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2.99 AVERAGE
2.99 AVERAGE
I really wanted to love this. Thought it was a bit dull, sadly. It took me over 3 weeks to read it, which is saying something.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have read a lot of Phillipa Gregory and there are some of her works which I absolutely loved (Constant Princess and White Queen) and there are some I absolutely hated (Wideacre). This book falls pretty squarely in the middle. Is it as good as some of her other work? No. But it isn't horrible either. It's YA so I was curious to see how Gregory would do in this market. It's pretty good for YA and I could have seen myself at fourteen really digging this book. But if you hold it up to Gregory's other stuff... It falls pretty short. The setup is entirely for a series and the romance is very YA (ratio of boy to girl along with a disapproving parental figure). The romantic banter is definitely junior high and it seems as though Gregory watered it down for the teenage crowd. The historical stuff is good but I think Gregory needs to start reading more YA to really get better in the genre. That being said its not a bad book but it definitely needs work.
It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. The characters were fairly cardboard, and the "mysteries" were so freaking obvious. I thought the main character was supposed to be super smart? Because, um, he did not seem like it all. Way to have your servant be MILES ahead of you at all times. Maybe if this book was about the secondary characters instead of the bland bland main ones. It just didn't appeal to me at all, and it annoyed me, and I will not be reading any more in this series.
Also, the description is misleading. Trust me. Its not a historical fantasy, which is what it sounds like. Its not even really a romance at all. Just... eh. Not so great.
Also, the description is misleading. Trust me. Its not a historical fantasy, which is what it sounds like. Its not even really a romance at all. Just... eh. Not so great.
Super fast read. Good story, although there are a few holes that annoyed me. I'd read book 2.
Un libro sin pies ni cabeza, aburrido y muy predecible. Nada de lo que ocurre en esta historia es creíble y no logré entender si se me estaba presentando una novela histórica (aunque con personajes ficticios), como lo asegura la autora, o un libro de ficción. Si es una novela que intenta ser histórica, resulta muy aburrida, si es ficción, no es creíble y eso es indispensable; si vas a incluir hadas, debes hacerlo de tal manera que, aunque el lector sepa que todo es fantasía, se pueda meter de lleno en la historia, que crea y disfrute lo que le están contando.
El personaje principal, Luca Vero, que en un principio se intenta presentar como sobresaliente, inteligente y ávido de conocimiento, pronto nos decepciona, al no presentar en ningún momento muestras de esta gran mente. Dejándose llevar por todos, incluso su fiel sirviente. Su prueba máxima de gran ingenio es en el convento y, de hecho, incluso antes Isolda e Ishraq ya sabían qué ocurría en la abadía. Por cierto, que aunque éste es el personaje principal, queda totalmente eclipsado por Isolda, aún cuando ella también es bastante plana.
El único personaje con algo de personalidad es Freize, el sirviente de Luca, cínico e ingenioso, pero aún así no es un personaje disfrutable.
La segunda parte donde se incluye la historia del hombre lobo no es creíble y sí muy absurda. El pasaje de las monjas drogadas en contra de la madre ecónoma es insufrible; la amistad entre Isolda e Ishraq resulta cursi.
Me parecen dos historias mal hechas, quizá si la autora se hubiera centrado sólo en una, el resultado sería mejor.
El personaje principal, Luca Vero, que en un principio se intenta presentar como sobresaliente, inteligente y ávido de conocimiento, pronto nos decepciona, al no presentar en ningún momento muestras de esta gran mente. Dejándose llevar por todos, incluso su fiel sirviente. Su prueba máxima de gran ingenio es en el convento y, de hecho, incluso antes Isolda e Ishraq ya sabían qué ocurría en la abadía. Por cierto, que aunque éste es el personaje principal, queda totalmente eclipsado por Isolda, aún cuando ella también es bastante plana.
El único personaje con algo de personalidad es Freize, el sirviente de Luca, cínico e ingenioso, pero aún así no es un personaje disfrutable.
La segunda parte donde se incluye la historia del hombre lobo no es creíble y sí muy absurda. El pasaje de las monjas drogadas en contra de la madre ecónoma es insufrible; la amistad entre Isolda e Ishraq resulta cursi.
Me parecen dos historias mal hechas, quizá si la autora se hubiera centrado sólo en una, el resultado sería mejor.
Not one of my favorites by this author, but enjoyable.
I seem to have a bit of an obsession lately with all things medieval and magical, though after the epic 5 books of A Song of Ice and Fire, who can blame me? I first spotted this book on the shelves at Wal-Mart and had to have it. Since my last two bargain book purchases were mostly flops, I was relieved this one worked out well.
Changeling is a fairly straightforward story -- a novice priest is recruited to a secret order commissioned by the Pope to seek out and eliminate manifestations of evil and witchcraft within the boundaries of Christendom. As a faithful believer, a former student of religion, and a history buff, it appealed to me straightaway.
But what makes this book worthy of its four stars is not the plot or even the setting. Instead, it's the little details. The world of Changeling is so rich and authentic, from the Catholic priests' wonderment at the concept of a mathematical zero to the novelty of a fork. Gregory peppers the story with these little tidbits, giving us a real picture of medieval Europe beyond knights, castles, and chivalry.
What penalized the book, however, is the author's note. My advice, if you pick up a copy? Don't read it. Gregory goes to great lengths to explain her characters and their purposes, essentially just wasting paper. No author should EVER feel the need to explain what a character's purpose is. If the urge is there, either you didn't do a proper job writing them, or your readers are just dumb and won't get it anyway. Just let us enjoy the story and don't turn it into an amateur English class. Granted, you don't have to read the author's note at all, but I'm just saying.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed Changeling and am anxiously awaiting the sequel. It was definitely worth what I paid for it.
Changeling is a fairly straightforward story -- a novice priest is recruited to a secret order commissioned by the Pope to seek out and eliminate manifestations of evil and witchcraft within the boundaries of Christendom. As a faithful believer, a former student of religion, and a history buff, it appealed to me straightaway.
But what makes this book worthy of its four stars is not the plot or even the setting. Instead, it's the little details. The world of Changeling is so rich and authentic, from the Catholic priests' wonderment at the concept of a mathematical zero to the novelty of a fork. Gregory peppers the story with these little tidbits, giving us a real picture of medieval Europe beyond knights, castles, and chivalry.
What penalized the book, however, is the author's note. My advice, if you pick up a copy? Don't read it. Gregory goes to great lengths to explain her characters and their purposes, essentially just wasting paper. No author should EVER feel the need to explain what a character's purpose is. If the urge is there, either you didn't do a proper job writing them, or your readers are just dumb and won't get it anyway. Just let us enjoy the story and don't turn it into an amateur English class. Granted, you don't have to read the author's note at all, but I'm just saying.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed Changeling and am anxiously awaiting the sequel. It was definitely worth what I paid for it.
Definitely not as good as her other books, but still okay. Something about the characters and the randomness of the plot irritated me, and the way it was constantly stated how attractive Luca was also got on my nerves. Not so sure about Philippa Gregory writing a book for teens.