While the foxes counteract this in a primal fashion, readers long to have these virtues that come so naturally to them. This is a world where humans selectively deprive each other of what they need, or leave others in physical or emotional poverty. By instinct yes, but through the personification you see this ideal life presented. They stand by such human values as loyalty, tender affection, and dedication to altruistic behavior. But that's released through how they show love, standing by each other to the death, nuzzling and caring for them in times of sickness.

You want your characters to physically cry out their sorrows, to simply say 'I love you' to their companions, and that creates a pint up energy and tension. Yet from your vantage point you want these things screamed out. It makes for a fascinating narrative, because from a reader's perspective, you see the pain, love and suffering. As is the case with real world foxes, who base love and dedication on merits of strategy and selection, yet to a degree that would seem sudden on human terms. Announcements of love, death, and otherwise are thrown out almost instantly by main characters. Dialogue can be a little jarring at times for this reason because of human social expectations. Though that specific set of rules is given 'voice', it's given a human filter. They barely break any rules, everything is believable.

Unlike a portion of animal related books, these animals are written completely with the attributes you understand them as having in the real world. Garry Kilworth absolutely nails personification here. This is animal fiction at it's prime adult, realistic and competent. Hunter's Moon is an allegory of emotion biting, realistic proportions. Well, I sure hope I can do justice to this.

Hunter's Moon by Garry Kilworth