Changelings
Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Del Rey, Jan 2006, $19.95, 258 pp.
ISBN: 0345470028

The Irish and the Inuit with a sprinkling of other races have been relocated from old Earth to the terraformed planet of Petaybee, a cold desolate place. The powers that be had no idea that by terraforming the planet it would awaken the planet and make it become sentient enough to modify over time the humans who live there so they can adapt to the planet's harsh conditions more easily.

Sean and Yanaba are deeply in love and quite unexpectedly they give birth to twins that have the same genetic mutation as their father. The twins turn into seals when they enter water and this proves dangerous because a visiting scientist who saw them change wants to capture and examine them. For their own safety, they are sent to a space station where people of all races and cultures live and work in harmony. Petaybee is giving birth to another landmass and Sean is exploring the area when underwater creatures capture him. His only hope is his children who can communicate telepathically with him and most other creatures of Petaybee but first they must neutralize the danger from a scientist who has a special interest in the shape shifting twins.

The inhabitants of Petaybee, regardless of race or culture, live in harmony with the sentient planet who cares for them and helps them in too many ways to count. Discord comes from out-worlders who want to examine the unusual aspects of the planet and the mutations among the general population. CHANGELINGS, the first book in this second Petaybee trilogy, is full of action, danger, and adventure.

Harriet Klausner