The Changeling
#5703.76 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2017 Reading commitment Low Victor LaValle Last reviewed 2026-08-29
Overview
A contemporary dark-fantasy novel by Victor LaValle, published in 2017. Apollo Kagwa, a rare-book dealer in New York City, marries librarian Emma Valentine; after the birth of their son, Emma's conviction that something is wrong with the child sets off a chain of violence that pulls Apollo into a centuries-old changeling myth, reimagined for modern Queens and its immigrant communities. The novel weaves the classic folkloric changeling story into a story about parenthood, trauma, and the internet age.
Urban fantasy, Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Changeling Victor LaValle
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Changeling | 2017 | 1 | core | 3.76 (29,249 ratings) |
Single stand-alone novel; treated as its own one-book series per this project's standard single-work convention.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Changeling? The Changeling's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Changeling finished? Complete (2017).
- How much reading does The Changeling take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~431 pages).
- How is The Changeling ranked? #570 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 29,249 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #570?
Ranked #570 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.76 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (29,249 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #569, The Birthgrave Trilogy (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 29k ratings · Ranks #570 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 2018: won: The Changeling
- British Fantasy Award (Best Horror Novel (August Derleth Award)), 2018: won: The Changeling
- Locus Award (Best Horror Novel), 2018: won: The Changeling
- American Book Award (Fiction), 2018: won: The Changeling
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what The Changeling and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- A Dowry of Blood Dark fantasy / Historical fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.91
- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.88
- Lilith Mythic fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.88
- The Broken Sword Dark fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.87
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.76 across 29,249 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Changeling (Victor LaValle) accepted 2026-08-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-29
Rule: A single stand-alone novel with no sequel or shared continuity; admitted at this project's standard single-work scope.