Volle

Argaea #1

by Kyell Gold, Sara Palmer (Illustrator)

Volle thought life as a spy-in-training was pretty easy: do as little as possible, and spend all his free time sleeping with the other young males in Caril. He never expected to be the one chosen for a critical mission to impersonate a noble in the neighboring country of Tephos--and neither did his superiors. They don't want to send him, and he doesn't want to go, but the mission calls for a fox, and he's the only one qualified. So off he goes, with a couple friends, a fake history, and very little to go on about the plot he's supposed to uncover.

Now he must master the life of a noble and search for information while navigating the many pitfalls and temptations that surround him. And the temptations are plentiful: a young wolf prostitute, a shy fox courtesan, a handsome soldier. With noble friends to help him, he gains confidence quickly, but self-doubt continues to plague him. When events begin to spiral out of his control, he must discover whether he has the inner strength to save his country and his own heart.

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Gay, Fiction, Anthropomorphic

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Hi there! I am a writer of gay furry fiction--but you probably know that if you've seen my book listing here. I live in California with my husband Kit, and when I'm not writing, we like to go out to eat and watch movies. We travel a lot, too, mostly around the West Coast, but occasionally to the midwest and east.

I blog at http://www.kyellgold.com/wpblog about upcoming travel plans, upcoming books and news, general writing principles, gay rights, and whatever else seems interesting. And I co-host a podcast, called "Unsheathed," where we talk about the craft of writing and the furry fandom, sometimes at the same time.

If you have a question about any of the books, check the FAQ on my website and then ask away! :)

Reviews

[Jordan Brantley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bookworm Speaks!

Volle

by Kyell Gold

Acquired: Amazon Kindle
Series: Argaea Series
Paperback: 317 Pages
Publisher: Sofawolf Press
Language: English
Subject: Fiction

*****
WARNING!!! This review may contain spoilers!

The Story: Volle is the first published novel by Kyell Gold--a stirring tale of romance, espionage, and the intrigues common to both. Follow the adventures of a young gay fox trying to be a spy in a foreign palace, where enemies and temptations abound. Received the Ursa Major Award for Best Anthropomorphic Novel of 2005. Warning: contains sexually explicit scenes. Not for sale to underage readers.

The Review: After reading and really enjoying Waterways by Kyell Gold, Bookworm was eager to explore more of the worlds he had built. One of his most famous works, the one that put him in the limelight as it were was the eponymous Volle (rhymes with ‘wall’) series.

A spy adventure in a foreign land starring a cast of furry characters, several of them happen to be gay? A few years ago, that last part may not have tickled Bookworm’s fancy, but again, Waterways worked so why not this one?

So Bookworm purchased the e-book, loaded up on his Kindle App and began to read.

He did not like it.

Why?

It can be summed up in a single word:

BORING

The book is incredibly dull.

The main character, Volle, is a red fox, who is supposedly a spy, does very little in the way of spying. He just seems to walk around, talk to people (animals), get laid (a lot), and make connections.

Yawn.

In his defense, that is what spying really is, not at all like what James Bond makes it to be. It really is an anticlimactic process of schmoozing with the movers and shakers of a particular locale and trying to see if they are planning anything untoward the spie’s homeland. Spying really more passive than reactive.

Then again, Bookworm is not here for ‘reality.’ He cannot speak for all readers, but he reads, plays, and watches things to escape the humdrum nature of day to day life. If he wanted to read about the real life nature of a subject i.e. spying, he would have gone to the non-fiction section.

What makes it ultimately fail in the end is the overall lack of conflict for the majority of the book. The mission Volle is sent on is extremely vague and honestly if the reader is not careful, they will spend the majority of the book wondering what his mission even is.

Things go a little too easily for him during the first two thirds of the entire book. The only real challenge he seems to face is having to perform a sexual favor for a fat, greasy, clerk. Otherwise, it just seems that he just…hangs out.

Even the sex isn’t done well. If anything it may make the volume worse. Waterways got hot in a few places but it fit in with the overall them of a young man coming-to-terms with his newfound sexuality. The sex in this one is not only repetitive, it just seems…hollow.

Bookworm wouldn’t be surprised if Volle turned out to have a sexual addiction of some kind. Bookworm wonders if nymphomania can apply to men, both straight, gay, etc. Volle goes to the brothel seemingly just to get his fix. This cheapen’s the quality of the sexual scenes and ultimately leads them to becoming distasteful. The author couldn’t even be bothered to put Volle with a different boy-whore every night. It would have at least spiced things up a bit.

