Very cute and funny little story. The tower of linden even adopted a little cat recently, so I like to imagine it’s that cat’s adventure

4.5 rounded up to 5.

This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one but it was FANTASTIC. Absolutely hilarious, tense and filled with amazing and eccentric characters that I just wanted to read more and more about. Who would have thought a cats version of living at the Tower of London would have been so entertaining.

A fabulous and completely original read, told from the perspective of a cat, this was very unique and thoroughly entertaining , it’s addictive to read, fast paced, full of humour and intrigue, definitely one I’d recommend to cat lovers, but also lovers of fiction in general

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In general, I wait a couple of days after I have finished reading a book to write a review of it, so that first impressions decant and the merits and flaws of the book become as clear to me as possible. Unfortunately in the case of this book, apart from the general impression of sympathy towards the main character, the cat Teufel (German for devil), who is decidedly clumsy and grappling with events that are bigger than himself and which he definitely does not understand, I was left with little. Let's say that I understood the events as well as the cat did. More than anything, the novel seemed to me to be a way of cramming as many historical facts and characters as possible into one work, trying to spice it up with a bit of fantasy. I think, however, that if the target audience the author had in mind is teenagers, he has gone to a lot of trouble for nothing.

If you are a cat lover then this is a must-read! It was fun, cute, full of mystery and it has a good story.
I had a great time reading this book. It's just a lot of fun and really easy to read.

When Teufel the cat (who hates his nickname, “Thunderpaws”) moves into the Tower of London with his chaplain owner, he is less than thrilled. The trip itself, including being sedated and transported, was bad enough, but now he finds the new rules insufferable: no doing his business on the lawn, no wandering at all hours, and no chasing the sacred ravens. Teufel is a Cat of Attitude, snark being primary among them, and he is not about to play nicely or restrain his innate Cat Nature. In his attempts to exercise his feline right to kill small prey and anything with wings, he encounters a mystical mouse, a couple of ghostly cats, and the deceased spirits of humans who have died in the Tower. Queen Anne, Lady Jane Grey, and Sir Walter Raleigh are bad enough, with Anne planning to destroy the internet. But when King Richard III and Guy Fawkes hatch a plot to take over London (and the world), Teufel is drawn in to a maze of dark schemes and darker magic. As it turns out, he’s not nearly as savvy as he thinks he is.

Among the many delights of the book are Teufel’s sarcastic voice, details about the ghosts, and the army of lady rats led by a giant rat named Elvis. I wish there had been more exploration of how Teufel changes with his misadventures, especially those that were his own fault. It was a good thing I read the book on my Kindle, because quite a number of references that would have been obvious to Londoners escaped this Californian at first.

My only real issue, however, was the extended epilogue. It’s one thing to set up a sequel, but to go on at length detracts from the satisfaction of defeating the agents of evil and then taking a break. Sequels, as opposed to books in a single multi-volume story arc, run the risk of being episodic, especially when the beginning of the next is inserted into the end of the first, thereby making it not a true end at all.
Despite my quibble about the epilog, this book should have special appeal to cat fanciers (and perhaps Londoners). The illustrations are particularly wonderful.

How do I even start! This book is told from the Cat's perspective and it was entertaining! It is hilarious, quirky, and delightful as Teufel relocated to the Tower of London and meets a stray of new acquaintances. It was a new perspective that allows for a fascinating journey through the eyes of Teufel!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the early copy for an honest review!

I do not know what I expected from a book with this blurb. I wanted to give it a shot because a cat having a voice and leading a new life seemed intriguing.
The writing style and content were quirky but I am not as familiar with the British history to appreciate the internal jokes here and could only read it till the halfway point.
Since I did not complete the book, I cannot provide a complete review for the same.

Great novel. Interesting take on a real place in time. I highly recommend this novel. Willl be purchasing for library.

A hilarious and delightful read. As a cat lover I enjoyed this book. Thunderpaws moves into the Tower of London and wow, what a bunch of characters he meets there! As a big fan of cats, history and books this was a no brainer for me.

Thunderpaws (his real name is Teufel, thank you very much) is a black cat who recently moved to the Tower of London with his humans. He doesn't understand this nor why his human puts a bell on his collar which doesn't allow him to attack the ravens. He's even more surprised when he meets some ghosts who tell him that he is on a mission...

The story is told through the eyes of Teufel and his opinions on everything are very funny, even though sometimes I wanted to give him some sense.

It was a great read, very original, but I had some trouble to understand some parts which were pretty important like the ending or how he knew which ghosts were the good ones. It didn't bother me too much but I won't be continuing the series as the next book talks about time travel.

Thunderpaws and the Tower of London is certainly a fresh read, told from a cat's perspective, as he moves with his people to live in this historic setting. He quickly meets different fsctions of ghosts, makes enemies of the precious ravens, and becomes involved in several ghostly plots. Teufel's bad attitude makes things even harder than need be, but he and his friends finally save the world - at least for a while!

Despite being marketed as otherwise, this book is more suitable for the younger reader, as it not quite complex enough for fully-fledged adult fantasy. The prose could do with tightening up in spots, and there were places where the action was jerky. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read: the characters were fun (although I seriously doubt any self-respecting cat would wear a baseball cap), human and animal, and while things got a bit zany in the last big fight, it was a fun mix of different historical figures and legends.
The artwork was just beautiful, and Teufel's adventures were fun, with a great cliffhanger at the end - I'll certainly be looking forward to the next installment.
My thanks to Netgalley and Ben Housden for the ARC of this book.

I would like to nominate Thunderpaws and the Tower of London for having the cutest title I've seen in all of 2021. I don't know why, but it just makes me smile (and laugh a little) every time I see or think of it. Thunderpaws and the Tower of London (see, there I go again!) is the first novel in the Nature's Claw series. It was written by Ben Housden, with illustrations from MonoKubo.

Teufel is the most famous cat that also happens to live in the Tower of London – which probably helps the fame quite a bit, actually. Teufel's day is full of squawking ravens, upset guards, and more than a few ghosts.

That is quite a lot for any single cat. However...you know the classic saying: curiosity killed the cat (but satisfaction brought him back)? Well, let's just say that Teufel has started an investigation into something a little too dark and scary, even for a cat.

“I can be the most famous cat in history? Is that why I’m here? Mum said I was special."

Thunderpaws and the Tower of London was such a fun and endearing novel! It made me smile at so many points, even while little Teufel was neck-deep in danger and adventure. This novel is perfect for readers looking for a bit of light fantasy. It's also obviously perfect for cat lovers who enjoy a good fantasy read (speaking from experience here).

I know I'm probably a bit biased here because I adore cats and all (can you tell?), but I did enjoy Thunderpaws and the Tower of London. It was such an imaginative read with a solid sense of humor, which I always appreciate.

Teufel (aka Thunderpaws) is a curious and endearing main character who is quite talented at sticking his nose into everything. Hence the adventure, as apparently even cats don't know when it is time to walk away. Also, who doesn't love a somewhat sassy cat speaking his mind (more or less)?

The ghosts and magic were surprising but nice touches, taking this story to a whole new level – one that I found to be thrilling. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Thunderpaws and the Tower of London is the first book in the Nature's Claw series by Ben Housden. I received an advance copy from High Gate Press via NetGalley.

I couldn't resist the idea of following a cat on his adventures in the Tower of London. It was delightfully just what I expected. Do I wish there were less murderous thoughts about other animals? Yes, but what can you expect from a feline narrator.

Bonus points for the illustrations. They weren't so overwhelming to turn this into a children's book but quite a lovely accompaniment.

I had a lot of fun in reading this story and Teufel became one of my favorite fictional cat.
It's a highly entertaining and riveting story, fast paced and full of humor.
I laughed a lot, kept turning pages and loved the characters and the storytelling.
There are ghosts, ghostly cats, ravens and the Tower of London.
The author is a good storyteller and loved the humour.
I surely want to read the rest of the series as this book was really funny and well written.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

"Thunderpaws and the Tower of London" is about the adventures of the cat owned by the new chaplain at the Tower. He's called Teufel, which is "devil" in German (pronounced "toy-full").

