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One hundred twelve years.
That’s how long the menagerie had been in Rudolph’s family. The technological boom had not been good to traveling circuses, but thanks to Rudolph’s talent and attention, Metzger’s had survived when many other menageries folded. But survival wasn’t enough. He wanted Metzger’s to flourish!
His gaze focused on the occupants of the room beyond the one-way glass, uncomfortably aware of the fact that if the woman hadn’t been chained to both her chair and the floor, he would’ve had no idea she wasn’t, in fact, a woman at all. She was a monster.
“She wasn’t trying to pass for human. She thought she was human. The world thought she was human. When audiences look at her, they will see themselves, locked up and helpless. When the other exhibits look at her, they will see possibility. Opportunity. She grew up in freedom and human privilege. She’s smart, she’s loud, and she has a severely inflated sense of self-worth. Her delusions make her dangerous.”
He turned to his boss of livestock. “You must break her, Gallagher. She is the spark, and if that spark kindles, it will burn my menagerie to the ground.”
Rudolph shook his head to disguise the chill traveling up his spine. This female could incite riots. She could save the carnival—or be the end of everything he’d been working toward his entire life.
Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent
“Compelling and edgy, dark and evocative, Stray is a must read! I loved it from beginning to end.”
—New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter on Stray
“Well written, fresh, charming, great voice—Buffy meets Cat People. I loved it, and look forward to much more in the future from this talented author.”
—New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham
“This is the kind of book that ups the ante in teen literature. The characters are true to life in a way not often captured by YA authors; Vincent writes dialogue as if she spends her days haunting the hallways of her local high school. The love triangle is fantastic… This plot is driven by more relatable impulses: love, friendship, jealousy.”
—RT Book Reviews on My Soul to Steal
“Vincent does a nice job of balancing all the various species of character…with dollops of humor and enough backstory to keep readers new to the series engaged, without dousing the pace for those already in the know.”
—Booklist on If I Die
“A well-thought-out vision of werecat social structure as well as a heroine who insists on carving her own path, even if it means breaking some of her society’s most sacred taboos.”
—Library Journal on Rogue
“Blood Bound offers a little something for everyone: a convincing magical system for urban fantasy fans; for romance readers, a love that time and distance can’t break; and a twist-and-turn plot for mystery buffs.”
—Shelf Awareness on Blood Bound
Menagerie
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Rachel Vincent
RACHEL VINCENT is the daughter of a registered nurse and an attorney/pianist, and only rarely has she ever seen either of them without a book in hand. As the oldest of three (then later, five) children, she’s always known exactly when and how things should be done, and as a wife and mother, she has never once conceded an argument. A former English teacher and supporter of the serial comma, Rachel has written more than twenty novels and hopes to spend the rest of her life with her fingers on the keyboard and her head in the clouds.
This one is for my husband and children, who suffered with me through three years, several rewrites, a shifted release date and the loss of my longtime editor while I wrote Menagerie. It’s been a long road, but I think it’s been worth it, and I can’t thank you all enough.
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