Reviewers Helping Authors: RHA Presents Changeling: Prelude to the Chosen Chronicles by Karen Dales

Abandoned at birth and left to die, alone in the forest, the Angel is found by the local healer. In loving secrecy he is raised unnamed and unknown lest his strange appearance bring down the wrath of the local villagers.
He grows up, cared for by Auntie until her fearful predictions come true. Discovered in his secret grove, his life is transformed, evoking demons that demand more than he can give.
Unable to save the lives of those he loves he flees to live alone, away from those who would do him harm.
It is alone, exiled by humanity that he comes across the one who would change his life forever, to become –
The Angel of Death
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My Review

Changeling: Prelude to the Chosen Chronicles
by
Karen Dales

A woman cries through the throes of childbirth, a woman gives birth to a son, the first one born to the couple. But something was wrong, seriously wrong, so wrong the mother refused to feed the boy much less nurture and love him. What would make a mother turn her back on a baby born from her womb. All she could cry out was, that he was from her womb, but he was not her child. What was the father to do if his wife refused to feed and nurture their son? By their beliefs, the child was to be taken to the woods and left to die to the elements. How could he do such a thing? His heart broke as he took his son, and placed him away from the village to die.

By the mercy of the Goddess, the child's cries were heard, before the elements of the night could end his life. She knew the child was different and knew he would have to stay hidden from society forever if he was to survive and if her life was to be safe. As the boy grew, she knew he needed to learn ways to protect himself, and for that he needed a male figure in his life. The man she chose, would change the world as the boy knew, forever. The boy came to love the man, and the man came to love the boy. He taught the boy all he could before having to leave for war.

It is speculation as to what 'the boy' soon to be named Gwyn' was. He knew what he had been told he was by the villagers that had caught glimpses of him, and from what his Auntie told him. Until one day, while out hunting, he was walking home with his kill and seen the smoke coming from the home he and his Auntie lived. The horror he came upon would forever burn in his memory.

As the boy had to trod out on his own, he met someone in the wilderness that too would change him forever. And make him question what he thought he had always been. He thought the stranger had given him a gift, however, it may turn out to be a curse of unbelievable horror. Causing him to be unsure of his existence at all.

I will leave my detailed review of the book there because I do not want to give away any more details and secrets of one of the best, unusual books I have read in awhile. The characters in this book were given real feelings, emotions, heartaches, and tears by the author. Karen found a way to draw the reader into the book to walk along this beautiful creature, feeling his desires, his pain, his heart wrenching life he had to live. The question is, what is he? He is pale in color. He is tall, with a long white hair and cannot walk into sunlight. Then when he meets the stranger in the forest, who attacks him, and bites him, Gwyn finds now he can no longer eat regular food, is no longer cold, can run so fast he is a blur and has super human strength.

This story is set a time of wars, men in armor, villages of people who live in huts, and transportation was either by horse, cart or foot.

Take the extraordinary journey with Gwyn. Learn to love him, respect him, feel and protect him. And see if you can solve the question, what is he?

I give this book five stars *****

Reviewed by
Nora Chipley Barteau
Reviewers Helping Authors
http://norachipleybarteau.blogspot.com/
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About the author Karen Dales

Karen Dales was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the author
of The Chosen Chronicles. She began writing Changeling: Prelude
to the Chosen Chronicles and Angel of Death: Book One of the
Chosen Chronicles after she was inspired to create the character of
The Angel for an on-line role playing game she was part of. It was
from that experience the birth of The Angel was formed and through
years of research Karen fleshed out The Angel and other characters
that came to her.
Having completed York University’s Creative Writing courses years
previously, Karen began to write Changeling and Angel of Death as
one novel. It was on their completions that it was clear they were two
distinct novels of an evolving series that has come to include
Shadow of Death: Book Two of the Chosen Chronicles, which was
eleased April 8, 2011. Karen is currently writing the next
installment - Thanatos: Book Three of the Chosen.
Since the publication of both Changeling and Angel of Death
in a limited edition single volume, Karen has been an Author Guest
at, Polaris, AdAstra, FanExpo, and Word On The Street.
You can find out her future appearances by clicking here.

In January 2011 Karen won the Siren Books Awards for “Angel of Death”
for Best Horror 2010 and Best Overall 2010.

In September 2011 “Shadow of Death” won the Sizzling Hot Book of the Month

“Shadow of Death” was runner up to the Sizzling Hot Book of 2011.

Karen loves hearing from you. If you have a question or comment
please feel free to email it to her at karendales@karendales.com

You can also follow her on Twitter on Facebook,
and join her Facebook Fan Page