"The Starling God" is a novel of environmental fiction. The story looks at human behaviors and impact on the environment/other living things from an outside point of view - that of birds. In the novel, birds have developed a religion complete with various branches it and resistance to it. The religion is based on their observation that humans control so much around them - often with seemingly little rhyme or reason. Because of this, they identify us as "Gods". SL'an is a bird raised by a wildlife rehabilitator just after his hatching so he knows no other as "Mother". When she releases him back into the wild and birds see that he calls this "God" Mother, they believe he is a bird told of in prophecy - "The Starling God". SL'an grows and learns and faces many beautiful and horrible events that send him on a quest for answers about these "Gods". He sees more beauty and horror about humans on this quest and realizes ultimately that we are not gods at all, but rather other creatures no better or worse than any other on Earth. Sadly, though, we have forgotten this deep truth - that all life is connected and all deeply vital. SL'an also discovers what he was born to do to help humanity remember - sending visions and messages through the wonder of starling murmurations in the sky.