Nightborn: Coldfire Rising

The Coldfire Trilogy #0.5

by C.S. Friedman

A prequel to the lauded Coldfire trilogy, Friedman's latest novel mixes the best of dark fantasy and chilling sci-fi.

A ship full of colonists arrive on a seemingly hospitable planet, only to discover that it harbors a terrifying secret. Soon the settlers find themselves caught up in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, bringing a person’s greatest fears and darkest nightmares to life.

As Colony Commander Leon Case and Chief Medic Lise Perez struggle to find a way to control the fae before more people die, other settlers have ideas of their own…and they may prove more of a threat to colony than the fae itself.

Coldfire Rising is a tale that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, suspenseful and emotionally intense, as a handful of humans struggle to survive on an alien world that seems determined to kill them. In the end they will have to draw upon both scientific knowledge and mystical traditions to save themselves.

Whether you're just discovering the Coldfire universe through this prequel or returning to it as a classic favorite, Coldfire Rising is the perfect entry point to this unique, genre-blending space fantasy epic.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Fiction, Audiobook, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2023

About the author

Celia S. Friedman is a science fiction and fantasy author. She has also been credited Celia S. Friedman and Celia Friedman.

Reviews

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy is included in the 10 of My Fave SFF Series You May Not Have Heard Of list that I put together and posted on this very blog a few years back. It's such an underrated series in my opinion and contains not only some of the most exceptional worldbuilding you will ever read but also writing that is both evocative and flawless in its execution. C.S. Friedman writes stories that truly take the reader on a journey like no other and it's a shame that she doesn't often get the recognition that myself and many others believe that she deserves. When I heard that she had a new book coming out and that it was a prequel to one of my favorite story arcs of all-time, I jumped at the chance to get an early copy. I have been hoping for a backstory to what took place on that distant planet of Erna for a long long time, and now here it was in my hand. Would it live up to my expectations and do justice to what I feel is an unassailable masterwork of sff/horror? Here are my thoughts...

First let me say that you don't need to read the Coldfire Trilogy to enjoy this book. It's a fantastic story in its own right and I can see how any reader would find it a solid self-contained read. That being said, I do think that this prequel will have much more of an emotional impact if you have the knowledge of those first three books going into this one. If you have read the series already I also recommend going back and quickly reading the prologue to the first book, Black Sun Rising. It really sets things up and enhances the prequel to the point where it makes it a much more haunting tale than it would be otherwise. Just my opinion though.

NIGHTBORN: COLDFIRE RISING is the perfect segue into the larger series and answered all of those nagging questions I had with regard to the origins of the colonization of the enigmatic planet of Erna. This was always a trilogy that begged for a prequel in my opinion and Friedman has written one that is about as perfect as you could ask for. This prequel gives the reader a front row seat as the first settlers of Erna begin to realize that the planet they all thought might be ideal for colonization slowly reveals that it is anything but. As they struggle to understand what is going on there is also a realization that there's no going back because they have all committed 100% to this and the ship can no longer be used to escape.

Friedman could have easily made this a book that is filled with a bunch of info dumps and a litany of backstory and that would have probably satisfied some readers. But that's not what she does at all with this prequel, rather, she weaves a wholly action-packed and intriguing story all its own that is in itself an enjoyable read that if you didn't know it was a prequel, you would never be the wiser. That's how good this story is and it's also what makes C.S. Friedman one of the best sff writers to ever grace the genre. There are no cutting corners or skimming over of things. I was fully enamored with the mystery of Erna's past and the secrets of the all powerful glowing blue force called the fae that permeates the planet and appears every time the three moons disappear and True Night falls.

If you enjoy science-fiction with a good dose of horror and also some fantasy elements sprinkled in, you should pick this book up immediately. But don't stop there, proceed right on to the Coldfire Trilogy and treat yourself to an amazingly written masterpiece that truly stands out from its peers. C.S. Friedman has once again solidified her place in the upper pantheon of sff authors (as if she needed to). I'm so thankful that I got a chance to peel back the curtain on Erna and the first generation of ancestors of those who I am so familiar with from those beloved original books. NIGHTBORN: COLDFIRE RISING is a wonderful gift that will delight C.S. Friedman's already established fans and should introduce a whole new segment of readers to the multi-faceted greatness of her writing.

[The Speculative Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s rarely rainbows and butterflies when a science fiction book tackles the colonization of a mysterious distant planet, but I did not expect things to go as wildly off the rails as they do in Nightborn: Coldfire Rising. With swift pacing and an intriguing mystery at its core, I was transfixed by this story and its unique setting.

C.S. Friedman’s lithe prose wastes no words pushing the action forward moment to moment. By explaining the seemingly supernatural entity/antagonist in scientific terms, Friedman grounds this story in a terrifying and plausible light.

Having not read the original Coldfire books, I can’t speak to how well this prequel sets up that trilogy, but it left me wanting to jump right into those books, so I’d say it's a very effective appetizer for what’s to come.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf and follow @specshelf on Twitter.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is CS Friedman’s return to a world that gave a masterclass to a generation of SF writers, once again providing rich characters, intricate worldbuilding, and a nail-biting sense of dread. Any time readers ask me to recommend great SF writers, CS Friedman tops the list.

[S.E. Lindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightborn: Coldfire Rising by C. S. Friedman - Review by S.E.
As posted on Black Gate 4/2/2023: BEAUTY AND NIGHTMARE ON AN ALIEN WORLD: NIGHTBORN: COLDFIRE RISING BY C. S. FRIEDMAN
https://www.blackgate.com/2023/04/02/...

Nightborn: Coldfire Rising by C. S. Friedman. (DAW Books, July, 18th, 2023, 304pages).
Cover art by Jeszika Le Vye.


Every wonder if your feelings had shape and were visible?
What if you could see your nightmares manifest as they turn on you?
C. S. Friedman has published 14 novels, including the highly acclaimed Coldfire Trilogy and the groundbreaking science fiction novel This Alien Shore (New York Times Notable Book of the Year -1998). Her Nightborn: Coldfire Rising novel will be published this July, 2023 by DAW Books; this post reviews an advanced review copy (preorder from the publisher).
The stunning cover art by Jeszika Le Vye evokes and extends the signature covers of the Coldfire Trilogy crafted by Michael Whelan; the trilogy was released during 1991-1995 followed by a 2012 prequel novella, Dominion. Note that a revised version of Dominion, starring the Hunter himself, is in Nightborn.
And stay tuned — Black Gate has an interview in the works with C. S. Friedman (a perfect fit for our series on Beauty in Weird Fiction).
Coldfire Series
• #0 Nightborn: Coldfire Rising 2023 (DAW, also contains Dominion)
• #0.5 Dominion 2012 novella (Tridac Publishing)
• #1 Black Sun Rising 1991 (DAW)
• #2 When True Night Falls 1993 (DAW)
• #3 Crown of Shadows 1995 (DAW)
Nightborn is Beautiful Horror Sci-Fi Infused with Ethereal Nightmares
Nightborn will hook new fans while exciting veteran Coldfire enthusiasts. The original trilogy occurs hundreds of years after humans found a way to survive on the planet Erna, whose energetic fae transform from an intangible mist into real nightmares. You’ll experience the initial colonization with Nightborn, before humans had any clue. Like Leo, Lise, and Ian (who all bring juicy, haunting memories with them) you’ll get to witness the beautiful, and horrific, wisps of fae manipulate and consume the crew. Friedman is a master at interweaving perspectives so you should expect a splendid interplay between every character’s personal trauma and that of Erna’s hungry energy.
The fae is the foundation of the Coldfire series, it is the source of lore, conflict, religion, and magic. Its various flavors ebb and flows with the moons/sun on Erna, but I won’t spoil the joy of experiencing it any further. Excerpts (below) emphasize what to expect: (1) Beautiful Nightmares (2) Weird Melee (3) Hypnotic Horror.
Expect Beauty, Nightmares, Weird Melee, and Hypnotic Horror
Already a fan of the series? Then read this to learn more lore, the origins and coining of key terms, and enjoy watching fae-worship evolve. Having Dominion bundled with Nightborn amplifies their impacts since they both are highlights of critical events (humans colonizing planet Erna and the Prophet of the Church for Human Unification dominating the Forest); the Book Blurbs serve as excellent summaries (provided below). Whereas the fae begins as nearly indescribable, supernatural energy/evil (almost Lovecraftian) in Nightborn, we learn that it can be manipulated and summoned with spells (aka Workings) in Dominion (more Dark Fantasy).
The role of personal sacrifice on how the fae responds is made poignant and breathtaking. This powerful synergy builds in Nightborn and sets up the epic prologue to Black Sun Rising (Book #1) that defines Gerald Tarrant as a fascinating, immortal protagonist. In short, be prepared to (re)read the Coldfire series!
Be Prepared to (re)Read the Coldfire Series!


