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Transformation (Rai-Kirah #1)

by Carol Berg (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 2,918 ratings · 169 reviews

Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for sixteen years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in...more

Mass Market Paperback, 439 pages

Published August 1st 2000 by Roc

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Apr 20, 2013 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Beyond Reality Group Selection for Feb 2013

Shelves: ebooks, fantasy, fiction, read-in-my-40s, loved-it

5 stars

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book now resides, safe and secure, at my blog. You can read it by following this link: http://bit.ly/YCkwnr

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2007 Punk rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: queer, fantasy

Fantasy. There's this guy, and he has wings, and he's been...sold into slavery? And this prince buys him? I can't really remember. But the one guy totally has wings. And lots of man-angst.

My absolute biggest complaint about this book is that after hundreds of pages of foreplay, the prince and his slave do not actually confess their manly love for each other and get married. But they very nearly do, so maybe that'll be enough for the rest of you. The slave sleeps at the foot of the prince's bed!...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes the fantasy adventure genre.

Recommended to Marilyn by: I stumbled onto it by accident.

Carol Berg has not yet written a book I didn't love.

Her books are full of cruelly treated souls with ultimate deliverance. Although her books rarely end in tragedy (at least not universal tragedy), you cannot count on an entirely happy ending either. You can be reasonably sure your favorite people will survive, but they may sustain significant damage, mental and physical, on the way.

The common denominator of her heroes and heroines is that they've suffered. Sometimes, they know why, sometimes...more Carol Berg has not yet written a book I didn't love.

Her books are full of cruelly treated souls with ultimate deliverance. Although her books rarely end in tragedy (at least not universal tragedy), you cannot count on an entirely happy ending either. You can be reasonably sure your favorite people will survive, but they may sustain significant damage, mental and physical, on the way.

The common denominator of her heroes and heroines is that they've suffered. Sometimes, they know why, sometimes not. Sometimes the real reason is cloaked and only discovered very late in the story. All of her primary male characters are unjustly persecuted. Injustice is a dominant part of the plot of the "Rai-Kirah" trilogy and also Ms. Berg's other series. In brief, there is a great wrong that must be made right and her hero(es) is (are) the man (men) to do it. Who must do it.

In this series, the hero and his persecutor evolve. Each must learn to trust and forgive the other. In the process, both transform. They save each others' lives multiple times and their lives are intricately interwoven. The developing relationship is often deeply touching.

Two people of the same sex who love one another are not necessarily homosexual. In my world, we call it "friendship." The kind of friendship that lasts a lifetime and on which you can always depend.

I know there are reviewers who seem to have a problem with this concept, so I advise them to cultivate some new and deeper relationships with members of their own sex. Drinking beer and watching a game is not necessarily the highest form of friendship.

In this series, hatred, bigotry, ambition, politics, greed ... the traditional pantheon of human evils ... are the forces that destroys lives and nations. Characters endure the unendurable without explanation or comfort; one could easily draw an analogy to Job.

Carol Berg never sets her stories in our "real world," and no one belongs to any modern religion. But they are all believers; no atheists in her books. They believe in their Gods and within the limits of their devastating sufferings, they never question their deity's existence, only why they have been abandoned. A Carol Berg hero or heroine has suffered terribly, lost everything, but survived somehow and he, she or they will nonetheless, against all odds, save the world.

This trilogy has two main characters who save each other as well as the world. Transformation turns a selfish, cruel monarchs into a compassionate human being. Fortunes reverse. The slave rises, the king falls, but all is redeemed. More or less.

There's plenty of action. The writing is intelligent and the author doesn't take the cheap way out of situations. Plots are not afflicted by "deus ex machina" issues. While there is magic in the world, magic is not the all-powerful force it is in other fantasy worlds.

Carol Berg's magic is powerful, but limited. It works, but so do weapons. The ability to wield magic never confers invulnerability. As often as not, whoever wields the magic pays dearly for it.

I hope Ms. Berg will publish more very soon. I don't know why her books are not more popular. They are beautifully written, full of action, romance (think "Dumas" rather than "Harlequin"), nobility set in fantastical realms that have a surprisingly realistic feel. Note that if you are an audiobook reader, only "Collegia Magica" is available on Audible. You will have to read all of Berg's other books on paper or Kindle.(less)

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Sep 26, 2007 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: slashers, people who like fantasy with a bit of grit

An interesting book, which has a very slashy master/slave set up. Amazingly, considering the extreme slashiness of them (at one point he is drinking from his fountain of joy), I was never sure if Carol Berg was actually aware of it. At times I was really expecting things to kick off between them.

