Book review: Marking Territory

My rating: 5 furry stars

A lot darker than it's predecessor, This sequel in the Freelance Familiars series is not quite just as fun but equally gripping and addictive.



This time around Thomas must face the consequences of his lack of trust in O'Meara. She is now crippled and unable to channel any magic. And that is something that O'Meara cannot cope with. Because she has no purpose without magic. And the fact that she cannot even stand on her own doesn't help.

For Thomas, it hurts every time he enters O'Meara's room, seeing her in a hospital bed. He could still imagine her as that brash and passionate woman who'd addressed him as a person and not some intelligent pet from the very first moment they met. And he couldn't help feeling guilty, because her injury was his fault.
Help isn't coming for O'Meara, since she's in disgrace, so Thomas decides to take matters into his own paws and fix what he'd broken. But for that he'll need a lot of tass (magical essence that is). And luckily for him, he knows just the way to find it. Of course it is reckless and dangerous and even downright stupid. And of course O'Meara doesn't like it. But Thomas has made up his mind and wouldn't be deterred from his... a little insane plan. Not even by the temptation of thumbs - which is the only thing he's been dreaming about from the time he exchanged them with paws.

A 'snake oil lady can fix O'Meara's mojo' and Thomas partners up with the nutcake Rudy, to make sure the snake oil lady gets the tass she needs. They team up with an under-appreciated cabal of technomagi, and find themselves battling encroaching mages, vicious spirits, and the forces of the multiverse itself to gather the tass mysteriously popping up all over Grantsville.
Suicidal guinea pigs and carnivorous toddlers are the least of what Thomas must face.

'First carnivorous toddlers and then I'm dodging vomit. It's straight out of Dirty Jobs in there. Mike Rowe would have a field day.'



Getting the tass to fix O'Meara slowly turns into an obsession that Thomas can't let go. But the price may be too high and the people of Grantsville are the ones who will need to pay.

Marking Territory is perhaps a little more fast paced than Off Leash. Darker and with a more serious note, it focuses on claiming and defending said claims. It expands the society and goes deep within, revealing moral and ethical issues, as well as motivations.
What starts as a tass hunt turns into a mad race for power with very high stakes that innocents are bound to pay.

Now don't get me wrong. We do get to chuckle every now and then. Especially when Rudy's involved. Because...
'Cats, Rudy grumped. You guys are never any fun unless your tail's on fire.'

And if that didn't make you smile, him leaping on the windowsill, chittering and looking for an invisible acorn to throw while calling his offender a 'gluttonous fuzzbutt' is sure to do the trick.



We get to meet new characters like Tom Dick and Harry (and NOPE - not joking here). We get to learn more of the magic and planes, as well as the intrigue in the world of magi. We get to witness a LOT of crazy action and see the characters grow. Intrigue and cunningness, friendship, love and betrayal.... all of it in a 'holy caramel roasted nutbags!' I did not see that coming type of twisted and downright fabulous tale.

I finished Marking Teritory in one single sitting and am now diving into the sequel. Because this cuddly cougar here's a keeper.

Check out this book and more of Daniel Potter over at http://fallenkitten.com