The Changeling Child is the thrilling sequel to the brilliant fantasy adventure Into the Faerie Hill. Magic weaves its way into every aspect of this wonderful story. Told from a dual point of view, Alfred (a demi-fae) takes readers back into Faerie as he strives to discover the truth about a missing child and his own family history while Saga (an ordinary girl) does everything she can to stop the mayor from damaging the magical realm with his plans for the Underwood Cavern Grand Opening.

Saga dreams of being the “David Attenborough of the faerie world” and would do anything to be able to visit it again. Meanwhile, Alfred finally feels accepted and at home there – a world where his limb-length discrepancy doesn’t matter and his swimming strength gives him incredible powers. As the story progresses, the pair find themselves in sitations far more dangerous than they ever expected. The faeries are preparing to fight back in order to protect their world.

Themes of environmental protection, young people finding their voice, and being extraordinary (even when you feel just ordinary) will engage and inspire readers right from the first chapter. Fans of Michelle Harrison and Ross Montgomery faerie stories will love this series and lose themselves in the magic.

It's time to head back to the land of Faerie to catch up with Alfred and Saga. Mayor Underwood is launching the Underwood Cavern Grand Opening but this will put the Faerie world in danger once again. While Alfred is able to head back into the land of Faerie, Saga can't, so they are forced to divide in order to thwart the elder, but this will involve discovering who the land belongs to and putting things to right before the world of Faerie decides to fight back.

I adored Into The Faerie Hill (you can read my review here ) so I was thrilled to discover I could read an early copy of The Changeling Child (it was just what I needed whilst hopping between towns in France!). It was wonderful to catch-up with Saga and Alfred, and to see them grow further as characters. While Saga continues to be determined to protect the Faerie land, she has to do it differently this time as heading back is dangerous for her. Alfred, on the other hand, is free to head back in. He is eager to help but definitely gets side tracked by life beyond the boundaries and discovering more about himself. Although the pair are still strong in their friendship and united in their determination to protect Faerie, I really liked seeing Alfred exploring more of his heritage (and I liked the dual perspective of the chapters for this too).

There are twists within the book that will definitely raise eyebrows and the plot is one that turns pages as magic once again meets reality. As with Into The Faeire Hill , The Changeling Child has environmental messages woven through the plot and examines family in various different guises (which I loved) and, of course, friendship.

It's been a really privilege to shout about Helle's books; they are always wonderful reads and are popular in school, so it was an honor to have found my name in the acknowledgments - thank-you, Helle.

Publishing on the 14th August The Changeling Child is a wonderful sequel to Into The Faerie Hill ; I sincerely hope there will be more to come from Saga and Alfred.

This is a perfect middle grade fantasy adventure. It takes all the elements I love in book one - the imaginative world, the exciting plot, the beautiful prose,, and the wonderful characters of Saga and Alfred, not to mention Mr Tumbleweed - and soars to even greater heights, delivering a most enjoyable and unputdownable adventure. Behind the high stakes and danger to both human and Faerie realms, are thoughtful themes of ,taking care of our environments, the unseen repercussions of exploiting nature, and the importance of family, friendship and of identity, A wonderful sequel.

The Changeling Child is the enthralling follow up to H.S. Norup’s 2023 novel Into the Faerie Hill. As in the original, the author achieves a magical realisation of the crossover between real life and a parallel fantasy realm, extending her brilliantly captured descriptions of the natural world into her thoughtfully imagined faerie realm. I found myself utterly immersed and believing in the interweaving of the two worlds in this wonderfully crafted middle grade novel. I think that the cover image created by Thy Bui does a marvellous job of depicting the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality which takes place within her beautifully designed covers.

Once again, the two main protagonists are Alfred (who is now aware that he is a Demi-fae) and his best friend Saga (a passionate eco-campaigner who, unusually for a human, has the ability to see and hear visitors from the fae kingdom). The novel takes the form of alternating chapters from each of Alfred and Saga’s viewpoints, as they pursue their investigations in the faerie and human worlds to locate a changeling child and prevent an ecological disaster which will have negative consequences for both realms. The narrative bursts with imagination, pulsates with twists and thrills and reveals background details on the links between Alfred's and Saga’s mothers, all of which give context to their deeply trusting friendship. While Alfred explores alliances with the other Demi-fae, gradually learns more about his faerie family and navigates the dangers of the High fae, Saga must overcome prejudices in the human realm to save the landscape of the Faerie Hill from the mayor’s tourist development ambitions. With each child pushing themselves to the limits of their courage and capabilities, the story leaves readers as breathless as an underwater swim!

Beneath the fantasy adventure I found there to be a deep meditation on identity, belonging and the meaning of family, in addition to the ecological message. In a novel in which the plot hinges on the suspicion and distrust between the inhabitants of different worlds, there is a very powerful passage about the necessity of interacting with different groups and the power of books to help with building empathy between different sensibilities. I have read that author H.S. Norup has lived in six different countries throughout her life, and I suspect that this experience contributes to the wisdom that she disseminates in her fascinating and original middle grade novels.

I thoroughly recommend The Changeling Child to librarians, upper KS2 teachers, and parents/caregivers for sharing with readers aged 9 years and upwards. It is available for pre-order now and I am looking forward to collecting my copy on publication day from my local indie

A magical, fast-paced adventure full of danger, mystery, and heart. Alfred and Saga return to the world of Faerie to face new threats and uncover deep secrets.
A thrilling and enchanting read—perfect for young fantasy fans.