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Rai-Kirah #2
Revelation
Two years after his battle with the Lord of Demons, Seyonne is tired, troubled, angry, and frustrated. As Ezzaria's only remaining Warden, he carries the entire burden of the worsening demon war on his shoulders. But a demon encounter unlike any in Ezzarian memory leads Seyonne to question everything he has ever believed. And his search for a demon-possessed child becomes the search for his own soul and the soul of his people.
485 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
About the author
Carol Berg
38 books1,062 followersCarol 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 Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
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 Colorado. Before writing full-time, she worked as a software engineer. She lives in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and is the mother of three mostly grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
April 5, 2017
Those who visit the Recommendations section of the Goodreads universe with any sort of frequency will probably recognize me. I'm one of the handful (perhaps six?) who are responding to requests with something fundamental; some solid piece of work that's probably been around long enough to have grown a bit of stubble, yet meets the criteria and survives a swift comparison of shelves. I'm big on traditional heft, which often leaves me ignored. And who can blame them? I, too, want that fresh, cutting edge title that knocks my socks off and steals my sleep. A book no one's heard about yet but is guaranteed to generate buzz in just about a minute and a half. Some hot experimental masterpiece, like a rogue wave cresting in from the south, that I can surf to the shore of I-Read-It-First Neener Neener Beach. Truth is there aren't a lot of those around, and certainly not enough to make that quota for the year. So, in the meantime? Psst, young Jedi, over here...
Jake Lloyd. You remember him. He was the cute blonde boy they cast as Anakin Skywalker in Phantom Menace. Jake's eight when this is going on and, like any child his age, he's probably incredibly vulnerable to distraction. Which is (probably) why it doesn't occur to him initially exactly who Anakin Skywalker grows up to be. It dawns during filming and, of course, he's upset. Seriously distressed by the revelation. Lucas ends up taking him aside and explains how important Anakin is; that without Vader there is no Luke, no Leia, no story, no Star Wars; that without darkness there can be no light. (And that's why he's Lucas and most of us own some fragment of his work.)
Well, the same can be said of old-fashioned narrative - straight, substantial, no-frills storytelling that travels the standard arc. It's the baseline, the foundation, the platform all those literary acrobats utilize for lift-off. The reality is that without the existence of this sort of convention you've got absolutely nothing to literarily flout. There's no rebellion to be had; no stretching beyond any creatively unendurable limitation. Traditionally structured books may not appeal to everyone, but they've fueled everything worth reading and probably always will.
Now I realize this is a long way to go for a book like Revelation by Carol Berg. It's second-tier, at best. A Roc mass-market paperback that doesn't get a lot of press. It's not going to keep you up at night, rock your world, or even provide some geekily-esoteric ComicCon reference. All it's got to offer, really, is proof that somebody somewhere is still working the salt mines of Old School fantasy fiction - one main character, a single timeline, pacing you could set your watch to - and I feel the need to give her props for that. Carol Berg is toiling. She's a toiler. And there's something to be said for it.
Because if it weren't for authors like this? Rothfuss, Martin, Lawrence and Sanderson would probably have to invent them.
Jake Lloyd. You remember him. He was the cute blonde boy they cast as Anakin Skywalker in Phantom Menace. Jake's eight when this is going on and, like any child his age, he's probably incredibly vulnerable to distraction. Which is (probably) why it doesn't occur to him initially exactly who Anakin Skywalker grows up to be. It dawns during filming and, of course, he's upset. Seriously distressed by the revelation. Lucas ends up taking him aside and explains how important Anakin is; that without Vader there is no Luke, no Leia, no story, no Star Wars; that without darkness there can be no light. (And that's why he's Lucas and most of us own some fragment of his work.)
Well, the same can be said of old-fashioned narrative - straight, substantial, no-frills storytelling that travels the standard arc. It's the baseline, the foundation, the platform all those literary acrobats utilize for lift-off. The reality is that without the existence of this sort of convention you've got absolutely nothing to literarily flout. There's no rebellion to be had; no stretching beyond any creatively unendurable limitation. Traditionally structured books may not appeal to everyone, but they've fueled everything worth reading and probably always will.
Now I realize this is a long way to go for a book like Revelation by Carol Berg. It's second-tier, at best. A Roc mass-market paperback that doesn't get a lot of press. It's not going to keep you up at night, rock your world, or even provide some geekily-esoteric ComicCon reference. All it's got to offer, really, is proof that somebody somewhere is still working the salt mines of Old School fantasy fiction - one main character, a single timeline, pacing you could set your watch to - and I feel the need to give her props for that. Carol Berg is toiling. She's a toiler. And there's something to be said for it.
Because if it weren't for authors like this? Rothfuss, Martin, Lawrence and Sanderson would probably have to invent them.
October 3, 2018
Truly a powerful sequel to Transformation. I was pleasantly surprised –yet again – by Berg’s masterful story building and elegant prose. I truly enjoyed the way the events of the previous book, which can be read as a standalone, deftly lead to another complex conflict with rich ramifications.
”Astonishing how old fear returns like a well- worn garment, still fitting perfectly well, though you believe yourself grown long past its use”
I didn't think I would have liked this one as much as the stunning first book of the series since it doesn’t have the same advantage of novelty, but the tale and the characters are very original and I was deeply engaged from beginning to end. The POV is always Seyonne’s, who has resumed his former duties with staunch dedication but is unable to conform to what he now perceives to be a sterile tradition. Regarded suspiciously by his very own people for his maverick demeanor, he is suddenly faced with a most intimate tragedy borne of prejudice, and decides to defy all the laws of his country.
This time there are more plotlines and characters, the story definitely gets more tangled and I was thrilled at letting it sweep me away. Along with the constant and skilled worldbuilding, the narrative pattern worked superbly for me, the careful construction of the first part of the book gradually widens the stage and allows for rich developments and several story twists.
“As had happened each time I thought I had discovered the true depth of despair, I turned another corner and found the way still pointed downward.”
Seyonne has not lost his incredible resilience for abuse and humiliations. For all his fighting skills against demons and his warrior training, he gets captured and/or beaten pretty often during the ordeal. This adds realism to the story, too, but his actions give the impression that he kind of welcomes captivity as a reaction to psychological pressure, almost as if it were a reprieve from the gnawing doubts which pepper his course and the double-edged consequences of his inquisitive nature. Maybe “welcome” is too strong a word, but surely Seyonne never forgets his past and acts consistently, he doesn’t settle for the easy way out but when choosing or thinking become painful he tends to fall back into slave habits. Yet he also manages to be far from passive, showing ironbound resolve, faith in his vision as Warden of Ezzaria and an uncanny capacity for all-encompassing innovation.
Disturbing thoughts apart, this blend of strengths and weaknesses is an intriguing aspect of his character and his development as a person. Also, this time I was better prepared for the cruelty and violence immanent to the tale, which are different from the previous book’s and never graphic, but still very harrowing.
”Creatures with words were creatures I could hate, and that kept my mind alive. Barely.”
There are some interesting women who share the stage, one of whom I absolutely despised but it was nice to read about her, when an author manages to get me interested with unpleasant characters I know I’m truly hooked. The intense ending offers a satisfying conclusion, but it’s also a clear stepstone to the last installment which, of course, I read straight.
Colour me sold on Carol Berg :D
”Astonishing how old fear returns like a well- worn garment, still fitting perfectly well, though you believe yourself grown long past its use”
I didn't think I would have liked this one as much as the stunning first book of the series since it doesn’t have the same advantage of novelty, but the tale and the characters are very original and I was deeply engaged from beginning to end. The POV is always Seyonne’s, who has resumed his former duties with staunch dedication but is unable to conform to what he now perceives to be a sterile tradition. Regarded suspiciously by his very own people for his maverick demeanor, he is suddenly faced with a most intimate tragedy borne of prejudice, and decides to defy all the laws of his country.
