The Changeling's Daughter

I enjoyed the Changeling’s Daughter. I’m not sure if it was aimed at a middle aged woman, but I enjoyed it just the same. The story evolved nicely, giving the mysteries away bit by bit, I suppose it could be compared to Harry Potter, both main characters thinking the were human and discovering they had powers, then discovering worlds they didn’t know existed and solving major problems.
A few editorial hiccups such as the same chapter twice and the extra page between each chapter which became tiresome. I felt a little deflated when finding Brynn (the main character) having to choose between three tasks to complete successfully to get somewhere (old hat) and was confused when because of magic had to have her friend home by daybreak, show more but then her siblings and parents were already on their way to school which in a small town seemed a tad early.
Overall I enjoyed the world that was introduced and found the story easy to read. The Changelings Daughter is a great debut novel. show less

I adored the book. Within two chapters I was completely hooked.
I loved the style, I loved the theme (growing up, coping with all sort of things you do not understand), I loved the conversations between the two friends, I loved the way in which the book was written, as a quest, I loved ... just so much of the book.
Yes, I would have liked to know more about the brother. Now I see him not often enough. And yes, I do think the relation between mother and daughter is too good tu be true (apologies to all the mothers).
But all in all, I loved the book.

The Changeling's Daughter by R. Chris Reeder is a delightful story about how the world around us may not be what it seems. Based in Welsh mythological folklore, this book follows fourteen-year-old Brynn McAwber in a journey of self-discovery and heroism. I truly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

I would rate The Changeling's Daughter to be at about a ninth grade reading level. However, it contains more profanity than I would recommend for the average young teen--in fact, enough for a YA novel. This combined with the reading level of the book makes for a story that doesn't quite fit in either category. Thus, four stars instead of five.

A more detailed review of this book will eventually appear on my blog, www.techno-literate.com.

Brynn McAwber thinks she is a normal 14 year old living in Indiana until unusual things start happening. She starts sleepwalking, and discovers that she can turn invisible. At the same time a strange little man keeps showing up and her father disappears on mysterious errands. A sword-carrying woman seems to to watching her and her parents are keeping secrets from her. When she discovers the truth about herself and her family she finds herself on a journey to the Otherworld to save her best friend and to become the hero she was meant to be.

This novel has many aspects of a modern fairy tale. Brynn meets mysterious helpers on her quest who give her cryptic advice or items to help her on her journey. But this is a slightly twisted fairy show more tale with the “good guys” not always the heros and the “bad guys” not necessarily bad. Brynn is brave and resourceful but in many ways a normal teenage girl. The relationship with her best friend is refreshing and positive. While she gets help from others, it is Brynn herself who saves the day. I appreciate a book with a strong female protagonist who makes moral choices and learns the importance of being the best you can be.

The Land of Annwfyn and otherworldly beings Brynn encounters have fairy tale elements with some steampunk thrown in. This isn’t a long novel, and more time exploring this other world would have been fun. All of the characters Brynn meets are interesting and intriguing and leave me wanting to know more about them. There are some unresolved issues at the end of the novel which leave me hoping for a sequel.

I would recommend this novel for readers who enjoy modern fairy tales. Especially appropriate for older children and youth who would enjoy a strong young girl as the hero. show less

This is a lovely fantasy book and I very much enjoyed reading it. Without giving away the plot, the themes adressed in this book include family relationships, highlights and deceptions among friends, good deeds and bad ones, as well as honor and steadfastness in your beliefs. That makes for a lot of reflection if you are so inclined.
Every page you turn, you want to know what is going to happen next... and you get surprised by the inventiveness of the author. Even though there are many battle encounters and some grisly deaths - and that is expected in fantasy books - it is the bad guys who die and so you do not dwell long on that and stay focused on the main character, a very likeable girl, and what she will be doing next.
I am very glad show more to have read this book and I recommend it. show less

The Changeling's Daughter is an interesting take on old superstitions. Brynn, a young girl has her world turn upside down when she learns that the superstitions her family seemed obsessed with, are true. I think this book would be great at a high school interest level, but I do not think the language is appropriate for middle school or younger. A bit strange at first, the author does a wonderful job at capturing the readers interest and bringing them along Brynn's confusing, quick paced path of self-discovery.

This is a first novel? Seriously? I was expecting an enormous body of published work. This book is polished to perfection. The characters are well-developed and the world if fun to explore. Can't wait for the sequel. Buy it today.