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Wraeththu #1
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit
In this powerful and elegant story set in a future Earth very different from our own, a new kind of human has evolved to challenge the dominion of Homo sapiens. This new breed is stronger, smarter, and far more beautiful than their parent race, and are endowed with psychic as well as physical gifts. They are destined to supplant humanity as we know it, but humanity won't die without a struggle.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
81 people are currently reading
2262 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 - 30 of 99 reviews
April 6, 2014
I waited for so long to receive my paperback copy with all three volumes. I was excited and expected to spend a pleasant time immersed in it during my spring break (yes, my spring break is so crazy and exciting this year). I had really high expectations, expecting to love this as I did The Merro Tree, another really old lgbt sci-fi that turned out to be such a great find. And I was very fascinated with the premise for this series, which essentially is about how the human population is dying off as a newly evolved hermaphrodite species called the Wraeththu take their place. The MC Pellaz is a farm boy who was easily seduced by a traveling Wraeththu named Cal into joining one of their tribes and fully becoming one of them. It's a strange mix of both fantasy and sci-fi.
It sounds so promising. But the execution and the characters left me cold, frustrated, and ultimately disappointed. To make life easier and release some of my frustrations, I'm going to list the problems I had. I also did kind of go off into mini-rants so I'll spoiler tag parts or else this review will look like an essay:
-From the start, I couldn't get fully into the story because of small inconsistencies and things that just didn't make sense . The dialogue was odd and sometimes bordered on the plain atrocious. Perhaps I am just still burnt out from my midterms week, but I had to reread several conversations and passages to make sense of what was being said. The dialogue did become a little smoother, but overall, I never became enamored with the dry and stilted writing.
-The Wraeththu. They look down on humans as they are supposed to be the evolved, more 'perfect' species. So far, they seem to just be ragtag tribes scattered in random places of the world, each tribe that Pellaz encounters being more sinister and flawed than the next. I'm going to try to hold off my impatience and hope that the big picture will be explored in the rest of the trilogy. As for plot? This was an extremely meandering story where not much really happened, or at least, nothing interesting did. No political intrigue, no building climactic action, no sense that the plot was moving forward to...something (I just have to trust that it is). Instead, the focus is on the personal angst (VERY boring angst) within the very open and ever changing relationships among the Wraeththu. They get together and hook up with each other freely, though the scenes are very brief and not descriptive. This wouldn't bother me except for.....
-...the characters. If I had been able to just like any one of them at all. The problem? Inconsistent characterization. I am not able to describe to you any of the personalities of any of the characters, because even after reading a whole book about them, I don't know what they're like.
-....Cal. Who effectively killed any leftover enjoyment of the book. And judging by other reviews, he has an even more prominent presence in the later books. So maybe I won't read on. So no. He seems to be the character just there to create drama and havoc, to drive the story along since there's no other action. He was just an unlikeable character that NEVER went away because the author is somehow so fond of him.
In the end, this was not what I was hoping for. It was one of the most disappointing reads after all my initial excitement. Writing this made me realize that reading on will likely just leave me in more frustration, so I'm going to hide my paperback at the back of my shelf and find something to lift my spirits.
It sounds so promising. But the execution and the characters left me cold, frustrated, and ultimately disappointed. To make life easier and release some of my frustrations, I'm going to list the problems I had. I also did kind of go off into mini-rants so I'll spoiler tag parts or else this review will look like an essay:
-From the start, I couldn't get fully into the story because of small inconsistencies and things that just didn't make sense . The dialogue was odd and sometimes bordered on the plain atrocious. Perhaps I am just still burnt out from my midterms week, but I had to reread several conversations and passages to make sense of what was being said. The dialogue did become a little smoother, but overall, I never became enamored with the dry and stilted writing.
-The Wraeththu. They look down on humans as they are supposed to be the evolved, more 'perfect' species. So far, they seem to just be ragtag tribes scattered in random places of the world, each tribe that Pellaz encounters being more sinister and flawed than the next. I'm going to try to hold off my impatience and hope that the big picture will be explored in the rest of the trilogy. As for plot? This was an extremely meandering story where not much really happened, or at least, nothing interesting did. No political intrigue, no building climactic action, no sense that the plot was moving forward to...something (I just have to trust that it is). Instead, the focus is on the personal angst (VERY boring angst) within the very open and ever changing relationships among the Wraeththu. They get together and hook up with each other freely, though the scenes are very brief and not descriptive. This wouldn't bother me except for.....
-...the characters. If I had been able to just like any one of them at all. The problem? Inconsistent characterization. I am not able to describe to you any of the personalities of any of the characters, because even after reading a whole book about them, I don't know what they're like.
