Average
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'Roberson's style in 'Shapechangers' is rather hackneyed, with the grammatical torture that can occur in fantasy when an author is trying too hard to make her characters sound authentic. The dialogue is therefore awkward in parts, and the attempts at developing an archaic mode of speech can make the distinctions between the main cast blur. Nevertheless, Roberson does manage to inject some deeper issues, as one major topic of the book is genocide, which is a point in her favour. Unfortunately, another is the very clichéd concept of a main protagonist held firm by a 'mysterious' prophecy, and Roberson allows herself to stumble into the 'noble savage' archetype. In general a rather average read, though in Roberson's defence this was written early in her career - no doubt she improved in her later books. Its been out of print for a while, so if you're especially keen to read it, get it, there are now omnibus editions of the series, with two books to a volume.
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Great story!
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I started this series after I finished all published novels about Del and Tiger (also by Jennifer Roberson) This book was great and I would suggest it to anyone who loves fantasy. It is the story of Alix and her acceptance of her heritage. I is the kind of book that you can't put down and when you have to you can't wait to get back to it.
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The best book ever!!!
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this book was so good. It is impossible to put it down! The characters are so real, the emotions are so real, the only thing that doesn't seem real is the setting and sometimes the things that the chacters do. I've just read the whole series, and this is the best of the bunch. However, After u read this one, you just have to keep going until you know what happens at the end. The only problems with this series, and that is that the author tends to skip bits and pieces of the history. You even learn a new language (sort of) These books seem like they should keep going after the end, and I truely regret that they don't. Read this one . . . and keep reading!
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I couldn't put this book down
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I had never read anything from the sci-fi/fantasy genre when a friend recommended this book to me. I started reading it and didn't stop until I was done. Then I went to book 2 of the set. Now I've read the entire set, and all of the books in it are incredible. What a story!!!!
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Be afraid, be very afraid
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This first book is actually kind of good, short and succinct. It's only as you get farther into the series that you realize that you're trapped, stuck inside a series that could have been decent, but instead gets longer winded(the last book is easily four times the size of the first) and less interesting. If you're like me and can't start a series without seeing it through to the end, steer clear of these books. The time you save can be spent doing something more interesting(and less painful) like watching linoleum curl.
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