Feed aggregator

Felix Cosgrove has a new short! "A film about love and regicide."
View Video

New members

We had five new members join the FWG in March—welcome to Ellis Aen, Sisco Polaris, Mark Engels, James Stone, and Halfbloodcheetah! If you’d like more information about joining, read our membership guidelines.

Member news

Frances Pauli published The Earth Tigers, the first book in her Star Spiders series, in early March.

Jako Malan’s novel ReWritten is now available for pre-order from Goal Publications.

Rechan’s short story collection Intimate Little Secrets is now available from FurPlanet.

Mary E. Lowd was interviewed by “dark fiction” blog ShadowSpinners, and wrote a guest post for them: “When Furry Fiction Meets Dark Fiction.”

If you’d like to be listed here, please post your sales/publications to the Member News section of the FWG Forum! It’s the primary source for these news bits.

New markets

We’ve updated the markets on the FWG web site, cleaning out closed/defunct markets and adding a few new ones. Check out the additions and ongoing markets:

• Paying short story markets
• Non-paying short story markets
• Novel/novella markets

Also, Thurston Howl maintains a Google Calendar with submission opening and closings for both furry and “furry-friendly” anthologies.

Remember to keep an eye on the Calls for Submissions thread on the forum, as well as other posts on the Publishing and Marketing forum.

Odds and ends

The Tuesday Coffeehouse Chats continue to take place on the FWG Slack channel, while the Thursday chats continue to take place on the shoutbox.

As usual, we’d like to keep recruiting you to the FWG Goodreads group: add things to our members’ bookshelf (see the instructions here on how to do that), start conversations, draw rabbit ears on other authors’ head shots, and so on.

Have a terrific month! Send news, suggestions, feedback, and coyote treats to furwritersguild@gmail.com, or leave a comment below.

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

The Relics of Thiala, by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, February 2017, trade paperback $15.99 (190 [+ 10] pages), Kindle $4.99.

Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus, two retirees “in the very heart of Germany” according to their website “The Adventure of Romance”, have already written five other books, four in English and one in German. The two Smilodon Pride novels, Softpaw and Sunchaser, feature werecats, werewolves, and vampires, although they all spend most of the time passing as humans.

Now with the Packmasters space opera series, more obvious furries are featured in an unusual premise.

“Twenty years ago, the evil Packmasters used their genetically engineered bestiae in an attempt to seize control of the galaxy. The Core Worlders wiped them out, scorched their planets and kept the few surviving bestiae as trophies.” (blurb)

Really? The protagonists of The Relics of Thiala are Cat, Ferret, Bear, and Wolf, four rare bestiae — anthropomorphic animals — who had been kept as pampered pets or arena gladiators by the human elite. They are “liberated” by a human girl, Ana, to form a new pack. Ana has become aware that the reality she sees does not match “what everyone knows” about the Packmaster-Core Worlds war. The victors write the history books, and from what Ana can see, the Core World masses (not the rulers) might have been better off if the Packmasters had won. Ana – a mysterious adopted orphan who may be a Packlander child – runs away to steal three bestiae pets and one savage arena warrior to form a new pack, and go in search of what really happened to the Packmasters – and what the Packmasters really were (and Ana is).

“Now their misfit pack must face down the darkness at the heart of Packmaster society before it can poison their bond. The truth will either destroy them or grant them the power to shape their own destiny.” (blurb)

The Relics of Thiala is narrated by Cat, who gives it a very furry perspective.

“I had been the pampered pet of of a rich Core senator as long as I could think back. I was a prized possession, cared for in every possible way. There were servants who brushed my fur, servants who fed me and servants who walked me in the gardens so I didn’t turn from chubby to fat. Everything was arranged so I was exactly what my owner expected from a perfectly tame calico tomcat. My markings were rather irregular, large patches of brown and orange stripes on a white coat of fur, the only symmetric part was my tail with its beautiful dark brown and golden rings. But he thought that made me special. He didn’t keep me to display me in competitions, after all. I was his ultimate luxury item – utterly useless and terribly expensive.” (p. 32)

