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Athanor #1
Changer
Wild, strange, and unpredictable, he is known as the the ultimate vagabond who slips in and out of myths and cultures, refusing to be pinned down to any one origin just as he refuses to be lcked into any one shape--or name. Yet when a quest for vengeance forces him to shed animal form and seek out King Arthur, the Changer discovers that the darkest of dangers threaten the timeless realm. For Arthur's sworn enemies have risen once more to topple the king and spread chaos among humankind. The Changer himself will be the enemy's unwitting accomplice, unless he somehow stops the dreaded forces and diabolical powers threatening to destroy Arthur's kingdom--and all humanity.
500 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1998
24 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Jane Lindskold
127 books654 followersJane Lindskold is the author of more than twenty published novels, including the eight volume Firekeeper Saga (beginning with Through Wolf’s Eyes), Child of a Rainless Year (a contemporary fantasy set in Las Vegas, New Mexico), and The Buried Pyramid (an archeological adventure fantasy set in 1880's Egypt).
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
Lindskold is also the author of the “Breaking the Wall” series, which begins with Thirteen Orphans, then continues in Nine Gates and Five Odd Honors. Her most recent series begins with Artemis Awakening, released in May of 2014. Lindskold has also had published over sixty short stories and numerous works of non-fiction, including a critical biography of Roger Zelazny, and articles on Yeats and Synge.
She has collaborated with several other SF/F writers, including Roger Zelazny, for whom, at his request, she posthumously finished his novels Donnerjack and Lord Demon. She has also collaborated with David Weber, writing several novellas and two YA novels set in his popular ”Honorverse.” She wrote the short story “Servant of Death” with Fred Saberhagen.
Charles de Lint, reviewing Changer, praised "Lindskold's ability to tell a fast-paced, contemporary story that still carries the weight and style of old mythological story cycles."[1] Terri Windling called Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls "a complex, utterly original work of speculative fiction." DeLint has also stated that “Jane Lindskold is one of those hidden treasures of American letters; a true gem of a writer who simply gets better with each book.”
Lindskold was born in 1962 at the Columbia Hospital for Women, the first of four siblings and grew up in Washington, D.C. and Chesapeake Bay. Lindskold's father was head of the Land and Natural Resources Division, Western Division of the United States Justice Department and her mother was also an attorney. She studied at Fordham, where she received a Ph. D. in English, concentrating on Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern British Literature; she successfully defended her Ph.D. on her 26th birthday.
Lindskold lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, archaeologist Jim Moore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 28, 2014
This is my favorite Jane Lindskold novel. In it she depicts a world of magical extremely-long-lived beings who have greatly influenced earth's history. Not all of these beings are human, but they are all interconnected to some level. Changer is the oldest such creature, having been born before creatures first left the oceans to walk upon the land. He's an extraordinary shapeshifter, as his name implies.
It is hard to speak too highly of this book. Myths and Legends walk the pages in very credible modern versions with many of these beings having been known as multiple legendary figures. For example Arthur Pendragon was Gilgamesh, the Norse God Frey, the Egyptian Pharoah who tried to introduce monotheism and more. Lindskold handles these figures with skill and respect, giving them credible personalities that clash with each other in both petty and epic fashions.
Part of my delight in the story is seeing the world of the nearly immortal Athanor unfold. But the mystery at the heart of the story and the slowly developing political crisis that surrounds it is powerful in its own right. Then there are the endlessly rich characters that will take root in your imagination.
A great novel all around.
It is hard to speak too highly of this book. Myths and Legends walk the pages in very credible modern versions with many of these beings having been known as multiple legendary figures. For example Arthur Pendragon was Gilgamesh, the Norse God Frey, the Egyptian Pharoah who tried to introduce monotheism and more. Lindskold handles these figures with skill and respect, giving them credible personalities that clash with each other in both petty and epic fashions.
Part of my delight in the story is seeing the world of the nearly immortal Athanor unfold. But the mystery at the heart of the story and the slowly developing political crisis that surrounds it is powerful in its own right. Then there are the endlessly rich characters that will take root in your imagination.
