What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forest People #1
Chameleon: The Awakening
No identity. That’s what it’s like to be a human chameleon, and sixteen-year-old Camryn Painter wonders if she'll ever figure out who the real Camryn is—or should be. Just looking at someone else will cause her body to change into that person. Her parents called it her gift. She calls it her curse.
Then Ohar, a man with impossibly good looks and an ethereal manner offers her a way to claim her birthright by joining the Mazikeen as part of the Forest People. He says she is “the chosen” of the Forest People. The prophecy indicates her powers are beyond any others and she will save their world.
Camryn had always loved the Redwoods at her back door. The stories her mother spun of its inhabitants kept her entertained for much of her childhood. The problem is the stories are real. The forest people are real, human yet not human. They are faery and beasts, evil and angels, mutations of humans and animals over thousands of years. Then there's Dagger, a young man who distrusts the Mazikeen and Ohar, but admits to being a thief and only interested in his own pleasure. All of them want the Chameleon for their own agenda.
With the help of Ohar and Dagger, Camryn learns to control her identity so that she can walk among more than one world. Yet the more Camryn learns, the more she suspects there are too many secrets — dangerous secrets. There are no easy answers, and every decision she makes puts someone’s life in danger.
Then Ohar, a man with impossibly good looks and an ethereal manner offers her a way to claim her birthright by joining the Mazikeen as part of the Forest People. He says she is “the chosen” of the Forest People. The prophecy indicates her powers are beyond any others and she will save their world.
Camryn had always loved the Redwoods at her back door. The stories her mother spun of its inhabitants kept her entertained for much of her childhood. The problem is the stories are real. The forest people are real, human yet not human. They are faery and beasts, evil and angels, mutations of humans and animals over thousands of years. Then there's Dagger, a young man who distrusts the Mazikeen and Ohar, but admits to being a thief and only interested in his own pleasure. All of them want the Chameleon for their own agenda.
With the help of Ohar and Dagger, Camryn learns to control her identity so that she can walk among more than one world. Yet the more Camryn learns, the more she suspects there are too many secrets — dangerous secrets. There are no easy answers, and every decision she makes puts someone’s life in danger.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2013
2 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Faire
5 books13 followersAlso known as Maggie Lynch and Maggie Jaimeson.
I am the oldest of nine children. This means I can always raise an army to fight off evil doers whenever they appear. It also means I'm a control freak and like to be the boss.
My childhood was spent writing stories, making up plays and musicals, and hamming it up whenever anyone would pay attention. From about the age of 9 or 10, I would gather the entire neighborhood and force them into servitude to produce and act in these entertainments, all the while charging their poor families to watch the shows. Did I tell you I'm kind of bossy?
In High School, I continued to write stories, poetry, and plays. I was in the Drama Club all through school and had dreams of being the next Julie Andrews. Fortunately, my parents convinced me to go to college and choose a "sane" profession that would put food on the table until I became a star.
College lead me to degrees in psychology, counseling, and education.
Firmly believing that fantasy and reality are not in opposition, I found that psychology was indeed a great foundation for everything: secretary, bottle labeler, business assistant, sales of both things and people skills, actor, computer programmer, teacher, wife, mother, friend, and of course for being a boss. (It all comes full circle doesn't it?)
I've finally found the perfect profession. One where I have complete control of entire worlds and the people in them. One where fantasy and reality do more than coexist, they embrace each other. One where I can still force induce people to listen to me, to pay attention, and to give me money. Really, what's more fun than that?
I am the oldest of nine children. This means I can always raise an army to fight off evil doers whenever they appear. It also means I'm a control freak and like to be the boss.
My childhood was spent writing stories, making up plays and musicals, and hamming it up whenever anyone would pay attention. From about the age of 9 or 10, I would gather the entire neighborhood and force them into servitude to produce and act in these entertainments, all the while charging their poor families to watch the shows. Did I tell you I'm kind of bossy?
In High School, I continued to write stories, poetry, and plays. I was in the Drama Club all through school and had dreams of being the next Julie Andrews. Fortunately, my parents convinced me to go to college and choose a "sane" profession that would put food on the table until I became a star.
College lead me to degrees in psychology, counseling, and education.
Firmly believing that fantasy and reality are not in opposition, I found that psychology was indeed a great foundation for everything: secretary, bottle labeler, business assistant, sales of both things and people skills, actor, computer programmer, teacher, wife, mother, friend, and of course for being a boss. (It all comes full circle doesn't it?)
I've finally found the perfect profession. One where I have complete control of entire worlds and the people in them. One where fantasy and reality do more than coexist, they embrace each other. One where I can still force induce people to listen to me, to pay attention, and to give me money. Really, what's more fun than that?
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 29, 2016
****3.7 stars****
I have finally completed this book! After reading 70%, it was circulated among 4 friends and now has finally arrived for the left 30%. Then I couldn't recall till where I've read and re-read it.
Anyway, I got this book as a Giveaway from GoodReads: First Reads and was asked for an honest review:
The first chapter just hooked me in!
About the first chapter, the setting was so vivid and clear cut that I was imagining the scenes from Avatar, the award-winning movie. I was imagining it all in blue and indigo. But after some consecutive chapters, the magic and interest in the book started receding.
The story revolves around Camryn who has a power to change into the person she lays her eyes upon. Sounds pretty cool, but not for her as with the gift comes a lot of pain while using it.
Hiding "the gift" along with her parents, from her childhood to her teen years, she has no friends or family in spite of her parents and grew up living in her house near the Redwood Forest at the back of her house. All she wanted was to be normal and live life like a normal teenager but her fate tells her,"um..nay!"