She certainly doesn't mention it or resolve it, apart from letting it fizzle out. Everyone is resolutely heterosexual, although homosexuality is mentioned, but only in terms of sexual abuse of the slave...more

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Jun 04, 2007 Trin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, queerlit, american-lit

I loved this. I am shocked and delighted by how much I loved this. It’s an original world combined with all the pleasures of a really slashy bit of fanfic. There are slavefic and wingfic elements, and demons and destiny, and it all sounds really cheesy, but like really good fic, it transcends these clichés. The relationship between Aleksander and Seyonne is beautifully developed: they begin as master and slave, and we get to see the whole process of Aleksander gaining maturity and compassion, an...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, kindle, scifi-fantasy

I'd give the first half of this book 2 stars, the second half 4 stars.

A lot of reviewers say this book is like slash. There is some resemblance, but it really is just about a close bond between two men--not at all romantic or sexual.

The reason the first half only gets 2 stars: Well, for one thing, not much happens. This is necessary for the arc of the story, though, and on its own it's still interesting enough. But the main problem is that there is far too much description, asides, thinking, det...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Aeslis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

I find myself disinclined to like books with characters who are perpetually in distress. Not that I don't like tortured characters--I do, very much so--but when it's constant and relentless, I get worn down. Unfortunately, our main character, Seyonne, has this problem. He can't catch a break. He doesn't do anything wrong and yet he's threatened, beaten, starved, and put in isolation, among other things. Apparently in this world slaves aren't even treated with the decency of animals. Even after h...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Given how much I loved this book when I first read it, I wonder why it's taken me until now to do another read of it. This book is essentially a fantasy version of Alexander the Great's life, told from his slave's perspective. In many ways, I wish that Berg had either deviated more from the Alexander story or made it even more apparent, rather than thinly veiling that it's Alexander's story.

In Transformation, Seyonne battles his own hopeless situation-- his slavery, his people who wouldn't accep...more Given how much I loved this book when I first read it, I wonder why it's taken me until now to do another read of it. This book is essentially a fantasy version of Alexander the Great's life, told from his slave's perspective. In many ways, I wish that Berg had either deviated more from the Alexander story or made it even more apparent, rather than thinly veiling that it's Alexander's story.

In Transformation, Seyonne battles his own hopeless situation-- his slavery, his people who wouldn't accept him even if he escaped, his loss of power, both metaphoric and magical-- but finds an unexpected ally in Aleksander, his own master. Anyone who's seen BBC Merlin: the dynamic between Seyonne and Alexsander is exactly the same as between Merlin and Arthur, to the extent that I wonder if someone in BBC read Carol Berg's series. Transformation is a compelling story, though why the author chose to take the fact that Alexander had male lovers from the story confuses me. Why take away a whole aspect of his personality? Just enough of that is left that it's clearly more a story between Seyonne and Aleksander than it is between Seyonne and Ysanne or Aleksander and Lydia. Additionally, I still find (and have found since my first reading) Ysanne an immensely irritating, semi-sketchy woman who I desperately want something bad to happen to. I can't understand why Seyonne loves her. Fortunately, if I remember correctly, she is phased out as a romantic interest in later books. Oddly, the author isn't very good at writing women. All of the women in the story are flat characters who rarely seem like good people, much less like real people. Where there are men who I find I can relate to in this story, there are no women. I also don't understand why the Ezzarian people have a strange blending of Welsh and Russian names. These are flaws that must be understood when reading Transformation. But overall, it's worth the flaws for the story: the winged Ezzarian battling demons in the souls of men.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: friendship, magic

(Re-posted from http://theturnedbrain.blogspot.com)

Alright, let's get this out the way straight up. That first cover is ridiculous. And not in a good way. I mean, who looked at that image of a scantily glad gentlemen with enormous green wings on a cliff top and thought, "yup, perfect." I mean, the covers for "Revelation" and "Restoration" aren't exactly awesome either, but compared to 'Transformation...' Yikes.

Which sucks. Because I suspect that that cover is bad enough to stop people from readi...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Sueij rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sueij by: Patrick Rothfuss

Oh, new favorite author! It kills me that I don't have the next book sitting on my shelf waiting for me!

