A Change of Place is the third book in a continuing cozy fantasy series by Julie E. Czerneda. Released 17th Sept 2024 by DAW Books, it's 496 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

Readers should be looking for a meandering revisit with the characters from the earlier books in the series. There's not a lot of cohesive plot thread, and the book wanders from scene to scene. That being said, it's engaging and well written, full of odd and quirky characters (including magical toad(ish) familiars, dragons, spirits (efflet, yling, nyphrit, and others from the author's imaginings), and an ensemble cast of humans and magical human hybrids.

The climax and denouement are somewhat diffuse and not explicitly resolved (which is potentially explored in the previous books in the series). It's not a standalone novel. Besides the main series, there's a shorter work which could also help provide the necessary backstory.

Curses and interjections in the book are universally formatted as "ancestors ____" (ancestors blessed, ancestors tried and tested, ancestors grim and grieving) Every. Bloody. Page. of the read. Literally hundred(s) of times. It was difficult to skim over and quite intrusive after a while.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 19 hours 15 minutes and is capably read by Jenn Jaden. She has a young, eastern Atlantic seaboard American accent and does a good job with the disparate human and non-human cast. Sound and production quality is high throughout the read.

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of romantic fantasy, possibly as a buddy/binge read from the beginning.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
For decades or more, Marrowdell's house toads have collected white stones to build a throne for their queen. Now, at last, she's making her presence felt. And she's angry.

Review
I didn’t feel as drawn into this book as I did the preceding ones. Partly, there’s a fair amount that’s not clearly explained – e.g., the climactic fight with the key villain is resolved more by elision than by actual description. There’s a big fight and then … it’s over, and it’s not really clear why.

I think, though, that the principal problem for me was the the central relationship between Jenn and Bannan has turned – at least in my perception – from sweet to treacly. Where in the first book it was a breath of fresh air to find a relationship that was happy and optimistic, the determinedly even keel of it all – and the lovers’ recurring joy in finding each other again – has started to wear on me. They never, ever fight, and they just love each other to pieces – on every page. In a similar vein, it’s bothered me more and more over time that so many individuals, and particularly non-humans, fall over themselves to bow at Jenn’s feet, do her bidding, and bind themselves to her service. And, while mostly Jenn, it’s not just her – humans just seem to draw servitude and loyalty from non-humans (and some humans). I’d have liked to see at least one case where a human said, “You know, toad? I’m going to dedicate my life to serving you.” It’s very reminiscent of Sira’s relationships with Morgan and everyone else in Czerneda’s Trade Pact universe, where it was equally a flaw.

There’s a feel of something missing throughout this book, particularly with reference to a key character who’s a bit of a black box. It was only in reading the acknowledgements at the very end that I learned that, in addition to A Dragon for William , there’s another novella between this book and A Play of Shadow , named A Pearl from the Dark, that apparently explains all this. I strongly recommend reading A Dragon for William, since it deals with characters and places that are key to this one – while they appeared to be an offshoot when I read the novella, they are clearly not. That seems to be true for A Pearl from the Dark as well, and I wish I’d known of its existence – apparently available only in a collection of Czerneda’s short fiction, which I somehow also missed.

All that said, I’m still enjoying the series. I do plan to track down the Pearl novella, and look forward to the forthcoming A Shift of Time. At the same time, I do rather hope that that will be the last book in the series Much as I enjoy the world, I don’t know how much more of Jenn and Bannan I can take.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it: loved the world building, the atmosphere, and the fleshed out and likeable characters
Excellent storytelling and a gripping plot
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My goodness, has it really been 5 years since our last brief visit to Marrowdell, and a full 10 years since the last full novel (A Play of Shadow)? So indeed it is, but some worlds just stick with you, the magic of their authors effortlessly bridging time and space, and that’s what Julie E. Czerneda does here, welcoming us back to a story that immediately feels like home.

A home, mind you, that’s facing catastrophe. There’s a flood swallowing Marrowdell, which may be caused by more than just snowmelt and ice-jams, and a massive, monstrous toad queen who threatens more than just Jenn Nalynn and the people of the edge.

If you’re new to the series, you’re probably a tad confused right now, but what you need to know is that every home along the edge has a house toad, and for all that they look like simple little amphibians, they are creatures of magic, wise guardians who are far more fearsome than they appear. They’ve been a curious enigma throughout the series, hoarding white pebbles for their queen’s throne, but here we finally learn their purpose – and without getting into spoilers, surprises abound.

A Change of Place is just that, a story of change, accepting change, being fearful of change, and facing the consequences of change. It’s a story of the turning of seasons and the season the of turn-born . . . and it’s a story of shifting families and family secrets. Like the first two books, it’s a cozy fantasy, a romantic fantasy, and a traditional fantasy, all intertwined. There’s something of a fairy tale feel to it, but here the princess is also the heroine, and while she’s pining for her love, she’s also going to save him – and everyone else.

While the adventure begins in Marrowdell, the story takes us far beyond, both to new lands we haven’t seen and to familiar realms we’ve only glimpsed. It’s also the most magical of the series so far, complete with sei, turn-born, toads, dragons, waalum, and more. Despite clocking in at nearly 500 pages, the story races along, taking us across the world and back in just a few short days. There are so many questions along the way, and so many opportunities for it all to go wrong, but the story takes us precisely where we need to go.

Night’s Edge is one of my all-time favorite series, and being back in the world of Marrowdell, alongside Jenn and Bannan and Wisp again, is like seeing your favorite family members after a long absence. Be warned, the three spend most of the book apart, each following their own quests, but they’re fantastic stories, and Bannan and Wisp get to grow and shine all on their own.

The only thing happier than the finale is knowing that there’s more coming.

ARC Copy...Happy to say that yep the adventures continues for Jedd and company. Follows the mood and feel of the previous volumes which meets yes prepare for a LONG read. Sense one of the main struggles Jenn is enduring in this quest is getting people and possible allies to accept "turn born" status and powers are not that bad.

Review: This world has no explanation for being as it does which makes for a confusing read. What this lacked was descriptive detail that allowed for ease of visualization. The scenes were so compressed with information that there was no room to breath in any substantive characterization.

The story line reads like a confused fairy tale where snow white gets a new skin, has a pet invisible dragon and cowapses into her mans big stwong awms while sniffling and groping for a kiss.

I may revisit this work but for now this gets a DNF

Rating: 1.0/5