Changespell Legacy

Rating:
Summary: An Uncommon Wisdom
Review: Changespell Legacy is the third in a series about a horse, Dun Lady's Jess, who has been transformed into a human and now has the ability to be either women or mare. Along the way she has made friends with Jaime, Mark, Dayna, and Arlen and has become the lover of Carey, her former owner.

The present story starts with Arlen of Anfeald away from home while the Wizards Council of Camolen investigates a strange new phenomenon near Secondary Siccawei. Something happens to cause wild magic to flare up and the investigating wizards are all killed. Arlen is presumed to be dead and the only known survivor is a palomino stallion.

The Secondary Council moves its operation to Secondary Siccawei to be near the phenomenon and then shuts down the transfer booths. The Mage Dispatch service begins to bog down under the load and running the Anfeald courier service is keeping Carey and Jess very busy.

Jaime shows up for a scheduled visit and discovers Arlen is not there. Although grieving for Arlen, she assumes some of the burden of running the courier service. Jess and Suliya, a new courier rider, go to Secondary Siccawei in response to a message from Dayna. When she tells them that the council have rejected her recommendations and are essentially wasting time, the three women take Rumble, the palomino stallion, and return to Anfeald.

Dispatch reports begin to indicate that the strange phenomenon has started to grow and has appear elsewhere. Without any help form the council and unable to gain reliable information in any other way, Carey decides to interrogate the palomino by turning the horse into a man. Jess, remembering her own transformation, tries to talk Carey out of this idea, but hesitantly agrees when all other sources have failed.

Jess, Carey, Dayna, Suliyu, and Rumble tranfer back to Earth and, in the process, Rumble is transformed into a man. They gather at the Dancing Equine farm -- Jaime's home -- with Mark and try to plumb Rumble's memories.

Back on Camelon, Arlen has been delayed in reaching the council and perceives their death as it occurs. Realizing that he is now the only senior wizard remaining, he is trying to return to Anfeald, but has to travel slowly by coach and horse now that the transfer booths are shut down. He tries to performs as little magic as possible to prevent other sensitives from recognizing his signature while he lies low and tries to find out what is going on. In his travel, he encounters other instances of the strange phenomenon and learns that it is excited and grows whenever magic is used nearby. Then he is recognized and attacked, but overcomes his attacker. Now knowing that he is being hunted, Arlen avoids the main roads and public means of travel, but still heads toward Anfeald.

Jaime also begins to recognize a pattern. She is visited by two strangers who claim to come from Chesba to learn the truth about recent events, but later inquiries disprove these claims. Then the Secondary Council sends an investigator to determine who has used forbidden spells in the vicinity of Anfeald. Jaime knows that one of the usages would have been Jess and her party, but the other may have been the imposters. Are they following Jess and company with intent to cause harm? Things get rather tense thereafter.

Durgin has wrought a complex and suspenseful plot as a background to the continuing humanization of Jess. While she has not been an innocent regarding humanity -- after all, horses soon learn that there are good humans and bad humans -- Jess has been naive about the perversity of human nature. Now she is confronted by Carey's inability -- or unwillingness -- to generalize from Jess to all other horses.

After I read the first two novels in this series, I brought the books to the attention of my youngest daughter. She is a horse person, currently attending a course to prepare her as a horse trainer, and she does not like to read anything that is not required by her teachers. However, she became intrigued by my synopsis of these novel and has read and enjoyed both prequels. Now she is eagerly waiting for me to pass this book on to her. Overall, I think she is impressed by Durgin's grasp of equine matters and ways.

If you like animals, try Doranna Durgin's novels. She has a way with words as well as a good knowledge of animals and their owners. In this novel, she beautifully portrays a personality that is a blend of horse and human, with an uncommon wisdom from both sides.

Rating:
Summary: An Uncommon Wisdom
Review: Changespell Legacy is the third in a series about a horse, Dun Lady's Jess, who has been transformed into a human and now has the ability to be either women or mare. Along the way she has made friends with Jaime, Mark, Dayna, and Arlen and has become the lover of Carey, her former owner.

The present story starts with Arlen of Anfeald away from home while the Wizards Council of Camolen investigates a strange new phenomenon near Secondary Siccawei. Something happens to cause wild magic to flare up and the investigating wizards are all killed. Arlen is presumed to be dead and the only known survivor is a palomino stallion.

The Secondary Council moves its operation to Secondary Siccawei to be near the phenomenon and then shuts down the transfer booths. The Mage Dispatch service begins to bog down under the load and running the Anfeald courier service is keeping Carey and Jess very busy.

Jaime shows up for a scheduled visit and discovers Arlen is not there. Although grieving for Arlen, she assumes some of the burden of running the courier service. Jess and Suliya, a new courier rider, go to Secondary Siccawei in response to a message from Dayna. When she tells them that the council have rejected her recommendations and are essentially wasting time, the three women take Rumble, the palomino stallion, and return to Anfeald.

Dispatch reports begin to indicate that the strange phenomenon has started to grow and has appear elsewhere. Without any help form the council and unable to gain reliable information in any other way, Carey decides to interrogate the palomino by turning the horse into a man. Jess, remembering her own transformation, tries to talk Carey out of this idea, but hesitantly agrees when all other sources have failed.

Jess, Carey, Dayna, Suliyu, and Rumble tranfer back to Earth and, in the process, Rumble is transformed into a man. They gather at the Dancing Equine farm -- Jaime's home -- with Mark and try to plumb Rumble's memories.

Back on Camelon, Arlen has been delayed in reaching the council and perceives their death as it occurs. Realizing that he is now the only senior wizard remaining, he is trying to return to Anfeald, but has to travel slowly by coach and horse now that the transfer booths are shut down. He tries to performs as little magic as possible to prevent other sensitives from recognizing his signature while he lies low and tries to find out what is going on. In his travel, he encounters other instances of the strange phenomenon and learns that it is excited and grows whenever magic is used nearby. Then he is recognized and attacked, but overcomes his attacker. Now knowing that he is being hunted, Arlen avoids the main roads and public means of travel, but still heads toward Anfeald.

Jaime also begins to recognize a pattern. She is visited by two strangers who claim to come from Chesba to learn the truth about recent events, but later inquiries disprove these claims. Then the Secondary Council sends an investigator to determine who has used forbidden spells in the vicinity of Anfeald. Jaime knows that one of the usages would have been Jess and her party, but the other may have been the imposters. Are they following Jess and company with intent to cause harm? Things get rather tense thereafter.

Durgin has wrought a complex and suspenseful plot as a background to the continuing humanization of Jess. While she has not been an innocent regarding humanity -- after all, horses soon learn that there are good humans and bad humans -- Jess has been naive about the perversity of human nature. Now she is confronted by Carey's inability -- or unwillingness -- to generalize from Jess to all other horses.

After I read the first two novels in this series, I brought the books to the attention of my youngest daughter. She is a horse person, currently attending a course to prepare her as a horse trainer, and she does not like to read anything that is not required by her teachers. However, she became intrigued by my synopsis of these novel and has read and enjoyed both prequels. Now she is eagerly waiting for me to pass this book on to her. Overall, I think she is impressed by Durgin's grasp of equine matters and ways.

If you like animals, try Doranna Durgin's novels. She has a way with words as well as a good knowledge of animals and their owners. In this novel, she beautifully portrays a personality that is a blend of horse and human, with an uncommon wisdom from both sides.