Title: The beasts of Barakhai
First published: 2002
Description: 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.
Subjects: Fantasy, Fiction, Human-animal communication, Adventure stories, Parallel worlds, Imaginary places, Fiction, fantasy, general