Customer Reviews

The Waterborn (Children of the Changeling Ser., 1)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

At heart, an unforgettable fantasy replete with all the requisite elements - a pretty damsel in distress, heroes and their sagas, gods, battles, good and evil, with lots of credible dialogue to bring it home! Did I mention a couple of plot twists that would make the most jaded thriller or mystery reader's eyes light up?

At a deeper level, Keyes also addresses issues such as the relationship of man to his gods in a belief system similar to the Greek and Roman pantheon of mortal gods and half-gods with emotions and motivations that are all too human. He also seems openly critical of a priesthood that has misinterpreted its role in society and as a result has misappropriated and abused the power that history accorded it. Religious and racial intolerance also make cameo appearances.

But, all the while, Keyes never forgets that he is telling a story - and, it's one you won't be forgetting for a long time to come!

Paul Weiss

Keyes is a stunning author, able to create worlds that suck you in and plots that keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. The Waterborn is some of his best work.

When writing fantasy, it seems like many authors are prone to falling into the trap of overused settings, trite plot developments and stock characters. Keyes is not one of these authors. The Waterborn is a story that contains both fluidity and depth- there is a continuity and logic to everything that happens, and his characters are unique individuals, all of them capable of great good and great evil, none of them perfect in any regard.

The Waterborn is set in a unique world, and each of the richly-developed characters must come to terms with their role in it. Their stories converge in an epic plot that will make you as eager to unravel what's really going on as they are. This is not a book to pass up- it's pure magic.

Keyes draws on older legends and invents some of his own in telling the story of a boy's coming-of-age quest. Perkar's love for the goddess of the stream that runs by his village leads him along strange paths, and you won't be able to guess the ending. This was one of the most imaginitive and original fantasy debuts I ever read.

This book breeds ancient myths entwined with new ones. The journey of misguided youth turns our hero Perkar into a man with a wealth of experience to confront his enemy, the Changeling. The idea of a river god eating the body of a stream goddess, as the main reason to kill the river god is just wild. The river being absolute power is one of the main themes running through, all around there is a god for every nature aspect around in this world. The background for the gods are nurtured from ancient Indian beliefs. Hezhi, a young heroine, goes through her own journey to discover her true purpose in her life. Two paths that lead to each other and both grow as individuals when they clash together in the end.

What makes Keyes original is his use of Native American beliefs and religious examples to develop a scenario different from the typical Good Creater, bad Evil Satan-like entity. Gods and Goddesses, of large and small influence, play a decided role in meddling with humans. A fun, fast read.

The problem with most fantasy is that it is written entirely within the world of fantasy literature. It refers only to other books, creating a mirror world in which every image has been seen before, and every character is the reflection of many others. With the Chosen of the Changeling series Greg Keyes has escaped from this trap by infusing his story with anthropology and traditional myth. These books feel original because they return to the tradition of heroic stories told around the hearth that lies behind all fantasy. Keyes' heroes are like the heroes of epic, chosen by the gods to play parts in stories they don't really understand. The setting is magnificent, the writing fine. I enjoyed both of these books and recommend them highly.

This was the first Keyes book that I read and I have to say that, after wandering through a wilderness of some of the lousiest sci-fi and fantasy books over the past few years, that this was, oh so, refreshing.

I believe that Greg Keyes is probably one of the finer writers out there right now.

So, I'm picking up just about every book of his that I can.

A great read, well worth the money for a new one off of your favorite book store shelf.