“Ferret stopped in front of one of the heavy steel doors lining the tunnel. Like the rest of us, he was wrapped in a voluminous cloak, concealing that he was a bestia, too. Still he had drawn some puzzled frowns, being mistaken for a human child due to his size. But nobody bothered to intervene – this was Darkside, after all. Nobody bothered, ever. Ferret fiddled with the lock only briefly before he stepped aside and allowed Bear to help him pull the door open.” (p. 11)

“After years of searching, we weren’t much closer to hard facts about the Packmasters, their beastiae and the war than we had been when we had started. Every avenue of research we had tried had turned out to be a dead end.” (p. 39)

“Furred as we were, none of us really needed the robes, but Ana insisted the same way she insisted we had proper clothes. ‘You are not animals. You are just as much entitled to have clothes to protect yourselves and make yourselves pretty as anyone else,’ she had said when she had bought me my first set of clothing. At first, it had felt strange to wear something over my fur, but it did make it much easier to blend in. And I liked being pretty.” (p. 44)

“Since my cooking skills were not suited for anything complicated, I opted for safe and simple. Couldn’t go wrong with grilled steaks when there were four people at the table who had been genetically engineered from carnivorous animal species.” (p. 49)

Cat is the first bestia in Ana’s pack. After years of sneaking about the Core Worlds, living in the shadows while adding Ferret, Bear, and Wolf, the pack is ready to begin its hunt. They steal a crime lord’s gaudy space yacht (whore-house scarlet) – small and automated so the five of them can fly it – and take off for Thiala. “Finally out here on the Fringe, we had uncovered the location of one of the old Packmaster worlds where they had conducted their research and created their bestiae. It’s [sic.] existence had been erased from all official records. There was a good chance we would find nothing but a scorched wasteland, but we hoped that there was a reason, that planet was kept secret. Maybe we would find traces of the Packmasters from before the war, or even records or hints that some had survived somewhere.” (p. 39)

I could pick nits with the story. (1) Walking about in public draped under a voluminous cloak, with a hood completely hiding your face, to go unnoticed may have a respectable ancestry – see the Mafia chieftan Luigi Vampa in The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas – but just try it in real life and see how “unnoticed” you really are. (And not just one, but a group of cloaked figures.) (2) To quote Wikipedia, “calicoes are nearly always female”.

But this is space opera, not hard science s-f. This review covers the first 50 pages of the 190-page novel (cover by Darbaras, a.k.a. Dávid László Tóth). What will Cat, Ferret, Bear, Wolf, and Ana find on Thiala and the sleazy Vandal space station? Since this is space opera, expect mucho dramatic action and weapons fire.

The Relics of Thiala comes to a satisfactory conclusion, but this series is just starting. Packmasters #2, Raid on Sullin, is due in autumn 2017.

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

Battlecats is a new fantasy-adventure comic book series written by Mark London and illustrated in vibrant full color by Andy King and Julian Gonzalez. According to the publisher, Mad Cave, “In a land where chaos is embraced and war is the ultimate desire, order must be enforced. Enter the Battlecats. The most seasoned warriors in the land, fearless, determined, devout, this elite group travels the realm of Valderia fulfilling the King’s mandates and displaying heroism worthy of the God they worship. The Battlecats are about to embark on their most perilous quest, all while unraveling the origins of a holy war.” Shades of He-Man and, yes, Thundercats — in a good way. There’s a trailer up on YouTube. As you can see there, Mad Cave not only have several issues of the comic out but also t-shirts, posters, and even a soundtrack CD are available now.

image c. 2017 Mad Cave

Save

Save

new ep! We really liked this one!!! We hope to see you guys at MCFC!!! ep. 158 - The Heinousanus Anus - new ep! We really liked this one!!! We hope to s…

Due to a family emergency, we're running a best of release this week - BUT it has new content! Smokescale has recorded new Space News for you this release, so you can hear about the latest from outer space. Here is the episode description from the original release: Roo and Tugs are joined by Marci McAdam via the internet as they discuss the world of badges. What do badges mean to many? What kind of impressions do they leave on others? What should be on a badge? What shouldn’t be on a badge? What are the rules of etiquette for badge commissioning?

Check the original show notes here.



Patreon Love

The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!

