The Changelings Series, Book 1

June 15, 2016
A fast-moving adventure reveals why 11-year-old Izzy has always felt like a bit of an outsider--but provides a sense of belonging too.Upset by her family's latest move, Izzy is tired of looking after her younger sister, Henrietta. But when Hen is lured away by a magical piper, Izzy goes in pursuit. She lands in the world of Faerie, where a motley group of outsiders joins the quest to rescue her sister. Both plot and characters feel familiar. There's the rescue effort; the not-entirely-enthusiastic companions (Lug, a large, furry, friendly creature; Selden, a surly, clever boy; and Dree, the suspicious ghost of a girl/fairy); and the villain, an evil queen with a thirst for eternal youth. Most characters are apparently white except for Selden, who has "deep brown skin and unruly black hair." Pursued by Unglers, creatively described and utterly unappealing predators, the four find their way into Avhalon with a little help from a fearful but friendly farmer/inventor. Unfortunately, while the plot moves along quickly and some details are entertaining, Izzy's character isn't particularly well-defined. The big reveal, when it comes, is hardly unexpected, and the rushed ending feels perfunctory. A pleasant diversion for fans of fairy tales, like Izzy, but not quite enough to capture the interest of a wider audience. (Fantasy. 9-12)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-The only interesting part of 12-year-old Izzy's new town is that her neighbor might be a witch. Izzy, who loves fantasy and fairy tales, would love a little magic in her life. When her younger sister, Hen, is lured into the forest by enchanted music, Izzy's dreams turn nightmarish. After frantically searching the forest, she finds herself in Faerie and must decide whether to trust a mismatched group of Changelings to save her sister, all while discovering there are greater forces and mysteries at play. This well-paced novel full of likable characters will attract fantasy lovers, especially those interested in fairies. Readers will enjoy the balance among action scenes, quieter periods of character interaction, and rich descriptions of Faerie. Izzy and her friends could be more fully developed but overall are interesting. The concept of the Changelings-and why they're important to keeping Faerie and Earth connected-is explained in bits with an enticing air of mystery that will keep readers engaged, and an additional final surprise puts the remaining pieces in place. VERDICT A great choice for fantasy fans or those looking for a relatively gentle but exciting tale.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

bibliophile - Meet Izzy Doyle, an eleven year old, who recently moved to Everton (totally unrelated, but Everton has a store called the Jiggly Goat)... Anyways there is a specific house in Everton that was bequeathed (more like it was forced- you’ll see after you finish reading this book) to Izzy’s father, which is the place where they moved to. According to the cash register in Jiggly Goat, there is a witch, Marian Malloy, and she’s watching out for “faries.” It’s sort of ironic how the cashier said that… Izzy is very determined to find out what exactly does the witch do for fun… I mean does she cast some sort of spell??? As she was “spying” on the witch… Marian Malloy was just washing the dishes! And maybe Hen might have accidentally told on Izzy… And maybe Hen spilled lemonade on Izzy’s book, which induced her to cry out and scream at Hen. The following day- Hen was playing in the woods, but Izzy heard some sort of music “from inside the woods,” but Hen was already gone. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN. Izzy woke up from her huge headache and found herself in the “witch’s room” aka Marian Malloy. Izzy became cautious after she saw a kindergarten picture of her, but Marian told her that it was her grandmother’s scrapbook (the one who passed away) and that she genuinely cared for both girls- she wanted to protect them. However… remember that music that was going on when Hen disappeared? Well, Izzy hummed the parts she could remember and Marian instantaneously grew pale… Uh oh… Something smells fishy here! As Marian instructed Izzy to go back home as Marian will dutifully bring Hen home, Izzy defiantly did the opposite and followed Marian. She later finds herself stuck with Marian and ends up going to the land of “Farie.” In the land of Farie, there is trouble brewing up… She ended up being chased by Unglers (Unglers are creepy creatures who chase Changlings)... Now who are the Changlings? Well they’re humans who can transmogrify into any animals. *I’m so jealous right now- I want to have those types of power* Izzy meets Lug as they are running for their lives… Lug and Dree takes Izy to their safe haven and Izzy meets Selden… Together they all go on a trip to Avhalon to see what will happen… Izzy later finds out that the Piper is illegally stealing children (ie: Hen) for the Queen… and now Hen is the Queen’s “daughter.” How will this group of outlaws be able to retrieve Hen and find the Queen’s devious plans before it actually comes true? Where are the other Changelings- or are they the only one left? Why did the Piper take Hen? All of these questions can be answered once you read it…. Enjoy! Usually, fantasy and me don’t really match; however this was an amazing book about true friendships and the power of love… I absolutely adored this book… This whimsical and fantastical story will transport you to the land of Farie and will take you on an adventure… This is one story you would not to miss!