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Blood, the Phoenix and a Rose: An Alchymical Triptych
The next night, there were three of them, and they weren't standing in a corner. They were hanging from the ceiling by their hair and were beyond staring at me, or doing anything else.
Wraeththu, a race of androgynous beings, have arisen from the ashes of human civilisation. Like the mythical rebis, the divine hermaphrodite, they represent the pinnacle of human evolution. But Wraeththu - or hara - were forged in the crucible of destruction and emerged from a new Dark Age. They have yet to realise their full potential and come to terms with the most blighted aspects of their past.
Blood, the Phoenix and a Rose begins with an enigma: Gavensel, a har who appears unearthly and has a hidden history. He has been hidden away in the house of Sallow Gandaloi by Melisander, an alchemist, but is this seclusion to protect Gavensel from the world or the world from him? As his story unfolds, the shadow of the dark fortress Fulminir falls over him, and memories of his past slowly return. The only way to find the truth is to go back through the layers of time, to when the blood was fresh.
Evidence is subjective and interpretation creates conflicting memories. A stand-alone trilogy of connected novellas, 'Song of the Cannibals', 'Half Sick of Shadows' and 'A Pyramid of Lions' are witness accounts, one of them from Gavensel himself, that bring light to one of the darkest corners of Wraeththu history.
Wraeththu, a race of androgynous beings, have arisen from the ashes of human civilisation. Like the mythical rebis, the divine hermaphrodite, they represent the pinnacle of human evolution. But Wraeththu - or hara - were forged in the crucible of destruction and emerged from a new Dark Age. They have yet to realise their full potential and come to terms with the most blighted aspects of their past.
Blood, the Phoenix and a Rose begins with an enigma: Gavensel, a har who appears unearthly and has a hidden history. He has been hidden away in the house of Sallow Gandaloi by Melisander, an alchemist, but is this seclusion to protect Gavensel from the world or the world from him? As his story unfolds, the shadow of the dark fortress Fulminir falls over him, and memories of his past slowly return. The only way to find the truth is to go back through the layers of time, to when the blood was fresh.
Evidence is subjective and interpretation creates conflicting memories. A stand-alone trilogy of connected novellas, 'Song of the Cannibals', 'Half Sick of Shadows' and 'A Pyramid of Lions' are witness accounts, one of them from Gavensel himself, that bring light to one of the darkest corners of Wraeththu history.
290 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2016
3 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Storm Constantine
144 books503 followersStorm Constantine was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 6, 2021
Once upon a time, as a teen girl uncomfortable with her own femininity, I read the Wreaththlu trilogy. It was okay. No matter the insistence that Constantine's hars were androgynous, they read as gay men (the terms 'he' and 'him' did not help). Magical sex was the solution to epic struggles. Still, it was a fun read.
I read the Wreaththlu Histories later, in my twenties. Constantine tried to address some mistakes she had made in the original trilogy, namely in that women can also truly become har. Her writing had improved over time, and suddenly the Wreaththlu world felt much larger.
I didn't know how much Constantine had added to that universe in the subsequent years, published by her own publishing house. I bought Blood, the Phoenix, and a Rose on a whim, and because I loved the cover.
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Although Constantine could use a slightly better editor, her writing has improved significantly, and her characters feel truly androgynous (although I disagree she should have kept the 'he's). Nothing much a happens in this story, and yet I was very pulled in by it. Wreaththlu does feel like a fleshed out world, despite Constantine's aversion to main characters having actual jobs or very different personalities from each other (or maybe I didn't read that book). There is a sense of mystery and magic in this Universe I appreciate.
I will likely seek out other Wreaththlu books, as a pleasant diversions.
After reading this, I was sad to hear Storm Constantine passed away. Props to the witchy type of woman who does the damn thing. She will be missed.
I read the Wreaththlu Histories later, in my twenties. Constantine tried to address some mistakes she had made in the original trilogy, namely in that women can also truly become har. Her writing had improved over time, and suddenly the Wreaththlu world felt much larger.
