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Chronicles of the Cheysuli #1-2, 2.5
Shapechanger's Song
Contains: Kinspirit
Shapechangers
They were the Cheysuli, a race of magical warriors gifted with the ability to assume animal shape at will. For centuries they had been allies to the King of Homana, treasured champions of the realm. Until a king’s daughter ran away with a Cheysuli liege man and caused a war of annihilation against the Cheysuli race. Twenty-five years later the Cheysuli were hunted exiles in their own land, feared for their sorcery, their shapechanging.
This is the story of Alix, the daughter of that ill-fated union between Homanan princess and Cheysuli warrior, and her struggle to master the call of magic in her blood, and accept her place in an ancient prophecy she cannot deny.
The Song of Homana
For five long years the land of Homana had been strangling in the grasp of a usurper king—its people ravaged by strife, poverty and despair; its magical race, the Cheysuli, forced to flee or face extermination at the hands of their evil counterparts, the sorcerous Ilhini.
The time had come for Prince Carillon, Homana’s rightful ruler, to return from exile with his Cheysuli liege man, free his land from the evil domination of the tyrant Bellam and his villainous magicians, restore the Cheysuli to their rightful position of grace, and claim his birthright. To do this, he would not only have to raise an army, but overcome the fear and prejudice of an ignorant population and answer the call of a prophecy he never chose to serve!
Shapechangers
They were the Cheysuli, a race of magical warriors gifted with the ability to assume animal shape at will. For centuries they had been allies to the King of Homana, treasured champions of the realm. Until a king’s daughter ran away with a Cheysuli liege man and caused a war of annihilation against the Cheysuli race. Twenty-five years later the Cheysuli were hunted exiles in their own land, feared for their sorcery, their shapechanging.
This is the story of Alix, the daughter of that ill-fated union between Homanan princess and Cheysuli warrior, and her struggle to master the call of magic in her blood, and accept her place in an ancient prophecy she cannot deny.
The Song of Homana
For five long years the land of Homana had been strangling in the grasp of a usurper king—its people ravaged by strife, poverty and despair; its magical race, the Cheysuli, forced to flee or face extermination at the hands of their evil counterparts, the sorcerous Ilhini.
The time had come for Prince Carillon, Homana’s rightful ruler, to return from exile with his Cheysuli liege man, free his land from the evil domination of the tyrant Bellam and his villainous magicians, restore the Cheysuli to their rightful position of grace, and claim his birthright. To do this, he would not only have to raise an army, but overcome the fear and prejudice of an ignorant population and answer the call of a prophecy he never chose to serve!
621 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2001
11 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Roberson
123 books805 followersOver a 40-year career (so far), Jennifer Roberson has published four fantasy series, including the Sword-Dancer Saga, Chronicles of the Cheysuli, the Karavans universe, and urban fantasy series Blood & Bone. Other novels include historicals LADY OF THE GLEN, plus two Robin Hood novels, LADY OF THE FOREST, and LADY OF SHERWOOD.
New novels are percolating in her always-active imagination.
Hobbies include showing dogs, and creating mosaic and resin artwork and jewelry. She lives in Arizona with a collection of cats and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
New novels are percolating in her always-active imagination.
Hobbies include showing dogs, and creating mosaic and resin artwork and jewelry. She lives in Arizona with a collection of cats and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 23, 2011
I'm only giving this book one star because Goodreads won't allow me to give it none.
This book was given to me as a gift some years ago, in the omnibus edition that contains the first two novels (there are eight novels in this series?? WTF). I managed to force myself through the first novel, but couldn't even begin the second, I was so disgusted.
Anyway, the story takes place in a world where a race of magical shapeshifters (or "shapechangers", as they are called in the book) are hated and persecuted, much as were Native Americans or Australian Aboriginals or what have you. The main character of the story (I hesitate to say heroine) is a girl called Alix, who fears and misunderstands the Cheysuli, but eventually finds out that she has a Cheysuli ancestor and that there is some prophecy surrounding her that states that she is destined to save their race. Add to this the fact that she is also related to the country's royal family. Wow, she must be powerful and important! Not only is she one of the most powerful Cheysuli ever known, she has the bloodline and the ability to unite two warring races, end the genocide, and save her race forever! Sounds like an interesting concept, huh?
Oh wait. Turns out that her part in the saving her people is limited to bearing more of them.
WHAT.
And the entire book is like that. Alix is looked upon as a walking womb. She gets kidnapped by the Cheysuli chief, who is a jerk, but she instantly falls in love with him. They screw in a cave and he promises to marry her. Until they get back to camp and his old girlfriend is single again, whereupon he immediately dumps Alix. Also, the chief's brother keeps wanting and attempting to rape her, and everyone seems to be okay with that. After all, they must have as many babies as possible to keep their race going! BARFBARFBARF. I wanted to scream as I was reading it. Alix complains a bit, but she is probably the weakest, most pathetic, female protagonist I have ever read besides Bella Swan (and I won't even go there).
So basically, females are relegated to be broodmares, no matter how powerful of a magical talent they might have. This really appalled me, especially coming from a female author. If the female protagonist had been a really strong character who tried to fight the injustice and stand up for herself and take a more active role in fulfilling the prophecy, it might have been more acceptable to have the strong patriarchal system. But no, Alix just lies back and takes it. Not to mention that in the beginning of the book she is crushing on the nation's crown prince, who offers to let her be his mistress after he marries some princess or other. Then of course, later on she finds out her true heritage and thus learns that she is actually the prince's cousin. Wow, almost-incest as well as constant attempted rape that everybody condones.