A great novel all around.
May 21, 2021
Changer is an urban fantasy novel with similarities to American Gods, although it predates Gaiman's work by a decade, so it is definitely not derivative of that. O S Card also did something with similarities in the Mither Mages series, but Changer predates those too. Nor indeed is it the same basic story as either of those. In Changer the gods of various mythologies are living amongst us as the athanor. Not all of them in human form either, because Changer himself is living as a coyote until his family is attacked by an ancient enemy and he seeks the help of Arthur Pendragon and others.
The story is well imagined, and plenty of character depth here as we discover rivalries and flaws in these people who are also gods. Like Gaiman and Card, Lindskold mines multiple mythologies. She also goes off on some tangential storylines, and does a lot with the characters, which is good because her over-arching story is not particularly deep.
I did find the writing to be long winded, making the whole book rather long and slowing things down somewhat.
All in all an interesting example of the Urban Fantasy genre.
The story is well imagined, and plenty of character depth here as we discover rivalries and flaws in these people who are also gods. Like Gaiman and Card, Lindskold mines multiple mythologies. She also goes off on some tangential storylines, and does a lot with the characters, which is good because her over-arching story is not particularly deep.
I did find the writing to be long winded, making the whole book rather long and slowing things down somewhat.
All in all an interesting example of the Urban Fantasy genre.
June 14, 2019
Changer is an urban fantasy with an interesting idea that is an enjoyable read, if not quite a classic. The athanor, an immortal race of beings with supernatural powers live among us. Their presence in history is the source of myths and legends. Changer, one of the oldest athanor, is living as a coyote in New Mexico when an unknown adversary kills his mate and all but one of his pups. He seeks the aid of Arthur Pendragon (yes, that Arthur Pendragon) in gaining revenge, which brings him into contact with a plan by Loki to overthrow the reign of Arthur and the current policy of non-interference in human affairs.
Changer is pleasant enough on a chapter-by-chapter basis, but the overarching plot has a lot of threads and sidetracks, including South American eco-radicals, Merlin's second head, the king of the seas, and Sasquatches tired of living on the fringes of society. The closest comparison is American Gods, but American Gods is about mythological figures who are people, and Changer is about people who happen to be mythological figures. The four star rating has a bit of rounding up, but hey, a fun book is a fun book.
Changer is pleasant enough on a chapter-by-chapter basis, but the overarching plot has a lot of threads and sidetracks, including South American eco-radicals, Merlin's second head, the king of the seas, and Sasquatches tired of living on the fringes of society. The closest comparison is American Gods, but American Gods is about mythological figures who are people, and Changer is about people who happen to be mythological figures. The four star rating has a bit of rounding up, but hey, a fun book is a fun book.
May 8, 2010
This novel accomplishes in plot what American Gods accomplished in spirit but missed the mark on in terms of action: the events of Changer (and its sequel), the adventure itself and the fascinating cast keep me re-reading this book each year. I find Lindskold to be a little lacking in terms of a strongly present voice-- which, to continue the comparison, Gaiman has in spades-- but she knows where she's going, and she's got great people along for the ride. I can't get over her feeling for the paradigmatic fairy tale, mythopoetic structure, but as applied to present-day (yet ancient), passionate people. Her erstwhile "gods" are often fatally flawed, but that makes them charismatic people. I try to avoid open-ended series, but I would read as many of the Athanor's stories as she's willing to write.
June 16, 2015
There was a foreword from the author, she wrote this book in the late 90's. So it's early urban fantasy and yet I found it unique regardless that I've read lots of urban fantasy in the past 7 years. I also found this book deceptively good. It's an incredibly smooth read, rich in characterization and effortless to read. I do think it got a smidge weaker toward the end but it in no way diminished the total impact. Wonderful reading experience.
couldnt-finish
January 5, 2015I just can't handle the long-winded style of writing. It's driving me nuts. It's taking me so long to read a page because I keep editing it.
The idea sounds intriguing, but the writing style just can't keep my interest.
Not a good book for those who are sensitive to long-winded writers or books in need of an edit.
The idea sounds intriguing, but the writing style just can't keep my interest.
Not a good book for those who are sensitive to long-winded writers or books in need of an edit.
May 4, 2015
Feels like a debut novel. Potential not entirely lived up to.
August 27, 2019
The Changer is immortal and has lived for a long, long time, since well before the evolution of mankind. He lives his life as various animals, currently a coyote. When someone slaughters his wife and all but one of his children, he discovers it is another immortal, or athanor as they are called, who is responsible. Unable to leave his pup daughter on her own, he appeals to King Arthur Pendragon, leader of the athanor, for help in his quest for vengeance. But little does he realize that it is all part of a greater plot, one that will involve and affect all the athanor.
A very interesting premise, and well executed. Lindskold has done much research into mythology to bring just about every possible being that you can think of into her world. I enjoyed the concept that King Arthur is the same person as Gilgamesh, King Tut and so many other historical and mythical figures, and the other main characters have similar backgrounds. I'm looking forward to the next book!
A very interesting premise, and well executed. Lindskold has done much research into mythology to bring just about every possible being that you can think of into her world. I enjoyed the concept that King Arthur is the same person as Gilgamesh, King Tut and so many other historical and mythical figures, and the other main characters have similar backgrounds. I'm looking forward to the next book!
May 31, 2017
Enjoyable premise, but seemed to drag toward the end.
I liked the premise, which was interesting if perhaps a bit pat, but I found myself drifting away from the story toward the end. The story began with a brooding protagonist who has been wronged and then lost its focus and wound down into an exchange of windy hypotheticals and finally a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. All in all, though, I thought the characters were interesting and could make for a wealth of enjoyable stories.
I liked the premise, which was interesting if perhaps a bit pat, but I found myself drifting away from the story toward the end. The story began with a brooding protagonist who has been wronged and then lost its focus and wound down into an exchange of windy hypotheticals and finally a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion. All in all, though, I thought the characters were interesting and could make for a wealth of enjoyable stories.
July 6, 2020
Fascinating
What a strange world filled with a great variety of immortals. Magic, plots, politics & vendettas thread through the rich world building. There are faint hints of romance - but who needs to hurry when they're immortal? Clean read, a little dark cruelty, very well edited. Great vocabulary - I learned several new words. It is long - but not the kind of story I wanted to skim - too much going on. So for once it took me days to read instead of hours.
What a strange world filled with a great variety of immortals. Magic, plots, politics & vendettas thread through the rich world building. There are faint hints of romance - but who needs to hurry when they're immortal? Clean read, a little dark cruelty, very well edited. Great vocabulary - I learned several new words. It is long - but not the kind of story I wanted to skim - too much going on. So for once it took me days to read instead of hours.
June 28, 2017
I read this on the recommendation of Charles de Lint, a favorite author. I didn't enjoy every page but overall a fun book blending today with far far yesterday. Changer is an awe inspiring character. The gods of yesteryear are as powerful and all over the place as one expects them to be. I am was especially happy to be in New Mexico, one of my heart homes.
July 4, 2018
I liked this. Characters were entertaining. Almost too many of them. Several plots that came together satisfactorily.
October 9, 2023
This was excellent! The characters were well fleshed-out, the plot was complex and interesting, and the story grabbed me. This is a classic that I will want to read again
October 27, 2023
Well written, to the point where I was so concerned about a character I took a break! Incredible story.
September 12, 2021
Gods and creatures of myth live among us. The problem? It's getting harder and harder to hide who they are with an expanding human population and wild areas to hide. Highly recommended for those who want to read about mythical beings and animals, especially if you like seeing old legends updated.
King Arthur, living in New Mexico in in a private compound, has to make decisions for the Athanor, the collective legends that live around the globe. Lindskold's love for New Mexico is central to the story, as is found in her other books, most notably, A Child of a Rainless Year.
