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Restoration (book 3 of The Rai-Kirah) by Carol Berg
01/02/2004 . Source: Phil Jones 
pub: Orbit. 471 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99(UK). ISBN: 1-84149-245-0. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.OrbitBooks.co.uk
Seyonne, once a warden of souls, has joined with one of the Rai-Kirah demons that in the past he so passionately fought. Isolated from his homeland of Ezzaria, his own people have tried to murder him because he was 'possessed' with a demon.
He is now left to watch his son grow up from a distance. He struggles with what to do with the demon inside him. Scared to give it any freedom, he suppresses it but this causes Seyonne to have outburst of madness. He desperately seeks a way to heal himself and decide what to do.
Seyonne and his son's foster parents are attacked by a group of assassins sent by a Derzhi Heged. Realising something terrible is in motion, he seeks out his former master, Aleksander, to warn him.
Aleksander is already aware of the situation. His farther the emperor is dead and the Council of twenty families are fighting Aleksander's ascension to the position of emperor.
Certain families are scheming to remove Aleksander and leave him and his allies in discredited. Seyonne, though, has his own problems, what path to travel and what to do with the prisoner in Tyrrad Nor.
This is the third and final book in the Rai-Kirah Trilogy and to my mind this wraps up the series in a very rounded and intelligent way.
The first half of the book is concerned with the survival of Aleksander and Seyonne. Aleksander is usurped from the throne and made an outlaw, as are all his friends. He tries to find friends and allies with the smaller families and this part of the book becomes almost like the Scarlet Pimpernel with intrigue and subterfuge a plenty.
Seyonne is left with the dichotomy of whether to stay and help his friend Aleksander and rebuild the empire or to join completely with the demon inside him and seek out the prisoner in Tyrrad Nor. There is a beautiful parallel created between Seyonne's own personal struggle and the war building in the empire.
This struggle is carried on throughout the book as Seyonne himself becomes more powerful. The book itself, as well as the characters, are very dynamic with rules often being changed in ways that you don't expect. You gradually are given the necessary information to piece together what is really going on at the same pace as Seyonne himself makes the discoveries, drawing you in and relating to the character.
Speaking of characters, although there is only a relatively small cast, the breadth of the book is huge. It's also written in a narrative style from the point of Seyonne. This could have made it feel a bit closed in and myopic but in reality it's far from that. You live with Seyonne, through his pain and suffering, as he tried to understand who and what he really is. The magic in these books is carefully understated and is totally functional in its use. Nothing is over the top or superficial and everything works.
This is a truly fascinating and enjoyable journey and round off the series incredibly well. Unlike Revelation (the second book) it doesn't drag or feel over heavy. That's not to say it's not detailed or descriptive like its predecessors. It's complex and original in both style and content. If you've got plenty of time go out and get all three books - you'll really enjoy this series. If you've read the previous two books then you will find this is a worthy final book to an excellent series.
Phil Jones
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