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story identification - Looking for a novel with a travelling storyteller, dragons and human-animal hybrid underclass


I am looking for a novel that I read when I was a teenager (late 90s to early 00s). I don't think I ever finished it so I would like a chance to do so but I can't remember the name! Hopefully the following description is not too vague.


The main character was a human who trained as some sort of travelling storyteller. At the start of the story the country/kingdom that the character lives in is coming under attack from another country/kingdom overseas. A big part of he story was the tension between humans and a human-animal servant class that were usually described by which animal they most closely represent (equine, bovine etc). I'm pretty sure there were also dragons in the world, although they may have been absent for quite a while.



Answer



You've perfectly described Lords of the Sky by Angus Wells.


From Goodreads:


Book cover




Angus Wells carved a place for himself on the shelves of hundreds of thousands of fantasy readers. Now, with "Lords Of The Sky," it is clear that he has saved his most sweeping and imaginative tale for an epic more powerful than anything he has written before. For centuries, the Dhar have had to face the Ahn, fierce warriors who would lay claim to Dharbek, the land they call their ancestral home. Now, in fantastic airships powered by magic, the Ahn have begun their greatest campaign yet. In preparation for the coming onslaught, Storymen like Daviot travel the land collecting tales and sharing the history it's their responsibility to safeguard. But Daviot's travels show him the dark side of Dharbek, and inspire him to be a catalyst for change, to overcome doubt and fear, and pursue the one dream that has eluded Dharbek. Using his special gifts for storytelling and world-building, Angus Wells reaches new heights with a story as ambitious as it is broad in scope. "Lords Of The Sky" has all the action, adventure and magic a fantasy-lover could desire, and tackles social change, prejudice, the value of genuine friendship and the power of enduring love.



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