As I surmised from the title this is a more fleshed out version of the Larry Dixon short story Transmutation. This was first published in an anthology called Crossroads. It is a tale of a gryphon named Kel (Kelvren) a character that first appeared in the trilogy about the Owl Knight, Darian. I am giving it 4 stars just based on the short story as I have not finished this version yet. Looking forward to the next book in the series moving beyond what I already know.

I have read and really enjoyed most everything Lackey and Lackey/Dixon have written. This book was a waste of my time and money. To stop at a minor cliffhanger and put in a ‘to be continued’ was super tacky on an already lackluster book. The novel did not flow well and felt very forced. I find it hard to believe they actually authored it. Sadly, I won’t be buying or even reading any more in this particular series.