It's ironic that I also received this for Christmas, that it's a woman author's first novel, fantasy, and told in first-person narration, just like _Magic Lost, Trouble Found_ by Lisa Shearin. But *this* effort is superb.

The narrator is believable as a male Ezzarian slave, trying to live in the moment and just survive, until he is forced by his own nature and long-ignored oaths to act in his m...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Natalie Aemmon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoilers within.

This story was rendered achingly beautifully. The world was unique. Not your run-of-the-mill fantasy setting. It felt Russian, maybe Slavic or Near East.

Seyonne's pain at his slavery was powerful. Each day he lived with so much suppression and fear. The author immacuately handled showing the awfulness of his live through vivid details. Seyonne is worked hard and late, and goes to bed exhausted. He oversleeps and has no time to wash; later he is embarassed by his dirtiness. It's...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Lynn Abbey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Everything starts somewhere and Carol Berg's novels start with Transformation. Despite being 438 pages long (in the Roc mass market) and the first volume of a trilogy that promises to a world-changing confrontation of good v. evil, Transformation's really an intimate story of an evolving friendship between a silver-spoon prince (bearing the requisite hidden, unexpected mark of greatness) and a slave so consumed by survival, cynicism, and despair that he no longer recalls his own past. There's a...more

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May 18, 2010 Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It's been years since I read this book. I was still in high school. I remember reading it straight through lunch and then under my desk during class. I remember getting close to the climax during my ride home from school and rushing from the bus to my bedroom so I could lock myself in and finish reading the book undisturbed.

It stand out in my mind as a book I was caught completely off guard by. Something I bought at random that ended up sucking me in wholly and had me flipping pages straight on...more

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Mar 24, 2010 Lymsleia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Note: Even though Transformation is the first book of a trilogy, it also works extremely well as a standalone. If I hadn't known before that it's part of a series, I probably wouldn't have gone looking for sequels.

We begin our story, and please don't roll your eyes or run away yet, when our protagonist Seyonne is sold as a slave to our other protagonist, Aleksander, prince of the mighty Derzhi Empire. Zander is what you might expect: A spoiled, arrogant brat who doesn't value Seyonne as anything...more Note: Even though Transformation is the first book of a trilogy, it also works extremely well as a standalone. If I hadn't known before that it's part of a series, I probably wouldn't have gone looking for sequels.

We begin our story, and please don't roll your eyes or run away yet, when our protagonist Seyonne is sold as a slave to our other protagonist, Aleksander, prince of the mighty Derzhi Empire. Zander is what you might expect: A spoiled, arrogant brat who doesn't value Seyonne as anything more than a tool bought mainly for one purpose: To write.

The Derzhi are a warrior race who consider writing beneath them, who say it's a thing done only by barbarians or slaves (or ideally barbarian slaves). Doesn't mean that a scribe isn't useful every once in a while, and so Seyonne soon hears more about the going-ons in the realm than he wishes to know.
Which isn't terribly difficult, one might add, because Seyonne is determined not to think beyond the moment, afraid of the ruins of his life that he might see if he does: He's been a slave for sixteen years - half his life - and it has damn near broken him. Robbed of his magic as well as his freedom and knowing his people dead or in chains, he has little reason left to live. Until...

And you just knew there would be an "until". I don't want to go into any more detail, so let me just add that it's Aleksander whose life is suddenly endangered by something he doesn't even believe in, and there is but one person in the entire empire who has once held the power to save him. No, you're still not allowed to roll your eyes or run. I know it might sound clichéd and not as if this story has terribly much to offer. But it has.

For one, the book offers one of the best uses of a first-person narrator (Seyonne) that I've ever seen: He has a way of imprinting his view of the world on the reader without us realising it until much later, and he is not always right. (No first-person narrator should be, of course, but I mention it here because in far too many books, everything such a narrator tells us is treated as fact by the rest of the story when it should be the most subjective kind of narration.) It also helps a lot that Seyonne, even as a severely abused slave, is never a character written to be pitied. We feel for him, sure, and cringe at what's being done to him, but it never comes across as authorial manipulation (like "The poor, poor character, he suffers so much and therefore you must love him!"); he has other characteristics that make him grow on the reader.

