This anthology follows the previous shifter anthology with the same title, and two of the stories in it are real sequel. The new one instead is a nice add, since as the other two, is quite a "shift" (pun intended) on the "classical" shapeshifter romance, where wolves, felines and similar rule. Instead the shifters in this three short stories are a fish, a pigeon and a bunch of rats, animals usually so small and not scaring, that are not the primary choice for a romance. But never underestimate the little ones, remember Napoleon...

The One That Got Away by Sharon Maria Bidwell: Billy is a wandering writer; his wandering lust has taken him far from home for a long time. He justifies himself with the reason that, being gay, living in a small town was impossible, but now that his father, his only relatives, is dead, and Billy had not the chance to say goodbye one last time, that reason seems very weak. Still mourning his loss, Billy takes his father boat and directs in the middle of the lake near his father cabin... and almost drowns. In the middle of the lake, one big fish shifts in a very handsome and naked man; a man who claims to be a friend of his father, more he pretends to be in love with Billy and that he was waiting for the boy to come back home since a long time. And now Gill, the fish, is tired to wait and "wants" Billy, here and there.

The story is quite interesting but maybe a little too short: most of the 30 pages are spent with Billy mourning his father's death, trying to convince himself that he is not crazy since he saw a fish-man and having a wild night of sex with said fish-man. But what will be of these two? Gill will choose to live on the dry land, or Billy will move on the cabin to be near to the lake and Gill? Gill is in love with Billy, he said so, but Billy? Is it only loneliness that draws him to Gill, or is it love also on his side? There are also some typos errors (a New England that two page after becomes New Hampshire, and three paragraph repeated identical at short distance) that makes me think that the story was closed a bit too soon, and it's a shame, since it's very nice.

Steal the Sky by Fiona Glass: Avery, the shapeshifter pigeon, and Charlie, his owner and now lover, are living together in an almost blissful situation. Avery has everything he wants, a roof on his head when it's raining, food to fill his belly when he is hungry and a lover to satisfy his desires when he is willing. Have you had the impression that Avery is a bit spoiled? Noooo, what did you think?! Avery is not spoiled, Avery is a pigeon, for him is quite natural to be feed without having to hunt his food, or to find a ready nest when he wants to sleep. And for the sex, well, it's an enjoyable benefit to being a shapeshifter. Charlie could believe to be the owner, and Avery is willing to let him believe so.

I really like this short story, probably the most funny and charming of the anthology. Charlie, poor him, is only a supporting character, Avery is the real protagonist. I don't know if Avery results so funny from being a pigeon or being English: there is always this edge in a story written by an English author, almost an aurea of superiority, almost as they know something (the author and his character) that you reader don't know... but maybe it's a pigeon thing instead.

The Swan Prince by Emily Veinglory: and here is the sequel of a story that, when I first read it, let me very intrigued, but perplexed: how can you find sexy a bunch of rats that shift in a man? And that sometime looses a rat and so an important body piece? (no, not THAT piece, usually it's an hand, but still, it's important!). And maybe this is the same though of Sandy, the half-Japanese half-American guy who finds himself with a rat-demon partner even if he is not so fond of the idea. But the rats, we know, are very good to infest the house they choose, and Rudy, the demon-rat, has chosen Sandy as his lover, or rather, has recognized Sandy as his Swan Prince, the Japanese mythological man said to have the power to convey and control the demon-rat.

Emily Veinglory's story competes with Fiona Glass's for the prize of the most funny; again I have that feeling, that superiority aurea... In this case, it's very tender to see how Rudy struggles to please Sandy, that always seems a bit aloof (very Japanese in this). Sandy is not a bad guy, only that he is not used to express his feelings or to voice his emotion. But if Rudy wants to do also his part of the work, Sandy will not refuse to be cherished and pampered... even if Rudy is not very good in pampering, on the contrary he is rather incompetent.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/423395.html