The Fall of Eldvar, Book One: In Wilder Lands By Jim Galford

The Fall of Eldvar, Book One: In Wilder Lands By Jim Galford

Description: The wilding Estin just wanted to be left alone, find shelter and food, and live to a nice old age. With war escalating around him, these may be beyond his reach. Instead, survival becomes his only goal as he flees civilization to pursue the chance at a better life by following a fox wildling into the mountains, far from the war's conflicts.

The war might still be raging elsewhere, but Estin will find the mountains are far from safe. Estin must decide what he is willing to do and become, as well as who to trust if he is to survive, no matter where he lives.

About This Book: The first book revolves around two wildlings (anthros), from very different parts of the world. Estin is a street rat (okay, street lemur) who struggles to survive in a city that hunts wildlings the way most cities might hunt stray dogs. Estin is also the sole voice of this story. Feanne, a fox-lioness hybrid, is a noble barbarian and druid, sent to the city to negotiate a truce to get the city's hunters to stop hunting her people in the wilds. Things go south, the two flee into the wilderness, and thus begins Estin growing up and learning what he really wants to do with his life.

The whole story focuses on the long-term relationship of these two characters, while the world falls into a massive war that we largely see from the distance. We only know what is happening in the cities if Estin actually goes there or hears word of it. This story is entirely character-relationship driven, while giving hints at a lot more going on off-screen. At this point in the story, all we need to know is that the war beyond their lands really is not going well and is starting to spill over heavily into their lives.