Stock up the larder before you read this book. Shut off the phone. Seriously---you're going to need some quiet time for this.

This is not to say that I didn't like Storm Constantine's "Calenture." I actually thought it was brilliant, and fascinating. But boy, was it a hard read.

This is because a) it's a story within a story that goes back out to the external story, b) it takes place in a world that might be an hallucination, and c) it's just plain weird.

There are two stories in this book. The first is the very simple one of a man named Casmeer, who is basically the last man alive in his neck of the woods. Said neck of the woods is a fantastic city called Thermidore, which was once the pinnacle of civilization. At the height of that civilization, however, the alchemists of the city came up with what they believed to be the formula for an immortality serum. Whoops---turns out that after 50 years or so, people who have consumed this serum begin to slowly turn into crystal statues. Several hundred years later, only Casmeer is left. He doesn't know why, but he seems to be the only person on whom the serum actually worked the way it was supposed to. He leads a lonely life, tending the empty city and trying to protect the statues of his fellow citizens from strange creatures called plumosites who magpie-ishly try to steal bits of the shiny statues.

One day, however, he comes up with a new way to pass the time. He starts by wondering what happens to the shining pieces of the statues when the plumosites take them away. From this kernel of an idea, he decides to write a novel set in a world where all cities are mobile, either creeping along on crawlers or strange mechanisms, or even flying through the air. A mysterious race of gypsy-like people called terranauts guides the movement of the cities by laying down trails of---gasp---magical shiny stones, which seem to be oddly alive...

Surprise! This is the second story in the book, which takes up the bulk of the volume. Casmeer's story is relegated to footnotes at the end of each chapter, from here on. The second story focuses on two characters, Ays and Finnigin.

Ays is a beautiful, proud young priest/mercy killer (yes, mercy killer; that's his job) who lives in a flying city called Min. He's quite content with his life until one day one of his patients asks him a number of disturbing questions that cause him to wonder about his past and identity in ways he never has before. Where did he come from? Who was his mother? Unable to regain the serenity he once enjoyed, he decides to leave Min, to discover his true origins.

Meanwhile, the story also follows Finnigin, a young terranaut. All terranauts must leave their home-tribe and go on a journey to prove their adulthood, so Finnigin sets out to do this, hoping to discover the secret of the shiny stones while he's at it.

The story follows each young man's adventures as they travel through this world---first separately, and then together. Each of the cities is its own bizarre little fantasy-realm: in one, the citizens all think of themselves as actors, and they live carefully-scripted lives and rate one another on their performances (children are kept in an orphanage until they grow old enough to learn their lines). In another city, strangers are kept in beautiful towers and treated like kings for sixty days, then dumped into a river with a gold weight tied to their feet. All of the cities are fascinating in some way, and some have more shadows than others. There are other places, too, that the travelers visit---a flying train that travels from city to city, bearing passengers who (mostly) never leave; a rare stationary city, which seems to be the healthiest place in this world (but most of its citizens are nearly blind); a village that exists on the back of a giant trundling insect.

This is fascinating stuff---perhaps most fascinating when the lines between Casmeer's real life and the story he's writing begin to blur together, for both Casmeer and the reader. Is Casmeer's story just a story, or has he somehow tapped into a real (maybe parallel) world? Is the mysterious figure that Ays and Finigin encounter throughout the book Casmeer, in some kind of strange allegorical form? Is Casmeer himself real? Deep questions, which sometimes aren't given specific answers.

