TRANSFORMATION by Carol Berg
Roc Fantasy, Aug. 2000, 439 pgs, ISBN: 0451457951, Mass Market Paperback, $6.99

Genre: Fantasy

I consider this book to be my favorite of Carol Berg’s Rai-kirah trilogy. I suppose that has a lot to do with the focus on the relationship between Seyonne and Aleksander and the apparent simplicity of the story itself. And by simplicity I only mean that the other two books in the series expound so much more on the soul terrain and other related aspects of the larger story. In Transformation I merely enjoyed the book for what it was, as it could have easily stood on its own as a single story. So I suppose what I mean to say is that I loved the trilogy as a trilogy, but I also loved Transformation all on its own.

Transformation is one of the most tightly focused fantasy novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The narrator is Seyonne, a slave purchased by Prince Aleksander of the Derzhi Empire. During the beginning of the novel their relationship is established, followed quickly by the introduction of the main plot, and then the arrival of demons in human guise working for some larger, nefarious (naturally) purpose. What follows is a detailed character story with deep emotion, smooth interaction, a cohesive direction, and a lovely, emotionally touching end.

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