| In an act of hubris, railroad tycoon and Firemaster Jason Cameron attempts a spell for which he is magically unsuited. The spell fails, and his body is warped into a shape halfway between a man and a wolf. Jason shuts himself up in his elaborate mansion with only his elemental servants and his apprentice as company.
Determined to reverse the damage wrought by the spell, Jason finds himself in need of a linguistic expert to transcribe his magical grimoires. He sends for Rose Hawkins, a medieval scholar whose father's death has left her in impoverished circumstances and in need of employment. Rose believes that she has been employed as a governess, but upon her arrival, it is revealed to her that she is to translate strange and esoteric documents to a man she is to never see. Jason hopes to keep Rose in the dark about the existence of magic, but Rose soon learns the truth. Eventually, Rose comes face to face with her mysterious employer, and feelings between the two begin to grow. In the meantime, Jason's apprentice, Paul du Mond, forms an alliance with Simon Beltaire, Jason's magical rival, and the two plot against Jason. Paul has his own unsavory plans involving Rose, and when his actions provoke a wolflike rage in Jason, Rose flees the mansion for the city—right into Beltaire's territory. And in the midst of the great earthquake of 1906, Jason confronts Beltaire, while trying to obtain the means to restore his human form, and save the woman he loves. | ||
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Plot & Themes FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past Romance Yes Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes Stealing/recovering/destroying Lifeform altered? Yes Kind of alteration: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Main Character Identity: - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Has magical powers? Yes How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Takes place on Earth? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog |
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