Читать онлайн «The Shape-Changer's Wife»

Автор Шэрон Шинн

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Epilogue

Ace Books by Sharon Shinn

“Shinn shines as a powerful storyteller with a depth of feeling that touches the soul. ”

—Romantic Times

THE SHAPE-CHANGER’S WIFE

Selected by Locus as Best First Fantasy Novel of the Year

Nominee for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

“The spellbinding Ms. Shinn writes with elegant imagination and a steely grace, bringing a remarkable freshness that will command a wide audience. ”

—Romantic Times

“A delightful world to escape into. ”

—Locus

ALSO BY SHARON SHINN . . .

JENNA STARBORN

“Jane Eyre fans will enjoy tracking the character and plot parallels. Shinn fans will enjoy the way the author perfectly captures the tone and color of Brontë while maintaining Jenna’s unique voice. Best of all, Jenna’s narrative makes us feel joy in her love, sorrow in her despair, numb in her shock. ”

—Publishers Weekly

“Romantic and graceful . . . Shinn’s SF take on a great romantic tale succeeds wildly well. ”

—Booklist

SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN

“A charmer for the romantically inclined. ”

—Booklist

“Intensely emotional . . . An exquisitely rendered coming-of-age tale. ”

—Romantic Times

continued . . .

HEART OF GOLD

“A telling story of a racially divided society, and a pretty good love story, too . .

. another top-notch outing. ”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Smoothly written. Shinn has a talent for creating vivid, sympathetic characters. Nuanced and intelligent. A thoroughly entertaining reading experience. ”

—SF Site

“The love story of this book is balanced by deft examination of prejudice, intolerance, and inequality. This book is difficult to put down and will appeal to fantasy readers as well as fans of an intriguing love story. ”

—VOYA

WRAPT IN CRYSTAL

“Taut, realistic police work, an involving love story, and a fetching backdrop ... well up to Shinn’s previous high standards. ”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Shinn deftly combines mystery, high-tech SF, and romance with a layering of fantasy in a fresh and innovative tale full of surprising turns of plot. ”

—Library Journal

“Offers a convincing view of human impulses toward both worldly and unworldly passions with a touch of the otherworldly to bring it into the realm of science fiction. ”

—Locus

“It doesn’t get much better than Wrapt in Crystal—interesting characters, an intriguing mystery, a believable love story and a satisfying ending. ”

—Starlog

PRAISE FOR SHARON SHINN AND

THE SAMARIA TRILOGY . . .

ARCHANGEL

“Shinn is a good storyteller . . . Archangel takes advantage of the familiar—goodness, the Bible, Paradise Lost—through building its own lively quest narrative with these sure-fire building blocks so that one feels at home in the narrative very quickly; it also has a clean, often wryly funny prose. ”

—The New York Review of Science Fiction

“Taut, inventive, often mesmerizing, with a splendid pair of predestined lovers. ”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Excellent world-building, charming characterizations. A garden of earthly delights. ”

—Locus

JOVAH’s ANGEL