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Sorcery and Society #1
Changeling
If 14-year-old Cassandra Reed makes it through her first day at Miss Castwell's Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies without anyone discovering her secret, maybe, just maybe, she'll let herself believe that she really does belong at Miss Castwell's. Except Cassandra Reed's real name is Sarah Smith and up until now, she lived her whole life in the Warren, serving a magical family, the Winters, as all non-magical "Snipes" are bound by magical Guardian law to do. That is, until one day, Sarah accidentally levitates Mrs. Winter's favorite vase in the parlor...
But Snipes aren't supposed to have magical powers... and the existence of a magical Snipe threatens the world order dictated during the Guardian's Restoration years ago. If she wants to keep her family safe and protect her own skin, Sarah must figure out how to fit into posh Guardian society, master her newfound magical powers, and discover the truth about how an ordinary girl can become magical.
But Snipes aren't supposed to have magical powers... and the existence of a magical Snipe threatens the world order dictated during the Guardian's Restoration years ago. If she wants to keep her family safe and protect her own skin, Sarah must figure out how to fit into posh Guardian society, master her newfound magical powers, and discover the truth about how an ordinary girl can become magical.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 22, 2018
413 people are currently reading
6451 people want to read
About the author
Molly Harper
61 books8,139 followersMolly Harper is the author of more than 40 romance titles including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Mystic Bayou, the Starfall Point series, and her first murder mystery, A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR. She lives in Michigan with her family. For more information, go to www.mollyharper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 695 reviews
April 18, 2021
Changeling by Molly Harper
1st book in the Sorcery and Society series. YA magic. Historical with a touch of steampunk.
Society is divided between the magic users as upper class and those without magic as the servant class. 14 year old Sarah has been sickly as long as she can remember until one day she saves a vase using magic. The family she works for forces Sarah into impersonating as a distant relative and she finds herself in a magic school she is ill-prepared for. Magic familiars, competitive classmates and a book that can’t be read are all part of the strange new world for Sarah.
Engaging and enthralling, I was hooked listening to the audio.
Now that Sarah, aka Cassandra has magic, she needs to figure out who she is inside. Nice? Snarky? A follower? Turns out she doesn’t want to be influenced by who can make her important.
Growing pains.
I really enjoyed this “coming of age” troupe paranormal and will read the second as soon as possible.
1st book in the Sorcery and Society series. YA magic. Historical with a touch of steampunk.
Society is divided between the magic users as upper class and those without magic as the servant class. 14 year old Sarah has been sickly as long as she can remember until one day she saves a vase using magic. The family she works for forces Sarah into impersonating as a distant relative and she finds herself in a magic school she is ill-prepared for. Magic familiars, competitive classmates and a book that can’t be read are all part of the strange new world for Sarah.
Engaging and enthralling, I was hooked listening to the audio.
Now that Sarah, aka Cassandra has magic, she needs to figure out who she is inside. Nice? Snarky? A follower? Turns out she doesn’t want to be influenced by who can make her important.
Growing pains.
I really enjoyed this “coming of age” troupe paranormal and will read the second as soon as possible.
August 28, 2018
Calling a spade a spade...
Pygmalion meets Harry Potter meets Charmed.
It's not all that original. I picked the villain very early in the book. But it's testament to Molly Harper as a writer that I don't really care. Changeling was a hoot and I loved it despite the fact that it's derivative.
Pygmalion meets Harry Potter meets Charmed.
It's not all that original. I picked the villain very early in the book. But it's testament to Molly Harper as a writer that I don't really care. Changeling was a hoot and I loved it despite the fact that it's derivative.
April 4, 2019
3.5 stars. I’m rounding up as I will read book two.
It's a commonly said these days that there are no original ideas left to write about. While this may be true to a certain extent there is usually a new way to spin a similar story or make it your own. Molly Harper has 'borrowed' from so many of the most popular YA/Teen fantasy story lines that it's almost funny. Yet, the way she puts these ideas together, and her compulsive writing style, had me flipping pages quickly and deciding that I was okay with her borrowed ideas.
Borrowed Elements
Let's start with Harry Potter. The following are direct correlations in Changeling:
- orphan who didn’t know she could do magic = Harry Potter (but female this time)
- little blue bird (familiar) = Hedwing the owl
- Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies = Hogwarts
- Houses = Houses... there's five instead of four, but whose counting...
- Snipes = Muggles
From Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Charmed:
- magical tomes that can only be read by certain people
- magical spells that may give you 'too much' power
- demons and vampires; and not all are evil
Cinderella:
- ‘Auntie’ = stepmother
- slave who cleans = Cinderella herself
Now, you might be thinking: 'oh boy Mel, how can this be good?' Honestly I didn't think it could be at first. But our leading girl, her friends and even the possible love interest(s?) are all solid characters unto themselves.
Characters
These are not just characters dropped into a cliche setting. Instead I felt connected and had empathy for each of the students we meet. I even began to like the Auntie/stepmother at points. Creating anti-hero characters is not easy and yet Harper has made it seem effortless in Changeling.
Additionally both our main boys are strong, unique and realistic. And neither sparkles! It helps that there is no insta-love and (so far) no love triangle, square or other shape. By creating genuine relationships between characters Harper has done what so many other teen authors continue to fail to do. This alone puts her a step above the average teen genre writer.
Political Intrigue
We all know noble families must be entrenched in corruption (lol). Harper takes the conspiracy, greed and backstabbing to a whole new level in Changeling. Not only does everyone keep their friends close, and their enemies even closer; but they all have dirt on one another that could ruin them. Add a stepmother with a steely glare and a bunch of ridiculous laws in place to keep Snipes ‘in-line’ and you've got a complex society to try and navigate. And our gal goes from scrubbing the floors to walking across them in glass slippers. So to say she has trouble navigating this new political landscape would be an understatement. There are so many opportunities that Harper has clearly opened up for future books in the nobles and rich families narrative that I would want to read more of this series even if it didn't have good characters. And did I mention amongst all of this is magic?
Overall
It's an odd thing to realize that a book is really a bunch of other stories you know well dropped into one and yet feel like you are reading a new story. I really didn't expect, from the opening 50 pages, to like Changeling so much. I expected to get frustrated and bored quickly. Instead Harper has set-up a world that is both familiar and original in it's own way. If you want to revisit your youth, get some Harry Potter magical school vibes or just visit a cute little fantasy world where the teens are not immediately in love with each other (how refreshing!), then Changeling may be for you. But watch out as you may be hooked and find yourself frustrated that book two hasn't even been announced (never mind have a name or a cover)! Someone needs to let Molly Harper know that she now needs to keep feeding the readers she has entrapped in her cute story web.
