The Damned King by R M Callahan

The events of the Dark Yule continue to complicate Spice’s life, but in perhaps the most thrilling installment yet, the brave Maine Coon’s life takes an unexpected turn.

One of the things I love about the Pumpkin Spice books is how the authors handle feline protagonists in a gripping, horror mystery setting.

The characters are definitely feline, with extra powers as defined by the world of the book. Even though they can see things others can’t and wander the dream lands, they still think and act like cats. Their motivations and personalities are a great part of the series, without ever dipping into the sentimental or twee.

The antagonists are more present and defined in this book, which I loved. The more magic and monsters the better. It also increased the stakes in the book, which made the story more exciting.

I loved Spice’s interaction with the ghouls, and her power struggle with the cat hierarchy added another dimension to her character.

This would have been an assured five stars for me if there had been more resolution at the end. I’m happy for threads to be left untied, but it gets frustrating when too many plot points are left dangling.

I highly recommend this series to animal lovers and fans of a spooky story.

I award The Damned King…