Summary Blurbs
Nightborn
A ship full of colonists arrive on a seemingly hospitable planet, only to discover that it harbors a terrifying secret. Soon the settlers find themselves caught up in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, bringing a person’s greatest fears and darkest nightmares to life.
As Colony Commander Leon Case and Chief Medic Lise Perez struggle to find a way to control the fae before more people die, other settlers have ideas of their own…and they may prove more of a threat to colony than the fae itself.
Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is a tale that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, suspenseful and emotionally intense, as a handful of humans struggle to survive on an alien world that seems determined to kill them. In the end they will have to draw upon both scientific knowledge and mystical traditions to save themselves.
Whether you’re just discovering the Coldfire universe through this prequel or returning to it as a classic favorite, Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is the perfect entry point to this unique, genre-blending space fantasy epic.
Dominion
Four hundred years after mankind’s arrival on Erna, the undead sorcerer Gerald Tarrant travels north in search of a legend. For it is rumored there is a forest where the fae has become so powerful that it devours all who enter it, and he means to test its power.

Excerpts:

A dose of Enigmatic Fae
Light was rising now, as if flowing forth from the earth: a strange blue glow, dim in illumination but intense in color. There were currents visible in it now, and as the light intensified waves became visible; they seemed to pulse across the ground in time to the pounding of Ian’s heart. It was as if the entire field was a vast luminescent lake, and he was part of it. The sight of it was mesmerizing enough, but the sensation— the sensation!— was like nothing he had ever felt before…
“I was looking out at the land beyond the camp, when a strange light seemed to rise up from the ground. A blue glow that rippled in waves over the grass, like water. There were visible currents, and in a few places it looked like they were flowing around invisible obstacles. It was . . .” He drew in a deep breath. Beautiful. Terrifying. “Otherworldly.”
—from Nightborn
Weird Melee
…A large beast was atop the table— twice the size of a man, at least— and it was unlike any creature Leo had ever seen. Its head was rat-like but its torso reptilian, and black spider legs jutted out on both sides. Its tail had the diamond patterning of a snake, with a long stinger at the end. A dark and viscous fluid dripped from that stinger, and when the tail whipped toward a nearby colonist—who quickly jumped out of the way—drops of it splattered across the table.
All this Leo saw in an instant, and then he was running towards it, Lise following close behind. What he was going to do when he reached it, he had no clue.
People were screaming and running in the other direction, and one of them almost knocked him over. A few people were simply frozen, and they stared at the beast in horrified helplessness as it grabbed Tom Bennet by the neck and shook him from side to side like a dishrag. Several others had pulled out their guns, and Leo did so as well…
As the creature turned towards him [Steve] thrust the black rod into its chest—deep, deep into the hellish flesh. Whether he hit a vital organ was anyone’s guess, but he must have stabbed something important, because the creature howled in pain and rage, and stopped trying to attack people. It began to draw in on itself, legs curling up against its chest like those of a dying insect, neck and tail pulling back into its body, a grotesque contortion. It began to shrink—no, dissolve—features running down its face in rivulets, legs melting like wax, all of it sinking into a pool of undefined flesh that was taking on a strange blue light… he watched in horrified fascination as the blue light grew stronger, the flesh lost all definition—and then suddenly it was all gone. Only Tom’s body remained, so mangled that it hardly looked human.
—from Nightborn
Hypnotic Horror
But at last her fragile will gave way. She slashed downward toward her left arm with the knife— fiercely, awkwardly— cutting deep into her own flesh. Bright red blood gushed out of the wound, splashing down into the tankard. A small moan of misery escaped the mother’s lips, and Tarrant could see the father tremble as he fought to break free of the Binding, but from the girl herself there was no sound, only a delicious admixture of resignation and terror, as refreshing to him as the blood itself.
—from Dominion
C.S. Friedman
An acknowledged master of dark fantasy and science fiction alike, C.S. Friedman is a John W. Campbell award finalist, and the author of the highly acclaimed Coldfire trilogy, This Alien Shore (New York Times Notable Book of the Year 1998), In Conquest Born, The Madness Season, The Wilding, The Magister Trilogy, and the Dreamwalker series. Friedman worked for twenty years as a professional costume designer, but retired from that career in 1996 to focus on her writing. She lives in Virginia, and can be contacted via her website, www.csfriedman.com.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I haven't read the Coldfire Trilogy, but this prequel book does mostly stand on its own. I say "mostly" because the majority of the book, which deals with the initial troubled colonization of a new planet, is a solid stand alone story. Included at the end of the book is a novella called “Dominion” which takes place 600 years or so later. The only difficulty is that it isn’t obvious that this is a separate novella, at least in the ebook version, and having not read the original trilogy I wasn’t sure where the events of “Dominion” fit. After a bit more reading on the subject I see that “Dominion” is a prequel to the trilogy which makes reference to events and characters of subsequent import, which would have been obvious had I read the trilogy first.

All that is to say, yes, you can read Nightborn first, and know that Dominion gives a taste of what is to come in later books.

Overall though, I did enjoy Nightborn: Coldfire Rising. The idea that a planet has a semi-sentient energy force that brings to life your fears and nightmares (which then attempt to kill you) is both crazy and gives one a lot of pause for thought. As much as “Dominion” was so detached from the rest of the book, the fact that the Church subsequently becomes a major power in the society that develops makes a lot of sense given how things played out with the original colonists.

My favourite book by Friedman so far remains The Madness Season, but after reading this I will likely read the rest of the Coldfire Trilogy.

[fleshy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Coldfire trilogy. Getting the ARC for Nightborn made my day. I’ve always wanted to know how it all went down with the neocounts. I briefly considered rereading the trilogy before this, but I got a bunch of other (boring, legal) reading to do.

Sadly, this isn’t a story about Gerald Tarrant, or the rise of the Church/Matriarch/Patriarch, sorcerers, or Adepts. It’s a rather stock first colony/settler story with banal interpersonal conflict and resource issues. Instead of hostile life, or something inherently inimical to humans, Erna has a unique and magical element. Except there is hostile, sentient life which is briefly alluded to in the epilogue—the Rakh!—which someone wouldn’t get unless they read the trilogy. The characters discover this over the course of the story, but for people who have read the trilogy we already know what’s happening and how it has to end.


The Characters

~The Inner Circle~ (at least there’s no Feyre)

Annalise Maria Perez (Lise), from Phoenix, Arizona. Chief medical officer and sometimes narrator. She’s the first narrator but becomes something of a background character, the lone doctor who gets excited by penicillin cultures and has a blossoming relationship with Leo.

Leon Case (Leo), "Nigerian darkness" (I immediately pictured that Dave Chapelle sketch, with Rick James calling Eddie and Charlie Murphy “Brothers Darkness”), Colony Commander of the Erna migration, and main narrator. He’s kind of a dick for wanting to forget his dead son imo (his son's name was Justin Case, which, I don't know, it's an obvious pun that doesn't fit the setting). Kind of a mediocre leader too. He asks people to do things rather than order when the latter would be more appropriate. He failed to immediately establish a watch duty to make sure people didn't run around the alien planet with unknown plant and animal life which apparently 90 years of observation failed to reveal.

For someone who "...wishe[s] that he were a religious man so that he could rage at God," Leo invokes god fairly often, and not just "in vain" as people in the US do perforce of habit. I do think this ties into the dominant religion in the trilogy, but doesn't make much sense for his character.

He's a total hypocrite when it comes to his treatment of Dani and Angie. Dani is a chaplain, which can be secular but in this case isn't. He lets her set up a church-like area. Angie is some kind of neuroscientist who has done actual, legitimate research in occult symbology and its impact on neurological processes. Dani's Christian-lite spirituality is given free reign, but Angie's pagan-lite stuff is shut down. Moreover, on Erna, there is no functional difference between praying over a rosary and drawing magic circles for your citrine and amethyst to take in the moon(s)light. He does backpedal very quickly, even as he dismisses Angie's theories.

