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05/23/2008 Archived Entry: "e-Book review: Cat Scratch Fever"
Cat Scratch Fever
Written by Jane Davitt
Published by Torquere Press
Review by Jilly Gee
Garin can't help but use his magic once in a while, much to the frustration of his totally human, magic-incapable lover, Simon. So when Garin unintentionally transforms a stray cat into an extremely horny human, not only does it put a strain on their relationship, it also means they have an incredibly troublesome pet to take care of.
While the concept of the wonders of magic clashing with the limitations of humankind sound intriguing, "Cat Scratch Fever" does not focus on that. This short story is primarily erotica, keeping the fantasy element on the sidelines and using it to serve as a good source of friction for the two lovers and as a reason to keep the snarky cat-turned-human, Tom, in the picture. As for why the former feline is so important for the erotica side of the story, he manages to attract both Garin and Simon to him, causing jealousy on the part of both, and justifying that jealousy when he attempts to initiate sexual activities with both.
Light on narrative and heavy on dialog, the strength of this story is in the dialog. Tom has an adorable way of putting things bluntly and honestly, prompting witty responses from the couple that made me chuckle. Unfortunately, dialog is the only strength when it comes to building the story. While the overall plot is unique enough to draw a person in, the irrational turns that it takes in an attempt to make it work seem somewhat unnatural, jerking the story along instead of letting it flow naturally. Just because the foremost storyline is about the couple and their third wheel, does not mean that it is all right for the events that got them there to be largely illogical. Yes, panic caused Garin to turn the unwanted cat into a human; this I buy. What I don't buy is Garin finding it easier to give Tom the ability to talk and hustle him out than to attempt turn him into a cat again.
There are readers who are perfectly content with a fractured storyline as long there is some good smut involved. It is perhaps for those people that this story is intended. There is indeed an extravagant amount of touching when not involved in actual sexual activity and when there is sexual activity, it is not just glossed over, but described in full. While not entirely flowery and soft, making gratuitous use of the words "cock" and "fuck", it is also not uncouth, containing a nice bit of soft sensuality.
Also available directly from Torquere Press. Click here to read an excerpt.
Replies: 1 Comment
Thank you so much for reviewing the story and the thoughtful comments. I'm glad you liked Tom; he was a lot of fun to write.
Posted by Jane Davitt @ 05/30/2008 06:15 AM PST
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