The River flowed through all the land, deep and unstoppable, a god in his own right. His head was in the mountains; his arms embraced the outlands; his body lay at the core of all the civilized realms; and his legs stretched on to the distant sea. Dark and sluggish, he rolled unchallenged, dreaming his own invincible might and glory into stark reality. Everywhere he touched, the River God held dominion. And in Nhol, the fabled city at the heart of the world, an emperor ruled as the living aspect of the god, presiding over the splendors and intrigues of a prosperous land and a glittering court. Hezhi was an imperial princess; her blood carried the seeds of the River's power. When her favorite cousin disappeared, Hezhi searched throughout the sumptuous palace with its ghosts and priests, giants and courtiers, and frightening creatures of wizardry. And the magic within her began to grow; soon it must attract dangerous attention. Hezhi's anxious quest ripened into a desperate fight for her own life--a battle she could not hope to win alone. Small wonder that the princess wished for a hero. And far away, a hero's journey began... It's that story again: unsophisticated adolescent boy, spunky, curious princess, large landscape for them to tour, troublesome deities, a magic sword. J. Gregory Keyes's knowledge of epics, myths, and human cultures is a solid foundation for his series, making it far better than the average product: a story that might have happened sometime between the Ice Ages when numinous deities still dwelled in every tree, rock, and pool. The detailed social structures and customs feel more authentic, though they're also familiar--the urban monotheists, the shamanistic horseback nomads, and so on. The writing is workmanlike, but the anthropological soundness and echoes of ancient stories give life and dimension to the old archetypes. In his first novel, Keyes weaves an epic fantasy world of myth and magic reminiscent of Terry Brooks's work. This coming-of-age adventure finds Hezli, a teenage imperial princess, devouring books to help her locate her missing favorite cousin, and Perkar, a chieftain's son, sworn to slay the River God whose power flows in Hezli's blood. Highly recommended for fantasy collections. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Keyes has created a memorable world, forged eons before the events of this book, when there was a ferocious battle between two brother gods. One of those, the River God, now wields total dominion over the land through which he flows. The emperor of that land, whose blood carries the god's seed, serves as the god's "living aspect" in the great city of Nhol. The blood of the emperor's young daughter Herzhi also carries the seed, and as she enters puberty, she discovers that its growing power within her is placing her in grave danger. In desperation, she wishes for a hero. She is, however, no namby-pamby and, intelligent and courageous in her own right, investigates the sordid secrets hidden in the waterways beneath the imperial palace. Far away, in lands ruled by various aspects of the Forest Lord--among them Karak, the Crow God--young Perkar is embarking on his manhood quest. He is inexorably drawn to Nhol by nightmares not only of the River God, whom he has sworn to slay, but also of a young girl calling to him from a city of white stone. Keyes handles the elements of high fantasy well, from the awakening of Herzhi's power at her menarche to the enchanted sword Perkar takes from the Forest God and the marked capriciousness of his tale's gods. Keyes' richly detailed tapestry, steeped in American Indian myth and lore, is book one in a planned saga, Children of the Changeling. May the next volume come soon. Sally Estes First of an ambitious fantasy series entitled Children of the Changeling, full of ghosts, gods, magic, and mischief. The Changeling, the powerful river god of the city Nhol, has absorbed or driven off all the other gods for miles around; his waters flow in the blood of Nhol's royal family and confer magic powers. At puberty, the royals are tested by priests, after which they move into the royal apartments--or vanish. When her friend disappears, young dark-eyed Princess Hezhi vows to find out why. According to rumor, the disappeared ones are banished to an ancient flooded tunnel system beneath the palace. But then Hezhi feels the first stirrings of magic within her and suspects that the power will bring her trouble, perhaps even cause her to be exiled. Secretly, she prays for a hero to help her and dreams of a pale-skinned barbarian. Meanwhile, far away, the pale-skinned farmer's son Perkar comes of age and, falling in love with the local stream- goddess, swears to kill her enemy--the Changeling. After various adventures, he dreams of a dark-eyed girl, acquires a magic sword, and ends up unable to escape from a boat controlled by the Changeling, which is heading inexorably for Nhol. Finally, Hezhi investigates the mysterious floode