Wintermind

Masters of Solitude #2

by Marvin Kaye

Set in a post-holocaust USA, the first volume depicts a conflict between rural followers of a diseased mutant form of Christianity and a city in which a science-based world view is encapsulated; in the second, a personal drama and an interesting half-breed protagonist intensify the grain of narrative, but peculiarly diminish the sense, given off by the earlier book, of a large sf occasion.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy

297 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1982

About the author

Marvin 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.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Althea Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

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?

[Logan Streondj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, it was an okay sequel. Mildly reminiscent of wendigo, but otherwise rather contrived and dull.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jenny Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Jilleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rich]

#2

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first novel in this trilogy: The Masters of Solitude.