Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
DAW (1992), Reissue, Paperback
Pages
586
Description
Blending science fiction and fantasy, the first book of the Coldfire Trilogy tells a dark tale of an alien world where nightmares are made manifest. Over a millennium ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold. The colonists found themselves caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth a person's worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life. Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realizing that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength. Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, four people--Priest, Adept, Apprentice, and Sorcerer--are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy.… (more)
Media reviews
Top 25 Best Fantasy Books #12
This is epic fantasy with a different face. Think a mix of epic fantasy, Gothic, horror, and mystery. ... Dark fantasy does NOT follow the standard (arguably tired) fantasy conventions of protagonist saves the world/ gets the princess/ hero always wins. The main
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characters may die, the hero may die, evil may in fact win. The hero may in fact do questionable things to gain victory. It's fantasy that's morally ambiguous.
If you read this series, you can rest assured it's free from that taint of unoriginality present on 95% of the fantasy fiction out there.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991-11-01
Physical description
586 p.; 6.93 inches
ISBN
0886775272 / 9780886775278
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User reviews
LibraryThing member HightowerLA
Part of a truly accomplished trilogy. No set of books has ever rendered an inherently evil character is such a sympathetic light. You'll spend most of the pages wondering whether feeding off the fear of dying women is really all that bad. That says something...what, I don't know.
LibraryThing member quigui
I had a lot of expectations for this book. It seemed like a good fantasy book, long and dark. But I just couldn't finish it. And that is a rare thing for me.
Black Sun Rising is a mixture of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It is set in the Planet Erna, that has been colonised by the human race. Yet
The plot was slow moving, and at points I felt that it completely stopped. There were paragraphs that said nothing of consequence, and others where a small sentence would have sufficed. The story is also full of twists that, maybe because of the pacing, never really astonished me or made me care.
What I also didn't care about were the characters – I couldn't really connect with them. The only one that I sort of liked was Gerald Tarrant, but that wasn't so much because of any qualities he had, but because I kept imagining him as David Bowie. His character was somewhat less one-dimensional than the others, but still there isn't that much to him – and the big twist concerning him was quite obvious since the beginning.
The world building was actually pretty good, and I'm still left wondering a bit about it. Yet not enough that justifies the torment of continuing to read the book.
About half-way through this it was getting harder and harder to stay interested on the story. I went to look for reviews to find out if it got better or not (some say yes, some say it gets even worse towards the end). Yet I couldn't read much more – I simply stopped caring about the entire thing and went to Wikipedia to read the plot summary and call it quits.
So, I made it to page 335 out of 589 – in the middle of an earthquake, where the characters have two options and both mean death, and close to the Castle of the Evil Guy – but I really have no desire to keep reading or find out what happens next.
Also at Spoilers and Nuts
Black Sun Rising is a mixture of Science Fiction and Fantasy. It is set in the Planet Erna, that has been colonised by the human race. Yet
Show More
this planet is very different from Earth, where there are fae currents going around that can be Worked like magic. This can be done consciously or not, and the latter can be quite dangerous as it makes nightmares and other terrible things come true.The plot was slow moving, and at points I felt that it completely stopped. There were paragraphs that said nothing of consequence, and others where a small sentence would have sufficed. The story is also full of twists that, maybe because of the pacing, never really astonished me or made me care.
What I also didn't care about were the characters – I couldn't really connect with them. The only one that I sort of liked was Gerald Tarrant, but that wasn't so much because of any qualities he had, but because I kept imagining him as David Bowie. His character was somewhat less one-dimensional than the others, but still there isn't that much to him – and the big twist concerning him was quite obvious since the beginning.
The world building was actually pretty good, and I'm still left wondering a bit about it. Yet not enough that justifies the torment of continuing to read the book.
About half-way through this it was getting harder and harder to stay interested on the story. I went to look for reviews to find out if it got better or not (some say yes, some say it gets even worse towards the end). Yet I couldn't read much more – I simply stopped caring about the entire thing and went to Wikipedia to read the plot summary and call it quits.
So, I made it to page 335 out of 589 – in the middle of an earthquake, where the characters have two options and both mean death, and close to the Castle of the Evil Guy – but I really have no desire to keep reading or find out what happens next.