This time there are more plotlines and characters, the story definitely gets more tangled and I was thrilled at letting it sweep me away. Along with the constant and skilled worldbuilding, the narrative pattern worked superbly for me, the careful construction of the first part of the book gradually widens the stage and allows for rich developments and several story twists.
“As had happened each time I thought I had discovered the true depth of despair, I turned another corner and found the way still pointed downward.”
Seyonne has not lost his incredible resilience for abuse and humiliations. For all his fighting skills against demons and his warrior training, he gets captured and/or beaten pretty often during the ordeal. This adds realism to the story, too, but his actions give the impression that he kind of welcomes captivity as a reaction to psychological pressure, almost as if it were a reprieve from the gnawing doubts which pepper his course and the double-edged consequences of his inquisitive nature. Maybe “welcome” is too strong a word, but surely Seyonne never forgets his past and acts consistently, he doesn’t settle for the easy way out but when choosing or thinking become painful he tends to fall back into slave habits. Yet he also manages to be far from passive, showing ironbound resolve, faith in his vision as Warden of Ezzaria and an uncanny capacity for all-encompassing innovation.
Disturbing thoughts apart, this blend of strengths and weaknesses is an intriguing aspect of his character and his development as a person. Also, this time I was better prepared for the cruelty and violence immanent to the tale, which are different from the previous book’s and never graphic, but still very harrowing.
”Creatures with words were creatures I could hate, and that kept my mind alive. Barely.”
There are some interesting women who share the stage, one of whom I absolutely despised but it was nice to read about her, when an author manages to get me interested with unpleasant characters I know I’m truly hooked. The intense ending offers a satisfying conclusion, but it’s also a clear stepstone to the last installment which, of course, I read straight.
Colour me sold on Carol Berg :D
Read
February 15, 2023DNF at 50%... it was really good for a while but then the author dropped all of the interesting threads and I got a bit bored. I was already iffy on the series, so I took that as a cue to move on.
March 25, 2017
I've been terrible about writing reviews lately, so I'm going to do a quick summary of thoughts instead. It's better than nothing, right?
I enjoyed this quite a bit less than the first book, which wasn't hard since that one was amazing. This is the second book in a trilogy, so everything had to get all messed up. It was dark. Seyonne pretty much could do nothing right, alienated everyone possible, went through immense pain, doubt, and hell, and I felt terrible for him most of the time. I could have used a bit more hope, or at least one source of light in the darkness, but we really didn't get anything to lighten it up at all.
I also felt like the middle part of the book dragged on a bit too long. It was dark and bleak, and I wanted it to move on. Once it did, it was so good! The last third of the book was very difficult to stop reading, and I ended up loving how it all came together. Everything Seyonne went through did have a purpose. I can't wait to see how it all gets resolved in the final book. I'm just hoping it won't be as dark as this one was.
I enjoyed this quite a bit less than the first book, which wasn't hard since that one was amazing. This is the second book in a trilogy, so everything had to get all messed up. It was dark. Seyonne pretty much could do nothing right, alienated everyone possible, went through immense pain, doubt, and hell, and I felt terrible for him most of the time. I could have used a bit more hope, or at least one source of light in the darkness, but we really didn't get anything to lighten it up at all.
I also felt like the middle part of the book dragged on a bit too long. It was dark and bleak, and I wanted it to move on. Once it did, it was so good! The last third of the book was very difficult to stop reading, and I ended up loving how it all came together. Everything Seyonne went through did have a purpose. I can't wait to see how it all gets resolved in the final book. I'm just hoping it won't be as dark as this one was.
March 12, 2010
Sadly, Revelation is nowhere near as involving as Transformation was. While Transformation was flawed, its beating heart was the relationship between Seyonne and Aleksander, and that relationship was almost completely absent in this follow-up. Instead, the novel follows Seyonne back to Ezzaria and then through several large set-pieces, each of which felt too dragged out. None of the new characters grabbed me, and the resolution was obvious from 200 pages away.
I think the major flaw in this novel is its female characters. Carol Berg has admitted that writing women did not come naturally to her, and I think that is fairly obvious in Revelation. The story revolves around Seyonne's relationship with three women: his Aife Fiona, his wife Ysanne, and the demoness Vallynne. The plot rests on whether or not each of these women will trust him. And unfortunately, none of them is ever explored enough for the reader to make any sense of their decisions. Fiona in particular is given a clunky backstory at the very end of the novel that explains everything while explaining nothing. Each of the women was extraordinarily interesting in theory and completely flat in practice.
Still, it was a decent novel. Berg's writing is never painful, though her pacing continues to be problematic, and when I think about the novel I can see the bones of a brilliant story. It is definitely strong enough (and leaves enough unresolved, though the novel has enough of an ending to satisfy temporarily) for me to read the final volume. I just hope that Aleksander returns and that Fiona, at the very least, is made more real than she was in this novel.
I think the major flaw in this novel is its female characters. Carol Berg has admitted that writing women did not come naturally to her, and I think that is fairly obvious in Revelation. The story revolves around Seyonne's relationship with three women: his Aife Fiona, his wife Ysanne, and the demoness Vallynne. The plot rests on whether or not each of these women will trust him. And unfortunately, none of them is ever explored enough for the reader to make any sense of their decisions. Fiona in particular is given a clunky backstory at the very end of the novel that explains everything while explaining nothing. Each of the women was extraordinarily interesting in theory and completely flat in practice.
Still, it was a decent novel. Berg's writing is never painful, though her pacing continues to be problematic, and when I think about the novel I can see the bones of a brilliant story. It is definitely strong enough (and leaves enough unresolved, though the novel has enough of an ending to satisfy temporarily) for me to read the final volume. I just hope that Aleksander returns and that Fiona, at the very least, is made more real than she was in this novel.
August 10, 2011
It's difficult to relate what I found unsatisfactory about this book without revealing more than I would have cared to know, prior to reading the book, myself. I’ll avoid spoilers by saying this - The standard plot ( Protagonist, of the “Guy redeemed from ill use/bad habits” sort, moves a step up from his former nature/life to better strength and wisdom before some terrible cliff-hanger ensues.) that is found in most series; is rather absent from this second book: Revelation. It's almost refreshing, really, in that this book doesn't follow a reader's anticipated patterns of character and story development. Unfortunately with all of the mistakes, suffering, pain and torture (lots of the last three) undergone by the characters, in this book, reading its first two thirds, was like like re-reading the first two thirds of the previous book (Transformation). In that book our Hero spent most of his time enslaved. He’s free now, but here again, there is great attention paid to depravation, humiliation and bleeding. And all of this misery comes without the “"better make sure they'll read the next book" pay off of his achieving freedom that we got at the end of the first book.
Carol Berg writes well. Her prose is good and her characters draw one's attention. There is a good story here, which carried me as far as completing this 2nd volume of the series, but I guess the 'revelation' for me is that I just can't enjoy where this author takes her characters, nor how long she leaves them there. When torture becomes boring it is decidedly overdone. Ultimately, I found this book a slog and I won't be staying on for the third book, Restoration. If you choose to read beyond the first book, I hope that you can ride the story on without getting stuck in the muck. Perhaps the ending makes it worth all the pain; I’m not going to find out. Good luck.
Carol Berg writes well. Her prose is good and her characters draw one's attention. There is a good story here, which carried me as far as completing this 2nd volume of the series, but I guess the 'revelation' for me is that I just can't enjoy where this author takes her characters, nor how long she leaves them there. When torture becomes boring it is decidedly overdone. Ultimately, I found this book a slog and I won't be staying on for the third book, Restoration. If you choose to read beyond the first book, I hope that you can ride the story on without getting stuck in the muck. Perhaps the ending makes it worth all the pain; I’m not going to find out. Good luck.
January 31, 2017
This is the 2nd book in the Rai-Kirah trilogy, which I originally read in print five or six years ago. This past November, I started listening to the series in audio during commutes. I’m a terrible audiobook listener, but this series is one of my very few successes.
In my review of the first book, I wrote at excessive length about my difficulties with audiobooks and why this series is working for me, so I don’t want to repeat myself too much here. However, I do want to comment again on the narrator, Kevil Stillwell. He sets the perfect tone for the main character, the first-person narrator for the story, and he uses recognizably distinct voices for the other main characters. Most of his reading is done in a fairly understated way. When he does get more dramatic, it’s always at an appropriate moment, and it has occasionally given me chills. For me, it’s so much more effective when a narrator saves the drama for special moments.
This story begins a couple years after the previous book ended. It tells a complete story, with the main issues resolved at the end, but the foundation needed to truly appreciate it is set in the first book, Transformation. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book first. There were many new and interesting twists that built on the things we had learned in the first book. In particular, we learn a lot more about the demons and how the Ezzarians ended up being responsible for protecting the world against them.
There was a lengthy section around the middle that started to feel like it was dragging a little. Our main character is cut off from everything familiar and, most importantly, he was cut off from all of the secondary characters I enjoyed so much. The story was still interesting, but my attention started drifting more frequently than it had before. I remember being completely absorbed by the entire series when I read it in print, so my perspective is likely the result of listening to it over a very long period of time in audio, a format with which I have trouble paying attention to begin with. Instead of that section lasting for a day or two of reading, it lasted for weeks’ worth of commutes.
There were several great moments throughout the book, and I particularly loved the ending. I’m not going to have any more opportunities to listen to audiobooks this week, but I look forward to starting the final book next Monday.
In my review of the first book, I wrote at excessive length about my difficulties with audiobooks and why this series is working for me, so I don’t want to repeat myself too much here. However, I do want to comment again on the narrator, Kevil Stillwell. He sets the perfect tone for the main character, the first-person narrator for the story, and he uses recognizably distinct voices for the other main characters. Most of his reading is done in a fairly understated way. When he does get more dramatic, it’s always at an appropriate moment, and it has occasionally given me chills. For me, it’s so much more effective when a narrator saves the drama for special moments.
This story begins a couple years after the previous book ended. It tells a complete story, with the main issues resolved at the end, but the foundation needed to truly appreciate it is set in the first book, Transformation. I wouldn’t recommend reading this book first. There were many new and interesting twists that built on the things we had learned in the first book. In particular, we learn a lot more about the demons and how the Ezzarians ended up being responsible for protecting the world against them.
There was a lengthy section around the middle that started to feel like it was dragging a little. Our main character is cut off from everything familiar and, most importantly, he was cut off from all of the secondary characters I enjoyed so much. The story was still interesting, but my attention started drifting more frequently than it had before. I remember being completely absorbed by the entire series when I read it in print, so my perspective is likely the result of listening to it over a very long period of time in audio, a format with which I have trouble paying attention to begin with. Instead of that section lasting for a day or two of reading, it lasted for weeks’ worth of commutes.
There were several great moments throughout the book, and I particularly loved the ending. I’m not going to have any more opportunities to listen to audiobooks this week, but I look forward to starting the final book next Monday.
February 20, 2021
“As had happened each time I thought I had discovered the true depth of despair, I turned another corner and found the way still pointed downward.”
If you though Seyonne went through hell in the first book of this series, brace yourselves because here, he goes through worse.
The plot deepens and the action thickens with layers upon layers added, alongside absolutely unforeseen revelations. And I loved this part of Seyonne's journey just as much as the first, despite missing Aleksander.
The blurb will give you a pretty good idea what this book is about:
Two years after his battle with the Lord of Demons, Seyonne is tired, troubled, angry, and frustrated. As Ezzaria's only remaining Warden, he carries the entire burden of the worsening demon war on his shoulders. But a demon encounter unlike any in Ezzarian memory leads Seyonne to question everything he has ever believed. And his search for a demon-possessed child becomes the search for his own soul and the soul of his people.
However... it does in no way prepare you, for the rollercoaster of feelings contained within it's pages.
If Transformation revealed one of the most intricate and profound human relationships that were ever written, Revelation delivers one of the most profound searches for a soul. Both the soul of one being as well as the soul of a people. And believe me when I say, it it heartbreaking!
Masterful storytelling alongside a narrative that reaches straight into your soul, will practically make you experience Seyonne's true depth of despair and not only feel for him but with him. His character is downright astonishing! Complex, intriguing, flawed and so very real. His strength and weakness, as well as his inner turmoil are bound to touch any reader's heart.
Vivid, engaging, and absolutely compelling, this stunning sequel in the Rai-Kirah series is even darker and bleaker than book 1. And yet, we get both hope and light in that despairing darkness.
It's a brilliant story and I'm jumping straight into the sequel because I need to know how it will all end.
If you love dark and gritty epic fantasy that tends to be a little high at times and if you look for books that make you feel, you have got to give this a try!!
It is stunning!
If you though Seyonne went through hell in the first book of this series, brace yourselves because here, he goes through worse.
The plot deepens and the action thickens with layers upon layers added, alongside absolutely unforeseen revelations. And I loved this part of Seyonne's journey just as much as the first, despite missing Aleksander.
The blurb will give you a pretty good idea what this book is about:
Two years after his battle with the Lord of Demons, Seyonne is tired, troubled, angry, and frustrated. As Ezzaria's only remaining Warden, he carries the entire burden of the worsening demon war on his shoulders. But a demon encounter unlike any in Ezzarian memory leads Seyonne to question everything he has ever believed. And his search for a demon-possessed child becomes the search for his own soul and the soul of his people.
However... it does in no way prepare you, for the rollercoaster of feelings contained within it's pages.
If Transformation revealed one of the most intricate and profound human relationships that were ever written, Revelation delivers one of the most profound searches for a soul. Both the soul of one being as well as the soul of a people. And believe me when I say, it it heartbreaking!
Masterful storytelling alongside a narrative that reaches straight into your soul, will practically make you experience Seyonne's true depth of despair and not only feel for him but with him. His character is downright astonishing! Complex, intriguing, flawed and so very real. His strength and weakness, as well as his inner turmoil are bound to touch any reader's heart.
Vivid, engaging, and absolutely compelling, this stunning sequel in the Rai-Kirah series is even darker and bleaker than book 1. And yet, we get both hope and light in that despairing darkness.
It's a brilliant story and I'm jumping straight into the sequel because I need to know how it will all end.
If you love dark and gritty epic fantasy that tends to be a little high at times and if you look for books that make you feel, you have got to give this a try!!
It is stunning!
December 15, 2015
Final rating: 4.75/5 stars
It's a bit complicated to write what this book is about. Except for lots and lots of things. Wonderful world building though. I loved seeing and finding out how the demons work, the history of demons and Ezzarians, what made them war against each other. It was so well done.
Better prepare for lots of angst. Once again. Like i said, this series is not for the faint hearted.
There were many plot twists I did not expect and it was hard, like it was to Seyonne, to figure out who spoke the truth.
The good thing is, aside from the many happenings in the book, that the main point of this one was done till the end so there is no cliffhanger.
This book is dark, so very dark. There are only three books I can compare this too on the level of angst: Acheron, The Child Thief and Wizard's first rule... (and some of the others I have read...) Authors of these books really enjoy throwing Trauma Conga Line trope as the main story...
*Be waarned of spoilers from the first book in this review.*
There are MANY, many characters in this book, compared to the last one and writing about them all would be a chore on itself. I will write only my opinions for some of them, the one who impacted me, but I honestly have to say that no one deserves Seyonne. Can't say the same for Aleksander, because, guess what? Even though he has changed for a bit and considers Seyonne a friend, he is still to quick to judge. Way to quick. And when you are on high position as he is, having such a nasty temper can lead to a person making wrong decisions.
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CHARACTERS:
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This time, there is only one main character and it is Seyonne. Aleksander is back too, but has much less screen-time (book-time?) in the story. I didn't really mind that to be honest. This book also has a bit of a focus on three female characters: Fiona, Seyonne's Aife and watcher, Ysanne, his wife and queen, and the Vallyne, powerful demon. And lastly, focus on Yvor Lukash, a rebel leader.
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
Seyonne's life is back to normal - he finally got his life back in order, expects a child with his wife, can battle again, got his kingdom back where Ezzarians are safe from enslavement he suffered for almost 17 years. And aside from the fact that he has a watchdog woman Fiona overseeing his every move for almost 2 years, who hates him with passion, he is doing well. But then life makes a cruel joke when his newly born child disappears and everyone denies the child's existence, and if that wasn't enough he finds himself shaken up by meeting a demon who is everything he was not expecting and who warned him of impending danger. To get things even worse, after the meeting with a demon he didn't challenge for the host, he gets banned from battling ever again in the portal, and finds out that Aleksander is dead set on finding the famous rebel Yvor Lukash, who makes chaos in his Empire and who... by a coincidence, looks very similar to... Seyonne.
And this is only the beginning of the book. I wish I could say his life got a bit better by the end of the book, but that did not happen, actually one could say it went in all directions. Some good, some bad, some plain terrifying (when you get to 50-80% of the book, you will know what i'm talking about.)
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
As for the characters themselves, I really, really liked Seyonne. If i didn't like him enough I wouldn't be able to read these books at all. He deserves to be happy and well, honestly. Author really enjoys throwing Trauma Conga Line thrope on him...
Aleksander was everything I was expecting. To think he had change for much better... I was disappointed. The worst part of his personality never changed - he is to quick on making judgments of people, his nasty temper lashing out whenever things don't go as he wished for them to go. He can be reasoned with... but the problem is that he acts first, then asks for explanation... My general opinion on him did not change much from the first book, and he has a long way to go.
Ysanne - I hoped she would prove me wrong and make me love her, but sadly, I only found myself hating her instead. She does not deserve Seyonne. She doesn't deserve him at all.
Fiona is the new Aife sent to keep an eye on everything Seyonne does, and she is dead set on finding the corruption and evidence with which she can destroy his life. I found myself very intrigued with her character though and I started liking her even though she annoyed both me and Seyonne, but her dedication to Seyonne is really something, especially later when she starts seeing how wrong she was.
To write about the others would be too spoilerish so I won't write anything anymore. Most of the important ones appear during the second half of the book anyway.
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OVERALL:
____________________________________________
Be warned, this series is very very angsty. Hopefully there will be HEA at the end. I will cry my eyes out if it doesn't have one. There is no humor in this book. But, world building and very complex characters are definitely worth it.
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● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
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REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Transformation (Rai-Kirah, #1)
◈ Revelation (Rai-Kirah, #2)
◈ Restoration (Rai-Kirah, #3)
◈ Elemental Magic (Moon #6.5; Rai-Kirah #0.5 )
It's a bit complicated to write what this book is about. Except for lots and lots of things. Wonderful world building though. I loved seeing and finding out how the demons work, the history of demons and Ezzarians, what made them war against each other. It was so well done.
Better prepare for lots of angst. Once again. Like i said, this series is not for the faint hearted.
There were many plot twists I did not expect and it was hard, like it was to Seyonne, to figure out who spoke the truth.
The good thing is, aside from the many happenings in the book, that the main point of this one was done till the end so there is no cliffhanger.
This book is dark, so very dark. There are only three books I can compare this too on the level of angst: Acheron, The Child Thief and Wizard's first rule... (and some of the others I have read...) Authors of these books really enjoy throwing Trauma Conga Line trope as the main story...
*Be waarned of spoilers from the first book in this review.*
There are MANY, many characters in this book, compared to the last one and writing about them all would be a chore on itself. I will write only my opinions for some of them, the one who impacted me, but I honestly have to say that no one deserves Seyonne. Can't say the same for Aleksander, because, guess what? Even though he has changed for a bit and considers Seyonne a friend, he is still to quick to judge. Way to quick. And when you are on high position as he is, having such a nasty temper can lead to a person making wrong decisions.
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CHARACTERS:
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This time, there is only one main character and it is Seyonne. Aleksander is back too, but has much less screen-time (book-time?) in the story. I didn't really mind that to be honest. This book also has a bit of a focus on three female characters: Fiona, Seyonne's Aife and watcher, Ysanne, his wife and queen, and the Vallyne, powerful demon. And lastly, focus on Yvor Lukash, a rebel leader.
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
Seyonne's life is back to normal - he finally got his life back in order, expects a child with his wife, can battle again, got his kingdom back where Ezzarians are safe from enslavement he suffered for almost 17 years. And aside from the fact that he has a watchdog woman Fiona overseeing his every move for almost 2 years, who hates him with passion, he is doing well. But then life makes a cruel joke when his newly born child disappears and everyone denies the child's existence, and if that wasn't enough he finds himself shaken up by meeting a demon who is everything he was not expecting and who warned him of impending danger. To get things even worse, after the meeting with a demon he didn't challenge for the host, he gets banned from battling ever again in the portal, and finds out that Aleksander is dead set on finding the famous rebel Yvor Lukash, who makes chaos in his Empire and who... by a coincidence, looks very similar to... Seyonne.
And this is only the beginning of the book. I wish I could say his life got a bit better by the end of the book, but that did not happen, actually one could say it went in all directions. Some good, some bad, some plain terrifying (when you get to 50-80% of the book, you will know what i'm talking about.)
✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ✍ ☘ ❦ ☕ ❂ ✄ ☸ ⚡ ⚓ ☁ ☂ ✎ ☸ ⚡ ⚓
As for the characters themselves, I really, really liked Seyonne. If i didn't like him enough I wouldn't be able to read these books at all. He deserves to be happy and well, honestly. Author really enjoys throwing Trauma Conga Line thrope on him...
Aleksander was everything I was expecting. To think he had change for much better... I was disappointed. The worst part of his personality never changed - he is to quick on making judgments of people, his nasty temper lashing out whenever things don't go as he wished for them to go. He can be reasoned with... but the problem is that he acts first, then asks for explanation... My general opinion on him did not change much from the first book, and he has a long way to go.
Ysanne - I hoped she would prove me wrong and make me love her, but sadly, I only found myself hating her instead. She does not deserve Seyonne. She doesn't deserve him at all.
Fiona is the new Aife sent to keep an eye on everything Seyonne does, and she is dead set on finding the corruption and evidence with which she can destroy his life. I found myself very intrigued with her character though and I started liking her even though she annoyed both me and Seyonne, but her dedication to Seyonne is really something, especially later when she starts seeing how wrong she was.
To write about the others would be too spoilerish so I won't write anything anymore. Most of the important ones appear during the second half of the book anyway.
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OVERALL:
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Be warned, this series is very very angsty. Hopefully there will be HEA at the end. I will cry my eyes out if it doesn't have one. There is no humor in this book. But, world building and very complex characters are definitely worth it.
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REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Transformation (Rai-Kirah, #1)
◈ Revelation (Rai-Kirah, #2)
◈ Restoration (Rai-Kirah, #3)
◈ Elemental Magic (Moon #6.5; Rai-Kirah #0.5 )
October 11, 2023
Did not finish. Lame. Predictable. The way I am with Carol Berg. Either a hit or a miss. "Revelation" missed.
March 4, 2021
The furthering misadventures of Seyonne...lacks the heart of the first book. I was fairly bored for a good chunk of the story and there are parts of the narrative that don't quite square up. The author has admitted to being more of a panster than a plotter so I guess this is to be expected. And honestly, I could've been happy to go along for the ride if the story gave me characters to really care about but, alas, this didn't happen. The first book wasn't perfect either but it had the beauty of its central relationship to give it shape and purpose and heart. For fans of the first book, just be advised that that central relationship is pretty much absent from this book. In my humble opinion, this is a lesser story for it.
June 4, 2021
Ultimately better than the first.
These are typically epic fantasy style in the most of the book is a slow build up and the vast majority of the action that effects the story is towards the end.