When reading further, a reasonable hypothesis comes to light in that Volle suffers not so much from sex addiction as problems with relationships. Several scenes attempt to explore this, but after having to stew through gay erotica and palace banter, it is also a reasonable hypothesis that the reader will put the book down before reaching the deeper parts.

Also, perhaps this is to be expected, but there seems to be a disproportionate amount of homosexuals in Volle’s adopted home. They seem to be everywhere. There’s nothing wrong with that mind you, it just doesn’t feel realistic. Homosexuals tend to be in the minority in most places.

On another note, they are homosexual males up the yin yang but is there any mention of lesbians? None whatsoever.

The story does not really pick up until the last third when Volle meets and begins a relationship with a leopard named Xiller. After waffling back and forth on this book for a while, when Bookworm finally got to this point he became more interested in finishing the book. Volle’s more sensitive side finally made an appearance and many of his bargains and exploits in his adopted home land come to a head.

In the end it was just a little too late. The appeal of the final third is ultimately nixed by an ending that feels very rushed.

Final Verdict: Volle was a disappointment. Too much sex and not enough story.

Two Foxes out of Five

thecultureworm.blogspot.com

[Elisa Rolle]

This is the second anthropomorphic book I read by the same author, but they are very different. Waterways was almost a young adult novel, and reading about the problem of a young otter who was shunned by his home when he discovers he is gay was in a way more "strange" than reading the adventures of a young fox spy in a medieval fantasy setting. Probably since in a fantasy setting it's less strange to read about animals who behave like humans and also it is more difficult to identify yourself when the setting is so different from your real world.

Anyway I remember that, when I approached this author, people warned me that Volle was somewhat a more difficult reading since it was a lot more erotic than Waterways. Here the main character, the spy fox Volle, is a young fox with a penchant for wolves and big cats, rigorously all males. And he has no problem to pick up any possible lover he finds around, and he has no problem to play the role of the top or the bottom, depending on the occasion... well after all he is a spy and a spy should be always ready for the action, shouldn't he?

Volle is just out of the spy school in a fictional kingdom; his prince, a cougar (one of Volle's crush) sends him in disguise in another kingdom: Volle has to play the role of the lost son of one of the court nobleman, and so he has the chance to live at court. Between a ball and a meeting, Volle has to handle a possible male fox noble lover, a wanna-to-be female fox fiancee, the unwanted attention of two male noblemen (a squirrel and a rat) who attempt to his "virtue", the affair with a sweet male wolf prostitute and the true love with a very young male cougar... and I'm sure that I lost here and there some other lovers... Yes, Volle is not the emblem of purity...

But I should say that I found this more funny than other. Actually I believe that, for who has some restraints in reading an anthropomorphic book, Waterways would me more problematic than Volle; in Waterways there is the romance, and the involving of feelings, in Volle there is only a brief hint, the romance between Volle and his cougar. So for me, I have no problem to read all the sexual adventures of Volle, since there is little romance in them, and so less chance to be emotionally involved. True, I felt a bit for Richy, the male wolf prostitute, and it's true that I cheer for him to be the chosen by Volle, but I also felt that romance was not the main reason of this book.

All in all, taking in account that I'm not a big fan of fantasy, the story flows very well (it's more than 320 pages, but you don't feel them), the setting is pretty detailed and interesting, and the target to make Volle nice to the reader is reached. Again, I would like a bit more of romance (hint to the author...), but I'm a very big romantic, so, of course, it's my opinion.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0971267081/?...

[Eepa *mm loving bookworm* · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book where not much anything happens before the last third or so, this was great read! The world was interesting and finely detailed as was the palace and Volle's life there. I do think Volle may be the world's worst spy but he is quite good a noble. =P

Mr. Gold is also very good at using the animal facets of the characters to bring something extra to the story. I wasn't quite sure about furries when I read the first book by him but I do see the appeal now. So many new possibilities and so many delightful details to explore and exploit.

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful! Yes, this is a romance, but don't be expecting an HEA here, or even an HFN. I know I'll be thinking about this world and this particular fox for a long time...

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, er, James Lear writes Wind in the Willows?

[Ery · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Marshall Clinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the balance of predatorial anthros gave the ecology the books environment offered. I often wonder how many prey type species would be used as sentient and interactive in an anthro book.