That's the simple explanation of the plot, however, this story is really about the relationships between ancient beings and how the old world is colliding with the new. The central character is Coyote, a trickster shapeshifting being, the oldest, who predates everyone to the point that even other gods fear him. But not enough for someone decides to kill his coyote (animal, non-magical) mate. With all of their litter, save one destroyed, he's out for justice.
There is something raw about Coyote and when he is on stage you can almost smell his animal self it is all so well written. This story winds around a bit, introducing many different characters who all have their own problems needing solving, but Coyote and his daughter are central to the theme. To me those are the best parts.
As this is an older fantasy book, the writing requires more time to contemplate. It isn't a McRead like you find nowadays. Unlike Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy (1983), the computer technology is passable even though it has changed substantially since Changer was first published (1998).
Like another reviewer wrote, this is my favorite Lindskold book and one that can be hard to discover if you aren't looking. I personally feel this is her best book, but perhaps I'm prejudiced.
King Arthur, living in New Mexico in in a private compound, has to make decisions for the Athanor, the collective legends that live around the globe. Lindskold's love for New Mexico is central to the story, as is found in her other books, most notably, A Child of a Rainless Year.
That's the simple explanation of the plot, however, this story is really about the relationships between ancient beings and how the old world is colliding with the new. The central character is Coyote, a trickster shapeshifting being, the oldest, who predates everyone to the point that even other gods fear him. But not enough for someone decides to kill his coyote (animal, non-magical) mate. With all of their litter, save one destroyed, he's out for justice.
There is something raw about Coyote and when he is on stage you can almost smell his animal self it is all so well written. This story winds around a bit, introducing many different characters who all have their own problems needing solving, but Coyote and his daughter are central to the theme. To me those are the best parts.
As this is an older fantasy book, the writing requires more time to contemplate. It isn't a McRead like you find nowadays. Unlike Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy (1983), the computer technology is passable even though it has changed substantially since Changer was first published (1998).
Like another reviewer wrote, this is my favorite Lindskold book and one that can be hard to discover if you aren't looking. I personally feel this is her best book, but perhaps I'm prejudiced.
December 2, 2013
This book started with a really good and interesting idea: The characters from myths and legends are real, and some of them still live among us. I’m sorry a story with so much potential didn’t occur to a better writer.
Jane Lindskold does a lot of things right, but she also does a lot of things wrong. To me, the worst fault was that she is awfully long winded. Sentences like “The King comes down to the kitchen, dressed casually in khaki trousers and a cotton button-down shirt, and finds Eddie seated at the counter watching the news and eating a bowl of cold presweetened cereal.”, makes it take forever to get to the point. How about “The King comes down to the kitchen, and finds Eddie eating breakfast.”? I suppose she is trying to make it more believable that her mythological characters live in our modern world by adding details like this, but to me it just got tiring to read.
I think this story could be told, and told better, with half the amount of words. With this never ending up building, the ending was a resounding anti-climax that left me feeling like “That’s it? Ok. Whatever.”.
Jane Lindskold does a lot of things right, but she also does a lot of things wrong. To me, the worst fault was that she is awfully long winded. Sentences like “The King comes down to the kitchen, dressed casually in khaki trousers and a cotton button-down shirt, and finds Eddie seated at the counter watching the news and eating a bowl of cold presweetened cereal.”, makes it take forever to get to the point. How about “The King comes down to the kitchen, and finds Eddie eating breakfast.”? I suppose she is trying to make it more believable that her mythological characters live in our modern world by adding details like this, but to me it just got tiring to read.
I think this story could be told, and told better, with half the amount of words. With this never ending up building, the ending was a resounding anti-climax that left me feeling like “That’s it? Ok. Whatever.”.
dnf
September 9, 2013I'm going to sadly call this one a DNF. I'm unhappy to do this as I remember loving this when it originally came out and I was so delighted to find it (and its sequel) in ebook form.
But, to be honest, I'm finding myself kind of bored. I like it when I read some, but once I put it down I find I have no urge to pick it up again. I think it's largely a case of "it's not you, it's me" as I'm struggling reading anything right now (damn ME/CFS) and I'm just not coping with the present tense.
