Wolf of Withervale by Joaquín Baldwin

Lago was only a child when the shapeshifter entrusted the wolf-like mask to his care—an artifact so powerful that it could come to shape the entire world of Noss. Now that he is coming of age, Lago is growing ever more fearful of the ominous relic’s influence, of the empire who has scented its trail and is coming after it. Coming after him. Aided by his best friend, an enigmatic scout, and his trusty dog, Lago seeks refuge in the vastness of the Heartpine Dome. The eighty-mile-wide structure had remained sealed for centuries, safeguarding more than mere secrets. Now that the dome’s entrails are stirring, the mysteries of the long-vanished Miscam tribes are coming to light, and the shapeshifting animal spirits are making their return. Powers untold hide behind the blinkless eyeholes of the canid mask, powers that could tip the balance in the war. Lago is barely beginning to learn how to wield the dark visage, but he can already feel its potential. … And he can feel a different change coming, deep in his marrow.

Adult • Diversity Representation/BIPOC • Fantasy/Epic and High • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+ • Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery

Content Warning: The Noss Saga is an adult fantasy series that depicts explicit sex (oftentimes of unconventional natures, a few times of dubious consent), animal cruelty, drug use, violence and war, parental abuse, slavery, racism, suicide, and genocide. With that said, I do not mean to scare anyone away—this is not a grimdark fantasy, yet mature themes are present throughout. Book 1, Wolf of Withervale, does not include all the triggers mentioned, but some of them are present in the following books.