Kawokee is a sci-fi novel written by husband and wife team Reid Minnich and Stacy Bender, self-published in 2020. It's an independent title but packs the sophistication of a book by any major sci-fi author, in my opinion.

Kawokee pulls you into a far-flung future where people scrape a living on an underdeveloped world. Humanity is on its knees from an insidious epidemic that prevents natural births and if a cure isn’t found soon, civilization won’t survive. But the Kawokee, sapient furry creatures native to the world of the same name, may possess the secret to overcoming the virus.

Scientists recognize that Kawokee may hold the key, but their methods of research are contaminated by humanistic elitism, often relying on brutal experimentation. Jasmine Char, the story’s primary protagonist, has new ideas and a unique motivation to discover a cure. Against all advice, she reaches out to the Kawokee, who are similarly affected by the virus, to help find a cure for all. But she must first earn their trust, which doesn’t come easy. What she discovers in her journey is beautiful, sobering, prejudice-shattering, and heartwarming.

Rarely does a book grab me and hold my attention firmly for the entire journey. Kawokee did just that. The immersion is first-rate and doesn’t rely on tedious info dumping or technical jargon. Descriptions of technology and setting are carefully meted out so as to not burden the reader or stifle their own imagination in filling in the details. It’s an excellent balance, particularly for those familiar with sci-fi. If I were to compare to another franchise, I'd say Avatar, mainly for its immersion into an alien hunter-gatherer society that shirks technology yet adheres to complicated social rules which value sustainability and sharing above individual wealth.

The book also handles science realistically. With my medical background, I found the epidemiological details believable yet described in a way that lay persons can follow. Clearly one of the two authors has a background in science or did their homework well. I also found the handling of anthropological contamination and aboriginal rights to be treated sensitively, as well as the ethical treatment of research subjects. There are times when the unnecessarily brutal techniques of the mainstream scientists are contrasted with the less-sophisticated, but successful techniques, of the Kawokee. It leaves you yearning for the community, compassion, and balance that modern humanity has largely forsaken. Stacy Bender also added a woman’s perspective that makes Jasmine a believable figure who longs to be a mother herself, in addition to being a scientist and humanitarian.

An astute reader will detect clues that shape your expectation of the ending, but rest assured that you will be surprised regardless. I guarantee that if you like sci-fi and immersion in simpler ways of life, you will ride this book swiftly through to a satisfying, but unexpected, ending.

Full disclosure: No compensation was provided for this review. The title is available at furry cons where the authors frequently set up vending tables, or on Amazon.

Review of Anima: The Bird House by  ericmalves

This is Eric's debut novel and it delivers on what it might be like to slowly turn into a bird over the course of several months, including the problems, fears, sorrows, and, ultimately, the joys of becoming something new.

The story is written from the first-person perspective of Lyle, an average young man who is living at home while attending community college. A syndrome, known as Anima, is striking humans randomly and causing them to gradually transform into any of a variety of animals. The process varies for each individual, sometimes moving quickly, often taking months to years, but always, inevitably, completely transforming them into their destination animal. How the syndrome spreads (or if it is a communicable disease at all), how it works, and how the destination species is selected are completely unknown. Those so stricken immediately find themselves ostracized by society and, so, form their own support groups and rely on help from out-of-network health care providers who are dedicated to serving these special cases.

Lyle learns early on that his destination species is a red-tailed hawk. The process starts with minor things such as eye color and visual acuity, but soon progresses, in stages, to growing a tail, feathered torso, a beak, and so on over the course of about four months. He falls in with a group of other "hybrids" in a sort of halfway house where they share their experiences and offer emotional and physical support to each other during the frightening and difficult adjustments that occur with each phase of change. Lyle makes new friends, gives and receives support, and, ultimately, must watch his friends pass into their final animal forms. Whether they still possess human emotions or memories is completely unknown, adding to the anxiety of their ordeals.

As a person who has, his whole life, desired to be a bird, I love this book. There are many ways to tell the story of what a journey into being another animal might be like, but I think that Eric has chosen the most relatable one. Lyle is completely clueless about birds and is surprised by every new layer of change and describes the experience in non-technical terms that anyone would understand. This perspective will be relatable to more than just those of us that are dedicated transformation-lovers. At the same time, his fear of losing his humanity is acutely apparent, both as he changes and his friends change around him. Their final moments of transformation are both frightening and beautiful, much like dying from the perspective of their friends. Eric handles these emotions wonderfully and ultimately has crafted a deeply personal journey into what it means to be human, even if we lose our outward humanity.

