A speculative fiction short in which Jeoffrey the Cat battles the Devil for that which is rightfully his—his human's soul. Cat lovers are certain to adore this tale. ( )

A deal with the devil - but with a twist.

Soul bartering and soul selling do make for thrilling stories but the concept of soul-rescuing is even better. I had a ton of questions:

1. Can it be done?
2. Is it permanent?
3. What is the price?

What followed in these few short pages was darn impressive. The devil at the crossroads is such a vivid image that often goes with this story so, For He Can Creep offered up a look behind the curtain where the crossroads can be anywhere and we get a peak into "The Adversary's" process of soul purchasing from pre-sale, during the sale and post soul-sale. And boy was it well executed. The poet was this close to losing his soul in the midst of what an outsider would consider to be a psychotic break.

The Cats - man, I am a dog person first and an animal person second. Cats are the bees knees and they just ooze otherworldliness. They were so catlike in that way that cats are - equal parts avenging angel and cute furball. So, yeah - Jeoffrey, Poppy, Black Tom and Nighthunter Moppet are EPIC heroes. ( )

That cover! by Red Nose Studio

So, the cover drew me right in and favorable reviews made me optimistic, but I listened to almost all of part 1 and I'm going to stop there. It's outside my particular interest and these days I can be picky. Even choosing silence vs. audiobooks which is a rare choice for me.

The cat is a guardian against demons. Protecting patients in an asylum, I guess. One day the devil confronts him regarding him blocking the demons and offers a bargain... ( )

Hugo 2020 Nominations (Best Novelette);

I was tickled pink at the point (not far into page one, of course), when I realized that our main character was, in fact, the cat. I love inventive pov shifts when they are fully fleshed out, and demonstrably different. This story was a traditional face-off with the devil though a poet who has been approached by God and the Devil, separately, to write the Poem of Life (that gives life/creation to everything) or the Poem of Chaos (which will end everything).

I love the addition of the poem equalling the soul of the poet, too. I adore watching our cat succumb to arrogance, to gluttony, to ill, to the planning of saving 'his human.' The three cats he brings in are, also, a delight, especially "NIGHTHUNTER MOPPET." I definitely found this a light, fun read with all the familiar old notes.

( )

This cat's madhouse is in England, so with those accents in mind, this amusing cat point of view story gains a certain depth. I absolutely loved the portrayals, cats, poet and Devil. If you ever enjoyed fairy tales and fables, this is for you. ( )