Changeling by Molly Harper
Sarah Smith is a Snipe, one of the non-magical servants who works in the home of the rich, powerful, and magical Winter family. Sarah’s life takes a dramatic turn when, in a stressful situation, she does a minor bit of magic in front of Mrs. Winter. Afraid of the consequences of harboring a magical snipe, Mrs. Winter concocts a whole new identity for Sarah and ships her off to the prestigious academy for young magical aristocrats. Here, Sarah is thrust into a world of privilege and power, where she must not only learn to control her newfound abilities but also navigate the treacherous social waters of a Victorian-esque society that looks down on those without a noble lineage.
Molly Harper’s Changeling (2018), the first book in her SORCERY AND SOCIETY trilogy, is an enjoyable YA read. Sarah is an engaging protagonist, fictional Victorian societies are always fun, and Harper’s writing style is often witty and charming (though .
The problem is that everything is just so familiar. Changeling is the same old story about the young person living a life of drudgery who suddenly finds out they can do magic and gets shipped off to an elite magical academy where they feel out of place. They make a couple of quirky best friends while being bullied by the school’s most popular rich kid. They struggle to learn magic but, at the end, save the school from a dastardly plot hatched by one of the teachers.
Changeling doesn’t offer anything new or unique, but it competently retreads familiar ground. Thus it will most likely appeal to younger readers, those new to YA fantasy, or those who just can’t get enough of the HARRY POTTER formula. To readers looking for a better attempt at this subgenre, I recommend Gail Carriger‘s FINISHING SCHOOL series.
Sarah’s story continues in the second book, Fledgling. Since I bought the entire trilogy when it was on sale at Audible, I’ll read it. I’m listening to the audiobooks with my 22-year-old daughter, Tali, who feels the same way as I do about Changeling. She thinks the story is unoriginal, but she likes the relationships between Sarah and her two friends and between Sarah and Mrs. Winter.
Amanda Ronconi does a great job with the audio performance. Tali and I think it’s funny that she makes one of Sarah’s professors sound exactly like Mrs. McGonagall.
A Facebook account I follow was just asking about “magic school” books, so I think I’ll point them to this series.
It was an okay read. I’m not sure if the lack of originality was the problem for me. It did lack something for me, but I’d give it 3 stars.