I start this article with a confession: somewhat unacceptably for a writer and the owner of many books, somewhere around my mid-thirties I became something of a literary homebody. I have always loved re-reading, taking the most pleasure in the style, atmosphere and setting of a book, while the plot takes a distinctly secondary role. I've also been quite emotionally cowardly - I am fine with spoilers, and very much not fine with sudden plot twists that may have a traumatic impact. Both of these things have resulted in many years of not really picking up new fiction with any relish.
Fortunately, joining the vibrant and welcoming writing community on Bluesky has started to erode this reticence, and I've now enjoyed several books that either I had always wanted to read, or were by independent and self-publishing authors like myself. Two of the experiences which stand out in marking my progress are a thread which encouraged me to fulfil a lifelong ambition and finally read Watership Down (which, by the way, also resulted in my first and only post to date to exceed 100 likes), and one about Catch-22, a novel I admire to aching point but which is unquestionably a major source of my aversion to fictional trauma. Both of these came from the ever-engaging feed of self-published author Aud Connelly.
Aud's posts are always entertaining, and I knew that as I set out on a quest to do more new reading (particularly stories by writers who published their work themselves) that one of her books would be on my list, so I was genuinely excited when Wings In The Valley - her first novel - came up next in my TBR. The synopsis describes the book as fantasy work inspired by The Hobbit and featuring fauns, convincing me that my love of both Tolkien and C S Lewis would have something to feed on, but what I found inside the beautiful cover was an even more highly original concept than I had been expecting, even with tantalising themes like "polyamory" and "enemies-to-parents" being indicated in the many favourable reviews the story has received. Wings is a very moreish read: it's funny, well-paced and has at its heart a fascinating cast of diverse creatures and cultures whose facets are intriguing, which kept me reading eagerly to have my myriad questions answered.
The wonderful cover art for Wings In The Valley created by Arden PowellWorld-building is, of course, right at the heart of most fantasy authors' writing process, but what really grabbed me about the story is perhaps better described as 'culture-building'. Like the tale of the hole-dwellers of The Shire that inspired it, Wings lavishes detail on the customs and daily life of the peoples that dwell in the world, particularly the earthy, agricultural fauns of the titular valley and the proud, matriarchal harpies (with the titular wings) who soar above them, and like Tolkien, Aud has put particular thought into elements such as how names are derived - I was particularly intrigued by the tradition used by the harpies to (eventually) name their chicks. The striking originality also extends to the plot which, although superficially similar to a "there and back again" hero's journey at first, has plenty of surprising twists and is resolved by quite a different form of heroism than you might expect.
Aud ConnellyThe cast is numerous, and features some very engaging individuals. I must admit to finding the two principal characters, Feliks of the hoof-folk and the harpy Honey Rabbit, quite difficult to like for much of the book, but I realised quite late on I was forgetting that both are barely out of adolescence when the story starts, and both experience significant and life-changing trauma before their great adventure even begins. Aud weaves themes of disability, homonormativity and polyamory into the story's universe in the most natural way, while also examining issues of race and gender among the various peoples of the world, making Wings a relatable as well as a fantastical read.
Refreshing both in its unique setting and its embrace of less normative lifestyles than you'll find in a lot of fantasy, Wings in the Valley is a really impressive work for a debut novel. Aud has also published The Consort and I (soon to be added to my TBR) and is currently working on a new series referred to as Dogwood - you can find out more about this, and also enjoy Aud's excellent and amusing reflections on her own current reading list, by following her on Bluesky.
Aud Connelly's Books on Goodreads
