The Shape Changer's Wife (Book Review) - Revision history

Michael Bard: Category fixes

2008-04-20T17:43:46Z

Category fixes

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	{{DEFAULTSORT:Shape Changer's Wife, The}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Shape Changer's Wife, The}}
	<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''		<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''

JonBuck: sort key

2008-03-07T05:56:54Z

sort key

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			{{DEFAULTSORT:Shape Changer's Wife, The}}
	<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''		<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''
	'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''		'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''

JonBuck at 05:52, 7 March 2008

2008-03-07T05:52:58Z

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	[[Category:~~Story~~ Review]]		[[Category:Review]]
	<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''		<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''
	'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''		'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''

JonBuck: The Shape Changer's Wife moved to The Shape Changer's Wife (Book Review)

2008-03-07T05:44:04Z

The Shape Changer's Wife moved to The Shape Changer's Wife (Book Review)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:44, 7 March 2008
(No difference)

Michael Bard at 05:14, 7 March 2008

2008-03-07T05:14:28Z

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			<poem>'''written by Sharon Shinn'''
	<poem>~~'''The Shape-Changer's Wife'''~~
	'''written by Sharon Shinn'''
	'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''		'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''
	''ISBN 044101061X; $12.95 list; Trade Paperback, 224 pp''</poem>		''ISBN 044101061X; $12.95 list; Trade Paperback, 224 pp''</poem>

Michael Bard at 05:14, 7 March 2008

2008-03-07T05:14:00Z

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			[[Category:Story Review]]

	<poem>'''The Shape-Changer's Wife'''		<poem>'''The Shape-Changer's Wife'''
	'''written by Sharon Shinn'''		'''written by Sharon Shinn'''

Michael Bard: New page: '''The Shape-Changer's Wife''' '''written by Sharon Shinn''' '''published by Ace Books, October 1995''' ''ISBN 044101061X; $12.95 list; Trade Paperback, 224 pp'' As one might...

2008-03-07T05:12:01Z

New page: <poem>'''The Shape-Changer's Wife''' '''written by Sharon Shinn''' '''published by Ace Books, October 1995''' ''ISBN 044101061X; $12.95 list; Trade Paperback, 224 pp''</poem> As one might...

New page

<poem>'''The Shape-Changer's Wife'''
'''written by Sharon Shinn'''
'''published by Ace Books, October 1995'''
''ISBN 044101061X; $12.95 list; Trade Paperback, 224 pp''</poem>

As one might expect from the title, this book is of interest to the transformation fan. However, it's not about what you might think from the title...

The viewpoint character is one Aubrey, an apprentice magician being sent from his old master to a new master, Glyrenden, the greatest shape-shifter alive. Upon his arrival he meets the wizard's household, the cleaner/maid Arachne, the hunter Orion, and Glyrenden's wife Lilith.

From there the story gets deeper and deeper as the mystery of who these people are, who Glyrenden is, and what shape-shifting ''really'' means, is expanded, explained and explored. It's not a typical Tolkien-emulating quest; there's no world-threatening evil that must be stopped. There is simply one young man who learns that there is good and there is evil, and he decides what to do about it.

'''The Shape-Changer's Wife''' is a good book, but (in my view, at least) not a great book. There are two instances where changing into a new form is explored in detail, what it feels like to be the new form developed in detail. Both are critical to the plot. Many others are, unfortunately, mentioned but not deeply explored. Oh well...

The characters are developed, especially Glyrenden and Aubrey, and both are multifaceted images of the other. The other characters are much more two-dimensional, but there's actually a reason for it.

And, to make the book even more interesting, there is some discussion of moral responsibilities with shape-changing spells that I've never read about anywhere else. Best of all, the twist is perfectly logical and I'm ''still'' surprised that nobody else has thought of it.

In all, I recommend this book for a quiet afternoon's read. It won't shake your world, but it will certainly entertain, and make you think afterward.