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I Was An Alien Cat Toy
Temin crash lands on an unexplored planet and gets up front and personal with the natives – who are giant felines. Survival will mean making some unlikely alliances - and some most unusual friendships.
272 pages, ebook
First published January 21, 2010
19 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
About the author
Ann Somerville
52 books280 followersAnn Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees (this time in science and IT), an English husband and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been published by Samhain Publishing and elsewhere.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
April 23, 2010
My review from 2008
To be perfectly honest, if I were prowling the aisle of my local literary chain and came across this book on the shelves, I would have given a little laugh at the cleverness of the title; I might even have flipped it over to read the dust jacket. Ultimately, however, I would have passed it by without a second thought. Not my cup of tea, I would have thought. And I would have been so much the worse for having thought so. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this novel. I wasn’t sure if it would be a romance, a male/male bodice ripper, or a Pythonian take on erotica, all of which could have gone horribly wrong given the core premise. In the end, what I got was immensely satisfying….a deeply moving story of love, of friendship, of recognizing the things that make us different while still managing to find those commonalities that bind us together. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a perfect novel and I do have a few gripes, but none are egregious and none detract from a story that is expertly told.
The plot is, at its core, a science fiction and fantasy staple. A stranger in a strange land, captured by those who don’t understand who or what he is, who has to find a way not only to escape his captors, but also some method of getting back home again. We’ve seen riffs on it in everything from Pierre Boulee’s La planète des singes to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and countless other novels over the years. What separates the wheat from the chaff in this genre, however, is execution and that is where I was an alien cat toy excels. It doesn’t suffer from the oppressive dystopia of Boulee’s work or the sometime sickly sweetness of Baum’s; instead, it finds a comfortable balance between those two classics. Pyr Temin is our stranger, a pilot who, on a routine inter-galaxy supply mission, runs into trouble with his engines and crash lands on U67809, a planet which had once been home to a seed-colony of humans that had gone missing some 500 years before. Surviving the crash, Temin determines that his ship was sabotaged and that the damage makes returning home on his own impossible. Depressed at the nearly inevitable possibility of never seeing his family — or his lover, Jeng — again and having few other choices, he sets his transmitters to loop an SOS and sets out into the planet’s brutal winter to find food and shelter. It isn’t long before Temin comes across some of the planet’s indigenous life forms, primate-like beings that he attempts to hunt, with slightly comic results. Yet, the hunter becomes the hunted and the primates scatter as a low growl fills the air. Temin has only moments to think before the huge claws are headed his way: of all the ways he was going to die on this planet death by giant cat wasn’t on the shefting list.
The next time we see Temin is several day later, after he has been made a pet in the home a Kadit, the matriarch of a clan of Daiyne, the cat-people who inhabit this world. Temin is not, Kadit has decided, an ideal pet, far too boisterous and too much trouble for her. She convinces her son, Gredar, one of the clan’s older and most respected males, to take the odd looking “jopa.” Reluctant at first but always obedient to his mother, Gredar takes the naked and frightened Temin into his life. And this is where the story truly begins.The author cleverly uses short segments of each chapter to alternate between Gredar’s point of view and Temin’s as each tries to assess the other. Here the author avoids the Rashomon effect, sidestepping a storytelling method that has become somewhat of a cliché in literature and films. The author wisely chooses not to use the change of POV as a literary trick of rehashing what has come before, but rather as a device to keep the story moving at a smooth pace.
The result is that we see the characters through the other’s eyes, each scene building on the one that came before it. Gredar is fascinated by his new pet, by his intelligence, his hairless features which are strangely alluring. Temin, on the other hand, is terrified of these giant cats and his oversized “prison” and is intent on escape; yet, he also recognizes in Gredar a gentle, intelligent soul who is treating him better than his previous “owners.” The structure provides the reader with an almost bird’s eye view of the delicate dance that goes on between our two protagonists as they learn that they may not be so terribly different from one another. Soon, a tentative trust is born and slowly it begins to give way to a friendship that is mutual, far deeper than a master or his pet loving the other. However, while Gredar is away for a time, he entrusts the care of his “pet” to one of his grooming mates — the arrogant and impulsive younger male, Filwui — who mistreats Temin in one of the most vile ways possible.
The author captures Temin’s sense of betrayal and Gredar’s attendant guilt in heartbreaking, yet utterly realistic ways. There’s palpable sense of loss after this incident, a mourning of the near destruction of the trust that has slowly built between Gredar and Temin. But rather than let it lapse into a malaise that only fuels Temin’s desire to escape and turn the piece into a hollow action-romp, the author uses the event to bring the two characters even closer together when Gredar discovers that Temin has a language all his own. The journey of the two as they discover each other’s words is exquisite in every way, leading the characters to a fuller understanding of one another. After a time, the readers find themselves knowing Gredar’s language and slowly and quietly, the dual POVs meld together flawlessly as the barriers between them fall away.
Will Temin’s lover Jeng ever rescue him? Will he ever see his home and his family again? Or has he found a new home, a new family, a new lover?
Okay, so let’s start with the gripes, minor though they be. At the beginning of the story, Temin believes that his ship had been sabotaged, and wisely the author doesn’t dwell on this as it isn’t really essential to the story at hand. However, later in the novel it is revealed that the ship was indeed sabotaged. The resulting scene is rather expository in nature, an almost forced tying up of loose strings that was a bit of a disconnect for me. Personally, I felt that aspect of the story — and the expository scene — either needed to be excised from the story or integrated as a significant plot element.
As for Temin’s lost lover, Jeng, he is a presence always in Temin’s mind; yet, I didn’t really know enough about him — or his life with Temin — to really feel what the loss of him meant. He really was a bit of a ghost of a character for me and given that the author lovingly crafts such vivid characters in Temin, Gredar, Kadit and their feline family, the result is that when the possibility arises that Jeng might come looking for Temin, I instinctively didn’t like the character…without ever having met him. But, as I said these are minor, minor flaws.
In lesser hands, this story could have been reduced to an entertaining, yet vacuous story. But Somerville weaves in immensely likeable characters in Temin and Gredar, who are so richly drawn that you forget they are of different species. Both are dynamic characters, funny and frightening, unique and sympathetic. And each exudes a sensuality about them that never feels forced…it is simply at the core of their beings.
Somerville’s devotion to her characters doesn’t start and end with the leads. Each of the characters is equally full, from the authoritarian Kadit, to the loveably obsessed clan historian Martek; even Filwui escapes the cardboard-potential that villainy so often entails. Each character is multi-faceted and their motivations — while not always approvable — are completely understandable. The result is that we as readers are given a depth of character and emotion that I haven’t seen much of in the limited amount of fantasy/science fiction I have read of late.
The world building Somerville undertakes is equally impressive. Without resulting to purple prose or the tedious technicalities of layout, she crafts Ptane (the planet’s proper name) and the Daiyne village with such detail that you can see it all perfectly in your head.
Like all good sci-fi/fantasy there is some social commentary in the novel as well. Somerville’s depiction of a matriarchal society and its political structure are deftly drawn, and the story has much to say about the state of the human animal — both through her depiction of Temin and the Daiyne. However, while some writers in the genre insist on hammering home their “message,” Somerville is content to use a very light hand, allowing the reader to take what they will from the piece.
Now for those who like a little sex with their romance, you will indeed find it here and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I’m rather a prude when it comes to sex, but I freely admit I found the sexual encounters to be intriguing and very, very hot. So hot, I was almost, honestly, a little disturbed by my reaction to it. I think the effectiveness of these scenes is largely credited to the emotional realism of the relationship and the characters that Somerville has created here. The sex is not in any way gratuitous or full of bumbling lusty fantasies. It is fluid and loving and languorous. Best of all, it serves a purpose and was exactly where I wanted the characters to be at that moment.
While all of the piece is well done, where the novel excels the most is in the stunning creation of the bond between Gredar and Temin and the resulting friendships between Temin and the rest of the clan. The result is an honest to God love story, set in a fantasy world, yet grounded in the very real, believable human emotion of the “human” family. There’s a timelessness to I was an alien cat toy, and while there may be no place like home, Somerville — with love and humor and pathos — reminds us that our family, our home, is most often what we make of it.