Her much lonesome world comes shattering down when she discovers that her parents are murdered, because of which she is sent to an asylum for exploiting kids with supernatural powers. Then she meets Ohar, Dagger, Sela, Koska, the Forest People and many others during the story. She comes to know that only she can save the Forest People from a dark force threatening to destroy them. Pulled from every side possible, the book tells the story of The Chameleon in making and her quest to find who she really is and whom to trust.
WHAT I LIKED
What I liked about the book was the concept. It is about the Forest People consisting of many clans created & powered by the lichen.
Another interesting thing was the concept of teleportation. The Forest People used the trees and lichen to travel the different dimensions, namely 8, or any other place.
Then, I liked the concept of being a chameleon. Every time she changes into somebody, she doesn't have any control on it.
I both liked and disliked her KINTALA period (puberty/maturation period in the Forest People) because of THE CONTENT. But on a second thought, it is inevitable because for them their posterity is what matters to carry on their clans. ( I know you don't know what I'm talking about, read the book).
Then I also liked the unique bond of The Forest People with nature and their belief in other worlds/universes/dimensions no matter how backwards they are (an otherwise stereotype).
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
There were innumerable printing and editing mistakes! This is one of the things I find very irritating in a book.
Sometimes it makes you go all crazy as you go off-track because of it.
Maybe, because it was a first-edition copy.
The book was written well but it wasn't well-executed.
It was like the book was on a fast-forward mode, though good for thrillers, but fantasy ones need a little stillness in some moments when required.
Then I found the voice of narration a little weak but at some points the inner strength of Camryn is radiated.
What I found confusing was the suspense being put in the first few chapters! I don't know whether the author did that on purpose for she had something mind blowing coming on cue or it was sheer carelessness. (I hope for the latter, though)
Then, the names of different clans were all confusing. Their role and who they were was not described clearly. The author may have in the beginning or in the end added some kind of keyword box of clans and their pronunciation like other authors for the reader.
This book would have reached 4 stars (according to me) but because of the above ^ it could not.
Though, I will definitely recommend it to you for its unique concept and well, CHAPTER 1!
I have finally completed this book! After reading 70%, it was circulated among 4 friends and now has finally arrived for the left 30%. Then I couldn't recall till where I've read and re-read it.
Anyway, I got this book as a Giveaway from GoodReads: First Reads and was asked for an honest review:
The first chapter just hooked me in!
About the first chapter, the setting was so vivid and clear cut that I was imagining the scenes from Avatar, the award-winning movie. I was imagining it all in blue and indigo. But after some consecutive chapters, the magic and interest in the book started receding.
The story revolves around Camryn who has a power to change into the person she lays her eyes upon. Sounds pretty cool, but not for her as with the gift comes a lot of pain while using it.
Hiding "the gift" along with her parents, from her childhood to her teen years, she has no friends or family in spite of her parents and grew up living in her house near the Redwood Forest at the back of her house. All she wanted was to be normal and live life like a normal teenager but her fate tells her,"um..nay!"
Her much lonesome world comes shattering down when she discovers that her parents are murdered, because of which she is sent to an asylum for exploiting kids with supernatural powers. Then she meets Ohar, Dagger, Sela, Koska, the Forest People and many others during the story. She comes to know that only she can save the Forest People from a dark force threatening to destroy them. Pulled from every side possible, the book tells the story of The Chameleon in making and her quest to find who she really is and whom to trust.
WHAT I LIKED
What I liked about the book was the concept. It is about the Forest People consisting of many clans created & powered by the lichen.
Another interesting thing was the concept of teleportation. The Forest People used the trees and lichen to travel the different dimensions, namely 8, or any other place.
Then, I liked the concept of being a chameleon. Every time she changes into somebody, she doesn't have any control on it.
I both liked and disliked her KINTALA period (puberty/maturation period in the Forest People) because of THE CONTENT. But on a second thought, it is inevitable because for them their posterity is what matters to carry on their clans. ( I know you don't know what I'm talking about, read the book).
Then I also liked the unique bond of The Forest People with nature and their belief in other worlds/universes/dimensions no matter how backwards they are (an otherwise stereotype).
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
There were innumerable printing and editing mistakes! This is one of the things I find very irritating in a book.
Sometimes it makes you go all crazy as you go off-track because of it.
Maybe, because it was a first-edition copy.
The book was written well but it wasn't well-executed.
It was like the book was on a fast-forward mode, though good for thrillers, but fantasy ones need a little stillness in some moments when required.
Then I found the voice of narration a little weak but at some points the inner strength of Camryn is radiated.
What I found confusing was the suspense being put in the first few chapters! I don't know whether the author did that on purpose for she had something mind blowing coming on cue or it was sheer carelessness. (I hope for the latter, though)
Then, the names of different clans were all confusing. Their role and who they were was not described clearly. The author may have in the beginning or in the end added some kind of keyword box of clans and their pronunciation like other authors for the reader.
This book would have reached 4 stars (according to me) but because of the above ^ it could not.
Though, I will definitely recommend it to you for its unique concept and well, CHAPTER 1!
March 13, 2015
3.5/5 Stars
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I thought that Chameleon: The Awakening was a unique and interesting fantasy. The story follows Camryn, who has lived with her adoptive parents in a remote setting in order to hide the fact that she has an ability she can’t control – Camryn physically changes to look like anyone she’s near. But Camryn eventually finds out that she is supposed to be the key to the forest people’s survival – and there are many people who are willing to use her to get the outcome that they want.
What I enjoyed:
The beginning.
The book caught my attention right from the very beginning with intriguing forest creatures and a mysterious birth. I was hooked from the start, wondering who these creatures were, and I was immediately moved by their circumstances and the obvious sacrifice that they were making for their unborn child.
Unique worldbuilding.
Faire came up with a unique and interesting world that had many subtle complexities. She obviously worked long and hard mapping out the people of her forest world – their magic, their customs and their societies. I also thought that Faire wove the story of the forest people into the modern world that Camryn lived in really well.
The escape.
Camryn finds herself running from humans who want to use her, but she soon realizes that they are not the only ones who want something from her. Camryn has to decide who she can trust and who simply wants to use her for their own ends – and the answer to that question is not entirely simple. Camryn may have escaped from one form of bondage, but she finds herself in others and she can never quite break free. I’m interested to see where Faire goes with this in the next book.
The negatives:
The love triangle.
I wasn’t exactly a fan of either guy in the love triangle. Ohar seems like he’s supposed to be an upstanding person, but he obviously isn’t right for Camryn – from the very beginning it’s established that he’s in love with someone else. I didn’t really ever feel like there was a true chance that Ohar and Camryn would fall for each other, but it still kept getting thrown out there, since Ohar believes he’s supposed to marry Camryn in order to save his people. On the other hand, I think we were supposed to root for Dagger, and I kind of did, but I was never fully on board with the romance between him and Camryn. I mean, out of the two guys, I guess he was better, but that was all I could really say.
Sometimes a little confusing.
Since the worldbuilding was really complex, there were times when keeping it all straight got a little confusing. For the most part, I was fine, but there were points where I wasn’t exactly sure why certain things were happening.
So, overall, I enjoyed this book. And I’ll probably read the next one because I’m interested to see where Faire goes with the story. I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I thought that Chameleon: The Awakening was a unique and interesting fantasy. The story follows Camryn, who has lived with her adoptive parents in a remote setting in order to hide the fact that she has an ability she can’t control – Camryn physically changes to look like anyone she’s near. But Camryn eventually finds out that she is supposed to be the key to the forest people’s survival – and there are many people who are willing to use her to get the outcome that they want.
What I enjoyed:
The beginning.
The book caught my attention right from the very beginning with intriguing forest creatures and a mysterious birth. I was hooked from the start, wondering who these creatures were, and I was immediately moved by their circumstances and the obvious sacrifice that they were making for their unborn child.
Unique worldbuilding.
Faire came up with a unique and interesting world that had many subtle complexities. She obviously worked long and hard mapping out the people of her forest world – their magic, their customs and their societies. I also thought that Faire wove the story of the forest people into the modern world that Camryn lived in really well.
The escape.
Camryn finds herself running from humans who want to use her, but she soon realizes that they are not the only ones who want something from her. Camryn has to decide who she can trust and who simply wants to use her for their own ends – and the answer to that question is not entirely simple. Camryn may have escaped from one form of bondage, but she finds herself in others and she can never quite break free. I’m interested to see where Faire goes with this in the next book.
The negatives:
The love triangle.
I wasn’t exactly a fan of either guy in the love triangle. Ohar seems like he’s supposed to be an upstanding person, but he obviously isn’t right for Camryn – from the very beginning it’s established that he’s in love with someone else. I didn’t really ever feel like there was a true chance that Ohar and Camryn would fall for each other, but it still kept getting thrown out there, since Ohar believes he’s supposed to marry Camryn in order to save his people. On the other hand, I think we were supposed to root for Dagger, and I kind of did, but I was never fully on board with the romance between him and Camryn. I mean, out of the two guys, I guess he was better, but that was all I could really say.
Sometimes a little confusing.
Since the worldbuilding was really complex, there were times when keeping it all straight got a little confusing. For the most part, I was fine, but there were points where I wasn’t exactly sure why certain things were happening.
So, overall, I enjoyed this book. And I’ll probably read the next one because I’m interested to see where Faire goes with the story. I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
May 23, 2019
Starting off with the audio made this one go by just quickly. I had to slow down my audio so I could consume it all. There was more here. Things all came to life once our little Camryn gained her freedom. She was in a new world for her and she was fascinated. I took that journey with her. And Rachel Jacobs voice aided in the fantasy. She allowed for me to feel like I was truly there and experiencing things all first hand.
Some might find things start off too slow. Give the audio a try and watch how things transform. Camryn and the characters around her will win you over slowly but you will be lured in to her new world just as she was.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Maggie Lynch. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Some might find things start off too slow. Give the audio a try and watch how things transform. Camryn and the characters around her will win you over slowly but you will be lured in to her new world just as she was.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Maggie Lynch. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
September 4, 2013
Chameleon: The Awakening was my first foray into young adult fiction. I’ve always shied away from the genre for all sorts of reasons, but the cover of this book drew me in despite my reservations. Am I ever glad it did!
Ms. Faire has created a world unlike any other I have read, carefully blending the nuances of our real world (called the Agnoses) with a world living just the other side of the Forest, in the lichen and trees, water and air.
Camryn, the Chameleon or Wynbune, is caught between the two worlds. Her destiny, along with those of her people and all the others, depends on her making the ‘change’ successfully. This responsibility terrifies and confuses her.
This coming of age story is a delight to read, full of romance and beauty but balanced with real fear and bravery.
Ms. Faire has created a world unlike any other I have read, carefully blending the nuances of our real world (called the Agnoses) with a world living just the other side of the Forest, in the lichen and trees, water and air.
Camryn, the Chameleon or Wynbune, is caught between the two worlds. Her destiny, along with those of her people and all the others, depends on her making the ‘change’ successfully. This responsibility terrifies and confuses her.
This coming of age story is a delight to read, full of romance and beauty but balanced with real fear and bravery.
July 19, 2013
I really cared about the characters. The world was so beautifully drawn and rich with sensory detail that, as a writer, I felt kind of jealous. One of my pet peeves of high fantasy is that oracle talk can sound made up, but this one was wise. Lovely.
April 10, 2019
There were some great visuals in this story. I especially loved the scenes on and under the glaciers, as well as the dragons. Many individual scenes were vibrant and interesting. However, there were other things that didn’t work for me.