Uber Supporters

Fido



Premium Supporters – None :c

Bride of Pinbot Supporters

Docos (Picture coming soon!)
Bowler Hat Supporters

Oaken 

Rifka 

Deluxe Supporter

Lokimut

Plus Tier Supporters

Skylos
Guardian Lion

McRib Tier Supporters

Snares
Bassblitzed
Ilya / EpicRive
Fido
Hachi Shibaru
Connor Gregory

Want to be on this list? Donate on our Patreon page! THANK YOU to our supporters once again!

Next episode: Porn and the fandom. It’s ubiquitous. It’s arguably a part of the furry fandom’s DNA. It incites more reaction than most anything else with furries. What’s your connection to furry porn? We'll let you know what was sent in, next episode! The Best of FWIW – S5E13 – First Impressions, Much? (w/new content!) - Due to a family emergency, we're running a best of release this week - BUT it has new content! Smokescale has recorded new Space News for you this release, so you can hear about the la

Dear Papabear,

Long time reader of your column and I've benefited from a lot of the insights found in your work. So, thank you for all that you do for people around the world!

To start off with, I am a college student. I take full-time classes, work an on-campus job, run an exec position of a club, and participate in two other clubs. After that, I have all of my friends and personal projects. You can already see that I keep myself very busy and run on very little sleep.

But my sleeping pattern isn't what I chose to write to you about. I give so much of myself to everything I do, I've never been known to do anything half-way. The reason is that I love everything that I do, and I have yet to find anything that I haven't found interest in or excelled at naturally.

Want an actor, artist, digital designer, costumer, film editor, special effect artist? I'm you're guy. Need a handyman, carpenter, cement layer, minor electrician? I'm also that guy.

I love the critical thinking of mathematics, the mystery of chemistry, the factoids and reasoning behind historical events, and the endless storytelling possibilities of writing. That was long-winded, but I truly do so much and I'm always hearing from family:
"Oh! But you have so much potential." "You're too smart to be in theatre." "You have such a mind for math." And the endless, "You should do" this and "you should do" that.

Currently I'm studying to become a theatre costume tech major, and a dance and Japanese double minor. I made my mind up about that a long time ago. But hearing my family criticize that, or even all the sour looks when I mention going into theatre, really makes me feel hollow about my one solid decision.

I take it well. I explain all that I know: that the job field for a technician has a lot less competition than acting. That "one can always find a job as a technician," as I have heard many times from my friends and coworkers.

I guess my real issue isn't in coping with my family, or how to communicate with them about MY decision. The issue is how to cope with potential. If life is full of possibilities, and everyone is to find their niche in life, what happens to the people that could fit anywhere? I could do anything and be anything and be happy. But I would be missing out on everything else to dedicate my life to just a few of the things I care about.

This must sound like a weird problem to have. I'm sorry if this is confusing. I have always lived my life without restricting myself by saying "I can't do something." Instead, I always found something I liked about what I was doing and found drive in that.

My family means well, but all of the constant what-ifs that come from looking into other paths just bring me down. How should I go about reconciling with my family? And settling this gnawing feeling in my gut about everything I might miss out on in life?

I know I'm still young. But I thought I would ask your opinion on the matter.

Sincerely,

​Rillee Satranack (North Carolina, age 20)

* * *

Dear Rillee,

The first thing to get out of the way is your concern about your family's opinion. I don't have to tell you that this is your life and your career, so the choice that matters is yours, not theirs. If they are a good family (and I'm sure they are) they aren't going to hate you because you choose some job they don't agree with. Agreed? So put that out of your head right now.

With that aside, you're left with the issue of what to do when you have a dozen interests and enjoy them all? Looking at your list of avocations, I can't help but think that, yeah, all of them pertain to the movie industry. I mean, seriously: storytelling is obvious, and so are costumer, film editor, acting, special effects....

But the other stuff all can pertain to moviemaking, as well. Carpentry, cement laying, electrician work are all relevant to set design. Chemistry is relevant to special effects (mathematics, as well). History is relevant to good storytelling.

I'm not sure what a "theatre costume tech major" is, but I would suggest you study moviemaking. You don't say what university you go to, but according to this article, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts ranks fourteenth among the best U.S. schools to major in film studies.

I'd suggest changing majors to film studies and go for it. You sound like a natural, and you could combine all your interests into one!