Also at Spoilers and Nuts
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LibraryThing member Cecrow
Dark fantasy in this case implies a world where nightmares can literally come to life, and characters are forced to commit acts of violence not just for the sake of completing a quest but merely daily survival. The first two or three hundred pages make this a difficult book to get into; the world
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building comes first with a thin layer of characters and plot over top. I generally prefer world building as background rather than foundation. After that however, the story becomes very involving and improves all the way to a dramatic ending. This is the first book I've read by this author, but for me she's already she's vaulted ahead of Robin Hobb, Elizabeth Haydon, etc. among female fantasy writers. Looking forward to reading the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member johncf1018
About a quarter of the way in I realized I had read this book almost 2 decades ago. Still, it was a good read the second time through. I especially appreciated the internal consistency of the world. Additionally, it was refreshing to deal with a story where the characters (who overall were somewhat
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lackluster) didn't just get more powerful as the story went on. The development that occurred was more psychological and avoided the classic hero's journey which plagues this genre. Central themes were the effects of power/knowledge lust on those with and without power/knowledge as well as what good and evil might truly look like in a world where thoughts truly do have power. The world of Erna in which the story takes place manages to avoid many cliches. The plot dragged at some points but I came away from the book having thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Show Less
LibraryThing member mattries37315
Near the galactic center humans must adapt to life on an alien planet, but it turns out that the planet and its life adapts quickly to humans as well. Black Sun Rising is the first book in C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire trilogy follows a band of humans journey to the lands of the native rahk to hunt
Twelve hundred years before the time of the novel, a colony vessel arrived on the earthlike Erna only for humanity to find the fauna not only alien but fantastical. The mix of science fiction and fantasy instantly makes an interesting environment to set a story, but Friedman adds to it by having humans upset the balance of Erna that must account for and adapt to the presence of humanity especially when human minds and emotion resulting in physical change of the world. Throughout the book this background is slowly revealed to set up new twists of the story that the five significant characters of the novel must deal with, along with their attitudes with one another. The main two characters of the book, Priest Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant are uneasy allies as they venture to the protected area in which Erna’s native inhabitants live for their own particular reasons to face the same antagonist; what makes things more interesting is that Damien is a part of the order that Gerald founded as the Prophet of the Church before turning heretic and becoming near immortal by joining with the dark side of Erna’s magical forces. The unique world and the uneasy alliance between the two main characters makes this a fascinating read.
Black Sun Rising is a well-written very interesting science fiction-fantasy opening installment of a trilogy. C.S. Friedman not only creating an amazing world that the reader explores, but fascinating characters as well.
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down demons that have stolen memories from one of their number and pose a different threat to another of their number.Twelve hundred years before the time of the novel, a colony vessel arrived on the earthlike Erna only for humanity to find the fauna not only alien but fantastical. The mix of science fiction and fantasy instantly makes an interesting environment to set a story, but Friedman adds to it by having humans upset the balance of Erna that must account for and adapt to the presence of humanity especially when human minds and emotion resulting in physical change of the world. Throughout the book this background is slowly revealed to set up new twists of the story that the five significant characters of the novel must deal with, along with their attitudes with one another. The main two characters of the book, Priest Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant are uneasy allies as they venture to the protected area in which Erna’s native inhabitants live for their own particular reasons to face the same antagonist; what makes things more interesting is that Damien is a part of the order that Gerald founded as the Prophet of the Church before turning heretic and becoming near immortal by joining with the dark side of Erna’s magical forces. The unique world and the uneasy alliance between the two main characters makes this a fascinating read.
Black Sun Rising is a well-written very interesting science fiction-fantasy opening installment of a trilogy. C.S. Friedman not only creating an amazing world that the reader explores, but fascinating characters as well.
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LibraryThing member Caragen87
he one is a fantasy that strikes the questions that only Fantasy can ask: What is the purpose of Power? How does Power damn the one who uses it? How can one chose NOT to do so? Gerald Tarrant is the Uber Demon who makes the reader question all the little passively accepted 'Truths' of Life. If you
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haven't read this book and the rest of the trilogy-- BUY IT. READ IT. That's all there is to say. C. S. Friedman writes like a Man-- this is not a soap opera filled with princesses and princes. It's hard choices with sharp edges that draw blood every time Show Less
LibraryThing member washor
I saw this book on the shelves years ago but I was a starving student at the time and passed up the opportunity to read it then. I won’t lie, the gorgeous cover art dragged me in, but as I read the flap errata in the Waldenbooks, I found myself very intrigued by the premise. The fae are alien,
Black Sun Rising is a cross between fantasy and sci-fi (more on the fantasy side) with many dark undertones to it. The main characters are a priest, a human who has traded his soul for eternal unlife, and a sorceress.
Before humans arrived on the alien planet, the world was in perfect balance. If there was a great period of flooding, the creatures would quickly evolve to breathe in and out of water. If one species became too prolific, something would evolve to take it down a notch. Think of Darwin, but on steroids, not directed by random changes in DNA but DNA is changed to fit the new environment. An interesting concept and well portrayed in the story.