So once again, Storm Constantine has proven her ability to write her butt off. She's got a stunning imagination and it really shows here; the complex world-building that went into Wraeththu is taken even further in this masterpiece. This is a world which contains multiple smaller worlds---each of which could be the focus of a single fantasy novel. This is a world where the sane keep moving, and only the insane stand still---but since the sane never leave their cities, and the insane do, who's moving and who's really stationary? Contradictions like this are everywhere in the novel, and so intricately-connected and perfectly-plausible that... that... I'm just in awe. =)

So this one's a definite recommend, but only for people who are prepared to put some effort into it. It's not formulaic fantasy, or light reading. This book requires thought and immersion---but your efforts will be rewarded. =)

Absolutely fabulous read unlike anything else I've read with the possible exception of Satyricon, which is also in a class by itself by virtue of being so truly strange and wonderful. Full of phantasmagoric imagery with an over the top fantasy storyline, Calenture also provides intense drama as well as much food for thought. The framing device of the story is also extraordinarily well done, turning a cliche on its head and providing an ending which far exceded my expecations, which were very high considering the build-up throughout the book and my admiration for this author. This book is a true work of art and a classic I can imagine being studied in schools one day as a prime example of an author whose imagination truly creates magic out of words.

This novel is a dreamscape of imagery. The novel delves into the fundamental reality of storytelling itself while asking more questions than it answers. If you like your books to make you think, this is definitely the book for you. It is just amazingly
descriptive and rivals most American authors can do.

Burying the Shadow is a book that involves two major storylines intertwining and finally, at the conclusion of the story, colliding. The story is told by two female narrators who alternate their accounts (not switching off every chapter, but very nearly) and together give the novel an narrative style wherein the reader often knows more about what's going on the than do the characters themselves.

The first narrator is Gimel Metetronim, an 'artisan' in the city of Sacramante, part of a vast, fantastic mystical world Storm creates as a stand-in / alternature universe for Earth. The 'artisans' live in an isolated quarter of the city while gaining fame among the human populace, gifting them with their plays, music, poetry, paintings and other creative endeavors. All the artisans' work is sponsored by patron families, who, as it turns out, pay for this artwork with more their money -- they pay with their blood. This is because the artisans don't just *seem* otherworldly, but actually *are*, for they are the eloim, a race of human-seeming but immortal blooddrinkers who came from another world and now live on earth, surviving through a symbiotic relationshp with the patron families.

Although Sacramante is widely renowned for its arts scene, the intimate relationship between the eloim and the human families is a tightly held secret, with family members accepting and welcoming the 'sup' (small drinks that do not kill), eloim using human servants (who'se lives can be extended via bloodsharing), and offerings of willing sacrificial victims, including children. This is the way it has been for centuries, only now, after such a long period of stability, the situation in Sacramante has begun to change, become unbalanced. There is a sickness among the eloim/'artisans,' with a rash of suicides, unheard of among the immortal race. There is debate as to the cause of this sickness, but finally Gimel and her brother (yes, brother) Beth decide they can't wait for answer to fall from the sky or be delivered by the Parzupheim, the body of ancients who govern the eloim world. They go in search of a 'soulscaper,' a highly specialized professional trained to enter the subconscious and repair the soulscape, the inner mind and spirit found in all individuals and tied to both mind and body. (Those readers familiar with the study of archetypes, Carl Jung, dreams, etc., will find this fascinating.)

The second narrative is delivered by of Rayojini the soulscaper, whose story intersects with that of the eloim. As the story begins Rayojini is a human girl, a daughter of a soulscraper, living in the fantastical petrified forest city of Taparak, home of the soulscapers and their art. Through a sacred cememony involving the specialized scrying fumes (needed to enter the subconscious world), Rayojini is initiated into the life of a soulscaper and also introduced to her 'guardian pursuers,' symbolic figures all soulscapers are taught to look for as figures of their conscience and/or overseers in their lives. Little does Rayojini realize that her 'guardian pursuers' are real -- Gimel and Beth!

From here on out, Rayo finds the course of her life straying from the ordinary as she feels the presence of her guardian pursuers, who track her life, waiting for the moment they can use her talents to discover the source of the eloim sickness, which is growing worse as yet further disturbances and mysteries unfold in Sacramante. Finally Rayo begins to make discoveries that lead her on a quest across vast distances, through strange cultures and soulscapes, uncovering a world of which she never dreamed. By the end of the tale she is doubting her own sanity as the world of the eloim collides with that of the human and vast mysteries, hidden even to the eloim themselves, make themselves known.

