The eight short stories in this collection look at the ties that bind and the transformations they provoke. Whether bound by love, blood, or violent circumstance, the characters in these tales are fundamentally altered by those closest to them ... and not always for the better. Two mothers become entwined in revenge against a violent man, with unexpected consequences. A roving gang of sirens finds themselves challenged from without and within. In a last, desperate act of love, a young surgeon goes under the knife. And in a distant territory, a mother and daughter struggle to survive--but the aid they summon is far more dangerous. At turns brutal and tender, subtle and shocking, these stories blend realism, fantasy, and horror to create an unsettling--and unforgettable--experience.