Whether you are a Therian, a person who carries a feeling of "species dysphoria," or simply someone who fantasizes about being something else, I think you will love this book. There are soft cover and digital editions available on Amazon or from the author. Check it out:

https://anima.ericmalves.com (warning, site may be under construction so be patient)

Disclosure: There was no compensation for this review. This is a copy of the review on my website at https://aetusart.com/blog/hal-s-new.....eric-malves-80

I'm at Martha Merrell's, 231 W Main St, Waukesha, WI tomorrow (Friday) night 6:30-9pm during Guitar Town Live. Come hear live music and check out my books, art, & stickers. Pick up a copy of The Sky Calls or The Adler Chronicles & I'll sign it! Both are packed with high-flying avian adventure.

I'll be at the Lion's Tooth, located at 2421 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI, from 2-4 pm this Saturday. I'll have copies of The Sky Calls and The Adler Chronicles, as well as various art prints for sale. If you're in the #Milwaukee area, come on by!

There's just a few days left to order the Adler Chronicles and get it in time for Christmas. I've been getting some great feedback from people that bought the book at MFF, indicating I did something right with this story. It's packed with avian transformation, so if you are a tf-appreciator, you don't want to miss it!


You can see more details and purchase at https://aetusart.com/the-adler-chronicles/

The first kobold that visits my table Sunday morning will get a free sketchbook commission. Spread the word please. Must be asked in person and be attending the con. I’m Aetus Art at space A16 in Dealers Den at MidWest FurFest. I’m going nuts for kobolds rn so I’d love to draw some.

Hi there, fellow birds and bird-appreciators! I'll be at MFF this week and I have a DEALER'S TABLE!

DEALER TABLE
Yep! I managed to snag a table! My featured item this year is my brand new book, The Adler Chronicles, a book written just for lovers of transformation. I'll also have copies of The Sky Calls, another transformation novel, and I'll have a lot of other stuff for sale including art prints (sfw only), buttons, magnets, stickers, mugs, and books. For most merchandise, I have price breaks if you buy multiple items. For example, if you buy both The Sky Calls and The Adler Chronicles, you save 25%.

So, when you come to the Den, I'll be at space A16, which is far to the right as you enter the room, just before you come to the charity tables and adult section. I'm also next to Blind Coyote!

HELPING BIRDS PANEL
I'll tell you about current issues facing birds and how you can get involved. I'll share stories from my career in avian wildlife medicine and from some of those I've met along the way. The presentation is on Saturday night at 7 pm in the John Wayne room (one of the conference rooms in the dome area of the Hyatt).

ART SHOW
I entered pieces into the adult section of the art show this year, so be sure to visit and bid! No SFW prints submitted this year.

HANGING OUT
As always, we're open to meeting new birds. We have a room in the main hotel, the Hyatt, and we'll be located in the main area of the hotel too with a balcony room. If you want to hang out, monitor my TELEGRAM CHANNEL.

I hope to see you there!

Hi there! I wanted to make sure you can find me on my new social media accounts. I quit using X/Twitter a few months back. Elon is a douchebag and I can't in good conscience support his sociopolitical agenda with my content. But I'm alive and doing well on Mastodon and Bluesky so follow me over there!

Mastodon
BlueSky

Patreon and website are still the same:
Patreon
AetusArt.com

Hi there, birdfriends! 2022 has been a good year for me but it's time to put it to bed and look forward to the next one.

Midwest Fur Fest went very well. For the first time ever, I feel that I made a profit at the art show. This is taking the prep work and materials involved, not the creation of the art itself or the hotel, food, etc. But considering I would go anyway, I consider it an exercise in proving it's worth the extra effort of entering the show. I also volunteered to help set up the show and that was a great chance to meet some other volunteers and get to know the staff a bit better. Aside from that, I also had a great time giving the avian anatomy lecture, with lots of nice comments and good questions afterwards.

Our Christmas was pretty low-key but we're hosting a NYE party this weekend. I hope you all have had (and will have) a great holiday season too!

Starting on January 2nd, I'll be travelling again for a few weeks. I'm heading out to the Aleutian Islands to work with geese. Then a little trip through Washington State. Because of these interruptions, I'm going to pause my Patreon subscriptions. So, if you are a patron there, you won't be charged for January but you'll still have access to everything. I may also pause February too as I have quite a bit of travel gelling up for that month too. I'll update more on that later.

