May 26th was the virtual release party for this book of short stories. I'm a friend and fan of Rhonda's. I'm not a fan of cats (a barn cat peed on me when I was 10) but I can appreciate them and I figured I'd get around to reading it at some point. Lo, and behold, a few days after the release party when I was looking through available books on NetGalley I saw it was available. So I asked for it and was approved!

Overall, this short story collection is a good one. I always love to see the diversity achieved with the same prompt. These swashbuckling cats aren't confined to nautical vessels. And the cats include ghost cats, pirate cats, shape-shifting cats, and kittens. Definitely not a one size fits all anthology.

My favorite story was "Buccaneer's Revenge" by JB Riley. It tackles the pirate cat angle completely differently from the others. No, I won't spoil it! There are puns for names which some might find childish or silly. I found them quite clever and they made me smile.

My second favorite story was "All Cats Go to Valhalla" by Chadwick Ginther. From the title it's easy to guess this is a viking themed story. From the opening line you know it's bad but you don't know just how bad this journey is for another paragraph or so. Does Odin allow cats into Valhalla or do they go to Folkvangr with Freyja? You'll have to read it to find out.

I love all things cars but had never read a book like this! I loved the twist on what cats are known to hate (water) and enjoyed the pirates! Enjoyed the variety in the stories as well!

I love pirate cats! This book was a wild ride and I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from this author

As its name indicates, this book features feline pirates. Like most anthologies, this one was a mixed bag. Some stories stood out because of their world-building, plot, or characters and made me wish they could be turned into a novel. Others felt incomplete to me. Still others failed to make a mark.

For instance, the story, The Comeback Kitty, seemed muddled. Even by the time it ended, I was still confused about the object the cat wanted her human to steal. The Cat and the Cook, on the other hand, seemed like a finished product. The feline starring in it had mysteriousness and doing stuff just because it pleased him in just the right amounts — y’know the way all cats are!

All Cats Go to Valhalla was original and a fun read. The Pride presented an intriguing world that I’d like to see more of. I’ll say the same for A Royal Saber’s Work is Never Done.

I liked how clever The Perfect Kibble. And the puns in Buccaneer’s Revenge were good too, even if the story was okayish.

The Growing of the Green was fun, if forgettable. The same was true for Pirates Only Love Treasure and The Furgeldt Collector. Cat Out of Hell needed some more context. Whiti te Ra (Let the sun shine) didn’t do for me at all and neither did The Motley Crew or Cat at the Helm.

Like I said, a mixed bag!

Princess Fuzzypants here: I am and have always been a fan of anthologies. I enjoy dipping into stories that are short but entertaining and come from a variety of authors. This book is no exception.
All the stories involve kitties on the High Seas, many of whom are pirates. The protagonists are at various stages of their lives, including one story of a cat who is seeking a Queen to grant her ninth and final life. All the stories are entertaining although I do confess a couple had me a bit confused. I love the one with the cat in space who manages to create chaos simply by being a cat. I enjoyed the ones with the cats who fight for their own and other’s salvation. The stories are rousing, whimsical and enjoyable.
Five purrs, two paws up and a yo ho ho.

Swashbuckling Cats – Nine Lives on the Seven Seas
Edited by Rhonda Parrish

Twitter as a tool for authors to brainstorm and collaborate…that is what I believe happened with this anthology of tales that star feline characters with rather human abilities…and sometimes magical ones, too. Allusions to multiple lives, friendship, piracy, love, families, ghosts and so much more…this was a fun read and one that kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories I read and plan to read the rest later.

I found The Pride a to be a tale of trust and belonging while some might consider it more about betrayal and friendship across cultures (wild dogs and cats). The next book had a hint of the oriental and was about managing to achieve a third life before disappearing forever occurred. There was one with the question of whether or not cats that die go on to Valhalla that reminded me of The Rainbow Bridge I hope my own cats crossed when they passed on. So many stories and fun ones, too.

