Transformation

Water #3

by Kara Dalkey

Nia and Corwin have each fought their own battles. Now they are Joined together to face their most dangerous enemy yet: Ma'el, the evil Avatar. In order to defeat Ma'el, they must retrieve a magical sword from Atlantis. But after a treacherous journey through the sea, they are shocked to discover that the sword is nowhere to be found.

As Nia and Corwin search for the sword, they realize that the good people of Atlantis are now enslaved by Ma'el. Worse still, Ma'el plans the same for Corwin's native land of Wales. Nia and Corwin must find the sword and stop Ma'el -- before it's too late.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mermaids, Fiction, Childrens, Mythology, Magic

240 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Kara Mia Dalkey is an American author of young adult fiction and historical fantasy. She was born in Los Angeles and has lived in Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and Seattle. Much of her fiction is set in the Heian period of Japan.

She was married to author John Barnes; they divorced in 2001. She is a member of the Pre-Joycean Fellowship and of the Scribblies. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing in Los Angeles.

She is also a musician and has gigged extensively on electric bass (which she plays left-handed) and harmony vocals, with such bands as Runestone, the Albany Free Traders, and Nate Bucklin and the Ensemble (in Minnesota) and Relic and Voodoo Blue (in Seattle.) At different times she has also played drums, banjo and acoustic guitar. She is a songwriter, but her total output is low, and consequently no CD or other album is presently in the works.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nia and Corwin are joined together as Avatars, linked together with Gobaith, the young Farworlder. Now they face their greatest challenge yet as they travel to Atlantis to stop the evil Avatar Ma'el and his Farworlder, Joab. Nia and Corwin hope to find a magical, powerful sword that they hope can help them defeat Ma'el for once and for all. But they arrive in Atlantis to find the sword missing. They must search for the sword in the once-grand city, now a ghostly near-ruin. But even if they find the sword, will they be able to save Atlantis, and even if they succeed in stopping Ma'el, what sacrifices will Nia and Corwin have to make?

I read this thrilling, shocking conclusion to the Water trilogy in one sitting, it was that much of a page-turner. This whole series has managed to surprise me at every turn -- not an easy accomplishment! I highly recommend the entire Water trilogy to fans of fantasy novels, especially if you are interested in the legend of Atlantis.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read. Though the series has a semi-disappointing end.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly done! And a story that links to tales close to my heart. I had no idea!! She utterly surprised me and I LOVED IT! This is a series that will stay in my collection forever.

[Kiera Beddes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Genre: Fantasy
Summary: The last part of the Water trilogy by Kara Dalkey. As the subtitle says, "the quest is fulfilled AT LAST..." Amen. At last, the book series is over and done with. Like I predicted in my review of the second book, this ended sadly, I think. I am still puzzling over how it ended. Anyways, in this book, Nia and Corwin leave land to head back to Atlantis to defeat Ma'el for the last time. When they reach Atlantis (after avoiding different traps) they find the remaining inhabitants enslaved and Atlantis almost in ruins. Ma'el is preparing to take over the rest of the world, but Nia, Corwin and their Farworlder Gobaith fight Ma'el and Joab, gaining allies along the way. Once they kill the Farworlder Joab, Ma'el flees to the surface in search of the last place of power in Wales. Nia and Corwin follow him, do one last battle in which Nia almost sacrifices herself entirely and Ma'el is destroyed for good. Corwin puts Nia to rest in the pond next to the Farworlder place of power and that is where she rests until years later Corwin comes back as the old man Merlin guiding the young King Arthur to the Lady of the Lake, Nia.
Response: Interesting plot, no? I tried to describe it to a friend, but every time I tried, it kept sounding foolish. Mermyds and aliens? Again, it is a little too much imagination. But it certainly is a creative reworking of the Arthurian legend. I just wish it could have ended happier for Corwin. The book is very idealistic, which may be a result of the Arthurian setting, but it has interesting implications for those who think they want power and influence.

