This book is set in the 1400's and features two main characters: Isolde and Luca. Isolde is set to inherit the estate when her father dies but on his death bed he apparently decides to give her the choice of marriage or becoming the Lady Abbess at the local nunnery instead. Confused and hurt, she chooses the abbey. Not long after her arrival strange happenings begin, stigmata and visions, signs of witchcraft. Luca is fascinated with learning and investigating and ends up being accused of heresy. He is recruited by a mysterious man to record the end-times across the lands. His first orders take him to Isolde's nunnery to investigate the strange happenings. Here their paths meet and lays the foundation for Gregory's first teen series.
I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was predictable in places and came to a natural end half way through, but then continued and managed to regain my interest by the end. The chapters are strange and irregular (which I found weird as I don't like putting a book down part way through a chapter where possible). The thing I really loved about this book is that the romance is minimal. It's like those first feelings and whispers you get in real life when you meet someone you're attracted to in the beginning. I also liked the historical element (I love Kate Mosse's Labyrinth and Sepulchre). However, the mix of history and fantasy isn't quite natural as it isn't developed thoroughly. The concept of the changeling feels thrown in at this point in the series as it's mentioned and then not really taken any further. I think there's some potential for this series and hopefully it'll become more exciting as it continues. It's bound to be a hit with those looking for a gift for the teenage girl in their life due to Gregory's popularity in the adult genre and I'd say it's a reasonably safe choice as there's something to appeal to a lot of girls.
I kind of want to reserve judgement until the next instalment but for now...
I give it 7/10
Title: Changeling
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Teen Fiction
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