In this world, magic is accomplished by the fae who can almost be thought of as a flow of invisible spirits manipulating the world around them. Sorcerers(esses) manipulate the fae to do their bidding while the fae feed on their emotions. Some fae feed on dark emotions such as rage, pain and despair while others feed on joy, love, and faith. Over time demons were “born” out of the humans’ imaginings and took the forms of earthly monsters such as vampires, succubi, and even pagan gods.
The writing has a dark tone to it – scenes of torture and gruesome death are scattered throughout – I had eerie feelings as I read a few certain sections. Mankind fears true night for that is when the most devious fae (and in rare cases men) come out to feast on the humans inhabiting their world. Mankind has somehow learned to survive in this harsh world through the use of suppressing their own emotions, arming themselves with light, and manipulating the fae to protect them from the demons of the night.
The characters in the book are well defined. The priest is kind of a rebel in his own faith, but faith he does have. The undead has a weird sense of honor that makes sense, and the sorceress is an adventurous sort who is not afraid to risk her soul in search of knowledge. I read one review talking about how the characters were flat. I didn’t see this at all.
The story takes you through some twists and turns, but mostly I felt it was pretty straight forward, but not to the point where I ever really knew what was coming next. I really enjoyed this story, but more over I absolutely loved the original ideas behind it and for that reason I am pleased to give this sci-fi crossover fantasy novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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vampiric creatures that feed off of humanity… hmmm. I put the book down and walked out of the store, but that flap’s contents have haunted and influenced my own notions of the “fae” ever since. To that I thank the author, Celia. Recently, I decided to track down that book and thanks to my Google-Fu I found it! This is one of those times where I chastise myself for not buying this gem back when I first saw it on the shelves.Black Sun Rising is a cross between fantasy and sci-fi (more on the fantasy side) with many dark undertones to it. The main characters are a priest, a human who has traded his soul for eternal unlife, and a sorceress.
Before humans arrived on the alien planet, the world was in perfect balance. If there was a great period of flooding, the creatures would quickly evolve to breathe in and out of water. If one species became too prolific, something would evolve to take it down a notch. Think of Darwin, but on steroids, not directed by random changes in DNA but DNA is changed to fit the new environment. An interesting concept and well portrayed in the story.
In this world, magic is accomplished by the fae who can almost be thought of as a flow of invisible spirits manipulating the world around them. Sorcerers(esses) manipulate the fae to do their bidding while the fae feed on their emotions. Some fae feed on dark emotions such as rage, pain and despair while others feed on joy, love, and faith. Over time demons were “born” out of the humans’ imaginings and took the forms of earthly monsters such as vampires, succubi, and even pagan gods.
The writing has a dark tone to it – scenes of torture and gruesome death are scattered throughout – I had eerie feelings as I read a few certain sections. Mankind fears true night for that is when the most devious fae (and in rare cases men) come out to feast on the humans inhabiting their world. Mankind has somehow learned to survive in this harsh world through the use of suppressing their own emotions, arming themselves with light, and manipulating the fae to protect them from the demons of the night.
The characters in the book are well defined. The priest is kind of a rebel in his own faith, but faith he does have. The undead has a weird sense of honor that makes sense, and the sorceress is an adventurous sort who is not afraid to risk her soul in search of knowledge. I read one review talking about how the characters were flat. I didn’t see this at all.
The story takes you through some twists and turns, but mostly I felt it was pretty straight forward, but not to the point where I ever really knew what was coming next. I really enjoyed this story, but more over I absolutely loved the original ideas behind it and for that reason I am pleased to give this sci-fi crossover fantasy novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member TheBooknerd
This book -- and series -- is a fantastic story. I love the character Gerald Tarrant -- he's complex, intriguing, and fabulously unique. Only in Tarrant has evil ever been so lovable.
LibraryThing member klemay42
I liked this book, but it was one of those I'd read for a few days, and then lose it for a few weeks, and then read it for a few more days...I got through it, and I've been meaning to buy the sequel for almost a year...just never quite gotten there. I think that says a lot.
LibraryThing member zsms
Despite the annoyingly self-righteous protagonist, this book contains one of the best evil characters ever written. The writing is a bit verbose, but it's a highly entertaining book.
