Genres: YA Fantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy | Release Date: 16 March 2023 | Series: Fey Touched Trilogy | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 417 | Indie Author | Review
“I couldn’t affect her mind. It was already screaming.”
Arista Holmes
Overview:
A huge thank you goes to Book Sirens and the author for letting me read an e-ARC of Changeling! As soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb, I knew this was a YA fantasy I was desperate to read. Changeling is a tale of broken hearts, desperate hope and the found family you can create along the way…
Lizzy is a half-fey, and one of the two people she loves most in the world has now gone missing in the mortal realm. No one in Arbaon is willing to search for the missing fey delegation, but Lizzy will stop at nothing to find her Mum. Along with Booker, her fey best friend, Lizzy races headlong into the mortal world to learn what happened to Maddy. But within the mortal realm not everything is as it seems… Because the vampires are actually the heroes, and their rabid cousins (the kavians) are wreaking havoc across the world. How did the fey get their information so wrong? Can Lizzy find answers at Speculo School, the vampire academy? And if the kavians have the answers Lizzy seeks about her mother, is she willing to risk her life for them?
And this YA fantasy does not disappoint with its answer!
Happiness Boost:
Changeling is a wonderful example of how to write about found family, even as it inserts humour into a deadly adventure! I adore how Lizzy and Booker will go to the ends of the earth for each other, and their determination to be true to themselves. When so many vampires tell them to stay away from Cara, Lizzy and Booker defy them, and my heart soared at this. It’s awful when someone is treated horribly, and Cara doesn’t deserve the hate she gets from her classmates. So here’s to the beautiful found family trope Arista gives us!
Within this YA fantasy there’s a lot of new information, which helps to make it unique when compared to other tales of vampires and fey. The kavians are rabid vampires, and the history between all three factions is truly eye opening. Arista also highlights within Changeling that the fey are not like the warriors they are in so many other stories. And not only that, but the fey can literally die of a broken heart. Now *that* is a powerful message, am I right?! It’s been such a rollercoaster in this new realm!
Changeling also offers the reader an insight into the lengths a daughter will go to for her mother. Personally, that really speaks to me. And at one point my heart cracked for Lizzy, because she says that without her Mum, she has no life. If I could’ve reached through the pages to hug her, I would’ve in a heartbeat. It’s a happiness boost for sure, because I was *completely* hooked into the emotions of Arista’s characters, not least of which being Lizzy.
Downside:
So with all that said, did I have a downside? Not really! Although Lizzy does spiral into a self-centred perspective at a certain point, I can’t say I hate that. Because we’d probably all be guilty of that, if we were also fearful and grieving for a loved one.
Final Thoughts:
Changeling by indie author Arista Holmes is a fascinating YA fantasy full of broken hearts, desperate hope and found family. I actually already can’t wait to read the next book, and this first instalment isn’t even out yet! That’s a sure sign of approval, right? If you love the sound of this story from my review? Just click on any of the links below to pre-order a copy! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can pre-order Changeling via these links:
2 Responses
Hello Anne,
Thank you so much for such a wonderfully in-depth review of Changeling. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! As for the next one, I promise I’m already hard at work on it 😀
Ari x
Honestly thank you for writing it, Ari! It was a truly wonderful read, and I loved every moment.
I’m so excited to hear you’re hard at work on book 2! ♥