Review: The Changeling Queen by A.B. McKinley
From the moment I stumbled upon The Changeling Queen by A.B. McKinley, I felt a rush of anticipation. Fairy tales reimagined, especially ones rooted in rich, mythological folklore, always pique my curiosity. As I cracked open this book, I was eager to dive into a world where faeries danced in the shadows and where the boundaries of humanity were stretched. However, what unfolded was not the enchanting adventure I had hoped for, but rather a narrative that left me feeling, well, quite a bit underwhelmed.
At its core, The Changeling Queen seeks to explore the life of Bess, a changeling with a mysterious lineage, as she navigates the challenges of both her human existence and her faerie heritage. The tale begins in the midst of the renowned Tam Lin ballad, where our first-person narrator—none other than the Seelie Queen herself—sets the narrative spinning with a story intended to foreshadow her relationship with Janet and the fateful Tam Lin. Yet, I found myself stuck around the 41% mark, unable to push through the blooming tedium that permeated the pages.
The prose, while serviceable, lacked the lyrical quality one might expect from such a whimsical genre. The author attempted to weave themes of female independence and sensuality into the narrative, but they often felt overcooked and stale, lacking the vibrance one craves in feminist literature set against a fantastical backdrop. I was hoping to embrace Bess’s journey more intensely, especially considering it was rich with the potential for a villain origin story. But instead, her struggles felt obscured by a narrative that didn’t quite deliver on the allure of faerie politics or spirited rebellion.
Characters like Bess are meant to leap off the page, yet I found her arc to be largely uninteresting. Her relationships, particularly with Thomas the shepherd, hinted at an intriguing bond, yet they quickly devolved into possessiveness that felt less like passion and more like an echo of the covenant she formed with the faerie realm. Bess’s burgeoning powers, revealed in fits and starts, lacked a cohesive exploration. Instead of curiosity, I was left feeling a “why now?” regarding her development—reminding me how crucial clarity and pacing are in fantasy narratives.
I couldn’t help but echo a sentiment I’ve read in others’ reviews—wouldn’t it have been significantly more engaging to dive headfirst into the intrigue and scheming of Faerie? The structure forced upon us, where Bess tells her history rather than actively living within the exciting moments of her life, hampered any potential dynamism. The clunky narrative technique became exceptionally frustrating, particularly when I wanted to see Bess take hold of her destiny instead of simply recounting it.
In conclusion, while The Changeling Queen may find a home with ardent fans of slow-burn stories or those enchanted by the concept of changelings and faerie lore, it ultimately fell short of the captivating experience I craved. If you’re someone who thrives on immersive world-building and character-driven plots, you might want to consider exploring other titles that deliver more vibrantly. For me, this reading experience became a reminder of the incredible breadth of literature and how, sometimes, our expectations don’t quite align with the reality of a story. And even if I didn’t finish Bess’s tale, it lengthened my own journey through the unparalleled world of literature—one that continues to surprise and delight, even amid a fleeting disappointment.