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The Shape of Desire

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Master storyteller Sharon Shinn has thrilled readers with her national bestselling Twelve Houses series. Now experience her original new novel in which love and loyalty are tested at every turn....

For fifteen years, Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But Maria knows that Dante can never give everything of himself back—at least not all of the time. Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal. He can’t choose when he shifts, the transition is often abrupt, and, as he gets older, the time he spends in human form is gradually decreasing.
Maria has kept his secret since the beginning, knowing that their love is worth the danger. But when a string of brutal attacks occurs in local parks while Dante is in animal form, Maria is forced to consider whether the lies she’s been telling about her life have turned into lies she’s telling herself...
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 23, 2012
      Loving a shape-shifter requires a life full of lies in this touching domestic fantasy by Shinn (Troubled Waters). Maria has known, and kept, her lover’s secret since they were in college together. Dante is only human a few days a month, and he cannot control when he shifts or what he shifts into. Maria has lied about him to her family and friends for almost half of her life. But when Maria suspects that a shape-shifter is behind recent murders in local parks, she begins to fear that, whether or not Dante is innocent, their lives will irrevocably change. The tale of their relationship meanders like a stream, with strong characterizations and poetic prose polishing the story until it shines. Shinn’s frequent comparisons of humans and animals are subtle, quietly building the question of whether the true monsters are those who change shape or humans with the capacity to hurt those they love. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.

    • Library Journal

      February 1, 2012

      Maria has been madly in love with Dante for years but hides their relationship because Dante is a shape-shifter. Increasingly he spends time as an animal, cutting short the precious days they can spend together as people. The tumultuous ups and downs of this love affair make it impossible for Maria to have a normal life, and her dream of having children seems forever out of reach. A series of ferocious murders forces her to confront the truth of what Dante is capable of doing while he's an animal. VERDICT Shinn (Troubled Waters) is unmatched when it comes to creating believable fantasy worlds, so setting this novel in the mostly real world doesn't play to her strengths. Nevertheless, she has written an enthralling mystery with compelling, gritty characters. A sequel is in the works. The novel should appeal to fans of paranormal and urban fantasy, especially those who prefer a more serious tone.--Laurel Bliss, San Diego State Univ. Lib.

      Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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