Book Review: Changer by Jane Lindskold

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Oct 12, 2001

A hidden people lives among humanity. They are immortals, shapeshifters and magicians. They are called the Athanor. These people spawned humanity's myths and legends. Changer by Jane Lindskold is a novel about the Athanor. This is an intriguing Contemporary Fantasy novel full of interesting characters, an entertaining plot and fascinating culture of the Athanor.

All of the Athanor are interesting characters. The main character is called the Changer. He is an ancient shapeshifter and wild element among his people. Most find him enigmatic and scarey. He prefers to live in the wilds and stays away from his people most of the time. Arthur is the king of the Athanor, though he is mostly an administrator in the present day. He tries to keep the peace among his people and humanity from discovering their presence. The king has the help of Vera (Athena) and Eddie (Bedivere). There are many other interesting characters among the Athanor that contribute to the plot.

The plot of the book is very entertaining and keeps the reader wanting to race through the book. Changer starts out when the Changer returns to find his coyote family murdered except one daughter; the runt of the litter. He wants revenge, so goes to King Arthur for help. A triumverate of Athanor (Loki, Circe and the Head) drew him into their plot to overthrow King Arthur unwillingly. Changer doesn't involve himself with Athanor politics. The plot continues to draw the reader in with other subplots against Arthur and a growing movement among the nonhuman members of the Athanor to have a bigger say and are tired of living on the fringes of human civilization.

Lastly, the hidden culture of the Athanor is fascinating. The Athanor are all immortal, but vary greatly. Some are human in form, while others are animals or creatures like sasquatches, yeti and tengu. A few can change their shapes or do magic. The younger ones revere the ancient ones because of their experience. They are all bound by the life force of Harmony, which lets them survive. There is an Accord they all live by. These factors allow them to live remarkable lives among humanity.

Changer by Jane Lindskold is an entertaining Contemporary Fantasy novel. It tells the story of the immortal Athanor that live hidden among humanity in our modern world. The book has interesting characters, an entertaining plot and fascinating culture of the Athanor. Readers will find this book hard to put down. Be sure to check it out if you can.

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