The sex scenes were great and the Exchequer scene made me vomit. It was really funny. I feel like we've all had a lousy lay or an uncomfortable sexual experience in the gay community. The sooner he comes the sooner I go line was clever I enjoyed it.

I love a well researched fantasy novel. Gaining context and creating a setting for the reader really does wonders. Perhaps a tad bit more history of the area, legend, or myth could bring more strength to the setting for Volle. I find myself reading books like the Silmarillion by J R R Tolkien and love that magnitude of lore.

However, I think back and realize this is a smut book and the main allure to most would be the sex and encompassing themes. That's why I gave it a 4 out 5 stars. It's a wonderful fun read for gay dudes like me. I was often feeling most relatable with the young fox male that Volle would see but he wouldn't "score" with. Volle is more of a open spirit and adventurous and his integrity and value reads differently than the other young fox. Idk I could just be naive.

Lovely book would read again.

[Sumire-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read the stories in order, even though I'm much more interested in the next book since that's where the romance begins (or so I'm told). Volle is a refreshing character and I enjoyed my time with him. This book did however have a lot of sex in it, and not much plot. That doesn't mean it's bad, just that I was hoping for a little more plotting. But all in all a fun read.

[Ace Maximus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

[Rechan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book after three separate attempts to finish it.

The premise is that Volle is a spy posing as a noble in another country's court. While he is quite gay and has lots of trysts, he's expected to produce an heir, and is pressured into marrying a girl. This causes friction because he after all is a fake, and is going to leave this girl destitute. This is the point where I finally stopped, because the above summary took 200 pages to play out.

The life as a noble is dry, with boring committee meetings, lunches with various nobles, and that's it. Volle is a spy yet there's very little actual clandestine activity - it is more like planting a mole in a drab bureaucracy than anything thrilling. This plot barely materializes, as most of Volle's time is spent between having sex, courting another gay fox, courting girls for a loveless marriage, and the unimportant details of noble daily life. Quite frankly nothing happens - there's no drama, no tension, and reads more like a diary of the minutia of noble life than anything.

So there's no pace and a struggling plot, what about characters? No. Aside from Volle's trepidation about marrying a girl as part of his cover identity, and his unhappiness about having to have sex with a girl, he's rather shallow.

Yes, this is Kyell Gold's first book, and thus certain allowances are provided for issues. Clearly he has managed to write better books, so my recommendation is to skip this one and find those.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, Volle is a solid novel that reads more like a series of interconnected short stories. The characters are believable and often fun (Helfer is a standout, in my opinion). The main plot tends to get lost in the various relationship-themed subplots, but I still found myself drawn in to many of these smaller conflicts. My criticisms mostly revolve around pacing, and some missed opportunities to explore a few elements that might have made the story more exciting.

Volle's plot revolves around the titular main character's dual life as a spy planted into a rival nation's royal court as a lesser noble. Volle is also gay. Though that may sound complicated, this is thoroughly explained in an exposition-heavy first chapter. Moving past that, much of the early conflict centers on Volle finding his place as a new noble. We're introduced to some friends and some enemies, and most of the conflict centers around misconceptions that are quickly resolved. The main plotline doesn't move much until book two, which focuses on a whirlwind romance between Volle and a mysterious soldier. In book 3, we finally get some of the spy intrigue that I had been expecting to permeate the entire novel. However, more focus is spent resolving Volle's other relationships from the first few chapters.

[Jaime Ladron De Guevara · Rating 5 out of 5]

How amazing to be this my first formal review, I can write a lot of things about this book, like for example the intriguing story that presents or maybe the clean writing style that Kyell Gold use, but lets try to be more precise, shall we?

Let's begin with the story, if you like the lord of the rings, game of thrones, the chronicles of Narnia or any other story in the middle age, with knights, kings, swords and that sort of things, then this book is for you, you will sure find all those things here plus some romance and other few surprises.

The character development, at first I feel it a little bit rush, but as the story unfolds you understand why it was like that, you can feel how the main protagonist grow with you, you can feel his emotions and that helps you to feel identified with him, and not only that, you can also see how all the characters helps to complement the story, how they are little puzzle pieces to a great story.

