Description:

A gray air of gloom and depression hung over Karpluvy Towne. Small squads of soldiers and armed citizens patrolled the streets. A worried Oskar whispered to Mamakitty. "People are staring at us. What are we doing wrong?" "Nothing, I wager," she replied after a moment's consideration. "I think we just stand out a little bit from the typical townsfolk. They probably fear any strangers, concerned that they might be spies for the Horde." Oskar studied their little party. Were their nonhuman origins showing? Everyone was careful to resist their innate urges. No one dropped to all fours. How could they possibly stand out? True, Mamakitty was more muscular than the average woman. And Taj blonder than the blondest northerner. As for Cezer and Cocoa, it was difficult to tell which was the more beautiful, or who drew the more surreptitious admiring stares from the otherwise downcast crowd...

From Publishers Weekly

Bestselling veteran Foster, author of more than 80 genre titles, including the Spellsinger and Journeys of the Catechist series, brings readers another action-packed fantasy, one that might have come straight from the vaults of Disney. The peaceful kingdom of Gowdlands is invaded by the goblin Totumakk Horde, led by the evil Khaxan Mundurucu, a company of warlocks who handily kill the mightiest wizard, Susnam Evyndd, and banish all the land's colors. Unbeknownst to them, the wise mage has one last spell to cast. Susnam's pets--three cats, a scruffy terrier, a songbird and a boa--are transformed into human shape and sent on a quest to find the source of the Pure Light of coloration and restore gray, gloomy Gowdlands to normal. To accomplish the task, the former animals must come to terms with their new forms and each other, while battling goblin magic and those who would stand in their way. Their journey takes them through a magical rainbow and across a spectrum of kingdoms, each ruled by a different color, until at last they reach the source of Pure Light. Foster's brand of storytelling, lighthearted even at the darkest moments, doesn't leave much room for doubt about how it's all going to turn out. Fans of swift-moving plots and imaginative settings will overlook the thin characters and enjoy this pleasant fantasy tale.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The fearsome sorcerer Khaxan Mundurucu has laid waste to the Gowdlands. While a host of goblins terrorize the land, leaching it of all color and destroying the will of the conquered populace, a dying wizard's final spell transforms his pets into a company of human heroes who possess the only chance of restoring hope and freedom to their world. The author of the "Journeys of the Catechist" trilogy and numerous other works of fantasy and sf produces a standalone fantasy that features six uncommon characters charged with a seemingly impossible task. Humor and wit enliven this quest-tale, which belongs in most fantasy and YA collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.