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Among the querulous island kingdoms of Wefrivain, the only unifying power is religion – a wyvern cult ruled by an eccentric High Priestess. The system is under attack by a gang of pirates called the Guild of the Cowry Catchers who prey on Temple treasure ships. The Temple Police charged with eradicating this menace keep disappearing.
Enter Gerard, a young prince, exiled from his small kingdom for rashly marrying the court minstrel. He has been chosen by the High Priestess as the new captain of Police. Gerard is smart, honorable, and a little naive. To break the pirate ring, he must cooperate with a wily, amoral colleague, who has already tried to kill him twice. As Gerard struggles to protect his talented wife, obey his seductive employer, and forge a complicated friendship with his dangerous co-worker, he becomes increasingly aware that the pirates have a legitimate quarrel with the wyverns. Dark secrets lurk in the Temple dungeons, and solving them will cost Gerard far more than his honor.
Enter Gerard, a young prince, exiled from his small kingdom for rashly marrying the court minstrel. He has been chosen by the High Priestess as the new captain of Police. Gerard is smart, honorable, and a little naive. To break the pirate ring, he must cooperate with a wily, amoral colleague, who has already tried to kill him twice. As Gerard struggles to protect his talented wife, obey his seductive employer, and forge a complicated friendship with his dangerous co-worker, he becomes increasingly aware that the pirates have a legitimate quarrel with the wyverns. Dark secrets lurk in the Temple dungeons, and solving them will cost Gerard far more than his honor.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Abigail Hilton
66 books172 followersAbigail Hilton writes fantasy books, including Hunters Universe, Pirates of Wefrivain, The Prophet of Panamindorah, and the Eve and Malachi Series.
She also publishes under A. H. Lee, including The Incubus Series and The Knight and the Necromancer.
She also publishes under A. H. Lee, including The Incubus Series and The Knight and the Necromancer.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 67 reviews
December 25, 2022
4 Stars
Where do I even start? Abigail Hilton (aka AH Lee) has certainly created a unique world full of fantastical creatures where hierarchy, oppression, subjugation, and harsh brutality reign supreme.
This begins with disinherited prince Gerard who’s now in the employ of the high Priestess as her chief of police. Gerard is literally at the top of the food chain. He’s a grishnard (a human griffin hybrid), a species that dominates all others, where inequality abounds and the dream of freedom for those not grishnard is just that. A dream. Basically, Gerard is under direct orders to squash an almost mythical resistance that’s been brewing for many years, to find the leader of lesser beings and destroy him. The only problem is, Gerard must work with Silvio, a lower caste panard (human fox hybrid) whom he clashes with greatly. What follows is a complex character study of a decent man and what he’s forced to do out of duty.
This looks to be a very long and complex story ahead of me but I’m intrigued. 200 pages of setup describing a fascinating world whose subtle heady complexity is quite addictive. This series could desperately use an extensive glossary but maybe it’s all in Hilton’s plan to not really provide one so that the reader must continue at a regular pace if only to keep up with the unique terms and what I suspect will be a very very large cast, all of which is reminiscent to the bewilderedness a’la Calmes’s Change of Heart. Tricksy I see. Very tricksy.
Regardless, I’m caught, and I will proceed to read more of this fascinating world!
Side note - for more cohesiveness (and a small glossary), the author has rebundled and renamed this series, naming the first volume The Guild of the Cowry Catchers which is currently available on KU.
Where do I even start? Abigail Hilton (aka AH Lee) has certainly created a unique world full of fantastical creatures where hierarchy, oppression, subjugation, and harsh brutality reign supreme.
This begins with disinherited prince Gerard who’s now in the employ of the high Priestess as her chief of police. Gerard is literally at the top of the food chain. He’s a grishnard (a human griffin hybrid), a species that dominates all others, where inequality abounds and the dream of freedom for those not grishnard is just that. A dream. Basically, Gerard is under direct orders to squash an almost mythical resistance that’s been brewing for many years, to find the leader of lesser beings and destroy him. The only problem is, Gerard must work with Silvio, a lower caste panard (human fox hybrid) whom he clashes with greatly. What follows is a complex character study of a decent man and what he’s forced to do out of duty.
This looks to be a very long and complex story ahead of me but I’m intrigued. 200 pages of setup describing a fascinating world whose subtle heady complexity is quite addictive. This series could desperately use an extensive glossary but maybe it’s all in Hilton’s plan to not really provide one so that the reader must continue at a regular pace if only to keep up with the unique terms and what I suspect will be a very very large cast, all of which is reminiscent to the bewilderedness a’la Calmes’s Change of Heart. Tricksy I see. Very tricksy.
Regardless, I’m caught, and I will proceed to read more of this fascinating world!
Side note - for more cohesiveness (and a small glossary), the author has rebundled and renamed this series, naming the first volume The Guild of the Cowry Catchers which is currently available on KU.
April 26, 2017
I know just a 5 star rating by itself doesn't really tell others exactly what is so good about a book. So I am adding a few sentences to back up the stars. First, I have read the authors Prophet series as well as several of her shorter fiction; having just finished the first book in the cowry catcher's series I feel like I can safely say this... No only is Ms. Hilton an author who should have been scooped up by a major publisher long ago; her commitment to the audio versions of her works is extraordinary and that she offers those freely for her readers is beyond extraordinary. This is an author who truly writes for the love of creation and bringing her creations fully-fleshed to life for the reader each with all their character traits, good or bad. I have rarely picked up books where I not only feel like I know the characters well so quickly but also where I rapidly become invested in their lives and adventures. based on my reading thus far she is also an author who continues to hone her craft and it shows in the reading of Embers. One last thing, if you are debating as to which version of the Cowry Catchers series you will purchase; before you decide please download Embers first, it is free and you really need to experience the fully illustrated version of the books in this series. If you can afford to pay the 4.99/book for books 2-5 do so. If you can't; go ahead and get the 5 book non-illustrated combo so you can read it now... but when you can afford it go back and get all 4 individual illustrated versions. First time after I read Embers I could not afford to purchase either; now that I can I have purchased books 2 & 3 and will buy the others as soon as I finish reading those. The illustrations take words that already beautfully bring this story and the characters truly to life and add ever so much more to the pure enjoyment of Ms. Hilton's words. Each and every one is a awesome piece of art even if there was not the masterful story to go along with it. I applaud and commend Ms. Hilton for the many hours of pure gold she has spun for me so far and look forward to many hours of incredble action, adventure and romance in the world of Panamindorah!
August 26, 2019
Warning: This is not an mm romance, this is not even a bromance. Just two guys forced to work together.
Never mind the overwhelming amount of species, in the end they all sound like drones. At 45% I feel like nothing is happening. The story is too slow with too many unnecessary info dumps.
Never mind the overwhelming amount of species, in the end they all sound like drones. At 45% I feel like nothing is happening. The story is too slow with too many unnecessary info dumps.
August 11, 2021
I came to this book having read quite a bit of her other work. It's the first in a series, so there is quite a bit of world building in this book.
Persist! It's worth it.
Edited to add: doing a reread of this series. This book sucked me in, as did the next two, so forebore sleep.
Persist! It's worth it.
Edited to add: doing a reread of this series. This book sucked me in, as did the next two, so forebore sleep.
February 11, 2014
I have to say, I am very conflicted when it comes to this book. On the one hand, the writing was decent, especially considering it was free. I liked the main characters by the end, even the one you start the book hating by default because the protagonist does. The world was fairly well developed, and the worldbuilding exposition not too intrusive. The flipside of this? The world that was so well developed makes my skin crawl. I'll get to that below. Also, I was under the impression that this was the first book in a series--as in, a complete story set within the larger context of the series arc. Instead, it's a serial. There's no resolution, just a slightly-more-final-than-usual chapter break with a vaguely ominous teaser for what happens next. I admire the business strategy, making the first part of the story free to get you hooked, but I'm still annoyed at having to shell out money if I want to find out what happens next. Will I? Not sure, honestly. Not for a while, at any rate. If it's still bugging me in a month or so I might spring for it. Depends on my book-buying budget. (This is not to slam serials, just to vent slightly because what I got was not what I expected. My fault, not the author's.) All that said, I would recommend giving this a look. This first installment is free from Amazon in the illustrated version, and the illustrations are undeniably beautiful. They lost something on my B&W Kindle, of course, so my future purchases will probably be the cheaper unillustrated collection. I did go back and look at the illustrations on my computer in color, but they're not worth the extra money to me. They might be to you....
The islands of Wefrivain thrive on inequality and division. They are populated by humanoid shelts (think the fauns and satyrs of mythology, but with more variety in their non-human half) and unified only by the heavy-handed wyvern cult that has rooted out and persecuted all other religious expression. The dominant species are the Grishnards, griffin-shelts, with other panauns (shelts with paws instead of hooves) living as second-class citizens. The various species of fauns (hoofed shelts) suffer a far worse fate, nearly wiped out on most of the islands save the one that is kept as a game preserve, and even there facing the constant threat of being hunted and eaten. Not surprisingly, there's a spirited resistance group of pirates and other similar parties fighting to overturn the social order. Each of the varied islands is an isolated kingdom, beholden and answering only to wyverns and their ageless High Priestess.
Gerard Holovar is the High Priestess' newest Captain of the Police, promoted from the ranks of the Temple Watch navy after a particularly spectacular capture of a pirate vessel. Gerard is tasked with finding and destroying Sky Town, the rumored headquarters of the resistance, but for that he will need the help of Silveo Lamire, his former commander who has tried to kill him on multiple occasions.....
As I said above, I'm conflicted on this one. In the plus column, the world was pretty well fleshed out and seemed pretty real given it's premise. I even have to grant that the parts that creep me out make a fair amount of sense, given the animal-based biology of the characters and society. But...it's so disturbing! Now, the characters in the story are humanoid descendants of carnivorous and herbivorous beasts respectively, so the dynamic remains unchanged from ages past. I get that, really I do. But any story where sentient beings are being eaten by other sentient beings just gives me the heebie-jeebies. I like Gerard, really I do. Against my better judgement, I was even growing fond of Silveo by the end of the book. But the fact remains that Gerard and Silveo are working to preserve the horrific status quo. I like them, but I can't help hoping they fail in their quest to track down Sky Town. I suspect that this is deliberate, and my issues on this count will be resolved in later installments....
CONTENT: I don't recall there being any profanity worth mentioning. There is a fair amount of violence, sometimes disturbing given the whole eating-each-other thing. There is also some sexual content, not too explicit this time but I gather that it gets more so in later books.
The islands of Wefrivain thrive on inequality and division. They are populated by humanoid shelts (think the fauns and satyrs of mythology, but with more variety in their non-human half) and unified only by the heavy-handed wyvern cult that has rooted out and persecuted all other religious expression. The dominant species are the Grishnards, griffin-shelts, with other panauns (shelts with paws instead of hooves) living as second-class citizens. The various species of fauns (hoofed shelts) suffer a far worse fate, nearly wiped out on most of the islands save the one that is kept as a game preserve, and even there facing the constant threat of being hunted and eaten. Not surprisingly, there's a spirited resistance group of pirates and other similar parties fighting to overturn the social order. Each of the varied islands is an isolated kingdom, beholden and answering only to wyverns and their ageless High Priestess.
Gerard Holovar is the High Priestess' newest Captain of the Police, promoted from the ranks of the Temple Watch navy after a particularly spectacular capture of a pirate vessel. Gerard is tasked with finding and destroying Sky Town, the rumored headquarters of the resistance, but for that he will need the help of Silveo Lamire, his former commander who has tried to kill him on multiple occasions.....
As I said above, I'm conflicted on this one. In the plus column, the world was pretty well fleshed out and seemed pretty real given it's premise. I even have to grant that the parts that creep me out make a fair amount of sense, given the animal-based biology of the characters and society. But...it's so disturbing! Now, the characters in the story are humanoid descendants of carnivorous and herbivorous beasts respectively, so the dynamic remains unchanged from ages past. I get that, really I do. But any story where sentient beings are being eaten by other sentient beings just gives me the heebie-jeebies. I like Gerard, really I do. Against my better judgement, I was even growing fond of Silveo by the end of the book. But the fact remains that Gerard and Silveo are working to preserve the horrific status quo. I like them, but I can't help hoping they fail in their quest to track down Sky Town. I suspect that this is deliberate, and my issues on this count will be resolved in later installments....
CONTENT: I don't recall there being any profanity worth mentioning. There is a fair amount of violence, sometimes disturbing given the whole eating-each-other thing. There is also some sexual content, not too explicit this time but I gather that it gets more so in later books.
February 20, 2012
Gambled on this free Amazon download of a self-published book and lost. A potentially interesting world, but the author tells everything and shows very little. It feels like a play where a few characters make comments, while the backdrop is hazy and all the real action happens offstage. From reading reviews of the later books it seems sex becomes more of the small action in later books - all the more reason to not read anymore.
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December 29, 2010
On the face of it, this seems like a decent set-up: a disinherited prince of a lesser kingdom becomes Captain of the Police for the slightly sinister ruling Princess, and with the help of a cynical and threatening admiral (who dragged himself out of the lowest classes) embarks on an investigation of a growing resistance force that puts both their lives in danger.
But, the prince Gerard (voice by the esteemed Nathan Lowell, who I hope got a lot of money for doing this) is a "grishnard," the ruling caste of "shelts," who are half-human and half-griffin, with fuzzy ears, tails, and hooves. Silveo, the admiral, is a "foxling," and Gerard's best friend is his trusty griffin, who flies him all around and talks, too. The Princess is bound by her service to the gods, all-powerful wyverns, who also talk, of course. And swim.
Talking animals. Who kill each other and make fine coats to wrap around their, um, pelts. This would be a perfectly good story if not for the endless description of the Wyfervain caste system based on the histories of each "breed" of talking magical animals. Really. Well, mostly.
The growing trust and friendship between the extremely well-voiced Gerard and Silveo is very nicely done, and these are the best parts. I tune out during the occasional "exciting" parts (oho, a storm approaches!). And I was extremely disappointed to discover, upon concluding "Book One," that there is no narrative arc that distinguishes any of the "Books" from one another, and the story is apparently only one-third, or less, over.
Alas and alack, it is over for me. Even the gifted Nathan Lowell can't keep up the interest for me.
But, the prince Gerard (voice by the esteemed Nathan Lowell, who I hope got a lot of money for doing this) is a "grishnard," the ruling caste of "shelts," who are half-human and half-griffin, with fuzzy ears, tails, and hooves. Silveo, the admiral, is a "foxling," and Gerard's best friend is his trusty griffin, who flies him all around and talks, too. The Princess is bound by her service to the gods, all-powerful wyverns, who also talk, of course. And swim.
Talking animals. Who kill each other and make fine coats to wrap around their, um, pelts. This would be a perfectly good story if not for the endless description of the Wyfervain caste system based on the histories of each "breed" of talking magical animals. Really. Well, mostly.
The growing trust and friendship between the extremely well-voiced Gerard and Silveo is very nicely done, and these are the best parts. I tune out during the occasional "exciting" parts (oho, a storm approaches!). And I was extremely disappointed to discover, upon concluding "Book One," that there is no narrative arc that distinguishes any of the "Books" from one another, and the story is apparently only one-third, or less, over.
Alas and alack, it is over for me. Even the gifted Nathan Lowell can't keep up the interest for me.
May 14, 2013
While I'm typically am harder on books that are fond of using its own terms for things (I don't want to have to work to follow the author's dream) this was a surprisingly well written story, and worth the extra patience, in my opinion. The only other quibble with it was that the characters seemed much of a piece, with all of the main characters being good guys or people who would be good, if it weren't for their background." "Bad guys" who are just misunderstood strike me as the author being afraid to write disagreeable characters. And, there wasn't much in the way of character development, which strikes me as the author knowing that this is a series, and just waiting for subsequent books to put in development, which gives the story an incomplete feeling. It also ends on a cliffhanger, which, more and more feels gimmicky.
September 28, 2020
So I picked this up as a Kindle freebie 9 years ago and promptly forgot about it until it was randomly chosen off my to-read list for my read it or delete challenge. I would describe it as weird, but interesting. The people seems to be some sort of anthropomorphic animals and the "religion" seems very corrupt and messed up. I was often very confused, and yet, I can't deny that it was intersting, and I might even check out book #2.
3.5 Stars
2020 Read it or Delete Challenge: Read it
3.5 Stars
2020 Read it or Delete Challenge: Read it
October 27, 2011
The characterization and the story line was interesting but I got lost amoung the races and bored with the "reference work" chapter prefaces.
August 3, 2015
Right, let's get started. The plot? So hot #hotdamn. Easily worth all five of my stars. But it's not five star, as you can see. It's four star, and that's mainly because when I first started reading this I was so angry at the fact that the writing was mainly telling instead of showing. I cannot tell you the sheer amount of times I nearly rage quit out of this before the plot picked up.
A few things actually nearly put me off. One of them was when Hilton was describing what, exactly, a grishnard was. This is, of course, a person with the bottom half of a griffon. And so of course that popped me right back out of the book and I had to rage a little bit because the bottom halves of griffons are lions. Of course, lion shelts are mentioned later on and were their pelts were described to be near indistinguishable from griffon pelts, so that was something I grudgingly accepted. There was the writing, which I already mentioned.
Gerard, disgraced prince of a small kingdom and our protagonist; he was described as extremely honorable and, because of my own weakness towards that sort of character, I predicted that I would probably like him best. That is completely, utterly, fantastically incorrect. Do you know why? Two words. Silveo Lamire, the snarkiest little manipulative shit I have ever seen. At first, I was dragged along with Gerard's dislike of Silveo until he was mentioned to be "sexually omnivorous" (who says that? Which gender is the carnivore and which is the herbivore? Let's just say pansexual) and then I went off on a rant that went something like, "WHY ARE THE QUEER ONES ALWAYS VILLAINIZED?" That then led to my determination to love Silveo best, which I didn't even have to force once he was fleshed out a bit more. If I have a critique on his friendship between Silveo and Gerard, it's this: the point where the two become friends is just kind of shoved in our faces. They get scolded by their boss (who, incidentally, wants to tap Gerard's ass so badly that when she had her first interaction with him, I thought she was so thirsty she would drink an entire ocean) and then there's some awkward "so you're a person, I'm a person, I did a bad thing, I apologized," things happening, and suddenly they're friends. There isn't, given Silveo's personality, enough suspicion towards Gerard (or animosity). He gives him the silent treatment, threatens him a bit, and then whoops they start becoming friends like they tripped bass ackwards over themselves.
I kind of really love Silveo. He's great and snarky and a manipulative little shit.
But yeah, the plot eventually got so engaging that I kind of forgot about the writing style. It solidifies a lot as you go on, there are hilarious hijinks between Silveo and Gerard, there are some not so hilarious hijinks between them, and I just got suckered into the "I love Silveo Lamire" bandwagon so entirely I might as well become a raging fangirl shouting headcanons on tumblr.
This is a good, distracting read once you get over the initial hump that is the beginning of the novel. Keep trucking through, even if it starts with describing things you kind of forget about as soon as you read them. The plot, once you get there, claws itself into your brain and makes you want to throw something across the room as soon as you hit the cliffhanger at the end.
Smart move, Hilton. Smart move. Making me want to shell out cash for the next installment. What are you, the next Dickensian serial writer? Or maybe Tom Jones writer. That was also a serial with multiple books, although admittedly those books were like 3-5 chapters long.
Anyway, I am probably more vehement and emotional about this book than I should be. That's what you get for having Silveo as a character though. He's far too delightfully snarky and with deliciously dark backstory. Far more interesting than a disgraced prince, in my opinion.
Also, I'm calling it now. There was a throwback comment that Silveo's and Gerard's boss lady was maybe related to Gerard's wife, and I'm saying now that it's going to build into a major plotline later on. I could be paranoid, but I feel like it'll become a thing.
A few things actually nearly put me off. One of them was when Hilton was describing what, exactly, a grishnard was. This is, of course, a person with the bottom half of a griffon. And so of course that popped me right back out of the book and I had to rage a little bit because the bottom halves of griffons are lions. Of course, lion shelts are mentioned later on and were their pelts were described to be near indistinguishable from griffon pelts, so that was something I grudgingly accepted. There was the writing, which I already mentioned.
Gerard, disgraced prince of a small kingdom and our protagonist; he was described as extremely honorable and, because of my own weakness towards that sort of character, I predicted that I would probably like him best. That is completely, utterly, fantastically incorrect. Do you know why? Two words. Silveo Lamire, the snarkiest little manipulative shit I have ever seen. At first, I was dragged along with Gerard's dislike of Silveo until he was mentioned to be "sexually omnivorous" (who says that? Which gender is the carnivore and which is the herbivore? Let's just say pansexual) and then I went off on a rant that went something like, "WHY ARE THE QUEER ONES ALWAYS VILLAINIZED?" That then led to my determination to love Silveo best, which I didn't even have to force once he was fleshed out a bit more. If I have a critique on his friendship between Silveo and Gerard, it's this: the point where the two become friends is just kind of shoved in our faces. They get scolded by their boss (who, incidentally, wants to tap Gerard's ass so badly that when she had her first interaction with him, I thought she was so thirsty she would drink an entire ocean) and then there's some awkward "so you're a person, I'm a person, I did a bad thing, I apologized," things happening, and suddenly they're friends. There isn't, given Silveo's personality, enough suspicion towards Gerard (or animosity). He gives him the silent treatment, threatens him a bit, and then whoops they start becoming friends like they tripped bass ackwards over themselves.
I kind of really love Silveo. He's great and snarky and a manipulative little shit.
But yeah, the plot eventually got so engaging that I kind of forgot about the writing style. It solidifies a lot as you go on, there are hilarious hijinks between Silveo and Gerard, there are some not so hilarious hijinks between them, and I just got suckered into the "I love Silveo Lamire" bandwagon so entirely I might as well become a raging fangirl shouting headcanons on tumblr.
This is a good, distracting read once you get over the initial hump that is the beginning of the novel. Keep trucking through, even if it starts with describing things you kind of forget about as soon as you read them. The plot, once you get there, claws itself into your brain and makes you want to throw something across the room as soon as you hit the cliffhanger at the end.
Smart move, Hilton. Smart move. Making me want to shell out cash for the next installment. What are you, the next Dickensian serial writer? Or maybe Tom Jones writer. That was also a serial with multiple books, although admittedly those books were like 3-5 chapters long.
Anyway, I am probably more vehement and emotional about this book than I should be. That's what you get for having Silveo as a character though. He's far too delightfully snarky and with deliciously dark backstory. Far more interesting than a disgraced prince, in my opinion.
Also, I'm calling it now. There was a throwback comment that Silveo's and Gerard's boss lady was maybe related to Gerard's wife, and I'm saying now that it's going to build into a major plotline later on. I could be paranoid, but I feel like it'll become a thing.
June 3, 2015
I won't leave you in suspense. I loved this book. It's another one of those early Kindle purchases of mine which have been left neglected for too long. I finally did a bit of binge reading, and this lovely bit finally got read. I was so happy to see I'd already picked up the second volume. As I write this, I am 67% through the book II and loving it just as much as the first.
So why do I love it so much? Well, I'm not into furries, so the fact that the characters have bottom halves of animals isn't it (though I do think having a fluffy fox tail would be seriously cool). For me the art is hit or miss, so while I find the idea of illustrated books for adults appealing, it isn't what sold me. No, it's the dialogue. I'm a dialogue freak, and Ms. Hilton sucked me in with Silveo's wit and sarcasm. Gerard, the PoV character, starts out as a stiff bore but he loosens up as he comes to realize his perfect, honorable world has left him with too narrow a view of the world. By the end of the book he's able to make some decent comebacks to Silveo's sly remarks, and show that he's a much more complex character than he initially appears.
The world Ms. Hilton has developed is interesting and not a little disturbing. Not only do certain types of the creatures inhabiting Wefrivain consider themselves superior to other creatures but even though said creatures are sentient and able to speak, they deem it okay to eat them. Faun pie is mentioned often, and Silveo often wears clothing made from the 'lesser' beings. Pegasus can speak, but are often hunted. Of course, not everyone in Wefrivain is happy about how things work, and quite a lot of the tension is due to the empathy held between species. It's not something I've seen done before and it adds a level of interest to what might otherwise be strictly an action story.
The government is very much religion-based, and upholds much of the racial persecution so prevalent in the story. It soon becomes evident that Gerard's initial view of the world is skewed and it takes some hard knocks and a lot of biting commentary from Silveo to open his eyes.
So, who exactly are these two characters? Silveo is the admiral of the Temple Ships. He's what's known as a foxling, a being who is humanoid on top and fox on the bottom. He grew up in a world that looked down on his kind and he's been kicking and biting his way to the top for a long time. He loves 'shinies' and dresses to impress, or to at least shock. He's clever, and witty but surprisingly vulnerable. He's awesome.
Gerard is a grishnard (humanoid on top, griffin on the bottom), and is a disgraced prince with a rod up his rear end. I wasn't sure I was going to like him since he seemed so stiff, but as the story developed and I learned more about him, I came to understand him better. As he learns more he lightens up a bit. He's a bit brooding and looming, and initially rubs Silveo wrong because he's all the things the foxling isn't. It makes for some excellent scenes.
There's a host of other interesting characters, including the elusive Flag/Gwain who is supposedly the leader of a group of rebels trying to end the tyranny of the Temple. Gerard's wife, and the reason he was disowned, is a pleasant and insightful young woman who is able to wrap just about anyone around her finger, including Silveo.
If you prefer, there is a single volume that includes all five parts of the story without the illustrations. I personally prefer to get the illustrated versions. Even though I don't like all of the images, the ones that I do like, I REALLY like. For example, there is one piece by Russian artist Kirgetova Tatiana that is simply gorgeous.
Now, if you excuse me, I must get back to volume II.
So why do I love it so much? Well, I'm not into furries, so the fact that the characters have bottom halves of animals isn't it (though I do think having a fluffy fox tail would be seriously cool). For me the art is hit or miss, so while I find the idea of illustrated books for adults appealing, it isn't what sold me. No, it's the dialogue. I'm a dialogue freak, and Ms. Hilton sucked me in with Silveo's wit and sarcasm. Gerard, the PoV character, starts out as a stiff bore but he loosens up as he comes to realize his perfect, honorable world has left him with too narrow a view of the world. By the end of the book he's able to make some decent comebacks to Silveo's sly remarks, and show that he's a much more complex character than he initially appears.
The world Ms. Hilton has developed is interesting and not a little disturbing. Not only do certain types of the creatures inhabiting Wefrivain consider themselves superior to other creatures but even though said creatures are sentient and able to speak, they deem it okay to eat them. Faun pie is mentioned often, and Silveo often wears clothing made from the 'lesser' beings. Pegasus can speak, but are often hunted. Of course, not everyone in Wefrivain is happy about how things work, and quite a lot of the tension is due to the empathy held between species. It's not something I've seen done before and it adds a level of interest to what might otherwise be strictly an action story.
The government is very much religion-based, and upholds much of the racial persecution so prevalent in the story. It soon becomes evident that Gerard's initial view of the world is skewed and it takes some hard knocks and a lot of biting commentary from Silveo to open his eyes.
So, who exactly are these two characters? Silveo is the admiral of the Temple Ships. He's what's known as a foxling, a being who is humanoid on top and fox on the bottom. He grew up in a world that looked down on his kind and he's been kicking and biting his way to the top for a long time. He loves 'shinies' and dresses to impress, or to at least shock. He's clever, and witty but surprisingly vulnerable. He's awesome.
Gerard is a grishnard (humanoid on top, griffin on the bottom), and is a disgraced prince with a rod up his rear end. I wasn't sure I was going to like him since he seemed so stiff, but as the story developed and I learned more about him, I came to understand him better. As he learns more he lightens up a bit. He's a bit brooding and looming, and initially rubs Silveo wrong because he's all the things the foxling isn't. It makes for some excellent scenes.
There's a host of other interesting characters, including the elusive Flag/Gwain who is supposedly the leader of a group of rebels trying to end the tyranny of the Temple. Gerard's wife, and the reason he was disowned, is a pleasant and insightful young woman who is able to wrap just about anyone around her finger, including Silveo.
If you prefer, there is a single volume that includes all five parts of the story without the illustrations. I personally prefer to get the illustrated versions. Even though I don't like all of the images, the ones that I do like, I REALLY like. For example, there is one piece by Russian artist Kirgetova Tatiana that is simply gorgeous.
Now, if you excuse me, I must get back to volume II.
April 1, 2014
In case the 4/5 star rating wasn't clear, I really enjoyed Embers. It's a quick, but fun and rewarding read, and I'm guessing it does a great job laying the ground work for the series to come. As a character introduction, it's honestly great; I don't think it's possible to put the book down without having a solid feel for who Silveo and Gerard are. And there's something about seeing them interact with one another that's just too perfect not to love. The beauty of it is that we can watch these two characters fall into a friendship and mutual respect with one another not due to any outward sense of commonality but because they're so different from one another that they're each strong in the places where the other is weak. Friendships and relationships where people are perfect for each other because they can balance one another out are always my favorites to watch transpire, and the relationship between Gerard and Silveo has that in spades.
If there's a complaint I have, it's a general quirk of mine that I honestly don't think I can hold against the book at all: I've never been a fan of the first of anything in a series. First seasons of TV shows are almost always my least favorite, and first books in series are almost always forgotten or brushed off by me (I almost never reread the first or second Harry Potter books when I pick that series up each year for this very reason), and Embers is no different in that regard. A solid foundation is import to any series, so I understand the necessary work that a first in a series has to do, but I almost never enjoy watching it being done.
What I do love is watching characters come into their own and move and operate within the world that's been established. Seeing as how Embers is almost assured to be my least favorite of the series, the fact that I enjoyed it enough to rank it a 4/5 star book bodes exceptionally well for the rest of the series and I can't wait to read it.
If there's a complaint I have, it's a general quirk of mine that I honestly don't think I can hold against the book at all: I've never been a fan of the first of anything in a series. First seasons of TV shows are almost always my least favorite, and first books in series are almost always forgotten or brushed off by me (I almost never reread the first or second Harry Potter books when I pick that series up each year for this very reason), and Embers is no different in that regard. A solid foundation is import to any series, so I understand the necessary work that a first in a series has to do, but I almost never enjoy watching it being done.
What I do love is watching characters come into their own and move and operate within the world that's been established. Seeing as how Embers is almost assured to be my least favorite of the series, the fact that I enjoyed it enough to rank it a 4/5 star book bodes exceptionally well for the rest of the series and I can't wait to read it.
March 5, 2016
The setting is very poorly established. Even though I read all the chapter headings, I was still confused about the world and the races.
Even without that, the premise and character development and interactions are, if not lacking, then unoriginal. A pretty boy exiled from his home because his family is evil, a blind adult plot moppet of a wife, and the obligatory anti-hero with a history of sexual abuse. Yawn.
The plot is so sleepy that I barely noticed it. Pretty Boy and Anti-Hero are tasked by a priestess to put a stop to the Resistance. Mostly we see the main characters faff about and decide to like each other for no adequate reason.
The worst thing was how predictably useless the women are. There are only two in the book (for people who swear by the Bechdel test, they never talk to each other) and they are objects. Thessalyn (wife) is basically a pet for her husband to protect and fawn over. The priestess is a stock character: the pathetic whore who tries unsuccessfully to steal Husband's heart. He's even confused and unsure of her intentions after she kisses him.
I don't know what I expected but I was definitely disappointed.
Even without that, the premise and character development and interactions are, if not lacking, then unoriginal. A pretty boy exiled from his home because his family is evil, a blind adult plot moppet of a wife, and the obligatory anti-hero with a history of sexual abuse. Yawn.
The plot is so sleepy that I barely noticed it. Pretty Boy and Anti-Hero are tasked by a priestess to put a stop to the Resistance. Mostly we see the main characters faff about and decide to like each other for no adequate reason.
The worst thing was how predictably useless the women are. There are only two in the book (for people who swear by the Bechdel test, they never talk to each other) and they are objects. Thessalyn (wife) is basically a pet for her husband to protect and fawn over. The priestess is a stock character: the pathetic whore who tries unsuccessfully to steal Husband's heart. He's even confused and unsure of her intentions after she kisses him.
I don't know what I expected but I was definitely disappointed.
August 23, 2014
When I started this book I considered that it might be a teen novel or maybe even a child's novel from the cover and internal art, which while good, seemed to me to be more akin to something by L'Angle or Lewis. The book is not however for anyone under the age of 13 or so as there are some wonderful plot devices and harsh realities in the book that are very adult and if not outright violent and sexual they hint to it.
I must say that I did enjoy the book and will probably read the rest of them as I get them. I did notice that they have them in Kindle editions and I am considering them or paperback.
The story itself is strong and worth reading for fans of fantasy though it does take some getting used to when dealing with the different species. I am still very curious as to what Ocelots look like as the description, though good, was not enough for me to get a very good picture. If there was a companion book that listed the species named in the book with artistic demonstrations of them in their own environment I would gladly buy that also.
I must say that I did enjoy the book and will probably read the rest of them as I get them. I did notice that they have them in Kindle editions and I am considering them or paperback.
The story itself is strong and worth reading for fans of fantasy though it does take some getting used to when dealing with the different species. I am still very curious as to what Ocelots look like as the description, though good, was not enough for me to get a very good picture. If there was a companion book that listed the species named in the book with artistic demonstrations of them in their own environment I would gladly buy that also.
December 31, 2015
What a fantastic cliff hanger of a story! I especially like the fully formed, well thought out, imperfect characters.
I can not wait to continue the story with The Guild of the Cowry Catchers Book 2: Flames Deluxe Illustrated Edition. I have also purchased her first series The Prophet of Panamindorah a complete trilogy which is a completely different story that takes place in the same world/universe.
Edit: I forgot to add, that the illustrations look fabulous, even on the Kindle where there is no color. The illustrator(s), did a wonderful job, and added an element of fun to the stories.
I can not wait to continue the story with The Guild of the Cowry Catchers Book 2: Flames Deluxe Illustrated Edition. I have also purchased her first series The Prophet of Panamindorah a complete trilogy which is a completely different story that takes place in the same world/universe.
Edit: I forgot to add, that the illustrations look fabulous, even on the Kindle where there is no color. The illustrator(s), did a wonderful job, and added an element of fun to the stories.
September 2, 2012
The author has a TON of different names for species, animals, islands, characters, etc. The worst part is that it is not only difficult to keep track of what is what, things I thought I was aware of (i.e. griffin) aren't what she is referring to. For instance, she has a species that is half human and half griffin. But aren't griffins hybrids themselves? Which part is griffin? Wouldn't that be just half lion? Furthermore, terms can be very similar.
I think the biggest disappointment is that, after all that work (time/effort) I put in to remembering who is who and what is what, nothing happened in this book. I understand that this is a set up for the books to follow, but it was very disappointing and frustrating. That said, the characters are still interesting, and the concept is good, I'm just not sure that all this was necessary.
I think the biggest disappointment is that, after all that work (time/effort) I put in to remembering who is who and what is what, nothing happened in this book. I understand that this is a set up for the books to follow, but it was very disappointing and frustrating. That said, the characters are still interesting, and the concept is good, I'm just not sure that all this was necessary.
January 25, 2015
Three stars for the story and one more for the very interesting world-building. The illustrations are helpful in visualizing the (entirely) non-human cast of characters. There is a lot of idiosyncratic vocabulary in the book, which made it challenging to follow at first, but it was interesting enough to keep me going. This is part one of five and is a cliffhanger; the story does not resolve at all and probably has barely gotten going. I am likely to read the others at some point, as I'm curious about where it will go.
This appears to be sort of a self-pub book, and I will say the writing is very solid, flows well, and the copyediting is so excellent that I did not find even one typo in the whole book... So for that I bestow upon its author the SROP golden rodent award.
This appears to be sort of a self-pub book, and I will say the writing is very solid, flows well, and the copyediting is so excellent that I did not find even one typo in the whole book... So for that I bestow upon its author the SROP golden rodent award.
July 30, 2010
I finished this book yesterday and started on book 2 today! Thanks for the recommendatiom from another Goodreads author and excellent voice talent, R.E. Chambliss. I find myself so captivated by the characters and story that the time spent while listening goes by quickly, and whatever it was I was doing takes a back seat in my mind as I see the story unfold with such clarity that I feel like I'm there witnessing it in person.
January 13, 2018
Silveo is the best. Er, I mean, he's an extremely well developed and memorable character, and I love him. And his dialogue. And his depth. And his brain.
(I may add more later but this was the most important thing I wanted to share. Silveo rocks.)
(I may add more later but this was the most important thing I wanted to share. Silveo rocks.)
January 20, 2019
Very confusing start with a zoo of strange animal beings that are not even introduced in the beginning. What would work in a movie feels like name scrabble here. Did not get past the first chapters.
March 18, 2014
This is the best podcast-novel I've ever heard. And it's fast becoming one of my favorite stories ever. Go to itunes, search for Guild of the Cowry Catchers, and start downloading it!
August 26, 2020
Start of a new paranormal adventure series set on a strange world. A disinherited prince is installed as the new chief of police. Besides doing his job, he has to protect his wife and best friend, avoid being manipulated by his boss, and deal with a slippery co-worker. He also has to avoid being knocked off himself, as almost all his predecessors have been.
I'm not sure what sort of creature he is, other than being unusually tall, with a tail and clawed feet. There are explanations that begin each chapter, but I skipped them because I found them dull and interrupting the narrative.
To me, the most interesting story elements were the character revelations about his co-worker the Admiral. We discover a nicer guy than he lets on, with fears based on past trauma.
There's a lot of cruelty in this book, some done by the "good guys." It made me a bit queasy. I mourn the needless loss of life and the suffering.
I'm not sure what sort of creature he is, other than being unusually tall, with a tail and clawed feet. There are explanations that begin each chapter, but I skipped them because I found them dull and interrupting the narrative.
To me, the most interesting story elements were the character revelations about his co-worker the Admiral. We discover a nicer guy than he lets on, with fears based on past trauma.
There's a lot of cruelty in this book, some done by the "good guys." It made me a bit queasy. I mourn the needless loss of life and the suffering.
November 8, 2015
Embers (The Guild of the Cowry Catchers #1)
by Abigail Hilton
If you are the target audience for this book, you will love it. Read the warnings from the author and the other reviewers and if you still want to read it, I guarantee you should just go ahead and get the whole series.
I listened to this as The Guild of the Cowry Catchers: A Story of Pirates and Panamindorah, Complete 5-Book Series from audible. The series is really one long story with each book ending at the end of a part of the story. And what a story! It was an epic tale with a fascinating cast of characters and some truly imaginative world building. The audible version is a full cast performance with compelling voice work.
I have no trouble giving this entire series and each book in it 5 stars and I don’t give five star ratings lightly. There was not a moment of boredom in the entire long story.
This series is not for everyone, though. I think the description and the other reviews make it clear but I’ll add some warnings of my own. It is an adult story. There is violence, sex, sexual exploitation of children (told of by adult characters), rape, and other themes that some readers may just not be willing or able to deal with.
In addition to all that I’ve mentioned so far, the world itself might sqidge some readers out. There are no humans at all. The people are called shelts. They are creatures that have the top halves of a humans (the word human is never uttered) and the bottom halves of an animals. There are various kinds. Panauns (shelts with paws - such as felines and foxes) and Fauns (shelts with hooves) and Nauns (shelts with neither - such as Selkies). The author gives specific names to each type and it is usually easy to follow. The art makes it clearer so I highly recommend buying the Art of the Cowry Catchers or just check out the author’s website as there is enough there to make things clear.
In addition to shelts, there are also talking sentient animals as well. There are pegasus, gryphons, and other less mythical talking animals.
Another element of the world that is disturbing is that the shelts on the top of the hierarchy (Grishnards at the very top and other Panauns just below them but above Fauns) eat other shelts and wear their fur. It is a very hierarchical society and on the top of all the shelts are the wyverns, who are considered gods, and their high priestess Morchella.
In the first book, we are introduced to the islands of Wefrivain (which is a part of the world of Panamindorah) and the main characters Gerard Holovar and Silveo Lemire. It is a complicated world with a complicated story, but the author manages to introduce things without too much exposition by using quotes from three books “A Guide to Wefrivain”, “The Truth about Wyverns”, and “The Non-Grishnards of Wefrivain” - all authored by someone named Gwain. This is brilliant in more ways than one. First as I have mentioned, it takes care of some exposition without the annoying ‘as you know Bob’ trick. Secondly, it subtly sows some mis-information as Gwain’s tone is so authoritative but in reality he don’t actually know everything he thinks he knows. This pays off in the later books.
Gwain is at first just the name of a resistance fighter / pirate rumored to be organizing a movement but eventually he is a significant character in his own right.
The story starts out as we follow Gerard in his attempt to make something of his new post as captain of the temple police. He is an exiled Prince of the island of Holovaris and has spent the last year in the sea watch working for Admiral Silveo Lemire - a foxling whom he despises. When the high priestess Morchella makes him her captain of police, it is a promotion that put him technically on equal footing with Silveo but also puts him square in the middle of political intrigue and plots he can’t begin to understand.
Gerard is sort of a straightforward hero and the main POV character. He has led a privileged life as the eldest son of a king. A good shelt with sense of honor, he has been disowned for marrying a low born Grishnard named Thessalyn.
Gerard is in many ways the perfect hero for this story. He comes from a place of privilege and therefore is naive about most of this brutality of his own world. He is a Grishnard and a prince and has a really long journey to get to a place where he can begin to understand someone like Silveo Lemire. He considers himself honorable and notes he tries to right injustices, but in reality he barely notices them. He can’t from where he comes from. He finds eating fauns distasteful, but he stills does it. Morally, he is disquieted by the idea of slavery but barely gives the slave rowers on the ship more than a few seconds thought. As the hero he needs to start here and like the reader discover certain truths and take the journey to realize that he is on the wrong side of things. This isn’t much of a spoiler - if the reader isn’t routing for the so called pirates pretty early on in the story then perhaps this isn’t the story for you!
Then there is Admiral Silveo Lemire. He quickly became one of my favorite characters - and not just of this series but of all time. Imagine (if you are a Lois McMaster Bujold fan) Miles Vorkosigon if he had been raised in a brothel and trained as an assassin at age fifteen - and he was half fox. His sharp wit and humor won me over. Once he is on task, there is no such thing as impossible. I absolutely loved Silveo!
The story starts out slowly, but the pacing is perfect to get to know the characters and the world. There is a nail biting finale and the book ends on a cliff hanger but luckily, you can get the entire series.
by Abigail Hilton
If you are the target audience for this book, you will love it. Read the warnings from the author and the other reviewers and if you still want to read it, I guarantee you should just go ahead and get the whole series.
I listened to this as The Guild of the Cowry Catchers: A Story of Pirates and Panamindorah, Complete 5-Book Series from audible. The series is really one long story with each book ending at the end of a part of the story. And what a story! It was an epic tale with a fascinating cast of characters and some truly imaginative world building. The audible version is a full cast performance with compelling voice work.
I have no trouble giving this entire series and each book in it 5 stars and I don’t give five star ratings lightly. There was not a moment of boredom in the entire long story.
This series is not for everyone, though. I think the description and the other reviews make it clear but I’ll add some warnings of my own. It is an adult story. There is violence, sex, sexual exploitation of children (told of by adult characters), rape, and other themes that some readers may just not be willing or able to deal with.
In addition to all that I’ve mentioned so far, the world itself might sqidge some readers out. There are no humans at all. The people are called shelts. They are creatures that have the top halves of a humans (the word human is never uttered) and the bottom halves of an animals. There are various kinds. Panauns (shelts with paws - such as felines and foxes) and Fauns (shelts with hooves) and Nauns (shelts with neither - such as Selkies). The author gives specific names to each type and it is usually easy to follow. The art makes it clearer so I highly recommend buying the Art of the Cowry Catchers or just check out the author’s website as there is enough there to make things clear.
In addition to shelts, there are also talking sentient animals as well. There are pegasus, gryphons, and other less mythical talking animals.
Another element of the world that is disturbing is that the shelts on the top of the hierarchy (Grishnards at the very top and other Panauns just below them but above Fauns) eat other shelts and wear their fur. It is a very hierarchical society and on the top of all the shelts are the wyverns, who are considered gods, and their high priestess Morchella.
In the first book, we are introduced to the islands of Wefrivain (which is a part of the world of Panamindorah) and the main characters Gerard Holovar and Silveo Lemire. It is a complicated world with a complicated story, but the author manages to introduce things without too much exposition by using quotes from three books “A Guide to Wefrivain”, “The Truth about Wyverns”, and “The Non-Grishnards of Wefrivain” - all authored by someone named Gwain. This is brilliant in more ways than one. First as I have mentioned, it takes care of some exposition without the annoying ‘as you know Bob’ trick. Secondly, it subtly sows some mis-information as Gwain’s tone is so authoritative but in reality he don’t actually know everything he thinks he knows. This pays off in the later books.
Gwain is at first just the name of a resistance fighter / pirate rumored to be organizing a movement but eventually he is a significant character in his own right.
The story starts out as we follow Gerard in his attempt to make something of his new post as captain of the temple police. He is an exiled Prince of the island of Holovaris and has spent the last year in the sea watch working for Admiral Silveo Lemire - a foxling whom he despises. When the high priestess Morchella makes him her captain of police, it is a promotion that put him technically on equal footing with Silveo but also puts him square in the middle of political intrigue and plots he can’t begin to understand.
Gerard is sort of a straightforward hero and the main POV character. He has led a privileged life as the eldest son of a king. A good shelt with sense of honor, he has been disowned for marrying a low born Grishnard named Thessalyn.
Gerard is in many ways the perfect hero for this story. He comes from a place of privilege and therefore is naive about most of this brutality of his own world. He is a Grishnard and a prince and has a really long journey to get to a place where he can begin to understand someone like Silveo Lemire. He considers himself honorable and notes he tries to right injustices, but in reality he barely notices them. He can’t from where he comes from. He finds eating fauns distasteful, but he stills does it. Morally, he is disquieted by the idea of slavery but barely gives the slave rowers on the ship more than a few seconds thought. As the hero he needs to start here and like the reader discover certain truths and take the journey to realize that he is on the wrong side of things. This isn’t much of a spoiler - if the reader isn’t routing for the so called pirates pretty early on in the story then perhaps this isn’t the story for you!
Then there is Admiral Silveo Lemire. He quickly became one of my favorite characters - and not just of this series but of all time. Imagine (if you are a Lois McMaster Bujold fan) Miles Vorkosigon if he had been raised in a brothel and trained as an assassin at age fifteen - and he was half fox. His sharp wit and humor won me over. Once he is on task, there is no such thing as impossible. I absolutely loved Silveo!
The story starts out slowly, but the pacing is perfect to get to know the characters and the world. There is a nail biting finale and the book ends on a cliff hanger but luckily, you can get the entire series.
May 21, 2020
I thought the writing was quite good in this book, but I found myself drowning in new words and species in a very old-school fantasy way. There wasn't enough connection with real life for me to fully invest in the new world, and I think I was subconsciously disappointed that there was less romantic development than I had hoped (I guess there's a reason the authors' mm books were written under a different name).
Maybe I'll revisit this series when I'm more in the mood for pure fantasy.
Maybe I'll revisit this series when I'm more in the mood for pure fantasy.
January 12, 2020
Book one in a series of five that is really all one story, each book picking up where the previous one ended.
I have listened to the story on (free) podcast three times now and each time I understand a little more about the characters and how the layers develop.
The podcast is a brilliant production with voice actors playing character parts and the author reading the story.
I have listened to the story on (free) podcast three times now and each time I understand a little more about the characters and how the layers develop.
The podcast is a brilliant production with voice actors playing character parts and the author reading the story.
December 19, 2017
Embers.....
I have never read a book quite like this and it took me a little bit to figure out what characters were but once I did I found the story to be quite enjoyable and intend to read the whole series...
I have never read a book quite like this and it took me a little bit to figure out what characters were but once I did I found the story to be quite enjoyable and intend to read the whole series...
December 15, 2018
Uhhhhh, forgot about this author. Loved her books. You have to read them and I must reread them ;)
Read
July 11, 2024Hilton's world and character building is exceptional. This is my Nth re-read (I started with the original podcast), and I still catch new things on each reading.
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