To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
It's a commonly said these days that there are no original ideas left to write about. While this may be true to a certain extent there is usually a new way to spin a similar story or make it your own. Molly Harper has 'borrowed' from so many of the most popular YA/Teen fantasy story lines that it's almost funny. Yet, the way she puts these ideas together, and her compulsive writing style, had me flipping pages quickly and deciding that I was okay with her borrowed ideas.
Borrowed Elements
Let's start with Harry Potter. The following are direct correlations in Changeling:
- orphan who didn’t know she could do magic = Harry Potter (but female this time)
- little blue bird (familiar) = Hedwing the owl
- Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies = Hogwarts
- Houses = Houses... there's five instead of four, but whose counting...
- Snipes = Muggles
From Buffy the Vampire Slayer and/or Charmed:
- magical tomes that can only be read by certain people
- magical spells that may give you 'too much' power
- demons and vampires; and not all are evil
Cinderella:
- ‘Auntie’ = stepmother
- slave who cleans = Cinderella herself
Now, you might be thinking: 'oh boy Mel, how can this be good?' Honestly I didn't think it could be at first. But our leading girl, her friends and even the possible love interest(s?) are all solid characters unto themselves.
Characters
These are not just characters dropped into a cliche setting. Instead I felt connected and had empathy for each of the students we meet. I even began to like the Auntie/stepmother at points. Creating anti-hero characters is not easy and yet Harper has made it seem effortless in Changeling.
Additionally both our main boys are strong, unique and realistic. And neither sparkles! It helps that there is no insta-love and (so far) no love triangle, square or other shape. By creating genuine relationships between characters Harper has done what so many other teen authors continue to fail to do. This alone puts her a step above the average teen genre writer.
Political Intrigue
We all know noble families must be entrenched in corruption (lol). Harper takes the conspiracy, greed and backstabbing to a whole new level in Changeling. Not only does everyone keep their friends close, and their enemies even closer; but they all have dirt on one another that could ruin them. Add a stepmother with a steely glare and a bunch of ridiculous laws in place to keep Snipes ‘in-line’ and you've got a complex society to try and navigate. And our gal goes from scrubbing the floors to walking across them in glass slippers. So to say she has trouble navigating this new political landscape would be an understatement. There are so many opportunities that Harper has clearly opened up for future books in the nobles and rich families narrative that I would want to read more of this series even if it didn't have good characters. And did I mention amongst all of this is magic?
Overall
It's an odd thing to realize that a book is really a bunch of other stories you know well dropped into one and yet feel like you are reading a new story. I really didn't expect, from the opening 50 pages, to like Changeling so much. I expected to get frustrated and bored quickly. Instead Harper has set-up a world that is both familiar and original in it's own way. If you want to revisit your youth, get some Harry Potter magical school vibes or just visit a cute little fantasy world where the teens are not immediately in love with each other (how refreshing!), then Changeling may be for you. But watch out as you may be hooked and find yourself frustrated that book two hasn't even been announced (never mind have a name or a cover)! Someone needs to let Molly Harper know that she now needs to keep feeding the readers she has entrapped in her cute story web.
To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
October 29, 2018
Imagine mixing a potion of all of your favorite stories. Let’s start with Charmed and the power of three, then add in Harry Potter with schools for the magically gifted, familiars and loads of secrets. Let us not forget the non-magical folks known as Snipes (Guttersnipes), and the Ministry of Magic known as the Guardian of Law. Add a pinch of the Moorchild with changelings. Next, stir in a Victorian setting with a smidge of steampunk and vivid characters who breathe life into the tale. Stir counterclockwise and poof you have Changeling the first novel in the Sorcery and Society novels.
The book was full of so many elements I loved about each of the books and series mentioned but Molly Harper adds her own little spins from magical books to secrets.
14-year-old snipe, Sarah Smith has her life irrevocably changed when a series of incidents, childhood rebellion and kindness cause her to reveal magical ability in front of her guardians. A magical ability she didn’t know she possessed and according to the law is downright impossible. To protect everyone in the household and mayhap for personal gain, Sarah is transformed into a distant cousin and renamed, Cassandra Reed. In the blink of an eye she goes from scullery maid to student. They enroll her at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies.
The tale that unfolds has magic, mean girls, friendships, a touch of romance, loads of secrets. It was an engaging tale that kept me listening into the wee hours. I loved watching Cassandra gain confidence and find herself. Along the way she will make startling discoveries, friendships and enemies. As her confidence grew we discover this kind, but cheeky young woman. It was delightful.
The overall story arc for the series itself stems from secrets about an unnamed House, and changelings. I am keen to see what direction Harper takes the story. I already love the motley crew of friends, Cassandra has surrounded herself with. Mrs Warren and her family also added interest, humor and support. I am hoping we learn more about Ivy and Alicia’s magical condition.
While I loved the fast-pace of the story, I am really hoping we gain more information about the history of the Houses, magic and how society members like the Warren’s became responsible for the snipe families. We gained some information about this guardian society and I geeked out over the science aspects but I want more and would love a full-length prequel.
Amanda Ronconi was the perfect narrator for Changeling. I loved her voices for Cassandra, the school librarian and Mary. While I felt she sometimes broke accent, she gave each character a distinct voice and enhanced the climactic scenes along with the humorous ones. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
The book was full of so many elements I loved about each of the books and series mentioned but Molly Harper adds her own little spins from magical books to secrets.
14-year-old snipe, Sarah Smith has her life irrevocably changed when a series of incidents, childhood rebellion and kindness cause her to reveal magical ability in front of her guardians. A magical ability she didn’t know she possessed and according to the law is downright impossible. To protect everyone in the household and mayhap for personal gain, Sarah is transformed into a distant cousin and renamed, Cassandra Reed. In the blink of an eye she goes from scullery maid to student. They enroll her at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies.
The tale that unfolds has magic, mean girls, friendships, a touch of romance, loads of secrets. It was an engaging tale that kept me listening into the wee hours. I loved watching Cassandra gain confidence and find herself. Along the way she will make startling discoveries, friendships and enemies. As her confidence grew we discover this kind, but cheeky young woman. It was delightful.
The overall story arc for the series itself stems from secrets about an unnamed House, and changelings. I am keen to see what direction Harper takes the story. I already love the motley crew of friends, Cassandra has surrounded herself with. Mrs Warren and her family also added interest, humor and support. I am hoping we learn more about Ivy and Alicia’s magical condition.
While I loved the fast-pace of the story, I am really hoping we gain more information about the history of the Houses, magic and how society members like the Warren’s became responsible for the snipe families. We gained some information about this guardian society and I geeked out over the science aspects but I want more and would love a full-length prequel.
Amanda Ronconi was the perfect narrator for Changeling. I loved her voices for Cassandra, the school librarian and Mary. While I felt she sometimes broke accent, she gave each character a distinct voice and enhanced the climactic scenes along with the humorous ones. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
August 6, 2019
I love that Molly Harper takes these wild jags into genres she's never done before. That probably makes me some kind of super-fan, but I have yet to be disappointed in following her into a new space. That holds in this story, as well. This is a YA historical fantasy with magic and an added mix of boarding school and it was a great deal of fun.
