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The Changeling
  • Published: 7 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9780143776932
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

The Changeling

Formats & editions
Tr. Paperback
7 July 2026
EBook
7 July 2026
Audiobook
7 July 2026
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Set against Scotland’s first witch-hunt, a young woman with faery blood must defy two queens to survive love, magic and treachery.

On her fourteenth birthday, Caiti NicNeven discovers her true mother is the queen of the Sidhe, the faery folk who dwell beneath Scotland’s hollow hills. Bound by ancient grievance, the faery queen demands Caiti become the instrument of her revenge against the mortal crown stolen a thousand years before.

Drawing on a dangerous magic she barely understands, Caiti flees. She finds refuge at the treacherous court of Mary, Queen of Scots. As fear and religious fervour grip the country, Mary is pressured into passing an Anti-Witchcraft Act, placing every woman – and every whispered spell – in peril.

Watching from the shadows, the faery queen tightens her hold. When Caiti falls in love with Robbie, the son of a local laird, her mother strikes, cursing him to dance himself to death beneath the faery moon.

To save the man she loves, Caiti must cross into the faery realm and confront the mother who would destroy her – and claim a wild, dangerous magic of her own.

Inspired by the true story of Scotland’s first witch-hunt, The Changeling is a spellbinding tale of witchcraft, forbidden love and defying fate.
  • Published: 7 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9780143776932
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $34.99
Categories:

Also by Kate Forsyth

Psykhe
The Crimson Thread
The Blue Rose
Beauty in Thorns
The Beast's Garden
Dancing on Knives
The Wild Girl
See all

Praise for The Changeling

Kate Forsyth weaves history and folklore with skill, creating a compelling and thought-provoking story.

Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters and Blackthorn & Grim series

Kate Forsyth has returned to her wild and magical roots, and I am here for it.

Kell Woods

Kate Forsyth is a remarkable spellcaster. Her writing is the very best kind of witchcraft: every word is carefully chosen, every line is crafted to enchant, and every passage conjures tangible worlds. The Changeling transports us, heart and soul, into a sixteenth-century Scotland steeped in sorcery, fairy and folklore, and patriarchal fear. From ruling queens to their humble cooks, all of the women in this story are powerful — thus, none are safe from persecution. A marvellous, mesmerising tale of love, sacrifice, female fury and revenge, this book is unforgettable. Pure magic from beginning to end.

Lisa Hannett

A mystical embroidery, equal parts cruel history and flowering myth — a tapestry of love and treachery, revenge and beauty, and an outcast's odyssey to discover her place in it all.

Kathleen Jennings