To be perfectly honest, if I were prowling the aisle of my local literary chain and came across this book on the shelves, I would have given a little laugh at the cleverness of the title; I might even have flipped it over to read the dust jacket. Ultimately, however, I would have passed it by without a second thought. Not my cup of tea, I would have thought. And I would have been so much the worse for having thought so. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this novel. I wasn’t sure if it would be a romance, a male/male bodice ripper, or a Pythonian take on erotica, all of which could have gone horribly wrong given the core premise. In the end, what I got was immensely satisfying….a deeply moving story of love, of friendship, of recognizing the things that make us different while still managing to find those commonalities that bind us together. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a perfect novel and I do have a few gripes, but none are egregious and none detract from a story that is expertly told.
The plot is, at its core, a science fiction and fantasy staple. A stranger in a strange land, captured by those who don’t understand who or what he is, who has to find a way not only to escape his captors, but also some method of getting back home again. We’ve seen riffs on it in everything from Pierre Boulee’s La planète des singes to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and countless other novels over the years. What separates the wheat from the chaff in this genre, however, is execution and that is where I was an alien cat toy excels. It doesn’t suffer from the oppressive dystopia of Boulee’s work or the sometime sickly sweetness of Baum’s; instead, it finds a comfortable balance between those two classics. Pyr Temin is our stranger, a pilot who, on a routine inter-galaxy supply mission, runs into trouble with his engines and crash lands on U67809, a planet which had once been home to a seed-colony of humans that had gone missing some 500 years before. Surviving the crash, Temin determines that his ship was sabotaged and that the damage makes returning home on his own impossible. Depressed at the nearly inevitable possibility of never seeing his family — or his lover, Jeng — again and having few other choices, he sets his transmitters to loop an SOS and sets out into the planet’s brutal winter to find food and shelter. It isn’t long before Temin comes across some of the planet’s indigenous life forms, primate-like beings that he attempts to hunt, with slightly comic results. Yet, the hunter becomes the hunted and the primates scatter as a low growl fills the air. Temin has only moments to think before the huge claws are headed his way: of all the ways he was going to die on this planet death by giant cat wasn’t on the shefting list.
The next time we see Temin is several day later, after he has been made a pet in the home a Kadit, the matriarch of a clan of Daiyne, the cat-people who inhabit this world. Temin is not, Kadit has decided, an ideal pet, far too boisterous and too much trouble for her. She convinces her son, Gredar, one of the clan’s older and most respected males, to take the odd looking “jopa.” Reluctant at first but always obedient to his mother, Gredar takes the naked and frightened Temin into his life. And this is where the story truly begins.The author cleverly uses short segments of each chapter to alternate between Gredar’s point of view and Temin’s as each tries to assess the other. Here the author avoids the Rashomon effect, sidestepping a storytelling method that has become somewhat of a cliché in literature and films. The author wisely chooses not to use the change of POV as a literary trick of rehashing what has come before, but rather as a device to keep the story moving at a smooth pace.
The result is that we see the characters through the other’s eyes, each scene building on the one that came before it. Gredar is fascinated by his new pet, by his intelligence, his hairless features which are strangely alluring. Temin, on the other hand, is terrified of these giant cats and his oversized “prison” and is intent on escape; yet, he also recognizes in Gredar a gentle, intelligent soul who is treating him better than his previous “owners.” The structure provides the reader with an almost bird’s eye view of the delicate dance that goes on between our two protagonists as they learn that they may not be so terribly different from one another. Soon, a tentative trust is born and slowly it begins to give way to a friendship that is mutual, far deeper than a master or his pet loving the other. However, while Gredar is away for a time, he entrusts the care of his “pet” to one of his grooming mates — the arrogant and impulsive younger male, Filwui — who mistreats Temin in one of the most vile ways possible.
The author captures Temin’s sense of betrayal and Gredar’s attendant guilt in heartbreaking, yet utterly realistic ways. There’s palpable sense of loss after this incident, a mourning of the near destruction of the trust that has slowly built between Gredar and Temin. But rather than let it lapse into a malaise that only fuels Temin’s desire to escape and turn the piece into a hollow action-romp, the author uses the event to bring the two characters even closer together when Gredar discovers that Temin has a language all his own. The journey of the two as they discover each other’s words is exquisite in every way, leading the characters to a fuller understanding of one another. After a time, the readers find themselves knowing Gredar’s language and slowly and quietly, the dual POVs meld together flawlessly as the barriers between them fall away.
Will Temin’s lover Jeng ever rescue him? Will he ever see his home and his family again? Or has he found a new home, a new family, a new lover?
Okay, so let’s start with the gripes, minor though they be. At the beginning of the story, Temin believes that his ship had been sabotaged, and wisely the author doesn’t dwell on this as it isn’t really essential to the story at hand. However, later in the novel it is revealed that the ship was indeed sabotaged. The resulting scene is rather expository in nature, an almost forced tying up of loose strings that was a bit of a disconnect for me. Personally, I felt that aspect of the story — and the expository scene — either needed to be excised from the story or integrated as a significant plot element.
As for Temin’s lost lover, Jeng, he is a presence always in Temin’s mind; yet, I didn’t really know enough about him — or his life with Temin — to really feel what the loss of him meant. He really was a bit of a ghost of a character for me and given that the author lovingly crafts such vivid characters in Temin, Gredar, Kadit and their feline family, the result is that when the possibility arises that Jeng might come looking for Temin, I instinctively didn’t like the character…without ever having met him. But, as I said these are minor, minor flaws.
In lesser hands, this story could have been reduced to an entertaining, yet vacuous story. But Somerville weaves in immensely likeable characters in Temin and Gredar, who are so richly drawn that you forget they are of different species. Both are dynamic characters, funny and frightening, unique and sympathetic. And each exudes a sensuality about them that never feels forced…it is simply at the core of their beings.
Somerville’s devotion to her characters doesn’t start and end with the leads. Each of the characters is equally full, from the authoritarian Kadit, to the loveably obsessed clan historian Martek; even Filwui escapes the cardboard-potential that villainy so often entails. Each character is multi-faceted and their motivations — while not always approvable — are completely understandable. The result is that we as readers are given a depth of character and emotion that I haven’t seen much of in the limited amount of fantasy/science fiction I have read of late.
The world building Somerville undertakes is equally impressive. Without resulting to purple prose or the tedious technicalities of layout, she crafts Ptane (the planet’s proper name) and the Daiyne village with such detail that you can see it all perfectly in your head.
Like all good sci-fi/fantasy there is some social commentary in the novel as well. Somerville’s depiction of a matriarchal society and its political structure are deftly drawn, and the story has much to say about the state of the human animal — both through her depiction of Temin and the Daiyne. However, while some writers in the genre insist on hammering home their “message,” Somerville is content to use a very light hand, allowing the reader to take what they will from the piece.
Now for those who like a little sex with their romance, you will indeed find it here and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. I’m rather a prude when it comes to sex, but I freely admit I found the sexual encounters to be intriguing and very, very hot. So hot, I was almost, honestly, a little disturbed by my reaction to it. I think the effectiveness of these scenes is largely credited to the emotional realism of the relationship and the characters that Somerville has created here. The sex is not in any way gratuitous or full of bumbling lusty fantasies. It is fluid and loving and languorous. Best of all, it serves a purpose and was exactly where I wanted the characters to be at that moment.
While all of the piece is well done, where the novel excels the most is in the stunning creation of the bond between Gredar and Temin and the resulting friendships between Temin and the rest of the clan. The result is an honest to God love story, set in a fantasy world, yet grounded in the very real, believable human emotion of the “human” family. There’s a timelessness to I was an alien cat toy, and while there may be no place like home, Somerville — with love and humor and pathos — reminds us that our family, our home, is most often what we make of it.
April 25, 2012
This is written very well, and I loved parts of the book, but overall it didn't appeal as much as I hoped.
I didn't like the society that Temin finds himself in. It was drawn vividly, constructed with care and logic, and completely believable, but I didn't care for anyone there except for the other MC, Gredar.
The style of the book was uneven. One part deals with rape and abuse, but this happens off the page, and we see only the fallout and recovery. I like dark fics, but inherently in a dark fic the abuse is written to appeal; in this the abuse is just horrible and it was like reading about an animal cruelty case (which always make me cry.)
