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Seek The Throat From Which We Sing
'The Thousand headed king is dethroned. The prophet Grom has left his son Rune under the tutelage of his kin, whilst he searches for answers amongst his unquenchable grief. Rune knows only of the Startle and their glorious murmurations above the Pinnacle, and of his hatred for the murderous Gull king Esperer; a hatred that will lead him to exile.
He is cast into a land once ruled by the Wroth, whose machinations have stained the world black. But the Wroth are dying, and in the wake of their demise, many species vie for their crown. The Orata, the spoken scripture of the Vulpus speaks of a time when the sovereignty will fall upon them. Yet for this to come to pass, they will need an Umbra; the rarest of clairvoyants, and they have placed their hope upon Rune.
There are others who seek him too; the Corva Anx and their dark incantations and the vicious and determined Morwih. Yet Rune believes his father is still alive, beyond the lithe forests and effulgent oceans, at the cusp of reality, the ancient and enigmatic source of the Umbra.
Seek The Throat From Which We Sing is a visceral tale of animal mythology, of dark and foreboding rite and ritual and the desperate rasp of life.'
He is cast into a land once ruled by the Wroth, whose machinations have stained the world black. But the Wroth are dying, and in the wake of their demise, many species vie for their crown. The Orata, the spoken scripture of the Vulpus speaks of a time when the sovereignty will fall upon them. Yet for this to come to pass, they will need an Umbra; the rarest of clairvoyants, and they have placed their hope upon Rune.
There are others who seek him too; the Corva Anx and their dark incantations and the vicious and determined Morwih. Yet Rune believes his father is still alive, beyond the lithe forests and effulgent oceans, at the cusp of reality, the ancient and enigmatic source of the Umbra.
Seek The Throat From Which We Sing is a visceral tale of animal mythology, of dark and foreboding rite and ritual and the desperate rasp of life.'
388 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2016
11 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Alex CF
7 books39 followersAlex CF is a writer and illustrator of animal mythology, fantasy and speculative fiction. His current series of books is collectively known as "The Books of Orata," -. the first of which is "Seek The Throat From Which We Sing" and its sequel 'Wretched is the Husk,' a visceral tale of animal mythology, a dark environmental epic in the tradition of Watership Down, Rats Of Nimh and Duncton Wood. He has also created an encyclopaedia of the mythological world in which these books take place "The Orata, a compendium of the cultures and creeds of Naa." - an illustrated encyclopaedia and companion piece, 148 pages of full colour illustrations depicting the animal cultures within his novels.
Separate to his animal mythology novels, he has self published 'The Book Of Venym; An Egalitarian Demonology' an anti-fascist grimoire, a novella about a haunted north London house and attempts to explain the presence through science in 'An Absence: A Scientific Approach To A Haunting' - and his first published work, 'Punks in the willows' - an illustrated guide to the punk rock community.
Separate to his animal mythology novels, he has self published 'The Book Of Venym; An Egalitarian Demonology' an anti-fascist grimoire, a novella about a haunted north London house and attempts to explain the presence through science in 'An Absence: A Scientific Approach To A Haunting' - and his first published work, 'Punks in the willows' - an illustrated guide to the punk rock community.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2017
I love animal mythology books, so when I heard, that Alex will write a book, I was very excited about this, since I'm a big fan of his art (music, drawings, sculptures). I looked forward to the book and I was very happy to hear, that it will be in the tradition of Watership Down and Rats Of Nimh, which are some of my favourite books.
When I received the book, I was totally overwhelmed with the cover art of the book. Both editions, hardcover and paperback, have a wonderful design, done by the author himself.
It is a very emotional and beautiful book. I love the details in the book, the details in the character descriptions and the dialogues between characters. With all this beautiful details I felt like was watching a movie. You can totally imagine all the characters and what they are going through. It's like getting lost in a different world and that's what I love about this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
When I received the book, I was totally overwhelmed with the cover art of the book. Both editions, hardcover and paperback, have a wonderful design, done by the author himself.