To be fair, Angie's arguments for her theory are specious, and not at all as objective as she portrays (though Leo readily accepts them as presented for expediency’s sake).

"There is more potential in a single drop of blood from this finger than there would be in the death of a thousand deer. Because those animals mean nothing to me, while this—this is the very essence of my life."

Tell that to the ALF. Mowing down deer might mean nothing to her, but personally I'd rather lose a few drops of blood than ritually sacrifice animals. She goes on to say:

"But the blood of a random animal, on the other hand—that would only be meaningful to someone of such high moral standing that the act of killing shook him to his core."

Cutting my finger open doesn't "shake me to my core." If that's the standard, her previous statement is incoherent.

Ian Casca, botanist, ginger. He really wants to be a tree. This guy turns out to be able to see fae (later known as an Adept (and gets a moon named after him)). To me it seems like he can see it because he desperately wants, more than anything else, to belong to Erna. But Senzei in Black Sun Rising also really wanted to be an Adept. So is it tied to one's desires, or something one is born with? Or both?

Now, Leo believes he had no choice in his treatment of Ian. He kills him after Ian blows up some stuff and goes out to the woods to do some true night ritual. He did have options. Like, locking him up. Maybe if someone had thought to include a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, social worker, or middle school guidance counselor, there would be more options.

They seem extremely ill-prepared for colonizing a planet, their reliance on technology being the worst of all. There is a startling lack of practical experience, from butchering animals to starting a fire. Leo has no concept of how to construct or maintain a hierarchy, creates no laws or enforcement mechanisms, and is clearly unwilling to have a leadership position (which one might imagine would disqualify him). Dude straight up executed a man on sight.

There are some other named characters who are interchangeable. Ted Carver (ecologist, serial killer name), Pravida Rakhi (xenobiologist) Danika “Dani” Lin (chaplain), Anna Jaziri (programmer), Joshua Indal (engineer), and Johnny Kanoska, (astronomer? Astrophysicist? Meteorologist?). With the exception of Dani, this “inner circle” is shunted to the background.

Tia Reyes, the first one to go, is a geologist with “wide-set eyes that tipped up at the corner like bird wings” (a cute description I guess, though the second time it's mentioned is a bit much They put birds on her gravestone because the wings look like her eyes?), and “dark honey skin.” Her motivation for being on this little jaunt is that she wanted to have children, but the population controllers/eugenicists on Earth said no. To a new planet! Her partner died in stasis, and her primary issue with this is not having his DNA for babies. But, like, IVF? A syringe? Make it work, people.

The Writing

It feels very 70s/80s to me, that era of sci fi, which fits I think. I do like her other work, after all. It was fine, for the most part.

There are some places I wanted more description. Like the drop pods and cargo pods are just pods, which really could be any shape, size, or color. I imagined smooth, egg-shaped things, probably because I was looking at pictures of eggplants. I don't even like eggplants.

"The stress of leadership fell from him like a discarded chrysalis."

This line comes up when Leo walks into his new office, which Lise turned into a seraglio or something. "Chrysalis" implies he has gone through some kind of transformation, from caterpillar to butterfly or something equivalent. Was his time as the colony commander him transforming into Lise's lover? Is being in a chrysalis normally a stressful event? It feels like she wanted to do something different with the whole “x fell from him like” line, but it didn’t work for me.

I don't know how I feel about the inclusion of Dominion as a part two. The writing is noticeably better, in my opinion, and gives us characters we care about from the trilogy. It highlighted how indifferent I was to the characters in Nightborn. Nightborn isn’t that long, and they die off in regular intervals. The tone of Dominion is totally different, and I think people who haven't read the trilogy will be confused by the massive time jump and characters that have no immediate connection to the people they read about for the past 300 pages.

The Plot

Anyone who has read Black Sun Rising knows what's going to go down.

As is pretty standard for most stories that have a ship filled with people in cryo chambers, the one that brings our protagonists to Erna is really, really far away from Earth. Dude just kept trucking. The picky ship passed on multiple less-than-ideal planets, and after a century of deliberation settled.

Once the colony ship shows up it’s immediately obvious Erna is tectonically fucked. There’s three moons, a huge volcano range plus an attendant sea of fire, frequent earthquakes, the works. Leo wakes up Lise, then eight other people, to evaluate the situation.

Things get off to a good start, for about twelve hours. Then shit gets real weird, real quick.

Leo is the main narrator, and he is entirely out of his element and unable to deal with the obstacles the colonizers face. His inner circle convenes occasionally, but they are all at a loss until Ian reports the blue fire he saw during true night. People have been dreaming about it. In response to this, the characters begin taking…drastic actions.

People who've read Coldfire know, but to be brief: Erna has a unique energy known as Fae which is extremely sensitive to human thought. Basically, it creates dreams and monsters. Like in Coldfire they've got a bunch of demigods and vampires walking around. So, if you're super scared something's going to happen to you—like all your bones vanishing, for a totally arbitrary example—there's a good chance it will happen.



I did enjoy the ending, and was a little surprised.

It would have worked better for me if it hadn't been the first two weeks after arrival, but instead the first few months or the first year. We do see the murmurings of factionalism, but it's minor and restricted to a handful of characters. Two weeks isn't really enough to form cults or establish practices. This is the very insular beginning of Erna, and given the appendment of Dominion (which is a 600 year time skip), I think the story would have been served better by a broader view.

There are so many stories about first colonies, and what sets this apart is Erna and the fae. But we get so little of the characters actively interacting with the fae and learning how to live on Erna, because, again, it's only the first two weeks of their lives. There isn't any mystery to it because I've already read the trilogy. Show us the rise of the One God, show us cults formed around faeborn, let Ian be an ideologue (why was the moon named after him?!).

The Worldbuilding

I'll preface this by saying Nightborn isn't hard scifi. It isn't about that. It's about Erna, and the colonizers' relationship with their new home. It's a total trip, and the uniqueness of Erna is one reason why I love the Coldfire trilogy. That and Gerald.

You could construe some issues as the fae and the planet/moons/Core influencing each other, rather than the latter being the genesis of the former. Who knows.

I'm not a huge fan of the implied racial essentialism. Ethnic diversity doesn't necessarily correlate with genetic diversity, and the ten people woken up are chosen (apparently) based on their ethnic diversity. The book doesn’t consider whether any of them are gay, ace, infertile, disinterested in having children, etc. 30 years ago this would have made more sense, but in 2023 I expect more than diversity based on skin color. (Wasn’t Damien suspiciously into Gerald? Dude was obsessed.) Later a non-het relationship is referred to, and it's made clear everyone got on board knowing they'd be expected to procreate.

"There was a need in him that no words could express, and she answered it in kind, offering comfort in the way that women had done since the beginning of time." - It's so…dated. I can't take something like this seriously, especially when this is taking place right next to a dead person. To make it worse, they go into a closet to have sex, still near the dead person! They've been on this planet all of two weeks, come on.

The way skin color is described is passé. Things like wood (mahogany, ebony), food (honey, chocolate, mocha) (all examples from this book), and other objects have often been used to describe POC in an almost (if not explicitly) fetishistic way. Lines like:

"...the soft ivory skin which seemed doubly pale as his dark fingers stroked her cheek."

Not that it's necessarily wrong to be into skin color contrast, but our world—and the world these characters left—has something of a history with exoticism.

And it gets worse. Maybe as a biracial person I'm particularly sensitive to this; if someone called me a "mocha baby" or "white chocolate" or some shit, I would be pissed.

"Mocha babies, she’d said in Orientation, when they talked about combining their genes in the first wave of newborns. We’ll make beautiful mocha babies together." - no.

I think sensitivity readers are iffy (no community is monolithic, ymmv, etc) and kind of a scam, but in this case it wouldn’t have been remiss.

DNA is mentioned a lot. I'm not sure what kind of DNA samples these people have and how they would be used to create genetic diversity. Is it like eggs and sperm? Do they have the equipment to store those things long term, much less utilize them? Why can't we just say "sperm"? Are they implanting extracted DNA into ova? I don't know. It's vague.

"(1)On the screen was a magnified view of one of the rivers on the main continent, showing where it emptied into the sea. (2) On any other planet he would have considered the land just upriver of that an ideal settlement site, with easy access to both fresh water and transportation. (3) But the largest moon had just passed over that spot followed by a second moon roughly the same size as Earth’s, and their combined gravity had prompted a tidal wave that rushed upriver in a foaming torrent."

(1) It's called a delta. I think it would have worked better with the proper term plus a description.

(2) Ok. I'm not sure what kind of transport they're contemplating. Are there suitable trees? Are any of the frozen people shipwrights? Does their spaceship have the right tools? Glue? Tar? Canvas for sails? Anyone who knows how to make fabric?

(3) That isn't really how tides work. High tide doesn't happen exactly when the moon (or moons) is right overhead. From the description it sounds like the moons are in the same orbit. I'm not sure if that could work. The moons would be acting on each other, right? I think they would have long since collided; moons are just too big.

Proximity to a river isn't necessary for water. They didn't check for aquifers?

It's odd to me that they are unable to find any reason for the ship stalling for 90 years. It's a machine, with programming and processing and records of what it does. Wouldn't every step of its algorithmic deliberations be recorded? Even with something like "error" or "invalid input"? The characters could puzzle over that. What we get is:

"Maybe Tia was right, and the ship just wanted to observe the patterns of seismic activity for a while. There was no way to know."

It's a ship. It doesn't “want” anything. All of its "desires" would be programmed by someone.

These characters are technologically savvy, and I don't think this baffled attitude comports with their expertise. But, like, I'm already accepting a bunch of habitable Earth-like planets being within an achievable distance from earth, and cryonics, etc.

"They hadn’t trained for earthquakes in Orientation, because they hadn’t expected to settle on a planet where they were a major problem." - Why not? They're a major problem on Earth, after all. One dude from Montana is just chillin during one while people are losing their shit.

I know the world building has to be congruous with the original trilogy, and the original trilogy is much more fantasy than science fiction, with a theocracy. But:

"The chaplain was the closest thing they had to a professional counselor." - Why isn't there a psychologist? A pharmacologist? They got a sculptor/3D printer which, fine, art is important, but I feel like managing mental health is a little bit more important given the circumstances.

How was their food preserved? Erna is 20,000 light years from Earth, which is still inside the bright part of the Milky Way. They'd have to be about 40,000 light years from Earth to be at the luminous edge, and since the ships weren't traveling at light speed (it isn't mentioned in the text, at least) that would take a couple million years I think, if we're being generous. The distance gets mixed up in the book. In chapters 1, 6, and 12 it's 20,000, in chapter 5 it's 40,000. This is an ARC, so hopefully this is fixed later.

These people go out, gather things to eat, and proceed to do zero testing to make sure it's safe. I feel like that would be the first thing to look at for people suspecting mass hallucination/hysteria. Something in the water, you know? They accept the existence of the fae very quickly.

It's mentioned several times that the colonizers were vetted for mental stability before they left. They start breaking down almost immediately, which I found pretty amusing.

Errors?

Not sure what else to call this, and I hope these are just products of reading an uncorrected ARC.

The inconsistency in how far from Earth they are. In some places it's 20,000 light years, in others 40,000. It ought to be the latter.

In chapter 8 it says Joshua came up with the term "true night." But Joshua is the engineer (not sure what kind). It was actually Johnny, the astro-whatever dude, who came up with it in chapter 5.


Conclusion

Well, I was excited to read it, I read it right away, and now I’m disappointed. I don’t think Coldfire needed a settlement story. The characters have no connection to the events in the trilogy, which takes place 1200 years in the future where their names and the events in Nightborn have been lost to time. The strange experiences in Nightborn are taken for granted by the modern inhabitants of Erna. Since I know what happens to them, which one can glean from Almea’s idle thoughts in Black Sun Rising’s prologue, I was never really concerned for the characters, nor did I get attached to them. Questions I had from the trilogy were not answered.

I don’t think this works well as a prequel to the trilogy, and I don’t think it works alone as the story of a first colony when there are so many other works which have explored that same topic. From the beginning and through to the end, the story is watching the characters hamfistedly figuring out what I already knew going into this. Maybe people who haven’t read the trilogy would find something new here, but I would say read the trilogy instead.

[Eddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story
RTC

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars! I picked up this story strictly based on its beautiful cover. It reminded me of the old Wheel of Time covers. Then I read the premise and was hooked. This prequel is an epic start to a science-fiction tale of survival. The characters are written with so much raw genuine expression that I found myself mourning their struggles alongside them. This was a really enjoyable read and I will be checking out the Coldfire Trilogy next.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Tim Rosenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was honored to read an advance release copy of this book. I devoured it in 24 hours. Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is the prequel to the Coldfire Trilogy and chronicles the first days of the landing of the original colonists on Erna and their subsequent struggle to survive. For those that have read the Coldfire Trilogy - you already know (roughly) how things turn out. Nightborn gives you a front row seat to those first, fateful days leading up to (insert spoiler here) and fills in the gaps hinted at in other books.

What I liked about the book was the pace. This is no slow burn or gradual decay; things get real bad real fast. The level of detail in the book matches the speed and urgency of events. There are no voyages or quests to explore character nuance and depth that allow you to establish strong connections with the characters. This is a story of immediate and perilous survival. The lack of detail and the focus on just a few key characters is enjoyable as I imagine this is how histories are written while 'in the moment'. None of the characters know if things will turn out for the better. The need to figure out how to survive supplants the detail and depth that later retellings of the founding of Erna would have as they are passed down by the original colonists to their children.

All in all, I can strongly recommend this book. Don't worry if you haven't read the Coldfire Trilogy - grab this one when it comes out and get ready to be introduced to an amazing world.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book felt “off” to me. I haven’t read the original Coldfire trilogy, but Nightborn is supposed to be a prequel, so I thought I’d be ok.

Part 1: Yes, there was no need to read the other books first for this section. A group of colonizers on their generation ship find a seemingly suitable planet, calling it Erna. They get to work on creating a community, but there’s a mysterious energy from the planet that connects to all parts of it (living creatures/plants). It seems to reject the Terrans and their dreams and nightmares are manifested into reality from their interactions with this property. I don’t like that the mysterious energy is called “fae”, I think it’s confusing and misleading. When I heard there was “fae” in this book I was picturing elves or fairy like sentient creatures the humans would be fighting.

Overall Part 1 was written fairly well; it was an interesting take on space voyagers and how they accomplish their mission on their new planet. The characters were meh, as several were introduced as important, but only 4 or so had any backstory or narration time. The writing lacked description. I wanted to know more about the alien landscape and creatures (even the bugs!) and hoped for detailed prose that I could picture, there really isn’t any imagery descriptions provided.
I wish there would’ve been more written about the early settler years. We only get to see up to Year 2 and there are still so many unanswered questions, things are still breaking down and going wrong in the settlement, and a group are heading out on an exploration mission….

Then…

BAM!!! Part 2 is 600+ years later….
It follows a random dude that means nothing to me, but I understand he’s a prominent character in the other books in the series.

I basically gave up here. It was a huge let down to not follow the original main characters any further. Why did I read all these pages to suddenly fall off a cliff and end up 600 years in the future?! Literally nothing was confirmed or resolved or answered in Part 1?!

Seriously annoying, and I wouldn’t have even included Part 2 in this book, just make a separate short story or something. Super super bummed that I wasted my time with this book. I had high hopes as I liked The Magister Trilogy by this author, but my opinion has changed and I won’t bother reading the rest of the books in the Coldfire series.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colony ship. Colonists awakening from cold sleep to find out that they traveled longer and further than planned to reach a viable planet. They encounter a mysterious life form on that planet, seemingly intent on killing them one by one. Technology is failing and a very different future than imagined seems to be the fate of the colony. They name that life form „the fey“ and dark fantasy meets science fiction.

Odd, but as a prequel to a fantasy series it’s a plausible start. The idea reminded my a little of the Dragonriders of Pern, although that is a very different story. The core of both worlds are colonists on a dangerous planet who eventually devolve into a much simpler society without technology or the knowledge of where they came from.

A recurring question in colonization SF: How likely is convergent evolution on other planets compared to Earth?

The Observer effect: How perception impacts our concept of reality.
That idea lies at the center of this novel. It was ok, I liked the plot well enough. The characters were fleshed out enough to be somewhat memorable. Not sure yet if I am interested enough to proceed to the main trilogy, considering that it seems to be classic fantasy.

Included at the end of my Audible edition:

Dominion, a 52-page bridge novella set 600+ years after the events of Nightborn: Coldfire Rising and before the main trilogy from the 90s, starting with Black Sun Rising.
I would class the novella as Sword and Sorcery. I liked the bad guy, aka the evil sorcerer Tarran. So I might rethink my earlier comment and read the original fantasy trilogy after all. Apparently this novella give backstory to Tarran, who is one of the main characters in the trilogy.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed reading C. S. Friedman's work and have reread the Coldfire trilogy several times. In this prequel, she covers the original settlement of Erna, the destruction of technology and the sacrifices made by 2 of the settlers to make humans part of the planet ecology. The second part of the book skips ahead 600 years to cover Gerald Tarrant's taking of the Forest. This book plugs several holes in the story of Erna without any spoilers for the subsequent books. I liked it a lot. I don't think it's quite as compelling as the trilogy but it's still very good. It's always good to see a new book by C.S. Friedman.

[Nikki McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting to go back to this world and see the author's vision of how it started. Such a treat! Thank you!

[Patrick St-Denis · Rating 4 out of 5]

When C. S. Friedman got in touch with me to see if I'd like an early read of the forthcoming Coldfire prequel Nightborn: Coldire Rising, needless to say I was extremely excited. Not only would we get the short novel of the founding of Erna, but the book would also include a revised edition of the novella Dominion, which I read and reviewed back in 2012. It's been a while, that's for sure. Crown of Shadows, final installment in the original series, was published in 1995. Since then, the Coldfire trilogy has remained in print and very few SFF works can boast of such longevity unless they're quite good.

Friedman has always been adamant that there would never be a sequel to the Coldfire series. And nearly three decades down the line, it doesn't look like she will change her mind. However, the market for shorter works, especially novellas, has been expanding in recent years. So much so that she realized that the time could be ripe to explore ideas and concepts that, while they lacked enough material to warrant a novel-length project, could be turned into books that couldn't have been published just a few years back. Dominion was the first such project and it turned out to be a wonderful read.

Nightborn: Coldire Rising focuses on the Founding of Erna and what led to the First Sacrifice. Fans might recall that it's a tale hinted at in the prologue of When True Night Falls. Dominion recounts the story of how Gerald Tarrant mastered the Forest and became the Hunter. This novella takes place 613 years following the settlement of the colony on Erna and about six centuries prior to the events of the Coldfire trilogy. Friedman realized that Erna has a rich history that is hinted at in the series and that there was a wealth of material for potential prequels. Mapping out such story arcs, the author envisioned a set of novellas that would also explore the Age of the False Messiahs, the Neo-Gothic Revival and its Unification Wars, the great Rakhene Genocide, the transformation of the Forbidden Forest into Tarrant’s private hunting ground, and the Church’s doomed war against him and his minions. All of which has this Coldfire fan pretty excited!

Some readers unfamiliar with the original trilogy will wonder if Nightborn: Coldire Rising makes a good starting point for newbies. Yes, it is a prequel and efforts were made by the author to make this book a somewhat stand-alone work that can be read and understood without having read the Coldfire trilogy. And yet, why would you want to do that? The Coldfire series is a seminal work of dark fantasy that has withstood the test of time, so why would you want to pick up this one before reading the original material? Though Nightborn: Coldire Rising can be read on its own, without the context provided by the original trilogy you'd be missing out on lots of things and not just a few nuances. You might enjoy Dominion without having prior knowledge of Gerald Tarrant, but if you actually know the story of this fascinating badass character you'll be ecstatic. This new one is slated to be released in July, so there is ample time for you to find out for yourself just how brillant the Coldfire trilogy truly is by starting with Black Sun Rising. Follow this Amazon Associate link to learn more about this title and its sequels. Believe you me: You'll love them! And you'll be up-to-date when this prequel hits the shelves this summer.

Here's the blurb:

A prequel to the lauded Coldfire trilogy, Friedman's latest novel mixes the best of dark fantasy and chilling sci-fi.

A ship full of colonists arrive on a seemingly hospitable planet, only to discover that it harbors a terrifying secret. Soon the settlers find themselves caught up in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, bringing a person’s greatest fears and darkest nightmares to life.

As Colony Commander Leon Case and Chief Medic Lise Perez struggle to find a way to control the fae before more people die, other settlers have ideas of their own…and they may prove more of a threat to colony than the fae itself.

Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is a tale that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, suspenseful and emotionally intense, as a handful of humans struggle to survive on an alien world that seems determined to kill them. In the end they will have to draw upon both scientific knowledge and mystical traditions to save themselves.

Whether you're just discovering the Coldfire universe through this prequel or returning to it as a classic favorite, Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is the perfect entry point to this unique, genre-blending space fantasy epic.

As mentioned, Nightborn: Coldire Rising is the story of the Founding of Erna. It focuses on the horrors that the colonists had to face when they first encountered the mysterious and all-encompassing force they'll come to know as the fae. Coming out of cryogenic sleep after decades spent searching for an habitable planet, the leading faction of the settlers discover that their ship has been observing Erna for ninety years before waking them up. There are obviously some anomalies that prevented the ship from approving the planet as an acceptable settlement for their colony, but they can't find anything concrete as to why the process took this long. In an essay she wrote for her Patreon, Friedman says that one of the most interesting facets of the Coldfire Trilogy is its science fiction background. The people who landed on Erna were rational, scientifically minded people, from a culture not unlike our own. Yet a thousand years later they would have lost all their technology, mastered the fae (as much as anyone could), and adopted terminology and trappings from mysticism and sorcery. How did they get from point A to point B, changing not only their technology but the very tenor of their society? This is the question that she tried to answer with this newest work. How did the colonists figure out what the fae was in the first place? Fans of the trilogy will know that there were no adepts when the colonists landed on Erna. Hence, nobody could see it without Working their sight, but human beings hadn’t learned to Work yet. According to Friedman, this was the biggest challenge to address. If the colonists couldn’t see the fae, didn’t even know it was there to begin with, and had never encountered anything like it to make them suspect it even existed, how did they figure out how to See it, much less control it? That ended up being the main theme of Nightborn: Coldire Rising: a group of colonists trapped on a planet where a seemingly supernatural force was manifesting their darkest instincts and wildest nightmares, who were struggling to figure out what the hell it was and how to gain a measure of control over it before it killed them all.

And time is running out. When I started reading the book, I believed that the tale would cover the span of several months. Imagine my surprise when I realized that Nightborn: Coldire Rising only covers a period of about twenty days. Less than three weeks, that's how long it took for everything to go down the crapper. This lends a tense and suspenseful atmosphere to the story and forces characters to make questionable decisions as their lives and their chances of survival continue to unravel with each passing day. Though I would have liked for the story to cover a bit more ground and give us more than a glimpse of the colonists' early days on Erna, there's no denying that it is self-contained and ends with the aftermath of the First Sacrifice. You reach the ending wanting more, but this new Coldfire tale does what it set out to do. Understandably, it's more scifi than fantasy, and might feel a little discordant with the original material, at least stylistically. Yet a settlement story couldn't be anything else, and I'm sure that fans will enjoy discovering how it all began.

As for Dominion, well it was a doozy! Even though I read the original version a decade ago, like all Coldfire fans I relished the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite SFF characters of all time: Gerald Tarrant. And even though this one occurs more than six centuries into the pass, Friedman recaptured the feel of the Coldfire books. This makes this one impossible to put down and you'll likely finish it in a single sitting. As I mentioned in my first review, Friedman sets the mood perfectly. The narrative grabs hold of you and won't let go. The prose is evocative and the Forest almost becomes a character in its own right. Sure, some will say that hardcore fans are already won over. But it's no secret that the author knows how to draw readers into her tales and Dominion is no different.

The novella features the POVs of two protagonists. The first is that of Gerald Tarrant, first Neocount of Merentha. Although the thirty pages or so don't provide enough of an opportunity to fully appreciate this chance to see Tarrant in action and witness events unfold through his eyes, I loved every single moment of it. Hot damn, I want more! The second perspective is that of Faith, last survivor of a band of knights of the Church hunting faeborn creatures in the Forest. She possesses a special gift known as the Earth's blessing; the fae does not respond to her. Both characters find themselves in the heart of the Forest; one trying to escape, while the other means to best it. I think Friedman created a good balance between the two POV sections throughout the novella. I also enjoyed how the author introduced Amoril and how he became part of Tarrant's entourage.You reach the end too quickly for my taste, but again this tale is as long as it needs to be.

