{"product_id":"tailchasers-song-isbn-9780756415518","title":"Tailchaser's Song","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe debut novel from master storyteller Tad Williams, Tailchaser's Song has surprised and enchanted readers for decades\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A fantasy of epic proportions in the vein of \u003ci\u003eWatership Down\u003c\/i\u003e.\" —\u003ci\u003eSan Diego Union\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeet Fritti Tailchaser, a ginger tom cat of rare courage and curiosity, a born survivor in a world of heroes and villains, of powerful feline gods and whiskery legends about those strange furless, erect creatures called M’an.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoin Tailchaser on his magical quest to rescue his catfriend Hushpad—a quest that will take him all the way to cat hell and beyond...\"\u003cb\u003eA fantasy of epic proportions\u003c\/b\u003e in the vein of \u003ci\u003eWatership Down\u003c\/i\u003e.\" —\u003ci\u003eSan Diego Union\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Williams' understanding of the nuances of feline behavior and psychology, as well as his riveting storytelling and memorable characters, make the book \u003cb\u003ea classic of its genre\u003c\/b\u003e.\" —\u003ci\u003eCat Fancy Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Williams' fantasy, in the tradition of \u003ci\u003eWatership Down\u003c\/i\u003e, captures the nuances and delights of feline behavior in a story that should appeal to both fantasy and cat lovers. \u003cb\u003eFantasy lovers will lose their hearts to Tailchaser and his companions\u003c\/b\u003e.\" —\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A wonderfully exciting quest fantasy.... \u003cb\u003eFantasy fans are sure to be enthralled \u003c\/b\u003eby this remarkable book.\" —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eMore than just an absorbing adventure\u003c\/b\u003e, more than just a fanciful tale of cat lore.... Fritti faces challenges—responsibility, loyalty, and loss—that are universal. His is the story of growing up, or accepting change, or coming of age.\" —\u003ci\u003eSeventeen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Creating \u003cb\u003eas fully realized a habitat as that of \u003ci\u003eWatership Down\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e and other imaginative animal communities, California radio personality Williams's first novel should engage the fancy of cat lovers.\" —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eTad Williams\u003c\/b\u003e has held more jobs than any sane person should admit to—singing in a band, selling shoes, managing a financial institution, throwing newspapers, and designing military manuals, to name just a few. He also hosted a syndicated radio show for ten years, worked in theater and television production, taught both grade-school and college classes, and worked in multimedia for a major computer firm. He is cofounder of an interactive television company, and is currently writing comic books and film and television scripts as well. Tad and his family live in London and the San Francisco Bay Area. You can find Tad Williams at tadwilliams.com.INTRODUCTION \u003cp\u003eIn the Hour before time began, Meerclar Allmother came out of the darkness to the cold earth. She was black, and as furry as all the world come together to be fur. Meerclar banished the eternal night, and brought forth the two. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHarar the Goldeneye had eyes as hot and bright as the sun at the Hour of Smaller Shadows; he was the color of daytime, and courage, and dancing. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFela Skydancer, his mate, was beautiful, like freedom, and clouds, and the song of travelers returned. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoldeneye and Skydancer bore many children and raised them in the forest that covered the world at the beginnings of the Elder Days. Climbfast, Wolf-friend, Treesinger, and Brightnail, their young, were strong of tooth, sharp of eye, light of foot, and straight and brave to their tail-ends. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut most strange and beautiful of all the countless children of Harar and Fela were the three Firstborn. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe eldest of the Firstborn was Viror Whitewind; he was the color of sunlight on snow, and of swiftness.... \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe middle child was Grizraz Hearteater, as gray as shadows and full of strangeness.... \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThird-born was Tangaloor Firefoot. He was as black as Meerclar Allmother, but his paws were red like flame. He walked alone, and sang to himself. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was rivalry among the Firstborn brothers. Whitewind was as fast and strong as a cat could dream of being—none could overmatch him at jumping and running. Firefoot was as clever as time; he solved all puzzles and riddles, and made songs that the Folk sang for generations. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHearteater could not match his brothers' exploits. He grew jealous, and began to plot the downfall of Whitewind and the humiliation of the Folk. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo it came to pass that Hearteater raised up a great beast against the Folk. Ptomalkum was it's name, and it was the last spawn of the demon-hound Venris, whom Meerclar had destroyed in the Days of Fire. Ptomalkum, raised and nurtured with Hearteater's hatred, slew many Folk before it was itself slain by the gallant Whitewind. But Viror Whitewind received such wounds that he soon wasted and died. Seeing the downfall of his schemes, Hearteater was afraid, and crept down a hole and disappeared into the secretive earth. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere was great lamentation in the Court of Harar at the death of Whitewind, the best-beloved. Firefoot his brother fled the Court in heartache, renouncing his claim to the Mantle of Kingship, and wandered the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFela Skydancer, Whitewind's mother, was ever after silent, all her long life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut Harar Goldeneye was so full of rage that he wept, and swore great oaths. He went howling into the wilderness, destroying all before him in his search for the traitorous Hearteater. Finally, unable to bear such great pain, he fled to the bosom of the Allmother in the sky. There he still lives, chasing the bright mouse of the sun across the heavens. Often he looks down to earth below, hoping to see Viror running once more beneath the trees of the World-Forest. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCountless seasons turned and the world grew older before Firefoot again met his treacherous brother Hearteater. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the days of Prince Cleanwhisker, in the reign of Queen Morningstripe, Lord Tangaloor came to the assistance of the Ruhue, the owl-folk. A mysterious creature had been pillaging their nests, and had killed all the Ruhu hunters who had come against it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirefoot laid a trap, clawing away at a mighty tree until it was near cut through, then lay in wait for the marauder. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the creature came that night, and Firefoot felled the tree, he was astonished to discover that beneath it he had trapped Grizraz Hearteater. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHearteater begged Firefoot to free him, promising that he would share the ancient lore that he had discovered beneath the ground. Lord Tangaloor only laughed. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the sun came up, Hearteater began to scream. He writhed and screeched so that Firefoot, although fearing a trick, liberated his suffering brother from beneath the pinioning tree. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHearteater had been so long beneath the earth that the sun was blinding him. He clawed and rubbed at his steaming eyes, howling so piteously that Firefoot looked about for a way to protect him from the burning of the day-star. But when he turned away, the blinded Hearteater dug himself a tunnel, more swiftly than any badger or mole. By the time the startled Firefoot bounded over, Hearteater had disappeared back into the belly of the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is told that he still lives there, hidden from the eyes of the Folk; that he works foul deeds underground, and aches to return to the World Above.... \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DAW","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300459303141,"sku":"NP9780756415518","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780756415518.jpg?v=1767737721","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/tailchasers-song-isbn-9780756415518","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}