Transformation

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Summary: Word Weaver at Work!
Review: A wondrous world woven with words... the stuffs dreams are made of -- add a spoiled prince, a ethical slave, world-domineering demons, and a mission worth fighting for and you have the battleground where *Transformation* takes place.

Aleksander -- a typical spoiled rich kid, the only son of the emperor and heir to the throne -- unknowingly possesses feadnach -- the potential to do great good or great evil. He is being prepared by demons to be possessed when he purchases a slave. Not just any slave, but Seyonne -- a broken, faithless barbarian who used to be a Warden. This is not an easy burden for Seyonne who has lost his ability to touch the melydda. He is dead to his people, unclean by his religion, and bound by oaths so strong he can not deny them even when he hasn't the power to fulfill them. However, Seyonne is the willful prince's only hope, and Aleksander is Seyonne's salvation. All in all they both undergo TRANSFORMATION.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!!
Review: The fantasy genre is not my usual choice, but this book is a treat for anyone who appreciates excellent writing. The story is masterfully told: the characters come alive; the settings are richly painted; the dialogs sparkle; enough twists and turns in the plot to hook me from page one to the end. I am left wishing for more!

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Summary: Loved it
Review: Can't wait to see what else this talented author has written. Where's she been? Breathtaking, lyricism blended with action, character development, and an intriguing new world to explore.

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Summary: Terrific new author
Review: There is something especially rewarding about reading an excellent first novel! A very few implausibilities in the plot, but nothing too distracting. The story and the writing flow wonderfully -- they pull you in and don't let you go til the very last page (and then some). If you liked this and would be interested in another good first novel, try "The Merro Tree" by Katie Waitman. Anyone else care to toss out a recommendation?

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Summary: Can't wait for the sequel!!
Review: This book is a great read, and I want more! The story of Seyonne and Alexander is not what you typically find in a fantasy; their characters are believable, and you end up caring what happens. And Carol Berg has a delightful way with words--the images she created are vivid and lasting. It was a very satisfying book--I can't wait to read what she comes up with next.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: This is what I call a "feel good" book. Although terrible things happen to people and some of the characters are less than exemplary, there is redemption and reward. Also, the characters are likeable and well-fleshed out. There is also a fairly light hand at work here...for all the dark elements in the book they are never pervasive. The bottom line is, Ms Berg is an excellent story-teller and capable of creating "real" people. I don't think there is anything more rewarding than finishing a book and feeling as though you have just spent some time with friends.

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Summary: Mesmerizing - an incredible debut novel
Review: From the very first paragraph I was drawn into the story of Seyonne and Alexander. I literally could not put the book down. Carol Berg has created incredibly fascinating, believable characters and woven them into a story of heartstopping cruelty and breathtaking beauty.

A triumph-- you won't want to miss this.

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Summary: A Fantasy akin to Mary Renault's "Persian Boy"
Review: "Transformation" is a one-of-a-kind fantasy that is so believable, it almost falls into the category of historical fiction. The only book I can compare it to is Mary Renault's classic, "The Persian Boy" which is the story of Alexander the Great as narrated by his slave, Bagoas. Now, imagine Bagoas as transformed into the slave, Seyonne who was once a mighty wizard and Warden against demonkind. The 'Alexander the Great' character is Prince Aleksander who is heir-apparent to an Empire that could have been founded by Harun al-Rashid, and Berg's mixture of 'Arabian Nights', demons, and wizardry is darn-near perfect.

"Transformation" develops logically from the growth and interaction of its two main characters, Aleksander and Seyonne, but I wasn't noticing reviewerly items like 'character development' while I was reading it. Berg has crafted such an interesting world that I was reading purely to see what happened next. Magic flowed believably from character, which is the hallmark of a really good fantasy, and "Transformation" is one of the best I've read in a long time. A wonderful, wizardly love story is revealed as an integral part of plot, as the reader gradually learns more about the Wardens and their struggle to protect humanity from demonkind.

"Transformation" was published in August, 2000 and I can only hope that the author is hard at work on another, equally engrossing fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: Worth reading
Review: If this had been the first Carol Berg novel I read, I would have found it absolutely fantastic and given it five stars. Unfortunately, I read 'Song of the Beast' earlier, and while I'm sure 'Song of the Beast' was written later, nevertheless the two books have too much in common, making me doubt Berg's originality - hence the four stars.

Nonetheless, this is definitely a book worth reading with its unusual deviation from run-of-the-mill fantasies. Berg is a deft hand at creating Seyonne as an older, angsty character who seems too broken and helpless to be even an anti-hero at first that it makes you wonder how he holds your attention through the first half of the book. But he does, and Berg has paced perfectly the careful unfolding of his true identity, dropping hints and red herrings to keep the reader absorbed, yet saving enough for the astounding climax.

Also worth admiring is the way she handles Aleksander's transformation which runs parallel with Seyonne's own physical and emotional transformation from broken slave to confident warrior. It could have easily fallen flat on its face as a rather trite nasty-villain-is-actually-hero-in-disguise, but Berg makes it clear that his arrogant side is /not/ a disguise but a different side of his personality. Aleksander's maturing into a beloved friend is very believable.

There are double and triple twists at the ending which are quite reminiscent of 'Song of the Beast', and they do carry the same problem of a little too much crammed into too little time. Less watchful readers will find themselves unable to keep up with the constantly changing plot, and with the multiple twists, I think even Berg has confused herself because there are several loose threads left hanging which, whether or not resolved in following books, made the ending slightly incomplete.

But overall wonderful reading, though I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of the trilogy. Despite the loose threads, it seems more of a stand alone novel and the follow-ups perhaps superfluous.

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Summary: Fun read
Review: This book was well written and enjoyable. It was creative and interesting. I am a very critical reader, but I read this book in one day because I just didn't want to put it down. It doesn't have the complexity of some of the other books on the market, but that was almost a relief. It was just a fun read, you should definitely check it out.