I believe that those who enjoy cats and perhaps see them as “more” will enjoy this collection as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tcyche Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

This book was ridiculously over the top, and by that I mean that this book was exactly what I was expecting from a book with this title. The stories are all about pirate cats, but they cover a variety of subgenres from classic pirates, to steampunk, even spaceships! As with any anthology there are hits and there are misses, but overall this book was great!

I love this book! This book will give you many adventures and take you on a journey through space, rugged ocean and the sky. My two favorites was The Pride and The Perfect Kibble. You will get to meet regular cats and cat shifters. If you love cats, then this book is for you!!

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book! Please note: all opinions are my own.

There's such a mix of fun stories and good talent here, all with a plethora of different takes on the same theme. At first, I thought each story would take place in the same universe, but that's not the case. There are anthro cats, actual cats, shape-shifting cats, ghost cats, space cats... the list goes on. It's a fun story collection, though it's hard to sort through and find what you like.

It's hard to rate a short story collection. My enjoyment of the stories varied from 1 star to 4 stars (though only one got the latter). Inevitably, after I read my favorite story - the captain of a space pirate ship defending their supply of catnip - I felt sad when the rest didn't compare.

Ultimately, I ended up skimming a few stories while neutral on the majority. Of the ones I didn't like, I struggled with unlikeable characters or a rushed plot. I really dug a select few for their fun world-building.

The collection ended up falling flat for me, but it's worth a shot! There are definitely a few diamonds in the rough you can pick out.

Perhaps it’s because I am not much of a cat lover, as I found it difficult to become immersed in this collection of pirate felines. The actual writing of each author was good and a few of the story plotlines stood apart from the rest.

My favorite story? That had to be Rose Strikman’s “Cat at the Helm, a blend of cat-fantasy, magic, and virtual reality. A close second was “The Furgeldt Collector.” Law officer Marshmallow Mittens had already lived eight lives, and the struggle between duty and not putting the ninth and final life in jeopardy is only the first hurdle in Joseph Halden’s story. “Buccaneer’s Revenge” by JB Riley brought a few smiles to my face with the constant puns and clever twists on names and places. Megan Fennell’s “The Pride” is a story of redemption and the battle to return to where you really belong.

Okay, maybe some of the stories did grab my attention. And if I overlook a lifetime dedicated to being a dog lover, this collection deserves at least three-and-a-half stars. When you include the talented writing exhibited by all the authors, it’s easy to round that to four.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tyche Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book some of the stories more than others but some I wanted more some made me laugh and some made me a little sad but I am so glad I read this book an I highly recommend it.

An anthologies of excellent story featuring cats. I loved them all as they are well plotted and engrossing.
I think this is a perfect read for fantasy and cat lovers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I can barely begin to tell you how gloriously entertaining this book is., from the front cover kitty to every last one of the dastardly deeds and, buckle-swashing dramatics in which these feline felons are involved. Every tale takes you into worlds and seas you had never imagined, and of course we side with the cats every time. Read it and then look over at your own kitty companions. Hopefully they won't get any ideas of their own from it.

I honestly downloaded this by accident and only read a little bit. Wasn't great, but its also not my normal style.

<i>A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Wow, what a book! 4,5/5, the average of my ratings for each story! (Technically 4,36 but shush.)

I really enjoyed this book even though I seem to struggle with short stories, in terms of picking the book back up after finishing one. These stories were just a joy to read and ranged from the ridiculous to the extremely dark. Of many, I'd gladly take a whole novel, a series, or even just a novella!

Would definitely recommend this anthology as a whole!

I wrote a bit for each story so I could keep them separate in my mind, and not blur them all together, but some will have some spoiler(y) things in them, so be sure to be careful when opening the spoiler tags!

<b>The Pride by Megan Fennell:
4.5-5/5</b>
I WANT MOOREEE. <spoiler>DO THEY GET BACK TOGETHER?? THEY DO RIGHT? RIGHT!?!</spoiler> I loved Kit and his determination. His guilt. His love. Also Felix! What a wonderfully unexpected way to start this anthology off! Unexpected how? It's from the POV of a jackal shapeshifter, who has a history with a crew of cat shapeshifters!

