Changeling - Yasmine Galenorn

Changeling
Yasmine Galenorn
Berkley

Paranormal

The half-human, half-Fae D’Artigo sisters live in a Seattle suburb and work for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (OIA.) The fae creatures have revealed themselves to human society, so they don’t have to keep that part of their existence secret; but, the fact is that they were assigned to what they call Earthside because the OIA has little to no confidence in their abilities as agents. Recent events proved the OIA wrong, when the sisters managed to stop a group of demons who managed to sneak to Earth to wreak havoc in the name of Shadow Wing, a very big baddie.

This time around, it’s Delilah’s story. Delilah is a werecat. When stressed, or during certain phases of the moon, she transforms into a cute little tabby cat. In her cat form one evening, she senses a larger source of cat magic around the edges of their property. The arrival of a client at her PI office the following day confirms her suspicions. Zachary Lyonesse is a werepuma, and part of the Rainier Puma Pride. The pride has lived in isolation and peace for some years. Now they’ve begun losing members to murder. And not just ordinary murder: whoever is doing the killing removes the hearts and essentially mummifies the insides of the victims.

Delilah begins the investigation with the help of her human lover, Chase. Her sisters Camille, a witch, and Menolly, a new vampire, help, too. At first, rumors suggest that this is more demon activity. Then clues begin to point at a rival pride. Most ominously, some clues lead to the Hunters Moon Clan, a deadly clan of shapeshifters supposedly created by evil shamen. And, while dealing with this trouble Earthside, the sisters must contain their concerns about the civil war that has begun back home in Otherworld; a war that already involves their father, and could easily involve the three of them, as well.

Oddly, Delilah, who turns into a tabby cat, seems a much more realistic and layered character than her witch sister, Camille, who was the focus of the first installment, WITCHLING. Maybe it’s because Delilah has always been treated as the baby of the family, and feels like she has something to prove. She has room to change and grow, and it’s interesting to watch. The plotting seems a bit tighter and more complex this time around, too. There’s a good mystery to be solved, and their concerns about the goings-on in Otherworld are always on the back burner. Good reading for paranormal fans who enjoy mystery with their mysticism.

Rating: 8 ½
June 2007
ISBN# 978-0-425-21629-3 (paperback)