Children’s Books: Shapeshifter by Holly Bennett

There’s so much magic in Shapeshifter (Orca Books) it’s difficult to know where to begin. Set in iron age Ireland, we meet Sive a gifted singer who becomes trapped in the body of a deer.
The story itself is beautiful and adventure-filled and Bennett’s magic transports us.

She could, if she wished, sing a king and his servants to sleep and rob him of his treasures, take revenge on a rival by plunging her into despairing grief, or, yes, compel a man to love her. But that was not the sort of love Sive wanted.

This sort of power is fraught with danger, for obvious reasons, and before very long Sive runs afoul of the dark sorcerer who manages to trap Sive in her deer form. Enter a champion: in this case Finn Mac Cumhail, or Irish legend.

Author Bennett is the editor-in-chief of Today’s Parent Special Editions and was once a researcher for Aboriginal organizations. As well, she’s an award-winning author and her Bonemender series has brought her acclaim from many avenues. To those of us following her career, Shapeshifter seems like a natural progression. Bennett’s voice here is confident, her direction clear, she never misses a beat of this rich and gorgeous tale.