Now, almost five years later, they have gathered in Sarajevo to find out what happened to Gray, the man who had taught them all what love is.

Each driven character in this novel believes fully that there is a love strong enough to sustain them, even in the extreme of circumstances of war. But each time they have uncovered a glimpse of such a thing, they have failed tragically love itself.

Or, to see it another way, this is a novel about how love fails us every time-or almost every time.

Jason Quinn Malott has been the publisher of the online literary journal "The Project for a New Mythology (www.pfanm.com)." The Evolution of Shadows is his first novel.