I didn't know how much Constantine had added to that universe in the subsequent years, published by her own publishing house. I bought Blood, the Phoenix, and a Rose on a whim, and because I loved the cover.
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Although Constantine could use a slightly better editor, her writing has improved significantly, and her characters feel truly androgynous (although I disagree she should have kept the 'he's). Nothing much a happens in this story, and yet I was very pulled in by it. Wreaththlu does feel like a fleshed out world, despite Constantine's aversion to main characters having actual jobs or very different personalities from each other (or maybe I didn't read that book). There is a sense of mystery and magic in this Universe I appreciate.
I will likely seek out other Wreaththlu books, as a pleasant diversions.
After reading this, I was sad to hear Storm Constantine passed away. Props to the witchy type of woman who does the damn thing. She will be missed.
May 8, 2017
Blood, the Phoenix and a Rose: An Alchymical Triptych by Storm Constantine is, as the name suggests, a collection of three loosely interwoven stories that are set in her Wraeththu mythos. And yes, there is an alchemical theme. For those who're not in the know, this setting is one of her enduring (and endearing) worlds that offer us the tales of the Wraeththu – androgynous beings who are mankind's heirs after humanity is pretty much wiped out by its own efforts. In this setting, fantasy and science fiction blend to offer us an alternate future, where those who would name themselves hara have a second chance to do better.
"The Song of the Cannibals" begins at the mansion of Sallow Gandaloi, where the arrival of a stranger upsets the careful balance of the household. One of the hallmarks of Storm's writing is her love of architecture and how those who reside within the walls interact. This is a story about a har who hides a heart of darkness within, and those hara who do not tread carefully around he who is known as Gavensel.
"Half Sick of Shadows" continues with Gavensel's attempts to delve into his mysterious past, but this time it's told from his point of view as he strives to peel pack the shroud. He is mired in darkness, which is a danger to those who don't handle him with care.
"A Pyramid of Lions" provides us with a window into the world of Vashti, a har who grew up on the breeding farms of the infamous Varr tribe familiar to those who've read the primary books in the mythos. He is pragmatic in approach, and while at first it's not entirely clear how far his story tangles with Gavensel's, this will become clearer later.
I can't truly look at the stories as separate entities, and I'm going to be straight here – if you've not already read the other books in the series, it's probably best to wait with this one until you've done so, as there is a lot of backstory that is referenced that will make no sense to you otherwise.
To those, who like me are lore junkies, this triptych will fill in a lot of blanks, and especially offer insights into the world of the Varr tribe under the rule of Ponclast. The revelations are uncomfortable and deeply frightening as well, because they show how close the Wraeththu as a whole came to falling into darkness, stagnation and destruction as the human race.
"The Song of the Cannibals" begins at the mansion of Sallow Gandaloi, where the arrival of a stranger upsets the careful balance of the household. One of the hallmarks of Storm's writing is her love of architecture and how those who reside within the walls interact. This is a story about a har who hides a heart of darkness within, and those hara who do not tread carefully around he who is known as Gavensel.
"Half Sick of Shadows" continues with Gavensel's attempts to delve into his mysterious past, but this time it's told from his point of view as he strives to peel pack the shroud. He is mired in darkness, which is a danger to those who don't handle him with care.
"A Pyramid of Lions" provides us with a window into the world of Vashti, a har who grew up on the breeding farms of the infamous Varr tribe familiar to those who've read the primary books in the mythos. He is pragmatic in approach, and while at first it's not entirely clear how far his story tangles with Gavensel's, this will become clearer later.
I can't truly look at the stories as separate entities, and I'm going to be straight here – if you've not already read the other books in the series, it's probably best to wait with this one until you've done so, as there is a lot of backstory that is referenced that will make no sense to you otherwise.
To those, who like me are lore junkies, this triptych will fill in a lot of blanks, and especially offer insights into the world of the Varr tribe under the rule of Ponclast. The revelations are uncomfortable and deeply frightening as well, because they show how close the Wraeththu as a whole came to falling into darkness, stagnation and destruction as the human race.
