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The Changeling Saga #1-2 omnibus
Wizard World
Wizard World Paperback by Roger Zelazny (Author)
411 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1989
6 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Roger Zelazny
746 books3,887 followersRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American fantasy and science fiction writer known for his short stories and novels, best known for The Chronicles of Amber. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo Award six times (also out of 14 nominations), including two Hugos for novels: the serialized novel ...And Call Me Conrad (1965), subsequently published under the title This Immortal (1966), and the novel Lord of Light (1967).
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 23, 2014
Two books are included in this volume, "The Changling" & "Madwand". I'm very tempted to suggest that you buy & read the first & never read the second. Not that it isn't good, but it leaves you hanging & Zelazny died, so this story will never be finished. The first can stand alone. The second leaves you dying for a third that we'll never see.
The world is one where magic rules & it connects to other worlds, such as one where technology rules. In 'The Changeling', children are swapped between two worlds, but unfortunately each is a master of their set of rules. Pol, born to master magic, is out of place in the technological world. He finds his way back to his world of magic, to find the baby he was switched with has built a technological empire there. It is so at odds with the world that their conflict is inevitable.
So again, Zelazny has blended SF & Fantasy, although this is really a fantasy novel. His take on how magic is used is very interesting. Pol manipulates & sees threads of magic, spells are knots made of almost living threads of power. It's a colorful world & well worth visiting.
The world is one where magic rules & it connects to other worlds, such as one where technology rules. In 'The Changeling', children are swapped between two worlds, but unfortunately each is a master of their set of rules. Pol, born to master magic, is out of place in the technological world. He finds his way back to his world of magic, to find the baby he was switched with has built a technological empire there. It is so at odds with the world that their conflict is inevitable.
So again, Zelazny has blended SF & Fantasy, although this is really a fantasy novel. His take on how magic is used is very interesting. Pol manipulates & sees threads of magic, spells are knots made of almost living threads of power. It's a colorful world & well worth visiting.
March 30, 2019
This isn't the best thing Zelazny ever wrote by a long shot, but it's still a solid high fantasy sword and sorcerer adventure. The protagonist is honestly forgettable, but the setting is memorable and some of the supporting characters are great.
August 17, 2014
Read "The Changeling" more than ten years ago and completely forgot about it. Then, some parts of its plot came back to me and it took me quite a while to identify which book they belonged to. As with many teenage crushes, it didn't taste even close that good on second reading. But accidentally led me to read "Madwand" of which existence I was not aware. I'd say it's a bit better than "The Changeling" because it has some interesting trains of thought in it but in general has the same childish narrative and shallow characters.
April 11, 2018
A decent enough pair of fantasy stories, if a bit basic and cliched. I can forgive that somewhat, though, since it's almost 40 years old and the genre was in a much different place back then. Still, to use a phrase one of my friends recently used in a fantasy book review, this is the sort of book I would have enjoyed more if I read it when I was 16.
Annoyingly, the ending suggested it was going to be a trilogy but no third book was ever written.
Annoyingly, the ending suggested it was going to be a trilogy but no third book was ever written.
August 7, 2017
Um... the first half of the book, "Changeling" was pretty good, imaginative and promising. The second half? Ugh. I feel like if I'd have fallen asleep whilst reading, I wouldn't have missed anything. Totally convoluted.
November 3, 2008
Could finish it.
Is this the same guy who wrote--well, anything else he wrote?
Is this the same guy who wrote--well, anything else he wrote?
January 26, 2017
What a great way to start out 2017 and my goal of 100 books. (2 done, 98 to go).
I finished one other book that I started in 2016 and finished in 2017, so this is my FIRST of 2017.
I read this 411 page book in 3 days, 140 pages a day. My daily goal is 100 pages.
There are 2 world/planes split into Magical and Scientific, and takes place mostly in the Magical half. The writing style is easy to read - the number of characters increases steadily throughout the book. While it has potential to have many following books, the ending is satisfying. One of my favorite characters is a thief (Mouseglove), seemingly to be hated, and later on quite beloved. I was quite taken also with the dragon Moonbird. I was vey disappointed that the love interest, Nora, was not featured in the 2nd half of the book. (too bad Zelazny died in 1995 and could not turn this into a series of books. The magic: does NOT BOG DOWN with details of how it is performed and how it works (other books/magics are annoying with spell/details).
