Part of Book of the Beast Trilogy by Robert Stallman, book 1
First published 1980
Robert appears to be an ordinary child living with the farmer and his wife who took him in. But darkness lurks beneath his human form. When night falls, Robert transforms into something else entirely. His body sprouts thick fur. His eyes turn wild. Five-clawed hands replace gentle fingers. The beast craves blood and hungers for the satisfying crack of bones. Robert cannot stop these changes from happening. The creature within him waits constantly, ready to emerge and strike at any throat within reach. His adoptive parents show him kindness, unaware of the monster their charity shelters. Neither the boy nor the beast can control when the shifting occurs. Robert lives trapped between two natures that war within the same flesh.
Genres: fantasy, horror, supernatural, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: duality-of-man, unreliable-narrator
240 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket Books
Content warnings: body-horror, violence