The Shifter (Healing Wars Series #1)

I SO EXCITED TO READ THIS

This is one of the best series EVER!!!! The first two books were amazing and I am sooo excited to read this. I only hope that staying up till midnight was worth it. I recommend this book to any fiction lover

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing..

This series may belong under 'children's book', but her words, and story, has captured me, and unlike others, Janice Hardy has really reach out to others, especially with the themes and motifs in her stories. I shall forever thank the day I found the first book, "The Shifter," and even as I grow older, the thrill and excitement that this series gives me, shall ever remain every time I read them. (:

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The shifter series

Wow. I am down right SHOCKED that Janice Hardy hasnt achieved James Patterson level of fame (at least) these are the freaking best books EVER (other than Lightning Theif) if you like Witch and Wizard by James Patterson or Percey Jackson and the Olympian series MUST READ

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

also a cliff hanger

the only reaon that i read thiis one is because the first book left off on a cliff hanger. this one also had a cliff hanger.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Parent approved!

I bought this for my 14-yo daughter. I'm happy that she's reading anything, but this book solicited discussion among us and that's a bigger plus. The characters were interesting and well written and the plot kept us (not only a 14-yo but me too) interested.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo

Nya and her sister have been orphaned. Though her sister has been taken in as an apprentice with the Healer's League, Nya is on her own. She has the power to take pain, but Nya isn't a Healer - she's a Taker. Instead of shifting pain into the enchanted metal known as pynvium, she can only push it into another person. This dangerous skill makes her valuable to the enemy, and she finds herself forced into working for a pain merchant. When her sister and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, Naya must make some difficult choices and decide how far she'll go to save her sister. THE SHIFTER is a brilliant beginning to THE HEALING WARS novels. Hardy has an elegant way of drawing the reader into the story with her characterization, and keeping them in the story with plot twists and the dark, war-torn setting for heightened tension. I loved reading about the darker side of healing as Nya's story unfolded, and I look forward to continuing to follow these characters in book two of the series, BLUE FIRE.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic Fantasy!

Originally reviewed and published at Let The Words Flow. When I pick up a book, I like to find myself immersed in a culture that is richly imagined and full of great characters. And with fantasy, I love when an author is able to make magic wholly unique. In Janice Hardy¿s middle-grade novel, The Shifter, that is exactly what is done. And don¿t let ¿middle-grade¿ fool you; while the book, if written for an older audience, could perhaps have been a bit darker, the book is by no means childish. It is well-written, complex, full of deceit, and ripe with betrayal; it is littered with political intricacies and so much cultural depth. So I hope none of you dismiss this book; this is the type of middle grade novel that can easily appeal to older audiences. Hardy has imagined a world where pain can not only be drawn out of a person through touch, but where pain is a commodity. She has created a world so culturally, religiously, and historically rich; so full of colour and wonderful vocabulary. Hardy throws you right into this world; and while it might take you time to figure out the cultural slang, political situation, and how exactly magic works for Takers (those who draw pain out of others), you¿ll find yourself absorbed nonetheless. Nya is a wonderful voice; she is conflicted, and is not a moral saint by any means. She finds herself often faced with difficult decisions that aren¿t clear-cut; there are many gray areas that Hardy is able to explore in this novel. And that was one of the most enjoyable things about The Shifter. The plot moves swiftly; it is well-paced, exciting, and just wonderfully imagined. Hardy¿s premise is innovative; and it carries a lot of weight. Full of action and adventure, this story will keep the pages turning; and right from the first chapter, you¿ll be thrown into the fray. We see the world through the eyes of Nya, whose voice is very engaging and realistic; written in first-person, every difficult decision she is faced with is all the more agonizing as we see her struggle with the choices laid out before her. She is headstrong, but not overly so. The contrast between everyone¿s differing personalities was wonderful; Danello¿s little twin brothers, for exexample, just stole my heart as soon as I was introduced to them. Soek, who was quite possibly my favourite character, plays a minor role; and yet I felt that he was fleshed out perfectly ¿ not too much (being more of a minor character), but not too little either (for it seems we¿ll be seeing more of him in the next book). His lines were funny, he wasn¿t perfect, and I just found him to be incredibly interesting. Full of political intrigue and betrayals, it does get a bit confusing closer to the end; with the Pain Merchants, the Duke, the League, and the Luminary all working towards their own ends (which aren¿t always obvious), it can get a bit convoluted. Some motivations aren¿t as developed or as clear as I would¿ve hoped them to be. However, a lot of it is eventually explained; and hints are dropped along the way. So there is lead-up; the twists don¿t come out of nowhere, and yet are still exciting to figure out. It¿s also nice to not be able to predict where the story will go. And there is action! Lots of it! Plus, I love the cover; it immediately grabbed my attention when I first saw it.

A great read for fantasy enthusiasts

This middle grade fantasy is the first in The Healing Wars Trilogy. Although boys would enjoy the physical nature of this adventure it is likely to have a greater appeal to girls. Nya is feisty and determined and a great role model for girls who may be wondering if they can do all that is expected of them. A good choice for reluctant readers because the story is complicated enough to interest them, with some mature implications, but not so difficult in reading level that it will lose them. This would also be a good book for advanced readers who need a multi-faceted story to hold their interest.

