Wings of Wrath

CS Friedman's Wings of Wrath is the second book in her Magister Trilogy. It focuses on the story of a god-blessed race, the lyr, who have spent the last 1000 years preparing for the return of the Souleaters. At the end of the previous war with the Souleaters, the gods sent a magical wall, known as the Wrath, to bar them from ever being able to cross back into human lands again. Ever since, the lyr have been guarding the Wrath and watching for the Souleaters to reappear. But now the Wrath is weakening, and Souleaters have been seen again. What would have been a standard band-of-heroes-on-a-quest-to-save-civilization-from-the-evil-monsters story in the hands of a lesser author shines here with Friedman's writing. Her prose is lush, and she uses incredible imagery to create a world that lives. She elicits an emotional response from the reader, at one point bringing tears to my eyes, and at another point leaving me stunned in shock. The pacing is impeccable. Even though this is the second book in the series, it manages to simultaneously advance the story and set up the finale, while yet having a major climax and resolution of plot lines that makes the story stand on its own. Friedman excels at dark fantasy and characterization, and both of those talents are on full display in Wings of Wrath. Magic in this world requires the expenditure of life energy, either your own or someone else's, and that sets up a system of magic that is vampiric in flavor. The Souleaters are just what they sound like -- enormous creatures that are somewhat of a cross in looks between a dragon and a dragonfly, that feed on the souls of humans. These two elements combine to create a world that is dark, though richly detailed and fully fleshed out. Friedman balances three different major plot lines with several different characters providing points of view. Each character has his or her own motivations, and each person has flaws. These characters undergo major challenges in this book, and deal with them in psychologically realistic ways. C.S. Friedman is also willing to kill off major characters when the plot needs it, which provides an added note of realism and tension to the story. Wings of Wrath is an excellent book. It is tightly plotted with interesting characters and well paced action, which makes this a novel I can highly recommend to anyone who enjoys their fantasy emotionally realistic and dark. I am wondering how Friedman will manage to tie up all the story lines with just one book to go, and am eagerly anticipating finding out.

Wow! If you love intrigue and masterful plots,deep,interesting characters,vivid imagery and just good plain suspense then this is the book and series for you! I love the character Kamala and am enjoying how this character continues to develop.The way in which Kamala becomes the first female Magister is truly riveting.I cannot wait until the next part of the Magister Trilogy comes out. Ms. Friedman has shown once again why she is tops in her field of writing.

Following a science fiction stint during which she wrote This Alien Shore and The Wilding, acclaimed SFF author C. S. Friedman returned to fantasy in 2007 with the release of the excellent Feast of Souls. To my consternation, to this day the first installment in The Magister trilogy remains one of the genre's best-kept secrets. How a novel by the author who brought us the celebrated Coldfire trilogy could remain so underrated, I'll never know. Though Feast of Souls flew low under the radar of a majority of SFF fans, the book nevertheless set the bar quite high for the forthcoming sequels. I had lofty expectations for Wings of Wrath, and I was uncertain whether or not Friedman could deliver. Well, not only did she deliver, but C. S. Friedman wrote what will likely be one of the very best fantasy novels of the year! Following the events chronicled in Feast of Souls, Kamala is now being hunted down by the Magisters for killing one of their brethren. Disguised as a common witch, she must hide the truth behind her magical powers. Aware that even the Magisters fear the mystical barrier known as the Wrath, Kamala flees to the northern Protectorates. Yet all is not as it should be in the north, as the Wrath -- humanity's only protection and last line of defense against the Souleaters, an enemy that once brought civilization on the brink of doom -- appears to be weakening. The Guardians of the Wrath dispatch Rhys to the Alkali Protectorate to discover what afflicts the Spears. When Rhys is captured during his investigation, Kamala is forced to rescue him. Together, they'll uncover the truth about the disruption in the Wrath, a discovery which risks to shake the Guardians' faith to the core of its foundations. In the High Kingdom, as surviving royal heir the monk Salvator Aurelius must claim the vacant throne. Soon afterward, allies and enemies alike will seek to test their new monarch's mettle. And in the southern land of Sankara, the Witch-Queen Siderea will be offered the means to strike back at the Magisters who used and then abandoned her to her fate. But such a gift bears a terrible price, one that would make her something other than human. Against such a turbulent backdrop, mankind must now prepare for the return of the dreaded Souleaters. Feast of Souls hinted that it would be the case, but Wings of Wrath proves that The Magister trilogy is vaster in scope than anything Friedman has written to date. The author expands on the back story, and numerous revelations regarding the Wrath, the Spears, the lyr blood, the Guardians and the Protectorates, the Souleaters, and much, much more make this book resound with depth. And there are countless secrets left to uncover, which makes it hard to believe that there's only one volume left to tie up all the loose ends. The worldbuilding is intriguing and rich in details, even though every answer provided raises yet more questions. Friedman has that damnable tendency to keep you begging for more! Characteriza

I have to disagree that this suffers from "middle book syndrome". Like her earlier book "When True Night Falls" or even J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Two Towers", this is a truly strong novel that stands on it's own. I found it to be compelling, engrossing, and immensely enjoyable. Ms Friedman clearly has her groove on and WoW takes off cleanly from FoS and carries us farther both in the storyline but also in the world in which these characters inhabit. Surprises keep coming and you'll be left wondering how it all ties together in the end.

Not just a second book in a trilogy but a rocking fantasy adventure all on its own! Wings of Wrath is Friedman at her best. Images that will delight, scare and make you think. Characters that are complex and interesting. A plot that makes you want to read all night long. This series just keeps getting better and better! Check it out, but don't plan on sleeping once you start reading.