In the meantime: Thanks for helping to make my year great! Aside from the financial support for my art time, I really enjoy the encouraging feedback from you all. I hope you have a safe and happy new year!

Hi birdfriends!

I attended Motor City Furry Con last weekend and had a great time! I was in the Dealer's Den the whole weekend and sold more merch than I've ever sold before at a con. I'll be using 100% of the profits to fix up the medical room at the local pet bird rescue, Center for Avian Rehabilitation and Education, in Waukesha, WI. I've been donating my services there since about 2013 and have examined over 500 birds in the last 5 years alone. The medical room has moldy ceiling tiles, filthy carpet that's hard to keep sanitary, no cabinets, poor lighting, and no dedicated exam table. Me and  colinstu, my husbird, will be donating the labor and have already purchased about $1000 worth of cabinets and flooring. The $598.59 raised through purchases at my con table will help us finish the project, though we'll still be about $400 short of covering all costs. If you'd like to donate more, you can PayPal me at aetus[at]aetusart.com.

Thank you to all who contributed and who have been supportive of my bird and art work!

Hi there, everybirdy! I want to give you warning that 2022 is looking to be a slow year for art from me, at least on the NSFW side of things. It's for good reasons though. I'm booked up to do a lot of great wildlife work this year. Already, for the first five weeks of the year, I did three contracted trips to implant satellite transmitters in water birds. Since I am completely responsible for the medical care and most of these trips are far off the grid, I have to spend a lot of time in preparation while also doing my local avian care commitments. That kind of squeezes out time for art and writing. In addition, I have Whiterock to wrap up and publish and a couple of long-waiting papers I'd like write.

For those of you with existing commissions or other commitments from me, don't worry. You are still priority. I'm not taking on new things. And, no, I'm not quitting. I have to keep arting at some level. I enjoy it too much. But what art I do will probably focus on Whiterock characters and be largely SFW for purposes of promotion.

It's cool to see science charging back into action after 4 years of suppression by the previous president's administration. It was certainly noticeable to us in the field of natural sciences. I haven't done anything federal in several years-- only states had the funds for research and most of that was focused on game species. So, we've got to make progress while the money is there as we never know what the next volatile election cycle will hold.

Have a great year, everybirdy! Much love to you

Motor City Fur Con is rumored to be “The Bird Con” for furries. It’s been a goal of mine to attend for a few years now and it’s finally coming together. Not only that, but I also have a dealer’s table and I’m bringing a bunch of bird-themed art goodies to sell. What could top that? Well, I’m donating 100% of the profits to the Center for Avian Rehab and Education (CARE) in Waukesha, WI. So, every dollar you spend will go to helping birds!

CARE is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to providing sanctuary for pet birds that need new homes. They correct any existing problems, get them on a good diet, and carefully match them up with new owners. They rehome hundreds of pet birds every year and have been doing this for about 20 years. I’ve been volunteering services to them since 2013. In the past six years alone, I have cared for around 490 birds for the shelter. I donate all of my services and the only costs to CARE are to cover diagnostics I submit to laboratories. In addition, I also hold well-bird clinics for volunteers and affiliated bird owners.

The funds from your purchases will go to a facilities improvement project to create a sanitary, organized examination and treatment room. For the past 5 years, we’ve managed along with a repurposed storage room, but the carpeting makes it difficult to keep clean. I perform physicals on the birds and take blood samples. Sometimes I like to let birds walk or fly around to evaluate their coordination. That can prove very difficult with the odd furniture we have that allows birds to fall behind or crawl beneath. There’s very little counter space and we use a small folding table for exams. All in all, it’s not really optimal for conducting medical exams quickly and safely, or for organizing medical samples and supplies.

We’ll be replacing the carpeting with waterproof laminated flooring that can be thoroughly cleaned. We’ll also replace some water-damaged ceiling tiles that have mildewed and repaint the peeling walls. There will be cabinets, countertop, under-cabinet lighting, and a sturdy, wall-mounted examination table. Finally, I will also install a wall-mounted examination light to help my tired old eyes. We’ve already purchased cabinetry and flooring and will begin the remodel in early April. The project will cost about $2000, even with the donated labor of myself and my husband. So, every bit we can raise to offset this expense is greatly appreciated. I’ll also take straight-up donations if you don’t see something you want to purchase.

