- Paperback: 506 pages
- Publisher: Orbit; paperback / softback edition (1 Mar 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184149075X
- ISBN-13: 978-1841490755
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 13.2 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 606,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Sixteen years of slavery have left Seyonne with little sense of who he is, or who he used to be; Carol Berg's Transformation is the story of how he gradually comes to know himself and becomes a player in the game of empires and kings.
Prince Aleksander is the heir to the Derzhi Empire and is a spoiled brat with no sense of the consequences of his endlessly rash actions. When Seyonne, whom he has whimsically bought as a secretary, realises that the obnoxious youth is in danger from demonic sorcerers, he has no option for self-preservation but to save the prince from them. Then he realises that Aleksander, by this point disgraced, on the run and cursed with shape-changing, has the spark of mystical goodness in him that his own people have been searching for for generations.
Berg has created a world in which there are several sorts of magic that hardly overlap, and whose local bigotries --Seyonne, once a leader of his people, has been dishonoured forever by capture--are credibly unpleasant. This is an evocative, passionate sword-and-sorcery thriller with some vivid characters and set piece scenes; Aleksander is a fascinating creation, with the stuff of greatness in him but on the brink of corruption.--Roz Kaveney
Review
'Vivid characters and intricate magic combined with a fascinating world - luscious work!' - MELANIE RAWN
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was a little 'fantasy jaded' when I picked up 'Transformation,' but I soon found myself unable to quit until it was finished.
Carol Berg has a great writing style, she takes situations and characters that you feel you've 'seen before' and gives them a new twist.
The character of Seyonne is an enigma from page one. A slave; brutalised, and beaten for years, yet his quiet, irrepressible dignity is always apparant. Aleksander, the Derzhi prince, is Seyonnes exact opposite in every way, but still the bond that forms between these two men, is stronger than blood or duty. When they're forced to rely on each other for their survival, we discover complex and fascinating characters lie just beneath the surface.
Carol Berg has a great writing style, she takes situations and characters that you feel you've 'seen before' and gives them a new twist.
The character of Seyonne is an enigma from page one. A slave; brutalised, and beaten for years, yet his quiet, irrepressible dignity is always apparant. Aleksander, the Derzhi prince, is Seyonnes exact opposite in every way, but still the bond that forms between these two men, is stronger than blood or duty. When they're forced to rely on each other for their survival, we discover complex and fascinating characters lie just beneath the surface.
This is a book I've reread several times, and still never tire of. Highly recommended!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's been a long time since I read a book that involved me with it's characters and plot so immediately and fully. I was unable to predict where the story would go (a rarity for most fantasy books) and the gradual revelations of the characters' pasts and motivations kept me fascinated right until the last page. The characters are believable and interesting and the interactions, particularly between Seyonne and Zander, are excellently done. In all, an absorbing and satisfying read which left me anxious for more.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm generally a fan of fantasy that has a little romance in it, but picked this book based on reviews and was blown away. It focuses mainly on a an unlikely comradeship and deep friendahip that develops between A Prince and his slave. Prince Alekzander is an arrogant and bored prince who cares for nothing but his own amusement when he buys Seyonne, a man who has been stripped of his magic and sold into slavery after the Derzhi Empire invaded his homeland. Bit by bit, Seyonne's kindness and gentle disapproval tranforms Alekzander into the kind of ruler he should be. After Seyonne battles to save Alekzander's life, the respect Alekzander has for Seyonne changes to friendship.
It was beautifully written, and I actually couldn't put it down. The way the friendship develops is very interesting, and it was actually refreshing to read something that didn't have any romance in it. The fantasy side of it was also refreshing and new, slightly complex but well explained and consequently very interesting.
It is one of a trilogy, and I have to say that it is one of the best trilogys I have read in a long time. Please read it, i don't think you will be disappointed.
It was beautifully written, and I actually couldn't put it down. The way the friendship develops is very interesting, and it was actually refreshing to read something that didn't have any romance in it. The fantasy side of it was also refreshing and new, slightly complex but well explained and consequently very interesting.
It is one of a trilogy, and I have to say that it is one of the best trilogys I have read in a long time. Please read it, i don't think you will be disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The best fatasy book read in a long time
I'm no fantasy snob, but love all the greats, have plowed my way through trilogies that do not end at the third book (eragon series)argh!!! Read more
Published 11 months ago by saracornwall
Simple and nice
Never before I have heard of Carol Berg, in fact when I found out "Transformation" I thought it was from a new author, but right in the beginning of her carrer, in 2000, she has... Read more
Published 16 months ago by ManInsideTheHelm
Quite interesting
I got given this book and the others by one of my friends. It is actually quite an interesting and intelligent take on the fantasy genre that kept me well engaged all the way... Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by K. Bourouba
Highly recommended
This book was an unexpected find.
My main reading interest is what I would call epic fantasy with quests and the battle against evil at its heart. Read more
My main reading interest is what I would call epic fantasy with quests and the battle against evil at its heart. Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2009 by AnetteF
Fantastic book!
One of my all time favorite fantasy novels. I've reccomended this book to many friends and have had very positive reactions in return. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2007 by Alexander Claver
A gripping story of an unlikely friendship
The three books which make up the Rai-Kirah series (Transformation, Reformation, Restoration) are probably my favourite books. As simple as that. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2006 by Becky
An absolute gem
I have to admit that I had read mixed reviews of this book in various places and kept putting off reading it - I thought it would be one of those books that was good but dragged. Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2005
a long journey, for both characters and reader
If you can get beyond the setup - Seyonne is most certainly a slave - then this book is wonderful. Both of the main characters undergo their own transformation, not least in their... Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2002 by Edmund Kapusniak
A new voice, with any luck
This is about Seyonne, a slave, who gradually comes to change his whole way of thinking and being, back to the way he once was, before he was captured. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2001 by S. A. Harvey
A slave who comes
Excellently well written. This story is very imaginative, and creative. the characters well drawn out, even the demons are not altogether what you thing, as they are part of... Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2001 by aaa@malazanempire.com
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