Sorry about that… Thanks to Twitter we learned about a new animal fantasy series from Bad Dog Books: Disbanded, first in the Serpentia series by Frances Pauli. “Sookahr the architect is just one of many snakes within Serpentia, an underground society where snakes and their rodent companions have lived in peace for as long as anyone can remember. Their destinies are preordained at birth, when they are fit with skymetal bands to enhance the telekinetic powers that aid them everyday. Given an opportunity unheard of for a snake of his caste, Sookahr and Kwirk, his mouse aid, venture to a recently-destroyed outpost at the far edges of Serpentia, hoping to redesign the structure and prove his skill as an architect. But something watches from the jungle, and whatever attacked the outpost is poised to strike again. Will Sookahr’s drive to rise above his station get his team killed? Or will he respond to the call he’s heard since birth, and be the hero who can save them all?” Not a lot of books out there starring snakes, let alone furry fantasy books! Take a look over at Barnes & Noble to find out more and order it in papeback.
Books and Trade Paperbacks
Be A Wolf, Woof
New from Ablaze Publishing is Wild Thing, Or: My Life as a Wolf, a full-color graphic novel written and illustrated by Clayton Junior. “Wild Thing Or: My Life as a Wolf tells the story of an affectionate and inquisitive Labrador named Silver, who grew up on a farm with his master and his hundreds of sheep. But Silver dreams of adventure, bored by the monotony of his farm life… What is beyond the hills? Where does the river flow? Which animals live in the forest? So many questions without answers… One night, Silver meets a trio of hungry wolves. Attracted by their unhindered life-as enticing as it is dangerous-he decides to follow them, and learns to live the wild life with the pack, which is rough and exhilarating at the same time. Along the way he discovers love, and the ravages of human civilization that are reducing the living space of animals, threatening their very existence.” Find out more at the creator’s web site.
Turn to the Left! Right!
Something rather different — from Disney’s publishing house no less! The Fashion Kitty Collection brings together both volumes of this popular children’s comic book series written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper. “Fashion Kitty’s here to save the day! *fist pump* A brain that can mix and match hundreds of outfits in a second. X-ray eyes that can see through buildings and anything else in the way. Ears that hear the distress call of someone in need of fashion help. Tail of comfort. One touch of the tail makes everything seem all right. Supersonic feet that make Fashion Kitty really bounce.” No kidding. And it’s available now from Little Brown Books and Disney Hyperion.
Oh, the Gryphons and the Wyverns Should Be Friends…
It goes without saying perhaps: One of the “casualties” of conventions and conferences being canceled or postponed left and right is vendors who had made big plans to sell product at those events. Here’s one — John Bailey has a new novel out, the first in his Feathers & Flames series, called Dire. “Euraiya is a lazy gryphon, content to let her traps hunt for her. Roving thieves and bullish curs are her only concerns. But after she fails to save her home from a far greater threat, her world erupts into flames. Broken and half dead, she must claw her way to find a place within a new pride that’s poised to exile her with one wrong move. Forced to prove her worth, her warnings are silenced. But with the leaders distracted and a rogue lord poised to take advantage of any weakness, Euraiya must confront them and herself before it’s too late. Can Euraiya save what’s left of her future before the fires rain down again? Dire is the first novel in a new creature fiction fantasy series that pits gryphons against wyverns in a battle for land and survival.” The author was all set to make a book-signing tour of various furry conventions, but now that’s not happening. Find the book over at Amazon, and see if you can help out a creative writer!
Awww… One Not-Scary Little Monster
The Adorable Beastling is a new full-color graphic novel, written and illustrated by Jonathan Rosenberg. “The Ugly Duckling but in reverse. Beastlings are fierce and scare for food, but this young group of Beastlings have an oddball who just can’t scare. She was too cute to scare anything. We wonder if she’ll survive. Just like the original fable, this story is about being yourself and being ok with it.” This softcover one-shot is available now from Action Lab.
A Fat Cat You Can Get Behind
Younger fur fans might not remember What’s Michael? the manga or the successful anime series that followed it — but over the years we’ve talked a LOT about Makoto Kobayashi’s creation: A somewhat lazy pet cat with a very active imagination. Well now the original manga return in a new black & white collection from Dark Horse Press. “True-to-life daily cat scenarios and off-the-wall crazy feline fantasies combine in this epic manga collection! Makoto Kobayashi’s hilarious series returns in a set of oversized collections, starting with our first Fatcat Collection!” Volume 1 is available now — and at more than 500 pages, even the book is fat!
The Witch and the Wolf
More unusual relationships, but now there’s magic in the mix in Mooncakes, a new full-color graphic novel. “Nova Huang is still young, but she’s one of the most powerful witches in New England. She spends her days working in her grandmothers’ spell book shop and her nights hunting down the supernatural. Tam Lang, a genderqueer werewolf, was Nova’s childhood crush. Tam has been wandering from place to place for years until the one fateful night they find themselves back in their hometown… battling a giant horse demon in the woods. Tam turns to Nova for help, and their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.” Written by Suzanne Walker and illustrated by Wendy Xu, Mooncakes is available now from Lion Forge.
I Like Him, But…
Okay, so how about monkey and cat this time? That’s the idea of The Lonesome Era, Jon Allen’s new black & white graphic novel from Iron Circus. “Camden is a cat. Camden is also crushing hard on his best buddy and all-around terrible influence, Jeremiah. Young, bored, and trapped in their slowly decomposing Rust Belt town, Camden tamps down his burgeoning feelings for the local ne’er-do-well and allows himself to be dragged along with every awful idea, every hair-brained plan, and every threat to life and limb Jeremiah can come up with. As the dangers of Camden’s risk-taking mount, an even more terrifying confrontation with who he is and what he truly wants looms ever closer. How much longer can this go on?” You’ll find out! Check out this extensive preview too.
Quite A Pair. Of WHAT We’re Not Sure
Graphic Universe presents Monkey & Robot, a new hardcover graphic novel by Peter Catalanotto. “Monkey and Robot are friends—the best kind. They simply belong together, and it never matters that silly Monkey is furry, or that gentle Robot can rust. What matters is their sharing: movies and popcorn, games of hide-and-seek, a fish tank for… a hippopotamus? Joining the ranks of such noteworthy pairs as Bert and Ernie, Frog and Toad, and Henry and Mudge, Monkey & Robot celebrates friendship in this chapter book of four charming tales that are ideal for young readers.” It’s available now from Simon & Schuster.