I'm not sure the era of this as the historical timeline diverged heavily in the early nineteenth century (after steam trains, but before the industrial revolution took firm hold) when the magical folks took everything over, discarded all that reform crap from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and instituted a reversion to a feudal system complete with non-magical serfs. That revolution is at least a century in the past, but technical innovation came to a grinding halt and magical innovation is highly concentrated on the utility of the elite (and since magicians are all elite, there's nothing like a magical industrial base that'd trickle any of that stuff down to commoners). So it's Victorian-ish but with a much more calcified social and class structure. All of which is challenged if/when commoners should develop magical powers, somehow. That's where Sarah/Cassandra comes in. Because she develops magical powers and right in front of the matriarch of the family that "guides" her family.
The plot hinges on Mrs. Winters (said matriarch) being bloody-minded enough to believe she can foist Cassandra onto the magical school for young girls but kind enough not to kill her outright. Cassandra's very existence challenges the embedded social structure and should her origins be discovered, the entire Winters family stands to lose a great deal—though not the ignominious death Cassandra would face. Around that structure, Harper weaves a very engaging story with the young Cassandra finding her way, finding friends, learning about her magic, and becoming a very special person when a magical book chooses to bind itself to her. I found Cassandra herself interesting and I loved her growth and the relationships she forges (not least with the indomitable Mrs. Winters). I have some minor quibbles with one or two plot aspects being a little too extreme (the mean-girl clique and Cassandra's non-magical sister, mainly), but those were very minor and didn't affect my rating at all.
Nearly affecting my rating was the atrocious copy editing. I've seldom seen worse. There are dropped words, wrong tenses, added words with a different tense to the sentence, and there's one paragraph that consists of the same two sentences repeated over again. It was so bad that I looked up the publisher and that became it's own delve into madness (as it appears to be a combination of self-publishing but with some very big niche names using it as a vehicle, including Ilona Andrews, Loretta Chase, Suzanne Enoch, and many other Molly Harper works).
Anyway, this ends up a solid five stars and I can't wait to continue with the next in the series (though that'll be mood-dependent as all my YA reading is).
I'm not sure the era of this as the historical timeline diverged heavily in the early nineteenth century (after steam trains, but before the industrial revolution took firm hold) when the magical folks took everything over, discarded all that reform crap from the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence and instituted a reversion to a feudal system complete with non-magical serfs. That revolution is at least a century in the past, but technical innovation came to a grinding halt and magical innovation is highly concentrated on the utility of the elite (and since magicians are all elite, there's nothing like a magical industrial base that'd trickle any of that stuff down to commoners). So it's Victorian-ish but with a much more calcified social and class structure. All of which is challenged if/when commoners should develop magical powers, somehow. That's where Sarah/Cassandra comes in. Because she develops magical powers and right in front of the matriarch of the family that "guides" her family.
The plot hinges on Mrs. Winters (said matriarch) being bloody-minded enough to believe she can foist Cassandra onto the magical school for young girls but kind enough not to kill her outright. Cassandra's very existence challenges the embedded social structure and should her origins be discovered, the entire Winters family stands to lose a great deal—though not the ignominious death Cassandra would face. Around that structure, Harper weaves a very engaging story with the young Cassandra finding her way, finding friends, learning about her magic, and becoming a very special person when a magical book chooses to bind itself to her. I found Cassandra herself interesting and I loved her growth and the relationships she forges (not least with the indomitable Mrs. Winters). I have some minor quibbles with one or two plot aspects being a little too extreme (the mean-girl clique and Cassandra's non-magical sister, mainly), but those were very minor and didn't affect my rating at all.
Nearly affecting my rating was the atrocious copy editing. I've seldom seen worse. There are dropped words, wrong tenses, added words with a different tense to the sentence, and there's one paragraph that consists of the same two sentences repeated over again. It was so bad that I looked up the publisher and that became it's own delve into madness (as it appears to be a combination of self-publishing but with some very big niche names using it as a vehicle, including Ilona Andrews, Loretta Chase, Suzanne Enoch, and many other Molly Harper works).
Anyway, this ends up a solid five stars and I can't wait to continue with the next in the series (though that'll be mood-dependent as all my YA reading is).
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October 10, 2018I wanted to like it, I really did. A Victorian Steampunk society with magic to boot! But even though the main character's story seems interesting (being always kind of sick and suddenly learning she isn't and that she controls magic!) I just couldn't seem to relate to the characters or the story per se...
Also, I was a bit lost on the world the author creates, personally I would have benefited of being more grounded in it before the story began picking up when Sarah discovers she can do magic once she stops taking the pills her mother gave her for her fragile health.
Probably the book wasn't for me as it has very good reviews, but I had to stop reading it as it didn't appeal to me.
Also, I was a bit lost on the world the author creates, personally I would have benefited of being more grounded in it before the story began picking up when Sarah discovers she can do magic once she stops taking the pills her mother gave her for her fragile health.
Probably the book wasn't for me as it has very good reviews, but I had to stop reading it as it didn't appeal to me.
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March 26, 2020
Wealthy 14 year old Cassandra Reed has a secret. That's not her real name. And she's not actually a member of the noble magical class that now rules the world. But as one of the non-magical Snipes who possesses magic, her secret must be kept so that she—and her family—can survive. So she has to blend in with the magical class. And attend school for wealthy magical ladies. She just can't slip up...
Ever read one of those books where you are just certain that you've read it before, but you clearly haven't?
This was that book.
It's been over six weeks since I read this, and I have been dreading writing this review for so long that I now have a huge stack of other reviews to write because I was procrastinating on this one. The details are hazy, but my dislike for this book is not.
I've had it on my TBR for quite some time due to its high ratings and the rave reviews, and I wish now that I had removed it instead of going in and purchasing it with an Audible credit when I realized that that was the only way I'd actually read the book.
The audiobook is horrible, but I don't think that it really detracted much from the story itself.
Think gender-bent Harry Potter meets Red Queen slapped into a dystopian world that never went past the Victorian era (there were some kinda Edwardian like things, but not enough).
Yes. One of those books.
I'm not a huge fan of Victorian fiction to begin with, and it really irks me when writers do this with their alternate-history worlds, because societies and cultures do change. They do go forwards and backwards, but the thing is that the only constant is change. Having a culture stuck in lock-step Victorian sentimentalities for a hundred years just doesn't make sense.
Anywho.
I didn't like this book for other reasons.
It felt uninspired—like I had read it before—following similar tropes. Previously non-magical girl of the underclass discovers her magical abilities and is adopted hush-hushly into the ruling magical class to protect the status quo. Then non-magical girl goes to school (because, duh), and discovers that she is truly ~gifted~ for ~reasons~ and makes enemies of the popular girls, friends with the non-popular girls, and despite her obvious superior gifted talents still struggles with school and her magic for no other reason than to gain sympathy and add pages to the story. Then of course there's the Big Baddy at the school who is out to Ruin Things For Everyone and Change Society By Not Actually Changing It At All. The plot is ruined and things go back to normal. All talk of the girl actually fixing things in society to make it better are gone as she acclimates to her new life on top.
Yawn. Snooze.
Plus again, the audiobook narrator was horrible. Cassandra's accent changed all over the place. It sounded like nails on chalkboard.
Anywho, my opinions are my own. I'm sure that this book will call—and has called—to many others, but it hit every single trope that I abhor and that's entirely on me.
Ever read one of those books where you are just certain that you've read it before, but you clearly haven't?
This was that book.
It's been over six weeks since I read this, and I have been dreading writing this review for so long that I now have a huge stack of other reviews to write because I was procrastinating on this one. The details are hazy, but my dislike for this book is not.
I've had it on my TBR for quite some time due to its high ratings and the rave reviews, and I wish now that I had removed it instead of going in and purchasing it with an Audible credit when I realized that that was the only way I'd actually read the book.
The audiobook is horrible, but I don't think that it really detracted much from the story itself.
Think gender-bent Harry Potter meets Red Queen slapped into a dystopian world that never went past the Victorian era (there were some kinda Edwardian like things, but not enough).
Yes. One of those books.
I'm not a huge fan of Victorian fiction to begin with, and it really irks me when writers do this with their alternate-history worlds, because societies and cultures do change. They do go forwards and backwards, but the thing is that the only constant is change. Having a culture stuck in lock-step Victorian sentimentalities for a hundred years just doesn't make sense.
Anywho.
I didn't like this book for other reasons.
It felt uninspired—like I had read it before—following similar tropes. Previously non-magical girl of the underclass discovers her magical abilities and is adopted hush-hushly into the ruling magical class to protect the status quo. Then non-magical girl goes to school (because, duh), and discovers that she is truly ~gifted~ for ~reasons~ and makes enemies of the popular girls, friends with the non-popular girls, and despite her obvious superior gifted talents still struggles with school and her magic for no other reason than to gain sympathy and add pages to the story. Then of course there's the Big Baddy at the school who is out to Ruin Things For Everyone and Change Society By Not Actually Changing It At All. The plot is ruined and things go back to normal. All talk of the girl actually fixing things in society to make it better are gone as she acclimates to her new life on top.
Yawn. Snooze.
Plus again, the audiobook narrator was horrible. Cassandra's accent changed all over the place. It sounded like nails on chalkboard.
Anywho, my opinions are my own. I'm sure that this book will call—and has called—to many others, but it hit every single trope that I abhor and that's entirely on me.
August 18, 2019
A charming historical fantasy for YA.
March 4, 2019
Alright so this is a really fun light fantasy that pulls a lot of really commonly used and enjoyable tropes like the unknown chosen one with immense power, school for the magic and naturally a Victorian-ish setting and time.
So I read this via audiobook and I have to absolutely recommend this format. The narrators are fantastic and the comedic lines are delivered perfectly!
I am always a sucker for a girl finding the Draco of the school and then deciding to hang with her Ron and Hermione instead and then they stand together to defeat a great evil (Charmed anyone?). Sarah develops quite a bit over the story and I'm very curious to see what she'll do with her powers in the rest of the series but also how she'll help other changelings as well as how her friends will help her (and vice versa).
So I read this via audiobook and I have to absolutely recommend this format. The narrators are fantastic and the comedic lines are delivered perfectly!
I am always a sucker for a girl finding the Draco of the school and then deciding to hang with her Ron and Hermione instead and then they stand together to defeat a great evil (Charmed anyone?). Sarah develops quite a bit over the story and I'm very curious to see what she'll do with her powers in the rest of the series but also how she'll help other changelings as well as how her friends will help her (and vice versa).
August 3, 2020
Great expectations, low results.
Despite not assuming this would have any deep plot, it still managed to disappoint in the overall development of the underdog shining in a place she was never meant to be. The whole idea and execution resembled Red Queen in the sense that the main girl was common folk who had barely had any right, but somehow she was born with powers no one expected and has to hide that fact and of course she is not the only one.
It is entertaining and it is refreshing that the romance is basically a side story to the book, which is appreciated, however silly it still is. The characters are likable and the development is there and there is a villain as well, but... there is 0 originality. It's a mishmash of various YA tropes that entertains but will not really make you want to invest.
Hopefully the second book will be more fullfilling, but as long as time passes easily, it will be a good read.
Despite not assuming this would have any deep plot, it still managed to disappoint in the overall development of the underdog shining in a place she was never meant to be. The whole idea and execution resembled Red Queen in the sense that the main girl was common folk who had barely had any right, but somehow she was born with powers no one expected and has to hide that fact and of course she is not the only one.
It is entertaining and it is refreshing that the romance is basically a side story to the book, which is appreciated, however silly it still is. The characters are likable and the development is there and there is a villain as well, but... there is 0 originality. It's a mishmash of various YA tropes that entertains but will not really make you want to invest.
Hopefully the second book will be more fullfilling, but as long as time passes easily, it will be a good read.
September 29, 2019
An eye-rollingly unoriginal story. Every YA cliche seems to be present here. A girl from a servant family of magic-less Muggles Snipes discovers that she's actually astonishingly magical, and gets swept away to attend Hogwarts Miss Castwell's boarding school for young witches. She also finds out that she's the "chosen one" (who's the youngest person ever chosen, of course). There's even mean snobby classmate who is, of course, blonde and rich. Heck, even the school's librarian is a cliche with her frizzled gray bun and reading glasses perched on her nose. Throw in some overwritten dialogue tags ("he groused") and a protagonist who's immediately, effortlessly good at whatever she tries....and you've got the makings of a forgettable, tropey, cringey book.
If I hadn't read this on audio, this would have been an early DNF for me. The main character, Sara, is hopelessly dumb and kind of a shitty person. She's "chosen" by an important book that contains secret magical knowledge. Despite giving her some dope metallic tattoos on her hands, the book refuses to reveal anything, until one day it shows her what an undead person (ie, zombie) looks and sounds like. Arrrgghhh, she's so dumb. When the See? She's so good at magic already, no big deal. Good thing she has talent, because she's otherwise kind of a twat. When she first arrives at the magical school, she falls in with the mean girl clique, snubbing the nice awkward girl that tried to make friends on the first day. She eventually switches sides to befriend this other girl, but for me it was too little too late. Also, Sara's sister, Mary, has always had a crush on the handsome son of their employer, Owen, and when Sara starts hanging out and dancing with Owen, Mary is understandably jealous and throws a tantrum that gets her fired. Sara doesn't seem to feel at all guilty, and more or less thinks Mary gets what she deserves for ever daring to dream of a happier life.
