carol berg's transformation

[the_faery_queen]

anyone else read this, or the series? i discovered it while looking at a recomendation for her newest book (or something)
im really enjoying it. it's been AGES since i read a new fantasy book, let alone one by a new author (let's try years for one by a new author. think the last one was lynn flewelling, or ellen kushner)

it's everything that i like about fantasy that i've felt missing recently. it's big and fat, it's exotic, lots of weird names and places and customs. and i like that it's first person and from the point of view of a slave, with a master (a prince) who is SUCH a jerk at first, yet still comes across well and rather likeable. he does horrible things but you stuill don't get put off and hate him, the way you do with some other characters, and when he goes through crap, and starts to change, he just becomes more likeable. well for me at least. and the plot, well it has one of those, what the hell is the main plot, things going on. you know about the bad dudes, you have lots of foreshadowing on what may happen and what needs to happen, but no completely obvious, lets do this because we need to, which i like. it makes it feel more real, that they're responding to what happens, rather than going on some big quest for the greater good. this is just a bunch of stuff that happens to stop something worse from happening

really enjoying this series. just wondered if anyone has read it.
and if not, well read it

 

[elvet]

Haven't read it, but it's definitely piqued my interest (off to google Carol Berg.......)

 

[the_faery_queen]

it's reallly good my review was pretty bad but im really enjoying the book.

 

[Aleksei]

Read it a couple of years ago, and from what I can remember, I thought it was pretty avarage.

 

[dwndrgn]

I enjoyed the series. faery - we had an interview with the Berg a few years back here on Chronicles, you might enjoy searching it out and giving it a look.

Incidentally I just read a new book by a relatively new author, Diana Phaoroh Francis (probably spelled wrong but the book is downstairs...) called The Cipher. Her fantasy styling reminds me of Berg a bit. Good book. I enjoyed her first series as well - both are not the run of the mill fantasies. I think Path of Fate is the first of her older series.

 

[GOLLUM]

Never knew about this, thanks for the heads up.....

 

[the_faery_queen]

thanks dwndrgn i will check that out. have the other two of the demon series thing to finish, but with 5 weeks until i go home plus the whole week at home with nothing to do, i need plenty of books to get me there so i will have alook at that
tho carol berg has a new one out i may look at, i can't find out what it's about (no blurb on amazon *cry)
and no blurb about these books you recomended either!

 

[GOLLUM]

Just to show I'm a nice little GOLLUM here's a blurb on The Cipher...

The Cipher is set on the island world of Crosspointe. It sits in the middle of a strange and magical inland sea. It's a treacherous sea, one that few can navigate safely. Lucy Trenton is customs official who has been accused of treason in the shape of stealing precious cargo--a magical substance needed to work powerful magics. She did not steal it. But all the evidence suggests she did. At the same time, a blackmailer has discovered the terrible secret she's been hiding, one that could destroy her family and her country if it gets out. Now she's in a race to stop the blackmailer from exposing her before she can be jailed for treason. And as if that weren't enough, she's been attached by a true cipher--a magical artifact that she is sure will kill her--it's only a matter of time. The only one she can go to for help is Marten Thorpe, a rogue sea-captain with secrets of his own; secrets that can only harm Lucy.

Sounds kinda interesting actually...

Cariol Berg's latest novel is called Breath and Bone, concluding novel in the Lighthouse Duet started with Flesh and Spirit. It is due Jan 2008...

Replete with magic-powered machinations, secret societies and doomsday divinations, the emotionally intense second volume of Berg’s intrigue-laden Lighthouse Duet (after 2007’s Flesh and Spirit) concludes the story of Valen, a sorcerer who finds himself at the center of a looming conflict that could cast the realms of both humankind and the feylike Danae into a nightmarish dark age. Caught between the maneuverings of the enigmatic Osriel, ******* prince of Evanore, and apocalypse priestess Sila Diaglou, Valen must determine which perceived villain is less evil. Although billed as an epic fantasy, this duology is more accurately an intimate, character-driven journey of redemption and self-discovery. Valen’s heroic quest to unlock the secrets of his heritage and save a world from destruction suffers from languorous pacing throughout and may discourage readers who like their fantasy fast and furious, but fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Avalon sequence and Sharon Shinn will be rewarded.

Hope this helps....

 

[Aleksei]

The Cipher was good, though I liked her previous trilogy a bit better.

 

[the_faery_queen]

woo that does sound good, the carol berg thing
unfortunatly for me, im a weird sort of feminist, and i don't usually like books with heroines in. (i guess im actually a sad sort of feminist who likes to fancy the hero, or at least one of the male main leads. and, i suppose, i also like to read books that are about people that are different from me, which men are.)
so i think i will get the carol berg thing, not sure about the other thing. time will tell
and thankfully i like my fantasy slow. the slower the better. i just like to sink into worlds, not worry about where it's going and just be with characters

 

[Nesacat]

Thanks GOLLUM, dwndrgn ... have not read anything by either writer but they do sound good. I'll try and see what the stores here ca turn up. Will probably start with The Cipher and then try for the Berg trilogies.

 

[Reiver]

I loved this trilogy even though I normally don't like first person narratives. I have her other series but haven't started it yet. When I first read Transformation I emailed Carol to say how much I enjoyed and got a very nice email back from her!
Diana Pharoah Francis (or is it the other way around!) is another new writer I've enjoyed recently.

 

[the_faery_queen]

aw that's nice it's nice when a writer is nice to their fans and takes the time to thank them and stuff.
i love first person, personally. i like getting into their heads.

 

[Lirineth]

It was a gret story, each book was very special. I enjoyed it almost all the way . I'm sorry I can't say more, as it would take away the fun for those who have not read it yet. If you want to know more, you can reach me at my e-mail address.

 

[Snow]

Not at all.I enjoyed it almost all the way too.Thanks for your reply.It is really
a gret story .

 

[elvet]

Thanks to this thread, I'm now reading Transformation. I really like the 1st person POV. So far I'm quite enjoying it.

 

[the_faery_queen]

im glad i really enjoyed it too so im glad someone who read it cos of this likes it
cos i've read stuff on recomendation and hated it!

 

[nj1]

Read them a few years back. enjoyed them. thought seyonne was a great character and the imagery and concept were top notch. Shame there were only three books

 

[the_faery_queen]

yeah. im feeling that and i've only read one. she's written other stuff tho, have you read that?

 

[nj1]

No never got round to picking up another of her books, any recommendations?