Whiterock by Hal Aetus

You might want to read this book if you would enjoy:

• Xenofiction, adventure, and detailed worldbuilding

• A unique, post-human world of intelligent birds

• Avians as written by a professional avian veterinarian

• Seeing how bird anatomy and behavior would build and adapt to a civilization

• Reading all about birds getting their freak on

Whiterock has been on my radar for a long time. Having read Hal Aetus's first two books, The Sky Calls and The Adler Chronicles, I know that Hal Aetus is at his best when he's able to apply his professional knowledge of avians to his writing. I couldn't think of a more appropriate vessel for that strength than a post-human world entirely composed of intelligent birds. I love seeing an author write to their strengths and hone them to such effect. So, needless to say, this was one of most highly anticipated books of 2025, and I'm happy to say I was not disappointed. Whiterock is by far the author's most ambitious story so far, drawing on his experience as a professional avian veterinarian to craft a believable, scientifically informed world that never stops delivering on its creativity. Smart, unique, and well-written, I think this is Aetus's best book yet.

Whiterock takes place in a post-human age where the world has been inherited by intelligent "awakened" avians of all different species. In this world we have Sashya and Pepro, a barn owl and bald eagle who work as apprentices to Kor, a raven blacksmith. When a king arrives at their doorstep asking for a pair of bonding rings to be crafted for him and his mate on extremely short notice, Sashya and Pepro are sent to the titular city of Whiterock to acquire the gold needed to make the rings. Of course, the job is easier said than done, and the pair soon find themselves in the midst of danger and intrigue as they delve deep into this unique avian society.

It's a simple setup for a complex world, giving the reader plenty of time to settle into the bizarre before a more intricate story springs into action. It's one of a few choices in the story that make sure readers aren't overwhelmed by worldbuilding details in this unfamiliar setting. The book doesn't get bogged down in exposition. For that, there are impressive appendixes in the back of the book, including a glossary, character bios, and even anatomical charts. These worked for me as interesting supplementary reading rather than as something I needed to reference throughout the story. So readers who fear overwhelming detail or being bored by exposition need not worry about that in Whiterock. I can't say it isn't entirely present, but the way this avian society works is usually shown rather than told. (Sometimes literally. The art in this book is great.)

The story is bolstered by some of Aetus's best characters yet, and readers who enjoy a big cast of memorable characters will love this book. In fact, there really isn't a character without a distinct, memorable personality here. Sashya and Pepro work great as a believable gay couple, making a good team playing off each other's strengths and weaknesses. Nyx, a falcon and friend to Sashya and Pepro, is motivated and impatient as she pursues her own goals. Even the side characters have a great deal of personality, my favorite being Brant, an enforcer seagull whose chapters always had just a hint of a noir vibe to them (complete with bird puns) that always made me smile. There's also Perry, a disgusting and obnoxious albatross. Snowdrift, a seductive and motherly snow owl who runs a brothel. King Vasili, a monarch whose kindness and friendliness seem to know no bounds… It's a testament to the strength of these characters that I didn't have to consult the book's extensive glossary to remember who they are while writing this review. If you know me and know how forgetful I can be about details, then you know how impressive that is.

And of course, we can't talk about a Hal Aetus book without talking about how his expertise lends itself to the story. Readers of his books will be happy to know that Aetus takes full advantage of his knowledge here. Every part of avian life feels informed, taking into consideration facts about different bird species that affect the way they move and work in this world. I was particularly impressed with descriptions of flight, and the temperatures and wind conditions that affect the flight paths of different birds. All this knowledge helped to create a factual foundation for this world to build on top of, making it feel more real and credible.

While I think the story, world, and characters hit the nail on the head, there are parts of the writing style that I think were lacking. Aetus's writing style has improved by leaps and bounds in this book. I was extremely impressed by the jump in quality even from The Adler Chronicles to now. But one aspect that remains a bit lacking is the dialogue. It's also improved, but it often follows a structure I can only describe as that of an RPG videogame. Character 1 will ask a short question, which will then be followed by a long response from character 2. Then character 1 will ask another short question, which will then be followed by a long response from character 2. Rinse and repeat until the conversation ends. You can practically imagine the list of questions character 1 is choosing from in a menu, like in a Fallout or Dragon Age game. Of course, not all the dialogue follows this format, but it happens often enough to become a bit jarring and fatiguing.

I also found the handling of human technology to be a bit of a missed opportunity in one part of the book. More time is spent with the characters learning how past human technology works than is spent showing how avians are adapting that technology to fit their needs. The explanations of things the reader already knows made one museum section in particular a bit disappointing. But this issue is luckily in an isolated part of the book and doesn't affect the overall story.

Altogether, I loved Whiterock. It's one of the most ambitious and unique reads of 2025 and I can't wait to read the sequel when it's due out next year. I'll also be picking up some Whiterock merch next time I'm at a convention. I want that Kor at his Forge print real bad.

Print and eBook: https://aetusart.com/whiterock