Aven and Badgerdog in the Land of Wook

Aven is a typical epic fantasy novel, but at the same time it exceeds the borders of the genre, shaping multilayered meanings and complex relationships between the characters. Imaginative, exciting, excellent! Human society of the ancient continent Gondwanaland and the entire nature are endangered by the technologically and scientifically advanced but absolutely immoral culture of the Wook, four-legged bloodsuckers who are trying to turn the entire world into their own feeding ground, a stable for their warm-blooded slaves, so they can feed on their blood, undisturbed and careless. The Wook know no solidarity, harmony, joy nor beauty; they ruthlessly destroy nature, not only animals but plants as well, creating, through their typical genetic engineering, the monstrous, chimerical beings, mean and dangerous even for their own species. A white-haired Villus boy named Aven decides to stand up to the world of these fearsome, wise and evil bloodsuckers and their grotesque creations when he discovers a way to use the leaves of the unique tree, Baraba. These hard, sharp leaves cut all that stands in their way, devastating the Nobody’s Habitat and isolating Aven’s village, but to him they are a precious tool and salutary weapon. On his way Aven befriends a badger-dog, Gord, wounded by a Baraba leaf, thus turning a failed product of the Wook genetic manipulation into a devoted friend and companion. Driven by his wild spirit, curiosity and longing for adventure, Aven leaves the safety of his valley and embarks on a quest to save his own world. „Tension grows throughout the story, the narrative lines are intertwined and connected into an exciting and compelling reading, but Petrovic also develops a particular philosophy of nature, a warning realization that no species can survive without respect for the natural laws and harmonies.“ Doc. Dr. Lj. Pesikan-Ljustanovic