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phantonymous's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Do you like the casual antisemitism and racism of harry potter? Ever thought the average historical fiction protagonist had too much of a discernable personality? Have you, perhaps, ever wanted a read of classist societal divides and oppression from the perspective of someone who feels like a monarchist kiss-ass?
If you answered yes to those questions or want to read something so infuriating it's actually a bit comical then this book might be your next read.
There's so much wrong with this book that I am frequently tempted to rewrite it despite not even caring that much about it solely to prove a point at how poorly this story was thought out and inefficiently it was written but I will summarize here.
Starting with the antisemitic and racist part since that's the most like "cancelable" bit but the plot of this book revolves around an evil order of secret wizards who quietly gained power over all of the worlds governments and enslaved regular people.
This new dystopia (which is an alternate victorian england) is notably anti-racist and feminist (was the implication supposed to be those things are bad? This books themes and messaging are so incoherent I have no idea) but this doesn't stop the only Black girl (reduced, of course, to overly supportive and tolerant best friend) from being bullied and the main character wondering if it's because she's Black. The author takes every chance she gets to call her outfits ugly and to suggest that anyone showing anything akin to romantic interest in her is charity and so nice of them. Inexplicably theres a "discussion question" (this book is so goddamn pretentious for literally no reason) at the end of the book implying that the main character should have been kinder to the bully.
In case the antisemitism doesn't get you right away they make sure to throw in an unpleasant untrustworthy greedy man with pointy features and snake comparisons to use as a decoy antagonist for most of the book.
With that out of the way oh boy do I have a lot to dissect even while summarizing. I read this several months ago and though the scenes within are generally engrained in me I will not be attempting very hard to remember character names because these characters outside of the situations they're put in are ultimately so forgettable. This book doesn't have characters it has dolls that are played with in front of us. Theres more the ideas of them than any actual substance.
So the author tries to avoid, maybe intentionally or maybe to fit better into the genre, to label the plight of snipes (what people without magic are so originally called) as slavery but it very clearly is some form of forced labor. The main character and everyone else in her community are legally (not economically or simply culturally) forced into servitude from birth and given to a magical family. They're paid a salary and have conditions typical to free domestic servants in victorian england but again they are not allowed to choose where or when they work and are second class citizens seen and used inherently for domestic labor. The explanations for this and how it's actually enforced are few and flimsy. The whole thing feels rigid and unbelievable even when compared to existing travesties from real life (both slavery/forced labor and classism)
If it were like this but completely actually condemned (more than just in words but in how the narrative plays out and portrays things) this may not be a deal breaker but the author really wants you to sympathize with slave owners more than the majority of the enslaved characters.
Our main girl Sarah is ✨️ special ✨️ and has magic despite being born to a snipe family (which her mother tries to hide with a suppressant that ills her so her character is introduced to us as disabled but nope she's perfectly able bodied like nearly everyone else in this book 🙃) so her owner immediately separates her from her family claims her as a niece and sends her to magic school. She's still enslaved in every sense though as she is never given a choice in any of this. Don't worry though the woman abusing and manipulating her will totally inexplicably become a second mother to her whilst not changing any of her behavior and consistently restricting all access from her actual family.
She has a sister who is in love with her owners son and wants to find a way to seduce him to ensure her and her family a better life. She is to be seen as a horrible materialistic bitch for this and will have horrible things done to her whilst we're told how much we should hate her btw. "She only wants him for his money!!! D:" she's an enslaved teenager who's been shown her family can be taken from her on a whim idk what to goddamn tell you here.
The whole brand of the book is like oh Sarah’s a fairytale-esque little servant girl who has to become an aristocrat and whatever rags to riches story i get it but Sarah stops being a snipe in every sense as soon as she isn't. The story is from her perspective (might even be first person?) but the snipes she encounters at the school are barely mentioned and she has no solid opinions on basically anything unless it's to briefly pity some unnamed character who'll be forgotten momentarily. I wish these stories we're even remotely actually about the plight of oppressed and working class people but they often aren't at the best of times and this is one of the worst cases I've seen.
She literally befriends her owners son who treats her like shit and his redemption arc is literally just like. Tolerating her. And saying maybe snipes should deserve a few rights as a treat. Not enough to not be enslaved though that's out of the question. And we should definitely see his family's enslaved child whos trying to flirt with him as the evil one here bc he hates her and omg she's not respecting his boundaries.
Necromancy is randomly thrown in but this is largely uninteresting. Everything is uninteresting how this author manages to make being attacked by a zombie the dullest slowest read ever I'll never know like it takes talent to be this bad at putting any sort of tension in your story.
There's a plot twist villain which surprisingly wasn't horrible. But this was such a nothing book that other than criticisms like the above i have little to say about it if not to expand on the above criticisms.
This story and concept had just enough potential to be maddening I'd rewrite the entire thing just to keep my sanity intact if I had the energy to do so.
If you answered yes to those questions or want to read something so infuriating it's actually a bit comical then this book might be your next read.
There's so much wrong with this book that I am frequently tempted to rewrite it despite not even caring that much about it solely to prove a point at how poorly this story was thought out and inefficiently it was written but I will summarize here.
Starting with the antisemitic and racist part since that's the most like "cancelable" bit but the plot of this book revolves around an evil order of secret wizards who quietly gained power over all of the worlds governments and enslaved regular people.
This new dystopia (which is an alternate victorian england) is notably anti-racist and feminist (was the implication supposed to be those things are bad? This books themes and messaging are so incoherent I have no idea) but this doesn't stop the only Black girl (reduced, of course, to overly supportive and tolerant best friend) from being bullied and the main character wondering if it's because she's Black. The author takes every chance she gets to call her outfits ugly and to suggest that anyone showing anything akin to romantic interest in her is charity and so nice of them. Inexplicably theres a "discussion question" (this book is so goddamn pretentious for literally no reason) at the end of the book implying that the main character should have been kinder to the bully.
In case the antisemitism doesn't get you right away they make sure to throw in an unpleasant untrustworthy greedy man with pointy features and snake comparisons to use as a decoy antagonist for most of the book.
With that out of the way oh boy do I have a lot to dissect even while summarizing. I read this several months ago and though the scenes within are generally engrained in me I will not be attempting very hard to remember character names because these characters outside of the situations they're put in are ultimately so forgettable. This book doesn't have characters it has dolls that are played with in front of us. Theres more the ideas of them than any actual substance.
So the author tries to avoid, maybe intentionally or maybe to fit better into the genre, to label the plight of snipes (what people without magic are so originally called) as slavery but it very clearly is some form of forced labor. The main character and everyone else in her community are legally (not economically or simply culturally) forced into servitude from birth and given to a magical family. They're paid a salary and have conditions typical to free domestic servants in victorian england but again they are not allowed to choose where or when they work and are second class citizens seen and used inherently for domestic labor. The explanations for this and how it's actually enforced are few and flimsy. The whole thing feels rigid and unbelievable even when compared to existing travesties from real life (both slavery/forced labor and classism)
If it were like this but completely actually condemned (more than just in words but in how the narrative plays out and portrays things) this may not be a deal breaker but the author really wants you to sympathize with slave owners more than the majority of the enslaved characters.
Our main girl Sarah is ✨️ special ✨️ and has magic despite being born to a snipe family (which her mother tries to hide with a suppressant that ills her so her character is introduced to us as disabled but nope she's perfectly able bodied like nearly everyone else in this book 🙃) so her owner immediately separates her from her family claims her as a niece and sends her to magic school. She's still enslaved in every sense though as she is never given a choice in any of this. Don't worry though the woman abusing and manipulating her will totally inexplicably become a second mother to her whilst not changing any of her behavior and consistently restricting all access from her actual family.
She has a sister who is in love with her owners son and wants to find a way to seduce him to ensure her and her family a better life. She is to be seen as a horrible materialistic bitch for this and will have horrible things done to her whilst we're told how much we should hate her btw. "She only wants him for his money!!! D:" she's an enslaved teenager who's been shown her family can be taken from her on a whim idk what to goddamn tell you here.