The development of the major characters is extremely well-done: We know right from the start that Aleksander has a lot to learn, but so has Seyonne, and don't you forget that. The plot goes in quite a different direction after a while and could be divided into three "parts", but saying more would obviously be running straight into spoiler territory and I am trying to get you read the book yourself. ^.~

Other strengths of the book include the world building (the two cultures that we hear most about, the Derzhi and the Ezzarians, are well done and believable, even if it takes a while to see that due to our obviously not terribly reliable (or impartial) narrator), the pacing and the language (Seyonne's narrative voice is quite distinctive).
If I have to find something I disliked, well... There are "demons" (the titular Rai-Kirah) in this book who stay very one-dimensional, though I hear that gets better in later books. However, they do serve their purpose here and it never distracted me from the main plot: The story of two remarkable men and the transformations, both literally and figuratively speaking, they undergo to save themselves - and maybe more than that.(less)

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Mar 12, 2010 Phoenixfalls rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: carol-berg, fantasy, heroic-fantasy, high-fantasy, female-author

This is a book the likes of which I have not come across in some time. It grabbed me within the first few pages and did not let go until I finished it. It hasn't quite let go of me yet, actually -- it was almost physically painful to stop myself from immediately picking up the next book in the series to instead come to the computer and write this review.

It was such an all-encompassing experience, as a matter of fact, that it's hard for me to summon up the distance to write a good review. Trying...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Andreea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11th-grade, reviewed

After reading "Flesh and Spirit" and "Breath and Bone" by the same author, I decided Carol Berg was a genius of the English language and that I would read every single one of her books. The list is by no means short, considering also that each book is roughly 500 pages, but that only makes me happier. Her writing is just THAT fascinating.

I was so happy to find that the unique writing wasn't just for the previous series I read. After the first few sentences, I thought "these words are just so Ber...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was at Mysterious Galaxy buying another book, Kate recognized me from one of my UCSD classes. We got to talking about character driven fiction and she recommended Transformation. Going into it, it had two strikes against it. 1)The cover is terrible. It looks like an angel book which makes me want to barf. 2)Kate told me it was "thinly veiled 'other world' Alexander the Great." Ugh. Someone who wanted to write historical fiction but got lazy and didn't want to rewrite. However, Kate assure...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Leah Petersen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Leah by: Deidre Knight

Shelves: fantasy

I was truly shocked to read the other reviews and realize that many perceived this as the-queer-book-that-didn't. I write gay fiction myself, and read tons of it. It never even occurred to me in reading this that they might be gay, or should be, for that matter.

I think what makes this one of The. Best. Character/Relationship books I've ever read is that it doesn't muddle the issue with lust and sex. Bravo to Ms. Berg for accomplishing it because it's harder to pen such a poignant relationship wh...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Petra Eriksson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: carol-berg, reviewed, favorites

I loved this book, perhaps from page one. I began reading it an evening and at the afternoon the day after I had finished it, it was simply impossible for me to put it down. This is the first book by Carol Berg that I have read, and I'm suprised about how much I loved it. Her name is one that has been following me around, but I have never come around to by one of her books, but I'm so glad I finally did!
I felt it was really thoroughly written, but perhaps the parts about magic needed some furt...more

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Feb 24, 2009 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-earth, fantasy

I'd say the best reason to read this is for its characters. The protagonist is Seyonne, a man who was once a magical-warrior prodigy and the shining star of his demon-hunting people before they got their butts kicked and he was captured on the battlefield, stripped of his magic, and sold into slavery for sixteen long years. Seyonne thinks that he's pretty much crushed all hope of being anything more than a slave and is just trying to survive as many days as he can, though he has a bare few point...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10, 2007, 2013, ebooks, fantasy, reread

ORIGINAL READ: 10/10 (18 September 2007 - 23 September 2007)

Transformation - Carol Berg (10/10)
Fantasy; book 1 of the Rai-Kirah.
Another fantastic series. Carol Berg writes original fantasy that walks the line of dark fantasy with every tipping over. So we get a solid story with strong, deep worldbuilding and fascinating characters who are never simple and always flawed. The story follows both the complicated, building friendship between the slave, Seyonne and his princely owner, but their battle...more ORIGINAL READ: 10/10 (18 September 2007 - 23 September 2007)

Transformation - Carol Berg (10/10)
Fantasy; book 1 of the Rai-Kirah.
Another fantastic series. Carol Berg writes original fantasy that walks the line of dark fantasy with every tipping over. So we get a solid story with strong, deep worldbuilding and fascinating characters who are never simple and always flawed. The story follows both the complicated, building friendship between the slave, Seyonne and his princely owner, but their battle to save Zander's empire from being overtaken by demons. Seyonne, once trained to fight demons, finds himself caught between his loathing for the empire and his needs both to stop the demons and save Zander. There are two more books in the series - both of which promise to be equally complicated and fascinating - and I can't wait to find the time to read them.