November 19, 2018
Storm's Wraeththu stories mesmerize me. Her world is so raw, emotional, and different. I expect the best from all her novels and short stories in this series, and she never disappoints. This might have been my favorite one yet. I never saw it coming, that this one could add to the power and enchantment - it pulled me in so forcefully it literally made me tear up as I finished it on a plane full of people!
January 18, 2024
This is one of my favorite Wraeththu books--possibly my top fave.
Constantine did continuously grow as a writer over her entire career. I really pity anyone who dismissed Wraeththu based on some of the stumbles and excesses of her early writing style. The story world and its characters became deeper and richer continuously throughout her entire life.
This has to be the darkest of Constantine's Wraeththu books. It starts out dark and just gets darker and darker. We start on the periphery of past traumas, entering the story from the perspective of an outside observer, years later and thousands of miles away from where the original catastrophes took place. Next we assume the perspective of a survivor looking back on it all from years later, trying to piece together fractured memories and discover what happened to him.
But the final story... the final story puts us right there, deep in the heart of Fulminir and up close and personal with the source of all this pain, Ponclast.
As my handle makes obvious, this character is painfully important to me. Not because I think he's admirable, quite the opposite. I just think his character arc as it threads through the entire Wraeththu series is absolutely fascinating, beginning with the story Pro Lucror in Para Genesis. Sullen traumatized teenager Jarad becomes Ponclast, the most ouana of ouana hara, the cruelest of strongman dictators, who after his overthrow pivots hard into dark femininity, becoming the witch of the woods, the mother of a thousand young, the evil queen. Ultimately in Shaa Lemul he regresses back to his more fragile, youthful state and finds tenuous redemption in helping to save the world by awakening and freeing a slumbering giant.
But we aren't talking about all of that. We are talking about the masculine part of his arc. This is the only book where we get full access to that part of him, as his presence in Bewitchments is limited. It is fascinating. We see how his repressed pain is oozing out in his cruelty and pathological control of everyhar around him, the long past trauma of one individual poisoning the entire continent. Not even true love can survive in his sphere of influence, as we see in Vashti's heart-rending story of moral degradation and soul-destroying compromise.
Constantine did continuously grow as a writer over her entire career. I really pity anyone who dismissed Wraeththu based on some of the stumbles and excesses of her early writing style. The story world and its characters became deeper and richer continuously throughout her entire life.
This has to be the darkest of Constantine's Wraeththu books. It starts out dark and just gets darker and darker. We start on the periphery of past traumas, entering the story from the perspective of an outside observer, years later and thousands of miles away from where the original catastrophes took place. Next we assume the perspective of a survivor looking back on it all from years later, trying to piece together fractured memories and discover what happened to him.
But the final story... the final story puts us right there, deep in the heart of Fulminir and up close and personal with the source of all this pain, Ponclast.
As my handle makes obvious, this character is painfully important to me. Not because I think he's admirable, quite the opposite. I just think his character arc as it threads through the entire Wraeththu series is absolutely fascinating, beginning with the story Pro Lucror in Para Genesis. Sullen traumatized teenager Jarad becomes Ponclast, the most ouana of ouana hara, the cruelest of strongman dictators, who after his overthrow pivots hard into dark femininity, becoming the witch of the woods, the mother of a thousand young, the evil queen. Ultimately in Shaa Lemul he regresses back to his more fragile, youthful state and finds tenuous redemption in helping to save the world by awakening and freeing a slumbering giant.
But we aren't talking about all of that. We are talking about the masculine part of his arc. This is the only book where we get full access to that part of him, as his presence in Bewitchments is limited. It is fascinating. We see how his repressed pain is oozing out in his cruelty and pathological control of everyhar around him, the long past trauma of one individual poisoning the entire continent. Not even true love can survive in his sphere of influence, as we see in Vashti's heart-rending story of moral degradation and soul-destroying compromise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2018
Wow, that structure really packs a punch. Haunting, as always. But that's a given for Storm Constantine.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews