This is, to be honest, like no book I have ever read and it is also the most Furry-esque published novel I have found. Unlike most of the anthropromorphic animal genre, it is dark and gritty and obviously intended for an adult audience. It is also a most compelling and engrossing read, with a similar feel to two of my favourite things - ElfQuest and Princess Mononoke.

Set in Australia, the dominant sentient race are a species of anthopromorphic foxes with butterfly wings and antennae, known as the "kashra" - indeed, this is book one of the Kashran Cycle, but I am happy to note (especially since the other books don't seem to yet exist) it is a story in itself and comes to a satisfying conclusion. The two main characters are sisters, but very different in personality and appearance. There is Zhukora, the huntress, black of fur and blue of wing and fierce and ambitious of nature contrasted with the gentle, and mute, Shadarii, lover of life and the dance. For centuries the Kashran have followed a simple way of life - a hunter/gatherer cycle, but that is all about to change. The forest is dying, food is getting scarce and Zhukora unwittingly awakens a spirit that will change their world forever.

One of the successes of this epic story is that you grow attached both the antagonist and protagonist. It is a tragic, and spiritual tale and I would whole-heartedly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a "Furry" should make an effort to read it. Seriously, I cannot understand how after four years in the fandom it has only recently been drawn to my attention. For non-furries, however, don't be fooled - this is not Redwall - it is a lot more grim, more sexual and much less formulaic.

It is also illustrated by Terrie Smith, with a black and white picture in almost every chapter (including several pictures of different tribes at the back) and a colour one on front and back covers. I, personally, am not a huge Terrie Smith fan and think some of the pictures are fairly basic, but I am aware she is very popular. Although, as someone pointed out in the Amazon reviews, her pictures are a little too cute and pin-up for the general atmosphere of the story and you can almost imagine the heaving bosoms. ( )

The back of the book did not lie, I STILL think of this book even after its been months since I have read it. This book made me cry, laugh, and had me gritting my teeth in anger, agony and anticipation.
I will begin with the genre, it is an anthro fantasy book meaning all of the characters are animals, in this book they are bipedal foxes with butterfly wings who wear clothing, talk and walk on two legs using thier hands much like humans. In Paul Kidds world there is an energy called Isha which is taken from Ka or spirits as the super handy footnotes at the bottom of the pages will tell you as you read. One downside to the footnotes though is that the text starts higher up on the page then a normal book. The text however is very dark and easy to read. The story is mainly told from three diffrent views, The sisters Shadarii and Zhukora and the poor soilder Kotaru. Shadarii is whom i really loved, unlike all the other foxes she cannot talk, she must communicate through dance and movements. It is her who has the most connection with the Ka and isha fields. Zhukora her sister (and Zhukoras best friend Daimiru) offer up the 'evil' of the book, but, it was not until certain events happend that Zhukora turned from the peaceful life and strived for freedom from the branches.
Kotaru gets more solo time later in the book, he is also Shadariis love interest, he meets her out of a trap set by his king, he wanted Kotaru to play against Zhukoras Jiteng team and hopefully lose to them. Jiteng, for the most part is like Lacrosse but played in the air and MUCH more brutal, wings get snaped as well as spines and necks. There is plenty of blood shed and magic in this book, mystery, mayhem love and tradjedy abound! Oh and did i forget to mention the WONDERFUL art in the book? I did? Well, during your reading journey you will be provided visual images on certain pages depicting certain scenes in the book, all art is done by anthro artist Terrie Smith.
All in all this is one of my favorite books of all time, i really could not find much fault with it except for the wierd text placement. I doubt your local store would have this book so you would only be able to get it from online stores or Ebay, but it is worth it! It is also quite a long book so youll have plenty to read. Even if you are not a fan of or have ever heard of the genre Anthro, i couldnt think of a better book to start you off! ( )

Carrying water for thoughtful messages in books can always be tricky, particularly in fantasy where juggling worldbuilding with the rest of the plot comes into play. Add in a setting that is even less likely than most to be taken seriously - "A Whisper of Wings" take place in world populated by a species of anthropomorphic fox/butterfly people, called "Kashran" - and it's refreshing when it's mostly pulled off.

Paul Kidd's epic fantasy isn't entirely free of didactism, but apart from one passage - and it's still a relatively short one - it doesn't dwell on it; just as important, it's a message that fits the way the book actually develops. Narnia frequently suffers from Lion-Jesus as Deus Ex Machina to force things into shape; in His Dark Materials Pullman has trouble allowing his primary characters to share the same fate he celebrates for others, even apart from the last book's lockstep into his narrative. Kidd's points form out of the way the characters act and change; no-one is a slave to the plot.

Which isn't to say it couldn't have been done better. Characters sound like they're channeling the opening of Fiddler on the Roof on occasion; and while Kidd does some very nice worldbuilding, the early passages are overburdened with descriptive language. Terrie Smith's interior art can also distract; sometimes it's a effective adjunct to the text, but occasionally it strays into blatant pinup territory.

The bulk of the book nevertheless carries itself rather well; even the later scenic introductions (there are several) don't have the problems plaguing the early going. The world of "A Whisper of Wings" is both fairly unique and well-built; though more time is spent on the some places than others, it's convincing as a functioning world without slavish copying from elsewhere. The magic suffusing it all is woven into plot too. And while some minor characters could use some more development and screen time - the book could be a little longer in general - the two primaries that drive the plot are effective. Paul Kidd has quite a nice book here. ( )

The major problem this book has is simple: it will only ever get the most minute fraction of the readers it deserves. It's a massive tome, printed in Australia by what looks like a niche publisher, and as well as facing all the "oh it's not real literature" prejudice usually levelled at fantasy books, it also has to deal with being a 'furry' novel - that is, one featuring anthropomorphic animals and entrenched in the 'furry fandom' which has been the target of either hatred or dismissal. If you can ignore the scantily-clad bipedal butterfly-winged foxes that populate the story (and feature heavily in the illustrations), then there is something here for you - an intelligent, powerful epic that is at times bombastic and at others full of homeliness and humanity, and treats the weighty themes of politics, religion and morality with a deft hand (or paw). I almost wish that Kidd had written the same novel but "played it straight" - humans, realism, no full-page illustrations - but that would have robbed the book of a lot of its charm for geeks like me, as I find the carefully-conceived details of the races and tribes very interesting. In short, it is an amazing pièce de resistance from an author I'd like to read more of, and I hope many more people will discover how good it is. ( )

http://www.wsfa.org/journal/j01/2/index.htm#cr ( )