Changeling: Zombie Dawn [Paperback]

And so, the final curtain has been drawn on the Changeling saga. Steve Feasey and his wonderful world of werewolves, vampires, demons, sorceresses and humans ends with his fifth book in the series, Zombie Dawn.

And right away, I'll say that I'm sad to see it end. While the teenage fantasy series hasn't blown me away, I've had tremendous fun reading the books, and coming to know and love the characters. Teenager Trey Laporte (the last hereditary werewolf in existence), Lucien Charron (his vampire guardian), his daughter Alexa (powerful sorceress) and Tom O' Callahan (an Irish human mercenary as tough as they come); all superb, distinctive characters (among many more), preparing for a sinister war against the diabolical vampire and Lucien's brother, Caliban.

After great development of the characters and the plots, we now arrive at the endgame. Caliban has resurrected the dark sorceress Helde to create an army of the undead, so that he can finally achieve his goal of conquering the human realm. As Lucien mobilizes all his forces ready for counter-attack, Trey has seemingly reached his breaking point, after all his suffering and loss. Turning his back on the Netherworld conflict and his final destiny against Caliban, Trey longs to depart. But another complication arises when Trey's past unexpectedly catches up with him.

Zombie Dawn is a satisfying conclusion to Feasey's Changeling books. But after reading the gripping Blood Wolf and the exciting Demon Games, I was expecting more. Not to say that this is terrible, because it's far from terrible. It's just that there are a lot of sub-plots here that are hit-and-miss, and directions that the author takes some of his characters in which I don't agree with.

When Caliban's invasion happens, the focus shifts onto various pedestrians who experience the unnatural events unfold. In theory, this isn't a bad idea, as it helps provide a sense of realism, and gives the high-stakes so much more power. The problem though is that Feasey wastes too much time "wandering off" when the priority should be the main plot.

Another disappointment is the absence of Phillipa Tipsbury, an innocent unfortunately dragged into the Netherworld conflict. I would've loved to have seen her play a role in the final book, even if it were just a cameo with Alexa in the epilogue. Instead her absence is just explained in a mere paragraph at the start of the story, and that's it. After such wonderful establishment in previous books, a likeable new character is just dismissed without a thought.

Then, there's the return of Ella, one of the surviving members of the werewolf pack LG78. It's an idea (and sub-plot) that starts out with promise, and continues in gripping fashion, but the resolution feels anti-climactic and that Ella's role could've become more positive instead of...well, see for yourself.

However, the main protagonist Trey is truly the hero of the hour. After all his loss, the teenage werewolf comes into his own BIG TIME. After the events of Blood Wolf and Demon Games, Trey has evolved into a hero many can be proud of, facing and overcoming so many challenges and demons, to the point where you're rooting him on like never before. Alexa receives equal development also, with her fierce independence and sorcery prowess matching Trey's own transcendence into a bonafide champion. Their relationship again receives some natural focus, and the resolution to it all is highly pleasing.

Feasey also scores high-marks with pushing the reader's buttons and really making them feel for his characters. Some of the events in Zombie Dawn are truly shocking. Characters suffer and die, and you pray for them to come through. When some of them do, you're naturally relieved. When some don't, you truly mourn. Feasey can capture emotion with his writing in great fashion, and he also paints beautifully, nightmarish imagery with the zombies running amuck and multiplying. Caliban's invasion, Helde's grotesque appearance, the teenage violence, exciting action and the abominations that emerge for the final battle; all brilliantly described.

Parts feel a little rushed, though. And there are some bumps in the reading which feel distracting, but Lucien's fascinating development, the dramatic battles and the much-anticipated face-off between Trey and Caliban turns out to be worth the wait and surprising, with intelligent dialogue to convey the hatred and the lycanthrope's determination and refusal to back down. And the end result and aftermath again proves to be satisfying.

Changeling: Zombie Dawn is a mixed bag, full of good and not-so good. It wasn't the big bang I was expecting, but the positive outweighs the negative. Steve Feasey should be proud of his work and I've certainly enjoyed the ride. Fans will enjoy this last instalment. This book, like the others and the series itself, is recommended.

Well done, Mr Feasey. Looking forward to your next series in 2012.

When this arrived in the post fresh from Amazon I was so excited I have been waiting for it for what seems like forever. It's the last book in the series so I knew it would be packed with excitement and danger. I was slightly surprised by how small it looked at only 280 pages it's thin compared to the other books in the series, but saying that it is packed out and full of adventure.
Trey is back from the Netherworld and trying to feel like he fits in. He doesn't want to spend his life looking over his shoulders for demons and vampires, but i doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. Lucien, Tom, Trey and Alexa learn of a plot concerning Caliban and his sorceress Helde. A zombie army could be emerging and they have to stop it before the world is taken over. With the appearance of old friends and enemies the group are up against it. Can Trey fulfill the prophecy and put an end to it all for good, it's a lot to ask from a teenage boy, but being a werewolf does help!
I was so happy to be back into Trey's world, I slipped right back in as if being welcomed home. Tom still stands as one of my favourite characters - he's gentle, kind, honest and caring but with a hard fight in him and a willingness to do anything for the greater good. There to cheer them up when down and there to kick them up the butt when they need it too.
I like that we see Alexa grow as a sorceress in this book, I could really get a sense for her future.
Lucien is great and mysterious as ever, and Trey is everything you can identify with, a lost boy looking for a place to fit in, but willing to risk everything to help his friends. His emotions are raw and easily shown and this helps you to connect to him - makes him feel more real.
The zombie plot is well done and got my spine tingling. I could picture the scenes and i was holding my head in protection. Feasey doesn't play on the traditional 'brains' cry which is over done but gives a new exciting angle.
I really enjoyed this book but am sad the series is over. The ending did wrap up a lot of things but I do feel there are some things that have been left open. It didn't feel like a definite ending (here's me hoping he will revisit it in the future) although that's not likely.
If you love werewolves, vampires, magic, zombies, adventure, action and mystery then this book is for you. Well written and with great pace I read it in one go and loved every minute!

Superb, and very scary, book for teenagers, the fifth and final one in the 'Changeling' series. I wouldn't normally go for this sort of book, but it is written by a friend, Steve Feasey, and I started the series out of 'loyalty' and found them all page-turners; but not recommended for those who are scared of werewolves, vampires, zombies, etc.