The Changeling

Name: The Changeling
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781786893826
Price: 32.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Victor LaValle

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.77

( 27,172 ratings, 4,200 reviews)

Summary

The Changeling by Victor LaValle weaves a narrative that blends fairy tale elements with modern-day folklore. It follows Apollo Kagwa, a rare book dealer in New York whose life takes a dark turn when his wife begins acting strangely after the birth of their first child. This leads him on a perilous journey through the city’s hidden depths, where he encounters a chilling blend of myth and reality.
Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$32⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Changeling

$32⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy a mix of fantasy and horror wrapped around a deeply emotional story. It combines fairy tale elements with a contemporary narrative, exploring themes of parenthood, loss, and redemption. Filled with rich storytelling and unexpected twists, it keeps readers engaged as it delves into the complexities of love and family.

'A dark fairy tale of New York, full of magic and loss, myth and mystery, love and madness ... a mesmerising, monumental work.' - Marlon James

Description

Joint Winner 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel

When Apollo Kagwa was just a child, his father disappeared, leaving him with recurring nightmares and a box labelled 'Improbabilia'. Now a successful book dealer, Kagwa has a family of his own after meeting and falling in love with Emma, a librarian. The two marry and have a baby: so far so happy-ever-after.

However, as the pair settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Emma's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, until one day she commits an unthinkable act, setting Apollo on a wild and fantastical quest through a suddenly otherworldly New York, in search of a wife and child he no longer recognises.

An epic novel for our anxiety-ridden times, The Changeling is a tale of parenthood, love - in its most raw and brutal form - and ultimately, humanity.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Changeling by Victor LaValle is widely acclaimed as a masterfully crafted novel blending modern parenting with ancient magic. Reviewers praise its enchanting and haunting narrative, likening LaValle's style to celebrated authors, and highlighting its ability to blend myth, mystery, and contemporary unease with compelling storytelling. It's described as a dark, genre-defying tale full of surprises and beauty.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786893826

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 July 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Books

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 297g

Pages: 448

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Victor LaValle

About the Author

Victor LaValle is the author of six previous works of fiction. He has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, an American Book Award, the Shirley Jackson Award and the Key to Southeast Queens. He lives in New York with his wife and children and teaches at Columbia University.

@victorlavalle | victorlavalle.com

Also by Victor LaValle

View all

The Devil in Silver

A stunning literary horror novel from an award-winning novelist, soon to be a major TV series from the creators of The Terror. New Hyde Hospital's psychiatric ward has a new resident. It also has a very, very old one. When an altercation with the police leads to Pepper being mistakenly admitted to a mental institution in Queens, NYC, he doesn't...

By Victor LaValle

Hardback

$38⁰⁰

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
Pre-order

Lone Women

Blue skies, empty land—and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret. A woman with a past, a mysterious trunk, a town on the edge of nowhere. This is an unforgettable horror western, from an award-winning author. A Horror Western from award-winning author Victor LaValle which blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in...

By Victor LaValle

Paperback

$28⁰⁰

Pre-order
Out 25 Aug 2026
The Devil in Silver

The Devil in Silver: A Literary Horror MasterpieceSoon to be a major TV series from the creators of The Terror, a stunning literary horror novel from an award-winning novelist. New Hyde Hospital’s psychiatric ward has a new resident. It also has a very, very old one. Pepper is the surprised inmate of a mental institution in Queens, New York. In...

By Victor LaValle

Paperback

Sold Out

More from General Fiction

View all

The Wedding People

'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...

By Alison Espach

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

(3)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Dylan's Pick

Theo of Golden

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...

By Allen Levi

Paperback

$28⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$34⁹⁹~~

(5)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

On Mystic Lake

One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...

By Kristin Hannah

Paperback

$31⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$38⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Land

Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, the new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great...

By Maggie O'Farrell

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Signed Bookplate
New Release

Light Wielder

THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* ‘The BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...

By Rachel Schneider

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Tim's Pick

Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set

The Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandon Sanderson is a landmark fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. Renowned for its innovative magic system, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this trilogy is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast. Immerse yourself in a world shrouded in ash, where a once-hopeful land is ruled by the tyrannical Dark Lord, known as the...

By Brandon Sanderson

Set

$64⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$75⁰⁰~~

(2)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Project Hail Mary

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL A BARACK OBAMA READING PICK A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. 'The most enjoyable hard SF I have read in years' GUARDIAN 'Weir's finest work to date... This is the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know...

By Andy Weir

Paperback

$20⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$28⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...

By Andy Weir

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

(4)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
The Deal

Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Deal now for the perfect fake-dating romance! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . . Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns...

By Elle Kennedy

Paperback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Bookshop Detectives 3: Murder and Mojitos

Art Deco glamour, a Cuban crime queen and a grammar-obsessed killer collide in the #1 best-selling Bookshop Detectives’ high-stakes final instalment. The Bookshop Detectives are on the case! Booksellers Garth and Eloise Sherlock (and their cowardly dog, Stevie) have been roped into hosting Murder and Mojitos, a glamorous Art Deco festival event starring Cuba’s queen of crime fiction. Between flapper...

By Gareth and Louise Ward

Paperback

$30⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$38⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
On Sale
20% off

The Wrath of the Fallen

SAMKIEL AND DIANNA WILL RETURN in the next sizzling, dark romantasy series from Amber V. Nicole. EPIC. SPICY. ADDICTIVE. Embrace the darkness . . . 'If you like romantasy, read this!' RAVEN KENNEDY 'A wicked ride from beginning to heart-shattering end. Leaving me literally screaming for more' HANNAH NICOLE MAERHER 'This is perfection. Amber Nicole's Dianna is the FMC of...

By Amber V. Nicole

Paperback

$24⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Lizzy's Pick

Yesteryear

A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...

By Caro Claire Burke

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$36⁹⁹~~

(2)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.