I also took major issue with the writing style. It was really weak. Now, remember that it's been years since I read this so I don't remember every little thing, but one MAJORLY overused phrase really stuck with me. Characters always "smiled ironically" or gave an "ironic smile". ARRRRRRRGH that really pissed me off. How do you even smile ironically??? Not only is this really poor construction (especially in my mind, as it gave me a really bad image), it was used on like EVERY FREAKING PAGE. Gah, it was horrible. If you want more examples of the terrible writing style, head over to Amazon.com and read some of the reviews there. One person mentioned how candles are described to "glow flickeringly" and the puzzling use of the word "frowningly". All I can say is, what the heck? How did this even get published? Combine that with the author's incredibly smug and masturbatory self-puffery in the introduction, and here is a book you will want to throw at the wall and scream.
Oh, and I also forgot to mention how much I hated the "language" that Roberson made up for the Cheysuli. It was deliberately unpronounceable and so full of useless apostrophes that it made me see red. Made-up words with random apostrophes are, in my opinion, one of the worst conventions of terrible fantasy that there is. It just made the entire book sound so incredibly stupid, and the special words and terms are so overused that it was hard to keep them all straight when reading the book.
This book was given to me as a gift some years ago, in the omnibus edition that contains the first two novels (there are eight novels in this series?? WTF). I managed to force myself through the first novel, but couldn't even begin the second, I was so disgusted.
Anyway, the story takes place in a world where a race of magical shapeshifters (or "shapechangers", as they are called in the book) are hated and persecuted, much as were Native Americans or Australian Aboriginals or what have you. The main character of the story (I hesitate to say heroine) is a girl called Alix, who fears and misunderstands the Cheysuli, but eventually finds out that she has a Cheysuli ancestor and that there is some prophecy surrounding her that states that she is destined to save their race. Add to this the fact that she is also related to the country's royal family. Wow, she must be powerful and important! Not only is she one of the most powerful Cheysuli ever known, she has the bloodline and the ability to unite two warring races, end the genocide, and save her race forever! Sounds like an interesting concept, huh?
Oh wait. Turns out that her part in the saving her people is limited to bearing more of them.
WHAT.
And the entire book is like that. Alix is looked upon as a walking womb. She gets kidnapped by the Cheysuli chief, who is a jerk, but she instantly falls in love with him. They screw in a cave and he promises to marry her. Until they get back to camp and his old girlfriend is single again, whereupon he immediately dumps Alix. Also, the chief's brother keeps wanting and attempting to rape her, and everyone seems to be okay with that. After all, they must have as many babies as possible to keep their race going! BARFBARFBARF. I wanted to scream as I was reading it. Alix complains a bit, but she is probably the weakest, most pathetic, female protagonist I have ever read besides Bella Swan (and I won't even go there).
So basically, females are relegated to be broodmares, no matter how powerful of a magical talent they might have. This really appalled me, especially coming from a female author. If the female protagonist had been a really strong character who tried to fight the injustice and stand up for herself and take a more active role in fulfilling the prophecy, it might have been more acceptable to have the strong patriarchal system. But no, Alix just lies back and takes it. Not to mention that in the beginning of the book she is crushing on the nation's crown prince, who offers to let her be his mistress after he marries some princess or other. Then of course, later on she finds out her true heritage and thus learns that she is actually the prince's cousin. Wow, almost-incest as well as constant attempted rape that everybody condones.
I also took major issue with the writing style. It was really weak. Now, remember that it's been years since I read this so I don't remember every little thing, but one MAJORLY overused phrase really stuck with me. Characters always "smiled ironically" or gave an "ironic smile". ARRRRRRRGH that really pissed me off. How do you even smile ironically??? Not only is this really poor construction (especially in my mind, as it gave me a really bad image), it was used on like EVERY FREAKING PAGE. Gah, it was horrible. If you want more examples of the terrible writing style, head over to Amazon.com and read some of the reviews there. One person mentioned how candles are described to "glow flickeringly" and the puzzling use of the word "frowningly". All I can say is, what the heck? How did this even get published? Combine that with the author's incredibly smug and masturbatory self-puffery in the introduction, and here is a book you will want to throw at the wall and scream.
Oh, and I also forgot to mention how much I hated the "language" that Roberson made up for the Cheysuli. It was deliberately unpronounceable and so full of useless apostrophes that it made me see red. Made-up words with random apostrophes are, in my opinion, one of the worst conventions of terrible fantasy that there is. It just made the entire book sound so incredibly stupid, and the special words and terms are so overused that it was hard to keep them all straight when reading the book.
May 11, 2021
I have read the first four or five books of the Cheysuli Chronicles probably 4 times. Now that they are in Omnibus form I am reading them all again - and they are grand.
Sometimes I wonder, with books that I cherish, if they are good and still so wondrous to read again because I happened to read them the first time at a certain point in my life when the story was needed or necessary. We learn from books, fiction or non-fiction - and I think this was one of the series' that taught me a few things about life.
Whatever the case may be, even though it is a dated series, and the way gender, race, and culture is explored in this series is a bit rudimentary I still love it. It's a series that will always be on my shelf, ready to be read again and again.
Sometimes I wonder, with books that I cherish, if they are good and still so wondrous to read again because I happened to read them the first time at a certain point in my life when the story was needed or necessary. We learn from books, fiction or non-fiction - and I think this was one of the series' that taught me a few things about life.
Whatever the case may be, even though it is a dated series, and the way gender, race, and culture is explored in this series is a bit rudimentary I still love it. It's a series that will always be on my shelf, ready to be read again and again.
February 2, 2016
I'm of pretty mixed feelings about the series so far. The overarching plot is quite interesting and good, although the focus on prophecy is overwrought (these books were originally published in the 80s) and the prevalence of rape threats as a way to move the plot forward is distasteful to say the least. The first book has a female protagonist who is by today's standards, really annoying and passive. The following books (so far, anyway) have male protagonists and many fewer issues. I'd say if you like old school sword and sorcery, these fill that niche pretty well (as do Roberson's other series, the Books of Tiger and Del).
July 9, 2020
Pros and cons. I overall enjoyed the book, good world building, pretty good characters. Deals heavily with issues of racism and xenophobia, and characters develop and change through the story. Don’t like the classic 80s fantasy trope of fairly constant rape threats and actual rape. Also rather annoyed that most of the main characters are described as dark skinned, yet here’s the whitest of white folks for the cover???
April 3, 2018
I'm still reading this, but to be honest it's almost entirely out of a determination to push through. I have little good to say about a book whose once in a lifetime, magically gifted heroine's great destiny is literally... to get pregnant. Are you kidding me?
Not to mention the amount of simpering, helpless-female-ness Alix is imbued with-- and good lord did she really metamorphose from not knowing or being attracted to Duncan to suddenly feeling fated to be with him in like a quarter of the book? I'm not sure which is worse-- the romance or the pace.
I mean, this plot had some promise, but this is the first time that the whole "simple, ordinary character turns out to be the super powerful long lost fulfillment of a prophecy and has to save the day" plot involved that prophecy saying that the heroine's destiny was to get knocked up. Could there really have been no other awesome fate Alix might have been consigned to?
Also, there is a bizarre amount of "it's totally okay to rape women and force them into marriage with any man who asks and dismiss their refusal as contrariness because repopulating our tribe is paramount", and I'm only 183 pages in.
I find it hard to believe this story gets better (are there really multiple books of this shit?!) but I'll try...
Not to mention the amount of simpering, helpless-female-ness Alix is imbued with-- and good lord did she really metamorphose from not knowing or being attracted to Duncan to suddenly feeling fated to be with him in like a quarter of the book? I'm not sure which is worse-- the romance or the pace.
I mean, this plot had some promise, but this is the first time that the whole "simple, ordinary character turns out to be the super powerful long lost fulfillment of a prophecy and has to save the day" plot involved that prophecy saying that the heroine's destiny was to get knocked up. Could there really have been no other awesome fate Alix might have been consigned to?
Also, there is a bizarre amount of "it's totally okay to rape women and force them into marriage with any man who asks and dismiss their refusal as contrariness because repopulating our tribe is paramount", and I'm only 183 pages in.
I find it hard to believe this story gets better (are there really multiple books of this shit?!) but I'll try...
November 25, 2020
I have to say this is one of my favorite series. I love it and I do love the characters regardless of their flaws. However there are some things that made it hard to full get into the story for a while. I wasn't surprised by the threats of rape in the beginning by Finn, but I was surprised at how quickly she got with Duncan considering how determined she was to not follow her Tahlmorra. It seemed like one minute she was saying no and then when she learned that the clan could choose her Cheysul for her she decided it was best to get pregnant so she would be married to Duncan. I also wasn't surprised with how long it took her to accept her gifts or the Cheysuli because she was raised one way of thinking and had to try to reverse it. I loved the moment when she embraced her gifts however I dislike that she endangered her child to shift not knowing that it would be safe. I love the main plot and yes I agree that it is sad for Alix that her role in the Prophecy is to have children however I understand it in a weird way. That she has the gifts of the Firstborn and they have to be brought back into the clan. I love how each book slowly builds the Prophecy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2022
It's honestly hard to believe the same author who wrote the Tiger and Del novels also wrote... this. The world-building is fascinating and some of the characters, the MALE characters, are well-done.
But, dear God, the female characters in this book...! When they're not utterly helpless (or stereotypical femme fatales) they're making stupid decisions. The men only seem to see them as baby-making machines, and this attitude is never refuted.
Another issue is the pacing. It goes from fast to slow and everything in between with no discernable pattern.
I had high hopes when I saw the author's name, but I don't think I'm going to bother with the rest of the series.
But, dear God, the female characters in this book...! When they're not utterly helpless (or stereotypical femme fatales) they're making stupid decisions. The men only seem to see them as baby-making machines, and this attitude is never refuted.
Another issue is the pacing. It goes from fast to slow and everything in between with no discernable pattern.
I had high hopes when I saw the author's name, but I don't think I'm going to bother with the rest of the series.
February 28, 2018
So, I read quite a few of the reviews on this that were negative, but I decided to give this one a shot b/c I've read Jennifer Roberson's Tiger and Del novels, and although they had bad reviews I enjoyed them. Well, not so much with this one. The plot line is extremely interesting, but the writing style doesn't do it justice. I wasn't able to finish this one, I got to about 200 pages before I called it quits, and I had started skimming by about 100 pages. I'll probably continue to read her books hoping that I'll get a hit and not a miss.