A Unique Fantasy Novel with a Great Setting

As a children's bookseller for 16 years as well as an avid reader of fantasy for kids, Janice Hardy's book THE SHIFTER struck me as a stand-out in a crowded field. The magical ability she dreamed up for her main character, Nya, is absolutely brilliant. Nya can heal people by shifting their pain, from illness or wounds, which is relatively common in the Geveg Isles where she is from. What Nya keeps secret from most everyone else is that, while she can't shift the pain into the pynvium rock like other healers, she does have the very rare ability to shift the pain into other human beings. In a time when her country has been invaded by a ruler from the North, her parents killed and her younger sister in danger, Nya has to decide how and when to use her secret skill. Hardy's book, besides being creative, suspenseful and hard to put down, brings up so many issues worth talking about with your kids, much like Lois Lowry's masterpiece, THE GIVER. From ethical to political questions and even the topic of Universal Health Care, there is so much going on in this remarkable trilogy.

Fun, original, engrossing read - if you like Kristin Cashore, def check this series out

The Shifter is a lovely change of pace from standard fantasy fare - there are no knights to be found in this story, and no vampires, werewolves, or witches either. Instead I found a fascinating world where Healers are a magic resource that can be used to fuel a war, where the politics of conquest cause poverty and helplessness, and where a war-made orphan is determined to do whatever it takes to save her sister.

Nya is a wonderful character - wry, flawed, stubborn and loyal. Her matter of fact acceptance of her lot is heartbreaking, especially with the reveals of what her life was like before the war, the family she used to have. Now Nya is scrambling to survive, a second class citizen in a conquered nation, and with rumors of war and refugees flooding the city, it's only going to get worse.

I absolutely loved how Nya's desperate situation backed her into corner after corner, especially in terms of the morally questionable choices she has to make as a result of her growing power. Nothing is ever easy or simple for Nya, and I loved how the forces of the larger world kept acting upon her life, and how some of the things she has to do haunt her.

The politics of power and the struggle to control the healers add a fascinating texture to this story, and the world building is so deftly woven into Nya's narrative that you'll hardly notice its arrival. Plenty of action propels this story forward from the first page, and the narrative will just never let you go.

Janice Hardy delivers a fun, original, engrossing read that will leave you wanting more (and happily, there are two more books coming our way). If you're a fan of Kristin Cashore, definitely check this one out.

Enjoyable fantasy read

Nya is a hungry orphan who looks after her little sister, an apprentice Healer - and Nya is also a Taker, someone who can heal other people and take their pain. But unlike proper Healers, she can't dump that pain into pynvium, only into other people, so she's always thought her power was usesless (and something to hide, since the Duke whose forces are occupying her homeland has a dark interest in unusual abilities). But when a pynvium shortage hits her city and apprentice Healers start disappearing, suddenly everyone wants to use Nya's abilities. But all Nya cares about is finding her sister before it's too late.


I really liked this book! It reminded me a bit of Active Voice favorite Fly By Night, actually (in a good way, that is). The plot is similarly caught up in intrigue and the politics of Nya's world: someone is hiding the pynvium shortage, but why? Who is starting riots and why? Why are people interested in Nya's talent, and what's happening to the missing apprentices? As it happens, though, I'd also say the book's biggest weakness is that some of the intrigue gets confusing. There are three separate antagonistic forces, sometimes working together and sometimes not (and Nya doesn't always know if they are or not), some of them working for the Duke and some against him, so it was mildly difficult to keep straight who was after what and why.

All this intrigue is set against some very strong worldbuilding. The magic of healing is interesting (and gets more so as the book goes on and Nya discovers other facets of her abilities), and the culture of her world is really fascinating. Nya's country is occupied by a foreign military, and has been for long enough that outsiders have moved in and made it theirs (kicking the native-born citizens out of the best houses, taking the best jobs, etc). All the main characters still remember the invasion (and most lost loved ones during it); through the whole book there are simmering undercurrents of both anger and fear. The characters want the outsiders gone, but also know they were crushed when they fought before. The dynamics are really well presented.

Just a few other thoughts on this one. The book was listed as teen, but read more as middle grade to me, in terms of tone (aside from a few gruesome moments) - the writing is rich but Nya came across as pretty young. Her character development is great, though. She's not naïve at the outset, but she faces increasingly morally grey questions and is forced to find answers, and sometimes she makes choices I didn't expect as she learns how to weigh consequences.

Conclusion: like I said, I very much enjoyed this. I don't have a heck of a lot to say, but definitely recommend it to people who like fantasy, and I'll pick up the next book for sure.

a fun story with strong voice!

I really enjoyed this story. Nya was an interesting character with an incredibly strong voice. I loved her humor, as well as how she viewed her world. Watching her grow from a survivor, to a reluctant heroine, to a purposeful rebel was just wonderful.