REREAD #1: 10/10 (7 February 2013 - 11 February 2013)

This was equally amazing on a reread. Beyond Reality is reading it this month and I was going to let it slip by, but reading the comments in the spoilers thread reminded me just what a wonderful book this was. It also reminded me that while I have the next two books in the series (both in paper and as ebooks) I never quite got around to reading them. I did start the second one, but I don't think I got more than a chapter or two into it. I don't remember why now, but I think I found the two year time just to a different location difficult. I was also trying to read the paper book and even in 2007 I was probably finding that difficult.

I'm ever so glad I did reread this. The developing friendship between Seyonne and Aleksander remains an amazing piece of writing, showing something strong and true and yet not sexual (and both men give every indication of being heterosexual) that develops between two people who should be deadly enemies and yet somehow, defying all sense, become as closer, or closer, than brothers.

Outside of Seyonne and Aleksander, who are the heart and soul of the story (pun only slightly intended), the other characters are less well drawn, yet even then they are not cyphers, but instead people I would like to get to know better. I'm guessing it's likely I'll see more of Ysanne and Caitrin, but oh how I'd like to get a glimpse into the private life of Aleksander and Lydia. Those two could be the death of each other or totally magnificent. Personally, I vote for the latter.

Right now I want to race through the next two books and find out what happens next. I don't want to stall out this time. Transformation could so easily be a complete book on its own, with the ends apparently tied up, that I actually find myself nervous to discover what Carol Berg is going to throw both at me and at her characters next. But this time, I'll stick with it and finish the series. Everything I've read of Berg's works and other people's reviews of her work assure me it will be worth it - if possibly a little stressful along the way.(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Kat Hagedorn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy, reviewed

http://tinyurl.com/753yn3o

Compared to Berg's prior book that I just read, this one is about 1 million times better: more intriguing, better written, characters who matter, just everything works in this one. It makes me wonder about first novels sometimes. The author has so much more time to spend on a first novel than on any following ones-- does that often make a first novel more robust and fleshed out?

I adored this world. It's too bad I've been told that the next two in this series are really...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Stuart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is a great book! For some reason, I read the second book in the series (Revelation) first. In an unusual turn-up for trilogies, it did not spoil this first book for me at all.

Strangely, by having already explained how the hero (Seyonne) fights demons, it may even have helped with the understanding of this first book, because when we first meet Seyonne, he has lost all his magic demon-fighting power. Because I had read the second book, I could feel what that meant to him. I’m not advising t...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Joey O'Donnell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I finished up Carol Berg's Transformation this morning. I found it to be a very good read. It's 1st person, secondary world fantasy. The first half of the book centers around the relationship between a slave and the arrogant, nasty, abusive prince that owns him. The title is apt in that many things transform over the course of the novel, from the relationship between the two men to the core of the characters themselves. There are also other sorts of changes going around that I won't mention in s...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like smart fantasy

Recommended to Lynne by: husband

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

Again, Berg's plotting and pacing are superb. We get just enough of Seyonne's past to know what a gifted Warden he was; the flashbacks serve as a stark contrast to his life as a slave, as well as explaining Ezzarian magic and culture. This is the fifth of her books that I've read, and I am still impressed by how well she sets up her story. I'm in the middle of the book thinking, "okay, this can go any one of ten ways and any of them would be awesome and/or logical." I'm picky and not easily impr...more Again, Berg's plotting and pacing are superb. We get just enough of Seyonne's past to know what a gifted Warden he was; the flashbacks serve as a stark contrast to his life as a slave, as well as explaining Ezzarian magic and culture. This is the fifth of her books that I've read, and I am still impressed by how well she sets up her story. I'm in the middle of the book thinking, "okay, this can go any one of ten ways and any of them would be awesome and/or logical." I'm picky and not easily impressed.

The title of the book is relevant to several characters who are transformed, not only by magic but also by indominatable force of will, wit, and heart. Her characters always earn their happy endings.