April 12, 2019
Yikes. Just.... yikes.
February 13, 2021
Finished in 1 day...
August 17, 2021
Did not finish. Was too boring for me. Not enough tension.
dnf
April 28, 2023Habe die Reihe als Teenager gelesen und damals für gut befunden, aber viele Jahre später bin ich nicht Mal durch das erste Buch gekommen....
May 10, 2023
Gave me softcore CNC vibes and I was not here for it.
April 20, 2015
This was my third time reading this book, and I will admit, each time, I notice more flaws and issues. Despite that, I think this is one of those series that is always going to be a favorite of mine. As a fantasy reader for the majority of my life, I was getting really tired of the old formula of orphan/outcast who finds out that they are part of this grand prophecy, get guided along by a more knowledgable, wiser character, then lose that character and are forced to fight the battle more or less on their own, where they learn that they had it in them all along. Sound familiar? It's almost every fantasy book I've read.
The Cheysuli Chronicles snapped me out of that haze. I expected it to be more of the same, but over the course of this eight volume series, I have to say that there was only one or two things that I saw coming, and even those things did not happen the way I expected. I really love the take on shapechanging - yes, they have the power to shift into animals, but there are some pretty extreme limits. I also like the way the books progress, tracing their way through several generations. Yes, this series also has this big prophecy and such, but it's not halfway resolved by the end of the first book. It continues to be an overarching theme throughout the series. Each book changes point of view - the first is told in third-person, the second first-person, the third goes back to third person, etc. It keeps it fresh, but doesn't rehash old stuff you already read about, just from another character's perspective - rather, it lets you experience each leg of the journey a little differently.
Basically, I can see the flaws in these books, but I will still give them five stars and reread them over and over.
So, specifically about the first book, Shapechangers. Really not that great, and I'd caution anyone wanting to pick up the series to not judge it by the first half of this omnibus. I really dislike the main protagonist, Alix. She is a true Mary Sue, having all the male leads want her, and the way she goes from denying everything to suddenly talking about tahlmorra like it's something she's been raised with. She's kind of obnoxious, always going against what everyone tells her, and not in a girl power way. Instead, she keeps doing stupid crap, getting herself in trouble, and having to be saved by someone else. The book is very redundant, really drilling the whole Cheysuli lifestyle and the conflict with them and Homana into your brain. BUT despite my griping, it lays the foundation for the rest of the series, and I love it and expect to continue to love it. Even having already read it twice before, it was a book that kept me up reading when I ought to have been sleeping. Much like my love for Britney Speares music, I can see just how bad it is, but I will unabashedly sing my love of it for all to hear!
The Cheysuli Chronicles snapped me out of that haze. I expected it to be more of the same, but over the course of this eight volume series, I have to say that there was only one or two things that I saw coming, and even those things did not happen the way I expected. I really love the take on shapechanging - yes, they have the power to shift into animals, but there are some pretty extreme limits. I also like the way the books progress, tracing their way through several generations. Yes, this series also has this big prophecy and such, but it's not halfway resolved by the end of the first book. It continues to be an overarching theme throughout the series. Each book changes point of view - the first is told in third-person, the second first-person, the third goes back to third person, etc. It keeps it fresh, but doesn't rehash old stuff you already read about, just from another character's perspective - rather, it lets you experience each leg of the journey a little differently.
Basically, I can see the flaws in these books, but I will still give them five stars and reread them over and over.
So, specifically about the first book, Shapechangers. Really not that great, and I'd caution anyone wanting to pick up the series to not judge it by the first half of this omnibus. I really dislike the main protagonist, Alix. She is a true Mary Sue, having all the male leads want her, and the way she goes from denying everything to suddenly talking about tahlmorra like it's something she's been raised with. She's kind of obnoxious, always going against what everyone tells her, and not in a girl power way. Instead, she keeps doing stupid crap, getting herself in trouble, and having to be saved by someone else. The book is very redundant, really drilling the whole Cheysuli lifestyle and the conflict with them and Homana into your brain. BUT despite my griping, it lays the foundation for the rest of the series, and I love it and expect to continue to love it. Even having already read it twice before, it was a book that kept me up reading when I ought to have been sleeping. Much like my love for Britney Speares music, I can see just how bad it is, but I will unabashedly sing my love of it for all to hear!
September 19, 2011
I first read these books years and years ago when I was maybe in middle school, and so I was excited to spot the reissued omnibus editions and return to Homana.
I was disappointed to find Alix so incredibly annoying in Shapechangers - I guess when I first read the books she seemed like an exciting heroine, but now she's... just irritating. Why are all the male characters in love with her, exactly? I also noticed this time around that Shapechangers really reads like a first novel. The dialogue is stilted - for example, when anyone says something she doesn't understand or doesn't like, Alix always responds, "What do you say?" which just sounds dumb, and becomes worse with the repetition. "What do you mean" or "what are you talking about" would sound more natural. There are other examples too. Many plot points are also implausible - that a group of people facing extinction and very concerned with bloodlines would consider marrying a woman to her half brother is ridiculous. Roberson says herself in the introduction that she's considered going back and rewriting this book, and I understand why, but I also understand that it has to stand on its own as a representation of who she was at the time and as a first novel. I'm just glad she wrote the others.
Song of Homana lived up to my memories, and like Roberson, I think this book is far better than the first in terms of plotting; the dialogue is better by leaps and bounds than that of the first book too, and we learn a lot more about Cheysuli philosophy and the world outside Homana. The only thing that bugged me is the series of horrible things that happen to every single major character by the end of the book. Awful things, premature aging and death and rape. And I can remember that this goes on in the later books - I was feeling bad for the children born in this book because of what they're going to grow up to suffer later. When I was younger I think I loved the drama of it, the feel of the giant plot arc of the prophecy and fate, but I'm not sure how I feel about it now. You can't love these characters because you'll only get your heart broke. I do plan to pick up the later books in the series, but maybe not for a while.
(Also, can I make a comment about the cover? Anyone who's read the first chapter of the first book can tell that the Cheysuli are a Native American sort of people - even I knew this when I first read the book at 12 or so. They wear leather pants and use bows and arrows and have magical animal spirit guides, and they're specifically described as having dark skin. So why does the dude pictured on the cover have to be so incredibly white? Racial fail, DAW!)
I was disappointed to find Alix so incredibly annoying in Shapechangers - I guess when I first read the books she seemed like an exciting heroine, but now she's... just irritating. Why are all the male characters in love with her, exactly? I also noticed this time around that Shapechangers really reads like a first novel. The dialogue is stilted - for example, when anyone says something she doesn't understand or doesn't like, Alix always responds, "What do you say?" which just sounds dumb, and becomes worse with the repetition. "What do you mean" or "what are you talking about" would sound more natural. There are other examples too. Many plot points are also implausible - that a group of people facing extinction and very concerned with bloodlines would consider marrying a woman to her half brother is ridiculous. Roberson says herself in the introduction that she's considered going back and rewriting this book, and I understand why, but I also understand that it has to stand on its own as a representation of who she was at the time and as a first novel. I'm just glad she wrote the others.
Song of Homana lived up to my memories, and like Roberson, I think this book is far better than the first in terms of plotting; the dialogue is better by leaps and bounds than that of the first book too, and we learn a lot more about Cheysuli philosophy and the world outside Homana. The only thing that bugged me is the series of horrible things that happen to every single major character by the end of the book. Awful things, premature aging and death and rape. And I can remember that this goes on in the later books - I was feeling bad for the children born in this book because of what they're going to grow up to suffer later. When I was younger I think I loved the drama of it, the feel of the giant plot arc of the prophecy and fate, but I'm not sure how I feel about it now. You can't love these characters because you'll only get your heart broke. I do plan to pick up the later books in the series, but maybe not for a while.
(Also, can I make a comment about the cover? Anyone who's read the first chapter of the first book can tell that the Cheysuli are a Native American sort of people - even I knew this when I first read the book at 12 or so. They wear leather pants and use bows and arrows and have magical animal spirit guides, and they're specifically described as having dark skin. So why does the dude pictured on the cover have to be so incredibly white? Racial fail, DAW!)
June 12, 2008
The first novel in this two-novel collection was good. It exceeded my expectations.
The second novel was a change of character's perspective (from a woman discovering her place in a magical race to a man discovering his place as exiled king), which surprised me at first, but then excited me. I was happy to get to know Carillon (the king) better.
However, it felt like his story just kept going and going and dragging on forever. *SPOILERS* Part 1, in my mind, was "Gather the Army." Part 2, "Fight the War and Win the Throne." Part 3, "Be So in Lust with a Woman that You Distrust Your Liegeman and Become Blind and Almost Die." Part 4, "Go After Alix (girl from the first novel)."
Parts 1, 2, and 4 were good. They had action, they had character motivation, I liked the characters, and even if I didn't like the characters, I still wanted to read more about them. Part 3, though, good lord! that part sucked. Carillon is blinded by Electra, the Solindish princess bride he wed when he won the throne that he doesn't listen to Finn, his liegeman. Everyone knows that a king must listen to the liegeman, especially when said liegeman is of a magical race, which Finn is. Instead, when Finn tries to kill the queen, Carillon sends him away. Goodbye good sense, goodbye good advice.
Part 3 made me put the book down for a week. I just did not want to finish it. I didn't care.
Oh, and can we talk about how no one in the books acknowledges that they (the Homanans and Cheysuli) have to ally with the Ihlini, the "evil" magical race? They even have a prophecy that says something about a Homanan (Carillon) uniting three warring nations (Homana, Solinde, and Atvia) and two magical races (Cheysuli and Ihlini). But everyone ignores that! Or at the very least, does not acknowledge it. Nope, the Ihlini are just those evil magicdoers from Solinde. Yo, Cheysuli, are you evil? Well, some people certainly think so!
This is where I slap my forehead.
Overall (excepting Part 3), a good read. I don't think I'll finish the series, though, because really, I just don't care enough to.
The second novel was a change of character's perspective (from a woman discovering her place in a magical race to a man discovering his place as exiled king), which surprised me at first, but then excited me. I was happy to get to know Carillon (the king) better.
However, it felt like his story just kept going and going and dragging on forever. *SPOILERS* Part 1, in my mind, was "Gather the Army." Part 2, "Fight the War and Win the Throne." Part 3, "Be So in Lust with a Woman that You Distrust Your Liegeman and Become Blind and Almost Die." Part 4, "Go After Alix (girl from the first novel)."
Parts 1, 2, and 4 were good. They had action, they had character motivation, I liked the characters, and even if I didn't like the characters, I still wanted to read more about them. Part 3, though, good lord! that part sucked. Carillon is blinded by Electra, the Solindish princess bride he wed when he won the throne that he doesn't listen to Finn, his liegeman. Everyone knows that a king must listen to the liegeman, especially when said liegeman is of a magical race, which Finn is. Instead, when Finn tries to kill the queen, Carillon sends him away. Goodbye good sense, goodbye good advice.
Part 3 made me put the book down for a week. I just did not want to finish it. I didn't care.
Oh, and can we talk about how no one in the books acknowledges that they (the Homanans and Cheysuli) have to ally with the Ihlini, the "evil" magical race? They even have a prophecy that says something about a Homanan (Carillon) uniting three warring nations (Homana, Solinde, and Atvia) and two magical races (Cheysuli and Ihlini). But everyone ignores that! Or at the very least, does not acknowledge it. Nope, the Ihlini are just those evil magicdoers from Solinde. Yo, Cheysuli, are you evil? Well, some people certainly think so!
This is where I slap my forehead.
Overall (excepting Part 3), a good read. I don't think I'll finish the series, though, because really, I just don't care enough to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2011
The first omnibus edition of 4, each containing 2 of the Cheysuli series, Shapechanger's Song has the first 2 books originally printed separately as Shapechagers and The Song of Homana.
In Shapechangers, the main character is Alix, the daughter of a princess and a Cheysuli - shapeshifter - warrior, is kidnapped by on of her then unknown (by her) Cheysuli relatives and finds herself caught up in an ancient Cheysuli prophecy. Meanwhile her childhood friend, the prince of Homana is torn between rescuing her and a war between Homana and the sorcerers of Ihlini.
The Song of Homana takes place several years later with the crown prince of Homana, Carillon, returning from exile, ready to retake his throne from the usurping Ihlini. With a Cheysuli warrior at his side, he returns to a land oppressed and still unready to accept the Cheysuli people to raise an army of both the Homanan and Cheysuli peoples.
Shapechangers was definitely my favorite of the two. Not that Song was bad, it wasn't. But is was definitely a slower read for me. First there was the switch in characters, from Alic to Carillon, which was not only a character shift but also a shift in gender since Alic is female and Carillon is male. The second jolt is in pov: Shapechangers was written in third person and Song was written in first. I think if I had the 2 or 3 years that usually pass between books, the transition wouldn't have been such a bump for me.
That being said, I picked up all 4 omnibuses of this series because 1) I liked Roberson's Del and Tiger series, and 2) I'd been wanting these books for some time. She does not disappoint thus so far (I've just started book 3). The characters are well developed and change over time in believable ways; the setting is rich, unique, and consistent; and, despite the passage of years between books (book 3 finds one of the children as the main character and near grown), she writes in such a way that you can see the flow from one book to another. I can definitely see myself reading these again one day.
In Shapechangers, the main character is Alix, the daughter of a princess and a Cheysuli - shapeshifter - warrior, is kidnapped by on of her then unknown (by her) Cheysuli relatives and finds herself caught up in an ancient Cheysuli prophecy. Meanwhile her childhood friend, the prince of Homana is torn between rescuing her and a war between Homana and the sorcerers of Ihlini.
The Song of Homana takes place several years later with the crown prince of Homana, Carillon, returning from exile, ready to retake his throne from the usurping Ihlini. With a Cheysuli warrior at his side, he returns to a land oppressed and still unready to accept the Cheysuli people to raise an army of both the Homanan and Cheysuli peoples.
Shapechangers was definitely my favorite of the two. Not that Song was bad, it wasn't. But is was definitely a slower read for me. First there was the switch in characters, from Alic to Carillon, which was not only a character shift but also a shift in gender since Alic is female and Carillon is male. The second jolt is in pov: Shapechangers was written in third person and Song was written in first. I think if I had the 2 or 3 years that usually pass between books, the transition wouldn't have been such a bump for me.
That being said, I picked up all 4 omnibuses of this series because 1) I liked Roberson's Del and Tiger series, and 2) I'd been wanting these books for some time. She does not disappoint thus so far (I've just started book 3). The characters are well developed and change over time in believable ways; the setting is rich, unique, and consistent; and, despite the passage of years between books (book 3 finds one of the children as the main character and near grown), she writes in such a way that you can see the flow from one book to another. I can definitely see myself reading these again one day.
July 5, 2013
I actually only read the first story in this book (there are two and a short story)so this review is based on that one.
A most peculiar book. The shapeshifting/animal side of it is at least good, but the writing is not to my taste at all (clunky, and waaaayy too much dialogue), and the whole romance angle of it is utterly bizzare.
(Spoilers ahead)
Essentially girl, Alix, is having a flirtation with a prince, when both are captured by a shapechanger. Said shapechanger, Finn, keeps trying to force himself upon the girl. His animal friend prevents it. They get to camp and then find out Finn is the girl's half-brother. But he keeps still trying to force himself on her, ain't nothing like a little blood relation gonna stop him!
His foster brother, Duncan, also likes the girl. So essentially she has three guys after her, Finn, the prince (who we also find out is her cousin) and Duncan (actually not a relation!). All of them I think try to force themselves, in some way, onto her at some point. She decides that she has fallen in love with Duncan though in the space of a few days... and I can't even go on.
At some point she tries to get pregnant to stop her and Duncan being split up (great reason to have a baby). He cuts her hair off in a jealous rage. He finds out he's possibly got a baby with another woman and runs off to her, but when he finds out it's not his, he runs back to Alix. Only the men can shapeshift and be warriors, except for Alix because she's special. At one point it's mentioned that the women can only add to the future by having babies. Crazy.
And the word 'ever' is used far, far too much.
A lot of reviews have said that the rest of the books get better as this was her very first, so I might try the next one in the future (and especially as I feel bad for my partner who bought it for me thinking it would focus mostly on shapeshifting and animals).
A most peculiar book. The shapeshifting/animal side of it is at least good, but the writing is not to my taste at all (clunky, and waaaayy too much dialogue), and the whole romance angle of it is utterly bizzare.
(Spoilers ahead)
Essentially girl, Alix, is having a flirtation with a prince, when both are captured by a shapechanger. Said shapechanger, Finn, keeps trying to force himself upon the girl. His animal friend prevents it. They get to camp and then find out Finn is the girl's half-brother. But he keeps still trying to force himself on her, ain't nothing like a little blood relation gonna stop him!
His foster brother, Duncan, also likes the girl. So essentially she has three guys after her, Finn, the prince (who we also find out is her cousin) and Duncan (actually not a relation!). All of them I think try to force themselves, in some way, onto her at some point. She decides that she has fallen in love with Duncan though in the space of a few days... and I can't even go on.
At some point she tries to get pregnant to stop her and Duncan being split up (great reason to have a baby). He cuts her hair off in a jealous rage. He finds out he's possibly got a baby with another woman and runs off to her, but when he finds out it's not his, he runs back to Alix. Only the men can shapeshift and be warriors, except for Alix because she's special. At one point it's mentioned that the women can only add to the future by having babies. Crazy.
And the word 'ever' is used far, far too much.
A lot of reviews have said that the rest of the books get better as this was her very first, so I might try the next one in the future (and especially as I feel bad for my partner who bought it for me thinking it would focus mostly on shapeshifting and animals).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2012
Don't judge a book by it's cover, judge it by it's reviews. Lesson learned there. The death knell tolled on this book by the time I reached page 182, so I decided it wasn't worth the effort to finish.
Problem #1: I am not a feminist, but this girl was pretty much the most useless lump of a heroine I have ever had the misfortune to read about. All she does is run off to cry or sit around to wait for the men to decide what she is going to do. Absolutely no hint of independent thinking.
Problem #2: Lack of fidelity will never fly with me. "Oh honey, it wasn't my fault, it's my race's culture to have wives and mistresses. Now, let's get back to populating the race!" No. No no no no no. It is never okay, and that will kill my suspension of disbelief.
Problem #3: She takes him back! So, basically, she sleeps with one guy, he promises to marry her, they get back to the camp, he finds out his old girlfriend is single again, dumps Alix like yesterday's trash, finds out his old girlfriend's baby isn't his, and goes back to Alix, and she takes him back without making him grovel or anything. You know what I would have said? "Sorry, you lied to me so I don't trust you anymore. You cut my hair for no reason other than your own pettiness. And you know what? Talk is cheap. Actions matter, and your actions aren't really painting the picture of a guy I would want to spend my life with, let alone bear the child of. So I think I'm going to leave and find my own path, with a guy who actually deserves me. Have fun with your little skank." Was there any of that? Of course not. Have some self-respect girl. This is disgusting.
So, yeah, goodbye Cheysuli universe. I'm not even going to wait for you to improve.
Problem #1: I am not a feminist, but this girl was pretty much the most useless lump of a heroine I have ever had the misfortune to read about. All she does is run off to cry or sit around to wait for the men to decide what she is going to do. Absolutely no hint of independent thinking.
Problem #2: Lack of fidelity will never fly with me. "Oh honey, it wasn't my fault, it's my race's culture to have wives and mistresses. Now, let's get back to populating the race!" No. No no no no no. It is never okay, and that will kill my suspension of disbelief.
Problem #3: She takes him back! So, basically, she sleeps with one guy, he promises to marry her, they get back to the camp, he finds out his old girlfriend is single again, dumps Alix like yesterday's trash, finds out his old girlfriend's baby isn't his, and goes back to Alix, and she takes him back without making him grovel or anything. You know what I would have said? "Sorry, you lied to me so I don't trust you anymore. You cut my hair for no reason other than your own pettiness. And you know what? Talk is cheap. Actions matter, and your actions aren't really painting the picture of a guy I would want to spend my life with, let alone bear the child of. So I think I'm going to leave and find my own path, with a guy who actually deserves me. Have fun with your little skank." Was there any of that? Of course not. Have some self-respect girl. This is disgusting.
So, yeah, goodbye Cheysuli universe. I'm not even going to wait for you to improve.
May 4, 2014
I can't even finish it! The heroine annoyed the hell out of me. Why can't anyone write a heroine who's as smart as I am! Looking at my grades I'm not asking much so why is it so hard to write a smart heroine now adays!?
I'm soo tired of heroines who find that they have magical powers then started acting like it's a damn curse! The girl can freaking shift into an animal, why can't she be like a normal teenager and start jumping up and down yelling AMEN! but noooo! God forbid a heroine that's actually excited by the prospect of having magical powers. They just dive in to self pity because you know- making good fusses about it robs the heroine a chance of playing the 'buhuhuh I'm the victim, my life is ruined' Oh shut up!!!