I often felt that this story was several individual scenes that were cobbled together. The story didn’t have fluid continuity and because of that I felt it needed a bit more polishing. An example is Sela with her dragon. In one scene, she introduces her dragon and sheds a few tears (and I have no idea why she’s tearing up). Then a few scenes later she introduces her dragon again, as if she hadn’t just introduced her to the same person just a short while ago. Camryn’s character suffered from this too, being on one side of the fence on a subject in one scene then on the other side a few scenes later.
There’s a love triangle in the making… well a lust triangle…. a friends-with-benefits triangle? Anyway, it didn’t work for me. There’s lots of talk about raging hormones and consent and not being able to control oneself as well as dream sex which may or may not count. Not my thing and it brought the story down a bit for me. Typical nice guy with dented heart (Ohar) and typical hottie bad guy (Dagger) vie for Camryn’s attentions.
The pacing keeps us moving along at a good clip. Camryn goes through a lot in this book. Plus, she’s a hormonal 16 year old. That could make anyone’s life difficult. One of Camryn’s biggest issues is that she keeps shapeshifting without control. She has lost sight of who she is, especially once she learns about her real parents. So the whole story has an underlying message about trying to find oneself. And that was cute; it worked for me.
Over all, it was fun but could use a little more polishing. 3/5 stars.
The Narration: Rachel Jacobs did a good job with this book. I like her voice for Camryn and all of her female voices are pretty good. I do feel that Jacobs’ male characters need more masculinity. Sometimes there was a tremble to the voice for certain characters (like Ohar and Thea) but I think this was on purpose. I think. Well, I hope so. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Maggie Lynch. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
I often felt that this story was several individual scenes that were cobbled together. The story didn’t have fluid continuity and because of that I felt it needed a bit more polishing. An example is Sela with her dragon. In one scene, she introduces her dragon and sheds a few tears (and I have no idea why she’s tearing up). Then a few scenes later she introduces her dragon again, as if she hadn’t just introduced her to the same person just a short while ago. Camryn’s character suffered from this too, being on one side of the fence on a subject in one scene then on the other side a few scenes later.
There’s a love triangle in the making… well a lust triangle…. a friends-with-benefits triangle? Anyway, it didn’t work for me. There’s lots of talk about raging hormones and consent and not being able to control oneself as well as dream sex which may or may not count. Not my thing and it brought the story down a bit for me. Typical nice guy with dented heart (Ohar) and typical hottie bad guy (Dagger) vie for Camryn’s attentions.
The pacing keeps us moving along at a good clip. Camryn goes through a lot in this book. Plus, she’s a hormonal 16 year old. That could make anyone’s life difficult. One of Camryn’s biggest issues is that she keeps shapeshifting without control. She has lost sight of who she is, especially once she learns about her real parents. So the whole story has an underlying message about trying to find oneself. And that was cute; it worked for me.
Over all, it was fun but could use a little more polishing. 3/5 stars.
The Narration: Rachel Jacobs did a good job with this book. I like her voice for Camryn and all of her female voices are pretty good. I do feel that Jacobs’ male characters need more masculinity. Sometimes there was a tremble to the voice for certain characters (like Ohar and Thea) but I think this was on purpose. I think. Well, I hope so. 4.5/5 stars.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Maggie Lynch. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
April 8, 2019
AUDIO BOOK REVIEW. 3.5-4 STARS. To begin, my apologies for likely butchering the spelling of every proper noun in this book. They are as creative as the story itself and add to the mystical feeling of the parallel world of the Forest People.
For much of CHAMELEON: THE AWAKENING, chapters alternate between the Forest worlds and the modern world. In the former, the world is fantastical with magical settings and creatures, mysterious powers and forces, and layers of dimensions within which inhabitants roam. In the latter, the world is modern and realistic, dominated by Camryn, a teenager who better fits the magical world than the modern one – only she doesn’t realize it.
The prologue is excellent, and Rachel Jacobs perfectly narrates the rich descriptions, and builds the world for readers. Her hushed tones in the voicing of both Naconni and Thea sets the stage for a reverent love that binds them despite the codes that forbid their union within their two different societies.
“How can I keep something in my mind I don’t understand and have never seen?”
“Faith. Faith is what you have when there is nothing else.”
The next chapter shifts readers into the contemporary world and introduces us to main character Camryn, fifteen, in full teenager drama and angst – again, deftly narrated by Rachel Jacobs. Though at first it seems this suburban setting is a normal one, it quickly slips into fantasy here, too, as Camryn’s unique abilities and powers come into focus.
“There was something different about him.”
The story continues to unfold by alternating chapters between the world outside of the forest and the world within, and these separate world stories seem a little disconnected and disjointed. But as the story progresses, there is more and more overlap as characters are crossing boundaries and worlds are colliding. Much of the collision of characters results in predictable outcomes and treads the line on cliché, but it still entertains.
“The Boha’a lean toward the dark, but not too far. They are not truly evil; just as the light is not all good, the dark is not all bad.”
There are a lot of tribes in the Forest, and the downside of reading with your ears instead of your eyes is that it is difficult to keep them straight, and it’s not clear who is good and who isn’t. Author Maggie Lynch intentionally muddies those good/evil waters so that readers are kept on their toes and must make some decisions for themselves.
There are some holes and inconsistencies in the plot and too many places where readers are given information without explanation and expected to accept it without question. Nonetheless, CHAMELEON is a good start to an intriguing premise for a series, and I am hopeful that Lynch will clean-up and tighten-up the story in the next installment, CHAMELEON: THE CHOOSING, which I won’t hesitate to read with my ears. This fantastical world is definitely worth revisiting, and I feel invested in Camryn now.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: As mentioned already, Rachel Jacobs does an excellent job voicing her characters whether male or female, tribal or modern, human, human-like, or creature. She does have a couple of mispronunciations and misinterpretations of how scenes should have been read (for example, Camryn, who speaks like any teenager does, suddenly slips into a different pattern when she meets her father for the first time). Overall, Jacobs succeeds as a narrator, is easy to listen to, and does a great job telling a story. I did bump the speed to 1.3x to get the pace more aligned with my preference (kudos to the Authors Direct platform for allowing such small increments).