Actual abuse is truly horrible, and reading about it should make the reader feel sick. Fantasy abuse, in a darkfic, is a healthy way of exploring all kinds of contradictory aspects of one's sexuality safely. I have real problems reading about abuse when it is depicted realistically, and this was too real for me. The ongoing cold-hearted threats to Temin's life also made me tense and anxious.
For me personally there was also a squick factor, as I didn't like
Finally, the realistic ending, which was well written, nevertheless disappointed me.
I think my opinion of this book reflects that when I read m/m I am looking for a completely escapist experience. When I want a smart read then I pick another genre. This book (and really most of Ann Somerville's books) is more intelligent and richer in crafting than I care for when I want to turn my brain off. Therefore a 2-star really is a review of my brain, not a review of Ann Somerville.
I didn't like the society that Temin finds himself in. It was drawn vividly, constructed with care and logic, and completely believable, but I didn't care for anyone there except for the other MC, Gredar.
The style of the book was uneven. One part deals with rape and abuse, but this happens off the page, and we see only the fallout and recovery. I like dark fics, but inherently in a dark fic the abuse is written to appeal; in this the abuse is just horrible and it was like reading about an animal cruelty case (which always make me cry.)
Actual abuse is truly horrible, and reading about it should make the reader feel sick. Fantasy abuse, in a darkfic, is a healthy way of exploring all kinds of contradictory aspects of one's sexuality safely. I have real problems reading about abuse when it is depicted realistically, and this was too real for me. The ongoing cold-hearted threats to Temin's life also made me tense and anxious.
For me personally there was also a squick factor, as I didn't like
Finally, the realistic ending, which was well written, nevertheless disappointed me.
I think my opinion of this book reflects that when I read m/m I am looking for a completely escapist experience. When I want a smart read then I pick another genre. This book (and really most of Ann Somerville's books) is more intelligent and richer in crafting than I care for when I want to turn my brain off. Therefore a 2-star really is a review of my brain, not a review of Ann Somerville.
January 1, 2025
4.5 🌟
This is actually quite a hard book for me to review. It’s a very deeply complex type of romance full of love and loss and what home means and what you’re willing to give up to find your way back. Temin and Gredar have one of the most fascinating relationships I have ever seen. They love each other so deeply but Gredar’s society doesn’t have monogamy and he doesn’t understand what it means to stay with a partner your whole life even though he still has a deep love and fondness for Temin. Temin on the other hand is still struggling with being separated from his lover Jeng and trying to figure out how and where he can fit into this new life with Gredar and his family. The culture and language created was so rich and unique to learn about with Temin as he fights to find his footing with these deeply complex alien cats (truly a sentence I never though I would ever need to write). Full of miscommunications and painful mistakes Temin and Gredar slowly figure out each other and although they do have (hot) sex, that part of their relationship is not the main focus compared to the story of two individuals that stumbled into each others lives and found a way to create their own strange relationship made out of the mismatched pieces of each other. I think that perhaps for some people the ending would be controversial but for me personally I think that was the only way this book could end and stay true to everything it had been building. It was beautiful and raw and painful and I wouldn’t have it any other way
This is actually quite a hard book for me to review. It’s a very deeply complex type of romance full of love and loss and what home means and what you’re willing to give up to find your way back. Temin and Gredar have one of the most fascinating relationships I have ever seen. They love each other so deeply but Gredar’s society doesn’t have monogamy and he doesn’t understand what it means to stay with a partner your whole life even though he still has a deep love and fondness for Temin. Temin on the other hand is still struggling with being separated from his lover Jeng and trying to figure out how and where he can fit into this new life with Gredar and his family. The culture and language created was so rich and unique to learn about with Temin as he fights to find his footing with these deeply complex alien cats (truly a sentence I never though I would ever need to write). Full of miscommunications and painful mistakes Temin and Gredar slowly figure out each other and although they do have (hot) sex, that part of their relationship is not the main focus compared to the story of two individuals that stumbled into each others lives and found a way to create their own strange relationship made out of the mismatched pieces of each other. I think that perhaps for some people the ending would be controversial but for me personally I think that was the only way this book could end and stay true to everything it had been building. It was beautiful and raw and painful and I wouldn’t have it any other way
June 30, 2011
"Concentrate on the possible. The impossible makes you weak
Temin
The Plot
Temin is 28 years old human, and pilot of a transporter starship. After a engine failure he will be obligate to land (better say crash!) in a hostile planet. Nothing is know about that strange planet... Temin just have one information: all human colonization starship directed to it never went back, and strangely humans never insist about it. The fate of those expeditions. But Temin will have little time to ponder about it when he crash in Ptane... the planet of the Day-Neh.
Gredar is a cat-like being
, a Day-Neh. Much more strong and tall than any human his life is honor his clan, and defend their most precious treasure: their Kitlings, aka, they children.The Sci-fi theme
I ADORE it.. no wait, I LOVED IT!... no wait... more more... I was mesmerized by Day-Neh culture! The two narrators (Temin and Gredar) will give you, little by little, a description about the world, the Day-Nah civilization, and I LOVE IT! I think the timing was perfect! You will know a lot, and I'll not spoil it, so read it and discover, as I did, all the wonders of Day-Neh society.
The erotic aspect of the book
Hummm... maybe I'm
used to read erotic stories, but well, trust me when I say it's not about sex. Yes, Gredar race fuck a lot, mainly male-male sex (females from what I got being such important and strong Day-Nehs are not so whiling, and their sexual life with males are a very serious fact).... Temin is a "pet" but let me say it: it's not a pet/master BDSM book and sex is not the main focus of the book. So read it, even if you are not used to M/M books. Just to warn you there is violence and a rape (not described, but still there is!).The romantic aspect of the book
Ohhhh it's a romantic story.... and also a very complicated one. Temin may or not have feelings for Gredar, but he is constantly thinking about his partner, Jeng. They were a couple for a long time, so to Temin is very hard to forget his lover, partner, soul mate...
Gredar fuck (hahahaha true, sorry but true) everyone and for his specie there isn't monogamy. There is no marriage, and the concept of love is strange. There are a lot of purring and affection and most of all loyalty. But love? No... the word and concept of love is very human.... and it's a great problem to Temin and Gredar.
To add something is still missing in my review... just a couple of images
Temin (Acknowledgment: "thank you" to Ares, helping me about Temin appearance)
Gredar
Lovely couple...
heartbreaking end...
and I certainly hope someday there will be more! 
The book has a perfect (in my view) end, but maybe someday something more could happen... and I certainly hope it will!
September 6, 2010
Stars: 4.5/5
Overall:
Wow. Just wow. Although it has a pretty corny/awful title, this book is 99% excellent. The characters are deep, well developed and touching. The plot is just as well developed, thoroughly explored, and amazing. It takes a while to progress from A to B, but the journey was worth every word. The writing was well done, moving me to tears at two separate occasions.
What I liked
Characters and Plot. I'm grouping these together because I could probably rave on and on. The characters weren't perfect, they made mistakes, but they changes and grew and were overall good people (...err..cats?). Aside from the Big Bad, most of the characters had good qualities and bad ones, or good qualities that worked poorly for another person. AKA, they were realistic. They were living, breathing and caring. They didn't leap off the page, they molded the pages into a world that they wandered freely. The plot was just as masterfully constructed, following a natural flow of events and never making characters act outside their appropriate behaviors.
Language. Somerville realized that these two beings would not speak the same language, not have a similar alphabet or any similar grounds. Yet she took the time to have them learn one another's language, developing each element carefully. It was thorough without being boring. I, of course, adored this, but it may be a bit overwhelming for others.
Culture. The world the author created was well developed and alive. Aside from one or two moments where I think the content may have contradicted itself, everything was amazingly detailed and consistent. I give her props for creating a world that is so different from what we've experienced, and then making it feel real.
What didn't work
***SPOILER ALERT***
*
*
***SPOILER ALERT***
The ending. I wasn't particularly happy with it. The way she set things up makes the ending fit and work, but the one loose bolt is that we never really feel connected to Jeng. While we know he is our hero's lover/boyfriend, and he is mentioned periodically throughout the book, the reader never connects with Jeng, never forms a strong emotional bond with him as we have with Gredar. So when Temin chooses to return home with Jeng, we feel betrayed. Of course it is the better choice; he's returning not just to his lover but to his family and a world where he fits in. It still depresses me.
