Across America and beyond, the creatures of the earth have risen against the N'ihdoggs-the human beings who have taken their lands, destroyed their habitats and driven countless species into extinction. Led by the mysterious and terrifying power of Talwadc, they are preparing for a final war, a war that will not end until one side is destroyed. Caught in the middle is Gallad, a small squirrel and reluctant messenger who would much rather survive than become a hero. Along the way he finds himself drawn into the company of Condumour and her sister Aossin, two extraordinary young women who believe that the coming catastrophe can still be stopped. With Fundin the Buckler beside them, they set out on a desperate mission to bring peace between the animals and the N'ihdoggs.Their journey takes them through a strange and dangerous America of deserts, mountains, cities under bombardment, military bunkers and the remnants of a civilization fighting for its survival. They encounter generals and Presidents, armies and animal hordes, ancient myths and forgotten gods. Behind the war lies an older mystery: the meaning of Talwadc itself, and the terrible connection between the animals, the land and the fate of the world.But the closer they come to the heart of the conflict, the more they discover that Talwadc is not simply a war. It is the awakening of something ancient, something bound to extinction, vengeance and the great cycles of creation. Ragnarok is coming, and the fires of Surt are already burning on the horizon.Gallad knows that their peace plan may be hopeless. The animals want their stolen lands back. The N'ihdoggs want victory. Neither side trusts the other. Yet Condumour insists there is still one power neither side has understood. It isLove. As the armies gather and the world moves towards its final battle, three unlikely companions must cross the boundary between human and animal, myth and reality, life and death, to discover whether the oldest hatred in the world can finally be broken.TALWADC is a wild, darkly comic and mythic adventure about animals