As a Storm Constantine novel, Burying the Shadow comes complete with the usual Storm trademarks, including a lush narrative, a marvelously complex fantasy world with races, history and geography of its own, and heavy eroticism among members of both/all genders. That said, the book is an interesting contrast to the Grigori triology, which covers some of the same ground (secret immortal race stranded on earth after being expelled from alternate, higher universe of vast powers, with a narrative involving two groups attacking the same problem from different angles) in that it has a much tighter, more focused narrative, offers more in the way of plot and mystery, and is set in a fantastic, rather than contemporary, world. Burying the Shadow is also notable for featuring not one but two strong female protagonists who share the spotlight along with a vast array of supporting characters, including dangerous Avirzah'e, manipulative Keea, a fabulous tribe of nomads, the enigmatic Sammael, and more.

I would strongly recommend this book to those seek a distinctly different reading of the vampire myth as well as those looking to dive into a unique and thrillingly gothic fantasy world.

Reading the best oeuvres of Storm Constantine is like savouring a most delightful cocktail. Ancient,arcane myths blended whith the most popular tale of vampyres... the strange visions of the soulscapers (the soulscape bears many similarities whit Junghian concept of Collective Unconscious), politics and Vancean descryption of strange cultures. Storm is very learned,and she knows the feelings of the human (and some not that human) mind.

This very weird book is really a philosophical parable on the value of religion. But Storm's not your ordinary anticlericalist, religion is people's drug and all that. There's something in religion that attains at the very center of human nature,and this book, apparently cutting religion to pieces,recognizes it. The strange metamorphosis of Resenance Jeopardy is very intriguing. The vibrancers are an eerie fantasy indeed, but think of the castrati in Eighteenth Century popish courts and you can find the possible source of the idea. What is most notable is the ability of Storm Constantine to devise unacanny yet convincing universes.This one is pervaded by a subtle perversion, by a purple feeling of Borgian decadence, blended whit a strange spiritual mix-up...or mishap. Was Resenance a real mystic or a charlatan? Storm Constantine lets her readers decide.

I think there would be a lot more reviews of this if only it were easier to find! There are far too few copies of this exquisite novella, alas.

An elaboration of a historical event mentioned in Crown of Silence, the second book of Storm Constantine's Magravandias trilogy, Thorn Boy is a tragic love story with elements that are rare -- chiefly its focus on kings and their boy lovers, lovers who are not only willing but devoted...these boys have not been emasculated but are whole beings with their own masculine will and passion, albeit tempered by fate. Storm's rich, seductive imagery is here in full force and there are wonderfully evocative passages of love and sex as well as grief and pain. Splendid from beginning to end.

For a much richer review, check out one written by Kris Dotto for Inception, the Storm Constantine fan zine I edit.

She's baaaaaack...

Any Storm Constantine fans who were hooked by the Wraeththu novels and have been disappointed in her other works will be overjoyed to realize that she hasn't lost it, it's just been lying dormant a while, and in this novel it has returned in full force. "It" being her marvelously lyrical, poetic prose and deliciously decadent and aesthetically fascinating worldbuilding. And, for those who are fans of it, the homoerotic element is powerful and prominent (and explicit) in this book.

This story takes place in a fantasy realm where two countries---one that's similar to ancient Persia, another similar to ancient China, although these comparisons are too crude---have just completed a war. The king of Mewt is dead, and the king of Cos lays claim to the dead king's "boy," a beautiful and strange young man named Akaten who, to everyone's shock, actually grieves for his lost king. No one is more horrified at this---actual love between a king and his boy---than Darien, the favorite boy of the kind of Cos (until Akaten comes along). In Cos, kings often take beautiful young men as concubines/sex slaves, but they would never dream of actually *loving* such boys, and the boys know better than to expect love in return. But Akaten does, and he turns the entire palace and the very order of Cossic high society upside down because of it. In the end, no one will escape unscathed.