I personally was hoping it was Jeng that had attempted to kill Temin and kept returning to make sure the job was finished. I wanted Temin and Gredar to stay together after finally making it over so many hurdles.
Overall:
Wow. Just wow. Although it has a pretty corny/awful title, this book is 99% excellent. The characters are deep, well developed and touching. The plot is just as well developed, thoroughly explored, and amazing. It takes a while to progress from A to B, but the journey was worth every word. The writing was well done, moving me to tears at two separate occasions.
What I liked
Characters and Plot. I'm grouping these together because I could probably rave on and on. The characters weren't perfect, they made mistakes, but they changes and grew and were overall good people (...err..cats?). Aside from the Big Bad, most of the characters had good qualities and bad ones, or good qualities that worked poorly for another person. AKA, they were realistic. They were living, breathing and caring. They didn't leap off the page, they molded the pages into a world that they wandered freely. The plot was just as masterfully constructed, following a natural flow of events and never making characters act outside their appropriate behaviors.
Language. Somerville realized that these two beings would not speak the same language, not have a similar alphabet or any similar grounds. Yet she took the time to have them learn one another's language, developing each element carefully. It was thorough without being boring. I, of course, adored this, but it may be a bit overwhelming for others.
Culture. The world the author created was well developed and alive. Aside from one or two moments where I think the content may have contradicted itself, everything was amazingly detailed and consistent. I give her props for creating a world that is so different from what we've experienced, and then making it feel real.
What didn't work
***SPOILER ALERT***
*
*
***SPOILER ALERT***
The ending. I wasn't particularly happy with it. The way she set things up makes the ending fit and work, but the one loose bolt is that we never really feel connected to Jeng. While we know he is our hero's lover/boyfriend, and he is mentioned periodically throughout the book, the reader never connects with Jeng, never forms a strong emotional bond with him as we have with Gredar. So when Temin chooses to return home with Jeng, we feel betrayed. Of course it is the better choice; he's returning not just to his lover but to his family and a world where he fits in. It still depresses me.
I personally was hoping it was Jeng that had attempted to kill Temin and kept returning to make sure the job was finished. I wanted Temin and Gredar to stay together after finally making it over so many hurdles.
September 1, 2019
Oof. That ending.
But still a great book.
But still a great book.
March 26, 2011
You want a book about big cat like aliens taking care of small fragile human? You want cute moments between two lovers? You want a science fiction book that questions human nature and the definition of humanity? You want steamy hot alien sex? You want moments of pathos and heart gripping story twists? This is the one to read. I think this is one of the best gay science fiction novel I have ever come across. Read it and it will not disappoint.
Lastly, it amazes me how this book isn't number one on the list...I read a lot of furries and this is just really the best....no contest
Lastly, it amazes me how this book isn't number one on the list...I read a lot of furries and this is just really the best....no contest
February 16, 2017
2,5
Я как-то так и не поняла характер персонажа. Всю книгу он испуганный, уставший, плохо себя чувствует, оно и понятно, чел среди чужих, но я ожидала хотя бы проблесков силы воли и храбрости, но увы(( в какой-то момент перестала верить, что герой мужчина, и стало проще! Чисто женская психология поведения тут идеально подходит. Смирение, принятие, адаптация.
Вторую книгу подряд навезёт с сексом. Тут он есть целых 2 раза, но лучше бы не было... Межрасовые отношения мой кинк, вообще-то, но здесь сцены поданы скомкано, без юста, без положенного морального барьера, который герой должен преодолеть. Оно просто случается. Утром пара мыслей об оставленном где-то прежнем любовнике, и на этом все.
Концовка... Если так автор хотел додать реализма, то уже поздно! В моем понимании это не хэ(( наоборот! Будто все переживания героя напрасны, опыт - бессмысленен.
Чуть отвлекаясь: меня иногда успокаивают тем, что если читатель пишет такой отзыв, как выше, это значит, что его зацепила история, и эмоция (пусть даже негативная) лучше, чем безразличие. Хз... Меня расстроила книга! Ничего хорошего в этом не вижу.
Я как-то так и не поняла характер персонажа. Всю книгу он испуганный, уставший, плохо себя чувствует, оно и понятно, чел среди чужих, но я ожидала хотя бы проблесков силы воли и храбрости, но увы(( в какой-то момент перестала верить, что герой мужчина, и стало проще! Чисто женская психология поведения тут идеально подходит. Смирение, принятие, адаптация.
Вторую книгу подряд навезёт с сексом. Тут он есть целых 2 раза, но лучше бы не было... Межрасовые отношения мой кинк, вообще-то, но здесь сцены поданы скомкано, без юста, без положенного морального барьера, который герой должен преодолеть. Оно просто случается. Утром пара мыслей об оставленном где-то прежнем любовнике, и на этом все.
Концовка... Если так автор хотел додать реализма, то уже поздно! В моем понимании это не хэ(( наоборот! Будто все переживания героя напрасны, опыт - бессмысленен.
Чуть отвлекаясь: меня иногда успокаивают тем, что если читатель пишет такой отзыв, как выше, это значит, что его зацепила история, и эмоция (пусть даже негативная) лучше, чем безразличие. Хз... Меня расстроила книга! Ничего хорошего в этом не вижу.
Read
July 16, 2014I read this 3 or more years ago but I don't remember if I liked it or not. I do like Ann Somerville's writing so it's possible that I enjoyed it but I have a feeling I was feeling more like this:
(Kdramas sure are an excellent source for reaction gifs because that is often my reaction to many things.)
(Kdramas sure are an excellent source for reaction gifs because that is often my reaction to many things.)
October 28, 2015
A human, Timen, is marooned on an alien world inhabited by sentient, giant cats, the Day-neh. They mistake him for an animal, keep him as a pet and can't figure out he's cold when he has no fur. But one of the cats, Gredar, takes a liking to the small creature and keeps him warm. After a while, Gredar figures out Timen is not just an animal, and tries to communicate. It also helps that Timen is gay, and the males of the Day-neh race are bisexual.
Let me get my gripes out of the way first: Timen frequently uses a curse word "shefting," and it's annoying. It's just a replacement for the word fucking, but he still uses the word fucking to describe sex. Also, his spaceship is called a "podpod." That's what a toddler would call a spaceship. I cringed when I first read it, and I thought I was in trouble on page one.
The book is fairly light on the typos, though it could have used a copyeditor to catch the comma mistakes.
But my biggest complaint about the book is that it's just not visual. The Day-neh are supposed to be giants compared to our protagonist, but there is no sense of scale. The author narrates, but does not describe. I was nearly blind for most of the story. The only indication of size difference is one piece of narration which states Gredar is 4 meters tall. I assume Timen is 2 meters tall or so, but that's it. There's no mention of how big Gredar's paw is compared to Timen's hand, or arm, or even dick. Without some relative measures, it's very hard to see what's going on.
Action does not seem to be the author's thing either. The crash-landing happens between chapters, the climax happens while the protagonist isn't looking, and the giant bird-thing (a "boril") is killed between chapters, too. Even the sex is difficult to see. Visually, it is not a satisfying read, and the lack of action and good descriptions really do hurt the story.
But for all that, I still got invested in what was happening. This is a story that's been done many times before, but I really felt for these two, and the author gave this setup a great deal of thought. This isn't a mere gay sex story; she sets up an entire society.
The Day-neh are matriarchal. Gredar may be a strong male, but he still answers to his mother, and his mother can send him away at any time. Males in this society are only allowed to stay in the settlement if they are useful, and they can be killed if they do not stay in their place. This is refreshing, and it gives the males a good reason to do what they do. The females call the shots, so males amuse themselves by having sex with one another. It's an effective way to justify a casual m/m relationship, making it so much more than a gay romance.
It's also not simple. Timen has to learn a new language, and Gredar tries to learn Timen's. At times their dialogue sounds like Tarzan and Jane trying to discuss politics, and it can be a bit laughable, but I respect it for not taking any shortcuts. Timen does get better, but he is alive at the mercy of Gredar's mother, and Gredar is allowed to keep Timen in her house complete at her whim. The other females in the house are also a danger to Timen. It takes time for Timen to earn a place in their society, despite him being male, and I like that.