If all goes according to plan, Friedman says that the next novella will be a tale from the Neo-Gothic era, when a young idealist named Gerald Tarrant brings faith to his world, even as darkness begins to take root within his own soul. The author believes that fans of Gerald Tarrant will love to watch that corruption unfold, as well as seeing parts of his personal history that he hinted at in the original trilogy. So Coldfire fans unite! Unless Nightborn: Coldire Rising is a success, we might never get to read that new story. And I for one cannot countenance such a thing! I also want to read every other planned Coldfire novella, so we need to make it happen!

For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Charty · Rating 2 out of 5]

BIG fan of the original Coldfire Trilogy, big fan of C.S. Friedman’s books in general, so I hate saying this, but this book was underwhelming.

The story, to explore the beginnings of human life on Erna is a solid concept but the author doesn’t spend enough time developing the world as it only covers the first twenty days of the colonists’ first year, then a couple of pages that skip the story forward to year two. It’s packaged like a full novel but is more properly two novellas. The first half covers the founding of the human settlement on Erna. The timeline is essentially two years. Then the book skips forward 600+ years for a novella about how Gerald Tarrant became The Hunter. This second story is so much richer and interesting and I could see a new reader being utterly confused as the stories don’t share anything save they are both set on Erna and deal with the fae.

I found the writing ok, but few of the characters are explored in any depth, even the main protagonists. There are logical flaws with how a colony like this would be established and function that made it impossible to suspend disbelief. The extreme reliance on technology that could fail, the lack of practical skills (apparently they are supposed to rely on the equivalent of YouTube videos to learn anything useful), the omission of colonists with critical professions like farmers, teachers, psychologists or counselors seems like a huge oversight. I guess why would they need psychologists when everyone was vetted before the trip? Talk about a major fail.

Aside from that, there was an inordinate amount of narrative around reproduction which I guess is crucial to survival of the colony. People die off, gotta make more, right? I somehow felt that if society has advanced enough to send out space ships with FTL travel, sleep stasis, etc. shouldn’t people be having babies in vats or,I don’t know, uterine replicators?

There is scant evidence of any relationships other than heteronormative ones (the one semi-acknowledged gay couple dies 🙄) or other gender identities. This was sort of hand waved as, well, everyone agreed to breed. The gender roles are pretty rigid. The commander of the colony is a man, the main hunter is a man. The chef/butcher is a man. The women are slotted into typical “caring roles” I.e. doctor and chaplain.

There are lots of characters mentioned with names that are meant to be a short hand to show a broad representation cultures and ethnicities and lots of talk about DNA/genetic diversity but cultural touchstones seemed very white and/or Euro-centric. People are excited about beer and burgers being served. There was no time spent trying to show much in the way of how other cultures or religions were part of the individual colonists’ identities.

And there was some pretty clumsy attempts to represent racial diversity with some simplistic descriptions of various characters skin and hair colors, I guess to reinforce how diverse they are, but when one white character was fantasizing about her black lover and what “beautiful mocha skinned babies” they’d have, triggered me throwing up in my mouth a bit.

Overall I was left with an impression that this story was a money grab, meant to play on the love of the previous books and goodwill towards the author while giving them a substandard story that probably would have been better served as a short story. I have a lot of respect for the author and I’ve read some things that make me believe she’s had some personal happenings in life that have precluded her writing much, if at all , these last few years. Fair enough, that sucks. But it doesn’t change the fact that this was a weak effort and not worth most readers’ time or hard earned money. YMMV

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Nightborn, and it’s incredible! Well worth the wait! I found myself caught up in it, immersed—at least once—so deeply that, had my wife not been sitting next to me as I read, I would’ve let a tear roll down my face. That’s not an exaggeration or hyperbole, either. Everything about that particular scene shook me, because it was so well written that it took me back to a dark place I’d hoped never to revisit. Is that melodramatic? Absolutely. Is it also the truth? Unequivocally. The way the author’s words reached into my psyche and pulled that pain up from where I’d buried it so long ago is a testament to her gift for storytelling. She should feel very proud of almost making me cry.
While Nightborn fits perfectly in the world of the Coldfire Trilogy, it is not the world of the Hunter. Not yet. Nightborn is very close to “hard science fiction”. While there is plenty of mysticism and religious symbology, it’s still rooted in the plausible and has a certain logic to it. Nightborn is about people that are culturally familiar to us, how they discovered the fae, what that cost them, and it also offers a glimpse of what they might gain.
Now, Dominion, that’s a whole other story! Literally! It drops you right smack in the middle of a world chock-full of malevolent demons, knights with shining swords, and soul-selling sorcerers! It revolves around Gerald Tarrant, of course, but you also meet a knight of the church with an unexpected gift. Amoril, Gerald’s protégé from the Coldfire Trilogy, makes his debut and you learn more about him than expected. But to me, the most interesting character in Dominion is the Forest. Not a walking-talking character, of course, but close. Through its interactions with the other three characters—and they are interactions, not just the environment reacting to characters, make no mistake—you get a glimpse into what makes the Forest tick, and what it was like before the Hunter.
Together, the two stories are the yin-yang of Coldfire. Nightborn shows you the “science-y” side of things and how people react to something that they’re completely unprepared for, something completely unexpected and unnatural (unnatural to them, anyway!) On the other end of the spectrum, Dominion shows you both humanity’s ultimate compromise with that unknown, and its ultimate weapon in its fight against it.

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friedman has been going back to revisit her most popular books with this and "This Virtual Night", both of which are connected to books from the 90's. One could look at this rather cynically and assume that she is trying to recapture the magic and sales of the books she's best known for, and that may be the case. But these books are also very good!

Nightborn is a prequel, telling the story of how the human civilization described in her fantastic Coldfire trilogy came to be. I am pretty sure that you could read this without reading the Coldfire trilogy, but I think you'd be missing some of the reveals in the trilogy. If you have read it, then you might expect that this book is not really scifi, not really fantasy, and not really horror. It describes the establishment of a human settlement in a new land with unknown threats.

I read this after refreshing my memory of how this time is described in the Coldfire trilogy so I can't say I was surpised by much, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. One could be tempted to quibble a bit with some of the .. magic?.. details, but in general it lined up well with Coldfire. I could see the seeds being planted that would sprout into what we read in the earlier books.

Now, if you're a Geralt fan, never fear! There's a little vignette at the end of the book focused entirely on him. Why? Maybe because she's showing where the events of the other 90% of the book lead to. That's plausible. I suspect, however, that it was more an excuse to bring back Geralt. And hey, that's fine. It was good stuff.

[Angie Abdelmonem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read! I may be one of the few that has not read the Coldfire Trilogy, though I have read other works by CS Friedman (Alien Shores and Dreamwalkers series). With that said, I'm actually glad I didn't have advanced knowledge of Erna and the fae because going into this blind really amped up the mystery of what was going on, and it's definitely going to propel me into Coldfire because I want to see how things develop. First, I want to say that I think Friedman is a master of science-fantasy. I wouldn't call this hard SF (so if that's what you're looking for, you may be disappointed), even with the premise being grounded in settlers colonizing a planet and the craziness that ensues when the planet rejects them. The fae is magic, and Friedman is masterful is weaving the science with the magic. The pacing is so fast and the attacks on the colonists by the fae, which manifest differently every time, really sucks you into the story and keeps you wanting to figure out what's going to happen (if you read Coldfire, that element of mystery may not be as palpable, because you know). And even as the colonists think they've figured something out about the fae, other things happen that challenge what they think they understand. They come to some sort of resolution at the end, which has a very shocking conclusion, though things still seem uncertain and tense, which I can appreciate given that this is a prequel set hundreds of years prior to Coldfire, where the story really is. So needless to say, now I want to know how humans and the fae come to relate to one another, how the magic evolves, how humans themselves may have evolved given the way the fae plays on their fears and desires. I will say, though, that without having read Coldfire, I can sense that there are elements of the story that attempt to lay groundwork for what's to come that I am not fully able to yet appreciate or grasp the significance of yet - in particular, religion and sacrifice and the way in which Dani and Angie serve as opposing perspectives on how to understand faith/belief, how it is that the magic specifically manifests in certain places, particularly with what seems to be a vampire like creature that appears. And there may be other smaller examples that I missed altogether. Still, however, as I move into Coldfire, I think these will be elements I can come to appreciate in hindsight.

One other thing is that I really loved the fact that the colony didn't devolve into anarchy as death and other frightening things were happening around the colonists. Friedman provides a a rationale for this with respect to the types of people (with a particular mental profile) being selected for this project, but I do want to say that I think there is often too much emphasis in fiction or movies on how it is that human groups break down when things get rough. I had recently read an analysis of William Goldings Lord of the Flies that criticized this very problem and the kind of worldview that illustrates, while also offering counter-examples. I greatly appreciated the fact that the colonists continued to try and work together over the course of the story. This isn't to say there were interpersonal conflicts that emerged - this isn't a story where the conflict is completely external. But the conflicts that did emerge didn't necessarily result in the colonists factionalizing. I don't yet know what this means with respect to the Coldfire world, but to me this is a move away from a pretty well worn trope in a lot of fiction.

Overall, I loved this as my introduction into the Coldfire world and can't wait to jump into Black Sun Rising!

[WS_BOOKCLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW Books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Nightborn: Coldfire Rising will be available on July 18th, 2023.


I fell in love with the Coldfire trilogy, back in the 90’s when I first read it. It was, and still is, one of the most remarkable science fantasy I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Naturally, I was beyond excited by the news that C.S. Friedman was returning to the world of Erna.


When there is such a large gap between books in a series, I always wonder how that will work. Will the author be able to slip back into the voice used to write the books in the first place? Will the new book mesh with the others? I found that Nightborn leans on the same original tone, but adds new threads to the rich tapestry of the plot. The story takes on an even more sinister tone with this prequel, becoming more sci-fi horror than science fantasy. The shift was calculated and perfect.


Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is a prequel, detailing how the planet of Erna was originally discovered and the situations that led to the events in the Coldfire trilogy. It isn’t necessary to read the original trilogy first, although whether or not you do will probably change how you experience this book. Some parts will hit differently if you have read the trilogy.


The world of Erna is inhospitable, to say the least. In the original trilogy, much of the science behind the world comes across as magic. Even the energy that flows across the planet has a name reminiscent of the fantastical: fae. Here in the prequel, science takes precedence. The reader gets to see the evolution of the characters’ mindset as they experience things that they struggle to explain with scientific knowledge.


The characters themselves take a backseat to the events that unfold, although each plays an important role. The reader sees things mainly through the eyes of Leo, the Commander of the Colony, although other points of view are added here and there. He is likable, capable, and sincere in his desire to care for those under his command. He, like everyone else, is also way outside his depth. The entire planet seems to want the colonists dead.


Nightborn reads like a horror novel, with sci-fi elements sprinkled in. It is claustrophobic and unsettling. The pacing lends itself to a slow buildup of tension and growing unease. The writing is incredibly smart, balancing scientific theories with an unraveling of everything logical and unemotional. The give and take between the fae and the human colonists explains a power struggle between the new element (humanity) and the planet itself.


I couldn’t get enough of the story. My jaw was clenching by the end, I was so invested. I was fascinated by, yet dreaded the climax. Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is an engrossing and foreboding read. I highly recommend both this book and the Coldfire trilogy. C.S. Friedman has created a masterpiece.

[Melissa Corday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, C.S. Friedman, and DAW publishing for providing this eARC!
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Unrelated to the review, this book needs a trigger warning for animal death, assault and kidnapping, and self-unaliving

I think its only fair to disclose this is my first C.S. Friedman book, and I've never read the Coldfire series. I went into this more or less blind, with only the synopsis to fill me in on what to expect.
I blinked and was at 53%. I was absolutely freakin' hooked. I was engrossed by the mystery of what the fae is and how to survive its influences (and indeed, how far does the influence go?). I was emotionally invested in Leon, Lise, Angie, Ian, Dani, and the other colonists, and loved that I was able to get little glimpses of what drove their decision to go to Erna. I felt little stabs to my heart as I watched the population of the settlement drop one by one.

I really loved the blending of fantasy and sci fi, where we have humans from Earth relocated twenty thousand light-years from home, with all the usual sci fi trappings of cryo, data tablets, intergalactic travel, and those humans still observe science-defying rituals and religion.

I did not love the, in my opinion, rather unceremonious time-jump from Day 20 (ish) to Day 364. It's presented as an epilogue, but I feel like epilogues don't happen at the 80% mark. To go from a huge tragic event to, Spongebob Narrator Voice, "One year later", was jarring, and I didn't get to sit with the weight of the scene long enough. This epilogue concludes at 82%, and then we move into the epigraph, 613 years later, which is the remaining 18% of the book. We're given a full new cast of characters, and I suspect the epigraph is closer to what the core trilogy is like, and is much more fantasy-leaning then the previous 82%, so this was jarring as well. We see what is effectively magic, an intentional manipulation of the fae for a specified purpose, and we see two opposing factions: the Church and a fae-controlling sorcerer-demon-undead-formerly-human individual. Their dynamics play out on page for a while, and I was left with only the barest understanding of what a Working or a Knowing is. While I appreciate a book that doesn't pander to me, I couldn't really get past the abrasive shift from sci-fi with a sprinkling of fantasy, to full-on Paladin in plate armor praying to God in the forest for blessings while she's trying to carry out a crusade against hellspawn.

Honestly, if we had stopped at the 82% mark, at the end of the epilogue, and just not included the epigraph at all, this would have been an easy four stars for me. I could have lived with the one abrupt shift from Day 20 to Day 364, but having the second abrupt change to Year 631 just took me out.

[Yev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book. I don't think it stands on its own. It really seems like something only for those who have already read the Coldfire trilogy. I don't believe it's necessary reading for those who have read the Coldfire trilogy though. Probably only the people who need to read it are completionists and those who want to read how the first two weeks or so of colonization went. It doesn't even cover all of what was already included in the trilogy. The Rakh don't make an appearance on-page. I was hoping it would show more of their colonization efforts, because I'd like to read more like that. Instead it mostly focuses on the horror of the unknown and the helpless despair that it creates. I'd describe it as being more horror focused than science fiction or fantasy. To their credit by using the power of science and reasoning they figure out what's going on rather quickly. Unfortunately for them that doesn't really help much at all.

The plot covers from being in orbit to some days after The First/Great Sacrifice. That would seem like the page count is far too much for that. Maybe it is, but it read quickly and I didn't really notice. As for the characters, well, they're there. It's almost entirely told through the perspective of their leader, Leon Case, through daily journal logs. There's 200 colonists to start with and certainly less by the end. I don't really have much to say about them. A few of them of them have flashback scenes to their life on Earth explaining why they decided to join to the seed ship. I didn't care enough about the characters for them to mean much to me though. The main problem with Earth is that there's too many people and not enough opportunities. Every place except for where the seedships are headed have very strict population controls and new positions for anything doesn't open up unless someone dies.

The most troubling issue was that all of it felt insubstantial to me. It really feels like Friedman was just fleshing out the lore for hardcore fans rather than writing an actual novella. That's a nice gesture and one I can appreciate, but the content is lacking for me. Thematically it remains similar to the other books, especially Crown of Shadows.

Dominion, the Tarrant novella that barely qualifies as one, is also included in this book. I've separated it out and it isn't included in my rating for this book. It was rather disappointing and I didn't feel like writing anything for it on its own. I may read more from Friedman, though those 3.5s I gave for each book of the trilogy could've easily have been rounded down.

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the Coldfire trilogy, one of my favorite sci-fantasy series. While you could read this either before or after the trilogy, I read it after and I believe that I enjoyed the trilogy more because of that experience (YMMV). Keep in mind this is not hard sci-fi, but a prequel to what is more like a dark fantasy series (so the science is good but still not solid); however, In the series, you eventually come to realize the world on which it all happens is an earth colony that essentially lost its tech and was more or less a primitive semi-feudal society. This book explains how that came about … and the colony story was actually pretty compelling and well done … with the action starting up quickly and ramping up just as fast (perhaps too fast). Although there are some 200 original colonists, the story revolves about a dozen of so personalities, each with their own back story (some of which are explored in flashbacks at the beginning of the chapters.