You can see some examples of my wares on my website.

I’ll also be teaching an avian anatomy class. It’s currently scheduled for Saturday, 3-5 pm, but this may change as that would require me to shut down my table for a couple of hours. 😅 I’ll post an update here as soon as I know the date/time for sure.

Beyond that, I hope to have a lot of my bird friends come by to say hi and get a hug. I’ve missed you all so much!

I'll be at BLFC this week and there's a lot of eggciting things going on:

-Art Show runs Friday-Sunday. I’ll have about 20 pieces in the show and you can bid on most of them.

-Avian Anatomy panel: Friday at 1-2 pm in the Shasta Room. A look at real bird anatomy and how it makes birds special.

-Anthrobirbs panel: Friday at 7-8 pm in the Teton Room. We’ll have a loosely guided discussion of anthrobird character construction, theoretical anatomy, and how an anthrobird society might function. Should be a fun time to trade ideas and inspiration!

-Bird Beak Face Masks! I’ll have some with me at BLFC for $20 each, various sizes and designs. To get me at the con, DM my Twitter account at . For more details on my masks, check them out at HERE.

-Unofficial bird party on Friday night, location TBA but it starts around 8 pm. Contact me via Twitter DM if you’d like more info.

-Bird photo shoot Friday night at 10:30 pm in the Grand Ballroom. CLICK HERE for more info.

-Check out all the con details at BLFC’s website.

Livestream in 10 minutes at https://picarto.tv/aetus

It's been over a year since my last journal here, but I've been very busy, of course. I hope you're enjoying the art I post, even if I don't share much else here. I'll be gone the next few weeks to work on some bird science in Alaska and take a little break in the mountains of Washington State afterwards. Patreon pledges were paused this month but will resume in July, along with the usual rewards. There will be another pause in August as I concentrate on some much-overdue scientific manuscripts and then things should start to return to normal after that.

One change I'm working on, though, is having some route for people to commission me again. I've been so busy with Patreon rewards for the past couple of years that I've had to turn away or seriously delay a lot of commissions. I really appreciate everyone's patience with this and believe me, I really miss it. I made changes to tiers last December and it helped somewhat. I will take what I learned there and see if I can move towards a bit more balance. I love the community that Patreon creates and the wonderful reward ideas have patrons have provided so I don't really want to lose that either. Suggestions are appreciated.

Have a wonderful summer, everybirdy.

I'll be livestreaming the next two hours over at https://picarto.tv/aetus

I'll be livestreaming for the next two hours at https://picarto.tv/aetus.

I'll be streaming for 2 hours at https://picarto.tv/aetus. Stop on by!

Streaming starting now at https://picarto.tv/aetus

I'm streaming a bit over at https://picarto.tv/aetus. Come on by!

I'll be drawing some Telegram stickers at https://picarto.tv/aetus. Stop on by!

I normally work alone at home so the only difference for me during this lockdown has been some extra PPE when I go to the store and having my husbird working from home too. But, also, it did clear out some con-preparation tasks since both MCFC and BLFC have been postponed. So I've been working diligently on a database that organizes my art, posting tasks, and work queue. Now it can post art too, which I will be giving a try on Patreon later today.

Bottom line is that "it's a huge shit sandwich and we all gotta take a bite." But I want to encourage you too. Just imagine how hard we can party once this is behind us. The hugs and greetings are going to be that much sweeter. Summer is coming instead of the gloom of winter. We can't go to cons or movies or bars. But we can still get together in pairs for a nice walk in the fresh air. Also, think about the social change that this outbreak is forcing. Maybe we'll finally have the momentum to get real progressive change in healthcare, income equality, and worker's rights. Things will never be the same and I, for one, think that the change will be for the better. History bears this out.

So take courage and hang in there. Just for fun, tell me about what personal projects you are working on to pass the time.

I'm dealing at Fursquared next week. I'll have copies of The Sky Calls for sale & I'll happily sign copies too. Also art prints, stickers, buttons, and examples of my human-sized falconry gear. I'm happy to do sketchbook commissions at the con but other commissions will be take-home only.

I hope to see you there!

Streaming starts in 5 minutes. Tune in at https://picarto.tv/aetus

I'll be streaming at https://picarto.tv/aetus for a couple of hours. Come join the fun!