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Masters of Solitude #2
Wintermind
While studying the telepathic powers of the nature-worshipping Coven people, medical advisor Corian discovers a terrifying, destructive psychic force that could obliterate the Coven way of life
291 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1982
81 people want to read
About the author
Marvin Kaye
140 books82 followersMarvin Nathan Kaye was an American mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror author, anthologist, and editor. He was also a magician and theater actor. Kaye was a World Fantasy Award winner and served as co-publisher and editor of Weird Tales Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 23, 2014
A wonderful sequel to The Masters of Solitude, it could probably stand on its own fairly well. Unfortunately, a third book was planned, but never written. Still, this one ends pretty well & is complete in itself.
Building off the world described in 'Masters', 'Wintermind' further explores the inhabitants & the issues they face. It's a post apocalyptic world 1000 years in our future. Tantalizing hints of what happened to our world are scattered throughout, just as with 'Masters'. Very well written with a plot & twist that are fantastic. An oldie, but a goodie & well worth the read, if you can find it.
Building off the world described in 'Masters', 'Wintermind' further explores the inhabitants & the issues they face. It's a post apocalyptic world 1000 years in our future. Tantalizing hints of what happened to our world are scattered throughout, just as with 'Masters'. Very well written with a plot & twist that are fantastic. An oldie, but a goodie & well worth the read, if you can find it.
March 3, 2013
Not too bad - in the post-apocalyptic vein.
A thousand years after war and invasion shattered American society, City people live for hundreds of years within the barriers of their computerized Gate. Outside, life is short and bitter, as neo-pagans with telepathy struggle to survive against Mrikan good ol' boy bandits. However, within the last decade some of the barriers have come down, and life is changing for all... to the dismay of Shalane, an old-fashioned priestess whose husband has lost his faith, fascinated with all things new, and whose daughter wholeheartedly considers herself a City girl. Beyond the family conflicts, there is the mystery and the terror of the legend known as the Wintermind.... Can the doctor, Corian, solve the riddle and save the people he loves?
A thousand years after war and invasion shattered American society, City people live for hundreds of years within the barriers of their computerized Gate. Outside, life is short and bitter, as neo-pagans with telepathy struggle to survive against Mrikan good ol' boy bandits. However, within the last decade some of the barriers have come down, and life is changing for all... to the dismay of Shalane, an old-fashioned priestess whose husband has lost his faith, fascinated with all things new, and whose daughter wholeheartedly considers herself a City girl. Beyond the family conflicts, there is the mystery and the terror of the legend known as the Wintermind.... Can the doctor, Corian, solve the riddle and save the people he loves?
August 24, 2022
Meh, it was an okay sequel. Mildly reminiscent of wendigo, but otherwise rather contrived and dull.
January 6, 2026
2.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Having finally talked with the insular, tech-oriented City, the more primitive but telepathic covens have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement with it. But as it plays out in the form of Mady, a coven-girl educated in the City, it brings tension between her parents just as a mysterious danger threatens.
Review
This is an immediate sequel to The Masters of Solitude, but unfortunately not to the interesting parts of it; Singer (the peripheral but most interesting character in the first book) is almost entirely ignored. He was presumably the subject of the never-finished third book, Singer Among the Nightingales. Here, what we get is Arin, Shalane, and their daughter, but in such a way as to lose much of my limited engagement with them.
The City and the covens have made a deal, which is a promising start, but the authors don’t do much with it. Instead, it’s largely a backdrop for a quarrel between Arin and Shalane, which somehow pushes them to go explore a new region, which has different tradtions and [mumble, mumble] Wintermind. Except that, when we learn what Wintermind actually is, it’s a major letdown.
I remember these books more fondly than I received them this time. In fact, the very reason I re-read them is to explore whether there might be a possibility of bringing out the whole trilogy. Now, though, I know why the details of the books didn’t really stick with me, and especially of this one.
Kaye and Godwin muddle around quite a bit, and while there are attempts at bringing in some emotional peaks and valleys, they’re not built up properly and never really pan out. My principal reaction was “Eh.” The concepts were okay, but (compounding the errors in book one), they’re approached in such a slapdash way that they all fall flat. The pseudo-psychospeak that stands in for city sophistication is much less convincing in larger doses, and some of the plot points undermine the whole concept of the city. It feels, honestly, like the authors simply didn’t know how to wrap up the book. Or, from some angles, as if they did, but put up so many signs pointing in other directions that the actual destination was a substantial letdown.
Since there is no third book to wrap this up, I recommend stopping after the first book. If Arin and Sharlane were your favorite characters, pick this up. But for most, the first book is a satisfying complete novel that this adds little to.
Summary
Having finally talked with the insular, tech-oriented City, the more primitive but telepathic covens have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement with it. But as it plays out in the form of Mady, a coven-girl educated in the City, it brings tension between her parents just as a mysterious danger threatens.
Review
This is an immediate sequel to The Masters of Solitude, but unfortunately not to the interesting parts of it; Singer (the peripheral but most interesting character in the first book) is almost entirely ignored. He was presumably the subject of the never-finished third book, Singer Among the Nightingales. Here, what we get is Arin, Shalane, and their daughter, but in such a way as to lose much of my limited engagement with them.
The City and the covens have made a deal, which is a promising start, but the authors don’t do much with it. Instead, it’s largely a backdrop for a quarrel between Arin and Shalane, which somehow pushes them to go explore a new region, which has different tradtions and [mumble, mumble] Wintermind. Except that, when we learn what Wintermind actually is, it’s a major letdown.
I remember these books more fondly than I received them this time. In fact, the very reason I re-read them is to explore whether there might be a possibility of bringing out the whole trilogy. Now, though, I know why the details of the books didn’t really stick with me, and especially of this one.
Kaye and Godwin muddle around quite a bit, and while there are attempts at bringing in some emotional peaks and valleys, they’re not built up properly and never really pan out. My principal reaction was “Eh.” The concepts were okay, but (compounding the errors in book one), they’re approached in such a slapdash way that they all fall flat. The pseudo-psychospeak that stands in for city sophistication is much less convincing in larger doses, and some of the plot points undermine the whole concept of the city. It feels, honestly, like the authors simply didn’t know how to wrap up the book. Or, from some angles, as if they did, but put up so many signs pointing in other directions that the actual destination was a substantial letdown.
Since there is no third book to wrap this up, I recommend stopping after the first book. If Arin and Sharlane were your favorite characters, pick this up. But for most, the first book is a satisfying complete novel that this adds little to.
July 3, 2012
Hard to put down. I didn't realize it was second in a (never completed) trilogy, which explained why it seemed so hard to get into, not knowing the history of the first. It was explained along the way, and in a helpful introduction and preface, but still a bit hard going at first. One I got into it, the story really moved, very interesting. The map-geek in me kept trying to figure out where the various places were located, obviously in the Eastern US, and some were obvious, but that confusion was a bit distracting. But that's a quirk of my own, nothing against this book in itself.
December 13, 2025
This was a really wonderful book, and I just found it by luck. I read a pretty old Swedish fan-made fantasy review booklet, and someone mentioned this book in a review of another book. I thought it sounded intriguing, and after some searching online I finally found it. It was such a great read, and I loved the very unique world and the amazing characters. I love when you find these sort of surprise gems!
December 15, 2011
My all time favorite books that are set in an alternate future. My highest recommendation! This is a well-written masterpiece. Fantastic characters. I just wished the authors had written more in the series as there are just 2 books.
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August 8, 2008#2
April 7, 2011
Not as good as the first novel in this trilogy: The Masters of Solitude.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews