The Animal in Man

Herbridia. A planet populated by five kingdoms of animal-human hybrids, each living in their own zone - land, sea, sky, swamp, and underground. Maxan - a young, agile fox-man - operates in the city of Crosswall as a "shadow," a kind of spy whose sole duty is to observe, report, and never engage. After being caught up in an explosion that levels a city block, Maxan ignores his instincts to retrieve an object the warring parties of his city (The Mind and the Monitors) desire - a strange artifact called the Relay, which brings out an animal-person’s violent inner beast.

The relay is taken by the Mind as part of a coup against the Monitors, but after getting it back Maxan and fellow warriors Chewgar (a rhinoceros), Rinnia (a fox woman), Saghan (a duplicitous snake-man), Sarovek (a hawk-man), and the squirrel sorcerer twins Pryth and Pramm set out across the land of Herbridia to return the Relay to the Aigaion, a spaceship that floats above the planet. Along the way they become caught in a conflict between the lion-king Locain and his rebellious subjects. Locain is killed but the head of the Mind, an owl-woman named Harmony, arrives to take back the Relay. After Maxan and his companions defeat her, Pryth and Pramm head back to rule Crosswall, and Maxan continues on his journey to the Aigaion.