Good luck,
Papabear

[We thought about creating an April Fool’s Day joke, but to be honest we could never top r/zootopia over at reddit.com! Anyway, we’re fresh back from WonderCon in Anaheim… Ye Ed-Otter] Here’s an American toy manufacturer called Safari Ltd. “From mind blowing dragons to enchanting mermaids, our authentic educational toys and action figures spark imagination and speak to the innate curiosity in all of us. Regardless of what you are looking for, Safari Ltd® wants to provide you with the best figurines in the industry and a comprehensive learning tool to share with the world.” To that end they make not only dragons and fantasy creatures (both funny and serious) but lots of real-life animals as well. And all of them are available on line.

image c. 2017 Safari Ltd

Save

April Fools.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Moving Vlog Episode 4 Released
• Fur Science YouTube Channel
• More photos from FE by Arctic Sky Wolf
• Furnal Equinox 2018 Theme Reveal: Livin’ Large
• Snake Pass gameplay review for Nintendo Switch
• Pepper Coyote’s shows in one gif
• Science Says Cats Are Nice
• Highway Collapse in Atlanta a week away from FWA
• Disney Pixar’s #Coco presents “Dante’s Lunch – A Short Tail.”
• Fractal Design’s Fur E case reviewed
• Introducing Google Play for Pets

News:

• Porn site’s April Fools’ joke is making everyone panic
• Republican Senator Claims Human Body Heat Causes Climate Change
• Texas bill would fine men $100 each time they masturbate
• New Zealand man challenges environment minister to a fist fight over water pollution policy
• ‘The Watcher’ sent another creepy letter to NJ couple, lawyer says
• Breakfast Hero Eats Pancakes In Middle Of Road Like It’s NBD
• Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year

Emails:

• Hachi – “Just A Question”
• Brandon – “LGBT representation in anime”
• Wolfe – “Just a Simple Question”
• Oatcake – “First time emailer and shout out to the Dreamcatcher crew.”

FC-262 Chastopoly - April Fools.

April Fools.

Download MP3

Watch Video Link Roundup:

• Moving Vlog Episode 4 Released
• Fur Science YouTube Channel
• More photos from FE by Arctic Sky Wolf
• Furnal Equinox 2018 Theme Reveal: Livin’ Large
• Snake Pass gameplay review for Nintendo Switch
• Pepper Coyote’s shows in one gif
• Science Says Cats Are Nice
• Highway Collapse in Atlanta a week away from FWA
• Disney Pixar’s #Coco presents “Dante’s Lunch – A Short Tail.”
• Fractal Design’s Fur E case reviewed
• Introducing Google Play for Pets

News:

• Porn site’s April Fools’ joke is making everyone panic
• Republican Senator Claims Human Body Heat Causes Climate Change
• Texas bill would fine men $100 each time they masturbate
• New Zealand man challenges environment minister to a fist fight over water pollution policy
• ‘The Watcher’ sent another creepy letter to NJ couple, lawyer says
• Breakfast Hero Eats Pancakes In Middle Of Road Like It’s NBD
• Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year

Emails:

• Hachi – “Just A Question”
• Brandon – “LGBT representation in anime”
• Wolfe – “Just a Simple Question”
• Oatcake – “First time emailer and shout out to the Dreamcatcher crew.”

FC-262 Chastopoly - April Fools.

April Fools.

Download MP3

Link Roundup:

• Moving Vlog Episode 4 Released
• Fur Science YouTube Channel
• More photos from FE by Arctic Sky Wolf
• Furnal Equinox 2018 Theme Reveal: Livin’ Large
• Snake Pass gameplay review for Nintendo Switch
• Pepper Coyote’s shows in one gif
• Science Says Cats Are Nice
• Highway Collapse in Atlanta a week away from FWA
• Disney Pixar’s #Coco presents “Dante’s Lunch – A Short Tail.”
• Fractal Design’s Fur E case reviewed
• Introducing Google Play for Pets

News:

• Porn site’s April Fools’ joke is making everyone panic
• Republican Senator Claims Human Body Heat Causes Climate Change
• Texas bill would fine men $100 each time they masturbate
• New Zealand man challenges environment minister to a fist fight over water pollution policy
• ‘The Watcher’ sent another creepy letter to NJ couple, lawyer says
• Breakfast Hero Eats Pancakes In Middle Of Road Like It’s NBD
• Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year

Emails:

• Hachi – “Just A Question”
• Brandon – “LGBT representation in anime”
• Wolfe – “Just a Simple Question”
• Oatcake – “First time emailer and shout out to the Dreamcatcher crew.”

