Dun Lady's Jess

A reviewer

Apart from the Harry Potter books, I¿ve read few fantasy novels. My one exception: the books of my friend Doranna Durgin. Of course, as she¿s been my friend for over 20 years, you can¿t expect me to be wholly objective in a review. So I¿ll just tell you what I like about her very first published book, Dun Lady¿s Jess, which has been reissued in a beautiful new edition by Canadian publisher Red Deer Press. Beautiful dun mare Lady, and her rider, Cary, are running for their lives when Cary invokes a spell that sends them hurtling to an alternate reality¿a reality that does not include magic. Not only that, but Lady has been transformed into a human woman. She¿s found by Eric, a kind-hearted environmentalist, and his friend Dayna. They quickly realize that Lady is in a state of mental confusion. Wary about turning her into the authorities, they take her to Dayna¿s home to try to figure out what to do next. They meet up with their friends Jaime, who owns a horse training facility, and her brother Mark. And when Carey shows up--that¿s when the fun begins. This book has everything I look for in great storytelling: endearing friendships, action, adventure suspense, thrills and fun. I¿m not kidding when I say it¿ll make you laugh and cry. There¿s a reason this book won the Compton Crook Award, and it¿s hard to believe this could be someone¿s first book because Doranna got everything right. The characterization, the action, and most importantly, the mindset of Dun Lady¿s Jess--a horse changed by magic into a woman. Read it. You¿ll love it, too.

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This is a first novel???

It reads like an offering from a far more experienced writer. But then, I expected nothing less, by the time I actually read it. I discovered Doranna Durgin many years ago, but even then, Dun Lady's Jess was already out of print. I finally tracked it down at an online used book store. It was VERY hard to find... apparently, not many people who read it were willing to give it up. That should tell you something. I, myself, couldn't wait for the American edition of the re-issue... I bought the Canadian edition. HUGE thanks to Red Deer Press for reintroducing it! I have read and enjoyed other fantasies that involved shape-shifting--and I'm looking forward to Durgin's new one in the Silhouette 'Nocturne' line next year. But Dun Lady's Jess is a 'change' fantasy on an entirely different level. As a person, Jess has the instincts and sensibilities of a horse, but has to learn to use her new and expanded human brain power. As a horse, Jess is not a person in a horse's body, she's a horse, confused by the new scope of thought available to her horse's brain. This makes the whole story fascinating on a personal development and characterization level, as well as the actual intriguing plot-line of travel and adventure taking place across two very different dimensions. All the characters benefit from Durgin's talent at characterization, of course--like all her books--but Jess has, and always will have, a special place in my heart. The action ain't bad, either. Durgin excels at pacing a story to keep you turning pages far into the night.

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Nobody writes animals as well as Durgin. Her understanding of ho

Nobody writes animals as well as Durgin. Her understanding of horses is so deep, that she has no trouble drawing the reader into the mind of a horse. And then she does a fabulous job of showing all the quirks and joys and dramas of being a human from an outsider’s point of view. And to top it off, there’s a delightful story with beautifully drawn settings, a dangerous villain, and an exciting adventure.

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