Changespell

Sequel to Dun Lady's Jess, it was pretty enjoyable. The writing is smoother- only a few times did I have to stop and re-read a conversation or phrase again because it wasn't quite clear what was going on. This story is set in the alternate, magical world. Jess can change between being Lady the horse and being human, but as Lady she can't change herself back voluntarily. A few of her friends from the human world are here. Jess thinks she will just settle into another of the courier holds, learning more about how to navigate life as a human, and sorting out her feelings for Carey (who used to be her owner and rider when she was a horse). But things get dicey when they realize some unknown wizards are working dangerously powerful magic, show more and at the same time some confused, strangely-behaving people show up here and there- animals turned human against their will. Mule, large wild cat, cairndog... None of them have had the training and close human guidance Jess received when she suddenly changed the first time, so it doesn't go well for them.

Jess and her companions have to figure out fast who is causing trouble and why- they suspect it is their old enemy, who wants revenge. Turns out to be more complicated than that. I was expecting the story to have a lot of animals-turned-people in it, but although the ethics of that is explored, the turned people themselves are in brief scenes. Mostly it's about the intricacies of how magic works in this world, the laws and strictures around it, the confusion of figuring out who is wielding it wrongly. They almost don't put the pieces together in time. There was a huge component of substance abuse which I didn't expect to be part of the story, it was a surprise that fit into the narrative well. How it affected magic, the dangers which none in this world could anticipate, really. In the end they go after the bad wizards and there is a bitter showdown of sorts.

It's also a romance. Not a heavy one- but the tension of feeling between Jess and Carey runs a thread through the whole story, plus the interest another courier has in her... There's also the long struggle Jess has to gain control of when she is horse or human. Most interesting were still the parts where Jess as human struggles against her equine nature- or acts out what she feels naturally, on purpose (pretty funny when she goes kicking guys she doesn't like). The way unfamiliar people treated her was interesting- you'd think in a world of magic an animal-turned-human wouldn't be unusual, but it is, and people don't know whether to treat her as an intelligent being deserving respect, or someone they can walk all over because she was an animal. I hope some of these ideas get worked out more in the final book of the series.

from the Dogear Diary show less

In Camelon, the nasty wizard Willand has escaped and is up to her old tricks, and it's once again going to fall to Jess, Carey, Jaime and their friends to stop her. Since the events of Dun Lady's Jess, Jess and her foor-footed alter-ego Lady have mostly come to terms with the Changespell that rendered a courier's fleet-footed mare a two-legged human. Now working at a courier stable in Kymmet, Jess has learned to change herself into Lady, but finds Lady's dependence on others to transform back distressing. Also distressing is her unrequited affection for Carey. When a newly Changed man appears on Arlen's lands, Jess, as the only other known Changed human, along with her companions is thrown back into the thick of things. Someone is show more attempting to create an army of Changed, and this time, saving the world depends on Lady.

A solid follow-up to the series opener, and with plot roots hearkening back to Durgin's earlier Barrenlands. show less

This continues the story of Dun Lady's Jess, and takes place wholly on the "sword and sorcery" world. She is the protagonist - still a believable combination of horse and woman, learning to make her way in a human world, mostly as a human. Her trusted friends are around her, and together they take on a danger sparked by the adventures of the previous book.

Jess has taken a job as a courier in a neighboring keep, to allow her to learn to be independent of Carey. She acts as courier in human form sometimes, and horse form at other times. But suddenly there are a few people who were formerly animals showing up in random places. Up until now, she had been the only one. She understood their plight more than anyone else, and when Willand, the show more rogue wizard, escapes from confinement, she and her friends are both targets and trackers.

Once again, the author does an excellent job of keeping the humans real and down-to-earth, and Jess as a blend of horse and human traits that is utterly believable. The world she draws works on its own terms, and the story is constantly pulling the reader forward. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers and horse lovers. show less