Title: Revelation (Rai-Kirah #2)
Author: Carol Berg
Homepage: http://www.sff.net/people/carolberg/

Rating: 4 out of 5

Barnes & Noble Page

Two years after his battle with the Lord of Demons, Seyonne is tired, troubled, angry, and frustrated. As Ezzaria's only remaining Warden, he carries the entire burden of the worsening demon war on his shoulders, and some Ezzarian elders have set a watch on him to make sure he has not brought some subtle corruption back from his years in slavery. Then a demon encounter unlike any in Ezzarian memory leads Seyonne to question everything he has ever believed. And his search for a demon-possesed child becomes the search for his own soul and the soul of his people.

Whenever I read a novel I consider to be outstanding I am hesitant to read its sequel. This is because sequels to good books tend to disappoint, especially in comparison to the first. This is especially true of fantasy, a genre with no shortage of sequels and trilogies. So, in my opinion, the true measure of an author is not whether he or she can write a good first book, but whether he or she can write a sequel without screwing it up.

I am happy to say that Revelation truly is a worthy sequel to its predecessor. Taking place a few years after the first book, the story follows Seyonne once again as he struggles to settle back into his old life as a Warden of Ezzaria. However, his own people are all too happy to turn against him at the first opportunity, and early in the book he is banished from his profession and shunned by the very people he'd heroically saved in book one. Seyonne then goes on a quest to investigate the true history behind the war between the Ezzarians and the mysterious Rai-Kirah, a search that leads him to some shocking discoveries.

This books sees the return of the first book's beloved characters and introduces some new ones. Among them is Fiona, a fanatical Ezzarian with a deep resentment for Seyonne who is sent to spy on him, and Blaise, an enigmatic outlaw with outlandish powers. Also making a return are the Rai-Kirah, who play a much larger role in this book than they did in the last one.

While not quite matching the first book in terms of attention-grabbing plot twists, this volume is no slouch. My only real criticism would be that Revelation sheds some of the first book's uniqueness in favor of some more tried-and-true fantasy conventions, such as the "ancient prophecy" plot device. But this is only a minor gripe at best. Revelation does what it sets out to do, and that is more that can be said for many books in the fantasy genre.

Overall, if you enjoyed the first book you'll enjoy the second. Definitely check it out if you happen to see it on the shelf. It's one of those sequels which can be read and enjoyed by itself even if you haven't read the first book.