Changing Fate [Paperback]

Elisabeth Waters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994

In charge of running her absent father's keep, Lady Acila conceals a deep, dark secret--she is a shapechanger, a being feared and despised by the people of her world--until circumstances force her out into the world. Original.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: DAW; First Edition edition (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886776082
• ISBN-13: 978-0886776084
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,491,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shape-changing, Year-kings, romance..., June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Changing Fate (Paperback)

Elisabeth Waters manages to fit it all into this comparatively slim novel. Remarkable in its lack of stereotypes, Changing Fate is a truly enjoyable fantasy.

Shape-changer Acila is forced to leave her home when it is captured by a Lord Ranulf. She and her dreamy, impractical brother, Briam, eventually come to the city of Diadem. In a kingdom of women-rulers, Briam is chosen as Year-king-- one scheduled to be sacrificed at the end of the summer.

Acila's certainly not going to stand for it! But how to rescue him? With the help of Druscilla, the reluctant heir to the crown of Diadem, her companion, Wolf (incidentally a wolf) and her own unique powers, Acila knows she must save Briam.

The characters are done very well. There are no villains in Changing Fate. The Queen sacrifices Year-kings merely to keep her people happy; Lord Ranulf...well, he's not at all a cold-hearted invader. I particularly liked the handling of Druscilla, a competent and intelligent woman whom everyone underestimates at first, including Acila. If you're at all into fantasy, Changing Fate is that rare and obscure book that is a must.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant, fresh, light-weight fantasy; romantic elements., November 9, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Northeast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing Fate (Paperback)

_Changing Fate_ is an enjoyable fantasy adventure. Elisabeth Waters is not overly ambitious in her world-building, but she doesn't recycle: nary an elf or a unicorn in sight. The main characters are intelligent without being improbably bright. Lack of purple prose and sentimental meanderings make this book more palatable than many other contemporary romantic fantasies. The hero, a young woman hiding her shape-shifting ability, is forced to abandon her ancestral home and undergoes a number of adventures. Most conflicts are solved with mis-direction or flight: there is only one short sword-fight.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant, enjoyable read, February 19, 2000

By 

Sarah M Caughey (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing Fate (Paperback)

CHANGING FATE is one of those fantasy books that, sadly, seem to be going out of style; that is, an uncomplicated yet imaginative and interesting plot, realistic characters you can relate to, and almost no sex or violence. It is a great book to read when you are relaxing, because it doesn't send you on an emotional roller-coaster, but it still holds your attention and keeps you entertained. I would like very much to see more from Ms. Waters.