The Changing Land
Cover of first edition (paperback)
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| Author | Roger Zelazny |
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| Cover artist | Michael Herring |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Del Rey |
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Publication date
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1981 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 245 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 7338977 |
| Preceded by | Dilvish, the Damned |
The Changing Land is fantasy novel by American writer Roger Zelazny, first published in 1981. The novel resolves the storyline from the various Dilvish, the Damned short stories (collected in 1982 as Dilvish, the Damned). It was nominated for the Locus Award Elements of the story intentionally reflect the work of H. P. Lovecraft, Frank Belknap Long, and William Hope Hodgson, including the Hounds of Tindalos, here called the "Hounds of Thandalos", The House on the Borderland, and the appearance of the Old Gods.
The novel picks up several months after the events in the last chapter of Dilvish, the Damned. The Castle Timeless, one of several fortresses belonging to Dilvish's arch-enemy, Jelerak, is currently inhabited by the "mad" Old One Tualua. Tualua is undergoing one of the "changes" common to his kind, which in this case causes the land surrounding the castle to be subject to all sorts of chaotic, unpredictable, and often-deadly effects. A number of wizards, hoping to tap into Tualua's massive powers, attempt to pass through this maelstrom and reach the castle. Watching events from the outside are members of the Society of Magic.
Dilvish, determined to avenge himself against Jelerak, appears and attempts to breach the magical barriers, hoping to find his arch-enemy inside. Accompanied by his companion Black, a demon-like being in the shape of a black metal horse, they rescue a wizard, Weleand, from being drowned in an acid pit. Soon after they meet a young Elven girl, Arlata, frozen by one of magical winds. Weleand unfreezes her by transferring the condition to Black, and escapes. Dilvish is then captured by one of the caretakers of the castle, Baran of the Extra Hand, and thrown into the dungeon with several captured wizards.
Escaping the dungeon, Dilvish wanders the castle, eventually finding Semirama, a woman from long ago resurrected by Jelerak to be one of the caretakers (along with Baran). Semirama has managed to build a rapport with the demi-god Tualua, and has caused the demi-god to feign madness to disrupt the lands around the castle with chaos. This is part of Baran's plan to usurp Jelerak's power, the disruption being one of the things preventing outsiders reaching the castle. Baran has also placed magical guards on other entry points, such as a mirror that can act as a portal.
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