First published 2002
Deep in the jungle, a man freezes as enormous yellow eyes lock onto his from the darkness. The creature stalking him weighs nearly 450 pounds, stretches eight feet from nose to tail, and displays the distinctive rusty-red coat and black rosettes of a jaguar. Terror should drive him to flee, but fascination roots him in place. The predator approaches, sniffs his skin, growls softly, then brushes against him with surprising gentleness before vanishing into the undergrowth. The man pursues the animal through the jungle, his vision sharpening until he can navigate the pitch black forest. When he glances down, human feet have become clawed paws. His eyes now glow amber, his chest rumbles with an answering growl to his newfound kin. Martinez explores the boundary between human and animal nature through visceral transformation.
Genres: nature, animals, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: animal-companion, man-vs-nature, transformation
Setting: Jungle
320 pages · Paperback · iUniverse