Roger Zelazny's most popular books are a series called the Chroncles of Amber. Also if you have Kindle Unlimited there are 2 books you can get for free (I have not yet read them, but definitely will) -To Die In Italba, and -Fantasy For Good
Some of his books are:
Nine Princes in Amber (1970)
The Guns of Avalon (1972)
Sign of the Unicorn (1975)
The Hand of Oberon (1976)
The Courts of Chaos (1978)
Trumps of Doom (1985)
Blood of Amber (1986)
Sign of Chaos (1987)
Knight of Shadows (1989)
Prince of Chaos (1991)
This Immortal, 1966, Hugo Award
Lord Of Light, 1968, Hugo Award
I finished one other book that I started in 2016 and finished in 2017, so this is my FIRST of 2017.
I read this 411 page book in 3 days, 140 pages a day. My daily goal is 100 pages.
There are 2 world/planes split into Magical and Scientific, and takes place mostly in the Magical half. The writing style is easy to read - the number of characters increases steadily throughout the book. While it has potential to have many following books, the ending is satisfying. One of my favorite characters is a thief (Mouseglove), seemingly to be hated, and later on quite beloved. I was quite taken also with the dragon Moonbird. I was vey disappointed that the love interest, Nora, was not featured in the 2nd half of the book. (too bad Zelazny died in 1995 and could not turn this into a series of books. The magic: does NOT BOG DOWN with details of how it is performed and how it works (other books/magics are annoying with spell/details).
Roger Zelazny's most popular books are a series called the Chroncles of Amber. Also if you have Kindle Unlimited there are 2 books you can get for free (I have not yet read them, but definitely will) -To Die In Italba, and -Fantasy For Good
Some of his books are:
Nine Princes in Amber (1970)
The Guns of Avalon (1972)
Sign of the Unicorn (1975)
The Hand of Oberon (1976)
The Courts of Chaos (1978)
Trumps of Doom (1985)
Blood of Amber (1986)
Sign of Chaos (1987)
Knight of Shadows (1989)
Prince of Chaos (1991)
This Immortal, 1966, Hugo Award
Lord Of Light, 1968, Hugo Award
March 27, 2020
Дело не может быть в одном переводе и редактуре. Примитивно по всем фронтам, кроме идеи мира, которую можно уложить в пару предложений, и, может быть, идеи описания управления магией (хоть ничего нового в обоих случаях).
Хоть некоторые и недолюбливают "Хроники Амбера", как внезапно выяснилось (да и если задуматься, то это можно понять), Желязны для меня качественный писатель. Один из мастеров и классиков. Любимый. А эта парочка похуже (или же я слишком придираюсь, тогда на уровне) русского массово клепаемого фэнтези :< как так могло получиться?
Хоть некоторые и недолюбливают "Хроники Амбера", как внезапно выяснилось (да и если задуматься, то это можно понять), Желязны для меня качественный писатель. Один из мастеров и классиков. Любимый. А эта парочка похуже (или же я слишком придираюсь, тогда на уровне) русского массово клепаемого фэнтези :< как так могло получиться?
February 10, 2020
Amazing ideas, excellent concepts and visions of magic; I wasn't crazy about the writing style / execution of story.
March 24, 2020
You could really tell reading this that Zelazny wasn't on his A game so much anymore but it was creative and an enjoyable read
March 22, 2022
Can't win 'em all. Zelazny's characteristic blending of scifi and fantasy, but with wooden characters and an entirely predictable plot. This one's a miss.
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April 5, 2022Finished 4/5/2022
December 5, 2013
This is two novellas (and it was apparently supposed to be a trilogy) combined into one book about Dan Chain – or Pol Detson as he quickly becomes known – the son of a wizard who was traded for as a baby from a non-magical world. At 18 he’s traded back into the magical world because he’s the only one powerful enough to stop his step-brother (the baby he was originally traded for) from becoming an evil dictator and destroying everything that’s good. It lacks emotional depth and parts of the first novella seemed particularly rushed, but it’s a fun romp and Zelazny does have a knack for story-telling.
The second novella uses the first as a jumping off point. I think this works better partly because there isn’t as much need for cramming a lot of background into such a short format which leaves more space for emotional development and growth. Zelazny uses that extra space well. He has good plots, great details and these carry the story pretty well. It is too bad that he wasn’t able to write the third book before he died. I think Zelazny could have made this into a solid series with just one more book to tie everything more firmly together.