[Ithlilian · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I would like to say that I loved this trilogy. There is plenty of action through each book to keep anyone entertained. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite in the series. The book starts out where the last one left off. Nia and friends head into the water to find the peace making sword in Atlantis. Along the way they run into traps laid by Ma'el, but our heroes work together to get through them. When the gang arrives in Atlantis they find it changed completely. During their quest to find the sword they will be betrayed and hurt, but there is always hope.

I was enjoying this book immensely until around page 200 when the group goes back to land. I thought the final showdown would be in Atlantis with a happily ever after, but instead it ended, rather strangely, on land. We never get to hear what happens to Atlantis, and as others have mentioned the ending is rather sad. Still, this was a worthwhile ending to a great trilogy fit for all ages. This one even had me laughing out loud a few times with Corwin's mishandling of the Altanis language. If you enjoyed the previous two you will enjoy this, though the ending is a bit sad.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. The first book introduced several ideas that meshed really well together. The second book introduced another idea, but the second book wasn't very good.

This third book was better than the second book but not as good as the first book. The relationship between Corwin and Nia still felt a little forced, but not nearly as horrifically forced as their blooming feelings in the second book.

The defeat of Ma'el seemed almost too easy, but it worked.

I really liked at the end ((even though I'd already guessed what would happen)) when it turned out that Corwin is Merlin and Nia is the Lady of the Lake. I already knew from the second book forward that Eikis Calli Werr would be Excalibur. That was easy to figure out even if it didn't officially reveal it until the last page of the final book.

Overall, the writing was really juvenile, and the characters were just okay, but the ideas in it were pretty interesting, so this book gets three stars from me.

[Desarae]

The first book in this series was the best. I liked the return to Atlantis in this one, but the ending fell flat for me, I was disappointed with what happened with our characters. It went where I thought it would in regards to medieval legends, King Aurthur etc., but our characters got the short end of the stick with their romance.

Also, I found it annoying that they make such a huge deal in book #2 that if one of the 3 pairing dies, the others do too; but then in this final book when Nia has to sacrifice all of her life force to the point of near death, there is absolutely NO mention about what it would do to the pairing. Not one. They build up the drama that she could be dead, but duh, obviously she isn't if Corwin if still alive! It felt like the story forgot its own mechanisms for the sake of creating a dramatic climax.

[kelsey! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I've finished this trip down nostalgia lane and, while it started out promising, the quality definitely deteriorated over the span of three books. The dialogue was even stiffer than the second installment, awkward foreshadowing is clunky in the middle of otherwise interesting plot points, the romance was lackluster and forced, and far less time was given to the "surprise reveal" in the epilogue than I remembered from my initial reading. But the world building was fascinating and I did appreciate the fast-moving plot! Overall, I'm still mostly satisfied with this reread (especially keeping the intended audience's age in mind) and will keep it in reserve on my youth services recommendation list-- but not as a priority.

[Tamara✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This last installment is consistent with the previous two - fun and fantastical!! I'm a sucker for this kind of late 90s/early 2000s fantasy nonsense, since it was what I was into as a kid. I'm predictable whatever. Anyway, this was a good ending to the series and tied up a lot of loose ends. SPOILERS: I liked how Dalkey tied the series into Arthurian legends, the cover is a dead giveaway if you think of King Arthur. I'M NOT GONNA DO THE MATH FOR YOU, IT'S VERY SIMPLE FRIENDS. When I read it I had a good cackle cause I wasn't really expecting it but enjoyed it all the same.

https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress....

[Dessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like this book so much more, but Corwin is insufferable. The trilogy has an interesting premise and is really well done, but his character is so whiney and passive aggressive that I got annoyed almost every time he opened his mouth. That being said, I enjoyed the series despite him and liked the characters of Nia and Gobaith enough to make it to the end. Really fun take on an oft visited mythology.

[Laura (DearHauntedReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in the ending to this series. There were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. Who was Nia’s true mother? Who were Corwin’s parents? I wasn’t crazy about the tie in from an English myth and Atlantis. I was disappointed that Nia, Corwin and Gobaith were never together again.

