Kim Deister
I am obsessed with the entire Valdemar epic saga— all the standalones, duologies, trilogies, etc. Owlflight is the first of one my favorite trilogies within the series.
This book begins the trilogy of Darian, a Valdemarian orphan whose parents disappeared into the mysterious woods that border his tiny, isolated village. The townspeople, having viewed his family as outliers, were disgruntled at finding him in need of care. And Darian knew it, feeling even more lost and alone. Then barbarians swoop into the village, and he only barely managed to escape… into the clan of the mysterious Hawkbrothers. They shelter him, adopt him as one of their own, and help him save his village.
The world-building that Mercedes Lackey is unparalled. She is extraordinary at creating worlds that are completely fantastical yet entirely believable. From the settings to the creatures, she builds worlds that I want to live in.
Many find the storylines a bit slow, but I think that isn’t a negative but a positive when it comes to Lackey’s novels. She creates characters that are fully realized and flawed, with plots that are character-driven, allowing their arcs to develop over the entire trilogy/series.
My recommendation: If you love really good high fantasy, this is a beautiful book to read.