Ownflight

New York Times-bestselling author: Take flight with the first adventure in the Owl Mage trilogy-an epic fantasy full of action, gryphons, and an elf-like race that forms magical bonds with birds. After fleeing into the forest when barbarians attack his village, a young orphan encounters the Hawkbrothers-and finds his place among them. Darian's parents had been hunters who worked in the Pelagiris forest, trapping the bizarre change-creatures which had been created by the mage-storms, and selling their fantastic hides.
But Darian had not accompanied them on their last expedition into the Pelagiris-a hunt from which they never returned. Now Darian is apprenticed to Wizard Justyn, a kindly old man who insists that Darian has "talent." But Darian, grieving over his parents, has no interest in magic-and instead of studying, finds solace in the forest, where can hide among the huge trees and mourn in privacy. It is from this secret retreat on the edge of the Pelagiris that Darian sees an army of northern barbarians sack and burn his village.
Alone and helpless, Darian flees into the deep forest. But unbeknownst to him, the Hawkbrothers-an old, magical, and elf-like race-dwell in the ancient woods, and his flight will lead him on a path of discovery which neither Justyn nor Darian's parents could have ever predicted.