In this middle-grade fantasy, an unspecified prophecy sends a band of children and cats on an important mission.

The titular heroes, 12-year-old Chenopka (Chen) and his ten-year-old brother Tesharan (Tesh) live with their family at the foot of Mount Palpatus.  In their tribal community, jewel lizards not only provide food but also valuable rainbow-faceted skins the boys’ mother sews into exquisite robes to sell.

The boys discover a hidden cave with a pool; looking into the waters, the boys and their girl cousin Auralka (Aury) learn that they have special, far-seeing powers. Then, during a trip to Palpatia, a city downriver, the children are kidnapped by mysterious creatures called “bishter men”; their five captors indicate that the children are needed for an unspecified purpose.

Also visiting the city are three “prralthian” brothers, cat men who, at age 12, are nearing adulthood and eager for adventure. Teaming with a city prralthian and spurred by a reward, they rescue the children. Eventually, the children and cats reunite on a journey to learn why the bishter men want the children.

The story’s world is truly enchanting, with strong visual descriptions and unique, distinct characters. Yet the narrative also has numerous issues.

Time passes inconsistently, creating an odd rhythm to the story. The initial meeting of the cats and children — their rescue from a castle, rope escape down the outside walls, and mad dash across the sandy seashore — is compressed into four brief sentences while other situations, such as climbing a single waterfall, extend to 11 pages.

The story is highly convoluted and often hard to follow; the writing seems too complex for the target 9-12 age group, and the use of magic, elixirs and other elements help characters overcome problems too easily. Finally, the book ends abruptly, referencing a sequel, which leaves readers hanging and dissatisfied.

Chen, Tesh, and Aury are well-crafted protagonists, but the book requires simplification to reach its target audience.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.