The Navigating Fox

 The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe, 160 pages.

Quintus Shu'al is the world's only knowledgeable fox, and he alone has the power to navigate people through the silver roads. But his reputation is in shambles after the total loss of his last expedition party, so when the chance to redeem himself is presented (and to get the answers about himself that he so desperately craves) he has to take it, even if it means navigating a party of knowledgeable beasts and humans to the literal gates of hell. 

This was a really cool little book. I especially liked the worldbuilding that sat comfortably between fantasy and an alternate history where Rome never fell. Unfortunately, I feel like this cool worldbuilding might have contributed a bit to the structural confusion of this book. The bones of The Navigating Fox feel like it wants to be a fable, especially with the talking animals on a quest. However, the novella isn't really structured like a fable (for example, a strong emphasis on setting and complex characters is good for a story, but not very important for a fable), and this conflict of identity feels like it held the story back a little. That being said, it was still very fun to read! It was exciting and engaging, and I'm definitely still glad I read it, even if the ending leaves something to be desired.