The Changewinds (Baen Science Fiction) [Paperback]

Jack L. Chalker (Author)

Book Description

Series: Baen Science Fiction | Publication Date: August 1, 1996

The Changewinds blow from the Seat of Probability across the worlds that they themselves created, at once random and consistent, obeying the rules of their own strange spectral meteorology. Most of the universes the Winds have made exist separately from one another in time and space, but close to the Seat of Probability they are more densely packed, and one may walk from one to the other and not realise it until it is too late...For countless centuries the Ahkbreed sorcerers have dreamed of the ultimate power - control and direction of the Changewinds themselves, a power that would truly make them gods over all universes everywhere. And for centuries those who pay tribute to the Ahkbreed have dreamed of a deliverer. Now two brave young women from Earth have found themselves caught up in the fury of the Changewinds. They themselves will be transformed. But, in the process, they will change everything.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack L. Chalker is one of the top-selling writers in science fiction, with a vast and enthusiastic audience which has bought over one million copies of his 'Well of Souls' novels and nearly as many of his 'Four Lords of the Diamonds' series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 832 pages
• Publisher: Baen (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671877348
• ISBN-13: 978-0671877347
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,762,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and delightful book even fantasy-haters will love!, August 8, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Changewinds (Baen Science Fiction) (Paperback)

I am not exactly a fan of Jack L. Chalker, or at least I wasn't before I read The Changewinds. In fact I didn't even know who he was before I read it. But now I realize that I had been missing out on one of the more unique fantasy minds of our time. Chalker created a unique and enchanting world, which challenges the laws of physics and Probability, filled it with more races and lands than no one person should be allowed to concieve, and gave it a political situation that many people in this world have first-hand experience with. He then plopped two ordinary teenage women into it, mumbled something about one of them being important into their ears, and left them to their own devices.

Or so it would seem. By the end we learn that even the infinity of Probability can be predicted and tampered with.

Through the eyes of Charley and Sam, we, the lucky readers, discover the beauty and variety (and cruelty) that is Chalker's world of Akhlar. There are no illusions here, save those the inhabitants create. Cruelty, kindness, pity, jealousy, compassion, love and hate, good and evil are all present and accounted for. As are the bureaucracy and the underworld. Sure, there are fantastical creatures and magic and sorcerers and kings and queens and those sorts of things, but it is tempered with a reality and a believability that I have never seen anywhere else. As is most often times not the case, I can see myself in this world, because Chalker leaves nothing out of it.

And this is not a book about the setting, either. Chalker's plotline is twisting and complex, yet manages to keep the reader's attention even when it seems there's not really all that much going on. The introduction of new characters, the resurfacing of those thought dead or vanished, and the continuous metamorphosis of the two protagonists are enough to rivet even those who think fantasy is bunk to their seats.

The main characters themselves go through enormous changes, both of body and mind. They are possessed by demons, taken control of by numerous wizards and evil people of all types, and had their memories wiped clean at least twice that I can remember. Through all of this they are transformed from two ordinary teenagers into strong, self-assured women who are able to do the tasks that they were brought into Ahklar for in the first place.

There are two distinct types of fantasy novels nowadays -- those who follow in the footsteps of previous works and those who forge their own paths. I have never read anything so unique as this book, and I have never been so riveted to a certain plotline as I was when I read it. Chalker is creative and witty even in the mundane aspects of his world, and helps us to rekindle a little of our own inner imagination as he takes us on a whirlwind (or is that changewind?) tour of his world.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chalker Worlds, July 12, 2000

By 

Leon Kitain - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Changewinds (Baen Science Fiction) (Paperback)

Coming from a person who's read every single Jack L. Chalker series I would have to declare this one one of his best. Mr Chalker uses all his aquired writing skills to make the characters realistic, their reactions realistic, and the world trully come alive. When I read the book first it was in 3 parts and that gave it real flair. When you are done with one it is almost compulsory to read the next. The book is increrdibly hard and painful to put down when done with. And the resolution is incredibly pleasing, finally a book that ties all ends up and satisfies the reader. So this is a book both for the Chalker fan and also for those not familiar with his style for this book exemplifies it perfectly...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is AMAZING. :), January 12, 2000

By 

lemonzest "Jenn" (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Changewinds (Baen Science Fiction) (Paperback)

When this book first came out, I found it at my local library.. The size of it put me off a bit, but I took it out anyway... O_o! This book gave me terrible grades in school for about 3 weeks, because I would stay up until 3:30 in the morning reading it (I was 13, so sue me. :P) and sleep through my classes. About 3 months ago, I got the urge to read it again or buy it, and wouldn't you know it, the library no longer has it. ::grrr:: After searching bookstores for months, I finally found it here. Do NOT pass up the chance to read this book, believe me. Excellent story, great characters, and a nice ending, too. :) I always wanted to get the butterfly tattoos..