LibraryThing member clong
I know this series has a fair number of fans (including several folks who included it in their top 5 favorite fantasy series of all time lists at another site I follow). I read it right after finishing Steven Erikson's Reaper's Gale, and Friedman certainly suffered in comparison (after reading
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Erikson I might call this Dark Fantasy for Kindergarteners). The characters and the world they live in are intriguing, but offer very little depth or movement. The storyline raises challenging questions about things like whether ends justify means and whether one should accept evil as a tool to fight a greater evil. But the book didn't have anything particularly new or insightful to say about these questions. And I found the conclusion to be patently ridiculous. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nekosohana
I'm going to give this a four star review, along with each of the books in the series. It's a fun read, and personally, this series remains on the top of my list of all time favorites.
However, the book just skims the surface of what could have been a rich world. The fae that permeated everything
Overall, this is a very fun read, a very quick read, and one that was great when I was a teen. I find it to be less excellent than I remembered it being.
However, the book just skims the surface of what could have been a rich world. The fae that permeated everything
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could have spun off a thousand short stories. And while Damien Vryce, Gerald Tarrant, and a handful of other characters are excellent and complex, the overall world is missed due to the focus on their travels.Overall, this is a very fun read, a very quick read, and one that was great when I was a teen. I find it to be less excellent than I remembered it being.
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LibraryThing member jcpollari
This book is an excellent introduction to the series, and readers should definitely take the warning "DARK fantasy" straight to heart! It is a well written and dramatic story set in a very creative world, although I think some of the ideas about the fae should/could have been explored in more depth
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and detail - there is a sense of "assumed common knowledge", a lot of concepts would have benefited from being unpacked in greater depth throughout the story rather than being treated as assumed knowledge. Other than that there is a lot I liked about this story, especially a general lack of predictability which is always nice. I am looking forwards to reading the next two when I get a chance to pick them up! Show Less
LibraryThing member kylenapoli
This will be my third attempt at this book, starting with its publication in 1991. I've read and enjoyed so many of Friedman's books, I don't know why this one won't stick.
LibraryThing member Karlstar
I really enjoyed this book and the 2 books that followed it. Friedman creates a distinctive world, with enough detail to make the book come to life, but without endless excess detail. The characters are really what excel in this book, they draw you in and keep you turning the pages to see what they
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will be up to next. The plot is interesting and reasonable and convincing too. Really excellent. Show Less
LibraryThing member leld
I love this series. The power of thought, of suggestion. Fear and what we will do to feel safe, what we will do to survive.
LibraryThing member monroecheeseman
Book of earth coloniest on a planet that is controlled by a mystical fae that can bring man's worst fears to life.
LibraryThing member WingedWolf
The Coldfire Trilogy:
On an alien world, a priest and a vampire who feeds on blood and terror must join forces to try to save humanity's future there. The most evil protagonist ever written, and a fascinating story of shades of grey.
On an alien world, a priest and a vampire who feeds on blood and terror must join forces to try to save humanity's future there. The most evil protagonist ever written, and a fascinating story of shades of grey.
LibraryThing member jammilram
I have read these books at least 3 times, and they are just as entertaining as the first time I read them. I have never been disappointed by this author.
LibraryThing member finalcut
This is kind of a vampire story with a pretty cool magic system and a collection of very interesting characters. I honestly don't remember the book very well, I read it well over 15 years ago, but I do remember the cover art. I've always really liked it and even have a print of it on my office wall.
LibraryThing member revslick
This is the first in the Coldfire Trilogy - basic tidbits - the magic system is awesome 4/5; the theological and ethical banter and back story to Damien Vryce, the warrior priest, and Gerald Tarrant, the undead sorcerer. are intriguing to say the least 3/5; the character motivation and plot turns
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are infantile to say the least 1/5; inconsistencies abound 1/5. Even with the low points, it passed muster enough for me to give the second a try later this year. If you are tired of the same born-under-a-sacred-sign, likable hero then definitely give this one a go. Show Less
LibraryThing member majkia
Did Not Finish. I really disliked the main character. On top of that I was listening to the audio version and didn't like the narrator. Got about 2/3 of the way through and decided I really didn't much care what happened.
LibraryThing member StigE
This book is all over the place. Like a very long travelogue or a Sunday matinee. The protagonists keep traveling and journeying and moving from place to place. The book is packed with fun ideas and interesting characters behaving oddly and it kinda works and it kinda doesn't. So yeah...3 stars?
LibraryThing member jrg1316
Great book. Very dark fantasy story with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in. A little tough to get into at first, but once the characters' mission start, it reads very quickly. Gerald Tarrant is quickly becoming one of my favorite literary characters.
LibraryThing member hipney
I not sure why but I really struggled to get into this book. It seemed to take for ever to get to the end.