Thank you to the author and to Audiobookworm Productions for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. This full review and other special features on Hall Ways Blog.
For much of CHAMELEON: THE AWAKENING, chapters alternate between the Forest worlds and the modern world. In the former, the world is fantastical with magical settings and creatures, mysterious powers and forces, and layers of dimensions within which inhabitants roam. In the latter, the world is modern and realistic, dominated by Camryn, a teenager who better fits the magical world than the modern one – only she doesn’t realize it.
The prologue is excellent, and Rachel Jacobs perfectly narrates the rich descriptions, and builds the world for readers. Her hushed tones in the voicing of both Naconni and Thea sets the stage for a reverent love that binds them despite the codes that forbid their union within their two different societies.
“How can I keep something in my mind I don’t understand and have never seen?”
“Faith. Faith is what you have when there is nothing else.”
The next chapter shifts readers into the contemporary world and introduces us to main character Camryn, fifteen, in full teenager drama and angst – again, deftly narrated by Rachel Jacobs. Though at first it seems this suburban setting is a normal one, it quickly slips into fantasy here, too, as Camryn’s unique abilities and powers come into focus.
“There was something different about him.”
The story continues to unfold by alternating chapters between the world outside of the forest and the world within, and these separate world stories seem a little disconnected and disjointed. But as the story progresses, there is more and more overlap as characters are crossing boundaries and worlds are colliding. Much of the collision of characters results in predictable outcomes and treads the line on cliché, but it still entertains.
“The Boha’a lean toward the dark, but not too far. They are not truly evil; just as the light is not all good, the dark is not all bad.”
There are a lot of tribes in the Forest, and the downside of reading with your ears instead of your eyes is that it is difficult to keep them straight, and it’s not clear who is good and who isn’t. Author Maggie Lynch intentionally muddies those good/evil waters so that readers are kept on their toes and must make some decisions for themselves.
There are some holes and inconsistencies in the plot and too many places where readers are given information without explanation and expected to accept it without question. Nonetheless, CHAMELEON is a good start to an intriguing premise for a series, and I am hopeful that Lynch will clean-up and tighten-up the story in the next installment, CHAMELEON: THE CHOOSING, which I won’t hesitate to read with my ears. This fantastical world is definitely worth revisiting, and I feel invested in Camryn now.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: As mentioned already, Rachel Jacobs does an excellent job voicing her characters whether male or female, tribal or modern, human, human-like, or creature. She does have a couple of mispronunciations and misinterpretations of how scenes should have been read (for example, Camryn, who speaks like any teenager does, suddenly slips into a different pattern when she meets her father for the first time). Overall, Jacobs succeeds as a narrator, is easy to listen to, and does a great job telling a story. I did bump the speed to 1.3x to get the pace more aligned with my preference (kudos to the Authors Direct platform for allowing such small increments).
Thank you to the author and to Audiobookworm Productions for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. This full review and other special features on Hall Ways Blog.
April 9, 2018
Chameleon is about Camryn Painter. She was born in the world of the Forest People and magical creatures but raise in the world of humans. Camryn is a Chameleon and has a destiny of saving the magical world of the Forest People. Since her adopted parents died, Camryn has a problem with trusting people. Each tribe of Forest People wishes to control her.
Camryn is a typical teenager who is rebellious. The worst is that she has an ability of shifting from one person to another person without control. Ohar could keep Camryn's power in check but he is such a Mommy's boy. Dagger is honest but he serves himself first. Both Ohar and Dagger want to claim Camryn for their own tribes.
I don't really like Camryn since she whined alot but then again, she has to figured who and what she is. I hope that there are more character growth for Camryn as the story continues. Ohar could only see black and white and not the shades of grey where Camryn's biological parents are concerned. Dagger is probably the only character I really like in this book. He is self-serving but honest. He is the bad boy, I really like to hate but grew to like.
The narrator, Rachel Jacob does a very good job with Ohar and Dagger's voices. I can tell the difference between these two characters. Camryn's voice is irritable since she whines alot. There are moment where she is discovering herself that I like that particular voice of Camryn.
I was given this audiobook by the author. I have decided to volunteer in writing an unbiased review of this book. I was not compensated or influenced in any way for writing this review.
Camryn is a typical teenager who is rebellious. The worst is that she has an ability of shifting from one person to another person without control. Ohar could keep Camryn's power in check but he is such a Mommy's boy. Dagger is honest but he serves himself first. Both Ohar and Dagger want to claim Camryn for their own tribes.
I don't really like Camryn since she whined alot but then again, she has to figured who and what she is. I hope that there are more character growth for Camryn as the story continues. Ohar could only see black and white and not the shades of grey where Camryn's biological parents are concerned. Dagger is probably the only character I really like in this book. He is self-serving but honest. He is the bad boy, I really like to hate but grew to like.
The narrator, Rachel Jacob does a very good job with Ohar and Dagger's voices. I can tell the difference between these two characters. Camryn's voice is irritable since she whines alot. There are moment where she is discovering herself that I like that particular voice of Camryn.
I was given this audiobook by the author. I have decided to volunteer in writing an unbiased review of this book. I was not compensated or influenced in any way for writing this review.
July 22, 2018
Camryn is not your typical teenager since she turns into anyone she looks at. Her adoptive parents try to support her but are killed before Camryn understands what she is. Having nowhere to go, she ends up in a medical research facility where the doctors don’t seem to be intend on helping her. She escapes and makes her way to the forest where she meets several of the forest people and they all know who she is. Each have their opinions about and agenda for the fate of the forest people. Who is she to trust or believe? First impressions are not always correct.
