The Mornith War — Patrick Doud

Though The Mornith War picks up three years and many adventures after the events in The Hunt for the Eye of Ogin, Patrick Doud's latest book stands alone as a gripping epic fantasy novel. Elwood Pitch and his companions are charged with a task just beyond Winnitok's northern edge. The land's immortal protector Granashon the Nohar has joined them in the company of a charismatic prophet, who has been trying desperately to establish a truce between the prophet's followers and a proud clan of wolf truans. No sooner have the scouts learned of this threat to peace than it is overshadowed by one even more ominous -- a scourge of spirits burning the prophet's fields with a ghostly, seemingly unstoppable green fire.
 
While Granashon leads the band of adventurers to battle the source of the spirits in an ancient mountain fortress, Elwood's companion Drallah stays behind to help protect the besieged prophet and her followers -- including a girl with whom Elwood has begun a relationship that the prophet has expressly forbidden. With the spirits threatening to spread to Winnitok and beyond, catastrophe looms. Can Elwood and his friends stop it? Showcasing Patrick Doud's trademark blend of poetic language, narrative power, and memorable characterizations, The Mornith War also features an evocative cover illustration by August Hall, whose work has been featured in major motion pictures, including Finding Nemo.