Book description
Twenty-five million years in the past, a clan of sentient, prehistoric
big cats called the Named have their own language, traditions, and law.
Led by Meoran, the Named herd horses and deer for food. They keep order
and peace, fending off predatory raiders--the UnNamed--from all sides.
But, the battle has taken its toll, and the Named are skirting the edge
of survival. Much to the displeasure of Meoran, a young female named
Ratha discovers a powerful defense against the UnNamed. She calls it the
Red Tongue, and it is a creature of incredible power. Red Tongue is
fire, a force of both life and destruction that must be at once nurtured
and tamed. Sensing that Rathas mastery of fire threatens his power,
Meoran banishes her from the clan. As she travels out amongst the savage
UnNamed, Ratha learns about both them and herself. But, her tribe needs
her. Can she return? Will the Named survive constant attacks without the
Red Tongue? Will the power of the Red Tongue change the clan forever?
Born in England in 1952, Clare Bell moved to the US in 1957. She worked
in oceanography, electrical engineering, test equipment design and
mechanical engineering before she wrote her first book, Rathas Creature
(Atheneum-Argo Margaret K .McElderry 1983), the story of a prehistoric
wildcat who learns to tame fire. Since then she has continued to write
fantasy and science fiction for children and adults. She says, 'I am
still fascinated by prehistoric animals and big cats, as showcased in
the five Ratha series novels. I consider my two little cats, Danny and
Athena, to be research assistants as well as companions and have learned
a lot from them.' 'My stories show sociological themes as well,
exploring the changes that are brought about in culture through
technology, even one as crude as fire. I also enjoy creating plausible
and workable prehistoric animal and alien characters. The central theme
of my fiction is evolution, a result of my being influenced early by the
works of C. S. Lewis, Olaf Stapledon , and Arthur C. Clarke. '