The whole brand of the book is like oh Sarah’s a fairytale-esque little servant girl who has to become an aristocrat and whatever rags to riches story i get it but Sarah stops being a snipe in every sense as soon as she isn't. The story is from her perspective (might even be first person?) but the snipes she encounters at the school are barely mentioned and she has no solid opinions on basically anything unless it's to briefly pity some unnamed character who'll be forgotten momentarily. I wish these stories we're even remotely actually about the plight of oppressed and working class people but they often aren't at the best of times and this is one of the worst cases I've seen.
She literally befriends her owners son who treats her like shit and his redemption arc is literally just like. Tolerating her. And saying maybe snipes should deserve a few rights as a treat. Not enough to not be enslaved though that's out of the question. And we should definitely see his family's enslaved child whos trying to flirt with him as the evil one here bc he hates her and omg she's not respecting his boundaries.
Necromancy is randomly thrown in but this is largely uninteresting. Everything is uninteresting how this author manages to make being attacked by a zombie the dullest slowest read ever I'll never know like it takes talent to be this bad at putting any sort of tension in your story.
There's a plot twist villain which surprisingly wasn't horrible. But this was such a nothing book that other than criticisms like the above i have little to say about it if not to expand on the above criticisms.
This story and concept had just enough potential to be maddening I'd rewrite the entire thing just to keep my sanity intact if I had the energy to do so.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Misogyny
Minor: Antisemitism and Racism
inkfire's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, I'd like to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. It fits nicely into the genre that I love (the "kid discovers they're magical" genre that started getting really popular with Harry Potter) and also has crossover points with historical fiction and some schoolyard interaction content. The characters were fun, and the setting was really interesting, but I found several instances of sloppy writing that could have been done better without changing the story - it would just have taken a little more effort.
For example:
In addition, I would have liked to see a bit more actual evidence when the MC figured out who the Badguy really was, rather than a series of inferences that might have been wrong (since they were based almost entirely on assumptions). The fact that the Badguy showed up later in the same scene to monologue their master plan doesn't make me feel intelligent for figuring it out, it jarred me out of the narrative and had me looking at this in a very meta light, thinking about villain monologues and how an actually intelligent person might have executed this plan to raise an army and overthrow the government. It would have, if anything, enhanced the tension to have the Badguy continue to hide their true purpose - it escalated and defused too quickly at the end to provide a satisfying ending.
In sum, I really enjoyed the book, but would have liked to see a bit more effort go into building the realism of the setting and the tension at the end. I think I'll probably read the sequel(s) anyway, because I enjoyed it.
For example:
Spoiler
It makes no logical sense to rush a girl through what should have been several years of introductory lessons in a few weeks, then send her to school halfway through the term, thus drawing more attention to her while laying the lies on thick to cover for why she knows so little.In addition, I would have liked to see a bit more actual evidence when the MC figured out who the Badguy really was, rather than a series of inferences that might have been wrong (since they were based almost entirely on assumptions). The fact that the Badguy showed up later in the same scene to monologue their master plan doesn't make me feel intelligent for figuring it out, it jarred me out of the narrative and had me looking at this in a very meta light, thinking about villain monologues and how an actually intelligent person might have executed this plan to raise an army and overthrow the government. It would have, if anything, enhanced the tension to have the Badguy continue to hide their true purpose - it escalated and defused too quickly at the end to provide a satisfying ending.
In sum, I really enjoyed the book, but would have liked to see a bit more effort go into building the realism of the setting and the tension at the end. I think I'll probably read the sequel(s) anyway, because I enjoyed it.
rachelellyn's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book for a road trip. This had my hubby and I laughing through Scotland.
jessicaalexander95's review against another edition
4.0
Yes its basically Harry Potter with girls and society. But it was well written anda bunch of fun. Lam intrigued for more with the characters and society. I particularly enjoyed the friendships that built between the three girls
shimauchiha's review against another edition
4.0
I did something I almost never do anymore and started reading this book just based on the name and the cover. That's right, in true daredevil fashion, I didn't even read the synopsis.