Basically, this book is probably fine if you don't mind overused tropes, rehashed ideas, and mediocre writing.
If I hadn't read this on audio, this would have been an early DNF for me. The main character, Sara, is hopelessly dumb and kind of a shitty person. She's "chosen" by an important book that contains secret magical knowledge. Despite giving her some dope metallic tattoos on her hands, the book refuses to reveal anything, until one day it shows her what an undead person (ie, zombie) looks and sounds like. Arrrgghhh, she's so dumb. When the See? She's so good at magic already, no big deal. Good thing she has talent, because she's otherwise kind of a twat. When she first arrives at the magical school, she falls in with the mean girl clique, snubbing the nice awkward girl that tried to make friends on the first day. She eventually switches sides to befriend this other girl, but for me it was too little too late. Also, Sara's sister, Mary, has always had a crush on the handsome son of their employer, Owen, and when Sara starts hanging out and dancing with Owen, Mary is understandably jealous and throws a tantrum that gets her fired. Sara doesn't seem to feel at all guilty, and more or less thinks Mary gets what she deserves for ever daring to dream of a happier life.
Basically, this book is probably fine if you don't mind overused tropes, rehashed ideas, and mediocre writing.
November 5, 2018
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
I am an unabashed Molly Harper fangirl, and I love young adult books set in a historical fantasy setting similar to Regency/Victorian England (I once made a website about them). In other words, I am the perfect audience for CHANGELING, the first in Harper's new YA series, Sorcery and Society.
CHANGELING is a delight. While it didn't have the laugh-out-loud humor I've come to associate with Harper's adult paranormal romances, I enjoyed the sly, sarcastic tone that Cassandra frequently had. Also in contrast to Harper's adult stories, there is little to no romance present here, though there is a sweet budding relationship between Cassandra and a certain gentleman. Cassandra's friends are great entertainment, and the scenes with them together were definitely some of my favorite in the book. The whole book was refreshing with regards to the strong and multi-dimensional women characters. Cassandra learning to not let herself be pushed around, both through the strength of her new friendships and the role model of the politically inclined Mrs. Winters, was a nice thread that I would like to see more of in YA fiction marketed to young girls.
I do have a few minor quibbles. The world building was not the greatest. A bit of Cassandra telling herself things in her head and a bit of her being lectured to by Mrs. Winters. Otherwise, we don't really get a ton of info on the magic system (I'm not even sure what the male magic users were called - maybe witches? I honestly can't remember if it was mentioned). There's a typical villain moment at the end where the bad guy feels the need to pontificate about their plans before they enact the final piece of the puzzle, and I felt that it was a bit too suddenly obvious who the villain was before it was revealed to Cassandra. But these are minor issues that don't really distract too much from the book as a whole.
While I felt CHANGELING wraps up a specific storyline, I feel there is more room for Cassandra to grow and learn about her powers and the new world she finds herself in. I was happy to read that Harper has planned for this series to be a trilogy and I look forward to reading about Cassandra's further adventures!
Sexual content: N/A
I am an unabashed Molly Harper fangirl, and I love young adult books set in a historical fantasy setting similar to Regency/Victorian England (I once made a website about them). In other words, I am the perfect audience for CHANGELING, the first in Harper's new YA series, Sorcery and Society.
CHANGELING is a delight. While it didn't have the laugh-out-loud humor I've come to associate with Harper's adult paranormal romances, I enjoyed the sly, sarcastic tone that Cassandra frequently had. Also in contrast to Harper's adult stories, there is little to no romance present here, though there is a sweet budding relationship between Cassandra and a certain gentleman. Cassandra's friends are great entertainment, and the scenes with them together were definitely some of my favorite in the book. The whole book was refreshing with regards to the strong and multi-dimensional women characters. Cassandra learning to not let herself be pushed around, both through the strength of her new friendships and the role model of the politically inclined Mrs. Winters, was a nice thread that I would like to see more of in YA fiction marketed to young girls.
I do have a few minor quibbles. The world building was not the greatest. A bit of Cassandra telling herself things in her head and a bit of her being lectured to by Mrs. Winters. Otherwise, we don't really get a ton of info on the magic system (I'm not even sure what the male magic users were called - maybe witches? I honestly can't remember if it was mentioned). There's a typical villain moment at the end where the bad guy feels the need to pontificate about their plans before they enact the final piece of the puzzle, and I felt that it was a bit too suddenly obvious who the villain was before it was revealed to Cassandra. But these are minor issues that don't really distract too much from the book as a whole.
While I felt CHANGELING wraps up a specific storyline, I feel there is more room for Cassandra to grow and learn about her powers and the new world she finds herself in. I was happy to read that Harper has planned for this series to be a trilogy and I look forward to reading about Cassandra's further adventures!
Sexual content: N/A
October 17, 2018
My Thoughts:
This was a rather delightful book. Sara was so sassy, had humour and at the same time she was vulnerable.
Magicians rose up all over the world and took over. Now "normal" people work as servants for the high and might who rule the world.
Then there is Sara, who suddenly has magical powers. Her employers are scared that the higher ups will blame them and she is embraced into the family as one of them. In comes Cassandra Reed, who is sent to school to learn magic, and manners.
I liked the whole boarding school setup. There is the mean girl clicque, those who try to hide. Dances with the boy academy. It all works really well. Her "aunt" is never far away either as the boarding school is close by. She will get new friends and learna few lessons. Magical and non magical.
I liked Mrs Winter, her former employer. She was so proper, but underneath it all there is someone kind.
Everyone was delightful, and the baddies were wicked and needed a kick in the behind.
A fun YA that has a bit of everything. Friendship, magic, romantic feelings and an interesting world that is about to change.
I do recommend it, to YA fans and to adults.
Narration:
She was perfect for Cassandra at 14, and then she was perfect as Mrs Winter (and now I can hear her voice in my head to sit up straight.)
This was a rather delightful book. Sara was so sassy, had humour and at the same time she was vulnerable.
Magicians rose up all over the world and took over. Now "normal" people work as servants for the high and might who rule the world.
Then there is Sara, who suddenly has magical powers. Her employers are scared that the higher ups will blame them and she is embraced into the family as one of them. In comes Cassandra Reed, who is sent to school to learn magic, and manners.
I liked the whole boarding school setup. There is the mean girl clicque, those who try to hide. Dances with the boy academy. It all works really well. Her "aunt" is never far away either as the boarding school is close by. She will get new friends and learna few lessons. Magical and non magical.
I liked Mrs Winter, her former employer. She was so proper, but underneath it all there is someone kind.
Everyone was delightful, and the baddies were wicked and needed a kick in the behind.
A fun YA that has a bit of everything. Friendship, magic, romantic feelings and an interesting world that is about to change.
I do recommend it, to YA fans and to adults.