That said, I love these books. The main character is so wholesomely good that it could make your teeth ache, though. I get frustrated with him for never really acting on any kind of revenge or justice when he is so horribly treated by pretty much everyone.
If you're looking for a tortured hero who tends to let it all just roll off his back, this is the guy.
These are typically epic fantasy style in the most of the book is a slow build up and the vast majority of the action that effects the story is towards the end.
That said, I love these books. The main character is so wholesomely good that it could make your teeth ache, though. I get frustrated with him for never really acting on any kind of revenge or justice when he is so horribly treated by pretty much everyone.
If you're looking for a tortured hero who tends to let it all just roll off his back, this is the guy.
December 11, 2020
This second instalment of the Rai-Kirah series took a complete turn from where the last one ended. An ending that was perfect in my opinion! Unfortunately, I could never really get warm with this U-turn and thus it took me quite some time to finish… I also lost interest in events and characters who changed their allegiance constantly .
So overall, it was just too inconsistent and felt like a second thought from the author. Very sorry, how this turned out for me, but please do not let it deter you from reading other books by Carol Berg ! So, just for this series: stop after the first! I’m out.
So overall, it was just too inconsistent and felt like a second thought from the author. Very sorry, how this turned out for me, but please do not let it deter you from reading other books by Carol Berg ! So, just for this series: stop after the first! I’m out.
October 26, 2019
Interesting
A well written tale. Book two of the Rai Kirah trilogy finds Seyonne the MC up to his neck in torture, death, betrayal and then we get to chapter two. Just kidding, but the truth is this book has a lot going on. The lines between friend/enemy, truth/lie, love/hate are all explored with painstaking detail. A good book that leaves me anticipating the final book is this trilogy.
A well written tale. Book two of the Rai Kirah trilogy finds Seyonne the MC up to his neck in torture, death, betrayal and then we get to chapter two. Just kidding, but the truth is this book has a lot going on. The lines between friend/enemy, truth/lie, love/hate are all explored with painstaking detail. A good book that leaves me anticipating the final book is this trilogy.
March 25, 2013
I just love this series...true epic fantasy regarding demons possession and one man's search for the truth of the afflictions beginning.
This book loses one star for bogging down a little in the middle while our hero is held captive by the Rai-Kirah, but things evolve in unforeseen ways, which makes me even more excited for book 3!
This book loses one star for bogging down a little in the middle while our hero is held captive by the Rai-Kirah, but things evolve in unforeseen ways, which makes me even more excited for book 3!
November 7, 2016
"Revelation" is the first of two sequels for the absolutely magnificent fantasy "Transformation." This second book is good, but there were a number of structural issues that kept "Revelation" from having the kind of emotional impact the first novel had.
The hot-tempered Prince Aleksander, whose friendship with the main character, Seyonne, created the main plot of "Tranformation," appeared in this book only briefly, in the beginning and end. I missed Aleksander's presence fiercely.
This sequel introduces a new character named Blaise, a powerful sorcerer who is an Ezzarian like Seyonne, but Blaise is "demon-born," with a human soul fused with a demon's, and he's able to transform his body at will. Blaise is an excellent character -- but again, he is seen in the beginning of the novel, and then again only briefly, at the end.
Ditto for Fiona, another new character I love love LOVE. Fiona has become Seyonne's Aife, the person who weaves portals and battle-realms for him to fight demons inside of, and has been assigned to watch over Seyonne due to his supposed "corruption" from living as a Derzhi slave for so long. Fiona plays a huge part in the beginning, and then again briefly, at the end.
Most of the action and plot of "Revelation" takes place in the "demon realm" -- the place where the demons who come to possess human bodies all live. Seyonne chooses to travel there in order to unravel the secrets of his people, and figure out why the Ezzarians are engaged in a never-ending war with these demons.
The information Seyonne learns is interesting and worthwhile. But oh God, does Seyonne suffer. Physically, emotionally, psychologically. This book is just NONSTOP SUFFERING. Seyonne suffers in the demon realm, and when he finally leaves the demon realm, the Ezzarians REALLY make him suffer, and even Aleksander and Blaise and Fiona all heap on aspects of torment. In the end, Seyonne's three closest friends prove themselves to be his friends after all -- but oh God, what happens before then is JUST BRUTAL.
Since most of this book takes place in the demon realm, it was the emotional stakes here that really make or break the impact this novel could have, and for me, this section lasted too long and didn't have enough payoff. Seyonne doesn't become close to any of the demons, though he does learn to trust them. The demons do such AWFUL G*DD*MN things to him, and Seyonne has to uncover layers and layers of subterfuge and betrayal. There is good conflict here, I just never felt like I bonded with any of these demons at all. As friends, or as helpers, or as beings worthy of the sacrifice Seyonne makes. (And boy, does Seyonne ever go through some pain to save lives here. Jesus.)
As a teenage warrior, Seyonne married a powerful Ezzarian named Ysanne, and Ysanne is still his wife and the Queen of the Ezzarians. In "Revelation," Ysanne's actions were the most repulsive in this entire book, and after what the demons do to Seyonne, that is *really* hard to top.
The big-battle climax of this novel features Seyonne fighting Ezzarians, and then he is unconscious and unable to witness ALL THE BIG PLOT POINTS he has worked so hard to achieve. The reader doesn't get to watch what happens, we're just forced to witness Seyonne suffer EVEN MORE at the end, and then wake up to the aftermath of what his friends did while he was unconscious -- action they summarize for him in a few short sentences. This was such a massive letdown for me, I felt so horribly cheated. Cheated by the story, cheated of any sense of victory.
Sure, Seyonne saves lives. But these people felt so UNWORTHY of ANYTHING, especially life. Unlike Aleksander, who proved himself worthy of all Seyonne's love, I did not have any such link to the characters in "Revelation." I didn't think it was possible for me to hate anyone so much as I hated Aleksander as he appeared in the beginning of "Transformation" -- but Ysanne beats out the young Aleksander for viciousness by such a wide margin, if this were a mathematical equation, I'd need to use exponential power to describe how foul Ysanne is in comparison.
And the same goes for the Ezzarian people. They make me sick. As a reader, I love Seyonne, I love Seyonne to the ends of the universe and back, and in "Revelation," I witness his nonstop suffering in order to save people who are vile. It makes me furious. The first novel left me with such a feeling of triumph, with grateful tears in my eyes. This second novel leaves me wishing ALL THESE PEOPLE WOULD JUST DIE. I wish Seyonne could take his child and go live somewhere without any of this foul bullsh*t these ignorant and vicious Ezzarians bring to his life.
Even though I felt jerked around by this sequel, and so massively cheated that I'm giving "Revelation" three stars, I've already started reading the third (and final) book in this series. Because I love Seyonne so much, I'm hooked, I'm all-in to find out what happens to him. And I HATE Ysanne so much, I have to know what becomes of her. Is the author going to redeem this woman? Is Seyonne going to stay married to her and reunite with Ysanne? It's torment to just IMAGINE Seyonne will end up with Ysanne. I'm grieving this, in a state of emotional wreckage, because what Ysanne did is so horrendous, and Seyonne deserves so much better.
I want Seyonne to have a love that is worthy of him, because Seyonne is THE KING OF ALL MEN. He is just that badass and awesome. He's so broken and damaged by the end of "Revelation," and *still* he is the king of all men. I love him. Now I have to find out what becomes of him in the last book.
The hot-tempered Prince Aleksander, whose friendship with the main character, Seyonne, created the main plot of "Tranformation," appeared in this book only briefly, in the beginning and end. I missed Aleksander's presence fiercely.
This sequel introduces a new character named Blaise, a powerful sorcerer who is an Ezzarian like Seyonne, but Blaise is "demon-born," with a human soul fused with a demon's, and he's able to transform his body at will. Blaise is an excellent character -- but again, he is seen in the beginning of the novel, and then again only briefly, at the end.
