Birds in Fiction: Mercedes Lackey

As a parrot owner, I delight when I pick up a book to find that it contains birds. (As a horse, and cat lover, I'm always happy to find those books, too; however, cats and horses are far more plentiful as main characters). I'm also a fan of the fantasy genre, which makes Mercedes Lackey's books a double delight. Not only are her birds characters, but oftentimes they are main characters with their own personalities, much like my own birds.

In Ms. Lackey's fantasy world, the Hawkbrothers, or Tayledras, are frequently characters in her novels. Hawkbrothers are tribes that bond to birds, mostly raptors, to assist them in their work. Although this is a simplified version of their role, it's clear to see, even from their name, that Hawkbrothers, deal extensively with birds. Feathers frequently ornament their clothing, and they treat their birds as members of the family or a trusted friend.

Hawkbrothers appear in nearly every series of books that she has written, including The Mage Winds Series, Vows and Honor, and her just finished series about Darien (Owlsight, Owlfight, and Owlknight). Fans of her music can find these "bird people" mentioned in her Oathbound and Oathbreakers albums.

Ms. Lackey also wrote a series of books about a gryphon. Though not a "real" bird breed, the antics of this bird, merit a three book series, which I much enjoyed. The Black Gryphon, The Silver Gryphon, and The White Gryphon are the titles in this series.

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