Narration:
She was perfect for Cassandra at 14, and then she was perfect as Mrs Winter (and now I can hear her voice in my head to sit up straight.)
August 25, 2022
Aug 2022 - a lot of the editing errors seem to have been fixed, but there still are a lot. One of the examples of the remaining errors is that "cache" is used for "cachet", multiple times. Ms Harper has a way with storytelling, that pretty much works in this. Moving on to Book #2, but the reviews of #3 are fairly dire; I may skip that.
9/4/18 - REALLY bad editing; at least 3 places by 25% in, which have the same sentence repeated within the same page.
9/15/18 - accumulated 24 total 'edits', including some additional duplicated sentences; wrong words, words left out, yada.
I nearly gave up on this book a couple of times, but it was still interesting, so I kept picking it up and going on. A 2.5 star rating, rounded to 3.
9/4/18 - REALLY bad editing; at least 3 places by 25% in, which have the same sentence repeated within the same page.
9/15/18 - accumulated 24 total 'edits', including some additional duplicated sentences; wrong words, words left out, yada.
I nearly gave up on this book a couple of times, but it was still interesting, so I kept picking it up and going on. A 2.5 star rating, rounded to 3.
May 20, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, Harry Potterish romp through a world where those that have magic are superior. Great, original characters that I liked right from the beginning. Fast paced and Amanda Ronconi is, as always, spot on with her fantastic narration.
November 23, 2020
This was such a youthful, sweet, and light-hearted read. 🥰 I needed that during these strange times we’re in.
August 31, 2020
Great story😁 Not sure at this time if I will read book 2
July 14, 2019
4-4.5 stars. I was pretty surprised how much I liked this one. It's sort of like a cross between Harry Potter and My Fair Lady, lol. And having read the Gallagher Girls recently, there's a little bit of that atmosphere as well. The main character and what become her two best friends are really funny with their snark/sarcasm and wit. I wasn't so sure if I would like Mrs. Winter, but she really did grow on me over the course of the book. There were some minor editing problems, but I was able to overlook most of that. This is my first book by Molly Harper and I look forward to reading the second book soon!
September 9, 2018
Very nice. Hopefully a sequel will soon be on it's way.
February 9, 2023
UPDATE: even better on the second read! Superb social commentary in the details!
Original review: I enjoyed this so much! I hope there are 10 books in the series 😆
Only on audible
Original review: I enjoyed this so much! I hope there are 10 books in the series 😆
Only on audible
February 8, 2020
Young Sarah Smith lives in a world inhabited by Snipes and Guardians. Guardians possess magical powers and control the world. Snipes have no magical powers and must serve the Guardians. Sarah -- a Snipe -- lives with her family in the home of a powerful Guardian family, the Winters, and acts as a housemaid. But everything changes for Sarah when she accidentally levitates a valuable piece of china in front of Mrs. Winters; for some unknown reason, Sarah learns she actually has magical powers, something unheard of in Snipes.
Mrs. Winters takes over control of Sarah, and turns her into Cassandra Reed, and tells everyone “Cassandra” is a distant member of the Winters family. If other Guardians learn Cassandra has Snipe origins, her life, and that of the rest of her family, may be in danger.
Cassandra is enrolled in Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies, a boarding school filled with young women from all the “best” magical families. At the school Cassandra has to hide her real identity from everyone, while trying to play catch-up and learn more about her magical powers. And throughout it all, Cassandra puzzles over where her magical powers came from: is she a changeling?
I listened to this YA fantasy in audio and thoroughly enjoyed both the narration by Amanda Ronconi and the story. Yes, as numerous reviewers have noted, it has some of the same themes as Harry Potter, Charmed, and numerous other fantasies. But I like the way Ms. Harper puts all of the pieces together and enjoyed the world building. I will definitely pick up the next in the series, and plan to listen to it in audio as well. I would give this a B+, so four stars here.
Mrs. Winters takes over control of Sarah, and turns her into Cassandra Reed, and tells everyone “Cassandra” is a distant member of the Winters family. If other Guardians learn Cassandra has Snipe origins, her life, and that of the rest of her family, may be in danger.
Cassandra is enrolled in Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies, a boarding school filled with young women from all the “best” magical families. At the school Cassandra has to hide her real identity from everyone, while trying to play catch-up and learn more about her magical powers. And throughout it all, Cassandra puzzles over where her magical powers came from: is she a changeling?
I listened to this YA fantasy in audio and thoroughly enjoyed both the narration by Amanda Ronconi and the story. Yes, as numerous reviewers have noted, it has some of the same themes as Harry Potter, Charmed, and numerous other fantasies. But I like the way Ms. Harper puts all of the pieces together and enjoyed the world building. I will definitely pick up the next in the series, and plan to listen to it in audio as well. I would give this a B+, so four stars here.
March 9, 2019
I'd like to preface this review by saying that I read this (and pushed through to the end) because I committed to the PopSugar Reading Challenge this year, and one of the challenges is to read two books with the same title--I read Victor LaValle's mind-blowingly-amazing "The Changeling," then this was the daily deal from Audible a few days after I finished. It seemed convenient. Really wishing I'd gone with Joy Williams' "The Changeling" instead.
When I was in high school, I read the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray. I have no idea how those books have held up over the years (I've been meaning to give them a re-read) but I really liked them when I read them. "Changeling" is essentially "A Great and Terrible Beauty" (the first Gemma Doyle book) if it was...just terrible (sorry, couldn't help myself).
Let me note here really quickly all the terrible YA tropes this book hits on: highly stratified society in near-future Earth; a sickly girl who, it turns out, is sickly because she's MAGIC and is suppressing it--and of course becomes beautiful the moment she stops suppressing it; self-absorbed sister who views MC's "terrible life change" of actually being magic as a personal attack; fancy magic boarding school for rich people; rich boy who likes the MC because she's "not like other girls"; brewing love triangle with childhood friend, who is also rich; black best friend with seemingly no other characters of color to be found; pretty, rich girl as the enemy; the MC being chosen as the steward of a magical object, despite knowing nothing about said object; a stern, no-nonsense, but fair headmistress; and (magical) friendship being more powerful than evil. Also, zombies. Which I realize isn't necessarily a trope, but seemed worth mentioning.
This book has existed in a thousand iterations before now. There are two reasons I can think of that it was ever published in the first place: one, because the author is a marginal success with a terrible paranormal romance series (the first one is called "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs," to give you an idea), which I've had the misfortune to read snippets of; and two, because mass audiences love reading things they've already read before. Too many readers will forgive mediocrity so long as it's familiar, and therefore comforting. I am sometimes guilty of the same, but not for this book.
Also, in response to many, many, MANY notes on the subject in other reviews--this book IS in desperate need of an editor. I did a little digging to find the editor of the book, but either she's too ashamed to put her name on it (which I understand) or it simply didn't have one. Which wouldn't surprise me either, as it's an ebook/audio "exclusive"--a sign, perhaps, that no decent publishing house would have it.
