek Indians, her voyage at sea; all of it was just great. I like how Mclean was given some doubt in his character, how he wasnt a complete villain but he was influenced to it. That shows even the most evil people have a story on their side we havent read. Captain Barton was really terrifying and kept me on the edge throughout the book. This is the first book i read in the Cat Royal series, and although some parts didnt make sense, mostly references from other books, it was a lovely book!! Cat is such a great feminism character, proving that girls can do anything and more boys can. And during these times, women were looked down as people who stay home and tended to such things. Cat proved all of them wrong, and even if she was pressured by society, she held her ground and did what she wanted which is really inspiring to girls all around the world. Her adventures were at times, witty and scary; a perfect blend.

[Linnae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up, not realizing that it was #4 in the series, and belatedly realizing I had read the first book a long time ago.

Cat Royal is out of her theater gig at this point and in an attempt to find an old friend, gets forced onto a boat to the Americas. She must hide her gender and work as a crew member, or her high society friends who were captured with her will pay the price. She comes to realize that if she were out of the picture, her friends would have a much better chance of escape themselves. So escape becomes paramount. If only it were possible...

Adventure on the high seas and in the New World, with a smidge of romance and history thrown in.

On target for the recommended age group: (5th-8th grade)

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ripping yarn, delightfully (to a palate cloyed by A Kiss for Little Bear and its ilk)salty, but marred, in the American interlude by lazy stereotypes and inattention to detail, e.g. a "Creek" named Tecumseh (an Algonquian, not a Muskogean word) and the rest of his "Wind Clan," who act like they just stepped out of the Walt Disney Peter Pan singing "What make the Red Man red? What make him go 'Ugh!'"?.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I keep reviewing these. I always love them. I love these books, I love Cat's voice, and I especially love her relationship with all of the boys. No lame love triangles, nothing like that. Just Cat being the cool character she is.

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

هیچ صحبتی ندارم..
پرده ها میوفتند...

[Tirza]

It was good. Cat escapes, but it has a close edge before she leaves France.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pulling Cat away from London/France the took away the magic of the setting.

[Kimya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
The story is about an smart, brave and (maybe) cute girl who is trying to help her friend.
I really miss reading an adventure, so I found this book on my shelves, and I must mention that it was the first book I read from the series. the way the author explained and made the space of story was really enjoyable, choosing characters and personalities was totally charily but the biggest problem of the story was its plot, you can easily recognize who is the cause of all problem, not because you are smart😁 but because the author gives you too much clues. I think this may make this story less interesting to readers.
But in summery I can say that it was enjoyable and lovely, I think it will be one of the books you will miss!

[stuck_in_a_booksuzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favourite by far

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

did not disappoint me, i recommend this to all of you who want a way out of this world for a few hours.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! Highly recommend!!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was harder to read due to the nature of why they were on the ship and how they were treated, but it was still up to the level of the others for how fast moving it was.

[Kluxorious Kluxces · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp. Did not finish this. I thought this one is children's book? I feel like the author was trying too hard with the story line. It felt forceful. Thus, not enjoyable.

[Kimia · Rating 5 out of 5]

عالی بود یکی از بهترین کتاب هایی که خوندم حس ماجراجویانه و دریانوردی که به ادم میده عالیه حس میکنم یه دزد دریایی هستم

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might know that I am currently working my way through this series which was one of my absolute favourites when I was a young teen and on my journey to re-read the six books, I turned my attention to the fourth in the series. In my mind, it is the first four that stick most vividly in my mind but even saying that, there were many things that I had forgotten happened in this book. I find it really fascinating to be reading a book again a few years later because there are so many details that I didn’t really understand the meaning of or importance of back then and just skimmed over that I appreciate much more now. I love how the world is so historically accurate as it makes it seem all the more vivid and vibrant. I am very intrigued to re-read the next book in this series because I really can’t remember much!

As an orphan brought up in the attic room of theatre, Cat could not have imagined leaving London, let alone Europe. But when you rub shoulders with both the highest and lowest of society – as she has – you can never be sure where the winds will take you.Cat is living in the lap of luxury – and so bored she’s out of her mind. But when she and her friends are captured and forced to work on a boat bound for the New World, Cat may finally be in over her head. Sail with Cat to America, to explore the wilds of a new frontier and maybe even find a place where she is finally free to be herself.

Like I’ve said in the past, Cat is one of those characters that you can really get on board with. You want her to succeed. You want her to do well. She’s so stubborn and loyal and determined throughout the entirety of this series, and especially during this book, even when things get incredibly tough and challenging. I’d actually forgotten the majority of the hardships that Cat endures in this book. The one thing that I’m always harping on about is that I wish we got to see more about the other characters, rather than just Cat. I particularly love Frank, Lizzie and Johnny and I wish we got to see some more scenes of them being their wonderfully witty selves. I’d also like to see some more of the romance between Lizzie and Johnny and some of their everyday lives as they are given a 20 page slot at the end of this book to fit everything in.

I really like this book as the format goes back to that of the first book – there’s a mystery and the entirety of the book is spent trying to solve it but obviously, things keep getting in the way. Something else I’d also forgotten about this book was just how funny it is. There are some hilarious one-liners and conversations between the characters that I just wish we got more of throughout the series. The books are only 350+ pages because the font size is massive and I do think the overall story arc could have benefited with an extra 50 pages or so. There were also a couple of occasions in this book where I thought some of the characters other than Cat could have been developed a bit more. Some of the time I think that the author spends so much time on Cat, which is great because she’s a fantastic character, that the rest of the characters get pushed to the side a little. I know that there is never going to be enough time to mention every single character in exuberant detail but maybe just a little bit more?

Overall, this was an extremely entertaining, funny and actually quite dramatic book that I am very glad to have re-read. I’m giving it a 4 out of 5 stars and I am super intrigued to continue the series!

[LPR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good Cat book because I love Cat Royal. She is so much fun. She's consistent but unpredictable, fun but sensible, and witty as heck. She gets into all of these outrageous situations, but bit by bit all of her actions seem logical. She just Ends Up there. She is everything a good heroine ought to be and that is why I love her. My instinct with these books is to say "yes, a good old fashioned Cat Royal book" because that is exactly what they feel like. Like something from my past that I can trust to never betray me by being too much or not enough or not fun anymore or too different from what I want. It's historical fiction adventure at its finest: well researched, great world building, but still with a hearty spark of imagination and invention and fun. Little things don't add up but that's how it works in life. These books are great for a middle grade audience because Cat is the fourteen year old every fourteen year old actually wants to be: the fourteen year old who gets into real trouble and does real things and sees the world and sees excitement. The stakes seem real, but you know she'll get out of it. She gets parted from the group but you know they'll be back. And drama and action and banter and witty one liners and it's all a delight. This one takes place on the sea and in Bath and with the Creek peoples in the colonies and it's all endless fun. Cat makes friends almost as quickly as she makes enemies, and it's so sweet to see this ragtag gang of folks that shouldn't even ever have met held together by the glue of loyalty to a certain cute little redheaded spitfire. She has friends who see her for her and appreciate her for her real value, and then the narrative doesn't ignore that poor girl Cat and former slave Pedro have things unavailable to them and that that is so unfair.
These Books * Are * So* fun*
((Publish the rest of them in the US you cowards))

.................the past.....................
I heart Syd & Frank & Johnny

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has its moments, and certainly plenty of adventure (plus Golding is working the central female protag with multiple interested potential love interests to a fare-thee-well!), but on the other hand, it's got so many clunky moments of history fail. Obviously Golding's intentions are very good, but this type of heavy-handed commenting on the injustices of the past just doesn't do anything for me.

And that's just *before* they leave England! When Cat encounters the Creek Indians in Georgia -- aahh.

For example, there's this one scene early on: The lovely Kanawha whips a comb out of her pouch the second Cat wants to clean herself up and says she'll comb out Cat's "straggling locks". She sniffs her hair and asks what's on it. Cat tells her that the sailors use a kind of grease to keep their hair back and Kanawha says it smells like whale. Cat replies it probably is and Kanawha says "Yuck". And then there's this stellar sentence from Cat: "It did little for my self-esteem to be repulsive to people I had thought of as savages until a few hours ago."

But yet they find her -- repeatedly -- wise, wise beyond her years, wise enough to be considered possibly a witch, which rather undercuts the "who're the real savages" message being drummed in so hard.

I've done a bit of digging and it seems as if there's an odd mixture of at least one real Creek character fin a place he probably wouldn't have been but close enough and the incorporation of a real and more famous character who seems to have been dropped into this place and story for no good reason. Very baffling.

May LJ at more length, with more quotes for possible input from flist, but for Goodreads purposes, I'm not recommending this to anyone.

[Aliyeh Ansarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از هیجان انگیزترین و باحال ترین کتابایی بود که تا حالا خونده بودم اونایی که اهل هیجان و خندیدنن این کتابو از دست ندن چون عاصقش میشن

[Anna Bergmark · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this the fourth installment, kidnapped and press-ganged, Cat and her friends find themselves sailing west. So far so good. The marine theme is an exiting setting. Full of new dangers and challenges as they try to find the ropes. But when reaching the Americas, when our young heroine jumps ship and goes off with the natives... This is where I start speed reading, turning pages, skimming, just to get away from it all.

London, Paris or a warship, Julia Golding knows her history and manages to load these different places with both details and atmosphere, with buzz and fuzz, but a James Fenimore Cooper she is not. No, no... When "Cat among the pigeons" turns into "Cat among the Indians" the story suddenly changes from pleasant read to painful hogwash. This is NOT a world that Golding knows how to bring alive. You just don't buy it. There's no "true feeling" or believable "depth" to it, and the fact that Cat have left Syd, Frank and Pedro behind at the ship also means a loss of the usual bantering and the interest of their growing relationships.

So... Having two more books to go in the series, I'm a little worried. Will the author get back on track again? Will she find her footing on more well known and graspable territory? I sure hope so! Cause the name of THIS ship is not "Courageous", it's "Titanic", and the end result is just plain disaster. Blob, blob, blob, blob, blob...