[Beth Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having somewhat mixed feelings about this final book of the series. I figured out where it was going early on because of the Arthurian stuff in the previous book, but it didn't feel like a natural conjunction between that and the Atlantis plot. However, I think if I'd come to this as a child, I would have been delighted with that and would have been happy to see it unfold.

[Nita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the ending was very disappointing and the climax kind of predictable. I mean it wrapped up the plot points and the plot hints, but it was rather abrupt and made the series feel like two series tied togeather rather than one, united book. It is still a good series, I just don't like it.

[Aaron G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautifully written. I must confess to a certain amount of sadness that the trilogy concluded here, and wish Nia and Corwin's adventures together continued. Excellent work by Kara Dalkey and looking forward to reading more of her works.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this trilogy as a whole. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I read all 3 books for it to turn into a Merlin origin story at the very end. Maybe other people saw that coming, but I didn't and I found it disappointing.

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book with an interesting twist. Not quite as good as the second book, but better than the first. I wish that there were more books in the series.

[Avani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant conclusion to the trilogy!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing ending to a fantastic Arthurian series. So worth it

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book out of the trilogy in my opinion ; lots of character development and I got what I wanted (more Callimar and Prince Farworlder). Amazing things happened, Ma'el is thwarted, most loose ends are tied (old man gains his sight, the "last" old the old-world teleportation ruins are destroyed...). And the true ending ties in with King Arthur: the prophecy of a king bringing peace holds true (one who is young, blah blah). It was kind of a happy ending, though I thought Niniane's awakening was too strange (she rolls out of the water and immediately presents the sword to Arthur, as if she was awake the whole time??) and Arthur mispronounces the sword's name haha. I think I'm just really happy with the ending - the prophecies lead them very far into the future, and I feel the Unis (fate?) can be explored further in other books of the author (maybe she does it, I don't know). I was actually going to complain that Corwin's gift of sight should've been cropping up more, but I think the newly incorporated elements like Nia's point of view, and the actions of various characters, not to mention many looses being tied... I'd say the third book exceeded my expectation, as if the author didn't put much effort making the first two to lead up to this one with an incredible amount of rising action. It could stand on its own, but it requires the first two to be fully appreciated. But, like, it's as if the author had anticipated creating three books instead of one big one, so she pulled out all her best moves or something, the pace and flow were natural like in the previous works, but switching point of views and even more action had me reading nonstop. The ending is fantastic ! (I'm not one for cheesy perfect romantic endings, no way! Even Nia knew from the day she was born, she was meant for something big). I'm kind of curious if Gobaith took a new Avatar, or if Nia's frozen state kept all three of them alive? Besides that, I kind of wanted more Nia's thoughts, it felt like this was more about Corwin and that she took on the supportive role too easily, or I think she just accepts her fate and adapts quickly.

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 3 out of 5]

Transformation is the final book in Kara Dalkey's Water trilogy, beginning with Ascension and continuing with Reunion, both of which are essential reads if you want to understand this final book. Previously, young mermyd called Nia from the underwater city of Atlantis came ashore in order to find Gobiath, a squid-like Farworlder that rules Atlantis. He is one of the last of his kind after Atlantis was betrayed by the evil mermyd Ma'el and his Farworlder Joab, and now Nia is an Avatar (someone with physic links to a particular Farworlder) and the only one who can save her home. In book two she met up with Corwin, a young boy who unwillingly also became an Avatar to Gobiath and helped Nia in rescuing him from the tyrannical King Vortigern.

Now the two of... Read More:
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[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This one was epic! I read it in just two sittings - in one day, too. Everything just builds to a huge climax, and there was action around every corner. I still love Nia. The scene in the Farworlder nursery made me cheer her on, because you can tell Nia's ready to kick some Avatar butt. I love Dalkey's writing as well; there were several lines that made me chuckle as I read. We also return to Atlantis in this one, which we didn't get to see in the second novel. I tore through this book, and now I'm sad that I've read the whole trilogy. This one was definitely bittersweet, and the very final scene of the book was a big unpredictable twist that makes you go, "Huh...never saw that one coming." (If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about.)

[Aubrey McKay · Rating 1 out of 5]

In this less than thrilling conclusion to the Water trilogy (one third of which was actually on land), we dredge through a hundred pages to finally get to the point that the author wishes to make. Corwin and Nia face surmountable obstacles to eventually get home to Atlantis. Once there, they search for the sword, their one hope of defeating Ma'el. The tale finishes in quite the unexpected twist, but the ending is worth getting to.

I started out really loving this trilogy, but it just kept going and going. Too many of the plot twists were predictable, obnoxious and unnecessary for character growth. If I underlined every time this book said the word 'energy', I just might have a fully highlighted novel on my hands. I won't be reading anything else from this author.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the second book, I was hesitant to read the final book, but I decided to give it a chance. It was *much* better written than the second book and it takes place in Atlantis again (and it was quite an adventure getting back there!). It also switches back and forth from Corwin's and Nia's point of view, which I enjoyed better then it being just from Corwin's point of view. Ms. Dalkey was very ambitious to take so many different ideas (Atlantis, aliens, mythological legends), but it blends well together. Now that I have finished the trilogy, I understand the direction she was trying to go in the second book. The concept was intriguing, but it was presented sloppily. The third book did a good job of cleaning things up.

[Alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, as everyone has been saying, the ending is sad and kind of sucks. For me, the ending is bad for another reason- it feels very incomplete. You've spent a whole series setting up the fate of Atlantis only to not tell us what ends up happening! The book on the whole is better paced than the other two, but the characterization becomes sloppy- if the author didn't mention whose thoughts we were now following, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference most times. Overall, though, it was a good end to the series, if a bit incomplete.

[Kay Iscah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, the trilogy as a whole would make for one decent movie, though it would need some rewriting towards the end. The reasoning behind how she ends up floating in the lake is rather thin. I think the story would have been better if Dalkey'd given up on the Arthur tie-in and just ran with the characters/Atlantis world she had developed. If you weren't already familiar with Arthurian Legend, you would be very confused. If you are familiar with Arthurian Legend, you might be put off by mixing it with advanced Alien squid.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just wow.

Sure the end didn't go they way I thought it would. Sure they're romance still burns even if they're not physcially together. But what really did it for me was the way it tied everything back to my Arthurian tales. I love Arthur and all of that, it honestly made me so happy to see the connection. It really did.

So even though they didn't get the romance I wanted it was still okay. Amazing read... even if that underwater sharknado thing got a little too graphic. Seriously. This series isn't pg13.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about me that makes me keep reading and loving books that break my heart with their endings, but it's happened again. That isn't to say that this wasn't an excellent book, because it was, but I really wanted to see a happy, happy ending to Nia and Corwin's story not just a bittersweet, happy enough ending. A strong close to an amazing series, I am looking forward to rereading these books and, hopefully, sharing them with my future children.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transformation by Kara Dalkey – And I’m not gonna lie to you. Anna and I read this book, and bitterly complained about the ending. We in fact decided that the ending was so stupid, that we rewrote it. Because the series was fantastic and the characters deserved better. And then we proceeded to hand other people the books and tell them to read our ending. So my memory of this ends in fanfiction lol. Happy Reading!

[Alys Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corwin(the merguy that like her?) betrayed her. Her grandfather is actually her dad, though he dies at the beginning(?) of the book, along with his avatar(?). Nia is marked in the palm, a half sun(?) with the human guy who's one of his parents is actually merfolk. In the end, she is sleeping in a pool because of the Kraken. But to be able to accomplish this, she lies to him saying that water helps them restore their energy.

[Casey Mage · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE TRILOGY books are SOO GOOD. kinda cheezy yes, but hey what is wrong with that. its kina a mermaid thing but it plays into a bit of camalot and that whole story. Mostly a scifi with a touch of romance. weird but SOOOO GOOD. ive read them at least three times. but whatever you do, do not read the back of the books because they sound so stupid.