
Homo transformans — The Origin and Nature of the Species
By: Mary Elizabeth Ames
Published: Xlibris US (March 29, 2018)
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Synopsis
Approximately 175 years after Earth was struck by a gamma ray burst, a new characteristic began to arise in some humans. After many generations, humans appeared who were capable of transforming into another species of animal, most often a mammal. Overtime, the advantages of this new capability become apparent and, consequently, very valuable.
Two highly antagonistic factions, the Cassius Foundation and the Biogenics Corporation, competed with each other to achieve power and dominance in society. Both sought to exploit H. transformans to advance their own interests. Hence, H. transformans were hunted and captured for their abilities to transform or were killed for their genes. The Cassius Foundation, in particular, altered the genetic makeup of many species, including H. transformans, leading to enhanced capabilities in a few and striking deformities in most.
Lyvulfon
Communities comprised of H. transformans and sympathetic H. sapiens formed in an effort to protect and defend themselves from persecution. One of these communities, the House of Erwina, fostered a young H. transformans (Ruwena) with extraordinary abilities who presented herself as an H. sapiens. Ironically, many of her adventures obliged her to depend on her alternate species, while keeping her ability to transform a secret.
Ultimately, two factions emerged to determine the fate of the new species. With the balance of power and the preservation of H. transformans at stake, the defenders faced their mortal enemy in a battle they would not win.
Excerpts
Chapter 3: The X T Factor (Excerpt)
Chapter 12: Into the Boar’s Den (Excerpt)
Illustrations
The story is illustrated with 15 paintings of scenes − some whimsical, some dramatic − and 13 line art drawings of creatures from the book. The professional graphic artists of Epic Made produced these illustrations. (The author’s favorite is a spectacular painting of a great gray dragon creating a firestorm.)
Illustrations by Epic Made

H’llgraith
By: Mary Elizabeth Ames
Publisher: Koehlerbooks (US), (February 28, 2020)
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Synopsis
In the first book, Homo transformans: The origin and Nature of the Species, one of the characters, an old woman, played a pivotal role in saving and protecting a young girl destined to become Mistress of the House of H’Aleth. The old woman always seemed to know where to go and what to do. Her knowledge of medicinal plants, bizarre genetically engineered hybrid species, and her ability to communicate with dragons was extraordinary. She died without revealing her past.
H’Ilgraith, Sister of the House of H’Aleth recounts the story of the old woman above. It chronicles H’Ilgraith’s life and tells of her adventures during a time of escalating conflicts between the Cassius Foundation and the Biogenics Corporation. It reveals how her own personality and the characteristics of her alternate species – a gray fox, a lynx, a badger, and a great horned owl – forged an independent, resourceful, and driven individual. In a pivotal encounter, she confronted a gray mountain wolf who tested her patience and changed her way of life.
Kindred Spirits