<b>The Comeback Kitty by S.G. Wong:
3.5/5</b>
I struggled with this one somehow, but I loved the world. Skyships and clockworks? Awesome! I just didn’t really connect as Kit was just not the nicest character. Like, at all. I really felt for the girl. Love that the Queen’s name is Kat though- Dutch for cat! <spoiler>I assume they are either sisters or grew up together and ohmygod it’s a toy mouse 😭</spoiler>

<b>The Motley Crew by Rebecca Brae:
5/5</b>
None of the stories so far have been what I had expected of this anthology but this one was amazing. I had an idea what the cat was after but it broke my heart all the same because it was worse than I had thought. The ending is 👌

<b>Whiti te Ra (Let the sun shine) by Grace Bridges:
3/5</b>
I loved the Maori mythology and the story started strong. Sadly it didn’t last and the ending was disappointing. Reading this back I think it might even be more of a 2-2,5 rating.

<b>The Growing of the Green by Lizz Donnelly:
5/5</b>
Badass cats in space? Badass female captain? Besting a snotty male cat? HELLYEAH! I absolutely loved her!

<b>The Cat and the Cook by Blake Liddell:
4.5/5</b>
The cat was mean, but really she was just being a cat with magical abilities to do what she wanted. I love her relationship with Tabitha and I <i>really</i> want to read about their adventures! Also, Cat’s love for cheese is the best thing ever. I related.

<b>Pirates Only Love Treasure by Frances Pauli:
5/5</b>
Just wow. It starts off so dark and deep and depressing and you just wonder why and how. But then things don’t go according to Alex’ plan and the story moves in an entirely different direction with a happy <spoiler>(and very alive!)</spoiler> ending. Predictable perhaps, but wonderful all the same! I’d love to read more about them!

<b>Buccaneer’s Revenge by JB Riley:
4/5</b>
Not entirely sure why they chose this set up, instead of just focusing on Gus, but I loved the glimpse we got of his story and all the catified names! Now give me that novelization, because this wasn't nearly enough!

<b>The Furgeldt Collector by Joseph Halden:
4.5/5</b>
Long, but brilliant! Due to the length it felt like a more properly fleshed out story and it just sucked me in. The entire world and how things go, and the explanation of the nine lives. Not a full 5 stars due to the constant use of ‘me’ instead of ‘my’, but a serious favorite!

<b>Cat Out of Hell by Leslie van Zwol:
4/5</b>
I’m always here for different worlds and traveling between them; and then turning into a cat! Also the Egyptian mythology was great- I'm a sucker for mythology so this anthology really hit the right spots. Unfortunately there was quite a graphic sacrificial suicide with a hint at a past attempt that really could have used a warning.

<b>The Perfect Kibble by Krista D. Ball:
3/5</b>
This story really needed some more proper editing, the mistakes were just cringeworthy. I liked the format of this one, though, and Tinks is a new favorite cat of mine. The ending was just a disappointment as I felt it added nothing to the story except to try and create intrigue. Which it didn’t do, nor needed. It just caused a massive eye roll. Shame.

<b>All Cats Go to Valhalla by Chadwick Ginther:
5/5</b>
Cats at sea, not humanoid but actual cat-cats, with Norse mythology, a mystery, and <spoiler>Loki 🙌</spoiler> Amazing!

<b>Cat at the Helm by Rose Strickman:
5/5</b>
What comes around goes around! The ending literally had me going 'hehehehe'. Though I wonder what on Earth happened to make her want to kill them?? Seems a bit extreme! The idea of these kinds of products sounds great, though, like Virtual Reality 2.0!

<b>A Royal Saber’s Work is Never Done by Beth Cato:
5/5</b>
I simply want more of this! I want to know their past and their future, too. I want to know everything, their entire story! I want to hug them and keep them safe. I love them 😭

As with all anthologies, this is a mixed bag.  Some took the piratical theme literally, and these were mostly the best of the bunch, or maybe more what I was expecting.

