The Northnest Saga is a fantasy series by Katherine A. Smith.
Northnest has fallen. Once it was a kingdom where human and griffin lived together in peace, protected by elite griffin guardians- the Feathyrs. Now it has been conquered, and every griffin put to the sword.
All but one.
Hawkwind is a young Feathyr who managed to smuggle four children out of the city. One of them is Jessika, the last princess of Northnest and the kingdom's future...if Hawkwind can keep her alive. Their only hope is to seek shelter in the mythical aerie of Snow-in-lee- the home of Hawkwind's wild, estranged ancestors.
There are currently three books in the series:
- Hawkwind's Tale
- The Fledging of Hawkwings
- Hearthsraven
This series includes the following tropes:
- Our Gryphons Are Different: They go into heat, give live birth, feel psychic bonds to their family members, and can be genetically influenced by more than one sire.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: There are two antagonistic species in the series: the man-eating rainbow drakes, and the hypnotically-scaled talis (finned serpents). Both earn the immediate and eternal hatred of any sane griffin.
- Same Surname Means Related: Inverted but played straight. Griffin names consist of two nouns: the first noun is their "surname", which shows the Line they belong to. The second noun is their personal name (so "Hawkwind" really translates to "Wind, of the Hawk Line"), which isn't used on its own except in very intimate moments. Hawkwind is extremely relieved when she discovers that griffins named Hawkswift and Hawkjoy are living in South-scree.