Several things made this story unique. Many novels have explored past societies in which young men served as sexual objects for other men, but few have done such a wonderful job of incorporating desire and sensuality into these worlds without somehow emasculating the boys. This one doesn't. And there is an almost holy quality to this story; both Darien and Akaten are motivated by far more than lust and love. Patron goddesses, spiritual epiphanies, and rigid traditions all play a powerful part in this story. And the story is simply beautiful. Cos is beautiful, the characters are beautiful, and the writing itself is beautiful---as befits a story about a decadent, hedonistic ancient society. This is the closest allegory to the Japanese "yaoi" literary model that I've ever been able to find in the English language---closer even than Wraeththu.

My only complaint is that it's painfully short. This is one-day reading (actually only took me a few hours), here, and that's a true shame because when I find a good book, I like for it to last a while. But that's just my impatience. The story didn't feel truncated, to me---sometimes a story is just meant to be short, and to extend it would dilute its power. In this case, the story was short, bittersweet, and *very* powerful. Definitely recommended.

Introduced by Poppy Z. Brite, this Australian import features Storm Constantine at her usual best. Worth every cent, The Thorn Boy is a work of art.

I felt a bit let down reading this after _Stalking Tender Prey_, a book which left me with such high expectations. Constantine's talent for textured prose, distinctive characters, and gleefully ambiguous morality (and sexuality) are still evident, yet (to me) the neo-paganish mysticism introduced becomes overbearing to the point of distraction at times. Still, it was an entertaining read, and I plan on buying the third, final novel.

This book practically drips with Pagan imagery. The mood and feel of the book is very much derived from where the book takes place, in Cornwall's desolate storm-lashed coast. The sea imagery is amazing, not as good as in Sea Dragon Heir, but that is only because of the locations being different. The landscape reflect the inner conflict of Shemyaza and is very appropriate because of this. This book reads faster that the first book or the trilogy and is even harder to put down because of the descriptive nature of Storm's Writing.

This book is wonderful. Mixing ancient mythology whit modern Angst, creating an eerie feeling, when you realize that this uncanny fantasy might really say something on the real history of this world (like I felt whit the Wraeththu series). Shem is the disillusioned idealist, a Prometheus that,once freed,feels betrayed by his own people and by humanity,that he feels has abandoned him. Shemyaza and the Titan (a giant,a god,a...Nephilim?)Prometheus:both givers of forbidden knowledge to humans. Read Aeschilus' Prometheus Enchained, then you will notice some similarity whit Shemyaza's story.

Constantine starts with the premise that, during and after a vaguely described decline of modern society, a mutation appears among humans. The mutants call themselves Wraeththu, and they are androgynes, resistant to disease and injury, long-lived, beautiful and psychically gifted. The Wraeththu are an attractive literary creation, well described and vivid.

The first book follows one Pellaz from his inception (mutation to Wraeththu) to his ascension to the throne of a powerful kingdom. The second picks up the story of Swift, one of the first generation born Wraeththu, and the third returns to Cal, Pellaz' lover in the first book, and brings the whole trilogy to a climax.

This is light, easy to read, soap-opera stuff. Constantine does not avoid 20th-century slang and colloquialism, which provides a nice counterpart to the sometimes overly lofty metaphysical themes. Since Wraeththu are very sexual creatures, there's a lot of sex, though it isn't graphically described. I generally found the characters appealing and the plots, though not very complex, interesting (though the very end of the third book gets silly). The novels overall do have a shallow quality: we meet characters and never see them again, the obvious gender issues are skipped over rather lightly, and the most interesting aspects of the world are never explored. But they're an easy, fast-moving read.