The author put a lot of effort into this, and it shows. Despite the weak descriptions, I still felt for Timen and Gredar, and I liked seeing them together. Both are in danger in different ways, and it's refreshing to see that. The relationship really does go both ways: Gredar protects Timen, and Timen does pay him back.
Until the ending... Timen's reason for going home is so contrived I wondered what everyone was upset about. The solution is so simple: if Timen is happy here, he should stay. He doesn't *have* to go home. Granted, life would have been difficult in a world that wasn't to his scale, but that seems like such a flimsy reason to send him home.
Also I wish more attention had been drawn to what happened to the first human colony on this planet 500 years ago, why the Terran government didn't bother to find out what happened to it, and why the colonists attacked the Day-neh in the first place. And why do the space ships have cloaking devices? Doesn't that eat up a lot of power? And the scanner Timen has; shouldn't that require recharging after a year of operation?
Ah, it is far from perfect, but it is still on the good side of imperfect. For all its flaws, it is a good read.
Let me get my gripes out of the way first: Timen frequently uses a curse word "shefting," and it's annoying. It's just a replacement for the word fucking, but he still uses the word fucking to describe sex. Also, his spaceship is called a "podpod." That's what a toddler would call a spaceship. I cringed when I first read it, and I thought I was in trouble on page one.
The book is fairly light on the typos, though it could have used a copyeditor to catch the comma mistakes.
But my biggest complaint about the book is that it's just not visual. The Day-neh are supposed to be giants compared to our protagonist, but there is no sense of scale. The author narrates, but does not describe. I was nearly blind for most of the story. The only indication of size difference is one piece of narration which states Gredar is 4 meters tall. I assume Timen is 2 meters tall or so, but that's it. There's no mention of how big Gredar's paw is compared to Timen's hand, or arm, or even dick. Without some relative measures, it's very hard to see what's going on.
Action does not seem to be the author's thing either. The crash-landing happens between chapters, the climax happens while the protagonist isn't looking, and the giant bird-thing (a "boril") is killed between chapters, too. Even the sex is difficult to see. Visually, it is not a satisfying read, and the lack of action and good descriptions really do hurt the story.
But for all that, I still got invested in what was happening. This is a story that's been done many times before, but I really felt for these two, and the author gave this setup a great deal of thought. This isn't a mere gay sex story; she sets up an entire society.
The Day-neh are matriarchal. Gredar may be a strong male, but he still answers to his mother, and his mother can send him away at any time. Males in this society are only allowed to stay in the settlement if they are useful, and they can be killed if they do not stay in their place. This is refreshing, and it gives the males a good reason to do what they do. The females call the shots, so males amuse themselves by having sex with one another. It's an effective way to justify a casual m/m relationship, making it so much more than a gay romance.
It's also not simple. Timen has to learn a new language, and Gredar tries to learn Timen's. At times their dialogue sounds like Tarzan and Jane trying to discuss politics, and it can be a bit laughable, but I respect it for not taking any shortcuts. Timen does get better, but he is alive at the mercy of Gredar's mother, and Gredar is allowed to keep Timen in her house complete at her whim. The other females in the house are also a danger to Timen. It takes time for Timen to earn a place in their society, despite him being male, and I like that.
The author put a lot of effort into this, and it shows. Despite the weak descriptions, I still felt for Timen and Gredar, and I liked seeing them together. Both are in danger in different ways, and it's refreshing to see that. The relationship really does go both ways: Gredar protects Timen, and Timen does pay him back.
Until the ending... Timen's reason for going home is so contrived I wondered what everyone was upset about. The solution is so simple: if Timen is happy here, he should stay. He doesn't *have* to go home. Granted, life would have been difficult in a world that wasn't to his scale, but that seems like such a flimsy reason to send him home.
Also I wish more attention had been drawn to what happened to the first human colony on this planet 500 years ago, why the Terran government didn't bother to find out what happened to it, and why the colonists attacked the Day-neh in the first place. And why do the space ships have cloaking devices? Doesn't that eat up a lot of power? And the scanner Timen has; shouldn't that require recharging after a year of operation?
Ah, it is far from perfect, but it is still on the good side of imperfect. For all its flaws, it is a good read.
July 21, 2016
This is a fabulous story which doesn't give in to sci fi cliches or cute alien stereotypes. It's a real, emotional story which left me crying and clutching my cat. Poor kitty may need therapy to recover from the cuddle fest “I Was An Alien Cat Toy” instigated.
WARNING: There isn't a happy ending, and while it's appropriate and I commend the author for staying true to the story, I still have to warn other readers that you're likely to finish this book feeling depressed. There are also some very disturbing scenes including rape and abuse. If you're easily upset, you may want to read Twisted Hilarity's The Last Pure Human instead.
“I Was An Alien Cat Toy” is the story of what happens when two alien races, one of which is non-human, meet. The human, Temin, is mistaken for an unintelligent beast, and kept as a somewhat irritating pet. Most of the abuse Temin endures is through misunderstanding and not intentional cruelty. The rape is absolutely intentional, but happens off page so the reader only has to deal with the resulting injuries. Finally one of the cat people, Gredar, realizes Temin is much more than a dumb animal, and his circumstances improve as a result.
The relationship between Temin and Gredar is the main focus of the book. It's a touching story which also includes several interesting sex scenes. They are unusual due to differences in physiology between the two different species, but not terribly hot. This book is more about engaging your emotions than your naughty bits.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll scream in outrage. At one point I wanted to eradicate the entire cat race in outrage for the wrongs done to Temin. By the end, I wanted their unique culture protected from human damage. Hats off to Ann Somerville for such good writing. This isn't an easy story to read, and many may not find it rewarding. However, there's no doubt “I Was An Alien Cat Toy” is very well done.
WARNING: There isn't a happy ending, and while it's appropriate and I commend the author for staying true to the story, I still have to warn other readers that you're likely to finish this book feeling depressed. There are also some very disturbing scenes including rape and abuse. If you're easily upset, you may want to read Twisted Hilarity's The Last Pure Human instead.
“I Was An Alien Cat Toy” is the story of what happens when two alien races, one of which is non-human, meet. The human, Temin, is mistaken for an unintelligent beast, and kept as a somewhat irritating pet. Most of the abuse Temin endures is through misunderstanding and not intentional cruelty. The rape is absolutely intentional, but happens off page so the reader only has to deal with the resulting injuries. Finally one of the cat people, Gredar, realizes Temin is much more than a dumb animal, and his circumstances improve as a result.
The relationship between Temin and Gredar is the main focus of the book. It's a touching story which also includes several interesting sex scenes. They are unusual due to differences in physiology between the two different species, but not terribly hot. This book is more about engaging your emotions than your naughty bits.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll scream in outrage. At one point I wanted to eradicate the entire cat race in outrage for the wrongs done to Temin. By the end, I wanted their unique culture protected from human damage. Hats off to Ann Somerville for such good writing. This isn't an easy story to read, and many may not find it rewarding. However, there's no doubt “I Was An Alien Cat Toy” is very well done.
December 26, 2010
I love/hate books like this.
Beautifully written, well plotted, character driven - and logical to the point where the two main characters do NOT end up together because there is no logical happy ending for them.
This book has one of the worst titles and an awful cover. I've confused it in my mind with Illian Obsidian's 'Cat Toy' so often that I actually thought that I had read this. On the surface, the similarities between the two books are obvious; a futuristic spaceman crash lands on a planet populated by alien beings who resemble oversize earth felines. The hero is captured and enslaved to one of the creatures as a 'pet'. This is where the similarities end.
Cat Toy is a rather simplistic story of a man finding comfort and sexual satisfaction with his alien owner/lover. I Was an Alien Cat Toy is a far more complex study of what defines intelligence and 'humanity'. The heroes struggle to both communicate and then carve a place for their relationship to flourish is moving and ultimately painful when the social and political realities of the book force them to part.
An absolute tearjerker.
Beautifully written, well plotted, character driven - and logical to the point where the two main characters do NOT end up together because there is no logical happy ending for them.
This book has one of the worst titles and an awful cover. I've confused it in my mind with Illian Obsidian's 'Cat Toy' so often that I actually thought that I had read this. On the surface, the similarities between the two books are obvious; a futuristic spaceman crash lands on a planet populated by alien beings who resemble oversize earth felines. The hero is captured and enslaved to one of the creatures as a 'pet'. This is where the similarities end.
Cat Toy is a rather simplistic story of a man finding comfort and sexual satisfaction with his alien owner/lover. I Was an Alien Cat Toy is a far more complex study of what defines intelligence and 'humanity'. The heroes struggle to both communicate and then carve a place for their relationship to flourish is moving and ultimately painful when the social and political realities of the book force them to part.
An absolute tearjerker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2010
This is a fun, funny, sad and challenging read. Temin crash lands on a planet with large, bipedal cat like aliens called the daiyne. He is mistaken for a monkey like pet and suffers greatly until he is given to Gredar. The story is about Temin and Gredar's friendship. Temin is fighting to be recognized as a sentient being and Gredar is just trying to survive in a matriarchal society. Since humans and daiynes speak different languages, the conversations might be a bit trying for some readers(some examples: Gredar no sorry. Clan learn make pots singing). But it fits with the story & it didn't bother me.
December 28, 2019
Thank you SO MUCH to my Secret Santa Nadine for this one, it had been DOJ my wish list for years!
Let me start off by saying im not sure what exactly I was expecting from this book, but what I got was not it. That’s not to say I didn’t like it. But with a title like the above I was thinking this would be a funny sci fi erotica and what I got was a linguistic foray with heavy sci fi elements and light romance. With a bittersweet end. I was disappointed with how everything ended but the writing was pretty good. This book did however feel far longer than it should have.
Let me start off by saying im not sure what exactly I was expecting from this book, but what I got was not it. That’s not to say I didn’t like it. But with a title like the above I was thinking this would be a funny sci fi erotica and what I got was a linguistic foray with heavy sci fi elements and light romance. With a bittersweet end. I was disappointed with how everything ended but the writing was pretty good. This book did however feel far longer than it should have.
February 20, 2019
I needed something uplifting after that last bookclub book and this definitely fit the bill! Ultimately a love story, but also a story of survival and acceptance. Hot animal sex with giant cat people and cats who have a human as a pet. Hee Hee.
2019 reading challenge: a book with a memorable cat
2019 reading challenge: a book with a memorable cat
September 7, 2013
It was good-ish, but I thought that, given the plot, the title was really melodramatic. I mean, the parts that might have dealt with abuse were really skimmed over. We're told second hand about it, but it's not really as compelling for that. It seems to just dive into Temin finding Gredar (was that his name?) and then them living all happy-like and stuff. The rape scene was abbreviated and the implications skimmed over. Yeah, he was somewhat traumatized, but he kind of just...took it in stride, it seemed.
Overall, I feel like this kind of wanted to be dark fic, but in the end, it wasn't. And then when he just left G behind...that was weird. It wasn't really resolved. It was like the author resisted having 'em develop feelings for each other, and then they do, and then they separate.
I also have to say that while the broken grammar was part of the style, it got to a point where it was incredibly exasperating to read.
It's rare that I put a book I've read through and rather liked in my dnr shelf, but I really don't think I want to reread this for fun. It just...wasn't really dramatic. Melodramatic at times, annoyingly so. I feel like all the content depth is there; it's just the presentation/execution that causes the entire thing to fall short.
This is a rather tame exploration into this sort of genre. It's nice-ish, but ultimately, seemed more like a fluff read to me. The more dark stuff probably shouldn't have been fade-to-black or happened-before. That would have helped with the impact.
Honestly, I'm not saying this is bad, because it wasn't, but if you're searching for something more disturbingly visceral on a profoundly deep level, then I recommend What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love. It's short, but really packs a punch.
That one, though, do not be fooled by the rather innocuous blurb.
Overall, this book wasn't bad. Prolly better for those who want a more tame "dark" fic. *shrugs.
9/6/13 reread:
Some of the conclusions reached are a bit of a stretch, but I suppose it moves the plot along...
The idea that the daiyne can read Terran writing, though...that one doesn't work by any stretch of imagination. Sure, maybe Gredar could realize the scratches are regular and purposeful, but not what they would stand for. It'd be like if I tried to read Korean. I'd know the characters stood for something, but not what they stood for and definitely not what corresponding sounds go with what symbol.
The idea of these cat-people being able to speak English...(or Terran, whatever it is) that doesn't quite work. I mean, I guess we aren't given a lot of indication of what sounds these cat people are capable of making, but I'm pretty sure it says they converse with growls, purrs, chirps. The names, also, now that I think of it...The weird thing about names is that they're usually literally those sounds, even if they mean something else. Like the Kirin thing. I'd think Temin should have been able to pick up that they kept referring to him as "Kirin" eventually, even if he didn't know it meant "bald one." He never does, though, which leads me to believe the author treated names like the rest of language, in that it needs to be translated before it can be understood.
Other than those lapses in logic (they're pretty big things, but Homer does the same thing in The Odyssey. Not that that's any excuse, but it happens. A lot... =_=), it's interesting and thought-provoking in a non-exasperating way.
The language thing is kind of a big deal, though. It's actually starting to bother me quite a lot since it's featuring so much. Which is highly unfortunate, since I'm apparently only about a third of the way through rereading.
The hygiene thing...but...they're cats. And they have fur. All over. Including their hands. Paws. Whatever. They love hygiene and they don't have utensils? Ah, well I suppose claws might suffice? But...I dunno. It feels like they ought to have more utensils than just knives...
The leather washcloth things. I'll admit I don't know much about leather, but using leather as washcloths sounds really...stupid. Does leather even absorbs water? In a non-clammy way? Cuz it is dead animal skin. I suppose they wouldn't really have anything else, but it still seems...
I didn't like the ending very much. It seemed too much like running away from the issues and ignored a bunch of overarching problems with lying about the existence of the daiyne. Just you watch.
Overall, I feel like this kind of wanted to be dark fic, but in the end, it wasn't. And then when he just left G behind...that was weird. It wasn't really resolved. It was like the author resisted having 'em develop feelings for each other, and then they do, and then they separate.
I also have to say that while the broken grammar was part of the style, it got to a point where it was incredibly exasperating to read.
It's rare that I put a book I've read through and rather liked in my dnr shelf, but I really don't think I want to reread this for fun. It just...wasn't really dramatic. Melodramatic at times, annoyingly so. I feel like all the content depth is there; it's just the presentation/execution that causes the entire thing to fall short.
This is a rather tame exploration into this sort of genre. It's nice-ish, but ultimately, seemed more like a fluff read to me. The more dark stuff probably shouldn't have been fade-to-black or happened-before. That would have helped with the impact.
Honestly, I'm not saying this is bad, because it wasn't, but if you're searching for something more disturbingly visceral on a profoundly deep level, then I recommend What Worse Place Can I Beg in Your Love. It's short, but really packs a punch.
That one, though, do not be fooled by the rather innocuous blurb.
Overall, this book wasn't bad. Prolly better for those who want a more tame "dark" fic. *shrugs.
9/6/13 reread:
Some of the conclusions reached are a bit of a stretch, but I suppose it moves the plot along...
The idea that the daiyne can read Terran writing, though...that one doesn't work by any stretch of imagination. Sure, maybe Gredar could realize the scratches are regular and purposeful, but not what they would stand for. It'd be like if I tried to read Korean. I'd know the characters stood for something, but not what they stood for and definitely not what corresponding sounds go with what symbol.
The idea of these cat-people being able to speak English...(or Terran, whatever it is) that doesn't quite work. I mean, I guess we aren't given a lot of indication of what sounds these cat people are capable of making, but I'm pretty sure it says they converse with growls, purrs, chirps. The names, also, now that I think of it...The weird thing about names is that they're usually literally those sounds, even if they mean something else. Like the Kirin thing. I'd think Temin should have been able to pick up that they kept referring to him as "Kirin" eventually, even if he didn't know it meant "bald one." He never does, though, which leads me to believe the author treated names like the rest of language, in that it needs to be translated before it can be understood.
Other than those lapses in logic (they're pretty big things, but Homer does the same thing in The Odyssey. Not that that's any excuse, but it happens. A lot... =_=), it's interesting and thought-provoking in a non-exasperating way.
