The Door on the Sea - Caskey Russell

Young scholar Elan wasn't destined for anything special - until a peculiar raven flew into his life... Your sea-road begins here. When Elan trapped a salmon-stealing raven, he never expected it would hold the key to saving his people from the shapeshifting Koosh invaders plaguing their shores. In exchange for its freedom, the raven offers a secret that can save Elan's home: the Koosh have lost one of their most powerful weapons, and only the raven knows where it is. Elan is tasked with captaining a canoe crewed by an unlikely team including a human bear-cousin, a massive wolf, and the endlessly vulgar raven. As their world continues to fall to the Koosh, and alliances are challenged and broken, Elan must choose his role in his own epic story.