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A review by lyricat
Transformation by Carol Berg
4.0
I've had this book on my radar for a while now & I'm glad I picked it up. It was first published in 2000 and definitely has that old school mass market paperback fantasy vibe, which I love.
We follow Seyonne, whose people were captured & enslaved 15 years prior by the conquering Derzhi. The years of slavery have taken it's toll on Seyonne, and he clings to his only method of survival which is to forget his past and his future, just to survive in the present.
Much to his horror, he is sold to the Derzhi prince. Arrogant & cruel, Aleksander is everything Seyonne despises. However, a danger lurks in the shadows that only someone like Seyonne can recognize, and he must return to his roots to become what he once was - an Ezzarian Warden, a warrior that battles demons within the depths of human souls. There has been a secret war that has been raging for thousands of years and if the demons claim Aleksander, the world is lost.
The book has flaws, for sure. The magic system, while intriguing, isn't quite fleshed out in a way that I found satisfying. Some suspension of disbelief was required. That being said, the concept of battles being fought within souls was super cool. Fighting as pairs with one who shapes the landscape within the soul (and acts as your portal in & out) and one who does the fighting was something I hadn't seen before, and I hope to see it utilized in the rest of the series in cool & interesting ways.
Overall a solid start to the series, though I found that this book could act as a standalone. I'm interested in seeing how the author plans to develop the plot further.
3.5/5
We follow Seyonne, whose people were captured & enslaved 15 years prior by the conquering Derzhi. The years of slavery have taken it's toll on Seyonne, and he clings to his only method of survival which is to forget his past and his future, just to survive in the present.
Much to his horror, he is sold to the Derzhi prince. Arrogant & cruel, Aleksander is everything Seyonne despises. However, a danger lurks in the shadows that only someone like Seyonne can recognize, and he must return to his roots to become what he once was - an Ezzarian Warden, a warrior that battles demons within the depths of human souls. There has been a secret war that has been raging for thousands of years and if the demons claim Aleksander, the world is lost.
The book has flaws, for sure. The magic system, while intriguing, isn't quite fleshed out in a way that I found satisfying. Some suspension of disbelief was required. That being said, the concept of battles being fought within souls was super cool. Fighting as pairs with one who shapes the landscape within the soul (and acts as your portal in & out) and one who does the fighting was something I hadn't seen before, and I hope to see it utilized in the rest of the series in cool & interesting ways.
Overall a solid start to the series, though I found that this book could act as a standalone. I'm interested in seeing how the author plans to develop the plot further.
3.5/5