Transformation

Eternal Dungeon #2

by Dusk Peterson

The Eternal Dungeon, a royal prison where criminals are transformed, has lost its leadership. The duty of returning the dungeon to normal falls on two Seekers (torturers) who are already burdened with their own problems. One Seeker is struggling to understand why an old love affair continues to gnaw at him. The other Seeker is faced with his greatest challenge: whether to risk that which is most precious to him in order to save his own abuser.
110,000 words
Volume contains Eternal Dungeon #2.1 - 2.4

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy

330 pages, ebook

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

I write noblebright novels on hope in dark times. One of my series cycles is mythic historical fantasy in a setting inspired by late antiquity. My other series cycle is gaslamp alternate history in a setting inspired by America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a touch of retrofuture science fiction in the early 1960s.

I'm a member of SFWA and of transformative fandom. Visit duskpeterson.com to read my fiction.

Reviews

[Danny Tyran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the part about the Icy Hell/Play acting a little long. I was tempted to jump it. But since I was sure it would bring something important for Layle and Elsdon, I read it anyway in two parts separated by one night of dreaming about hell. In my dream, hell was boring. I think that the worst torture is to get caught in an eternal boredom. lolll

For the rest, it was interesting as usual. I never would have imagined that a story about psychologists and psychology could interest me so much. Not that psychology don't interest me. But I'd never have thought to write a series of novels on this subject.

I hope we'll see Layle at his best again.

As usual, written convincingly.

[Tara Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Rebirth. The characters and world were just as interesting in this one. I enjoyed seeing how the romance progressed, and I liked seeing more of the minor characters' stories as well. The emotion is very well done - there's a lot of emotion, and the characters have serious issues, but it doesn't cross over into being overly melodramatic and angsty.

Side note: I think this dungeon must be low on funding, because it's woefully understocked - all they've got are whips and racks, and the racks are constantly malfunctioning.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually so good, wtf. There is such a stark difference between older books like this and the current trash that has overtaken the m/m genre. Even though the first 60% of this book wasn't m/m, the characters and their stories were so well written that it kept my interest and I actually enjoyed them. One of them even made me cry (in a good way). I was like Murderbot having an emotion.

Anyway, I was so happy to read more of Layle and Elsdon in the second half, but I won't spoil it by saying more.

P.S. Friends, if you're getting sick of the formulaic shit on Kindle Unlimited, try switching to Kobo Plus! A lot of these books with actual plot, character development, and unique ideas are on there, and the subscription is cheaper. Also, Amazon sucks for locking authors into exclusivity contracts. Fuck monopolies!

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I thought my father could do no wrong," the junior Seeker had told Weldon. "And then, for a while, I thought the High Seeker could do no wrong. If Layle had not possessed the courage and generosity to reveal his frailties to me, my slavish devotion to him would have become just as dangerous as my slavish devotion to my father. Layle saved me from that."

Elsdon Taylor's arrival in the Eternal Dungeon was like a stone falling into water, sending out ripples in all directions. First, the High Seeker, Layle Smith found the traumas of his earlier life in the Hidden Dungeon taking control and this in turn set off other waves around him that not only affected the lives of other seekers but the dungeon itself. In "Transformation" we also see how these in turn spiralled into the outside world.

These stories need reading on a number of levels. While the surface plots are satisfying enough, there are a lot of underlying messages worth exploring and considering.

"Transformation" still centres very much around the lives and love between Elsdon and Layle, but their actions are mostly seen as they impact on other characters: Weldon Chapman, another Seeker and Yeslin, a young boy adopted by Elsdon’s father.

In the final story of the group, while the story is told from Layle’s perspective, it’s not straightforward.

Once again, although the setting is in a dungeon complete with racks and whips, the physical nature of the torture rarely rates a mention. Instead, the emphasis is more on personal interaction and thought. This is, after all, a series based on psychology, so fear and guilt are more important than physical pain. So, if that aspect was preventing you reading these books, rest assured they're not gruesome. Except for the last story with its horrific images of Hell.

I thoroughly recommend this series to readers who enjoy putting themselves in the hands of a good story-teller and who are open to follow wherever they may take them.