Review: Changeling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 2)

Changeling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 2)
by Yasmine Galenorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Changeling / 978-0-425-21629-3

The second in the Sisters of the Moon series, "Changeling" switches the narrative point of view from the older sister Camille (seen in "Witchling") to the middle sister Delilah. This point of view change characterizes the series - each book is written from a different sister's point of view and every three books, the cycle begins again - and underscores the essential role that character development fills in this charming series.

Whereas Delilah - a half-human, half-Fae Werecat who accidentally turns into a 10-pound tabby cat whenever stressed or startled - was in the first book a rather delicate and naive pollyanna determined to believe the best in even her darkest enemies, we see through this second book that such a one-sided description of her personality falls completely short of describing the full person. As the quiet middle child, Delilah struggles frequently to express and assert herself to her sisters, and while she is certainly determinedly kind-hearted, the events of the first novel have left their mark on her, and she is no longer as trusting and careless as she seemed before to be.

Delightfully, the plot of this novel picks up almost directly where the last left, and it's gratifying to see that no Reset Buttons have been pressed - all the events of the previous novel have a strong bearing on this one. Camille's lovers continue to jockey for favorable positions, Chase and Delilah are still working out the dynamics of their fledgling relationship, and the demons are still after the Spirit Seals and revenge. It's nice to see a series that isn't afraid to move forward with the overarching plot, and doesn't rely on the usual "several months later" time jumps to try to wrap up dangling plot threads behind the scenes.

Much to its credit, "Changeling" follows in the footsteps of "Witchling" with more careful world building - Delilah is able to examine several different approaches to living among humans that the "Earthside" Supes (Supernaturals) have developed. Galenorn has put a lot of thought into such problems as infertility and inbreeding among the Earthside Supes who have, until recently, been totally isolated among humans and their kind. The new enemies, also, are imaginative and frightful, and a lot of work has gone into making them plausibly strong and scary.

I recommend this series strongly for anyone who enjoys supernatural thrillers, particularly ones that focus on character development and world building.

~ Ana Mardoll

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