ethaisa

4. Feast of Souls, C.S. Friedman

The first of a new trilogy, from one of my favourite authors (Friedman is on the short list of those whose books I buy in HC, immediately, the moment I see them). Friedman writes fantasy books about power politics - the relationships between those who have it and those who don't, and the ultimate price and cost of wielding magic. This time it's a twist on the classic vampire trope. The Magisters and Witches of Feast of Souls fuel their magic with life force; Witches with their own, but Magisters steal it from other souls with whom they forge unknowing bonds (they know what they're doing, just not with whom). To live, feeding off another soul, is believed to be an act unique to men; women, as givers of life, are not capable of such. Except now, forged by an abusive childhood and a desperate will to live, there is a female Magister, a woman who having exhausted the strength of her own soul now draws from the soul/life force of others.

Now I must say that this gender-typic premise really stretches it for me, and so I found myself critical of this book, perhaps unduly so. The pacing seemed a tad uneven in spots, but the characters were predominately intriguing (sadly the main one was disappointing) and I do want to see where this is going. I want to see what Friedman plans to do with the underlying premise of the book. As the first book in a trilogy it didn't grab me as others has done, but I will be continuing with it.