-....Cal. Who effectively killed any leftover enjoyment of the book. And judging by other reviews, he has an even more prominent presence in the later books. So maybe I won't read on. So no. He seems to be the character just there to create drama and havoc, to drive the story along since there's no other action. He was just an unlikeable character that NEVER went away because the author is somehow so fond of him.
In the end, this was not what I was hoping for. It was one of the most disappointing reads after all my initial excitement. Writing this made me realize that reading on will likely just leave me in more frustration, so I'm going to hide my paperback at the back of my shelf and find something to lift my spirits.
April 24, 2012
Wraeththu are self-sufficient energy organisms. We never fall in love, because love does not exist for us in the same way as it does for lower life forms. In essence, we are love, expressions of the source of creation.
Thiede's speech, telling Pellaz what is a Wraeththu
What can I say? I just finish this book and I must write some words, convincing you to read it too?
No, better say, why you shouldn't read it.
It's not a romance
As you may see in the quotation I added, no, it's not a romance. Pellaz is the protagonist and his narration will be, all the time, from the point of view of someone deeply in love.
Yes, it's not a romance... but Pellaz is in love.
It's not a gay story because it's everything. I add it as trans* and maybe I prefer to consider it a trangender-transsexual because of Wraeththu nature. They are not female, they are not male, they are... both.
It's not a fantasy or a sci-fi it's both. You can consider it strict sci-fi, neither fantasy. It's in the future, where humans are almost a extinct specie, where a new race is taking our place on Earth. Creatures that share energy, magic creatures, strange creatures... the Wraeththu.
It's not a good book, it's much more. It's perfection. The writer created new words, she used it freely, combining English with it. "Anyhar" "somehar", in my ignorance I thought it's was a typo, "any har"... no, it's her creation, her world. You will rejoice, cry, despair, and most of all, you will be addicted to Pellaz voice. that's why I'm saying you should not read it... because you will not live if you start it . My days at work was thinking about him, my free hours were all to this book. I couldn't get my head out of it. The sweet and the dark Pellaz made me forget my days, and be him, live with him, suffer and love with him.
BTW I said it's a transgendler but as you can see I'm using the male pronoun because Pellaz question a lot if he is a male or a female creature, but he will see himself as a male Wraeththu.
Just two more comments
Some book can make me think as if it's a music. If this book was a song, it would be A kind of magic by Queen.
Pellaz and all of his kind is it... a kind of magic.
another and last comment: this series was original released in 1987. Recently, in 2007, the writer release a 3° edition, and that's the one I got. I strongly recommend it. I know we are in the era of ebooks and some readers (like myself) prefer to buy ebooks... well, this paperback edition is wonderful. From the preface, where the writer explain her reasons to this new revised edition, to the maps and the glossary, this book is a pleasure to read. Each chapter start with a nice drawn, there is a care with details and a lot of inedited scenes (the writer said it, I didn't read all editions).
So to end it (sorry, long review, I know but I'm VERY enthusiast about this book!) yeah... 5 stars. I wish I could give more... seriously... I wish I could give endless stars. Keep reading it, because now, I can't stop. I cry reading the end, and will not spoil saying for the happiness or sadness of it. Read to know... or better, avoid it, if you want to have a life and don't be, as me, completely in love with Pellaz... addicted to him, his life, his... magic.
Thiede's speech, telling Pellaz what is a Wraeththu
What can I say? I just finish this book and I must write some words, convincing you to read it too?
No, better say, why you shouldn't read it.
It's not a romance
As you may see in the quotation I added, no, it's not a romance. Pellaz is the protagonist and his narration will be, all the time, from the point of view of someone deeply in love.
Yes, it's not a romance... but Pellaz is in love.
It's not a gay story because it's everything. I add it as trans* and maybe I prefer to consider it a trangender-transsexual because of Wraeththu nature. They are not female, they are not male, they are... both.
It's not a fantasy or a sci-fi it's both. You can consider it strict sci-fi, neither fantasy. It's in the future, where humans are almost a extinct specie, where a new race is taking our place on Earth. Creatures that share energy, magic creatures, strange creatures... the Wraeththu.
It's not a good book, it's much more. It's perfection. The writer created new words, she used it freely, combining English with it. "Anyhar" "somehar", in my ignorance I thought it's was a typo, "any har"... no, it's her creation, her world. You will rejoice, cry, despair, and most of all, you will be addicted to Pellaz voice. that's why I'm saying you should not read it... because you will not live if you start it . My days at work was thinking about him, my free hours were all to this book. I couldn't get my head out of it. The sweet and the dark Pellaz made me forget my days, and be him, live with him, suffer and love with him.
BTW I said it's a transgendler but as you can see I'm using the male pronoun because Pellaz question a lot if he is a male or a female creature, but he will see himself as a male Wraeththu.