[Live] Chastopoly

Dear Papabear,

My dad and I want to go to a convention this summer. and I think its awesome that he likes furries and wants to go fursuiting. but he has back problems. and I am afraid that he will be hurt from some one "run hug"ing him. I am not sure if I should ask him to maybe not wear a suit or how I could help him avoid all of it. I would like some advice.

Lola (age 16)

* * *

Hi, Lola,

I think that's wonderful! :-)  Okay, we don't want to keep Dad from having fun, do we?  The best solution is to make sure your dad, when he is in fursuit, has a handler. A handler is someone who accompanies a fursuiter and doesn't wear a fursuit themselves. They assist fursuiters by being extra eyes and ears. This is especially important when the fursuiter is inexperienced (or has physical problems), and because when you wear a fursuit your vision and hearing can be restricted. Handlers have several jobs to do, including:

1. Making sure the fursuiter doesn't trip on anything
2. Keeping away people who might pounce on the fursuiter or cause damage to the fursuit or wearer.
3. Helping the fursuiter drink liquids (often with a drink that has a long straw) or getting them safely to the "headless lounge," which is a place for fursuiters to temporarily take off some of the costume and cool off.
4. Noting when people might want to take a photo with the fursuiter and helping to arrange the shot.
5. Generally helping the fursuiter get around, get on elevators, return to the hotel room, etc.

So, get your dad a handler, or, if you can't find someone, take turns fursuiting and then you can watch over him and vice versa.

You're lucky to have such a great dad! Have fun!

Papabear
​

Fursuit Friday! So how about a Japanese fursuit band music video?
View Video

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Beast of War, by Mina S. Kitsune. Illustrated by Sal Hernandez.
Ames, IA, Light Beasts, LLC, July 2015, trade paperback $8.50 (197 pages), Kindle $4.00.

The big annoyance with Beast of War is that it is written from the viewpoint of a teen airhead of the future. Melissa Rin Brick, a college student in Atlanta, would rather attend fan conventions, dances, and parties cosplaying as “Cute Kitsune” than study. She lives far enough in the future that bullets (from the context, bullet trains) cross North America in a couple of hours from one city to another. There are AI-controlled cars. Apparently the ozone layer has been destroyed, and a Life Shell over the cities protects people from ordinary radiation.

“‘Scientists say that everyone should stay indoors during tomorrow’s solar eclipse. The current disruptions in the sun will cause serious harm to those outside. A warning is being issued: high risk of third-degree burns or stroke. They also remind you not to look directly at the sun during this event, even with the Life Shell and the Moon both blocking a majority of the harmful rays.’

Oh, blah blah. Everything that happens has to make people worry. Like you could really get burned while the Life Shell protects us from space.” (p. 6)

Mel, who has been partying at a convention while she should be in school, is met by her friend Jill:

“‘Right, but I figured you didn’t know about the warning to stay indoors today, so I was going to take you to a shelter. Class was cancelled.’

‘What, over that solar stuff? Come on. Scientists always have a bug about something, from earthquakes to global warming to a lot of snow,’

‘Yes, and thanks to global warming, the entire Midwest became an inland sea for thirty years!’” (p. 8)

This is all in Chapter 1. Mel ignores the warnings, and in Chapter 2 is apparently sent by the extra radiation from the solar eclipse into another dimension – and into a new body.

“Now I’m flat on my butt in tall grass that’s brown, not green. I’m in a valley, not on a hill. And where the hell are my clothes?

