The Hidden Queen (Changer of Days, 1)

I loved the way this book was written. The characters weren't talking to each other in this book, they were talking to me. I felt as if I was there experiencing what they did, felt and shared. There wasn't meaningless dialouge in here. Changer of Days drew me in and didn't let go until the very end. The places where they traveled seemed so realistic and yet vague enough to let me still use my own imagination. I felt something with each and every character be it happiness, sadness, angst, anger, betrayal and exhaustion. I can't wait to re-read it. I would definately recommend that you buy and read this duology. A definate good read.

I thought this was a wonderful book. The tragedies in the young queen's life really make you sympathize with her and want her to succeed. She loses many friends and family along her way, and battles with inner guilt after an accident with her sight. I could not put it down the whole time, and fortunately, I had the sequel CHANGER OF DAYS ready to go. As the young queen comes home from her exile, she is greeted by what the oracle told her: a friend and a foe. The story picks up from there, and is a wonderful ending. I really liked how Anghara deals with Sif in the end, as well as the foreign king. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone! It's an amazing adventure, and has the extra advantage of finishing in two books instead of three.

I bought this book and her other sequel because I loved THE SECRETS OF JEN-SHEI but the latter is completely different from the former. Although I'm not a fantasy fan, I was drawn into the language and the adventurous plot. I plan to give my two copies as gifts to a true fantasy fan.

This is the first American printing of the first volume of the author's two-volume fantasy "Changer of Days." When it was originally published in New Zealand and Australia, under the author's real name by the way (Alma Hromic), the two books were simply titled "Changer of Days" Volume 1 and Volume 2. In the U. S. the first volume is titled "The Hidden Queen" and the second volume is titled "Changer of Days." Since they're one story it's hard to review one without the other, and I don't want to spoil either book by giving away too many details, but I'll say the author has written many genuinely awe-inspiring and touching scenes that'll stay in my memory for the rest of my life, including the scene where the queen-in-exile dares to defy a god. A large cast of well-drawn characters, a traditional but nonetheless involving high-fantasy plot, and a strong sense of place (not only the expected English medieval kingdom, but also two more exotic lands) testify to the fact that the author has imagined her world in rich detail over a period of many years. If you like high fantasy, you'll like "The Hidden Queen" and "Changer of Days," as they are well-above-average examples of the genre.

At the Battle near the Ronval River, the king of Roisinan, Red Dynan is killed and the general leading the troops is injured and near death. Command falls to Fodrun who feels unequal to being a leader for men to follow so he tells Sif, Dynan's baseborn son that if he will take command, he will help him in his quest to gain the crown from the rightful heir, nine year old Anghara. After a ceremony proclaiming her queen, Anghara leaves the castle with the Royal Seal and a document proclaiming her queen by the council. The capital city falls to Sif and he becomes king declaring Anghara dead with her mother during the battle to take the castle. Anghara is sent to her mother's kin where she is taught to use her sight (psionic powers) but an incident forces her to flee to Castle Bressne, a traing school for the sighted. A betrayal alerts Sif to where Anghara is hiding and he destroys the school but not before his half-sister escapes. Sif initiates a pogrom against all the Sighted while Anghara flees from her homeland to the desert kingdom of Kheldrum. There she hopes to learn enough to take back the crown. Fans of Jennifer Fallon, Sara Douglass and Elizabeth Hayden will find THE HIDDEN QUEEN an extraordinary fantasy. During the course of the tale, the audience sees Anghara grow from a royal child to a mature woman ready to battle her half-brother who is wantonly hurting innocent men, women and children killed just because they are sighted. This is an action-packed novel that is rich in characterization and death-defying adventures. Harriet Klausner