This is Shinn's first novel, and a beautifully crafted one at that. The story is simple and simply told, which makes it that much more forceful: a young apprentice magician, Aubrey, is sent to a new tutor, the famous shape-changer Glyrendon, to learn transmogrification. Gifted and with great promise, Aubrey's ambitions to learn all he can from the master magician, who lives in a dark stone fortress overrun with dust and vines in the middle of the forest, clouds his eyes to the truth of Glyrendon...

If books have kindred spirits than The Last Unicorn and The Shape-Changer's wife are true bosom companions (as orphan Anne of Green Gables would know it). Shinn's book had a love story that meant more to me (the only aspect of 'Unicorn' that doesn't totally own my soul is the love story), as it is a love story about freedom (the only kind that matters). Took my breath away it did. Beagle himself endorses the book on the cover (the same quote appears on most of her subsequent publications). I've

I really liked this. I know it has some negative reviews, but I think maybe those readers went in with mistaken impressions. Yes, I guessed the 'twist' as soon as the scene was set, but that's not a problem. The story (novella, really, as it's so short) is worth reading for the different characters, the metaphorical journeys they go on, the world-building & magic system, and the ending.I do have to mention that there is a trigger of offstage (view spoiler)[pedophilia (hide spoiler)].

Aubrey, a young magician, has learned just about all he can from his current mentor and decides to become the apprentice of Glyrendon a feared but extremely talented shape changer. Little does he realize he is about to enter into a very strange world.Upon arriving at Glyrenden's home he is puzzled when he discovers the wizard is out of town for an unspecified amount of time and is further surprised when he encounters the weird, unpersonable inhabitants of the home. Aubrey, a good natured fellow,...

What a simple, beautiful story. I was captured very quickly within the first chapter. Until Aubrey arrived in the village to study with Glyrenden, he had no idea that the great wizard had a wife. This is the tale of a young man named Aubrey, a very bright young sorcerer who has set out to learn the arts of transmogrification from a famous wizard named Glyrenden. Upon the wizard's acceptance of his new pupil, he sets off to live with and learn the arts of the man. It is within the dusty, dismal h...

I *thought* this book was part of the same series as 'The Truth-Teller's Tale' and 'The Safe-Keeper's Secret.' (I dunno, something about the title?)Anyway, it's not. Although I loved those other 2 books, I think I liked this one even more than either. I was surprised to read here that it was actually Shinn's first novel, because it didn't read like a freshman effort at all. The language was gorgeous, and the plot flowed smoothly and beautifully.A young apprentice wizard is sent by his master to

Strange, dark, disquieting. I am not sure how I feel about some things in this book. It buys into a trope I deeply dislike (romantic love = humanity, with either more or less nuance than usual depending on how you look at it) and edges close to several others.This is a story both specifically about whether women can be fully human to men, and whether anyone is human to a powerful man. It deals with abuse of that power, emotionally and physically- very strong content warning for abuse on this one...

The Shape-Changer's Wife is a somewhat odd story. It was very slow paced and the mystery was very easy to figure out. I'm not sure why it took the protagonist so long to figure it all out. Once I unraveled the mystery behind the shape-changer's wife I had to laugh about it a little bit. (view spoiler)[ It was just kind of absurd that he was in love with a tree! (hide spoiler)] I enjoyed the epilogue. I thought it added a nice touch to the story.

I can certainly see why this novella earned Sharon Shinn the Best First Fantasy Book award from Locus! It is very well thought out & sweet morality tale about power, change, and limits.

   “[…] Is love the ultimate illusion? Or is it what it seems to be—the greatest transformation of all?” – page 44, Glyrenden   When I first started this book, it read like a short story out of a larger fantasy world – a story where we find ourselves plopped down in the middle of it, without much to help us gain our bearings in this sudden shift. The allusions to far-away lands, while still carefully crafting the wizard Glyrenden’s home, gives this world a sense of scope as well as a sense of fo...

This was so different from anything I've read in a long time. It reads almost boring with the breakfasts, lack of conversation and magic, but the suspense and curiosity this format builds is wonderful! The world and characters are so fascinating - not that you like them necessarily, but you want to know more. It was such an interesting read and the last few chapters make it so worth it!

This novel plays with the aspects of metamorphosis made famous by Greek and Roman mythology. Explaining how these metamorphoses occur ruins the novel, so I won't say any more on that subject (even if it's quite obvious anyway). The weakness of the story is that it hinges on a mystery that isn't all that mysterious, the aforementioned transformations, but it does deal interestingly with concepts of good and evil. A young wizard named Aubrey is introduced to the evil wizard by way of his former tu...