He's an indoor/outdoor kitty who tries, really TRIES to hunt birds, but he's just awful at it because he's so loud (hence his nick name, "Thunderpaws"). As Teufel explores his new environs, he discovers a ghostly plot to take over the UK, which puts him in the middle of a war between two factions of ghosts. In addition to dealing with all that, he also discovers he's got some adjustments to make, though because hunting the ravens on the grounds of the Tower is strictly forbidden!

The best thing about the book is the beautiful artwork: I absolutely adore those paintings!

I **really** wanted to love this book, but it didn't quite rise to that level for me. It's such a cute idea, but it took a bit too long to see any action. For the first 60% or so of the book, there's a lot of set up that made the story a little hard to stick with. I did enjoy the "slice of life" details of being a cat whose family just moved to the Tower grounds (that's just so cool), but there wasn't enough action to move the plot forward in the first 50 or 60% of the book.

More detailed knowledge of British royal history, too, since almost all of the ghosts date back to the time of the Tudors and the War of the Roses.

I am an American with a passing knowledge of British slang, but this book had some words I have never heard of. Obviously, that wouldn't be an issue for Brits or at least someone who's more familiar with uniquely British terms than I am.

I figure the target audience for this book is probably 12-14 boys because there was more than a little gross out and potty humor.

I did enjoy the book once there was some more action towards the end, but the book ends in a HUGE cliffhanger, which I didn't like. So, I give this 3.3 stars out of 5, rounding up to 4 only for the beautifule artwork.

I was born in London, and I’ve grown up with cats my entire life, so naturally a book about a cat, London and ghosts grabbed my attention. The Tower of London is famous for it’s Ravens and the legend surrounding them; “if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it”. Understandably, adding a cat to the Tower of London is going to shake things up a bit and if the legend is true…? Uh oh. Well, I just had to read Thunderpaws and the Tower of London for myself and see if the witty humour and promise of adventure that the synopsis promised rang true, didn’t I?

While I love animals, and cats in particular, I’m not a huge reader of books about animals, especially not with them as the protagonist. I was admittedly hesitant about picking Thunderpaws and the Tower of London up because I wasn’t sure whether a book from the perspective of a cat would actually work. Just because something sounds good on paper doesn’t necessarily mean it works in execution. I’d had a few books that had missed their mark entirely before I picked this one up, and so it was a pleasant surprise to find that the concept didn’t just work, it ended up being a brilliant read!

Thunderpaws and the Tower of London tells the story of Teufel, a vicar’s cat who ends up having his entire world turned upside down when his humans move to the Tower of London. His vicar has become the new Chaplain of one of London’s most famous tourist’s attractions, which means absolutely nothing to Teufel. He’s just concerned that everything’s changed, and as he’s prepared to make his mark on his new territory, he makes a horrifying discovery; the Ravens rule the Tower. Even worse, the humans treat them like royalty.

But this isn’t just another version of Sylvester and Tweetie Pie. It turns out that Teufel’s mum was a church cat, and what he thought that meant is a completely different thing to what it actually meant. Soon Teufel’s up to his whiskers in ghosts, plots and high treason. With his entire world turned upside down where birds are in charge and a mouse is not only not cowering from him, but actually having conversations with him and stealing his food (!), Teufel has to work out what is going on, who’s telling the truth and which side is the right side before it’s too late.

Beautiful illustrations add to Housden’s comedy genius, depicting scenes that will have you giggling and shaking your head in amazement. Cat lovers will love the little nods to catitude that sum up life with a cat perfectly. Just keep this one safe away from any fluffy paws, so they don’t get any ideas…

DNF @ 30%. I may come back to this one another time, because it has so many great elements (talking cats! ghosts! talking cat ghosts! historical settings!), but I'm just not getting into it right now and I want to move on.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Ben Housden’s Thunderpaws and the Tower of London is a pure delight.

