As the disgraced daughter of the previous Lord of the Hunt,
Ella has spent three centuries in the human world making
gowns for the elite. She can feel the winter coming and
knows that she must return to Annwyn before the power shift
or she will die like so many of the mortals she's known over
the years. She promises herself she'll leave after just one
more job...
Isaac Norton is a recently returned soldier who dreams of
battle every night. Not the kind he saw overseas but a
battle in a snow-covered land. A battle where the blood is
blue, and he wields a sword instead of a gun. He knows it's
a battle he has yet to fight, in a world far different than
his. Isaac's visions have always come true, and when he sees
Ella who has come to make a dress for his actress sister, he
knows his world is about to change. Ella can give him the
answers he seeks, but the price will be his soul.
THE CHANGELING SOLDIER by Shona Husk is book 2.5 in the
Court of Annwyn series. This novella packs a
wonderfully intense plot with a dark thread of obsession,
betrayal, and desire. Each book I read in the Court of
Annwyn series gets better. Author Shona Husk reveals a
new facet of Annwyn in each and every book. It keeps this
series fresh and creates an intricate system of power and
conflict. With every addition to this series, I love this
world a little more.
The plot of THE CHANGELING SOLDIER is set in the human
world, but with Isaac's visions and Ella's internal pull to
the fairy kingdom of Annwyn, the political intrigue that
connects each book in this series is never forgotten. It
connects the worlds in a way that make the threat of a power
shift real to both worlds.
What I particularly like about THE CHANGELING SOLDIER is the
unconventional love story. Shona Husk doesn't force a
connection on the characters in a short amount of story
time. Instead, she captures the hope and promise of a new
relationship. Ella and Isaac's futures are tied together,
and Isaac knows what is coming, but neither character is the
type to throw themselves headlong into trust and love. They
are cautious characters and the promise of a future is
infinitely sweeter and more romantic.
If you've never read any of the Court of Annwyn
novels by Shona Husk, you should. I suggest reading them in
order because new corners of Annwyn and character motivation
are revealed in each novel, creating a complex storyworld
and plotline. It is possible to read them as standalones,
but you'd be missing out on a magical, romantic series. THE
CHANGELING SOLDIER is a wonderful addition to the Court
of Annwyn series and is as romantic and hopeful as the
promise of love.
Her time in the mortal world is running out... After fleeing Annwyn three centuries ago, Ella built a life in the mortal world making gowns for European royalty and playing in mortal intrigues. Now those Courts are long gone, and she dresses Hollywood starlets. Mortals come and go, but Ella always ends up alone. She longs for the home she left behind. He's been dreaming of the coming battle all his life... Isaac Norton is a returned soldier. Now home, he's restless and his recurring dream is becoming more frequent: he's fighting on a snow-covered field stained with blue blood. When he sees Ella, he knows she isn't human. And she knows what he is, a changeling. Ella can give Isaac the answers he needs, but there will be a price to pay: his soul.