Okay, Tort, I was able to predict plot twist before the protagonist but... not by much. Around page 70 I knew the twist but not the... specific "thing". Then I finally realized the "thing" and felt stupid b/c there were a lot of hints. The names.. and other things. I'm trying not to be spoilery. I like the themes in this book.. love and magic..and stuff. But I feel like the book was end-heavy (that is, all the really cool stuff happened in like the last 50 pages rather than the preceding 150). B...

This is the book that made me stop writting. That means it was good, right?

First time in many years that I just had to keep reading. Excellent story

Sharon Shinn is one of my all-time favourite authors, and although I've been very curious about this book - her debut novel, and a multiple award-winner - I didn't know much about the plot beforehand, which I think is the best way to go into this book!Although told in Shinn's clear, compelling writing style that whisks you along like a fallen leaf in a playful skirling Autumn wind, the tale is more whimsical than her usual work, a modern fairy tale along the lines of another favourite author of

Probably a 3.5 really. I had a really hard time getting into it but probably half or 3/4 way through I got my flow and ended up enjoying it although I still wouldn’t say it was great. It was...fine. Or o.k. Lol

Unfortunately, this wasn't what I expected. Don't get me wrong, Ms. Shinn is a gifted writer, but I just never caught on with the story.

The stark simplicity of the writing drew me in quickly. I couldn’t put this book down. And its deeper meaning about life and love gave me something to think about for quite sometime after finishing it.

After the disappointing "Archangel", which I checked out of the library concurrently with this other book by Sharon Shinn, I was pretty wary of reading it. But the blurb by Peter S. Beagle praising it convinced me to pick it up.And hey, it was so much better. This is a short novella that's very fairy tale. I liked the hero, the story was predictable, but that's kind of the point of this kind of story. I'm not sure if Shinn was expecting that the secret of the Wife, and the two servants would be

So this is my 2nd Sharon Shinn book and I have to admit I really loved it. She really has the gift of being the perfect story teller. Her writing isnt anything fancy, its simple but that's what makes it elegant in one way or another. I feel like whenever I finish her books I have just finished a classic old fairy tale of somesort, though her stories do not always entail fluffy endings. I felt that even though I knew half way through the book the mystery behind the shape changers wife it was stil...

This is a beautifully written story of love, magic and transformation reminiscent of a fairy tale. Aubrey is a young apprentice magician who wishes to learn the magic of transformation. He travels to the house of the aging sorceror Glyrenden, who is the greatest shape-shifter in the kingdom, and who has agreed to take Aubrey in as a student. Glyrenden's house is large and imposing when seen from outside, but inside everything is poorly kept and delapidated. The inhabitants of the house, Glyrende...

This is impressive for a first novel. The prose is lovely. The story is a little slow at parts, but the environment in which the story takes place is very much timeless, so the pace of the story is almost appropriate. Aubrey is a young magician who comes to the great master magician Glyrendon for further training, having learned what his original master could teach him. Gylrendon lives deep in the forest in a large house that is full of dust. A few strange individuals live there with him. None o...

This was the first Sharon Shinn book I read. Strangely enough (or maybe not so much), I first heard of this author after joining Bookcrossing, at the suggestion of other Bookcrossers. Well, I got this book from Bookcloseouts and finally managed to read it, and I can say that I'll be keeping an eye on other books by this author because I really, really enjoyed this book.The story is not all that complex, but the way the author writes the characters, sets the mood and develops the narrative makes

Aubrey is a little slowface. I was pretty positive about the "secret" by page 70. I thought I was a little slow to catch on, too. So I'm still kind of frustrated with slowersby the protagonist. Especially considering people's names...But I won't ruin the book. It's pretty good. I think the ending was rather nice. I don't know if the author deserves to be compared to Robin McKinley, though. I don't think she's that good.

Her first novelIntrigued me. Her ideas and use of language are varied and unique. Since reading her first novel, I have gone on to read all of her work, and she has become one of my most favorite authors. Highly recommend ANYthing by Sharon Shinn. An incredibly talented writer.

An enjoyable fantasy book with a solid setting. On the downside, though, I figured out the mystery of "who she really is" about a hundred pages before it's announced. That's a lot for a two hundred page book.

Where does she come up with these stories! Crazy imagination this woman has! I enjoyed this book but I like all Sharon Shinn so I am a little biased. But this was so original and the love story so good.

Read my review of this beautiful novel at Green Man Review: http://www.greenmanreview.com/book/bo....

I like this one in fits and starts. It's short and sweet, and the bit at the ball and the bonfire is wonderful. The end always makes me cry, especially the epilogue. It's a good modern fairy tale.