The noise is making my skull spin. Yipe! What the heck is crawling on my head? Ears? I can feel myself touching fuzzy ears. Yet I don’t just feel them with my hands. I feel them with … my ears. I have fur on my head; not hair, but fur.” (p. 12)

Mel’s fursona was Cute Kitsune; now she’s a real foxgirl. She is quickly surrounded by those things in the background on Sal Hernandez’s cover:

“Grey speckled skin; seven fingers, skinny upper bodies with circular feet. Has to be a group of sci-fi freaks. They must have got me into a sensory VR room. I’ve never been in a VR this real, though I heard the sensory ones are amazing. They speak, but I can’t understand a word of it. That can’t be a scrambler. Something is very wrong here. I can see stars; they look real. I can feel the wind on my skin and bugs on my legs.” (p. 13)

The grey people have four eyes and spears. They think she’s a natural fox and put her in a cage:

“Whoa, I move fast! Too fast to stop! Oh, my neck. I didn’t know I could run that fast. I must have looked like a total fool. Oh yeah, they are laughing. That guttural reverberation could be nothing but a laugh. I’ll just pretend I didn’t do anything unnatural, like a cat would. They look sad when thy laugh, and it really hurts my ears when they make this much noise. Why do my ears have to be so sensitive? I always thought having fox ears would be great, but it’s really lame. The tail is still great to have.” (p. 18)

At this point I’m just going to quote the back-cover blurb: “A self-absorbed college student has everything she knows turned sideways. After ignoring multiple warnings, she walks down a one-way path. Now she is alone in a land and body that are unknown to her. See the world through her eyes as she struggles with the implications of the biggest mistake of her life. Can she adapt fast enough to keep alive? Can she keep ahold of who she is, or even what it means to be human? Can she make it home before she becomes more than just a beast of war?”

Mel, and the reader, have a whole alien world to explore, and she’s become a self-centered fox. Some highlights:   the world is called Haragerk. Kitsune credits a co-author, Rebecca “Lyarea” Everett. Those bulbous animals with six eyeslits on Sal Hernandez’s cover are xounds, and the seven-fingered grey men are Kumimi. Hernandez has also drawn 25 chapter-heading sketches.

Don’t expect an ending to the story. Beast of War is only Light Beasts Saga, volume 1. What will happen to fox-Mel next?

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon

Slipped by at first, but we found this over at Cartoon Brew: “Conrad Vernon is reuniting with Megan Ellison’s Annapurna, producer of last year’s hit Sausage Party, for another adult-oriented animation project, Amberville. The project is an adaptation of Tim Davys’ ‘Mollisan Town’ novel series set in a gritty world of stuffed animals. Amberville is being developed as a cgi series for Amazon Studios by Vernon and Chris McCoy, who wrote and directed last year’s Good Kids. McCoy wrote the pilot and Vernon will direct it. If the project makes it to series, it would be available on Amazon Prime Video. Amberville’s story revolves around a reformed Teddy Bear who is pulled back in to the criminal underworld when his former boss enlists him for an impossible new job.” Conrad Vernon, of course, is well-known as co-director of Shrek 2, Madagascar 3, and Monsters vs. Aliens.

image c. 2017 Harper Collins Publishing

Save

Save

2017 (Channel Update)
It's been a while, so we're bringing you an update! Check to see what's in store for TRD this year! See more at: http://www.TheRaccoonsDen.com FACEBOOK: http://www.Facebook.com/TheRaccoonsDen... From: The Raccoon's Den Views: 2243 32 ratings Time: 05:36 More in Entertainment

Here is a trailer for an upcoming short that looks extremely cute. For the record, this is from the same animator that made "When I'm Scared." https://vimeo.com/78139587
View Video

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

The Guardian Herd: Windborn, by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Illustrated by David McClellan; maps.
NYC, HarperCollinsPublishers/Harper, September 2016, hardcover $16.99 ([xvii +] 340 [+ 3] pages), Kindle $9.99.

When we last left the flying horses of Anok, Starfire had finally united the dissident pegasi of the five separate Herds just in time to meet his two opponents’ Black Army and Ice Warriors, both under the command of Nightwind the Destroyer, the immortal, evil stallion from 400 years ago, for a sixty-page battle climax. As this fourth Guardian Herd novel, Windborn, begins, Star seems to have defeated all his enemies. He has integrated the former Black Army into his United Army. But Star is temporarily separated from his United Army, and when he returns, he finds that his pegasi have been captured by Nightwind and have disappeared.

While looking for them, he meets his deadly enemy, Frostfire, the former commander of the Black Army. Nightwind has discarded Frostfire as a loser and taken Petalcloud and her Ice Warriors to be his troops. Nightwing has vanished along with Star’s herd plus Frostfire’s mate, Larksong, and their colt. As both Star and Frostfire have to find Nightwing and the missing pegasi, they reluctantly agree to search together.