She starts by acting like a love struck teen which is disgusting. Romance is fine by me. I adore romance but do you have to lose your head too?. She defends something 'That's unfair! Don't judge!blah blah blah then suddenly loses conviction and abandons all her cries of justice and fairness when it face to face with the real deal . Where's your conviction now you little hypocrite?
She spends half of the entire book hating, then denying, then submerging into self pity, and being stupid all over again.
This has so much potential. The plot is fantastic and very interesting. Why ruin it with a bitchy heroine!? Why?
I'm soo tired of heroines who find that they have magical powers then started acting like it's a damn curse! The girl can freaking shift into an animal, why can't she be like a normal teenager and start jumping up and down yelling AMEN! but noooo! God forbid a heroine that's actually excited by the prospect of having magical powers. They just dive in to self pity because you know- making good fusses about it robs the heroine a chance of playing the 'buhuhuh I'm the victim, my life is ruined' Oh shut up!!!
She starts by acting like a love struck teen which is disgusting. Romance is fine by me. I adore romance but do you have to lose your head too?. She defends something 'That's unfair! Don't judge!blah blah blah then suddenly loses conviction and abandons all her cries of justice and fairness when it face to face with the real deal . Where's your conviction now you little hypocrite?
She spends half of the entire book hating, then denying, then submerging into self pity, and being stupid all over again.
This has so much potential. The plot is fantastic and very interesting. Why ruin it with a bitchy heroine!? Why?
May 29, 2012
Shapechangers: The first time I read these books, it was Christmas time, 1991 and I was 11. At the time, Alix was my favorite character, I was entranced by the romance between Alix and Duncan, and more than a little disappointed to find out that the second book wasn't directly about the two of them. There were a lot of things about the writing and characters I think I missed because I was so young... rereading it now (at 30) I still like it, but I don't find I have nearly the same attachment to those two (in fact, they almost get on my nerves at times). The writing is still more to my taste than 90% of what's out there in fantasy fiction, but now that I've read a good portion of the rest of her work, I can also see how much *better* her writing has gotten over the years. Sometimes it feels a little bit like she's trying too hard to sound "fantasy-ish" - and Alix and her reactions to things and predicatments are kind of repetitive. Overall though, it's still one of my favorite books/series and will always be near and dear to my heart.
Song of Homana:
Song of Homana:
April 27, 2012
Shapechanger's Song by Jennifer Roberson is an omnibus which contains the first two books in her Cheysuli Chronicles series (Shapechangers & the Song of Homana). I'm usually easy to please when it comes to secondary world fantasy but this was way below my level of enjoyment: truly inconsistent characters, endless repetitions (his golden bands/earrings glinted/glittered in the sunshine/moonlight), bland plots filled to the brim with prophecies... The main villain is a pure caricature of a mage who pops up occasionally to perform some dirty deed and invariably teleports to safety when things become heated. Well I'll also be teleporting from the rest of the series.
February 4, 2024
The Chronicles of the Cheysuli is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, series of books. Without giving too much away, this omnibus contains the first two books of the series. These two books introduce you to the Cheysuli, a people whose males are able to shapechange into the form of their lir. Alix, the product of a Cheysuli and princess of Homana is the first female who is able to shift form. We are also introduced to the Ihlini, a magical race long at odds with the Cheysuli. These books draw you into a rich tapestry of royal bloodlines and war between children of the gods. Ms. Roberson is truly a gifted writer and these books will leave you wanting more about the characters.
August 8, 2009
I only got to about the third book of this series, but I think that I liked the first one the best. After that I increasingly lost interest, it wasn't until I realized I was trying to force myself to read them that I quit. Something just didn't draw me in, or rather started repelling me the more I got into the series. I think it may have been the character development. I felt like the books became more about the world and the story than characters and to me characters come first.
June 13, 2010
One of my absolute favorite fantasy series. I've read all of the books at least three times. It's a wonderful multi-generational tale that takes place in an intriguing world filled with magic, romance, political conflict, and the strength of the human spirit. You may find the writing in Book One a little bit "girly-romance" at first, but hang in there--Ms. Roberson soon hits her pace and you will be swept into a world you won't forget.
November 19, 2007
Book Description from Amazon.com
Long out of print, The Chronicles of Cheysuli is the fantasy epic that launched Jennifer Roberson's best-selling career. A sprawling saga of the exiles-and return-of a warrior race of shapechangers, the magical odyssey begins in these two novels, together for the first time in one volume.
Long out of print, The Chronicles of Cheysuli is the fantasy epic that launched Jennifer Roberson's best-selling career. A sprawling saga of the exiles-and return-of a warrior race of shapechangers, the magical odyssey begins in these two novels, together for the first time in one volume.
October 29, 2009
Fun and full of action. I like the female lead, the male lead(s) quickly take over the plot, although it is her bloodlines that make the plot possible. Enjoyed it well enough to read the entire series. Although I fatigued of the foibles of twenty-something male royalty, I would find myself saying "rushalla-tu".
October 6, 2011
Got these books and read them one at a time some years back. Loved the series, possibly one of my favorites. And I've kept them all these years. Nice to see it in one, large edition. It's a great tale set in a world of magic and conflict. It's a great read and the world she's created is richly colored.
May 29, 2012
i liked the book and the series is definitely intriguing. i must admit i thought the first book was a bit rushed and sketchy, or so it seemed to me. i REALLY liked the "song of homana" though. much better story line, easier to follow, and jennifer roberson's craft has come through as much more improved. definitely an interesting twist on shapeshifters.
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