SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
Nia returns to Atlantis, this time with fellow Avatar, Corwin and the farworlder, Gobaith. They set out to find Ma'ael and stop him from returning Atlantis back to the surface and starting a war with the land-dwellers.
RETURNING CHARACTERS
Nia is horrified at what her city has become and awed at the newfound respect she is given as the avatar. But she is also horrified at what Ma'el has done, sometimes letting her anger overtake her judgment.
Corwin provides many amusing moments as he learns to speak Atlantean. It was one of the only light spots in a serious story. He also shows his bravery and knowledge, making himself useful in a foreign world.
Ma'el proves to be a worthy opponent once more. But I would have liked to dive into his history some more. I think that would have made him more believable. I thought his desire to to go war with the land-dwellers was kind of lacking. We basically only got a summary of his reasons: he was power-hungry, angry, maybe racist. But how did he get that way?
Callimar returns, although we're not sure of her loyalty. Only Corwin doubts her. She doesn't get much time in the story, so we really don't get to know her enough to be shocked by any betrayal she may be plotting.
Gobaith is slightly more mature than he was in the last book. He treats Nia and Corwin like siblings, not afraid to scold them or be blunt. He is often relied upon, but has to rest long periods of time after use of his abilities.
PACING
The pacing is perhaps the best of the three. There isn't just sharks but killer whales, and the kraken, and also rides on blue whales.
POINT OF VIEW
This story switches back between Nia's and Corwyn's perspectives. I appreciate it, as we get to see actually what Nia is thinking and how she feels about things. But I still felt it was a little too late. The last book should have been set up this way.
THEME
The theme of the book may have been responsibility and sacrifice. Or at least, you would think so, since the ending takes that to the extreme. Perhaps there should have been hints of this coming sacrifice throughout the book. It might have made the ending better. Then again, perhaps Dalkey thought it would have been too predictable then.
CLIMAX-SPOILERS
Nia and Corwin have to return to Britannia to stop Ma'el. I thought their use of each others skills was well done. And to have Gobaith stay behind was good, because it meant that the two of them had to rely on their own skills. Gobaith is so powerful that the climax would have no doubt featured him, leaving the other characters as mere spectators.
THE ENDING-SPOILERS
After the story, the reader is left wondering if Nia and Corwin will ever be together again. We get an epilogue where we learn the truth. But that's really more of an afterthought. The real message is who Nia has become, a character from British mythology we all know of. I suppose it was clever. It made me stop and go, oh, so that's who she is. And Corwin as well. But I have to admit...I prefer happy ending to clever ones. It's not as though the ending is terribly depressing. Neither Corwin or Nia dies...exactly. But I couldn't help feeling let down.
CONCLUSION
Dalkey creates an original ending and a clever spin in the epilogue. I appreciated the dive back into Nia's mind but the ending felt wanting to me. Also, nothing was ever resolved with her family relationships. I give “Transformation” three stars.
Did you read this series? What do you think? Agree or disagree with any of my points? Please let me know.
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