The language thing is kind of a big deal, though. It's actually starting to bother me quite a lot since it's featuring so much. Which is highly unfortunate, since I'm apparently only about a third of the way through rereading.
The hygiene thing...but...they're cats. And they have fur. All over. Including their hands. Paws. Whatever. They love hygiene and they don't have utensils? Ah, well I suppose claws might suffice? But...I dunno. It feels like they ought to have more utensils than just knives...
The leather washcloth things. I'll admit I don't know much about leather, but using leather as washcloths sounds really...stupid. Does leather even absorbs water? In a non-clammy way? Cuz it is dead animal skin. I suppose they wouldn't really have anything else, but it still seems...
I didn't like the ending very much. It seemed too much like running away from the issues and ignored a bunch of overarching problems with lying about the existence of the daiyne. Just you watch.
November 21, 2014
What a deceiving title! I passed over this book many times on my recommendations list due to the title. We've all been tricked into reading self published fanfic, ficlit or whatever it's called. The poorly conceived, badly written crap that wants to be erotica romance but is actually not even porn. I'm also not partial to alien porn, which is what I thought this was. I was so completely and terribly wrong!
I owe the chance to experience this amazing read to Goodreads and the reviewers who convinced me to take a chance. Such an amazing, lovely, enriching story!
Temin is a space transport pilot carrying cargo between planets when his engines fail and he is forced to crash on an uninhabited planet that colonization had previously failed for unknown reasons centuries before. After surviving the crash he finds the engines sabotaged with no repair possible. Using solar charging he sets up a distress signal he feels has no real chance of reaching beyond the ionization fields surrounding the planet.
I found Temins first attempt at hunting hilarious. A space pilot with no concept of roughing it trying to hunt an ape like creature on an alien planet did not turn out well to much amusement to the reader if not Temin.
Suddenly Temin finds himself captured and knocked unconscious by a cat like creature and awakes to find himself a pet to an unknown race of creatures much like cheetahs of old earth but humanoid as they walk upright, have homes, families, jobs and a society.
Temin, with no way to communicate, naked and much smaller and weaker than these creatures nearly dies more than once and makes himself a nuisance rather than being the curious pet they expect him to be. Because of this Kadit, his owner and matriarch of the clan gives Temin to her son Gredar.
What follows is an amazing story of friendship, loyalty and honor. One of my favorite, yet under appreciated movies is called 'Enemy Mine' with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. Two enemies crash land on a planet and for survival must learn to understand and trust each other to survive. There are elements of that here. Temin must learn to trust Gredar if he is to survive.
The story of Temin and Gredar is told from both their points of view so we get to experience the growing relation between Temin, the alien curious new pet and Gredar the new owner of a nuisance oddity. After Temin is nearly killed by another clan member He is finally able to make Gredar understand he is a person with a language. The horror Gredar feels over what Temin has endured as a pet and oddity plus the savagery and betrayal of the other clan member is where the real relationship begins to build. We the readers learn the language of the Daiyne (cat people) with Temin while Gredar learns Standard (English).
The world building is brilliant as Temin learns how to survive and trust in this alien landscape where everything is to big and dangerous. The characters are so well written you begin to feel as much a part of the clan as Temin does, from Kadit the matriarch, Jelin the clan medic and Gredars twin to Martek the clans historian.
I could go on and on but I don't want to ruin the experience for other readers. There is drama, betrayal, danger and sex, all woven together with friendship, honor, loyalty and love. Real love, familial, friendship and in their own way romantic love. More than once I was brought to real tears that made it hard to continue reading!
This is going up to the top of my 'to be read again' list right along with Anne McCafferys' Dragonriders of Pern series and Diane Gabaldon's Outlaner series for escapism of brilliant world building, fascinating characters and dramatic storytelling. I'm off to find more of this author's work!
December 26, 2012
Ms Somerville was already known to me as a more than competent author (not a given among M/M romance writers, especially ladies) but with this one she really outshines most of her collegues.
I am not in a position to evaluate the absolute originality of the plot itself as I am no avid reader of SF in general, but as far as M/M fiction is concerned it was quite new and engaging: Temin is a deep space pilot who crashes on a supposedly uninhabited planet only to find it peopled by a society of intelligent catlike bipeds. After several vicissitudes human and cats get to know and appreciate each other and a special relationship is forged between the human and one of the cats.
There is nothing kinky in this: the aliens may be catlike but they are sentient and just as clever as humans.
All this story is beautifully told. The author manages to convey the believable feelings of a man stranded in the middle of nowhere with no hope of getting rescued and the perspective of a curiously alien society. As far as catpeople are concerned their behaviour is clearly patterned along the lines of our terrestrial cats (lion prides come to mind) but those patterns also serve as a basis for a nicely developped alien psychology, believably different from ours. The love story is warm and intimate, nicely done.
I can only find two flaws in this book.
The pacing could have been expanded further to give the evolution of the characters' interaction even more scope; do not misunderstand me, this book is long (and a good deal for its $4,99) but it could have been even longer and even more satisfying.
Second, Ms Somerville's writing, elsewhere perfectly neat, becomes a little clumsy when trying to write down the attempts of the characters to speak each other's language. As it happens often it did get in the way.
There are some sex scenes, explicit but plot related and never indulged upon, which is always fine with me but could disappoint readers looking for hotter stuff. The ending is a little sad, bittersweet so to say. Even here the author manages to convey great depth of feeling with not one redundant word.
I am not in a position to evaluate the absolute originality of the plot itself as I am no avid reader of SF in general, but as far as M/M fiction is concerned it was quite new and engaging: Temin is a deep space pilot who crashes on a supposedly uninhabited planet only to find it peopled by a society of intelligent catlike bipeds. After several vicissitudes human and cats get to know and appreciate each other and a special relationship is forged between the human and one of the cats.
There is nothing kinky in this: the aliens may be catlike but they are sentient and just as clever as humans.
All this story is beautifully told. The author manages to convey the believable feelings of a man stranded in the middle of nowhere with no hope of getting rescued and the perspective of a curiously alien society. As far as catpeople are concerned their behaviour is clearly patterned along the lines of our terrestrial cats (lion prides come to mind) but those patterns also serve as a basis for a nicely developped alien psychology, believably different from ours. The love story is warm and intimate, nicely done.
I can only find two flaws in this book.
The pacing could have been expanded further to give the evolution of the characters' interaction even more scope; do not misunderstand me, this book is long (and a good deal for its $4,99) but it could have been even longer and even more satisfying.
Second, Ms Somerville's writing, elsewhere perfectly neat, becomes a little clumsy when trying to write down the attempts of the characters to speak each other's language. As it happens often it did get in the way.
There are some sex scenes, explicit but plot related and never indulged upon, which is always fine with me but could disappoint readers looking for hotter stuff. The ending is a little sad, bittersweet so to say. Even here the author manages to convey great depth of feeling with not one redundant word.
March 10, 2015
I loved, loved, LOVED this book. I do give out five stars when I really like a book, but I'm very selective over my keeper list and this one has gone straight onto it. That shows how highly I rate it. And yet, maybe I wouldn't have read this as quickly if I hadn't read Pauls review of it first, because, like him, I would have probably thought, 'this doesn't sound like it's for me' after seeing the cover and title. I would have put it lower down my to be read pile. But after getting an idea that it was a more serious book than the title suggested, that's what swung it for me. I had previously begun to really like Ann's work and had already decided to read her back log, and in fact only gave 'Going Home' a five star rating earlier this week.
But this one, this is even better! IMO. There's just so much to think about here. Who would have thought I could feel so strongly about an Alien cat? LOL!!! I have to say I couldn't write a review *nearly* as good as Paul's, so I won't even try. Read that one for an idea what this is about.
All the characters have so much depth and there are no easy answers to any of it. So many shades of grey here. Temin and Gredar really got into my heart and are two characters I won't forget in a hurry.
I'll end this as I began. I LOVE this book!
But this one, this is even better! IMO. There's just so much to think about here. Who would have thought I could feel so strongly about an Alien cat? LOL!!! I have to say I couldn't write a review *nearly* as good as Paul's, so I won't even try. Read that one for an idea what this is about.
