Clare Bell

A drought has forced the Named-a clan of sentient, prehistoric big cats-to seek temporary relief near the coast. Much to their surprise, they find a young, clever cat named Newt, whose own clouded history is intertwined with the Named and their leader, Ratha. Rejected by the Un-Named, carrying emotional and physical scars from a childhood incident she can't remember, Newt suffers from nightmares of a huge monster she calls the Dreambiter. Newt discovers...

Mixcati's people are descended from the Olmec Jaguar Gods and she is fated for great things-both wonderful and dangerous. She can, unexpectedly and without warning, turn into a living, wild jaguar, just as her ancestors have done since time immemorial. Once stolen into slavery, she must struggle to survive and to learn to fulfill her destiny in an Aztec culture that understands her strength, fears her power, and wants her dead. She must face destruction...

"Screeching in pain and terror, the rogues backed off, but they didn't flee like the Un-Named raiders did. Something seemed to force them back into the fray, making them ignore their fright and their agony to attack again. The flame-bearers' attack faltered as eyes met eyes and the enemy's ability to withstand the Red Tongue was passed quickly among the Named. Firekeepers ... Above the commotion, Ratha heard an agonizing shriek, so raw that she didn't...

Twenty-five million years in the past, a society of intelligent cats pushed close to extinction meets an enemy band of raiding predatory cats in a decisive battle which will determine the future for both.

An encounter with a group of unusual cats helps bring Ratha, leader of the prehistoric cat clan called the Named, and her estranged daughter, Thistle, to a better understanding of each other.