So first of all, I was really surprised that there was no fae involved in this book. Of course, you, a boring person who reads synopsises, probably know this already. But just in case you're a weird specimen who reads reviews not knowing anything about the book, you should know that's not the type of changeling this book is about.
My second surprise was how much fun reading this book was. Part magical school, part rags to riches and part coming of age story, this book is like a mash-up of the most feel-good plotlines ever, with a bunch of corsets and sarcasm thrown in for good measure. It might not be the most original book out there, but it was the perfect read for a rainy day.
Cassandra is witty and capable and her relationships with other characters feel genuine. Considering how short the book is, I was happy that it didn't choose to sacrifice characterisation. I did think there was a lot more to be had with the magical classes. Then Cassandra's improvement in magic wouldn't have come as so sudden. But all in all, it was a lovely little read that didn't take itself too seriously, so neither will I.
P.S: While I see the book's been shelved as YA, I think it's more suited for advanced middle-grade readers. (or, you know, university students procrastinating their final assignments. Talking about a friend.)
So first of all, I was really surprised that there was no fae involved in this book. Of course, you, a boring person who reads synopsises, probably know this already. But just in case you're a weird specimen who reads reviews not knowing anything about the book, you should know that's not the type of changeling this book is about.
My second surprise was how much fun reading this book was. Part magical school, part rags to riches and part coming of age story, this book is like a mash-up of the most feel-good plotlines ever, with a bunch of corsets and sarcasm thrown in for good measure. It might not be the most original book out there, but it was the perfect read for a rainy day.
Cassandra is witty and capable and her relationships with other characters feel genuine. Considering how short the book is, I was happy that it didn't choose to sacrifice characterisation. I did think there was a lot more to be had with the magical classes. Then Cassandra's improvement in magic wouldn't have come as so sudden. But all in all, it was a lovely little read that didn't take itself too seriously, so neither will I.
P.S: While I see the book's been shelved as YA, I think it's more suited for advanced middle-grade readers. (or, you know, university students procrastinating their final assignments. Talking about a friend.)
knittyreader's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book was a very interesting read. As someone before me already said, it has all been done before - but that's something books always have. Everything's done before, it's not what is in the story, but it's how the story is written. Molly Harper did a very good job focusing on the latter. I loved the setting of this book, and the way familiar themes were woven into a beautiful tale.
This book was a very interesting read. As someone before me already said, it has all been done before - but that's something books always have. Everything's done before, it's not what is in the story, but it's how the story is written. Molly Harper did a very good job focusing on the latter. I loved the setting of this book, and the way familiar themes were woven into a beautiful tale.
polarbbp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jesslynh's review against another edition
5.0
This was a delightfully sweet book and I. Want. More. It's also my first Molly Harper book. Mea Culpa, Ms Harper. I'll do better. I'm off to find more from you.
tanemariacris's review against another edition
3.0
For all those wizards trapped among Muggles and looking for a quick escape, there are a lot of parallels that could be drawn between this book and Harry Potter that are far from stopping at the common magical schools. Themes such as family prestige, or the issue of "purity" are present, animal buddies also make an appearance, and the protagonist is someone with a certain fame to carry who has yet to prove worthy of it, a fame obtained after an uncontrollable event that left an actual sign on the person. Oh and she just found out she has magical powers. Sounds familiar? I suspect the following books in the series will develop the characters and the world further and will take them in fresh directions, but at least the first installment definitely seems to be the ideal recipe to draw in a Potterhead. In another train – hah – of thoughts, there was a tad too much swooning, fighting, and getting ridiculously jealous over boys for my taste, but I dug the banter shared by two characters so at least there's that to compensate. Overall, this is an enjoyable, fun story that I read in one sitting thanks to its ability to keep me engaged, so if you are in the mind-set for an easy-breezy, magical ride, you might be in luck.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Cassandra Reed is holding a secret. It's one that, if discovered, will have unforeseen repercussions in the magical community. But all she has to do is survive her time at Miss Castwell's Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies and she'll be all set. But when a revered magical book chooses Cassandra as it's next translator, the position brings prestige yet also undue attention to Cassandra's life.