Fantasy writers, when creating characters, face a genuine challenge. If your protag is somehow gifted beyond the normal scope of his or her culture or race, a less-capable writer is in danger of creating a Mary Sue/Gary Stu because he/she is afraid to give them flaws or have them make mistakes. Many fantasies rely on a Christic figure, the One who holds the power to save the world or destroy it. Berg is simply a better writer than that. Berg manages to find some great friends and supporting characters to the One, and they are indispensable to his or her success. Jane Austen said that pictures of perfection made her "sick and wicked." I like that there are other good people populating her worlds. It doesn't diminish the role nor the stellar qualities of the protag at all. There are no Mary Sues in Berg's stories. She is talented enough to create characters who can screw up royally, redeem themselves, and still save the world, or at least their little corner of it, without the necessity of a deus ex machina or a WTF plot twist. I'm ready to suspend my disbelief to a certain extent when I enter a writer's fantasy world, but not when the author pulls a hat trick out of sheer sloppiness or laziness.

The speed with which I completed my reading of this book should be somewhat of an indication of how much I enjoyed it.

(less)

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May 17, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

I could not put this book down and I had tears in my eyes before I had turned the hundredth page—that’s how compelling the characters were, right from the outset.

Simply, Transformation is the story of two men separated by about a decade, age-wise, and a much greater gap in experience. Seyonne is a slave and Zander is his lord. Seyonne has been a slave for sixteen years, his people captured by Zander’s. He is worn by time and experience, but is still himself—to a degree. Beneath his apparent res...more I could not put this book down and I had tears in my eyes before I had turned the hundredth page—that’s how compelling the characters were, right from the outset.

Simply, Transformation is the story of two men separated by about a decade, age-wise, and a much greater gap in experience. Seyonne is a slave and Zander is his lord. Seyonne has been a slave for sixteen years, his people captured by Zander’s. He is worn by time and experience, but is still himself—to a degree. Beneath his apparent resignation, he has a core of strength one can only admire. Seyonne is also intelligent and canny, which isn’t all unusual for a character in his role, but the reader gains the sense he was destined for greater things, even if he believes otherwise. The question is: will he go on to achieve a greater purpose, or remain a slave? Zander is Seyonne’s opposite in every way. Prince and only heir to the emperor, he is young, spoilt, arrogant and cruel. He is smart, however, almost frighteningly so, and even without the clues given in the blurb, the reader quickly realizes there is more to him than a title and future crown. Zander has enormous depth and substance.

Once introduced to Seyonne and Zander, this story could have taken me anywhere and I would have followed avidly. Both characters were so well drawn; more than caricatures of good and evil or ‘opposites’. When it became obvious their fates were entwined, I cheered for them both—for Zander to discover himself, for Seyonne to rediscover himself.

Less simply, Transformation is the story of a world at war with demons. Layered above and below the tale of Seyonne and Zander is one of political intrigue, ambition and the classic themes of good versus evil, might against right.

Transformation does not read like a first novel. Carol Berg’s writing is clear and the characters’ voices well formed. I did not once frown at a description or scene. There is a great deal of emotion packed into the story, explored through varied and complicated relationships. As mentioned earlier, I came to care for the central characters—even Zander—rather quickly and they, themselves, kept me turning the pages. The plotting works from end to end and the pacing just right. All in all, this book was as close to perfect as I have read in a long time. Another aspect that pleased me greatly was the fact the story felt complete at the end. Transformation is the first novel of a trilogy, but though I am interested in continuing to follow the story of Seyonne and Zander and their world, I am content with the end of the first chapter. I hope the other books feel as complete.

That being said, I have already ordered Revelation (Rai-Kirah, book two) and look forward to reading it.
(less)

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May 06, 2013 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, kept-close

Writing: 4
Story: 4
Satisfaction: 4

I really enjoyed Transformation and I'm looking forward to the other two books in the series. The characters are well written with clear motivations and the world that Berg has built is well done and interesting.

The story begins with our narrator Seyonne being bought by an arrogant prince at a slave auction. He's been a slave for the past 16 years and has been coping with the pain and terror using memory blocking techniques and living only in the moment. His nar...more Writing: 4
Story: 4
Satisfaction: 4

I really enjoyed Transformation and I'm looking forward to the other two books in the series. The characters are well written with clear motivations and the world that Berg has built is well done and interesting.

The story begins with our narrator Seyonne being bought by an arrogant prince at a slave auction. He's been a slave for the past 16 years and has been coping with the pain and terror using memory blocking techniques and living only in the moment. His narrative is witty and direct but still believable in his character. We learn pieces of his past through flashbacks that are a little confusing at times and as the story progresses, the magic system is explained.