It's a kindle ebook, so even if I stop reading it and take it off my device, Amazon will remember where I was up to. So I'm hoping that when I'm feeling better (please, let it get better) I will be able to pick it up again and find the magic. Right now, it's eluding me.
But, to be honest, I'm finding myself kind of bored. I like it when I read some, but once I put it down I find I have no urge to pick it up again. I think it's largely a case of "it's not you, it's me" as I'm struggling reading anything right now (damn ME/CFS) and I'm just not coping with the present tense.
It's a kindle ebook, so even if I stop reading it and take it off my device, Amazon will remember where I was up to. So I'm hoping that when I'm feeling better (please, let it get better) I will be able to pick it up again and find the magic. Right now, it's eluding me.
August 6, 2009
I really enjoyed this book, it was fun and well written. It's a neat idea that there are immortals among us and everything mythological is real, but I couldn't help thinking that as a plot device it was a cheap ploy. Really you could put any cool character from any history in your book easily. That's not a bad thing, it just seemed to cool a device to be so easily achieved with an explanation of immortals. I would like to know more about the Changer and the Sea King and their early life in primordial ooze. Although I'm sure that book wouldn't be as exciting as this with it's kidnappings, revenge killings and rampant conspiracies.
November 27, 2016
I love Jane M. Lindskold, and Arthurian tales, and fantasy, but can tell that I am not in the right frame of mind to read this one now, nor will I be able to get through it in a timely fashion.
Someday, when the time is right, a copy of the book will fall in my path and I shall eagerly snatch it up and read it. Until then, I bid farewell to this copy, and say thank you to midwinter for including me on the ring. I look forward to hearing when others read the book.
Someday, when the time is right, a copy of the book will fall in my path and I shall eagerly snatch it up and read it. Until then, I bid farewell to this copy, and say thank you to midwinter for including me on the ring. I look forward to hearing when others read the book.
June 11, 2012
Very interesting read. Present-tense narration is difficult for me to follow, but that's a personal preference. Jane Linskold gathered her impressive knowledge of world mythology and overlaps it in her story, creating mythical archetypes and setting them in the recent past (the present when the book was written). I'll add the sequel, Changer's Daughter, also titled Legends Walking, to my reading list.
February 17, 2013
I got this book at a book exchange and I thought it was an interesting idea. This book was rather confusing in the beginning with trying to keep all of the characters/what characters they had been in the past. The idea of the book is a good one, but the execution was a little off for me. I felt like the story dragged on for a while and then it wrapped up very quickly in the end. While it was a good read, I don't know if I would recommend the book.
October 25, 2013
This book is about immortals who walk among us. Wait - don't run yet! It's nothing like books of this type that you've read. The story and characters are very original. They have motivations, relationships, rivalries, etc., that are not mere rehashes from characters in other books. The story is living proof that it has not, in fact all been done before. Highly recommended.
July 9, 2010
A very nice and interesting book about what if King Arthur's court were a bunch of immortals concealing their living selves as normal people in the present and having to deal with another immortal that is trying to discover the reason behind the deaths of his family. Very good book.
June 23, 2016
Love, love, love this book. Many years later Jane Lindskold's writing is still so vivid there are scenes I feel as if I read yesterday. I can still hear the sounds of the characters, and picture scenes from the book. Fantastic writer!
June 13, 2007
Urban fantasy/magic realism. It took me a while to get into it for some reason, but it's stuck with me.
April 2, 2008
This is one of my favorite modern fantasy or urban fantasy novels. The strong characters resonate both as real people and as the mythic archetypes they carry.
August 25, 2023
I love these 2 books... wish they'd re-issue them in hardback with pretty covers (Julie Bell, anyone?)
latest re-read 6/7/11
latest re-read 6/7/11
May 7, 2009
This is one of those books that I will reread every few years. I love it because it is one story but there are multiple parts to it.
November 4, 2009
Loved this!
October 2, 2011
I like the premise of this book, the legendary heros still walking among us. Haven't been compelled to read the sequal.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews