Just a ship's cat ... but also a main character

Get a preview of the new story starting in January and one of its characters

A new story starts next week. The filename I’ve used is “Grim’s Tale”. If you’ve read any books in The Lyra Cycle, you know that Grim is the ship’s cat.

Unlike my urban fantasy, this cat is just a cat. He’s not an alien or shapeshifter or an android (catdroid?). However, Grim will play a part in upcoming books (spoiler alert: it’s hinted at in this story). I have a plan to write stories of how each of the characters ended up on the Lyra — and I’ve always included Grim in that plan.

This is that story … kind of. Grim is still a side character but it does go into how he ended up on the ship.

Why a ship’s cat?

Mostly because I like cats, although I don’t have one … yet. But there’s a long history of ship’s cats — why should spaceships be any different?

Historically, their main role was to control vermin (like bakweevils … mice and rats if you’re earthbound). Superstition plays a role — cats bring luck, especially black ones and, in particular, grey ones with green eyes (I might be projecting). But sailors also became attached to the cats, so I’m sure companionship played a part.

The stories of real-life ship’s cats are not always happy ones. I’ll spare you the details but, let’s just say, life at sea is dangerous. Space is too but I promise, whatever happens, Grim survives.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming story: A Hangman comes to Tyche. No, it’s no longer titled ‘Grim’s Tale’, though it always will be in my heart.

To read more about Grim’s adventures on the Lyra, check out A Dead Ship in the Deep Black, book 1 in The Lyra Cycle, available from our story or your favourite online retailers.