Cassandra, real name Sarah Smith, comes from a servant family of snipes (i.e. guttersnipes - those without magical ability), but when she inexplicably displays magical talent her Guardian family (those with magic who govern the snipes) takes her in and passes her off as a distant cousin in order to avoid scrutiny on themselves. If Cassandra hopes to avoid the potential uprising that would occur should her status in life ever make itself known, she'll have to keep her head down and focus on her studies and unlocking the secrets of the book.
I've been a long-time fan of Molly Harper's various books / series in whichever genre she has decided to write. I like the departure in that Changeling is decidedly YA which as far as I'm aware Molly Harper hasn't delved into before (I apologize if I am mistaken in this).
Changeling was a perfect example of a read that, regardless of being YA, could appeal to anyone / everyone. There were multiple times throughout that I had to stop and actually remind myself that Cassandra (Sarah) is only 14. The school setting does help to reinforce this as well.
Honestly, I really enjoyed Changeling. It's a fish-out-of-water story where Cassandra suddenly finds herself living a life she never even dreamed of living. A life that, before, was so closed off to her it never even entered her mind as a possibility. After being, understandably, thrown by these developments, I loved how Cassandra sort of forges her own path in amongst people who are so set in their ways and their hierarchy that they forget the way the world used to work before they were controlling everything. Cassandra is fierce and she's loyal. She's got a quick wit and doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, in most occasions anyway.
Along with Cassandra we have her two new friends Ivy and Alicia. Both outcasts within the varying cliques within the school they, along with Cassie, form a close-knit group. Unfortunately in the background is the fact that she's harboring this secret which you know is only a matter of time before it comes out in some way. I loved the way that this is all handled. I can't wait to see how these three continue along in the next book.
I really enjoyed the history that Molly Harper presents especially when it comes to the prominent families, or Houses, of the Guardians. They have a long and sordid history, and if readers are clear about anything, it's that where there's light magic, there's typically also dark magic.
With that in mind, I leave you with the thought that I can't wait to see what adventures await Cassie and her friends and to see her grow into her magic and learn more about this fascinating world.
Cassandra, real name Sarah Smith, comes from a servant family of snipes (i.e. guttersnipes - those without magical ability), but when she inexplicably displays magical talent her Guardian family (those with magic who govern the snipes) takes her in and passes her off as a distant cousin in order to avoid scrutiny on themselves. If Cassandra hopes to avoid the potential uprising that would occur should her status in life ever make itself known, she'll have to keep her head down and focus on her studies and unlocking the secrets of the book.
I've been a long-time fan of Molly Harper's various books / series in whichever genre she has decided to write. I like the departure in that Changeling is decidedly YA which as far as I'm aware Molly Harper hasn't delved into before (I apologize if I am mistaken in this).
Changeling was a perfect example of a read that, regardless of being YA, could appeal to anyone / everyone. There were multiple times throughout that I had to stop and actually remind myself that Cassandra (Sarah) is only 14. The school setting does help to reinforce this as well.
Honestly, I really enjoyed Changeling. It's a fish-out-of-water story where Cassandra suddenly finds herself living a life she never even dreamed of living. A life that, before, was so closed off to her it never even entered her mind as a possibility. After being, understandably, thrown by these developments, I loved how Cassandra sort of forges her own path in amongst people who are so set in their ways and their hierarchy that they forget the way the world used to work before they were controlling everything. Cassandra is fierce and she's loyal. She's got a quick wit and doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, in most occasions anyway.
Along with Cassandra we have her two new friends Ivy and Alicia. Both outcasts within the varying cliques within the school they, along with Cassie, form a close-knit group. Unfortunately in the background is the fact that she's harboring this secret which you know is only a matter of time before it comes out in some way. I loved the way that this is all handled. I can't wait to see how these three continue along in the next book.
I really enjoyed the history that Molly Harper presents especially when it comes to the prominent families, or Houses, of the Guardians. They have a long and sordid history, and if readers are clear about anything, it's that where there's light magic, there's typically also dark magic.
With that in mind, I leave you with the thought that I can't wait to see what adventures await Cassie and her friends and to see her grow into her magic and learn more about this fascinating world.