Years ago I read "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula LeGuin, one of the finest authors in the English language. I enjoyed the book very much, but the hemaphroditic race always struck me as so utterly masculine as to be unbelievable. Storm Constantine takes this theme (amongst others) and blows it sky-high delivering a tale of magic, power, Utopian and Dystopian visions of the future, and the fate of humankind.

This is a tale about a reality that has not happened yet. Humans and Wraeththu both react to a new world, sometimes well, sometimes poorly, sometimes with poetic vision, often from a position of self-interest. Cal, Pel, Cobweb, all the others are real, though eerie; they are utterly compelling, attractive to male and female alike. The sexual aspects of the book sometimes threaten to break loose wildly, only to be brought back under check as Storm shows there is more to life other than sex, even when one is defined by one's gender or sexual preferences.

The world has changed. Individuals attempt to adapt to this world, but many bring their troubles, pettiness, and fear along with them. The paradigm is gone; long live the new paradigm! But what will this be?

Above all, this is a work of linguistic beauty. Unlike so many authors, Storm Constantine really CAN write her way out of a paper bag. She has a way with words that may only be compared to the Romantics of the early 19th century and the Magical Realists of the 20th. Her words are evocative and resonate beyond their simple meanings. Sentences have texture, aroma, and age to them; these are words that move beyond dictionaries. To read her works is a delight, a voluptuous wrapping of cadence and suggestion. If you have no other reason why you would read this book, read it to learn how language may be crafted.

First of all, Wraeththu is no book common. In no regard. By any measure you put on it, it would still be outstanding. In theme, in language, in story and style. Storm Constantine has a way with words, despite a certain lack of action (although there is that, too) it never gets boring.

It also may not be to everybodys taste. Due to its sensual and sexual contents some people may find it hard to read. However, if those things don't bother you, or if you enjoy them, that is your book. I, for one, quite love it.

About the story, well, it is science fiction so far that it is set in future earth, however, it remains unknown in what future. It could be a different planet or entirely fantasy for all its references. Fact is, humankind is crumbling rather rapidly, and a mutation, the race of the Wraeththu, is taking its place. Wraeththu are stronger than men, more beautiful and posses a set of mental powers. They also solved the age-old problem of men and women in evolving into one gender, containing both. Storm has done a fine job with that idea. Since young men can be turned into Wraeththu, it seems obvious that they have a little of a identity problem, since bearing a child is not something they are used to! But it is not overdone, not boring. Despite first person, none ever gets whining about. Storms people are very strong, develloped to finest detail in such a way that the reader just can't resist them.

Those are three books. In the course of those three books, the rising of Wraeththu and the downfall of humankind, is followed as some kind of backdrop to the story. We see it develop from a small movement of some freaks into something that finally spans the whole of the world, leaving the barbarism of their early days slowly behind.

By the end of the second book we kind of figured that the real main character of that whole things is actually not Pellaz (first person in the first book) or Swift (second book), but a Wraeththu named Cal. He drops in and out of the first two books as he pleases and isn't in the front of the story much, but he is there, throwing a longer shadow than the rest. It is hard to know when it happens, but from a certain point, the reader finds himself in love with Cal, where he is in rather good company, everybody loves Cal, despite his lack of loveable attributes.

Anyway, thrid book, is first person Cal. It was delightful. Storm has adopted his way of speech for the book and keeps it up throughout most of it. Cal speaks cynical, passing judgement over human and wraeththu (and everybody els for that matter) alike with cool indifference. It should be impossible to write that character in first-person. Luckily, no-one told that to Storm and she just did it. Wonderful!

Gods, have I really written all that?

Finally, if you want an excepional read, wonderful written and not-so-common. Here is the book for you!

I had seen this book at the library, and being a fan of Dante's Inferno, I checked it out. I was a bit disconcerted when I realized not all the stories take place in or near Hell, as the title suggests. Most of them occur here on Earth, where the characters are in a metaphorical hell. Surprise! Only a handful of the stories are worthy of note, including Gene Wolfe's and James Longrove's. The stories take place either in Hell, Chicago, or London. I found this last fact sometimes discouraging--i.e., I ended up skimming the story.