It is a very emotional and beautiful book. I love the details in the book, the details in the character descriptions and the dialogues between characters. With all this beautiful details I felt like was watching a movie. You can totally imagine all the characters and what they are going through. It's like getting lost in a different world and that's what I love about this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
January 8, 2025
Really excellent stuff. Wonderful and engrossing story, memorable and meaningful characters and rich lore for the world in which the story takes places. Super dense Tolkien esque world building that initially takes some work but is so worth it for the growing familiarity you feel with the different non-human persons and their complex cultural traditions and heritage.
The story and many of the thematic touchstones are reminiscent of other fantasy and fiction (Richard Adams, Philip Pullman) but Seek the Throat From Which We Sing maintains a unique and engrossing feel even while subtly hinting at other works and influences.
The writing itself is expressive and colourfully poetic. I feel this is a large factor in what sets this apart from other similar books, and the elaborate prose also displays Alex's unique style.
Great work can't wait for the next one!
FFO His Dark Materials, Watership Down, Redwall, Lord of the Rings
The story and many of the thematic touchstones are reminiscent of other fantasy and fiction (Richard Adams, Philip Pullman) but Seek the Throat From Which We Sing maintains a unique and engrossing feel even while subtly hinting at other works and influences.
The writing itself is expressive and colourfully poetic. I feel this is a large factor in what sets this apart from other similar books, and the elaborate prose also displays Alex's unique style.
Great work can't wait for the next one!
FFO His Dark Materials, Watership Down, Redwall, Lord of the Rings
January 7, 2023
This book was originally lent to me but, by the end of Chapter 1, I was hooked - to the extent that I just had to buy my own copy (and copies for other people)! It is extremely well written by an author who has an incredible imagination, a wealth of knowledge, and who clearly loves language and words. The story is addictive, and relevant to our world today. The characters are beautifully described and the whole is an absorbing read that challenges the mind and is never boring. It is a book of animal mythology, with complex cultural rituals and pride in their own ancestry, set in a world such as ours, but seen through their eyes. If you loved the books in the genre of Watership Down, Lord of the Rings, the Rats of Nimh trilogy, etc. then you will absolutely love this book.
From his website, it is clear that Alex is also a superb artist and sculptor, and both hardback and paperback editions have his stunning illustrations on the covers, and many more are featured in the companion book, The Orata.
And - there is now a sequel to this book, Wretched is the Husk, which is just as addictive, and I understand there is a third book in the pipeline!
From his website, it is clear that Alex is also a superb artist and sculptor, and both hardback and paperback editions have his stunning illustrations on the covers, and many more are featured in the companion book, The Orata.
And - there is now a sequel to this book, Wretched is the Husk, which is just as addictive, and I understand there is a third book in the pipeline!
December 1, 2022
When you open a book to find a drawing of a map and a bestiary you know you are in for a good time. The world building in this eerily familiar, yet dystopic landscape is sublime. Once you jump through the hoops of learning the non-human names of various species you are gifted a set of characters you never want to leave behind (even the bad/misunderstood ones). Waring factions on desolate soil reminded me of the Redwall series I devoured as a kid, and the mythology built is as rich as some of my favourite graphic novels. I read it again with a year in between as a refresher for the release of the sequel, and it captured me even harder the second time around. A great read, hopefully there will be a third instalment soon.
January 3, 2023
Genuinely one of my favourite books of all time, this is the first of 2 (soon to be 3) books in the Orata series. Throughout the book, Alex builds such an incredible bond with the main characters and by the end you suddenly realise that they have become a part of you. Alex describes such an intricate world which is so different from ours but also feels like it's what it could become. One of few books that when I got to the end I felt heart broken knowing there was no more.. until the sequel was released! I cannot wait to read the third.
August 6, 2017
This book was good. I liked the ideas and overall message of the story. Familiar, but not predictable, and certainly not boring. Check it out, whether or not you are familiar with the author's other work. Definitely a keeper.
September 20, 2024
I can't wait to read the next one!
November 25, 2024
Simply beautiful. The stories so intricately woven together, the attention to detail. So much to love about this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews