Customer Reviews

The Changeling Saga 1: The Changeling War

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Two worlds exist together, yet forever apart. The earth is understandable, at least to most of those who are born there. The other world, the Castle, makes sense to the native-born who live in its winding maze of passages. But there are those who travel between the worlds. And there are those who have been caught in the wrong world. These are the Changelings.

One changeling, a boy on earth who was switched with a human baby at birth, is about to find out that he's different, and in terrible danger. Another changeling, the warrior Aubric, is also in danger. He has been captured by the evil Karmille, daughter of a High Lord and consort with a Judge. On earth, a Pale Man is trying to capture the Changeling, and in the Castle, magic is unleashed. And the war begins.

The Changeling War is the first book of The Changeling Saga. This book is obviously a set-up piece, introducing a host of characters, both on earth and in the Castle. Perhaps the promise of a saga serves to help prepare the reader for the onslaught of people and events that fly like heat-seeking missiles from all directions, but the premise is a bit muddled, and this is one case where a score-sheet to keep up with the players would be appreciated. On the other hand the writing is clean, the adventure very realistic, and the idea a sweeping one. Sure to be enjoyed by those who love fantasy series.

Rickey R. Mallory

This was a very good book. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down, I read it in less than a day. The concept of crossed worlds is nothing new, but Garrison did a great job in making the other world. "The Castle" world is very unique and it's government's structure is very intersting. I can't wait for book 2!

This Book Rocks! The few cons(poor editing, somewhat bumpy ride, and standstill moments) in it are quickly outdone by the many pros. First of all I want to say that this book probobly has the most imagenitive story i have ever heard of-much less read. The poor character developement and, well, boring moments are small details that youll quickly forget about. Rule 1 DO NOT READ THE BACK OF THIS BOOK! It tells nothing about whats inside. Now for the story. There two worlds(well three really) and many main characters. On Earth there normal kid Brian and his friend karen... or so you think. they really changelings being hunted by mr. smith. On castle there is the commen field soldier Aubric who takes control of a power beyond belief. There are too many more characters to include in this review. The story is twisted, bizzare, and very unique. I was litterally dazzled by this book and its fellows and im sure youll be too!!!!!

This book was very original and kept me turning the pages. And yet I found it very boring. But I'm still reading the series (on book 3 now). This book takes too long setting up the story. There are so many characters that the full story its not that long. I think the writer has A.D.D.. But at the same time I am left wanting to know how the story is going to end. The next two books in the series are better.

The Changeling Saga (The Changeling War, The Sorcerer's Gun, and The Magic Dead) literally begins with a bang, as a mobster shoots middle class executive Alan Clark in front of his home. This seemingly isolated event triggers a domino effect that not only changes the life of Clark and his family, but also the lives of the inhabitants of three worlds.

Millennia before the events related in this trilogy, travel and trade between these worlds was common. Due to the evil machinations of several power mad Judges (i.e. wizards) and the so-called High Ones, however, the gates between the worlds were closed. With that closure, the knowledge of the alternate worlds also disappeared - only a select few remain aware of their sister realities.

Even so, interaction between the worlds has not been totally eradicated. For instance, the powerful mage known as the Pale Man has set up shop on Earth as a fixer, intervening in human affairs in return for future favors from his desperate customers. One such favor results in the shooting of Clark by mobster Joe Beast. Unbeknownst to the Pale Man, Clark is the adoptive father of a Changeling, a mystical being born on the world known as The Castle, but secreted on Earth to mature without interference. A young man of great, if as yet untapped power, Brian Clark is destined to play a major role in subsequent events; his spiritual and emotional odyssey forms the backbone of this sprawling tale.

Author Peter Garrison (a pseudonym for veteran fantasy and horror scribe Craig Shaw Gardner) has described the trilogy as "Pulp Fiction meets Lord of the Rings". His stated objective: blending elements of modern day thrillers with those prevalent in the world of fantasy. A tough task, certainly, but one that Gardner pulls off with deceptive ease as mobsters and mages clash. Sporting a huge cast of characters and myriad story lines, the Changeling Saga is rich with memorable incident and teeming with action. It's a curious blend of several genres and styles of writing. In addition to its darker elements, this adventure also contains some deeply humorous moments--in my personal favorite, alien warriors visit Earth and try to blend in by disguising themselves in loud Hawaiian shirts. You have to be patient for these moments, however, as the majority come in the final volume, The Magic Dead; the first two installments are, in hindsight, merely setting the table for the events of the final volume (which itself is open ended, suggesting that sequels are possible).

Although a bit overlong, The Changeling Saga is on the whole a strongly written, well-constructed tale--the juxtaposition of the magical and the ordinary is milked for all it's worth, and its myriad characters are uniformly lively and memorable. Crafted by an accomplished storyteller, this edgy, charming, character-driven adventure rises above mere formula fantasy. Garrison manages to breathe new life in to many stock fantasy tropes, allowing readers to look at them from a fresh perspective--big, daring, often times manic, the Changeling Saga is a breath of fresh air for those who've grown weary of by-the-numbers fantasy.

"The Changeling War" is the first book in a fantasy trilogy in which characters from earth get caught up in a war in a strange world called "Castle." The noble houses of "Castle," which are named for colours, have been fighting a devastating war for thousands of years and all of them are losing, some more than others. They are ruled by cruel inbred High Lords who have to retain pure bloodlines to keep control of the otherwise all-powerful magicians known as Judges.

Castle seems to consist of strongholds, battlefields, and interconnecting tunnels. There are references in the book to at least one other world which may become involved in the ongoing war.

The book is interesting but quite hard work. It constantly jumps between half a dozen viewpoint characters. Most of the viewpoint characters appear at first to be bad guys, but this is one of those stories in which nothing is as simple as it at first appears.

A glossary of characters would have been quite useful: at times it is challenging to keep track of who is who.

Though quite entertaining in places, this book appears to be largely setting up the action for the remainder of the series: it makes you vaguely aware of a lot of strange plots and characters but very little is actually resolved in this first installment.

The full trilogy consists of

1) The Changeling War
2) The Sorcerer's Gun
3) The Magic Dead

Someone wants Brian Clark. He's not sure; being only fifteen, he has had quite a sheltered life, living under the dominating thumb of his mother... but when his father is shot when he refuses to let the men get to Brian, he becomes aware that something's wrong.

Aubric is a knight that ran from battle. It wasn't as if he ran because he was a wimp, oh no; he and his two best friends were drastically outnumbered, and running is much better than death. When he meets Summitch, an old man who brings him into the tunnels, the underground world of his own world, Castle.

Joe is the man who shot and almost killed Brian's father, but he never meant to do it. He was born into the Family - an Italian, Mafia-esque family, led by his uncle, Roman Petranova. His uncle had a deal with Mr. Smith... also known as the Pale Man, on Castle. Who just might be evil.

This book is quite good, I'll admit that. Those are just three of the main characters - off the top of my head, there are at least three others, and I'm not even going into the evil characters on the world of Castle. Really, the worst thing about the book is the writing. The plot is fantastic, the characters are well developed - I just can't stand the writing. It reads as though it's a first draft, and it would definitely be much better once rewritten. I will read the other two books in this trilogy, but they won't be at the top of my to-read list. Read if you like teenagers in fantasy... that's pretty much it.

Introduces a different and well-developed alternate world, some cool characters, and a number of intriguing, unresolved situations and world-building lore that leave you hungry for the sequel. A number of scenes and images really blew me away with their originality.

The best and worst thing about The Changeling War is the fact that it is the first book in a new series called the Changeling Saga. Best because there will be more, worst because we have to wait for more. TCW is written in a straight forward fashion.

The Changeling War is a fantasy that combines our "real" world with a classic fantasy world. It does this seamlessly. When the story moves from one world to the other, it does not detract from the story. The characters are very well fleshed out.

The plot is well done. It is not simple despite the straight forward writing style. The mystery of how the two worlds relate and the various quests make this novel a real page turner. This is the first book of a series so it is only a beginning.

This is a great book for both the experienced fantasy reader and for someone who hasn't read fantasy before. The tie in to our world and the writing style make it great for someone who might be afraid of traditional fantasy.

I have read many many books in my lifetime. The genre of sci-fantasy is definately my favorite. I read this book, and the 2 previous books in the last 3 weeks. They had to be the worst books I have read, ever. The characters were undeveloped, to get to care about a character you need to know more than their name and their profession. You need details to really feel that they are alive. Also, a better editing process would have been good, their were names mispelled from one sentence to the next (Kedrik/Kedric) and other times when the wrong character name was used in dialogue. I think the author has potential, I just hope he can live up to it someday.