Dun Ladys Jess

This is not the normal type of story I choose. I was influenced to curiosity by the reviews. Im really glad I gave it a try. It was an unusual approach to the body swapping/turned into an animal tropes, and I felt that it was handled very well, and in a unique manner. The pace was a little slow for me, but it worked well for the story. I dont want to give anything away, but I encourage readers to give this unusual story a try. A man on a mission and his horse are thrust into our world, and the horse is unexpectedly turned into a woman in passage. She manages to retain her sanity with the help of experienced horse people, new friends, and her loving rider, but shes still a horse on the inside. She learns more than anyone ever expected she could, and develops opinions, ideas, and goals of her own, but remains deeply committed to her rider, their mission, and to getting home. There are many questions about what will happen to her when they figure out how to get home, and questions about whether or not home will still be safe since their mission has been delayed. Even more questions arise when they are just as unexpectedly transported back to their own world--along with their new friends from this one. Its really pretty well done. I liked it, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, despite it being very different from my regular reads.

Great stand-alone story with an interesting premise and great ensemble cast. While it is able to be a stand alone novel, it has more books following it (which makes me happy). I thought Durgin did a great job depicting the horse in Jess and her entire time as a human. Im not familiar with horses or animals in general, but this made me love them. The romantic in me did kind of wish for a little more romance though. Nevertheless, great story and a bit darker than folks may expect.

This story takes us inside the mind of a horse and shows us how that horse might respond to becoming human. Feels very real. Kept me interested all the way to the end.

I dont think I have ever read a story like this one before--a rare thing in these days of multi volume fantasy series. Dun Ladys Jess is a simple story about a couriers horse. Jess and her rider are on a mission when they are attacked and accidentally transported to our world. Due to the nature of the spell used against them, Jess is turned into a woman while her rider is seperated from her and disorientated. Jess is found naked and alone by a couple out for the day. They rescue her, take her home, and finally realise they hve something very strange on their hands. Jess meanwhile is having trouble understanding that standing on her hind legs is now allowed (rearing is bad) and that she can talk just like her rider. All in all, a simple but intensely interesting read. Well worth your moneyu and time.

Doranna Durgin is a very good fantasy writer, and her Changespell Saga is very re-readable. Shes the only author I know who has based a story on a horse becoming human, and handles this very tricky and difficult situation deftly without oversimplifying it. Her characters are engaging and her plots intriguing and exciting. I need to reread the rest (its been years) so I can find out what happens next!

Unique perspective.

I found Dun Ladys Jess (The Changespell Saga) by Doranna Durgin an unforgettable story. It is so unusual, it really gets the imagination going and I could not put it down. I had to get the second book in this series and found it just as good as this book.

This was one of those books that Id always meant to read but could never remember the title (Im not a horse person, so the title always came across as strange to me.) But Im so glad one of my friends posted it to my FB wall! I found the premise interesting, even weird -- a horse transforms into a human but isnt a shifter, but a horse with a humans body. That part is really well done, really convincing. The characters she makes friends with come across as real people... even/especially the horse. Im definitely going to buy the rest of the series. Oh, this is a fantasy book, not a shifter romance. There is a tiny bit of romance, but only at the end, and its not the focus of the story.

I suppose its OK if you are a teenager in love with horses. The premise is set in our world and a magical world, so the lack of detail development conveniently relies upon magic. Character development seemed shallow. The writing did not meet the level of the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I will pass on the follow-up books.

I enjoyed the author playing with the idea of a horse becoming human. The romance was nice and not overbearing. There were enough questions raised to keep a person interested in the series. The writing flowed well. I somehow lost a little interest during the climax, but then action is not my favorite genre.