[Mithfânion]

I'd like to find a good book in which a avian companians (in a bonding kind of way) are used. What comes to mind now is Coe's Clidren of Gildri and some of Roberson's Cheysuli books. Both weren't really that great.

It's a rather specific question, I know. I always used to love the tales of Merlin and his Peregrine/Merlin.

[Penumbra]

In my series, The Kaska Trilogy, the protagonist, Ian McCaskill befriends a reagle family at the top of his mountain, fixing the male bird's broken wing. Later, after a reciprocal act of friendship, they establish a more or less permanent relationship, especially via the reagle sire's son, Gawain, who becomes critical in the plot, learns to speak English and opts to participate in a war for his friend's sake. All of this takes place on Gam, a planet way out there like nothing you have ever read or heard about. Please obtain a copy and let me know what you think.

[Vitriol]

A lot of Mercedes Lackey's characters have bond-bird; you might want to try some of those (Go on, free your mind...)

[This message has been edited by Vitriol (edited March 19, 2002).]

[saintjon]

There were a pair of eagles, Bastion and Anele, in the Shadow War trilogy. They could communicate telepathically and some of the main characters could share their senses with a power called Insight, but they weren't really central to the story. Still, I thought I should put that forward.

[e-Morgana]

I'll second the Mercedes Lackey suggestion - its the only one I know of anyway.

She has a race called the Tayledra's (?) which bond to birds of prey. Don't know if she appeals to your taste though.

[Radthorne]

Although I don't know if she has used avian characters specifically, I have always liked the way Diane Duane has used anthropomorphic characters in her books. In fact, I patterned those in my book after her style with them. I do have a pair of bird characters in The Road To Kotaishi, although they are not quite in the category of book-long companions. However they do interact in important (and fun) ways with one of the main characters of the book.

Another "animal companion" series I've liked (again, non-avian) are the Gandalara books by Garrett and Heydron.

Kevin Radthorne
www.kevinradthorne.com (http://www.kevinradthorne.com)

[Shadowen]

Julia Gray's the Ice mage and it's sequel Fire Music had characters who were telepathiclly bonded to birds. the books weren't bad - 'sunday afternoon' reading, imo. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Caly]

I know there were some bird characters in The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, but I can't remember exactly what their role was. I know they did talk to the main character, but I don't believe they were actually bonded. Beasts played a rather large role in the book.

Speaking of Julia Gray (way off topic, I know), the other day I was looking at some info on her online and came across a page that said she was actually a well-known fantasy author just using Julia Gray as a pen name. Does anyone have any info about that? It seemed almost like a publicity stunt to me.

Caleyna

[Steerpike]

The first thing that comes to mind is Archimedes, the owl in The Sword in the Stone who is Merlyn's sidekick.

And there's the Bird Princess in Barry Hughart's The Bridge of Birds

[Mithfânion]

Archimedes? Haha!