So, I recommend this book, not to those faint of heart, but to those who are thirsty for action, adventure, romance, mystery. So, if you think you can handle that, this is your book my friend, and believe me, when you finish with this story, you would be hook in the magic and mystery world of Volle.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know a story is good when you want to know more about the main character beyond the confines of the book. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along at a pretty good clip.



There were points in the book where tense and voice seemed awkward. And while the author used the character's heightened sense of smell quite effectively, he muted other characteristics (instinct, the use of the tail for balance, etc.). While I never forgot that Volle was a fox, I did need to be reminded what some of the other character's species were.



I did like the injection of the religious artifacts, the feel of the time period and the flow of the plot. So much so that I look forward to reading the second book, Pendant of Fortune.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I read this in 2011 and again in 2019. I gave it 3 stars then and 4 stars now. I still think that it is slow-paced and delightful, but now that I'm older and more sexually active and know myself sexually better, I identify with Volle a lot more. The way that his sex life is intertwined with his everyday life and friendships, and how he weighs it against his responsibilities, all feels very natural to me. In an erotic novel as in life, the tensions and conflict can come from without the sexual relationships rather than within, and I think Volle does this in a nuanced, interesting, and again, very natural way.

Original 2011 review:
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I expected. Slow-paced but delightful, and I'm definitely gonna continue with the series.

[Altivo Overo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a masterful job of world building and character exposition in most of his books, and this first full length novel is no exception. It is full of characters that we as readers are bound to love, hate, or feel sympathy for. My own personal negative comment is that a lot of the bed hopping is gratuitous and does little to advance either the plot or the character development. However, it is all very well written and makes a fun story to read.

Don't miss the sequels (three so far,) all of which are at least as good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Pendant of Fortune is even better than this one. Still, read Volle first for the background if nothing else. Mandatory reading for fans of anthropomorphics.

[Ryan Blackbear · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been quite good. Unfortunately, the pacing was quite disjointed. Some thing, like a certain romance, happened far too quickly and left me unable to make a connection with the characters and truly feel for them. Others dragged out far longer than necessary and left entire periods where nothing of consequence was happening. The prose is thin but passable; you don't come to read for the prose, but you don't leave because of the prose, either. The world of Argaea is certainly an interesting one, however, and I enjoyed the many anthropomorphic touches the author added.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the sequel first, it's a bit odd to go back and read the first book of the series...since I already know who the characters are and how they wind up. But as I've said of Kyell Gold's other books, the best part of reading his books is that you really get a feeling for the characters and the settings...his attention to politics, relationships and background detail is worth reading the books for.

[Zakary French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing and awesome. :3 This was the first furry novel I read, and I must say Kyell masterfully balances the romance and intrigue/tension while adding tragedy and dark chapters at the perfect times. I seriously could not stop reading this book once I started and had been through a roller coaster of emotions by the end - I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from the Argaea series in the future! :3

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than expected. A sound title with distinct appeal within the intended audience. Wile this is not my normal reading material, I would consider revisiting is author's works. The prose is hardly elegant, and there is an assortment of Americanisms to irk some readers. On the whole it is a slow moving story, but doesn't fail to hold the reader's interest the whole way through. I am not sorry I took the time to read this.

[Harlequin93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was okay. Being used to Kyells stories, this definitely felt like an earlier book of his. I had the feeling the plot lacked in strings that connect the characters, but instead the sex scenes connect the entire book, embedding the narrative between them. It didnt feel complete as his newer novels or other comparable furry fiction. Still nice though. I have higher hopes for the Sequel, seeing the very good rating though.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice read though a little slow for my tastes. Wish there was more anthropomorphic fiction out there!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say. I love Kyell Gold's writing.

[Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un zorro es enviado al palacio del país vecino a realizar labores de espionaje. En su camino encuentra el amor, las aventuras y un siniestro plan...

[Franck Rabeson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My main complaint with this book was the overuse of sex scenes. Otherwise, the plot was fine enough, even though it didn’t significantly pick up until the very end.

[J.F.R. Coates · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most in-depth and believable fantasy worlds I have ever come across. An enjoyable read from start to finish, and I look forward to continuing the series.

[Dony Grayman]

Adult romance en inglés.
Primera edición en paperback, de 2005. Portada e ilustraciones interiores de Sara Palmer.

[yags · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all I liked it!!! I wish the plot would have been a lil more exciting but overall i enjoyed reading!!

[Flam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book for almost 1.5 decades. :)

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Volle, primer tomo de la saga Argaea.