All the characters have so much depth and there are no easy answers to any of it. So many shades of grey here. Temin and Gredar really got into my heart and are two characters I won't forget in a hurry.
I'll end this as I began. I LOVE this book!
January 25, 2014
A book that makes me cry usually gets 5 stars right away, since if I'm crying must have really gotten into the story. However, this book looses a star because I had huge issues with the society that Temin winds up in. A matriarchal society isn't anything new, I just didn't like the way it was portrayed. There was just something about it that turned my stomach all the time. Most of the women in the story I hated, passionately.
I wanted Temin and Gredar to stay together so badly! I knew they wouldn't from the beginning because of the title, but I was still so hopeful. The friendship they formed, the trials they had to go through to actually stay together in the house made me hope for a better outcome. Sadly, damn Jeng showed up and suddenly you had pages of information you needed to digest about political plots and traitors. A lot of information is thrown at you near the end, just to be forewarned, it's kinda overwhelming.
I wanted Temin and Gredar to stay together so badly! I knew they wouldn't from the beginning because of the title, but I was still so hopeful. The friendship they formed, the trials they had to go through to actually stay together in the house made me hope for a better outcome. Sadly, damn Jeng showed up and suddenly you had pages of information you needed to digest about political plots and traitors. A lot of information is thrown at you near the end, just to be forewarned, it's kinda overwhelming.
April 3, 2011
The title of this book is a bit misleading. I was expecting a fluffy, fun, sensual read. Instead it is a well-written science fiction book which chronicles Temin's crash and subsequent fight for survival on an unexplored planet. He is taken in as a pet by some of the indigenous cat-like race who treat him less than gently. He struggles to be acknowledged as a sentient being and make a place for himself on this dangerous planet.
I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to any who enjoy science fiction with a love story entwined through it.
I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to any who enjoy science fiction with a love story entwined through it.
July 2, 2016
I picked this up while looking for some trash reading and I couldn't pass up the title. But it was (a) surprisingly (to me, having judged by title) pretty well written, good world building, and decent (if fairly predictable) story, and (b) HUGELY FUCKING SAD. which then meant I was sitting on the couch SOBBING through the last 40 minutes of "I Was An Alien Cat Toy" which just sounds really pathetic.
Anyway. Good story. No HEA, in my opinion. Which is not what I was looking for when I set out to read.
Anyway. Good story. No HEA, in my opinion. Which is not what I was looking for when I set out to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2011
I only started this out of curiosity because the title sounded so outlandishly sensational - but this story of a human marooned on a planet inhabited by cat-like aliens actually turned out to be a nice read. There's some violence and non-con, but the characters are well-written and the sex scenes only rarely weird rather than erotic. :)
November 6, 2011
What a totally ridiculous name for a book, but what a wonderful book it was. Very original and very well written. And the scifi story holds together very well. Very enjoyable. Definetely recommended.
March 8, 2015
This is definitely NOT a romance book and I don't know why it was on the Best Alien Romance list. If you like a HEA ending then don't read this book. Otherwise it was an enjoyable read, but the ending really blew it for me.
May 12, 2010
Check out Paul Bens' review -- that's what inspired me to read this excellent novella. And yeah, I pretty much thought it was great. Sequel please? Pretty please?
January 28, 2019
... he was a pet. And pets got their owners to do all kinds of things for them without any need for language. He’d seen for himself how cats had normally intelligent and independent humans running to their beck and call with a few well-placed yowls and carefully doled out acts of apparent affection.
You might think a book titled I Was an Alien Cat Toy would be a fun, silly, humorous romp. (Not to mention the above-quoted paragraph, which, being a cat slave I highly appreciated.) You could not be more mistaken.
This book is in turns scary, horrific, shocking, intriguing, heartfelt, and heart-breaking. And it's well-written. What keeps it from 5 stars? The first chapter (15-18% of the book) is kind of boring, and there are a couple of lulls in the story—although one of the lulls is highly misleading.
Something else I found enjoyable was the diversity. Without overtly mentioning it (except in one round-about way), Temin is Asian. More precisely, of Chinese descent, since those from his planet use their surname first. (At least that's what I came to believe from the use of his and his lover's names.)
As Temin comes to acclimate to his new world and accept that he can't return to his homeworld, he finds a role for himself. He decides that humans need to learn about the Daigne. He realizes this knowledge won't happen in his lifetime, but the idea of creating something that will outlast himself excites him. And I found a particular thrill at this prospect. But this dream dies when he realizes the brutality of the human race: that the history books that told of centuries without conflict and war are a lie. And so his goal changes.
T’meen looked up at his handsome, brave friend. Imagined him dead in the snow, his elsart (exquisitely beautiful) fur on fire, his brains blown out of his clever, creative head. “Yes. Temin say. Gredar, Martek, Jaijair learn (how to defend themselves against destructive technology). All learn.” If that made him a traitor to his kind, then so be it. The human race wasn’t going to kill another world like they’d destroyed their first home.
One other reason for 4 vice 5 stars is the ending. It's very, very sad. (Not that there could have been an all-around happy ending, but it's exceedingly heart-breaking.) So, I'm creating my own ending. Which means this is the first book I've rated 4 stars that is fanfic worthy.
(Read as part of the TBR Knockout challenge.)
June 4, 2024
I love this book. I read a furry short story a while a go and wanted to read something with a similar premise and this book was just what I was looking for. Man it was such an emotional roller coaster. That ending will never not hurt. I love its take on an alien feline civilization, I loved the slowly developed cuddly bond between man and cat, and its incredibly brutal how this book knew how to set up some up and coming gut punches and make them really hurt. This book brought legit tears to my eyes and left me feeling morose for the following two days. To make matters better/worse It really left me wanting more. Which is good?...I guess.
Basically I now need to find something way less tragic to be able to truly heal from this book.
WARNING!!!: sexual assault though done sensibly, massive emotional rollercoaster, and if your just looking for a sexy fun time then maybe look else where. However, if your willing to take a chance on a romantic tragedy then dive on in!!!
Basically I now need to find something way less tragic to be able to truly heal from this book.
WARNING!!!: sexual assault though done sensibly, massive emotional rollercoaster, and if your just looking for a sexy fun time then maybe look else where. However, if your willing to take a chance on a romantic tragedy then dive on in!!!
January 14, 2020
This is a better book than you expect it to be. If you choose not to read it, it will be entirely your loss.
I believe that a good book is always a journey, and this one is a great journey. It's so richly imaginative, with so much attention going into every character, that any flaw can be overlooked. It is a very interesting read, and for me it exceeds expectations and quickly becomes a page-turner. Temin has a character arc that , in his own words, is occasionally very interesting/exciting, and that's a good way to put it. He ends up in a story of first contact where humans are mistaken for animals, (and by less technologically developed beings, no less), and that delightful inversion of tropes is executed very well; (you'd expect it to be a writing prompt for a Celia Kyle novel - and it's not) It's amazing that a story built on this premise has so much depth.
I believe that a good book is always a journey, and this one is a great journey. It's so richly imaginative, with so much attention going into every character, that any flaw can be overlooked. It is a very interesting read, and for me it exceeds expectations and quickly becomes a page-turner. Temin has a character arc that , in his own words, is occasionally very interesting/exciting, and that's a good way to put it. He ends up in a story of first contact where humans are mistaken for animals, (and by less technologically developed beings, no less), and that delightful inversion of tropes is executed very well; (you'd expect it to be a writing prompt for a Celia Kyle novel - and it's not) It's amazing that a story built on this premise has so much depth.
May 22, 2021
A Really Good Twist on the Stranded Among Aliens Story
Timen is small, naked, and an all around odd jopa. Except he's actually a stranded pilot being treated as an exotic, non verbal, badly behaved pet. Surrounded by huge cat like people who don't even hear his voice as anything more than a bad tempered screeching, he's in bigger trouble now than when his podpod was going down. But there's one guy who is kind and gentle with the wretched little beast. A richly detailed story.
Timen is small, naked, and an all around odd jopa. Except he's actually a stranded pilot being treated as an exotic, non verbal, badly behaved pet. Surrounded by huge cat like people who don't even hear his voice as anything more than a bad tempered screeching, he's in bigger trouble now than when his podpod was going down. But there's one guy who is kind and gentle with the wretched little beast. A richly detailed story.
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