This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author (Rachel Jacobs) and I would listen to another. It’s a lovely story incorporating fae magic, fantastical creatures and other realms.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator and I would listen to another. She did well giving each character a voice. She brought out all the emotion in the story. I loved her rendition of Daggar (don’t know if I’m spelling correctly).
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author (Rachel Jacobs) and I would listen to another. It’s a lovely story incorporating fae magic, fantastical creatures and other realms.
This is the first book I’ve listened to by this narrator and I would listen to another. She did well giving each character a voice. She brought out all the emotion in the story. I loved her rendition of Daggar (don’t know if I’m spelling correctly).
There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review
February 24, 2018
Camryn Painter is different, she can change her looks just by looking at another person. At 16 she finds herself an orphan, having recently lost her adoptive family and in an institution. She finally gets the courage to run away from the institute and finds that she isn’t actually alone. There are others that have been looking for her and expecting her to return to her place as one of the Forest People. Her return was prophesied, but will she choose to accept her place among these strangers as their Chameleon?
This is a wonderfully told YA Fantasy story about the coming of age and finding one’s true self. I really enjoyed the story. I really felt for Camryn as she struggled to control her involuntary changes and her desire for her own identity. I was happy when she found others to help her but completely understood why she might not fully trust them. The setting was beautifully described; these descriptions help explain some of what Camryn has been missing in her life and the journey she still needs to take.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator has a lovely tone of voice which added to the experience of this book. She was able to portray the different emotions that Camryn and the other characters were experiencing, such as pain, fear, compassion.
I would recommend this book to not only young adults but anyone one who enjoys a clean unique coming of age story or anyone that enjoys YA fantasy. I was provided with a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way influenced by anyone.
This is a wonderfully told YA Fantasy story about the coming of age and finding one’s true self. I really enjoyed the story. I really felt for Camryn as she struggled to control her involuntary changes and her desire for her own identity. I was happy when she found others to help her but completely understood why she might not fully trust them. The setting was beautifully described; these descriptions help explain some of what Camryn has been missing in her life and the journey she still needs to take.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator has a lovely tone of voice which added to the experience of this book. She was able to portray the different emotions that Camryn and the other characters were experiencing, such as pain, fear, compassion.
I would recommend this book to not only young adults but anyone one who enjoys a clean unique coming of age story or anyone that enjoys YA fantasy. I was provided with a copy of this book with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way influenced by anyone.
January 30, 2019
Shhh... I have a secret: Maggie Faire is a pen name of Maggie Jaimeson, who writes superb non-fantasy novels. (Let's keep that just between us.) I know this writer from her other non-fantasy novels and have loved those books. I am also a lifelong fantasy and sci fi reader, so I just knew that a fantasy from “Maggie Faire”; was bound to be good. I was wrong. It's not good - it's fabulous. This author is top notch at developing characters for readers to get invested in and she's done that again here. She is top notch at creative and original plots that work beautifully, and she's done that here as well. Add in a top notch (there's that word again) bit of world-building and my only real complaint is “why did it take so long for you to write fantasy novels”; Needless to say, I do very much recommend this. In one word (you guessed it): “top notch”.
June 23, 2018
Audio version.
A great beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Tear-jerker, Happily Ever After, Witty, Romantic, Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Realistic, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Twisted, Steamy, Funny, Haunting, Scary, Informative, Whimsical.
Bookshelves/tags:
contemporary, dragon, fantasy, medical, nonhuman, read, recorded, series, young-adult.
This Audio book was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
A great beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
The narrator brings the story to life.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Tear-jerker, Happily Ever After, Witty, Romantic, Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Realistic, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Twisted, Steamy, Funny, Haunting, Scary, Informative, Whimsical.
Bookshelves/tags:
contemporary, dragon, fantasy, medical, nonhuman, read, recorded, series, young-adult.
This Audio book was given to me at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
April 25, 2018
I received audiobook version of this book for free from the author / narrator / publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
More like 3.5 stars.
The book has its entertainment value. It kept me somewhat interested in the going-ons throughout the book and I did want to see how it finishes. So, that's something this book has going for it. This is mostly a "coming of age" story, based in a YA fantasy world. Few of the concepts (Forest people and forest magic) used in the book are really interesting and it uses a unique approach of interweaving that fantasy world with the real world.
The narration by Rachel Jacobs was alright. No complaints there.
More like 3.5 stars.
The book has its entertainment value. It kept me somewhat interested in the going-ons throughout the book and I did want to see how it finishes. So, that's something this book has going for it. This is mostly a "coming of age" story, based in a YA fantasy world. Few of the concepts (Forest people and forest magic) used in the book are really interesting and it uses a unique approach of interweaving that fantasy world with the real world.
The narration by Rachel Jacobs was alright. No complaints there.
February 17, 2018
My review is based on the Audiobook. I thought this was a great first in series, it laid the groundwork, gave background and introduced the characters in a decent paced captivating manner. I love the different species in this story and learning about their cultures. The lichen and all of the dimensions is a fresh and new idea that i really enjoyed. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters and story to life. I am looking forward to book 2
July 25, 2017
Unique, engaging story. Very enjoyable read. It explored physical relationships VERY tastefully. It was beautifully intigrated into the story and expertly explored teenage hormones without going overboard (I'm VERY conservative). It also had a fantastic, depth exploration of a magical world intigrated into our own. Great read.
March 29, 2018
My first read from author Maggie Faire was wonderfully written with a somewhat unique main character & storyline. Since I read/listened to the audiobook I have to give kudos to the narrator who did a fine job & added to the enjoyment of the book.