Some were altogether different, featuring cats and boats or somehow adrift in some sort of way. The mix of scifi, general fantasy and pirate fantasy was a good one; it avoided any sense of tedium, and gave some contrast between stories.

Like Parrish's Equus, and Chris Porteau's Tails of Dystopia, some of these stories sing long after the book is finished. The first features an animal that is not a cat, trying to make his way back onto the ship he calls home, when all the feline crew think he deserted them. It's a sparkling opener, and made me want to read more from the author, Megan Fennell. Confusingly, though, several authors had named their protagonist Kit. The editor did well to space them out a bit, but it still gave the brain a wrench.

Brilliant ideas abounded. Mixing pirates with time travel and Norse mythology. Getting stuck in some sort of Jumanji-like book. Near the end were two I particularly enjoyed, with a cat seeking to retire to a desert island that just happens to be the legendary store for another pirate's hoard... and a retired court Sabre (some sort of Musketeer, as I interpreted it), drawn into a final sortie to save her village.  But the first three were the most scintillating, and deserved their place at the beginning.  There's a little padding in the middle (although one I remember as it was so different), but with anthologies, you never know what's going to float your boat, and you never know what's going to come up next.

Provided you aren't allergic to cats, pirates or boats, you'll love this book!

First, thank you for the proof.

I really wanted to like this book. The subject seems original. However, none of the stories were more than just ok, except for one.

Even worse, according to other reviews, “The Furgeldt Collector” (which I skipped as a result) is nothing but a pure feline bloodbath.

Some points: "Let the Sun Shine" was too short, but it was good. It left questions unanswered but was cute and intriguing. If the author were to flesh this out into a novel, I would read that. However, "The Growing of the Green" was too cutesy. It's cheesy and derivative.

Upon seeing the cover of this book I was instantly reminded of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, since the cat on the cover (which is stunning) was clearly Growltiger (of “Growltiger’s Last Stand”). With that sort of promising association to begin with, I was eager to sink my teeth into this anthology of short stories set around the theme of cats on the high seas.

The early stories are all very quick reads.There is a nice spread of cultures represented, although there is still a larger focus on Western European piracy. There is a story set in the southern hemisphere (New Zealand, maybe?) and one about Viking cats. Some are better than others, as is always the case in an anthology, though there were more stories that I liked than I didn’t like.

That said, Joseph Halden’s “The Furgeldt Collector” was the low point. In it, cats are set on fire, mutilated, and otherwise tortured. It was actually stomach-churning to read and absolutely not what I was here for. I cannot strongly enough suggest skipping it. The story immediately preceding it was also a disappointment (it’s a Hollywood-era re-imagining of Eliot’s Gus with Growltiger being his dream role with painful puns and cutesy name changes), but at least it wasn’t centered around the idea of cutting cats up as reparations.

Although it seems unlikely that any of these shorts will be nominated for awards, the anthology’s premise is charming enough, and the stories sufficiently well-told that I would have no problem recommending the book to someone who likes cats and fantasy writing, or anthology fans (those exist). And, again, that cover art - wow!

Well-written fantasy anthology centered around the wonderful feline.

Swashbuckling Cats features a host of various feline personalities sure to please any cat lover.

I chanced upon this title while perusing Twitter and it was the cover that pulled me in!

Anthologies have resurfaced along my reading journey and this one did not disappoint me. As a proud companion of five lovely (though rambunctious felines), I found these stories highly entertaining.

Swashbuckling Cats took me out of my human world and into the life and minds of some rather interesting cats.

As expected, the feline characters drove the plot of each story, with some added flavor from their humans.

Swashbuckling Cats kept me interested, and I was compelled to keep reading even when my own dear cats were nudging me for treats.

From classic pirate stories to standard sci-fi fare, this is the perfect book for sci-fi fans who have strong adoration for the feline.

if you like adult stories about cats you may like the book i was given a copy by netgalley but this is an honest review