Ditto for Fiona, another new character I love love LOVE. Fiona has become Seyonne's Aife, the person who weaves portals and battle-realms for him to fight demons inside of, and has been assigned to watch over Seyonne due to his supposed "corruption" from living as a Derzhi slave for so long. Fiona plays a huge part in the beginning, and then again briefly, at the end.
Most of the action and plot of "Revelation" takes place in the "demon realm" -- the place where the demons who come to possess human bodies all live. Seyonne chooses to travel there in order to unravel the secrets of his people, and figure out why the Ezzarians are engaged in a never-ending war with these demons.
The information Seyonne learns is interesting and worthwhile. But oh God, does Seyonne suffer. Physically, emotionally, psychologically. This book is just NONSTOP SUFFERING. Seyonne suffers in the demon realm, and when he finally leaves the demon realm, the Ezzarians REALLY make him suffer, and even Aleksander and Blaise and Fiona all heap on aspects of torment. In the end, Seyonne's three closest friends prove themselves to be his friends after all -- but oh God, what happens before then is JUST BRUTAL.
Since most of this book takes place in the demon realm, it was the emotional stakes here that really make or break the impact this novel could have, and for me, this section lasted too long and didn't have enough payoff. Seyonne doesn't become close to any of the demons, though he does learn to trust them. The demons do such AWFUL G*DD*MN things to him, and Seyonne has to uncover layers and layers of subterfuge and betrayal. There is good conflict here, I just never felt like I bonded with any of these demons at all. As friends, or as helpers, or as beings worthy of the sacrifice Seyonne makes. (And boy, does Seyonne ever go through some pain to save lives here. Jesus.)
As a teenage warrior, Seyonne married a powerful Ezzarian named Ysanne, and Ysanne is still his wife and the Queen of the Ezzarians. In "Revelation," Ysanne's actions were the most repulsive in this entire book, and after what the demons do to Seyonne, that is *really* hard to top.
The big-battle climax of this novel features Seyonne fighting Ezzarians, and then he is unconscious and unable to witness ALL THE BIG PLOT POINTS he has worked so hard to achieve. The reader doesn't get to watch what happens, we're just forced to witness Seyonne suffer EVEN MORE at the end, and then wake up to the aftermath of what his friends did while he was unconscious -- action they summarize for him in a few short sentences. This was such a massive letdown for me, I felt so horribly cheated. Cheated by the story, cheated of any sense of victory.
Sure, Seyonne saves lives. But these people felt so UNWORTHY of ANYTHING, especially life. Unlike Aleksander, who proved himself worthy of all Seyonne's love, I did not have any such link to the characters in "Revelation." I didn't think it was possible for me to hate anyone so much as I hated Aleksander as he appeared in the beginning of "Transformation" -- but Ysanne beats out the young Aleksander for viciousness by such a wide margin, if this were a mathematical equation, I'd need to use exponential power to describe how foul Ysanne is in comparison.
And the same goes for the Ezzarian people. They make me sick. As a reader, I love Seyonne, I love Seyonne to the ends of the universe and back, and in "Revelation," I witness his nonstop suffering in order to save people who are vile. It makes me furious. The first novel left me with such a feeling of triumph, with grateful tears in my eyes. This second novel leaves me wishing ALL THESE PEOPLE WOULD JUST DIE. I wish Seyonne could take his child and go live somewhere without any of this foul bullsh*t these ignorant and vicious Ezzarians bring to his life.
Even though I felt jerked around by this sequel, and so massively cheated that I'm giving "Revelation" three stars, I've already started reading the third (and final) book in this series. Because I love Seyonne so much, I'm hooked, I'm all-in to find out what happens to him. And I HATE Ysanne so much, I have to know what becomes of her. Is the author going to redeem this woman? Is Seyonne going to stay married to her and reunite with Ysanne? It's torment to just IMAGINE Seyonne will end up with Ysanne. I'm grieving this, in a state of emotional wreckage, because what Ysanne did is so horrendous, and Seyonne deserves so much better.
I want Seyonne to have a love that is worthy of him, because Seyonne is THE KING OF ALL MEN. He is just that badass and awesome. He's so broken and damaged by the end of "Revelation," and *still* he is the king of all men. I love him. Now I have to find out what becomes of him in the last book.
March 5, 2015
Revised review after the second reading; August, 2014
The magic of the first book was not repeated here. This is the infamous sophomore slump - the second book in the trilogy and Berg's second effort overall. Good to know that she managed to (exceptionally) improve her narrative skills later on.
The story dragged and dragged in the middle when Seyonne was under enchantment and I missed Aleksander very much. Plus, Yssane is so underdeveloped that she is basically a paper doll and she is supposed to be the great love of Seyonne's life. I kind of see what Berg wanted with her, but she missed every opportunity. This is also one of the books that gave Berg the reputation for torturing her characters. Anything that could possibly go wrong for Sayonne did. You have to marvel at his perseverance even if some troubles were brought by his own stupidity.
Though I wished Berg chose several characters to develop more instead of throwing dozens of them at us, I still liked Fiona and Blaise and there were some interesting characters among demons. At times, the suspense was unbearable, even when you know there is another book after this one.
So, not nearly as good as the first book, but still exciting and readable.
The magic of the first book was not repeated here. This is the infamous sophomore slump - the second book in the trilogy and Berg's second effort overall. Good to know that she managed to (exceptionally) improve her narrative skills later on.
The story dragged and dragged in the middle when Seyonne was under enchantment and I missed Aleksander very much. Plus, Yssane is so underdeveloped that she is basically a paper doll and she is supposed to be the great love of Seyonne's life. I kind of see what Berg wanted with her, but she missed every opportunity. This is also one of the books that gave Berg the reputation for torturing her characters. Anything that could possibly go wrong for Sayonne did. You have to marvel at his perseverance even if some troubles were brought by his own stupidity.
Though I wished Berg chose several characters to develop more instead of throwing dozens of them at us, I still liked Fiona and Blaise and there were some interesting characters among demons. At times, the suspense was unbearable, even when you know there is another book after this one.
So, not nearly as good as the first book, but still exciting and readable.
July 3, 2020
Hm. Did this suffer from middle book syndrome? Maybe...
Transformation was a promising start to a series, but I was missing something from Revelation that I can't quite put my finger on.
Maybe it's the fact that there are way less interactions between Seyonne and Aleksander (their relationship was one of my favorite things about book one) and when Aleksander does show up, he's still a bit infuriating.
Appropriate to the title, this book did indeed include many revelations about the world. However, I found the path towards said revelations a little long and Seyonne's journey started to bore me.
It also didn't help that some characters I had hoped to like proofed to be insufferable and undeserving of Seyonne.
I already own book three and I still kind of want to know how it ends, so I hope it will feel a little more engaging.
Transformation was a promising start to a series, but I was missing something from Revelation that I can't quite put my finger on.
Maybe it's the fact that there are way less interactions between Seyonne and Aleksander (their relationship was one of my favorite things about book one) and when Aleksander does show up, he's still a bit infuriating.
Appropriate to the title, this book did indeed include many revelations about the world. However, I found the path towards said revelations a little long and Seyonne's journey started to bore me.
It also didn't help that some characters I had hoped to like proofed to be insufferable and undeserving of Seyonne.
I already own book three and I still kind of want to know how it ends, so I hope it will feel a little more engaging.
September 11, 2017
This book is flawed in many ways (the female characters foremost amongst them). It also does not fulfil the expectation raised by book 1: that of a story centring on the relationship between Aleksander and his former slave. The manuscript probably should have been shortened a bit - I found myself listening to parts of the book at double speed because I grew impatient with it.
And yet I was captivated by the story, and I will likely listen to book 3.
And yet I was captivated by the story, and I will likely listen to book 3.
