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Updated by John Raybould on Mar 20, 2013
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Best Talking-Animal Books

NOVELS (not picture books) featuring talking animals as either the main characters or secondary characters.

The Golden Compass: Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials): Philip Pullman: Books.
Lyra Belaqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar Pantalaimon always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold, far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: She alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

The Jungle Books: Rudyard Kipling

The Jungle Books: Rudyard Kipling.
Mowgli, the man-cub who is brought up by wolves in the jungles of Central India, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. As he embarks on a series of thrilling escapades, Mowgli encounters such unforgettable creatures as Bagheera, the graceful black panther, and Shere Khan, the tiger with the blazing eyes. Other animal stories range from the simple heroism found in 'Rikki-tikki-tavi' to the macabre comedy 'The Undertakers'. A rich and complex fable of human life, Kipling's enduring classic dazzles the imagination with its astonishing descriptive powers and lively sense of adventure.

TARANOR: Helen Ellwood, John Raybould

TARANOR (Prophecy): Helen Ellwood, John Raybould.
Sheean and Bryony have been promised to each other since birth, and are destined to rule the Faerie realm as King and Queen when they come of age. Evil minds conspire to stop their union.
Sheean is kidnapped and held prisoner in the Human realm. Unless rescued, he will be killed on his eighteenth birthday to satisfy one king's desire for immortality and another king's desire for power.
With the prophecy of their future in mind, Bryony must go to live among mortals, ageing as they do, while keeping her identity hidden. She is young and ill equipped for the job. Her immaturity and quick temper are as dangerous as the forces plotting against her.
If Bryony cannot save Sheean in time, the Human and Faerie realms will be destroyed and her dreams of becoming a queen along with them.

Fire Bringer: David Clement-Davies

Fire Bringer: David Clement-Davies.
Fire Bringer tells the story of Rannoch, a deer born with an oakleaf on his forehead at a time of prophecy and destined to free the herla forever.

The Sight: David Clement-Davies

The Sight: David Clement-Davies.
In the wilds of Transylvania a legend is about to be born, as a wolf pack race through the bitter snows, to find a birthing den for two cubs, one black, one white. In the birth of Fell, and his sister Larka, a race is on to defeat the wicked Morgra, and to come to terms with the extraordinary powers of The Sight.

The Book of Lost Things: John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things: John Connolly.
'Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost his mother . . .' As twelve-year-old David takes refuge from his grief in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds the real world and the fantasy world begin to blend. That is when bad things start to happen. That is when the Crooked Man comes. And David is violently propelled into a land populated by heroes, wolves and monsters, his quest to find the legendary Book of Lost Things.