Meanwhile, Nightwing has been capturing all the pegasi that he can find (around twelve thousand) and forcing them to join his herd, without telling them where he is taking them:

“Morningleaf’s tears soaked her chestnut face and dripped off her cheeks, falling hundreds of winglengths to the ground below. She dangled between her mother, Silverlake, and her friend, Redfire. The two steeds did their best to carry her through the clouds without hurting her worse. Her brother, Hazelwind, and two of her best friends, Echofrost and Shadepebble, flew ahead, creating a wake for the steeds, to ease their burden. Echofrost’s brother, Bumblewind, flew behind with Brackentail and Dewberry, whispering about escape.” (p. 17)

“Morningleaf glanced down at the land passing far below her hooves. They’d been traveling for fifteen days, visiting the five abandoned territories and searching for stray pegasi to join their herd. Many were elders, and when they refused to follow Nightwing, he’d set them all on fire. Each time Morningleaf closed her eyes, she saw the flames and heard the screams.” (pgs. 19-20)

Windborn alternates its chapters (or pairs of chapters) between Starfire’s and Frostfire’s argument-filled search, and Morningleaf’s and her friends’ attempts to escape from Nightwing:

“Star was larger than Frostfire and should have been taking the headwind to speed their flight, but the white stallion refused to draft on Star’s wake. And it was silly for Star to draft off Frostfire’s, so they flew in each other’s competing currents, slowing each other down, and Star became frustrated. They landed at the water’s edge, and Frostfire plunged his nose into the current. Star spoke. ‘We’re not working as a team.’

‘So,’ said Frostfire, water dripping down his chin.

‘So we should,’ said Star. ‘If you let me lead, we’ll travel faster.’

‘I won’t draft off you,’ said Frostfire, ruffling his violet-edged feathers. ‘You can draft off me.’” (pgs. 29-30)

“Nightwing landed his captured herd in the scrubby foothills located east of Mountain Herd’s territory. They were inland now, far from the coast, flying over a long, winding river. They’d been traveling for twenty-two days. Nightwing settled the herd once a day to drink and eat, and once a night to sleep. The pegasi were weary and hungry, and Morningleaf was no exception. Her wings ached from holding her weight.” (p. 36)

The two stories come together about halfway through Windborn, and the last half of the novel becomes Star’s and his friends’ plans to get Nightwing’s vast new Wind Herd of pegasi free from his control. There is the death of a major character, attacks by dire wolves, a giant tornado, and (here’s a giant spoiler that you won’t get from the advertising) the climactic battle between Starfire and Nightwing and the end of this series! Wow!

The four novels of the Guardian Herd series are all dramatic. I have some trouble imagining the pegasi – horses with large wings – doing such things as, here, digging Vietnam War-style tunnels with their hooves to spy on their enemies. Each volume has a Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book that describes too many multicolored pegasi. Here there are 44 of them: “Crystalfeather – small chestnut mare with bright-blue feathers, two front white socks, white strip on face. Birchcloud – lead mare. Light bay mare with green feathers, two white front socks. Graystone – Ice Warrior. White stallion, silver mane and tail, pale-yellow feathers each with a silver center, blue eyes.” (pages viii-xi) But for readers who like dramatic talking, flying horses – My Little Pony with tragedy and melodrama — this can’t be beat.

But wait! There’s more!! An early passage here alludes to a vanished Herd that disappeared 400 years previously to escape Nightwing’s first appearance:

“Redfire, who hailed from the desert, spoke. ‘Our legends say that the Lake Herd pegasi fled Anok when Nightwing became the Destroyer four hundred years ago. That they escaped.’” (p. 19)

Now, for those who have not had enough flying, talking horses, Alvarez’s The Guardian Herd website (aimed at teenage girls) promises a spinoff trilogy, Dark Water Trials, beginning in August 2017, that tells what had happened to the Lake Herd. The pegasi led by Echofrost flee the war in Anok to a new continent, where they encounter Landwalkers (humans).

See you in August!

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon
• Series website
• The Guardian Herd: Starfire review
• The Guardian Herd: Stormbound review
• The Guardian Herd: Landfall review