Rider At The Gate: C.J. Cherryh

Book I of Finisterre. The planet could have been a paradise for humans,with its fertile farmland and towering ore-rich mountains. But its riches lie beyond their reach. For here, all animals, from tiny willy-wisps to fierce goblin-cats, survive by telepathy, projecting images that drive humans mad. Only the Riders, a handful chosen by the native Nighthorses, have any kind of protection. Whilst townsfolk cower behind a religion based on fear and ignorance, Riders and their Nighthorses, bonded telepathically, challenge the Wild. Then comes a time of killing and chaos that climaxes in a blinding day of secrets and blood, terror and truth, with the fates of the Riders, the Nighthorses and an entire world at stake. Cover art by Mick Posen.