"A Change of Place"

Julie E. Czerneda is a biologist and writer whose science fiction has received international acclaim, awards, and best-selling status. She is the author of the popular "Species Imperative" trilogy, the "Web Shifters" series, the "Trade Pact Universe" trilogy and her new "Stratification" novels. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her stand-alone novel, In the Company of Others, won Canada's Prix Aurora Award and was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished SF.

Czerneda applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, A Change of Place, and reported the following:

From page 69:

…Louder, to a dragon, the keening of efflet. Those in the lowermost fields fought to keep the flood at bay, as if water were snow to be pushed back by their claws. They drowned in their hun­dreds, bodies drifting away to be seized by waiting nyphrit. If the river continued to rise, those here would do the same and die.

Efflet were as they were. They could no more stop trying to save their kaliia than succeed in the effort. The moment when only the river’s snarl filled the silence, who, Wisp wondered, would mourn them?

Jenn Nalynn.

If he told her, which he would not. “The efflet cannot help you.”

Nor could he. The ravines along the far side of the valley, where Tadd and Allin took the animals to graze in spring, were deep and shadowed, full of snow and frozen.

As for flying the beasts from Marrowdell, beyond the edge? Wisp shuddered inwardly. Better to drop them in the Verge and have a quick death.

The girl didn’t move or speak. Stars came out. Wisp felt the chill sink into his flesh, slowing his blood except where she touched him. He wouldn’t move before she did, there being no greater comfort in his life.

Still, being flesh, she shouldn’t linger. The dragon struggled with his conscience.

All at once she spoke, her voice low and petal soft. “Then we must stop the flood. Wisp, where does the river come from? Where exactly,” she qualified before he answered.

Meaning he had to envision the valley as it looked when he flew over it. A valley where the interesting parts were along the road the turn- born had made from their crossing to Bannan’s farm, the ford, and the village— as well as the forested crag above the village that might contain bears— and the not- safe for dragons or anyone parts where the Bone Hills stretched like enormous claws dug into the ground.

“I don’t know,” the dragon admitted.

Wow. The Page 69 Test is a complete success for this book. Hurray! The risk to Marrowdell, the danger faced by everyone quite early in the story is all here, plus a rich sense of two main characters, Jenn and her dragon Wisp. One of my favourite parts of writing these stories has always been their interplay. He’s not a person—far from it and that’s vital—yet after being part of Jenn’s life since she was born, Wisp is also far more than just a dragon.

As for Jenn, she’s learning to navigate the impulses of her generous heart and the consequences of her still new magic. It’s a powerful tension throughout.

On the other hand, I’m grateful this isn’t a spoiler. You do find out that there’s a flood and they’ll do their utmost to survive it, but very little else. So far. Hurray!

If you read this page first and like it, I promise you won’t be disappointed by the rest.

Visit Julie E. Czerneda's website.

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My Book, The Movie: A Change of Place.

--Marshal Zeringue