Description: An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of supernatural creatures--and an unexpected home--in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.
"One of the most fun and original books I've read in years. Excellent storytelling. See for yourself."--Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files "A haunting and atmospheric urban fantasy populated by quirky human characters and fabulously weird mythical creatures . . . a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature."--Publishers Weekly Green trips on the curb, falls flat into the street, and sees the city bus speeding toward him. And then . . . blink. He's back on the curb, miraculously still alive. A five-foot-tall crow watches him from atop a nearby sign, somehow unseen by the rushing crowd of morning commuters. Desperate for answers and beset by more visions of impossible creatures, Green finds his way to a remote campsite in the Appalachian Mountains, where he meets a centuries-old teacher and begins an apprenticeship unlike anything he could imagine. Under his new mentor's grouchy tutelage, Green studies the time-bending rag moth, the glass fawn, and the menacing horned wolf. He begins to see past hidden nature's terrors and glimpse its beauty, all while befriending fellow misfits--and finding connection and community. Along the way come clues about the forces that set him on this path--and, most incredibly, a sense of purpose and fulfillment like nothing he's felt before. But Green's new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he's already come to love. Creepy, cozy, and beautiful, Strange Animals is a fantasy about home, belonging, and the fearfully wonderous nature all around us.Review Quotes: "One of the most fun and original books I've read in years. Excellent storytelling. See for yourself."--Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files
"Something we used to talk about as fantasy readers was A Sense of Wonder . . . This book might be about the natural and the unnatural world that we live in. It might be about what we perceive, how we perceive it, what we don't perceive. It might be about belonging in the natural world. It might also be about running like crazy from the natural world. If that intrigues you at all, you will enjoy this book."--Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of The Farseer Trilogy "Unique, haunting, riveting, and beautifully magical--this is the kind of strange and wonderful book that you carry around in your heart. You're in for a special and wondrous ride!"--Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop "Anderson has conceived of such a rich world, and such a textured mythology. I can't remember a time when cryptids felt more . . . real."--Justin McElroy, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Adventure Zone"I cannot express how much this book scratched an itch I didn't know I had. The deep wonder and curiosity about nature coupled with the terror of our own insignificance strummed a familiar chord within me, and reading about these singular creatures and Green's journey confronting them inspired a childlike glee of discovery. I envy everyone who gets to read Strange Animals for the first time. I'll be reading it again and again to revisit that happiness and winkle out every morsel of wisdom breathed by the sage characters within."--Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of Candle & Crow and the Iron Druid Chronicles "I absolutely adore this book. Reading it is like curling up under a blanket with a mug of hot cocoa beside a campfire in the middle of a dark forest and listening to a master storyteller weave tales of cryptids and extradimensional gods. A delight from start to finish."--Lucy A. Snyder, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Sister, Maiden, Monster "A wildly inventive, fantastically fun story about a man who goes to find himself and finds so, so much more. I absolutely loved it from the first page."--Peter Clines, New York Times bestselling author of Paradox Bound and God's Junk Drawer "This novel surprised me over and over . . . Read this one if you want something comforting. Despite having a few intense moments, it's quite a lovely, calming story about life and nature, and the characters are excellent."--Book Riot "A haunting and atmospheric urban fantasy populated by quirky human characters and fabulously weird mythical creatures . . . a wholly captivating tale of magic and nature."--Publishers Weekly "Delightfully creepy . . . I was immediately struck by the evocative prose and world-building that seemed to flow almost effortlessly from the pages. If you're a fan of nature, things that go bump in the night, or just like reading extremely well-executed writing, you should do yourself a favor and check this one out."--Chris Kluwe, Lightspeed Magazine