The beasts of Barakhai

by Mickey Zucker Reichart

Graduate student Benton Collins tries to catch an escaped lab rat and enters the land of Barakhai, peopled with shapeshifters who transform into animals daily--whether they want to or not. When Benton is convicted of a crime and condemned to die, the rat, now in human form, rescues Benton in hopes the grad student can help change the way of life in Barakhai. First in a two-book series.