Shapechangers (Chronicles of the Cheysuli, Bk. 1)

I read the entire series for the Chronicles of the Cheysuli 14 years ago and they have been unforgettable. I recently read them again and it was just as fantastic. I do mean fantastic. The first book does have a strong female character, but if you read the completed series, you will find that the male influence is just as strong, if not stronger. It is excellent balance. Warning: It's hard to put the books down and you will stay on the edge of your seat until the very end. My advice is to get the whole series of eight originals books, or the newly reprinted 4 omibus. The fisrt book sets the screen for the rest of the books/ series, although each book can stand alone as an individual story. I highly recommned the 4 reprinted omnibus. (re: 4 books is easier to keep up with than 8)

Ignore the nay-sayers. This series is what got me hooked on fantasy! I honestly don't think Jennifer Roberson gets nearly as much credit as she deserves for Chronicles of the Cheysuli. I first started this series when I was thirteen and from that moment on I lived and breathed the world of these characters for years. I was actually most enthralled with the last book "A Tapestry of Lions" where we get to hear the story almost entirely from the Ihlini side. A twist that just blew my mind at the time! But I was crushed after I realized the series was over. So I went on to devour Jennifer's other series starting with "Sword-Dancer." Jennifer's female characters are amazing! I love how strong and courageous they are! Before her I'd stayed away from fantasy precisely because I thought it was all about boys going off and saving the world while the women either stayed home or stood on the sidelines gazing fondly at them. Jennifer's Alix immediately caught my attention and opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me. In fact, I think Robert Jordan can learn a thing or two about creating strong female characters from her. I'm especially excited now because I visited Jennifer's official site (http://www.cheysuli.com) and found out she will be writing three more books in the Cheysuli Chronicles. One of which involves the forbidden romance between Hale and Lindir, which is what the entire series extended from so I can't wait to find out exactly how it happened. I love all the characters so much and some of the concepts are far more advanced than most detractors of the tale are willing to concede including Tahlmorra (fate, kismet), meijahs (Cheysuli mistresses), the qu'mahlin (the racial war that started it all), the a'saii (Cheysuli zealots dedicated to a pure line of descent), i'toshaa-ni (Cheysuli purification ceremony; atonement ritual), the Prophecy of the Firstborn, and of course the lir (animal familiars that enable Cheysuli to take animal form). The politics between Homana and the other kingdoms (especially Solinde) are also well done. Basically, if you haven't read this series yet then pick it up in Omnibus form starting with "Shapechanger's Song" and read it right away! You'll walk away with a family of characters that you're sure to treasure forever.

I first read this series 13 years ago when I was 17 years old. I remembered literally falling into these characters & the world they inhabited. I wanted to BE Alix (although I was much more attracted to Finn than Duncan). I found myself thinking about the characters & imagining having a "lir" even when I wasn't reading the books. I recently picked up the series again after 13 years and was able to capture that feeling again! This first book in the series was fantastic as are all that followed. IF you want to step out of your world for awhile step in this one that Jennifer Roberson has created. "Cheysuli i'halla shansu"

What I like about the Cheysuli saga is the weight of honor and nobility these characters feel. These young people don't necessarily want to be rulers, nor are they necessarily good, some are *not,* but they are their parents children and have duties. In her interview she said she reads Sharon Kay Penman; I do too. It shows. Rulers are not better than the rest of us, but they do have more responsibilities. They are not always up to those responsibilities. It was quite awhile ago that I read the Cheysuli series, it was the first of Roberson's original books that I read. I'm glad I discovered her, perhaps you will be too.I do have a suggestion: buy the whole series before you start. Like potato chips, you won't be able to read just one.

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.