TL;DR: Stay clear. More than that, run the other way.
When I was in high school, I read the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray. I have no idea how those books have held up over the years (I've been meaning to give them a re-read) but I really liked them when I read them. "Changeling" is essentially "A Great and Terrible Beauty" (the first Gemma Doyle book) if it was...just terrible (sorry, couldn't help myself).
Let me note here really quickly all the terrible YA tropes this book hits on: highly stratified society in near-future Earth; a sickly girl who, it turns out, is sickly because she's MAGIC and is suppressing it--and of course becomes beautiful the moment she stops suppressing it; self-absorbed sister who views MC's "terrible life change" of actually being magic as a personal attack; fancy magic boarding school for rich people; rich boy who likes the MC because she's "not like other girls"; brewing love triangle with childhood friend, who is also rich; black best friend with seemingly no other characters of color to be found; pretty, rich girl as the enemy; the MC being chosen as the steward of a magical object, despite knowing nothing about said object; a stern, no-nonsense, but fair headmistress; and (magical) friendship being more powerful than evil. Also, zombies. Which I realize isn't necessarily a trope, but seemed worth mentioning.
This book has existed in a thousand iterations before now. There are two reasons I can think of that it was ever published in the first place: one, because the author is a marginal success with a terrible paranormal romance series (the first one is called "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs," to give you an idea), which I've had the misfortune to read snippets of; and two, because mass audiences love reading things they've already read before. Too many readers will forgive mediocrity so long as it's familiar, and therefore comforting. I am sometimes guilty of the same, but not for this book.
Also, in response to many, many, MANY notes on the subject in other reviews--this book IS in desperate need of an editor. I did a little digging to find the editor of the book, but either she's too ashamed to put her name on it (which I understand) or it simply didn't have one. Which wouldn't surprise me either, as it's an ebook/audio "exclusive"--a sign, perhaps, that no decent publishing house would have it.
TL;DR: Stay clear. More than that, run the other way.
August 27, 2018
THIS BOOK IS IN SERIOUS NEED OF AN EDITOR, ESPECIALLY FOR CONTINUITY!!
It was really distracting reading "he she," or a six sentence paragraph that is really only three sentences duplicated, or carrying something into a room then 2 pages later opening the cabinet and OH MI GAWD IT'S GONE!!! And these were just a few of the errors, which kept reading pleasure to a bare minimum.
It's a semi-cute story about a poor girl with no magic who actually has magic (gasp!) so has to fit into society without anyone guessing she's actually a poor girl. And hey, she saves the world.
Harry Potter, it ain't.
It was really distracting reading "he she," or a six sentence paragraph that is really only three sentences duplicated, or carrying something into a room then 2 pages later opening the cabinet and OH MI GAWD IT'S GONE!!! And these were just a few of the errors, which kept reading pleasure to a bare minimum.
It's a semi-cute story about a poor girl with no magic who actually has magic (gasp!) so has to fit into society without anyone guessing she's actually a poor girl. And hey, she saves the world.
Harry Potter, it ain't.
March 4, 2020
If you're looking for a fairly simple fantasy book in the vein of Jane Austin kinda society, this is a good choice. There's a little romance, magic school like Hogwarts, and a decent set of characters. It's a good pleasure reading with some twists, but nothing that takes a lot of brain power to track. I am pretty sure I'll read more as I've missed the society kinda stuff.
January 31, 2020
3.5 stars maybe
I needed a light read, an escape, that didn’t set my teeth on edge. Strangely enough for me, this YA fantasy did the trick. A well-told little story that’s just entertaining enough, low on fluff, with just enough mystery and character concern to keep reading. Listened on audio—the skillful narration added a lot.
I needed a light read, an escape, that didn’t set my teeth on edge. Strangely enough for me, this YA fantasy did the trick. A well-told little story that’s just entertaining enough, low on fluff, with just enough mystery and character concern to keep reading. Listened on audio—the skillful narration added a lot.
January 24, 2019
This is the first book in the Sorcery and Society series. Harper is writing this series for her daughter. I have read many of Harper’s previous adult series and always enjoy her humor. This was an incredibly fun and cute book. I loved the world, the characters, and the magic. I also really enjoyed the relationship our heroine developed with her fellow classmates.
I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. I would definitely recommend listening to on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.
This was a very fun and light read that feels like a Victorian fantasy. The world created here is an interesting one where people with magic rule over people without. People without magic are assigned to families to work as servants for them. When Cassandra (originally Sarah) is discovered to have magic, the matron of her household helps her to pass herself off as someone in the magic caste so that she can learn to use her magic.
There is a lot about friendship and family in here, as well as interesting world-building and politics. The book stops at a good spot but this is definitely the first book in a series.
Overall I really enjoyed this. It's on the lighter side and isn't super complex but it left me feeling happy and was fun. It is targeted at the middle grade age range which is a bit different for Harper, but she did a great job with it. I plan on continuing with the series and would recommend to those who enjoy light-hearted middle grade fantasy with a lot of magic in it.
September 11, 2018
Eh
The book feels like bizzarro-Harper. By that I mean, I'm getting a sense of what the author would have written like if she was a budding amateur, if she was getting started. It feels like watered down everything. Her humour, the character development, the absurd situation, which I like reading in her other books is very watered down in this book. It feels like the beginning of what her writing would turn into, the pinnacle of which, I consider to be her Jane Jameson series.
I'm probably not the target audience because this book feels very juvenile. It's probably passable if I read it when I was in high school but I just expected more from the author. I wanted a laugh and some good writing. I'm obviously not fond of everything being too blatant. I'm really not fond of the father telling Sarah that she has to find the other changelings. It felt too much like leading the horse to the water, like an obvious conclusion accompanied by somebody saying hint hint, which is then followed by a nudge. It felt too forced, much like instant camaraderie between the three girls. It's too blatant.
I'm also not a fan of the love interest. I'm not sure if he is intentionally bland and that is just the template for a leading male in a juvenile fiction or he is a bit twisted but is hiding it. Either way, it's weird writing. I did feel like the book was all over the place, with things left as not well established. The sister thing was weird too. The sister went from caring older sister to batshit very quickly. I'm not opposed to the latter, I just wanted it established well.
The story revolves around Sarah. She discovered she has magical powers and is sent off to a magical school. She lived as a snipe before and her lifestyle change is a big conflict she has to overcome. Not only did she discover she has magic powers, she discovered that she was particularly powerful at it. A book chose her as a translator, which gave her some social cache.
She maneuvers around the magical school and the hierarchy and politics that comes along with it. She is taken in by the bullies, who were mean spirited by wielded a lot of social power. She goes along initially but it just wasn't in her to continue. She befriends the misfits.
She has a love interest with Gavin, who the head bully had an eye on. His interest in Cassandra and a bunch of other things fuelled the bully's hatred of Cassandra. The bully overheard the sister talking about Cassandra as a snipe and spread the information. Soon, Cassandra was ostracized.
The big conflict was the villainous librarian. She descended from a family of necromancers, who disappeared for practicing their magic most foul. She hid her ancestry and bid her time. She was going to turn girls from prominent families into revenants. She befriended Cassandra and cursed the book. Cassandra was saved by her friends. She cast the spell to make the librarian vanish, which lifted doubts that she was a snipe. She was no longer ostracized and received invitations again.
The book feels like bizzarro-Harper. By that I mean, I'm getting a sense of what the author would have written like if she was a budding amateur, if she was getting started. It feels like watered down everything. Her humour, the character development, the absurd situation, which I like reading in her other books is very watered down in this book. It feels like the beginning of what her writing would turn into, the pinnacle of which, I consider to be her Jane Jameson series.
I'm probably not the target audience because this book feels very juvenile. It's probably passable if I read it when I was in high school but I just expected more from the author. I wanted a laugh and some good writing. I'm obviously not fond of everything being too blatant. I'm really not fond of the father telling Sarah that she has to find the other changelings. It felt too much like leading the horse to the water, like an obvious conclusion accompanied by somebody saying hint hint, which is then followed by a nudge. It felt too forced, much like instant camaraderie between the three girls. It's too blatant.
I'm also not a fan of the love interest. I'm not sure if he is intentionally bland and that is just the template for a leading male in a juvenile fiction or he is a bit twisted but is hiding it. Either way, it's weird writing. I did feel like the book was all over the place, with things left as not well established. The sister thing was weird too. The sister went from caring older sister to batshit very quickly. I'm not opposed to the latter, I just wanted it established well.
The story revolves around Sarah. She discovered she has magical powers and is sent off to a magical school. She lived as a snipe before and her lifestyle change is a big conflict she has to overcome. Not only did she discover she has magic powers, she discovered that she was particularly powerful at it. A book chose her as a translator, which gave her some social cache.
She maneuvers around the magical school and the hierarchy and politics that comes along with it. She is taken in by the bullies, who were mean spirited by wielded a lot of social power. She goes along initially but it just wasn't in her to continue. She befriends the misfits.
She has a love interest with Gavin, who the head bully had an eye on. His interest in Cassandra and a bunch of other things fuelled the bully's hatred of Cassandra. The bully overheard the sister talking about Cassandra as a snipe and spread the information. Soon, Cassandra was ostracized.
The big conflict was the villainous librarian. She descended from a family of necromancers, who disappeared for practicing their magic most foul. She hid her ancestry and bid her time. She was going to turn girls from prominent families into revenants. She befriended Cassandra and cursed the book. Cassandra was saved by her friends. She cast the spell to make the librarian vanish, which lifted doubts that she was a snipe. She was no longer ostracized and received invitations again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis and so, when the ARC came through via NetGalley I jumped straight in. This is my first book by Molly Harper, so I wasn't sure what to expect but I immediately fell in love with her writing style and was hooked straight away.
This book gave me such strong Charmed vibes!! The only way I can describe this book is sort of Charmed meets The Worst Witch, Harry Potter and Mean Girls! I love the mixture of themes and subplots that were woven into this story.
Admittedly, I did identify the villain quite early on and it almost felt like I was in the audience at a pantomime at times, just wanting to shout at Cassandra/Sarah, "They're behind you!" But, despite this, I didn't enjoy the story any less.
I actually also bought the Audiobook from Audible (so that I could listen whilst painting my nails - I have to do this at least once a year otherwise my girl card is really going to get taken away) and listened to parts of it in between reading the eARC. The narration by Amanda Ronconi was really great (despite the less than stellar English accent) and helped to skim over some of the editing inaccuracies (see below), I loved the voice she gave to Cassandra/Sarah.
Changeling has great pace, a fun magical plot and great characters. I particularly love the various relationship dynamics, especially Cassie and Own who I absolutely love together. Their sarcastic, playful, and teasing relationship drew most of my smiles and is definitely something I want more of from this series.
All of the characters are individual, with unique personalities and voices. They were great to discover, especially as new layers were revealed about most of the main characters as the book progresses
The only reason that this book has a slightly lower than 5-star rating is because of the editing of the eBook. I'd highly recommend that the editors give this book another once-over because of the spelling mistakes and a few occasions where a sentence or more is repeated.
However, that didn't prevent me from loving Changeling and I can't wait for book 2! I need to find out what happens next!
Changeling is a magical story filled with passionate, strong, and courageous women, true friendships, a dash of budding romance, bullies, magical surprises, adorable animal companions and a villainous plot!
This book gave me such strong Charmed vibes!! The only way I can describe this book is sort of Charmed meets The Worst Witch, Harry Potter and Mean Girls! I love the mixture of themes and subplots that were woven into this story.
Admittedly, I did identify the villain quite early on and it almost felt like I was in the audience at a pantomime at times, just wanting to shout at Cassandra/Sarah, "They're behind you!" But, despite this, I didn't enjoy the story any less.
I actually also bought the Audiobook from Audible (so that I could listen whilst painting my nails - I have to do this at least once a year otherwise my girl card is really going to get taken away) and listened to parts of it in between reading the eARC. The narration by Amanda Ronconi was really great (despite the less than stellar English accent) and helped to skim over some of the editing inaccuracies (see below), I loved the voice she gave to Cassandra/Sarah.
Changeling has great pace, a fun magical plot and great characters. I particularly love the various relationship dynamics, especially Cassie and Own who I absolutely love together. Their sarcastic, playful, and teasing relationship drew most of my smiles and is definitely something I want more of from this series.
All of the characters are individual, with unique personalities and voices. They were great to discover, especially as new layers were revealed about most of the main characters as the book progresses
The only reason that this book has a slightly lower than 5-star rating is because of the editing of the eBook. I'd highly recommend that the editors give this book another once-over because of the spelling mistakes and a few occasions where a sentence or more is repeated.
However, that didn't prevent me from loving Changeling and I can't wait for book 2! I need to find out what happens next!
Changeling is a magical story filled with passionate, strong, and courageous women, true friendships, a dash of budding romance, bullies, magical surprises, adorable animal companions and a villainous plot!
September 27, 2019
I have no idea how this book got an average rating of 4.11 stars. Hmmm... I think we are supposed to like Sarah/Cassandra. But she was the worst. She was sooo immature, selfish, and so self righteous. I felt her personality changed drastically within just a couple of chapters. She was so withdrawn, quiet, and self doubting but by the time she was forced to live as Cassandra, she was instantly confident, sassy, and ungrateful. I did not care for her self righteous attitudes towards her sister. Her sister was stupid, sure, but Sarah was just as boy crazy as her sister. Ugh! Why do I keep reading YA books?!
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