Review: C.S. Friedman, The Coldfire Trilogy

[winter]

On the distant world of Erna, four people--Priest, Adept, Sorcerer, and Apprentice--are drawn together to battle the forces of evil, led by the demonic fae, a soul-destroying force that preys on the human mind.

That’s the plot summary for Black Sun Rising, the first book of the Coldfire Trilogy (the other two are When True Night Falls and Crown of Shadows). Sounds like a bad RPG scenario, doesn’t it? And instead it’s one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

C.S. Friedman is a highly skilled writer, with a tight visual style that carries you straight into a character’s head until you’re inside looking out. She has also built a fascinating world: Erna is not “once upon a time”, but a planet in the far reaches of our own Galaxy, on which a colony ship lands when the choice is between it and sailing on into starless space. On this planet, energy fields (the fae) can manipulate and be manipulated by the human mind, and in both cases the results are often disastrous.

Just this world, in which a warrior-priest can slice demonlings to shreds in one breath and perform an operation to correct a congenital heart defect in the next, a world where faith can really work miracles, would be interesting enough. But that’s not the reason why I gulped down three 600+page books in as many days.

Damien Vryce (warrior priest, healer, professional pain in the ass) and Gerald Tarrant (vampire, sorcerer, prophet, winner of the title of most stubbornly proud man on Erna for the past nine hundred years running) are two of the most fascinating characters I’ve had the pleasure to encounter. Gerald, evil and corrupt, is all that Damien hates; Damien, devoted and conflicted by the dichotomy between his faith and his magic, is all that Gerald doesn’t want to remember. Fireworks? Try WMDs.

Other characters are painted almost equally vividly, and the author has a talent for making the reader see all sides of the story. The surface plot of each book is a quest, but it’s the inner journey and character transformation that’s the real story. A character-driven fantasy book is rare enough; one this well-written is a gem.

And it doesn’t exactly hurt that Gerald and Damien are made for each other. If any slashers need enticement, highlight this (minor spoilers, nothing that’ll diminish your enjoyment of the book): midway through the first book, Damien allows Gerald to drink his blood in order to form a bond that’ll allow Gerald to feed on his fear by weaving nightmares for him. The one adjective Damien always uses when describing Gerald is "seductive". Gerald will literally or verbally bite off the head of anyone who opposes him – except Damien. Damien is also the one person who can touch Gerald, or whom Gerald willingly touches. Whenever Gerald’s upset about something, he storms out (slamming doors if any are available) and then waits for Damien to come reason with him. And that’s not even mentioning what happens in the third book.

Word of warning though: the first book starts with a prologue that drives home just how nasty Gerald is – and that’s very nasty indeed. If you can’t forgive a character for killing his own children for his own means, Coldfire might not be for you. Or maybe just read the main book until the earthquake and then come back to read the prologue once you know you can root for Damien either way ;)

I'm not saying the books are perfect, because the pacing suffers sometimes and I have issues with the ending, but Coldfire is fascinating, rich, compelling, with a thousand possibilities – my current pet theory hinges on the way human subconsciousness influences the fae and vice versa, also known as "he’s not that evil, he’s just written that way". If you like fantasy in the slightest, do read it. If only so that I can have more victims for the Coldfire fics I’m writing.

Comments

[winter]

Well, that depends on what you regard as the beginning. Then again, that might well have been "starting his own mega-Church to fulfill his vision" :>

My main issue with the ending is Gerald's second sacrifice, which IMHO is not only incredibly stupid, but also against the dramatic rhythm of the story - at this point he should have a slow journey of redemption ahead of him with Damien at his side dammit and not either an easy death (in which case, why the hell did he survive the first sacrifice only to fall to Andrys Tarrant, whiner supreme, of all people?), or a change that allows him to say "oh well, can't make up for the crimes someone else committed, and by the way did I mention that if I ever acknowledge I was the Hunter, up to and including feeling guilt for these crimes, I'll drop dead?". I know it can be regarded as dealing, in turn, with his crimes as the Hunter and his crimes against his own family, but - bah humbug. Lame. And totally unfair to Damien. Which, I guess, is why I'm writing fanfic.

(Now, if only I could make up a plausible reason to Gerald to be un-Hunter-ified and in the old body at the same time, because while the shorter height and longer hair have novelty value, I want the pale-skinned fallen angel back. Maybe I could just give Andrys a heart attack when he sees Gerald and Damien in the Forest?)

[mariem-1.livejournal.com]

There are several alternative endings to CoS where that scene with Andrys is rewritten.

[winter]

I know. I can't remember which fic that one is (shalott's?), but I'm very fond of the one where Damien refuses to leave and then Gerald knocks him out :>

But I'm stubborn, and so are my muses, so I'll probably end up writing my own version eventually.

[alice_montrose]

*snickers* The Church was already there - he only rewrite more than half their books and changed the focus of their worship. That's the man of genius to you... overworked!

I'm sure he had a secret agenda even after what happened on Shaitan. I no longer question his decisions and sacrifices - just take them is stride. Who can tell what he was thinking? He's still pretty much an enigma to all of us. Maybe he just wanted to give everyone some closure.

But fanfic is a good thing. And since there's pretty little space to place it within the action of the books, if one is writing Damien/Gerald of course (those months at sea are the only unexplored intervals of time, so unless the fic is introspective...), the "sequel" type seems to be favoured by all.

Lara made a plausable explanation, but didn't post it yet so you'll have to wait for that. Still. I am pretty much subjective when it comes to the new body - oh, that vast expanse of hair! *deep sigh*

[winter]

I just keep thinking that after Shaitan, he started making overcomplicated plans again, and Damien was too tired to drag them out of him and set him straight. Plus, I really don't see him coming up to Damien only to say goodbye - not after CoS and especially the way he all but admitted his feelings by the way he didn't want to go to Shaitan without Damien.

I have a few possibles to write mid-book, chief of these being the coldfire healing after Damien falls into the river, but sequels are definitely easier. And more fun, since it takes the pressure off the relationship, mostly.

She mentioned it to me, but didn't offer details. I'm of two minds about the bodies - me, I prefer the old one, but Gerald chose one that he likes and Damien definitely finds it attractive. The hair is a big factor for both of them. Oh, who am I kidding, for me too :D

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

Working on it... I'm about to go from writing to editing, so it shouldn't take forever.

And the key idea was my wondering whether Gerald picked that body deliberately. I just don't think the implied vulnerability of that appearance would appeal to him that much. And then there is the issue of shape shifting usually not being permanent...

[winter]

The vulnerability is one thing (perhaps not wanting others to perceive him as a threat plays a part), but the prettiness and especially the hair? Very, very him. And then there's the fact Damien definitely finds that form attractive - I can see Gerald subconsciously picking something that's an amalgam of their common aesthetic ideals :>

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

Maybe I could just give Andrys a heart attack when he sees Gerald and Damien in the Forest?

That heart condition just has to be hereditary.

And total agreement on the second sacrifice. It's like escaping a Hollywood blockbuster catastrophe scenario and then being killed in a freak accident involving a banana.

The only explanation I can come up with for why he didn't just avoid that kind of situation is that after all those death and near-death experiences he's had in the last few days, he wasn't quite himself. *sigh* Or Andrys would have wound up dead really quickly.

[winter]

One could argue there's not that much difference between Andrys and a banana as far as intelligence is concerned ;)

Actually what would have been in character would be for Gerald to tell Damien to leave and let him take care of the puppy, upon which point Damien should have argued back that he didn't drag Gerald's ass all the way from Shaitan, fixing his heart on the way, to leave him alone now. Andrys would probably last about three minutes of waving his springbolt and going "hey!" only to be told to shut up before his head would implode. I can more or less follow Gerald's reasoning, but not Damien's in that scene.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

I think that might be an insult to bananas. ;-)

It's really completely unlike Damien to leave in such a situation. He's gone back into dangerous spots for Gerald before, so why he'd leave now - or, for that matter, actually do as Gerald tells him - is a complete mystery. Gerald is his personal pet project, after all, so he should have stayed to make sure nobody does anything stupid. He really should have known that Tarrants aren't safe to be left to their own devices.

I like your idea of the whole thing. ;-)

[winter]

I don't know, I've known some pretty dumb bananas... :D

I'm comparing Damien's behaviour to WTNF, where in this very situation - imminent threat, Gerald telling him to leave, tiredness and hurt and everything - he goes back, stands at Gerald's side and hauls him out of danger. He's been through hell for him, and Gerald braved even greater demons for Damien, so... just this total, complete OOC moment there. This is why I don't like the ending.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

That whole thing needs a rewrite, or at least a serious re-interpretation. I wonder if we could pass up the scene at the keep as one of Damien's nightmares...

[winter]

The severed head thing?

...

Oh damn. Plotbunny :S

[alice_montrose]

[winter]

>_<

I left my mallet at home ;_;

[alice_montrose]

You have yet to see the one I use on Trillian. Poor Lara... *pets her*
And then of ourse there's an assortment of plot squirrels and sheep... and Damien's yellow ruber ducky!

[winter]

...

I don't want to know, do I?

I already might have to write Andrys with a banana due to this.

[alice_montrose]

Well, unless you use Trillian instead of regular messengers, you'll never know.

Looking forward to Andrys & banana crackfic, then! *deceptively innocent smile*

[winter]

Actually, I do. Which is why I'm trembling here ;)

Andrys has already taken to hiding under the sofa whenever I look at him. I think I may have traumatised the poor boy.

[alice_montrose]

Then have a look at the collection of smileys and you will spot the plot creatures in question. (The rubber duck was just a joke in a chat session once, so don't worry about that!)

Bwhahahahahahahahahahah! That's how we like Andrys - traumatised. *nod nod* Hmmm. In fact, I believe it's the only thing he is good at.

[winter]

Well, it could be worse - I imagine a plot octopus would be more troublesome...

I think it's telling that even Narilka falls for him because he's pretty and easily traumatised.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

For once it's not me who gets that thing!

*feeds carrots to her own growing bunny herd*

[alice_montrose]

You have enough of them already - let's give other people a chance to be bitten as well, mmm?

... then again ...

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

I'd happily offer my bunnies to anyone who can give them a good home. Actually, to anyone who needs a bunny, even if it's just for bunny stew. They're breeding like... well.

Those twitching ears are a certain sign of its evilness.

[alice_montrose]

And the blinking red eyes. And the bouncing. *nod nod* It was love at first sight. ♥♥♥