I recommend you get this book from the library before you spend the cash at a store.

Can't put it down. The intro promises that all the stories will be related to Dante's Inferno theme of Hellish portals on Earth, but they aren't all on that theme (in fact, one is a remake of the Christmas Carol). Scary and thought-provoking none-the-less.

I can't agree with the other reviewer. I found many of these stories scary precisely *because* they were based in metaphorical hells - hells we might actually live in, rather than encounter after death. Also, many stories were set in hells that were not on Earth but were also far from the fire-and-brimstone stereotype. The story "Office Space" alone makes this book worth buying.

This book was simply bad. It is disappointing after the first book. Crown of Silence is laborious , tiresome and drags on for ever. I don't think the author had any clarity about the story at this point. I wish I had read the reviews before I started reading the book. Crown of Silence was not essential to the story and could have been skipped.

Shan was living an idyllic life, until the arrival of the conquering Magravandians, who destroy his town and shatter his innocence about men of war. Broken in spirit and body, Shan is taken by the wizard Taropat to be his apprentice, but soon Shan learns that his path encompasses more. He learns the story of Khaster Leckery and his lover Tayven Hirantel, and the tragic events leading to both of their disappearances. Both men have survived and since changed, and Shan feels compelled to bring them back together, if for nothing but closure. Soon fate brings these men together in a quest to claim the crown of silence, which can only be worn by the true king of the land, who it is hoped will overcome the evils of the Magravandian Empire. The story does drag in places, and seems to be filler for the trilogy. Yes, a lot happens to the characters, but in the grand scheme of the story, the book slows the momentum and I found it a struggle to get through sometimes. I was most fascinated when Constantine was telling about the court intrigues and the interconnections between the rival factions. I only wish the book was better, because "Sea Dragon Heir" was so enthralling, and I am looking forward to the next in the series nonetheless.

This book is wonderful.Storm explores the deep meanings of heroic fantasy's topics (the quest,the crownless king, the war between good and evil) whit rare wisdom and a dry wit that's sometimes reminiscent of the satire of Douglas Adams (think only of the base quarrel between Tayven, Khaster /Taropat ans Shan), and even echoes the Arthurian Lore (Who does the Crown serve?, the Peacock Angel Azcaranoth asks, reminiscent of a famous question not asked by Percival/Parsifal in many versions of the Grail Saga). By the way, Storm Constantine has contrived to insert plausibly one of her favourite themes,Fallen Angels and knowledge.But in the Seven Lake's quest there is much more: Storm's deep understanding of the contradictions of the human mind, her realistic renditions of the crudest realities of war. And what of the uncanny feeling you get when you compare her fantastic worlds and the world we know? You can read in her most fantastic stories some echo of actual events.There's more: since Isaac Asimov I've never read a most realistic and ironic rendition of polytical intrigues.And she adds the realistic view on the sexual side of human relationships. And you wonder: Frodo and Sam relationship was so chaste as Tolkien rendered ii?

The first Wraeththu trilogy is amongst the best books I ever read as a teen. I remember re-reading them when I had a break in my studies at university and finding that although the style of writing left something to be desired, the 'magic' was still there. Sadly, with this first book in the new trilogy, the baroque language is gone, the first-person perspective that really got you inside the character's head (surely this author's past forte) has been replaced with sub-standard third-person narration and there are annoying new-speak words (anyhar, nohar etc.) used without seemingly any care to their placement (in dialog and thought is ok but in descriptive passages they prove really awkward and unnecessary). On the plus side, there are some interesting concepts added to the existing Wraeththu universe (the Kamagrian are no longer an afterthought in a male-dominated world) and certain events from the original trilogy are finally explained (was this deliberate or were these explanations forgotten about in the original trilogy - honestly, I'm no longer sure) but first-time readers should avoid this new trilogy as much will be confusing without reference to the original trilogy and after that... well, I'm hoping the next book brings back the 'magic'.

The number of humans is dropping rapidly but no species has stepped forth to claim planetary superiority. The hermaphrodite Wraeththu are on the verge of being the next master race adding to the reduction of the human populace by "converting" captured males into their species. The Wraeththu celebrate the Festival amidst their tribe, but this year is different as the tribes begin to realize what they can become.

The desert tribe Kakkahaar exiles a member Ulaume. In his solo travel, Ulaume finds an abandoned infant Lileen, whom he takes with him. Soon the Wraeththu follow, as Lileen is a special individual who defies the accepted normal order of the race and its Gods. Ulaume vows to keep the baby safe.

This novel takes place somewhere in the middle of the previous Wraeththu trilogy. As such events and references that previously occurred will prove confusing to newcomers. To obtain a full savoring of this complex tale, read the others first. Different individuals looking back in time tell the tale of THE WRAITHS OF WILL AND PLEASURE. This makes for an interesting complicated perspective that at times seems convoluted yet really works if the reader keeps in mind that an individual brings their interpretation to the mix. Storm Constantine provides a powerful look at several key players from her previous trilogy that her fans will appreciate as the Wraththu universe keenly expands.

Harriet Klausner

Unlike some of the others who've posted reviews here so far, I didn't read the original Wraeththu trilogy as a teenager, but rather as an adult. I think this at least in part explains why my reaction to Wraiths of Will and Pleasure is so very different than theirs. While those reviewers (seemingly making their comments from within a rosy cloud of linger adolescent nostalgia) express disappointment and a feeling that the "magic" is gone, I on the other hand feel that Storm Constantine has breathed life into the series and written a novel which although different from the original, is a wonderful complement and furthermore surely the beginning of yet another wonderful trilogy. If Hollywood came out with Labyrinth II and souped it up with overdone special effects, a David Bowie clone, and a director to replace Jim Henson, I'd be outraged, but with Wraiths, I feel we've all been blessed by a writer at the top of her form.

In looking at Wraiths, some have voiced complaints about the narrative and the way it uses the third person rather than the first person of the original trilogy. To me it seems like these readers have completely missed the point! Wraiths is the first volume in a new trilogy that presents the history of the Wraeththu, not the diaries of the Wraeththu elite (i.e. Pell, Swift and Cal). In presenting this history, the book employs the third person to show a more complete picture of the Wraeththu world. Set in a time period which stretches the length of a good deal of the original trilogy, Wraiths offers perspectives on those events covered within the first-person narrative -- perspectives which illuminate the previously "definitive" version. We learn that things are not always what they seem and that one har's perspective on events may be very limited; for example, Swift's view of Seel certainly differs from Seel's view of Swift and Pell knows much more about the Kamagrian than Cal ever imagined! The use of the third person also allows Constantine to create a complex storyline with multiple interweaving threads, bringing in the experiences and perspectives of para and parazha in a way that could hardly be achieved by using nothing but first person!

As for those complaints about Wraiths lacking the "magic" of the original books, I have to say I disagree with that as well. It's true that Wraiths is different than those books, but then again I think that's inevitable as Constantine's evolved as a person and a writer since then. I also think that again, the shift in feeling is quite appropriate given that this new trilogy is a history not the musings of individual hara. As a history, Wraiths sets before us a world without the distortion of all the fuzzy (although very seductive) gauze of the original books. To me, it's as if Enchantments, Bewitchments and Fulfilments are stories told from within a dream, the Wraeththu world PART of it, but in Wraiths we have the actual, solid world that has materialized over the years. For this we have to thank Storm's continuously growing imagination and talents, plus the energies of its many fans as well as practitioners of "dehara" magic. For me, Wraiths IS magical and involving and has lots of energy. It's not like George Lucas and Star Wars -- nothing like it!

Now, to stop simply defending the aspects I've seen criticized, let me go on to the parts of the book I loved. First off, it might not be some people's cup of tea, but I was blown away by the first chapter which features -- not to reveal spoilers -- a death and a birth. Absolutely gripping stuff that is really profound and signals a change from was Wraeththu WAS to what it becomes from that point forward. After that, the interweaving storylines were fascinating and I loved seeing the way the characters came together, interacted and then developed their personalities and relationships over the course of the book. There are some new characters like the child Lileem as well as old characters like Ulaume, Flick and Seel who we see a lot more of, and in each of these characters we see different aspects of the tapestry of Wraeththu. We also get a whole cast of characters in the "dehara," a god/goddess system Flick discovers and which exists as a product of the collective Wraeththu soul -- and can be very powerful, once hara know how to access it. There are lots of fun, juicy scenes in the book, like Flick and Ulaume going to a party at Forever which takes a serious left turn. And Seel's scenes certainly contain some major shocks!

There is more I could say but for now I'd like to say that as part of the Wraeththu fan community (it's gotten quite large online), what I've heard from pretty much everyone is an embrace of this book and lots of grateful, happy cheering. We're not nodding sycophants either (unlike say Anne Rice who think every book of hers is a masterpiece), but people who see pretty clearly and even though we see something different feel it's very, very good. I'm very excited about where this new trilogy is going and am eager to see where this all leads!

Well, JD, if you're a closet homophobe, this book is sure to rub you the wrong way, but that's no reason to give it one star. Storm has only written one weak book in her career, to my knowledge, and that WAS actually, in this series (Book #3 - Stealing Sacred Fire). Stalking, on the other hand, is one of her classics. I admit, the homosexual scenes are almost buffetingly strong, and extremely uncomfortable for those of us outside the lifestyle. But they are mind openeing. The closest comparison I can come to in this regard is Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel" trilogy, whose heroine, Phedre, is a sexual masochist and prostitute. When I read her first assignation I didn't know whether to cry, scream, or throw-up; but it definitely pushed my mental boundaries. So, I'm not going anywhere near a whip, or another man's, uh....pride; but I appreciate a book that pushes my buttons and keeps me thinking.

Finally, your most absurd claim was that she was trying to sound like Clive Barker. Storm does NOT try to sound like ANYONE else, that's why she's Storm. Storm is a goddess because she is so unrepentantly herself.

You shouldn't ruin a book's ratings just cause it rubbed you the wrong way.

Stalking Tender Prey gripped me like few books in recent time. The story unfolds gradually to an ever increasing sense of dread and horror to come, driven by the characters' desires and expectations woven around the central Grigori character. At its core, the book deals with topics such as desire, sexuality, youth and the loss of it; this, together with the careful way in which the characters are described, is what lifts this book about the norm of horror or fantasy books.

Can Storm Constantine's work be described as belonging to any particular genre? I don't think so, and that's one of the things that makes her stories so wonderful. However, if I had to pigeonhole her work, then "Stalking Tender Prey" would definitely fit the role of "dark fantasy." No captured princesses, no magical kingdoms, no elves and hobgoblins. This stuff is raw, in-your-face. The magic is delicously seamy, at times unsettling. You can't even tell who the good guys or the bad guys are here; all of the characters have their own demons (literally, in some cases), their own motives. They make no excuses or apologies for what they do. If you're a new intiate to stories dealing with the occult (like I was when I first read this book), then you might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but the read is no less enjoyable, simply because it's not stuff you see much in fantasy. And for those who enjoy Constantine's trademark sexual undercurrents, you won't be disappointed. So if you're a Storm Constantine freak, a stray from the mainstream, or just your average lover of good stories, pick up this book. But if you're a prude (and living in the Bible Belt, I know my share) then stay away, lest your god smite you. He can smite me all he wants, I'm still gonna read this book, and the other two that follow it!