The second book in the Web Shifter''s Library series returns to the adventures of Esen, a shapeshifting alien who must navigate the perils of a hostile universe.
Relationships get complicated when you don’t know who—or what—you really are. Esen must find a way to rescue a hapless group of chimeras, beings who are a new and unique blend of species she knows, when she can’t become one herself. When Evan Gooseberry tries to help, he is shattered to learn he himself isn’t entirely Human and begins to suspect his new friend Esen isn’t what she seems.
Complicating matters, a mysterious contagion has killed the crew of the ship that brought the chimeras—and Evan—to Botharis. Everyone’s been quarantined inside the All Species’ Library of Linguistics and Culture, including over a hundred disgruntled alien scholars.
The risks climb as Skalet and Lionel continue their quest to solve the disappearance of Paul’s mother’s ship, the Sidereal Pathfinder, only to find themselves caught in a tangle of loyalties as Skalet is betrayed by her own Kraal affiliates, who infiltrate the Library.
All of which would be quite enough for one Web-being’s day, but Paul Ragem hopes to rekindle the romance of his first love. A shame Esen hasn’t told him who’s hiding in their greenhouse.
Industry Reviews
Praise for the Web Shifter's Library series
"Search Image is the guaranteed most delightful and fun SF read of the year." -Marie Bilodeau, author of the Aurora-nominated Destiny series
"Julie Czerneda's novels ignite my sense of wonder, from the amazing worlds she creates, to the fully realized aliens and likeable characters. I eagerly await her next." -Kristen Britain, author of Green Rider
"As always, there are plenty of oddball alien hijinks, misunderstandings, and intrigues, all illustrating how badly the library is needed while providing excellent entertainment." -Locus
"Julie E. Czerneda is one of the leading SF writers of the 21st Century. A biologist by trade, she's brought a unique appreciation for the far-ranging possibilities of extraterrestrial biology to her fiction, and the result has been some of the most joyously alien characters in all of modern SF." -Black Gate
"Search Image had one of my favorite settings so far (an all-inclusive alien library), and an abundance of interesting aliens. Czerneda's worldbuilding and attention to biological detail is amazing, and something I always look forward to in her books." -The Obsessive Bookseller
"Once I started reading Search Image I could not put it down. I laughed, I cried; I'll be honest, I hugged and smelled it quite a few times. I couldn't help myself. I was so happy to have it in my hands." -BookGirl's BookNook
"This new fantasy is wildly imaginative and suspenseful.... A remarkable alien makes this new addition in the Web Shifter's series one to enjoy." -Bookaholic Romance Book Club