December 22, 2022
What a disappointing sequel. The main character is so very much out of character that it’s hard to believe he’s the same person from the last story. It isn’t so much a matter of the character growing or regressing; it’s just that he’s so altogether different. And he’s not even all that likeable here, but to be fair, the other characters aren’t, either. Add to that a confusing and tedious plot—so slow-moving—and it’s easy to see why it took me so long to finish reading this one. The best part of the first novel was the friendship between the two main characters, but one of those friends isn’t even in this story except for a handful of pages. This novel, the middle in the trilogy, is supposed to involve a drastic surprise for the hero that shakes his whole understanding of the world of magic. But as it happens here, it just seemed to me that the author tore down her excellent world-building from the first novel to replace it with something that wasn’t as well-crafted. All in all, I found it hard to care. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3, mostly for the sake of the last 25% of the story. The book ends in a riveting drama that kept me turning pages and—finally—made me care again about these characters. If the whole book were that well-written, this would have been a very different reading experience.
April 30, 2018
I liked the first book in the series a lot, but the reviews for this one are mixed and I hesitated to buy it. I’m glad I did. It turned out that I enjoyed it immensely, maybe even more than the first one despite the absence of Aleksander. What I liked most was exactly the part other reviewers didn’t, that is, the demon world. It was fascinating and very believable, it resembled a disturbing dream about things which should be familiar but are ever so slightly different, and you know they are and how, but don’t understand the reason and suspect it’s something downright horrible…
I also liked Fiona very much, and her relationship with the main character (no, it’s nothing romantic). It actually made me cry at one point (when he went out of the demon city and found the tower in the desert). I cry a lot in real life, but almost never over a book, so that’s saying something. I don’t think Berg is bad at writing female characters, I just think she doesn’t like the main character’s wife, the queen, Y or whatever her name was – such a contradictory, useless character. Speaking about names, they were dreadful as usual. I still can’t bring myself to use the name of the MC, and the rest… I mean, Fiona? Blaise? Really? You have this rich, varied world with so many distinct, extraordinary and fascinating cultures and religions, and all of a sudden you throw a Blaise or a Fiona on my plate? All right, I did like Fiona a lot and somehow her name fit, but every once in a while it made me seriously scratch my head.
Also, the unmasking of the main villain was a bit predictable, and so were their transgressions; and I didn’t like the fact that some of the problems the MC had to face were the result of people not talking to each other when they should, which is a surefire way to identify so-called Idiot Plot. Berg’s books are uneven, and I don’t know if it’s the problem of an editor who is not discerning enough, or of the author getting lazy, but it is a problem.
May 15, 2013
Writing: 4
Story: 4
Satisfaction: 4
A solid followup to Transformation though parts seemed like the protagonist was being brutalized just to out-do the brutalization in the last novel. Poor Seyonne. He just kept getting kicked and kicked. It seems like he drew the worst life hand that one could possibly get. I really hope he gets his happy ending at the end of the trilogy.
Transformation ends with Aleksander, a Derzhi prince, giving Seyonne his papers of freedom and the land of Ezzaria back to his people. After 16 torturous years on slavery, his homecoming is not welcoming and he's shunned by many of his people who claim he's tainted by "corruption." But his wife, and queen of Ezzaria, Ysanne is pregnant with their first child and he throws himself into his role as the sole Warden, battling countless demons in the human consciousness.
In one battle, he meets a demon who does not feel evil and is only there to learn. Puzzled, he chooses not to kill it and his people condemn him for it. A non-evil demon goes against everything his people believe in and Seyonne travels to find the truth of their existence.
Sadly Aleksander doesn't play as large of a role in Revelation and this book is more about Seyonne learning the background of his people and the role they played in the existence of the demons that they fight. He ventures into the demon realm and is tortured and enchanted. Thrown back into his "slave" role, parts of Revelation feel like a more extreme version of the challenges he faced in Transformation and without any of the hope that lingered.
A solid second novel with its own conclusion though it does leave quite a bit open. Seyonne is at a pretty low point at the end but he has room to improve his situation. Still, I can't help but pity the poor guy.
Story: 4
Satisfaction: 4
A solid followup to Transformation though parts seemed like the protagonist was being brutalized just to out-do the brutalization in the last novel. Poor Seyonne. He just kept getting kicked and kicked. It seems like he drew the worst life hand that one could possibly get. I really hope he gets his happy ending at the end of the trilogy.
Transformation ends with Aleksander, a Derzhi prince, giving Seyonne his papers of freedom and the land of Ezzaria back to his people. After 16 torturous years on slavery, his homecoming is not welcoming and he's shunned by many of his people who claim he's tainted by "corruption." But his wife, and queen of Ezzaria, Ysanne is pregnant with their first child and he throws himself into his role as the sole Warden, battling countless demons in the human consciousness.
In one battle, he meets a demon who does not feel evil and is only there to learn. Puzzled, he chooses not to kill it and his people condemn him for it. A non-evil demon goes against everything his people believe in and Seyonne travels to find the truth of their existence.
Sadly Aleksander doesn't play as large of a role in Revelation and this book is more about Seyonne learning the background of his people and the role they played in the existence of the demons that they fight. He ventures into the demon realm and is tortured and enchanted. Thrown back into his "slave" role, parts of Revelation feel like a more extreme version of the challenges he faced in Transformation and without any of the hope that lingered.
A solid second novel with its own conclusion though it does leave quite a bit open. Seyonne is at a pretty low point at the end but he has room to improve his situation. Still, I can't help but pity the poor guy.
May 6, 2016
When someone asks me for something new to read, especially if they've read a lot of fantasy previously. I always ask;
"Have you read Carol Berg? Because if not, you need to." ~James Calderon
I can't claim that I had read a lot, at the time I first took up "Revelation" by Carol Berg. The majority of my literary experience laid in the hands of Terry Brooks but when I picked up "Revelation", randomly from a Hastings circa pre-2004, the book 'literately' blew me away.
To the book's great credit. I didn't realize that it was actually the second of the series and I was able to easily get on board.
Getting the more obvious stuff out of the way, (obvious meaning covered plenty by other reviews always) Carol has an incredible knack for magic. While the all the elements come together to support it. When magic happens in Carol's worlds, the effects are booming. Which is palpable because the worlds are equally as impacting.
"Have you read Carol Berg? Because if not, you need to." ~James Calderon
I can't claim that I had read a lot, at the time I first took up "Revelation" by Carol Berg. The majority of my literary experience laid in the hands of Terry Brooks but when I picked up "Revelation", randomly from a Hastings circa pre-2004, the book 'literately' blew me away.
To the book's great credit. I didn't realize that it was actually the second of the series and I was able to easily get on board.
Getting the more obvious stuff out of the way, (obvious meaning covered plenty by other reviews always) Carol has an incredible knack for magic. While the all the elements come together to support it. When magic happens in Carol's worlds, the effects are booming. Which is palpable because the worlds are equally as impacting.
Read
November 4, 2011I enjoyed most of this book very much. Other reviewers are correct in saying that the middle section (which Seyonne spends in the demon realm) goes on for too long, and that section is not very well or concisely written. And other authors, such as Richard Morgan in his fantasies, depict physical torture and mental confusion more effectively than Berg does here. But aside from those complaints, most of the book is an affecting tale of a hero who keeps giving everything he has despite believing that all his efforts are failures. There *is* a lot of emotion and despair here, so anyone who objects to emo should probably avoid these books. OTOH, if you appreciate Hobb and other emotive writers you'll probably like this series as well.
May 26, 2013
4.5/5 9/10
While some books are complex because of a large cast of characters and multiple storylines, Berg weaves a story that is as intricate as any, with only a handful of characters and plots. Even as Seyonne yearns for understanding and vows to do the right thing, the reader also longs for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place and for Seyonne's plans to not all go awry. This is a story that truly engages one's curiosity with a desire to comprehend. The urge to keep reading is not just to find out what happens next, but why and how it happens and what the larger consequences will be.
While some books are complex because of a large cast of characters and multiple storylines, Berg weaves a story that is as intricate as any, with only a handful of characters and plots. Even as Seyonne yearns for understanding and vows to do the right thing, the reader also longs for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place and for Seyonne's plans to not all go awry. This is a story that truly engages one's curiosity with a desire to comprehend. The urge to keep reading is not just to find out what happens next, but why and how it happens and what the larger consequences will be.
May 25, 2016
My goodness, I thought Seyonne was tortured in the first book. Hooo boy. Nothing compared to what he went through in this one. I enjoyed this book but I'd be lying if I said I loved it as much as the first one. Perhaps because I love the dynamic between Seyonne and Aleksander so much and I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more interactions between them in this one. On the flip side, Fiona was a welcome addition. Overall, another great read.
October 3, 2010
4.75 stars
It would be five stars except that there was an overly long (for me) passage in the middle with Seyonne in the land of the demons that didn't keep my interest. Beginning and ending were fabulous. The psychological underpinnings are spot-on and the action compelling. This is a fabulous trilogy. I am now beginning Restoration.
It would be five stars except that there was an overly long (for me) passage in the middle with Seyonne in the land of the demons that didn't keep my interest. Beginning and ending were fabulous. The psychological underpinnings are spot-on and the action compelling. This is a fabulous trilogy. I am now beginning Restoration.
July 3, 2020
Story got too confusing with whole chapters wasted on demon memories, a forbidden castle and just nonsense.
November 22, 2017
Review on my blog
It’s rare that a single quote encapsulates a book so perfectly but this one tells you everything you need to know about Seyonne. He quickly reaches a point that makes the events of the first book look harmless – already an achievement – and then things still continue to get worse. As a result, the book slides quite close to the Dark, Edgy and Miserable(TM) territory (something Berg managed to avoid in her other books, despite their protagonists always being really unlucky). So especially during the middle part, it dragged a lot and I managed only one or two chapters per day. It wasn’t because it was boring; I just couldn’t cope with that much misery at once. Seyonne just couldn’t catch a break.
At the same time, the overarching plot is fascinating. It goes in a completely different direction than I would have expected after the first book. While Transformation had a pretty standard (but incredibly well done) fantasy plot of ‘We have to fight the demons’, Revelation now asks ‘Why do we have to fight the demons?’ and ‘Why do we have to fight the demons?’ and the answers to that are hard to stomach. And these parts remind me again why I love Carol Berg’s books so much. It starts off with typical fantasy tropes and then digs really deep into it. She doesn’t subvert them in some high-and-mighty ‘actually fantasy is crap and if this was reality everything would be horrible so I’ll write about how horrible everybody is’-way. It’s rather about ‘We’ve always done it like this and we can’t suddenly change our ways is a really bad reason for doing something’. Especially, if, like in this case, you really don’t know anymore why you’re doing something.
But also, after having enjoyed the great relationship between Seyonne and Aleksander in the first book, none of those in this one could match it. Aleksander himself is absent for most parts and while there are other interesting characters they all only stay with him for a short while and so the relationships with them lack the depths and simply weren’t as fun to read.
As had happened each time I thought I had discovered the true depth of despair, I turned another corner and found the way still pointed downwards.
It’s rare that a single quote encapsulates a book so perfectly but this one tells you everything you need to know about Seyonne. He quickly reaches a point that makes the events of the first book look harmless – already an achievement – and then things still continue to get worse. As a result, the book slides quite close to the Dark, Edgy and Miserable(TM) territory (something Berg managed to avoid in her other books, despite their protagonists always being really unlucky). So especially during the middle part, it dragged a lot and I managed only one or two chapters per day. It wasn’t because it was boring; I just couldn’t cope with that much misery at once. Seyonne just couldn’t catch a break.
At the same time, the overarching plot is fascinating. It goes in a completely different direction than I would have expected after the first book. While Transformation had a pretty standard (but incredibly well done) fantasy plot of ‘We have to fight the demons’, Revelation now asks ‘Why do we have to fight the demons?’ and ‘Why do we have to fight the demons?’ and the answers to that are hard to stomach. And these parts remind me again why I love Carol Berg’s books so much. It starts off with typical fantasy tropes and then digs really deep into it. She doesn’t subvert them in some high-and-mighty ‘actually fantasy is crap and if this was reality everything would be horrible so I’ll write about how horrible everybody is’-way. It’s rather about ‘We’ve always done it like this and we can’t suddenly change our ways is a really bad reason for doing something’. Especially, if, like in this case, you really don’t know anymore why you’re doing something.
But also, after having enjoyed the great relationship between Seyonne and Aleksander in the first book, none of those in this one could match it. Aleksander himself is absent for most parts and while there are other interesting characters they all only stay with him for a short while and so the relationships with them lack the depths and simply weren’t as fun to read.
June 4, 2018
Revelation by Carol Berg takes place two years after the proceeding novel, and as Seyonne relentless works to protect humanity from demons, an encounter with a different kind of demon sets him on a path that could solve the mysteries plaguing his people's past, or destruction.
So let's start with the good - the book definitely ended on a high note. All the various factions all clashed, plot lines were wrapped up and the final battle kept me engrossed. Really, the conclusion to the book really justified a lot to me.
That said, I felt this book wasn't as strong as the preceding one. Large chunks of the book featured Seyonne being tortured or enslaved, again. Spending a significant chunk in the second book with Seyonne in this situation just felt old, considering there's an entire first book about this. The first book at least had Seyonne and Aleksander's relationship to carry the plot forward, but this book just featured Seyonne trying to bear through it all. Speaking of characters, this is the second book in a row where the love of Seyonne's life, Ysanne, has less characterization than a cardboard cutout. She remains aloof from the story, yet again, and we barely learn about her other than Seyonne's undying love for her despite her betrayals, rigidity, etc. Her one dimensional portrait is really jarring for me, since she is such a motivation for Seyonne, and I can't help wonder if it's because of how little she is actually present in the story, or something else. Finally, the story. It took a while for the plot to find its bearing, I feel. The beginning of the book felt wayward, with Seyonne being thrown into several different plot lines at a time, leaving me to wonder what on earth the actual plot was going to be. I feel like the strands of all the stories could have been more deftly weaved together in the beginning to make it feel more seamless, and perhaps that would have allowed the resolution to maybe feel a little less magical, as there is so much chaos at the end (which is still kind of fun), it does feel kind of deus ex machina that everything was resolve the way it was.
Overall, this book was entertaining, but a muddied plot and lack of character depth hindered this book in ways that the previous book in the series wasn't. Still, I'm going to read the third book in the trilogy and I'm curious to see how everything will end.
So let's start with the good - the book definitely ended on a high note. All the various factions all clashed, plot lines were wrapped up and the final battle kept me engrossed. Really, the conclusion to the book really justified a lot to me.
That said, I felt this book wasn't as strong as the preceding one. Large chunks of the book featured Seyonne being tortured or enslaved, again. Spending a significant chunk in the second book with Seyonne in this situation just felt old, considering there's an entire first book about this. The first book at least had Seyonne and Aleksander's relationship to carry the plot forward, but this book just featured Seyonne trying to bear through it all. Speaking of characters, this is the second book in a row where the love of Seyonne's life, Ysanne, has less characterization than a cardboard cutout. She remains aloof from the story, yet again, and we barely learn about her other than Seyonne's undying love for her despite her betrayals, rigidity, etc. Her one dimensional portrait is really jarring for me, since she is such a motivation for Seyonne, and I can't help wonder if it's because of how little she is actually present in the story, or something else. Finally, the story. It took a while for the plot to find its bearing, I feel. The beginning of the book felt wayward, with Seyonne being thrown into several different plot lines at a time, leaving me to wonder what on earth the actual plot was going to be. I feel like the strands of all the stories could have been more deftly weaved together in the beginning to make it feel more seamless, and perhaps that would have allowed the resolution to maybe feel a little less magical, as there is so much chaos at the end (which is still kind of fun), it does feel kind of deus ex machina that everything was resolve the way it was.
Overall, this book was entertaining, but a muddied plot and lack of character depth hindered this book in ways that the previous book in the series wasn't. Still, I'm going to read the third book in the trilogy and I'm curious to see how everything will end.
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