March 26, 2017
I really liked this fantasy story. I couldn't stop reading right through to the end. And now I need to get the next book to find out the rest of the story.
November 9, 2013
see this and more at http://crasayabout.blogspot.com
When I read the summary of the book, I was super intrigued. Chameleon? That was new, well, if you are a Shadow Falls fan by C.C. Hunter then you know that Kylie is a chameleon but she changes her brain pattern/supernatural being and not appearance. So this is rather unique ground for me.
The book is definitely good to read and when finished the first book, you would want to read the second one. But unfortunately sometimes it is too jumbled. Like the world the author is describing needs to be worked on. I really couldn't understand how our/Agnose and their/Forest people's worlds coexisted. Okay with dimensions, but still it wasn't really well described and that I think was the main flow. Also, sometimes we wish the book not to be too boring, here I seriously wished the author to slow down. Everything was happening too fast. Camryn's change process/Kintala was too fast sometimes. I really had to read again and again the part to understand when she developed feelings for Dagger, and seriously what's with the name? The first time I read it, I thought there was a capitalization mistake.
I really can't say that the book is not worth reading. Even though it was sometimes too fast, it covers some very essential problems, like what? Like, that sometimes some people only think about themselves and their "tribe" and they don't give a crap about other people's lives. You can see that in the Queen. And oh right, I nearly forgot, those of you who will consider reading this book, write down some names, you will need them, because I sometimes had a hard time understanding who was who.
Happy Reading everyone, and I myself am going to seek the second book, because I am curious how it all ends. I hope you will like the book. And don't forget to leave comments.
When I read the summary of the book, I was super intrigued. Chameleon? That was new, well, if you are a Shadow Falls fan by C.C. Hunter then you know that Kylie is a chameleon but she changes her brain pattern/supernatural being and not appearance. So this is rather unique ground for me.
The book is definitely good to read and when finished the first book, you would want to read the second one. But unfortunately sometimes it is too jumbled. Like the world the author is describing needs to be worked on. I really couldn't understand how our/Agnose and their/Forest people's worlds coexisted. Okay with dimensions, but still it wasn't really well described and that I think was the main flow. Also, sometimes we wish the book not to be too boring, here I seriously wished the author to slow down. Everything was happening too fast. Camryn's change process/Kintala was too fast sometimes. I really had to read again and again the part to understand when she developed feelings for Dagger, and seriously what's with the name? The first time I read it, I thought there was a capitalization mistake.
I really can't say that the book is not worth reading. Even though it was sometimes too fast, it covers some very essential problems, like what? Like, that sometimes some people only think about themselves and their "tribe" and they don't give a crap about other people's lives. You can see that in the Queen. And oh right, I nearly forgot, those of you who will consider reading this book, write down some names, you will need them, because I sometimes had a hard time understanding who was who.
Happy Reading everyone, and I myself am going to seek the second book, because I am curious how it all ends. I hope you will like the book. And don't forget to leave comments.
July 21, 2013
The general idea is that there is a complete other world basically coexisting with our modern one that we know nothing about. There are clans that are human like - but not exactly human - that inhabit the forest. And there is a young teen girl who is responsible for saving it all, but of course she doesn't know that.
Maggie Faire seems to draw on variety sources for the frame work of this world. Native American and Aboriginal myth seem to have been a large inspiration. I would also guess that the author is an Anne McCaffrey fan because her thunder dragons and void are drawn directly from McCaffrey's dragons and between.
As with any new realm there is a lot of new information/history/myth to establish. One area where this book is lacking is in really fleshing all of this other world out. By the end of the book I was still wondering where these tribes came from, why they were splintered and why a savior was needed exactly.
There is an attempt to merge some myth and science with this 10 dimensions and traveling through dimensions 5-10 via lichen (yes you read that correctly) though it is never really explained.
There is potential for an intriguing story and I would read another book - but I sincerely hope there is some fleshing out of the back story that occurs. As the book was only 156 pages perhaps it could have been extended a bit and more of the history explained and made clear.
Maggie Faire seems to draw on variety sources for the frame work of this world. Native American and Aboriginal myth seem to have been a large inspiration. I would also guess that the author is an Anne McCaffrey fan because her thunder dragons and void are drawn directly from McCaffrey's dragons and between.
As with any new realm there is a lot of new information/history/myth to establish. One area where this book is lacking is in really fleshing all of this other world out. By the end of the book I was still wondering where these tribes came from, why they were splintered and why a savior was needed exactly.
There is an attempt to merge some myth and science with this 10 dimensions and traveling through dimensions 5-10 via lichen (yes you read that correctly) though it is never really explained.
There is potential for an intriguing story and I would read another book - but I sincerely hope there is some fleshing out of the back story that occurs. As the book was only 156 pages perhaps it could have been extended a bit and more of the history explained and made clear.
March 16, 2014
Sixteen-year-old, Camryn Painter was born a chameleon, able to identically shift into whomever she views. Camryn’s mother died after giving birth to her. She was put in the care of two humans to raise her, not knowing anything about her origins.
It was prophesied that a chameleon would be the chosen of the Forest People, having powers above all others to save their world. The different races of the Forest People are seeking her out. Ohar, of the Mazikeen and Dagger, of the Boha, both try to gain Camryn allegiance. However, so many lies have been told, Camryn doesn’t know who she can trust.
Chameleon: The Awakening, was an interesting story. I felt it was unique, and I haven’t read anything like it. I like their method of travel through the lichen and the Forest People’s relationship with nature.
The characters are multidimensional making them interesting and unpredictable.
I think Chameleon: The Awakening set a good foundation for the Forest People series. I could see this series really taking off.