I officially love this book. Tuefel, aka Thunderpaws, is drugged and transported from his idyllic pastoral home, and wakes up in The Tower of London. His human has been appointed Tower Chaplain and Tuefel is not sure how he feels about the change in venue. Certainly the Governor of the Tower is unhappy with a cat on site. It’s all about the Ravens and the myth that if they should disappear, Britain would fall.

Tuefel does not make friends and influence people on his first day when he takes a run at the Ravens only to be roundly defeated. He is rescued by one set of ghosts and a ghost cat. There are two rival gangs of ghosts, replaying the War of the Roses. One set is Tudor, including Ann Boleyn and Henry VI and the other has RIchard III and Guy Fawkes. Both parties are convinced Tuefel will play a major role in their attempts to rewrite history.

If you are looking for historical accuracy, don’t bother but if you are looking for a fantasy that is full of fun and twists and turns, look no further. The ghosts are amusing but it is the animals who shine. Three great kitties, two of whom are ghosts, the Trafalgar Square lions, a gang of London rats and even a Polar Bear are all part of the plot. I would not like to reveal anything and spoil the enjoyment of reading this.

And enjoy it I did. I love Thunderpaws. He is a great protagonist with lots of catitude and, as it turns out, a big hero. Five enthusiastic purrs and two paws up.

I had a suspicion, from the very first minute I heard about Thunderpaws and the Tower of London, that we are onto something special. I genuinely believe this might be the next great British phenomenon, the children's series to travel around the world and set young minds alight. I'd love to see this series come to life on the big screen and think it would be perfect as an animated series.

Teufel (pronounced Two-Full and translated from the German 'Devil') is a very proud cat of a very nice vicar. He lives a nice, boring life in Devon until one day his world turns upside down. All of a sudden, Teufel is transported to the Tower of London where his vicar is now a chaplain and there are more ghosts than he can shake a catnip tree at. Oh, and there are big, fat ravens too.

In time, Teufel, or Thunderpaws to those who know his clumsy ways, will learn that the ravens of the Tower of London are not to be touched but not before he has a wild adventure that takes him to Battersea Park, St Dunstan-in-the-East and Big Ben, all the while saving London and the world from the biggest threat yet.

There is a lot to love about Thunderpaws and the Tower of London. The print edition is absolutely exquisite with text doodles and beautiful colour illustrations by Japanese illustrator MonoKubo. If you're buying this book for Kindle, do ensure that you open it on the Kindle app from time to time to see those illustrations.

If, like me, your two major loves in life are cats and London, you're in for a real treat with Thunderpaws and the Tower of London. I really enjoyed the depiction of Thunderpaws as a snarky, teenage boy. I have a much-beloved 15-year-old boycat Seth, an old man now but very much master of his kingdom back in the day; he could be the white-and-black cousin of Thunderpaws, and author Ben Housden captured that big attitude perfectly. He's clearly been owned by a cat or two in his time.

Any good London-based tale will teach you a thing or two about our history and Thunderpaws and the Tower of London is jam-packed full of ghosts and historical figures, especially those who met their demise at the Tower. Speaking of ghosts, there is a whole host of ghost cats and wise mice, heroic rats and misunderstood polar bears.

Ben Housden states that Thunderpaws and the Tower of London is suitable for readers aged 9 to 90. As a seeker of superior middle grade and young adult fiction, would I recommend this book specifically to readers aged 9 to 15? Absolutely. It's funny and silly, with enough cat farts and manipulative miaows to keep most readers entertained.

My only complaint was that much of the book was heavily plot-driven, which can make for slow reading. The story really ramps up towards the end though and we see Teufel's character begin to develop. As I often do at the end of series, I may well revise my rating up once I've read the sequel.

For being the most original book I've read this year, I give Thunderpaws and the Tower of London an excellent four out of five stars and recommend to everybody, especially fans of Rivers of London, A Street Cat Named Bob, A Darker Shade of Magic and The Infernal Devices.