The Wild's Call, by Jeri Smith-Ready

Elysia and Darien live in a world where modern society has completely collapsed, and they share a secret.  Each is called by an animal spirit to help guide mankind into a new way of living.  Will they join in this new society, or try to survive on their own?

This novella is a prequel to a trilogy of the same subject matter, so it is intended to be merely an introduction to the characters and situation, and that is exactly how I saw it.  It was but a taste of what was to come, to allow readers to determine if this series would be for them.  While we do not learn enough about Elysia and Darien to make a deep connection to them, we do make some connection, enough to push us on to read the trilogy.

I personally am not a huge fan of post apocalyptic literature, so for me, that was where more of the problem with the book lies.  Similarly, the whole animal spirit aspect does not particularly interest me.  I think people who are very interested in Native American religion and philosophy will be quite interested in this book, but for me, a person begin guided by a squirrel is more than a little corny.

That being said, I do think the novella was well written, and worth reading.  For those who read the novella and like it, I think the trilogy will be a good match.