The world that Nya lives in is just as intriguing as she is. I love the idea that the ability to heal others comes with a price. In Nya's case, it's mental anguish from knowing that, in order to heal one person, someone else must suffer the pain. She's presented with very difficult choices and does the best she can with them. She doesn't let her choices endlessly torture her (they bother her, but don't incapacitate her), which I found very believable since she's a survivor, and survivors quickly learn how to compartmentalize. The fact that she's always quick to make amends, and goes to a great extent to do so, shows how much she wants to make things right with the world.

The political aspects were sometimes confusing, and there were a few times where I had to go back and figure out who was connected to who and how/why. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The villains were evil, but with a clear purpose, which kept them from being flat. Nya's friends were strong and likable, with plenty of flaws that kept them interesting.

Nya's gradual discovery of her skills upped the stakes in wonderful ways, and paved the way for the next book in the trilogy. Which I am very much looking forward to. Definitely recommended.

The Shifter - reviewed by a teacher and book blogger

This book gets my thumbs up purely because of the original concept, but the execution of it and the moral questions it poses makes this a truly wonderful book. Nya's country of Geveg has been invaded by the Baseeri, who have also taken over neighbouring Sorille and have their eyes on Verlatta as well. With her parents dead and younger sister Tali an apprentice at the Healing League, 15-year-old Nya must rely on her cunning to help her survive...and sometimes her skill as a Taker. Nya's healing magic is different from her sister's. Whereas Tali can take pain from others and transfer it to the pynvium metal to store it, Nya can only shift that pain from one person to another. Their mother always warned Nya never to use her shifting, and it isn't until Nya gets caught up in bargains and exchanges to help Tali that she finally realizes why. Nya is approached by various people that discover her unique healing ability and want her help, some for not-so-honourable purposes. She faces a moral dilemma because she doesn't want to refuse to heal people in spite of the complications that might arise, but she also wants to rescue Tali and expose the Healing League for forcing their apprentices to heal despite the pynvium shortage.

Nya is a wonderful character who's smart, fiery, spunky, and loyal. She cares about her sister, and also about the effect her actions have on other people despite the fact that the majority of people now occupying Geveg (Baseeris) don't deserve her concern. The world building in this novel has been carefully done, with a lot of details as to the history, culture, and other everyday details. The atmosphere in the book reminds me a lot of Funke's The Thief Lord, possibly because a lot of the book has Nya running around the connected Geveg Islands over a bunch of bridges, which is similar to The Thief Lord's Venice setting. The writing has a unique sense of urgency told through Nya's point of view as she's trying to survive day-to-day and save Tali at the same time. The next installment, Blue Fire, is coming out later in the fall, so I'll definitely be picking that up to see where Nya's story goes.

Recommendation:
Good pacing, great writing, wonderful concept, and an excellent female lead character. Pair all that with a unique magic system, and you've got an impressive piece of fantasy fare.

Excellent MG book even for parents!

What an amazing story. I couldn't put it down. The premise hooked me in; the story whooshed me through the pages.

Nya is a Taker, a person who can heal by taking a person's pain. However, she's flawed. Unlike her sister, Tali, and others who become Healer's League apprentices, she cannot push that pain into pynvium, a special metal that stores it. Instead, she can shift that pain into other people. In the war-torn, occupied island of Geveg, this is a dangerous ability that could be used against her own people. But Nya is faced with ethical quandaries when her sister and other apprentices go missing. What lengths will she go to save them all and what will it cost her?

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a different sort of healing magic and tough ethical choices, good for ages 10 and up.

Cool cover, cool book

I plucked this off the shelf because it sounded interesting... Okay, the cover looks really cool and then I looked at the summary. I judge books by their covers.

Anyways, I felt that this was a fun book but I always felt a tad bit confused. It was like I was supposed to know something and forgot to read the first book. I can't quite put my finger on it was exaclty but it was a bit distracting.

However, this book is still a fun read and many tweens will like th interesting twist we see in Nya's healing powers. The "shifting" power comes with a heavy price that Nya must bear and she has to make some difficult decisions because of this ability. We first met Nya when she is trying to steal eggs from a farmer to keep from going hungry. Her country is trying to recover from a war and refugees from other countries are flooding the city. Nya is angry because she cannot find work and is about to be kicked out of her boarding house. Her only thought is keeping her sister safe in the city's healing school. She should be there herself but her special ability of shifting pain to others would make her the perfect target for the Duke's dark army. Her best bet is to keep out of sight and mind of the Snatchers. Nya does not always make the best decisions because she has to think about saving her sister. she is often caught in situations beyond her control and must choose between a leeser of two evils.

Nya is scared of her ability and of being snatched away from her sister Tali because she is all she has left in the world. Until she meets Danello but there is no time for a real romance because things keep happening. Hardy does know how to keep a book suspenseful and to keep the reader guessing. Her friend Aylin is a character I wish Hardy would expand, she really touched my heart with how helpful and kind she was to Nya. She is a bit of a flirt but she is always there for Nya and Tali.

I would suggest this book to tweens who are looking for a different twist on healing and for a world, as Hardy describes, "where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices."

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