The main characters are Leo (mission commander), Lisa (Doctor), Dani (chaplain) and Angie (a holistic neural researcher/occultist) with some important side characters, such as Ian the biologist. At the confusion of the story, you will have a solid understanding of the relationship between humans and their new world (aka Erna) that for me would have detracted a bit from the mystery/puzzle presented in the beginning of the trilogy (which is what I am happy to have read this last). What is missing is the story of Gerald … whose story has such an outsized impact on the trilogy that its short treatment at the end just didn’t seem like it was enough. All of that considered, if you enjoyed the trilogy you will very likely enjoy this prequel … if you enjoyed the prequel, you might enjoy the trilogy (which I liked primarily for the well executed redemption arc of the hero’s journey).

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#NightbornColdfireRising #NetGalley

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightborn is a prequel to Friedman's Coldfire trilogy, which I consider one of the best sleeper fanasy novel trilogies out there. It's got a weird gothic vampire fantasy thing going on in a world with unique rules set up with a science fiction origin point. Friedman likes dark fantasy and it definitely hits all the right marks on that.

Nightborn is a true science fiction novel that tells the story of people came to land on Erna and what happened in the early days as they were first encountering the fae and learning how it worked. It's a quick read and you can feel that this book is right on the edge of being a true space horror novel. I understand the choices she made here to focus a lot on tie-ins as this IS a prequel. But a part of me really wishes she had left it feeling more like an isolated book and focused directly on the horror elements even more.

What could be more scary than an unidentified force manifesting all of your worst fears and worries around you, pulling from your darkest memories and recreating your most painful tormenters which then seek to feed on you? Meanwhile all your technology is failing and you have no solutions and no real understanding of how to combat this undetected force.

Nightborn is, as mentioned, fast. Overall a good toe dip into space horror. Colony space exploration. Lots to love. It does ultimately focus on tie-in and that leaves the story itself feeling a little incomplete in its way. Like a burger without fries. It just left me feeling like i wanted a bit more out of it. But what can we say about a good book other than we want more?

Not sure if all editions of Nightborn include Dominion, but mine does. Dominion is a novella prequel that fits between Nightborn and the Coldfire trilogy that touches on Gerald Tarrant's first steps into the Forest that he comes to call his domain. It is very good, but barely more than a short story. Filled with Tarrant goodness and left me actually wanting to reread the Coldfire Trilogy for the umpteenth time.

[Jacqie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragon Challenge 2024: turquoise (sequel), Outerspace (completed series)
Around the Year in 52 Books 2024: 41. A book with a chilling atmosphere

The first book in the Colfire series was written all the way back in 1991. I didn't expect to see another book in the series after the trilogy was complete and wondered what other stories the author had to tell.

This one is a prequel, about the colonists who originally settled Erna in all innocence of what they were getting into. I already knew exactly what they were getting into and while it was interesting to see the workings of the planet from this different perspective the book didn't pull me in. The most interesting parts of the book for me were the bits about psychological symbology and the meaning of sacrifice. It seems that humans didn't necessarily have to be bound to the planet in the way that they were in the main trilogy.

It's got to be difficult to write a mystery to captivate readers who already know the solution. I don't know that the book entirely pulled it off. And it's always difficult for me to invest in characters who will be long dead by the time the main story that I loved rolls around. Tarrant does make an appearance in a short story at the end of this book but I didn't like him as much without the foil of Damien the priest to play off. I am glad I completed the series again but it didn't feel like this was necessary. I don't know how someone who had never read the original trilogy would like this book. Better? Worse?

[Cas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not previously read any of the Coldfire series, so I went into this prequel with no real idea of what I was getting myself into. The lack of knowledge wasn’t a problem; this works fine as a stand-alone. I could tell when something was being introduced that was important to the series (the casual, “oh, she called them Nightborn” or “we decided on ‘fae’” felt prophetic) but it wasn’t awkward.

As a stand-alone, this gripped me right away. Chapter One immediately thrusts you into a mystery to be solved, with the perfect balance of world-building and plot. The entire novel had an ominous vibe to it. Not super dark, but an undercurrent of unease with a mild sense of threat throughout. I stayed up late on several nights wanting to know what was going to happen next. This is not horror, but there are some suspenseful moments as well as descriptions of violence.

Decent character development for a novel that is not really character-driven. Dialogue is natural. Prose flows well. A lot of unanswered questions about the world-building, but I’m not mad about it. That’s to be expected with a prequel. Some interesting plot twists that are foreshadowed enough to make sense when they happen without being heavy-handed.

Overall I was impressed. I may even pick up the first book of the original series to see where things go from here.

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Janie Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book without doing a reread of The Coldfire Trilogy so I could see how well it stands alone, with only tendrils of the Planet Erna and it's nightmares a vague recollection.
The story begins with human settlers arriving on the planet. They are wary colonists on a new world and the author did an excellent job of drawing you into what it would feel like to be one of them as you follow the storyline from different points of view.
It is an excellent example of Sci Fi horror as things slowly go wrong. Equipment failures and strange deaths of a few of the colonists make the settlement question everything as they attempt to protect themselves.
The story jumps 600 years at about the 2/3 point and shifts us to an excerpt of the Coldfire Trilogy's most famous character Gerald Tarrant. At this point, he already has made himself a powerful being, but it defines how he began his bonding to the Forest. Truthfully, as a reader, I want more history of his beginnings which are hinted at several times.
Overall, this book left me wanting more, as always with anything I have read by C.S. Friedman.

[William Bentrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nightborn: Coldfire Rising by C.S. Friedman

It has been a minute since I’ve read any C.S. Friedman. This story takes place on a far distant planet where a colony ship that has gone awry deposits its occupants. After reading the book, I recalled watching Forbidden Planet, a movie that came out in 1956. The monster in the movie was created by a manifestation of Moibius's Id. I don’t know if Friedman is old enough to have seen the movie but there are some parallels between the book and the movie. The colony finds the planet itself seems to be opposed to them settling there. The immediate problems are resolved and the story jumps 600 years in the future and occupants of that time period are now the protagonists.
I enjoyed the book. The concept of Earth Mother has been explored many times. This iteration is entertaining and thought-provoking.
I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Faramarz Abedini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC copy from Netgalley. Thanks to DAW and Netgalley both.

Okay, I read the original trilogy a long, long time ago and remember vaguely that I loved it. This new Novella--may I call it that because it is too short?--is set in the same universe and is the story of the first human settlement in that world.

I do think the story, the plot, and the characters were interesting but the story was too short for me to be able to review it fairly.

The one aspect that I didn't like was the final 4th of the story. All of a sudden the story is moved 600 years into the future just to introduce us to Gerald Terrant. There are no rhymes or reasons for this other than for the readers of the original trilogy to gush over memories. The jump is completely unnecessary and jarring and takes away from the beauty of the story. I gave this a generous 4 stars but it probably deserves a solid 3 stars.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be in the minority to say that this one is NOT a perfect entry point in the Coldfire Trilogy, but I won't deny that it is still an excellent companion novel.

A little backstory: This trilogy is one of the few truly excellent crossover Fantasy/SF/Horror novels that are equal in every portion. The worldbuilding is very well thought-out and very memorable, even after decades of reading so many other SF and Fantasy.

The surprise really did it for me. The slow build-up and reveal, the inherent complexity and coherence. *chef's kiss*

This short prequel of a novel really lays ALL those secrets out and if you already know the story, it's great... especially since we get to follow the big bad's beginnings and progress. Muahahahaha

Oh yeah, it's great. I may have a few quibbles about the poor preparedness of the original colony, but streamlined like this? It's still pretty great.

[Megan Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader's copy. I love the original Coldfire trilogy, and to be given the opportunity to read this early, was amazing and wonderful. Friedman has written another brilliant book. This story introduces you to the world of Erna before it was the Erna most know in the original trilogy. It's well written and gives the reader a new introduction to this world. If you haven't read the original trilogy, this is a great introduction. If you have read the original trilogy, it's like coming home. And spoilers, but a favorite character makes his appearance near the end. Thank you C.S. Friedman for revisiting this world. I will be buying it when it comes out, and gifting it to the person who first introduced me to Erna. Best book I've read this year so far. Now excuse me while I go reread the Coldfire trilogy.