Complimentary copy provided publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It was prophesied that a chameleon would be the chosen of the Forest People, having powers above all others to save their world. The different races of the Forest People are seeking her out. Ohar, of the Mazikeen and Dagger, of the Boha, both try to gain Camryn allegiance. However, so many lies have been told, Camryn doesn’t know who she can trust.
Chameleon: The Awakening, was an interesting story. I felt it was unique, and I haven’t read anything like it. I like their method of travel through the lichen and the Forest People’s relationship with nature.
The characters are multidimensional making them interesting and unpredictable.
I think Chameleon: The Awakening set a good foundation for the Forest People series. I could see this series really taking off.
Complimentary copy provided publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 19, 2014I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This look really good and inviting, different from anything else I had read, I saw some bad reviews but there was some great ones too.
I did not finish this book. The main problem I had with it was that there were terms that were not explained and they kept cropping up, they were integral to the story. I found myself getting confused a lot. I got a 5th into the book until I realised that the Agnoses where us. There were names of tribes and I still cannot tell you which was which, it was never explained. I am all for letting the reader figure things out for themselves, but this was too much for me.
I stopped at 20%, I thought if I kept going I would not be able to read anything for a while. I found it hard to read. The story line was great though. I just needed more explanations. In the last few pages I read a dragon appeared from nowhere and that was the last straw for me. A talking dragon needs more introduction than it got.
Maybe I am too used to YA now, but this book was not for. I am not going to rate it though. I do not think it fair to rate it when I did not finish it.
This look really good and inviting, different from anything else I had read, I saw some bad reviews but there was some great ones too.
I did not finish this book. The main problem I had with it was that there were terms that were not explained and they kept cropping up, they were integral to the story. I found myself getting confused a lot. I got a 5th into the book until I realised that the Agnoses where us. There were names of tribes and I still cannot tell you which was which, it was never explained. I am all for letting the reader figure things out for themselves, but this was too much for me.
I stopped at 20%, I thought if I kept going I would not be able to read anything for a while. I found it hard to read. The story line was great though. I just needed more explanations. In the last few pages I read a dragon appeared from nowhere and that was the last straw for me. A talking dragon needs more introduction than it got.
Maybe I am too used to YA now, but this book was not for. I am not going to rate it though. I do not think it fair to rate it when I did not finish it.
July 7, 2013
For fifteen years Camryn's world was unlike anyone else's and then, on her sixteenth birthday, it got really strange. A visitor arrives and tells her she is Wynbune, the chameleon, the long awaited answer to the troubled world of the forest people.
That was not what she wanted for her birthday.
Camryn’s journey was a realistic one as she moved from confused and troubled into the beginning of an understanding of who she really is. I liked how the supporting characters are portrayed with plenty of questions about motivation and loyalties. Camryn is both drawn to them and leery at the same time.
One thing I didn't care for is the amount of explanation about the world. As someone who accepted that Star Trek's Scotty could beam someone up and never wondered how I found the amount of detail about the world too technical for my taste and felt it slowed the story. But if you have an inquiring mind, you'll love it.
I enjoyed the journey. This is a wonderful beginning to the trilogy and I look forward to the next book.
That was not what she wanted for her birthday.
Camryn’s journey was a realistic one as she moved from confused and troubled into the beginning of an understanding of who she really is. I liked how the supporting characters are portrayed with plenty of questions about motivation and loyalties. Camryn is both drawn to them and leery at the same time.
One thing I didn't care for is the amount of explanation about the world. As someone who accepted that Star Trek's Scotty could beam someone up and never wondered how I found the amount of detail about the world too technical for my taste and felt it slowed the story. But if you have an inquiring mind, you'll love it.
I enjoyed the journey. This is a wonderful beginning to the trilogy and I look forward to the next book.
May 27, 2017
Very enjoyable first book of a series. The protagonist is beset by problems caused by her identity. In fact, her life is in danger because of it. It's cool the trials she goes through and how she learns to use powers she never dreamed of. Fairly quick read on a Kindle, and I enjoyed it while on a jet.
July 24, 2013
This was an interesting concept, but the execution was a little rushed. I believe the author developed the world in her mind, but it wasn't presented well. There was a bit to much telling, and not enough showing. However, I would read more to see where the story goes.
March 6, 2017
Didn't see for KU, think got this as review copy we hope you review it type book. Bit different than used to, which is good thing since read so much very rarely could put 'full of surprises'. Chameleon: The Choosing (Book 2 of The Forest People)
February 6, 2017
A fantastical. I loved going with Camryn on her journey to unravel her past, accept her fate, and find her father. And herself.
November 27, 2020
Felt like a solid third of this book was missing. Very tough to follow.
January 29, 2019
Audiobook
A gripping visit to the enchanted worlds of deep forest people, rich in culture, wisdom and contrasts of clans. Having come across this gorgeous cover on Pinterest, I requested a review copy. Chameleon: The Awakening displays such fantastic depths in a great body of work and characters who constantly challenge each other. Camryn grows up in our world but, in shock, finds herself incarcerated for science. She is forced to run and choose between even more difficult fates once she can determine who and what she might be able to trust among those with strange beliefs and ways lived in the forest. I'm so impressed with all the dimensions the author takes the trouble to delve deeply into. I can't wait to hear the next in this series. I want these books in all their versions!
A gripping visit to the enchanted worlds of deep forest people, rich in culture, wisdom and contrasts of clans. Having come across this gorgeous cover on Pinterest, I requested a review copy. Chameleon: The Awakening displays such fantastic depths in a great body of work and characters who constantly challenge each other. Camryn grows up in our world but, in shock, finds herself incarcerated for science. She is forced to run and choose between even more difficult fates once she can determine who and what she might be able to trust among those with strange beliefs and ways lived in the forest. I'm so impressed with all the dimensions the author takes the trouble to delve deeply into. I can't wait to hear the next in this series. I want these books in all their versions!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews