The Waterborn (Children of the Changeling, Book 1) [Hardcover]

J. Gregory Keyes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 23, 1996

The River flowed through all the land, deep and unstoppable, a god in his own right. His head was in the mountains; his arms embraced the outlands; his body lay at the core of all the civilized realms; and his legs stretched on to the distant sea. Dark and sluggish, he rolled unchallenged, dreaming his own invincible might and glory into stark reality.

Everywhere he touched, the River God held dominion. And in Nhol, the fabled city at the heart of the world, an emperor ruled as the living aspect of the god, presiding over the splendors and intrigues of a prosperous land and a glittering court.

Hezhi was an imperial princess; her blood carried the seeds of the River's power. When her favorite cousin disappeared, Hezhi searched throughout the sumptuous palace with its ghosts and priests, giants and courtiers, and frightening creatures of wizardry. And the magic within her began to grow; soon it must attract dangerous attention. Hezhi's anxious quest ripened into a desperate fight for her own life--a battle she could not hope to win alone.

Small wonder that the princess wished for a hero.

And far away, a hero's journey began...

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's that story again: unsophisticated adolescent boy, spunky, curious princess, large landscape for them to tour, troublesome deities, a magic sword. J. Gregory Keyes's knowledge of epics, myths, and human cultures is a solid foundation for his series, making it far better than the average product: a story that might have happened sometime between the Ice Ages when numinous deities still dwelled in every tree, rock, and pool. The detailed social structures and customs feel more authentic, though they're also familiar--the urban monotheists, the shamanistic horseback nomads, and so on. The writing is workmanlike, but the anthropological soundness and echoes of ancient stories give life and dimension to the old archetypes.

From Publishers Weekly

Many elements in Keyes's first novel are traditional to fantasy?gods, politics, a princess and a barbarian warrior?but they're mixed in unexpected ways. Facts about the imagined world are presented only as needed; the plotting flows logically, supporting well-drawn characters. In this world, the River, a jealous and powerful god, runs in the blood of the nobility of the city of Nhol, including in that of a bright and independent princess, Hezhi. Ten years old, Hezhi wishes to understand the world she was born into and why her cousin and best friend, Den, was taken away to the River by the priests. Meanwhile, Perkar, a young warrior, has fallen in love with a Stream Goddess who fears being eaten by the River. Wishing to save his beloved, Perkar vows to kill the River. In interweaving story lines, both protagonists make mistakes but unravel mysteries and, aided by many strong secondary characters, come of age. Tackling important themes of values and identity, both personal and social, this is a satisfyingly robust, impressive debut that offers some genuine surprises. 75,000 first printing; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 436 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (July 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345403932
• ISBN-13: 978-0345403933
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,589,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing and truly different, read it., June 15, 1998

By 

James (Lt. Poole) Brett ([e-mail]) (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Waterborn (Chosen of the Changeling, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I happened upon this book in an unusual way, I met Greg and his wife Nell through a mutual friend and at the time of that meeting I was unaware that he was an author. Upon find out that he was an author, I endeavored to see what sort of writing he was capable of. I was then very surprised and pleased by Waterborn.

I have read many of the current fantasy novels available today and, to me, they all seem familiar. You have your warriors and wizards and some sort of non-human characters, usually an elf, dwarf, or such. But Mr. Keyes has created something truly different, and quite refreshing. Here we have various cultures of mankind trying to make a life for themselves in a world where the Gods are not only real they live in the same world. He characterization is fantastic, and the intertwining story a page-turner.

If you like fantasy novels but are getting tired of the same old story I would strongly suggest Waterborn you won't be disappointed.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I hate you deeply Gregory Keys, September 19, 2001

By 

Bob Bill (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Waterborn (Chosen of the Changeling, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was trying to write a five page essay on what my future career would be, but I had just checked out this book. I had gotten the book earlier that day say around 12 and my classes ended at 3 but after that all I did was read this book. I just couldn't stop reading it. The story wasn't the greatest ever, but it was very good and just about every chapter ended with some kind of cliffhanger. I kept telling myself that one more chapter and I would go off to write my paper, but it would end I'd start to leave the room and then'd realize I couldn't start writing untill I found out if the princess was going to jump off the roof plunging to her DOOM! The chapters that didn't end like that always had some new strange development that made you want to find out what would happen next; I can't go write now I don't know what will happen now that Perkar finaly met up with the giant and librarian. Then at 3 in the morning I eventually got to the end of the book. I still had an essay that was due tomorrow. DARN YOU GREGORY KEYS!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Waterborn, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Waterborn (Children of the Changeling, Book 1) (Hardcover)

The Waterborn is an excellent book. It is one of the best books I've ever read, with its mixture of romance, adventure and fantasy all rolled into one it makes it the perfect book for almost anyone. With the exotic but bewitched princess Henzi, the valent hero Perker, his brave yet humble friend Ngangata, the ancient one Brother Horse and the gods such as Harka and the changling make it so you don't know if they will ever meet, survive or just what they will do next. So I recemend this book to anyone between the age of 12 and 100 to read this book and its sequel the Black god. Both by J. Gregory Keyes.