Release date: October 30th 2013
Publisher: Lycaon Press
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18362697-changling
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Each of the three friends has a place in the curse. This book follows Sully as he finds out more about his history and his skills.
Nera's best friend Sully knows there is something special about him. After all, he is related to her uncle and Jasper is a witch.
Stands to reason that something would have been passed down.
They just have to find what powers Sully has been bestowed with.
But when they do, is it as simple as he thinks?
To be able to change into his animal and run wild is one thing. To be hunted for the beast that he is, is another. And when they find out who wants him dead, they realize that life isn't as simple as they thought.
My Review:
★★★★★
I really liked this book! At first I was slightly confused. I didn't read the first one and really should have. There are a lot of references to what happened in the first book, so I suggest reading it before you start on this one. After I decided to just jump in and ignore the references, I really lost myself in this story.
The characters are all well developed. They are believable and you can watch them grow throughout the story. I admit to getting irritated with Nera several times while reading the book and talking aloud to her like she would answer back. That girl has such an attitude problem! Was I ever so childish and selfish? Was I ever that bossy and mean to my loved ones and friends? I hope not! She makes me want to shake her. I have to remind myself that she is just a character in a book. Maybe I should meet the author Ari Harper and shake her for writing such a frustrating, bratty character. Then I would hug Ari for writing such a delightful book.
The other characters are just as well written. I found Brie and Sully to be a little juvenile at times. I know that they are young, but gosh! Grow up! Stop worrying about boys so much Brie and worry about something serious, like helping Nera fight the baddies! And gee, Sully, can you be any more obvious about how you feel about Nera? Oh.. and Bones, gosh what can I say about Bones. He is my favorite character, besides Hugo (gosh I love that dog!), and I hated to see the way Nera treated him over and over. How he could treat her so good, while getting that in return is beyond me.
OK I should stop rambling on about the characters. I could continue on for hours more. That alone should tell you how well written this book is. To get so caught up in the characters and the story that you almost forget that they aren't real is a sign of an amazing storyteller. The plot is just as well thought out as the characters. I remained glued to my reader as I read this story, waiting to see when the baddies would appear and how that would all play out. I also was almost as anxious as Sully to see where and when he would first shift and what form he would take.
I highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a great, magical adventure that involves witches, shifters, gods and demigods, and much, much more. I feel that this would be good for a wide range of ages as I loved it and I am sure that both my 10 year old daughter would like it as would my 18 year old son. There wasn't anything in the book that I would be uncomfortable letting my children read.
Oh, and to help you see for yourself, here is an excerpt:
"Let's do this. No prisoners."
"If that's what you want, fine by me," Bones replied.
"Do try not to draw blood." Jasper looked afraid this was not going to be an ordinary sparring match. He went to sit by the others to watch.
I lunged first. Bones stepped forward to meet my cut and blocked me, twisting my sword down toward the ground, his eyes taunting me. We retreated and came at each other again. This time it was Bones that struck first, the power of his strike running down my arms. I thrust him away and lunged at him again. For what seemed like an eternity to me, we battled each other. Neither of us was willing to finish until we drew blood.
I had blocked my mind to Bones before we started with the swords. I refused to give him the advantage of getting at me that way. This time it was by the blade and I knew I was getting better. I was damned good if I was any judge.
I drew back with a gasp as something flew past my eyes. The tip of Bones sword was too close to my face for comfort. I should have been taking more notice and not thinking about other things. I forced him back again and attacked him with more spirit.
His quick rush of breath made me start. I hear the thud of feet as Jasper ran over, calling out.
"Bones, Bones. Are you hurt badly?"
"No, Jasper. Merely a flesh wound," he said, gritting his teeth and holding onto his shoulder. The blood was running freely from a deep gash down his arm. It ran through clenched fingers before dripping onto the grass. His face had paled at the blow and I was mentally kicking myself for not taking more notice of what was going on. Bones hadn't been concentrating and I had been fighting by instinct alone and blocking off everything around me.
I looked over at his face. He had gone white as a sheet and was starting to tremble. His dark eyes were huge as he stared at me.
"I am so sorry, Bones. I didn't mean it," I whispered.
Now wasn't that just the perfect teaser to get you to want to read this wonderful book?! Now read on to find out about the author and then enter the giveaway below. Have fun and good luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.
Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm. Her favorite pet is a big black dog called Hugo. You will find him as himself in the Curse of Kin series as Nera's faithful hound.
www.ariharper.com
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for reviewing purposes. Regardless, all opinions are my own and were in no way influenced. I was not required to write a positive review.
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