The Books of The Raksura series by Martha Wells

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Night Shade Books, various dates.
The Cloud Roads. 2011. ISBN 9781597802161
The Serpent Sea. 2012. ISBN  9781597803329
The Siren Depths. 2012. ISBN 9781597804400
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Belonging. Moon has been hiding all his life. He has the ability to shape shift into a winged creature that can soar into the air. He has been unable to find anyone others like him and has done his best to fit in with the groundling communities where he attempts to live. When Stone, a huge shape shifter, finds and rescues him and takes him to the Indigo Cloud community, he discovers that there are others just like him but it is not easy to fit into a group where he is unfamiliar with the rules and traditions. The Fell, the Raksura's deadly enemy, is also on the warpath, and Moon, together with Jade his queen and other colleagues, are in for the struggle of their lives to preserve their species.
This is one of the most original and interesting worlds that I have read in the fantasy genre. Wells has an exceptional ability to write about an alien world and an alien species in detail, making both completely believable and utterly fascinating. Her non-human characters come alive and it is so easy to empathesize with Moon, who desperately wants to belong. However he finds it difficult to fit in and is very cynical about whether he is wanted or not. It is this universal need for everyone to fit into a group and to be loved that permeates the series and makes it such a good read. In addition to exceptional world building and characterisation, Wells' action is very fast paced and the adventures that face the Raksura in all three books are original and exciting.
This series was so absorbing that I read each book quickly and then just as quickly looked up to see others that Wells had written. Readers who like action with feel good stories, likeable characters and wonderful world building are sure to enjoy this series, as are readers who enjoy books by Sharon Shinn and Lois McMaster Bujold.
Pat Pledger