The second novella uses the first as a jumping off point. I think this works better partly because there isn’t as much need for cramming a lot of background into such a short format which leaves more space for emotional development and growth. Zelazny uses that extra space well. He has good plots, great details and these carry the story pretty well. It is too bad that he wasn’t able to write the third book before he died. I think Zelazny could have made this into a solid series with just one more book to tie everything more firmly together.
May 23, 2008
This is actually two books in a series. Changeling and Madwand.
Neither was quite what I expected, but Zelazny is not what I would call a predictable author. These novels reminded me of the Zelazny's second Princes of Amber series.
What I like about Zelazny's series (that I have read) is that while the first book stands on its own and is enjoyable, in subsequent novels he builds on his worlds and characters with dynamic new ideas. He isn't the tightest plotter and you can almost see the crazy ideas popping out of his head and going straight onto the page. This leads him to almost write himself into a corner and sometimes contradict his own story, but it is never boring.
Much of Zelazny's work seems to be out of print. I had to find this at a used book store. They actually had another printing of Changeling that was a larger size and had illustrations. But I opted for this one since it was cheaper and had two novels in it.
Neither was quite what I expected, but Zelazny is not what I would call a predictable author. These novels reminded me of the Zelazny's second Princes of Amber series.
What I like about Zelazny's series (that I have read) is that while the first book stands on its own and is enjoyable, in subsequent novels he builds on his worlds and characters with dynamic new ideas. He isn't the tightest plotter and you can almost see the crazy ideas popping out of his head and going straight onto the page. This leads him to almost write himself into a corner and sometimes contradict his own story, but it is never boring.
Much of Zelazny's work seems to be out of print. I had to find this at a used book store. They actually had another printing of Changeling that was a larger size and had illustrations. But I opted for this one since it was cheaper and had two novels in it.
January 29, 2015
I really liked the two books.
The first one, had a kinda slow start, but picked up pretty quick, with Dan (Pol) coming back into his world and gaining his full powers.
The adventures is fast paced, energetic in typical Zelazny style.
The second book has a more mature flair to it, as the ideas presented in the first books 'took root' in Zelazny's mind, and he formulated it more clearly.
Some very nice touches (SPOILERS!!!)
The Curse, The Magic System (Strands/Bands), Wizards' Duels, Madwand (the entire concept is presented rather nicely), the clash of Technology/Magic and then Magic/Stronger Magic...
Read it.
Enjoy it.
The first one, had a kinda slow start, but picked up pretty quick, with Dan (Pol) coming back into his world and gaining his full powers.
The adventures is fast paced, energetic in typical Zelazny style.
The second book has a more mature flair to it, as the ideas presented in the first books 'took root' in Zelazny's mind, and he formulated it more clearly.
Some very nice touches (SPOILERS!!!)
The Curse, The Magic System (Strands/Bands), Wizards' Duels, Madwand (the entire concept is presented rather nicely), the clash of Technology/Magic and then Magic/Stronger Magic...
Read it.
Enjoy it.
September 19, 2014
Man. I love Roger Zelazny, but as another reviewer (off-site) said, the first book in this duo doesn't seem like a Zelazny joint at all, and the last book seems like a cheap Zelazny clone.
However, it gets clear up to 3 stars because I still _wanted_ to finish it. I still enjoyed the story, if not how it was presented on the whole. It still had some really cool moments. I mean, it has a couple wizard duels, and a 6-wizard battle. It also "invents" the term "madwand" (magic comes naturally, genetically, "in the blood"), which I really dig.
If you like wizards, you might enjoy this. It's a fairly quick read, in any case.
However, it gets clear up to 3 stars because I still _wanted_ to finish it. I still enjoyed the story, if not how it was presented on the whole. It still had some really cool moments. I mean, it has a couple wizard duels, and a 6-wizard battle. It also "invents" the term "madwand" (magic comes naturally, genetically, "in the blood"), which I really dig.
If you like wizards, you might enjoy this. It's a fairly quick read, in any case.
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January 8, 2010ereader ebook
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January 9, 2010ereader ebook
August 30, 2014
Zelazny's prose is delightful and there were parts of this book I really enjoyed--in fact, most of it. I just found the ending to be not satisfying.
April 11, 2018
Un double roman sympathique mais décevant par l'auteur de la saga des Princes d'Ambre.
January 6, 2017
I'm hot and cold with Zelazny. Loved him in my youth. Not so much now.
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June 30, 2008Probably the best example of Science Vs. Magic book of Zelazny, but it's not really his finest.
September 22, 2011
The first two parts of an unfinished trilogy. Still a fun read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews