Alternative Worlds
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- Jun 20, 2015
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Feast of Souls
C.S. Freidman
Daw, Jan 2007, $25.95
ISBN: 0756404320
King Danton Aurelius calls the immortal sorcerer Magisters to his castle because his third son Prince Andovan is wasting away from a devastating illness. Magister Colivar immediately knows that Andovan is dying from the incurable Wasting, a self inflicted lifestyle disease in which a Magister uses the life essence of a consort until that person dies; the Magister just finds another person to use and turn into a corpse. No one knows who wasted the prince.
Meanwhile, Kamala a sorcerer witch with no consort wants to become the first female Magister, but no one will train her, as women are not strong enough to become a Magister. Kamala pursues her dream anyway hiding her poorly controlled power behind the face of a lowly witch. Colivar realizes that an unknown woman somehow has broken the gender barrier to become a Magister and has used Andovan as her consort. Andovan with Colivar’s help fakes a suicide in order to go undercover to uncover the identity of the woman who gave him the wasting disease. An irate Danton fires his Royal Magister Ramirus and replaces him with evil Kostas, who also hunts down the source of the wasting.
The first tale of the Magister trilogy is a fascinating fantasy built upon the premise that the source of magic is throwaway people; society, especially the royals, accepts the premise that the Magisters use someone’s essence to fuel their power. Readers will feel for Andovan dying from a disease caused by someone else though he previously did not blink when someone else suffered from the wasting (mindful of some stem cell research born again supporters who become vocal advocates when someone they love might be helped with a cure). Readers will appreciate this opening tale that provides a deep look at a society that condones the source of magic in spite of the cost being the death of others.
C.S. Freidman
Daw, Jan 2007, $25.95
ISBN: 0756404320
King Danton Aurelius calls the immortal sorcerer Magisters to his castle because his third son Prince Andovan is wasting away from a devastating illness. Magister Colivar immediately knows that Andovan is dying from the incurable Wasting, a self inflicted lifestyle disease in which a Magister uses the life essence of a consort until that person dies; the Magister just finds another person to use and turn into a corpse. No one knows who wasted the prince.
Meanwhile, Kamala a sorcerer witch with no consort wants to become the first female Magister, but no one will train her, as women are not strong enough to become a Magister. Kamala pursues her dream anyway hiding her poorly controlled power behind the face of a lowly witch. Colivar realizes that an unknown woman somehow has broken the gender barrier to become a Magister and has used Andovan as her consort. Andovan with Colivar’s help fakes a suicide in order to go undercover to uncover the identity of the woman who gave him the wasting disease. An irate Danton fires his Royal Magister Ramirus and replaces him with evil Kostas, who also hunts down the source of the wasting.
The first tale of the Magister trilogy is a fascinating fantasy built upon the premise that the source of magic is throwaway people; society, especially the royals, accepts the premise that the Magisters use someone’s essence to fuel their power. Readers will feel for Andovan dying from a disease caused by someone else though he previously did not blink when someone else suffered from the wasting (mindful of some stem cell research born again supporters who become vocal advocates when someone they love might be helped with a cure). Readers will appreciate this opening tale that provides a deep look at a society that condones the source of magic in spite of the cost being the death of others.
