Dun Lady's Jess [Paperback]

Doranna Durgin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2007

Compton Crook Award winner

When hikers Dayna and Eric find a young woman naked, terrified, and speechless, they're sure she's the victim of foul play. But the truth is much more shocking: she isn't human at all. She's Dun Lady's Jess, a horse transformed into this new shape by the spell that brought her and her rider, to whom she is utterly devoted, into this world.

Posessed now of human intelligence but still a horse deep inside, Jess desperately searches this world for her master and rider, using her fiery equine spirit to take on human idiosyncracies - and human threats.

Dun Lady's Jess is a blend of adventure, magic, and romance that spans our world and its richly imagined fantasy counterpart. Horse become human, Jess is spirited and intelligent, seeing our world through a unique perspective. Pursued by evil, she must find a way not only to save her rider and both worlds, but also to keep who she has become.

"Horses, heroics, and magic - a great combination! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dun Lady's Jess, a spirited and daring novel. I couldn't put it down."
-- Kristen Britain, author of Green Rider and First Rider's Call.

"Dun Lady's Jess is everything a great fantasy ought to be: exciting, moving, and utterly original. Doranna Durgin has spun a marvelous tale, set it in a world that feels as real as our own, and populated that world with characters who will stay with you long after you read the final page. An excellent book, which I highly recommend."
-- David B. Coe, author of Winds of the Forelands and The LonTobyn Chronicle.

Doranna Durgin writes eclectically and across genres, with backlist in fantasy, media tie-in (including Star Trek and Angel), anthologies, mystery, women's action-adventure / romance, and paranormal romance. She also runs BlueHoundVisions.com, her web design business.

In her spare time she trains her dogs for agility, rally, and obedience trials, or heads for the backyard barn where the Lipizzan lives. You can find a complete bibliography at www.doranna.net, along with gorgeous high desert sunsets and scoops about new projects, lots of silly photos, and contact info.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The tale is well-written, original, and the transformation of horse to human is very will done. . . Dun Lady's Jess will appeal to readers of heroic fantasy tales, lovers of horses, and with the inclusion of the modern setting in our own world, allows for a broader audience who may not always reach for the fantasy genre. Then there is also the romance angle, just to add a little bit of spice.
Highly Recommended."
-- CM Magazine

Book Description

"Horses, heroics, and magic - a great combination! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dun Lady's Jess, a spirited and daring novel. I couldn't put it down."
-- Kristen Britain, author of Green Rider and First Rider's Call.

"Dun Lady's Jess is everything a great fantasy ought to be: exciting, moving, and utterly original. Doranna Durgin has spun a marvelous tale, set it in a world that feels as real as our own, and populated that world with characters who will stay with you long after you read the final page. An excellent book, which I highly recommend."
-- David B. Coe, author of Winds of the Forelands and The LonTobyn Chronicle.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 295 pages
• Publisher: Red Deer Press; 1 edition (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889953988
• ISBN-13: 978-0889953987
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, December 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dun Lady's Jess (Paperback)

I read this book awhile ago, and loved it. Being an animal lover, I appreciated the care with which the author described the horses, and how much personality they had; they were an actual part of the story, rather than just beasts of burden (this is true to one extent or another of all her writing). I also appreciated the fact that while she included a romance, sex wasn't particularly present. I get tired of some fantasy authors who seem to think that if they throw enough sex in, it compensates for lacks such as plot, character development, or action; also authors that just plain write it in all the time. Finally, she had a somewhat original and creative idea; others have written about animals becoming people or vice versa, but none that I've ever read had as much realism in that description, or as much consideration of what that would actually mean for the individual involved (especially if it is an animal becoming human). All in all, I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual story, but very good, September 15, 2003

By 

Mark "Fantasybooks" (STANFORD-LE-HOPE, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dun Lady's Jess (Paperback)

I don't think I have ever read a story like this one before--a rare thing in these days of multi volume fantasy series. Dun Lady's Jess is a simple story about a courier's horse. Jess and her rider are on a mission when they are attacked and accidentally transported to our world. Due to the nature of the spell used against them, Jess is turned into a woman while her rider is seperated from her and disorientated.

Jess is found naked and alone by a couple out for the day. They rescue her, take her home, and finally realise they hve something very strange on their hands. Jess meanwhile is having trouble understanding that standing on her hind legs is now allowed (rearing is bad) and that she can talk just like her rider.

All in all, a simple but intensely interesting read. Well worth your moneyu and time.

Mark E. Cooper

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really wonderful fantasy, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dun Lady's Jess (Paperback)

I don't normally seek out books about horses, but this novel was really exceptional. I love fantasy, and the truly mystical occurences in this books just served to draw me in more completely. Doranna Durgin also introduced a few fantasy concepts concerning magic that I have never read before, and I was really impressed. If you love fantasy, horses, and really good books, by all means read this!