Argaea series

The Argaea series is a collection of three novels and several short stories by Kyell Gold. The stories take place in a fictional furry setting that resembles Renaissance Europe, particularly in terms of technology and politics. The stories are published as gay romance and contain elements of gay, furry erotica. The three novels include elements of political intrigue and mystery. Two of the novels have won the Ursa Major Award for Best Anthropomorphic Novel.

Publications

• Volle (Sofawolf Press, January 2005; ISBN 0-9712670-8-1): Won Best Anthropomorphic Novel in the 2005 Ursa Major Awards.
• Pendant of Fortune (Sofawolf Press, January 2006; ISBN 0-9769212-3-5): Won the same award as Volle for 2006.
• The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories (Sofawolf Press, January 2007; ISBN 0-9769212-7-8): Consists of "Inside the Cage", "The Prisoner's Release", "Home Again" and "For Love or Family"
• Shadow of the Father (Sofawolf Press, January 2010; ISBN 978-0-9819883-4-4)
• Weasel Presents (Kindle eBook, March 2011, ASIN B004SY5VXA) (FurPlanet paperback, summer 2011, ISBN 978-1-61450-006-3): Consists of "Jherik's Tale", "Helfer's Busy Day", "Birthday Wishes", "Yilon's Journal" and "Stolen Away", all except the last story previously published online.^[1]

Sofawolf Press also published the "Confidential Dossier", a folio of five adult illustrations featuring two scenes from Volle and three related scenes. It was illustrated by Adam Wan, Heather Bruton, Richard Foley, Sara Palmer and Timothy Albee, and each scene was accompanied by a short text by Kyell Gold. It is now out of print.

Plot summary

On the world of Argaea, two neighboring countries, Ferrenis and Tephos, maintain an uneasy peace. A young gay Ferrenian spy, Volle, is sent to Tephos to infiltrate the capital palace as a ruling Lord.

Volle

Pretending to be the son of Lord Vinton, the fox Volle takes up residence in the palace in Divalia, the capital of Tephos. He quickly makes friends with the apolitical and gay weasel Lord Ikling and with the well-connected wolf Lord Tistunish. Soon he also makes enemies with Dereath, a rat working for the Minister of Defense. An enmity which deepens as Volle falls in love with the soldier Xiller, a cougar Dereath also was interested in. Having to marry a vixen further complicates things for Volle – as a Lord, he is expected to produce an heir.

The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories

"The Prisoner's Release": Five years later, Volle is languishing in jail as Dereath tries to make him confess to his spying and give up his friends. He falls in love with a young wolf guard, whom he calls Streak. Is escape possible?

"Inside the Cage": Jonas, a cougar prostitute working in The Jackal's Staff in Divalia, becomes depressed as the work seems endless and the emotional attachments only falsehoods. He flees to Caril, the capital of Ferrenis, with a customer. However, life outside the brothel proves to be rather more difficult than he had imagined.

"For Love or Family": the son of the Minister of Defense becomes infatuated with a wolf working at The Jackal's Staff. His money is quickly running out, though – luckily Dereath seems happy to provide him with funds. Dereath may have an ulterior motive, though…

Pendant of Fortune

Volle returns to Tephos a year after the events in "The Prisoner's Release" to clear his name and reclaim his position as Lord Vinton. Dereath however, as vengeful as ever, has other plans. Volle's wife Ilyana, along with his son Volyan, is also less than impressed with his performance. Things soon goes wrong as Streak is arrested for the murder of a witness against Volle.

Shadow of the Father

Volle's second son, 16-year-old Yilon, has been appointed heir of Lord Dewanne, recently deceased. Yilon would rather be sent home to Vinton instead, especially as it turns out that the remote Dewanne is ruled by foxes and the large mice population is confined to a slum – and Yilon's lover is a mouse. Things get more complicated as several people seem bent on trying to kill the young couple.

Fictional chronology

The Argaea series was not published in chronological order. A central portion of the storyline ("The Prisoner's Release") was serialized first, then republished four years later with accompanying material after its prequel and sequel full-length novels.

References