
The Great Contagion
A Merliss Tale: The Merliss Tales, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Jannie Meisberger
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By:
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Jeff Chapman
Plagues kill in more ways than one.
Merliss is no ordinary cat. She's far more. She's a young girl's spirit trapped in a cat's body. While the magic that banished her has snatched away her human speech, it has given her a life spanning millennia. For centuries she has lived with the cunning folk, assisting their efforts to heal the sick and ward off malevolent creatures. Now, a bleeding sickness has thrown the community into chaos.
The cunning man and his apprentice are in danger from the disease. The life Merliss has worked so long to build is in jeopardy. Before she entered the cat, she had trained to be a shaman. Do her centuries of experience hold a secret to a cure? But disease isn't her only nemesis.
A pair of malevolent creatures move into the neighborhood, threatening more havoc. Merliss and her cunning partners face more challenges than they can handle. But the greatest threat to Merliss' survival may be the ignorance of terrified people looking for a scapegoat.
The Great Contagion is epic fantasy from a cat's eye view. A prequel to Cat Sidhe, The Great Contagion is a stand-alone installment in The Merliss Tales series.
Prowl with Merliss now.
©2019 Jeff Chapman (P)2020 Jeff ChapmanListeners also enjoyed...




















Listener received this title free
The audio was well done, I enjoyed her meow. The narrator did a great job benign the world to life. She draws you in, making you want to listen to more.
I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cat Life
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An enchanted cat in the middle ages
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Excellent Book!
Never judge a book simply by a title. This book is fantastic!
The story isn’t centered around sickness. It’s about a young magician stuck for centuries in a cats body.
When you have cats you have mischief!
I ran across this book while I was listening to Cat Sidhe which Sidhe is pronounced “She.”
They are both fantastic books but please listen to this one first to get a good feel of the Characters personalities.
I hear there are more books in the works! I can’t wait!
Excellent book and part of The Merliss tale
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Listener received this title free
(The Merliss Tales #1) by Jeff Chapman
Narrated by Jannie Meisberger
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Merliss is a cat. But far from being an ordinary cat. She lives in the body of a cat and has lived a life that has covered many lifetimes. She lives in a time when, unbeknownst to people, magical creatures roamed the land in various forms and guises. Her spirit is bound to a cat, gifted with soul-sight, the ability to read another’s soul through their eyes, albeit cursed with not being able to communicate verbally with humans. After living with many ‘cunning people’, she currently lives with her herb-master, Hailaird, and his apprentice, Fendrel.
Unfortunately, a lethal illness is roaming the area, claiming all in its path. Hailaird and Fendrel are duty-bound to do their utmost to discover a cure before the populace is wiped out. Hailaird succumbs to the contagion while Fendrel is still an apprentice. Merliss must apply all her wiles, utilising her instincts to assist him and fulfil her oath in helping and healing.
The Great Contagion by Jeff Chapman is a prequel to Cat Sidhe. When I initially read that the protagonist was a cat, I couldn’t wait to discover how this was going to be portrayed. Merliss is described with such detail. She knows the secrets and the area she dwells in better than any other human or creature could remember. The author has created a novel of creative fantasy, of water goblins and enchanted forests patrolled by the Old Gods. With magical elements that include several scenes of a darker nature lending a sinister touch, Jeff Chapman has created an intriguing and enjoyable introduction to what will be a wonderful series.
The cover is striking and depicts Merliss perfectly. It gave me the urge to crack open pencils and colour it in!
In the audio version, Jannie Meisberger brings Merliss and her companions to life brilliantly! Her tone is beautifully descriptive, evoking sights and smells; her narrative indicative of intelligent cat behaviour.
Worthy of 5 stars and can’t wait to discover more!
Beautifully descriptive fantasy!
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Listener received this title free
I was captivated by the language and imagery. She tells her story like a magical cat who is also an ancient shaman--with precise vocabulary that brings to life the damp forest loam under her paws, the smells of flowers and leaf mold and the mud of the riverbank, and the sour taste of river goblin blood caught in the rough of her tongue. The narration was wonderful.
The story itself had several strands that did not hang together perfectly, but whose life is perfect? And when you are trying to understand the games the old gods are playing, can even a centuries old magical cat perceive which is a piece and which is not?
I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.
A magical cat amid games of the old gods
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Listener received this title free
l LOVED it. More please!!
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A very entertaining tale!
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Delightful Fantasy Adventure!
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Listener received this title free
Cats
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Listener received this title free
If I review this book as a middle-grade book, I think it is fantastic. It pushes the boundaries and brings in some interesting themes. If you like the Magic Tree House series, you will love this book. 5 stars
I struggled with the review for this book more than I have any other book. This book is touted to be a YA fantasy. But alas, it is not. I will admit that it rides the line between middle grade and YA, but it tips more to the middle-grade side of the fence. You could easily replace the two main characters in any Magic Tree House book with this cat, and she would fit right in. I really think that says it all right there.
What is missing from the book? What would make it more YA? Relationships for one. While the cat is a fascinating character, she doesn’t spend very much time in one place. Therefore, you don’t see her building or deepening relationships. The strongest relationship that she has is with the house that she lives in.
If I review this book as a YA fantasy, it is missing the elements that make me love YA. While the cat is fascinating, she is constantly driven by the action around her. Her best moments come at the end of the book when she finally takes charge to save her fellow cats. 3 stars
Jannie Meisberger narrates this book to perfection! She adds so much to the book. I cannot imagine anyone else narrating this book.
Source: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Middle-grade from a cat's perspective
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