I appreciate that Berg doesn't info dump the magic system all at once and instead integrates it pretty sparingly into the story. It's even more impressive given how complex it turns out being.

There's definitely a developing bromance between Zander (the prince) and Seyonne with hints of possibly something a little more. There are lines here and there that definitely suggest a romantic undertone but they don't seem to fit into the relationship which I saw more as Seyonne's desperation to keep Zander safe and Zander's grudging reliance and admiration for Seyonne.

I had a bit of a problem with the ending but the rest of the book definitely makes this a worthwhile read. (view spoiler)

I'm sad that Zander doesn't seem to have as much of a role in the following books but I'm still curious to see how the magic system and the world continue to develop. (less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Kathi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 15, 2011 Cecile rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, english

I didn't think much of this book when I picked it up on sale in a book store. But when I started to read it, I couldn't put it down, except to eat or sleep. And now that I've already finished it, I can't believe it's been less than two days. I hope I can find the following books, even if this one can stand on its own.

Seyonne, the main character, who's also the narrator, has been a slave for years when he is bought by the Derzhi Prince for his reading and writing skills. A learned yet subservient...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Jen A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

**The best of the trilogy -- Transformation is the strongest of the three books because Berg puts so much energy into building the relationship between Seyonne and Alexander. Read and enjoy this one to savor it, then read the others for fun.

I recently inhaled Berg's Rai-Kirah trilogy of Transformation, Revelation, and Restoration, and overall I have to be honest and say that I really enjoyed these books -- the characters and the story lines.

This trilogy isn't perfect, as some reviewers have not...more **The best of the trilogy -- Transformation is the strongest of the three books because Berg puts so much energy into building the relationship between Seyonne and Alexander. Read and enjoy this one to savor it, then read the others for fun.

I recently inhaled Berg's Rai-Kirah trilogy of Transformation, Revelation, and Restoration, and overall I have to be honest and say that I really enjoyed these books -- the characters and the story lines.

This trilogy isn't perfect, as some reviewers have noted... Berg definitely could have created deeper, more nuanced characters (especially the women). And the 2nd and 3rd books suffer a bit from the lack of interaction between Seyonne and Alexander (this partnership that was the focus of the 1st book was also the closest Berg got to making us feel really close to her two main characters).

These three books followed an interesting premise, one that I can't necessarily say I've seen before unless I draw parallels to Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal, where there were "beings" that were split into two parts -- good and evil -- until someone prophesied came along and helped put them back together again and make them whole.

Poor Seyonne definitely pays the price for being Berg's main character, but sometimes I felt that even his reasonings/actions were a bit glossed over -- it's as if there was more meat to be served but Berg didn't want us to stuff ourselves so she didn't offer it up at the table. He understood that he needed to join with a demon, and he experienced some definite benefits to being joined, but then refused to explore that further and just walled off Denas inside of his own body?? That seems shortsighted, to me, for a human who's trying to bring about so much major change in the world and in those in power.

Despite feeling like Berg could have taken her characters one step further, really making me feel like I knew them, I did like them and I enjoyed their journey from slave and king to father and protector of the realm. I'm not sure every loose end was tied up before concluding Restoration, but overall the entire series was handled well and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and is looking for an epic story with good characters (that they haven't already read 1,000 times over).(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Beyond Reality: TRANSFORMATION: finished reading (SPOILERS)	26	40	Feb 23, 2013 08:33am
Beyond Reality: TRANSFORMATION: roll call and initial impressions (NO SPOILERS)	14	32	Feb 21, 2013 05:43pm
The Nameless and ...: Rai-Kirah, by Carol Berg	2	4	Oct 15, 2012 05:36pm

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About Carol Berg

Carol Berg is the author of the epic fantasy
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.

Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Col...more

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Son of Avonar (The Bridge of D'Arnath, #1)

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Quotes from Transformation

“So what is this feadnach? Is it another curse that makes me beholden to slaves and shrews?'
'No, my lord. It is your heart. Difficult as it may be to comprehend, there is a possibility you may have one.” — 5 people liked it

“From the instant of our first meeting I judged him so, though it could be said that I was prejudiced. When one is standing naked on a slave-auction block in a wind cold enough to freeze a demon's backside, one is unlikely to have a fair impression of anyone.” — 4 people liked it

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Transformation (Rai-Kirah #1)

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