Revelation (book 2 of The Rai-Kirah) by Carol Berg
01/07/2003 . Source: Phil Jones 

pub: Orbit. 485 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99(UK). ISBN: 1-84149-045-7.

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This book follows on from transformation and is centred on Seyonne. In the first book, ‘Transformation’, he saves Prince Alexander from Rai-Karah Demon and is released from slavery.

The two of them become close friends and Seyonne returns to Ezzaria to follow his work as a warden.

He is put under an enormous amount of pressure, as he is one of the few experienced wardens left who can rescue souls from demon possession. Life is not easy as he discovers his new-born child is possessed by a demon and is sent away by his wife, the Queen, to be killed.

This tests his resolve to the full and leads him to kill a demon outright rather than letting it leave the person's soul by its own freewill. In doing so, he kills the human host.

Things get stranger when in one battle he meets a demon that seems not to be evil or wanting to fight but just curious. Not fitting in with all the scriptures and doctrine Seyonne has learnt, he comes away from the experience baffled and confused. Seyonne's strange behaviour is challenged and the council, headed by the queen, and his role as a warden is revoked.

Lost and confused, he tries to find out what has happened to his son. In doing so, meets up with Alexander again, who is following a band of outlaws who are wreaking havoc across the realm. Seyonne starts to find out all the teaching and beliefs he held may not be totally true.

I confess to not reading the first book but Carol Berg does an excellent job of getting you up to speed on the events previous to this book. ‘Revelation’ is really an exploration of Seyonne's beliefs, doubts and make-up.

He is continually tested and challenged. The first half of the book slowly shows Seyonne's world falling apart. The dogma he follows challenged to the core. This is not an easy ride and is also a tad on the long side.

Seyonne himself is an interesting character along with a few others but some characters, such as his wife, the Queen, are a bit one-dimensional and Seyonne tends to react to them as if they are. Whereas some characters are beautifully multi-faceted such as Fiona.

I did feel like there was something wrong with this book and it took me a while to work out what it was. After sitting down and thinking about it, without giving too much away, the portion of the book where Seyonne is in the demon realm is a bit weak and boring. The demons themselves, by their nature are flat and uninspiring.

Perhaps there is just a bit too much filler and not enough story. It does feel a bit of a slog to get through some sections of the book. Saying that, there is a lot to like about this book. The beginning and end sections are well-written and real page-turners.

The book certainly lives up to its title as there are quite a few major revelations and plot twists. Some characters genuinely surprise you. It's also a very good story - which is what fictional books are all about! The dynamic of Seyonne's belief's pulled in different directions adds depth to the book.

‘Revelation’ ends with you wanting more. If you've read the first book, then you will be on familiar ground (lots of torment and suffering) but I think you'll enjoy this book equally if not more than ‘Transformation’.

The interaction and co-dependency of humans and demons are explored in a lot greater depth. For those of us who are new to the series it's well worth a look. Definitely better than average and different enough from main stream fantasy to bring something new to the genre.

Phil Jones