This one sat on my shelf for a while after i had read the first installment of this series, 'Transformation' before I finally picked it up. The first book had ended on a real high note, with Seyonne having gone from being a lowly slave of a conquered nation to saviour of the world, best friend of the prince and champion of his newly restored kingdom, most powerful ever 'warden' against demons and consort of the queen. It felt as if the elements of what really made the first book stand out from the crowd - the tale of a slave using his wits to survive in an hostile environment were gone. As it turns out, I shouldn't have worried. If anything, Seyonne's predicament is even worse in this book, building a tense, foreboding atmosphere throughout. Seyonne's time away from his people has driven a wedge between him and their customs. he does not find the dreamed of succour and healing in the arms of his wife. Things get worse from there.

All in all, this is more than a worthy succesor to Transformation. Some readers may feel frustrated by how much Seyonne is a victim of events rather than a prime mover. In this day and age of epic fantasies with multiple POVs, the single POV of Seyonne used throughout may seem a little constricting, particularly when crucial events happen when he is unconscious/away/imprisoned, but overall the story is well told and engaging. The Rai-Kirah series continues to be entertaining, if not exceotional fantasy fare. ( )

Pre09:
Characters: Still love the lead. The rest are meh.
Plot: What happened again? (Forgettable)
Style: Plodding. Similar to the first one, but the characters were better in that one. ( )

Revelation continues the story begun in Transformation (and thankfully received a better cover artist! :). Returned to his people after spending half his life in captivity, Seyonne struggles to re-integrate himself into his former life. But a recent troubling experience has him questioning the most basic tenets of his Warden's training, and leads him into a dangerous quest to find out the truth about the so-called demons he has sworn to fight. As always, Berg's superb character-driven storytelling is a treat to read. ( )

This book does not flow nearly as well as the first. Parts of Seyonne's quest for answers just seem to stall for long periods. Then, suddenly, the story takes off and there is a wild ride towards the conclusion. Overall, I was thrilled with all of the "revelations" found in this story. I would not have skipped this book for the world; I loved how Carol Berg handled the demons, their world, and their origins.

Full Review Here:
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards ( )

Plot: The typical result of what happens when a solid first book is written and suddenly sequels need to happen. A vague plotline from Transformation is picked up and desperately blown up to size. There's never a real point to the story, and half the time it's unclear what the characters actually want to do.

Characters: Goodbye character development. The new ones are cardboard, the old ones become static.

Style: Nothing excellent and nothing bad - somewhere in the middle for the genre. The lack of worldbuilding from the first book now bites the story in the ass.

Plus: The cover art has improved.

Minus: A totally unnecessary sequel.

Summary: The series jumped the shark with this volume. ( )