Rider of the Laika

Sasha is an ordinary teenager until one day she finds herself swept into an alternate universe full of people called shades who can transform into mythical creatures - and they're all at war with each other. Asteria, a pheonix shade, takes Sasha in, then reluctantly agrees to help Sasha nurse an injured enemy back to health - a dragon shade who messes with Sasha's feelings and never seems to show anything beyond amusement himself.

The war continues on, and it soon becomes clear that all three want it to end. But who could help them? Perhaps the serpent shades, bound to the water and unable to fight. Perhaps the mysterious Willow Woman, who lives in a grove of winged unicorns. Only one thing is clear: in order to go home, Sasha must stop the war.