DARK’S TALE

An abandoned cat struggles to find her place within the fragile balance of nature in this fine animal fantasy. Dark, dumped by her owners in Golden Gate Park, has a hard time adjusting to the feral life. But when invading coyotes disrupt the intricate relationships among the park’s denizens, Dark finds that her life may depend on learning to trust humans again. Grabien, a successful novelist for adults and longtime animal-rescue worker, creates a likable voice for Dark and sketches vivid secondary characters. But this is less a story than a lovingly detailed examination of one small ecosystem, along with a heartfelt sermon against human obliviousness to our fellow creatures. The descriptions of the park, its wildlife and Dark’s mystical encounters are breathtakingly beautiful, fierce and evocative—but many plot elements are also puzzling and inconsistent, and the driving conflict with the coyotes never reaches a resolution. Still, the graceful prose, deft blending of realism with fantasy and irresistible feline protagonist make this a natural fit for fans of Erin Hunter’s Warriors books and similar tales. (Animal fantasy. 10 & up)