Just two more comments
Some book can make me think as if it's a music. If this book was a song, it would be A kind of magic by Queen.
"It’s a kind of magic
It’s a kind of magic
A kind of magic
One dream one soul, one prize
One goal, one golden glance of what should be
It’s a kind of magic
One flash of light that shows the way
No mortal man can win this day
It’s a kind of magic
The bell that rings inside your mind
Is challenging the doors of time
It's a kind of magic
The waiting seems eternity
The day will dawn on sanity
Is this a kind of magic?
It's a kind of magic
There can be only one
This race that lasts a thousand years
Will soon be done
This flame that burns inside of me
I’m hearing secret harmonies
It’s a kind of magic
The bell that rings inside your mind
Is challenging the doors of time
It’s a kind of magic
It’s a kind of magic
This race that lasts a thousand years
Will soon be, will soon be
Will soon be done
This is a kind of magic
It’s a kind of magic
There can be only one
This race that lasts a thousand years
Will soon be done - done
Magic – it’s a kind of magic
It’s a kind of magic
Magic, magic, magic, magic
It’s magic
It’s a kind of magic
Pellaz and all of his kind is it... a kind of magic.
another and last comment: this series was original released in 1987. Recently, in 2007, the writer release a 3° edition, and that's the one I got. I strongly recommend it. I know we are in the era of ebooks and some readers (like myself) prefer to buy ebooks... well, this paperback edition is wonderful. From the preface, where the writer explain her reasons to this new revised edition, to the maps and the glossary, this book is a pleasure to read. Each chapter start with a nice drawn, there is a care with details and a lot of inedited scenes (the writer said it, I didn't read all editions).
So to end it (sorry, long review, I know but I'm VERY enthusiast about this book!) yeah... 5 stars. I wish I could give more... seriously... I wish I could give endless stars. Keep reading it, because now, I can't stop. I cry reading the end, and will not spoil saying for the happiness or sadness of it. Read to know... or better, avoid it, if you want to have a life and don't be, as me, completely in love with Pellaz... addicted to him, his life, his... magic.
August 23, 2010
The author has created a world in this book that is beyond compare. I am impressed by her boldness in this piece especially for the time period in which it was written. The characters are amazingly vivid and although there are anatomy questions that are left unanswered, plot points were connected so that by the end of the book I felt sure of the reasoning and explanation of all the events. I am eager to continue this series!
March 18, 2012
Dark fantasy has a great deal in common with the original faerie tales. Not the iron-jawed heroes/cheerrful doormat heroines type cartoons as pushed by Disney, but the older, scarier stories told to children around the fire by the wise ones of the village, warning them of dangers in the forests and enchantments in the lakes and streams. Dark fantasy brings our deepest fears and our forbidden fantasies to life. Storm Constantine has been one of the authors at the forefront of dark fantasy and her series about the beautiful, androgynous Wraeththu stands as a classic of the genre.
Constantine, whether she knows it or not, is sort of a faerie goth mother to many of us old school goths were have a more literary bent than just dressing in black and pissing off our parents, LOL. Her stunning visual worlds and her words are dangerously hypnotic and once she sinks her ghostly fingers into your consciousness and even your subconscious, you will find it hard to tear yourself away. Yes, this series is that good.
This is my fifth journey to the rich and strange world of the Wraeththu and like an expert lover, its dark, seductive magic draws me back time and again. Cal and Pell--once you meet them, you will never forget them. The Wraeththu are beautiful and yet they frighten me with their beauty and their cruelty--even when being kind. I desire them and are repelled by them. In short, they're not just characters on a page, but actualized beings.
Constantine, whether she knows it or not, is sort of a faerie goth mother to many of us old school goths were have a more literary bent than just dressing in black and pissing off our parents, LOL. Her stunning visual worlds and her words are dangerously hypnotic and once she sinks her ghostly fingers into your consciousness and even your subconscious, you will find it hard to tear yourself away. Yes, this series is that good.
This is my fifth journey to the rich and strange world of the Wraeththu and like an expert lover, its dark, seductive magic draws me back time and again. Cal and Pell--once you meet them, you will never forget them. The Wraeththu are beautiful and yet they frighten me with their beauty and their cruelty--even when being kind. I desire them and are repelled by them. In short, they're not just characters on a page, but actualized beings.
March 8, 2017
5 STARS
Considering this was first written in 1980 and then expanded and re-edited in 1987, it's one excellent M/M, dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy novel aimed at the much darker side of those genres, I loved it and encourage fellow lovers of darker books to read this trilogy, I bought book 2&3 without a thought but I know outside of Australia you can get all three novels as a single volume.
Yes there is mpeg BUT for once it is NOTHING like you'd expect at all.
It's M/M status for a book written WAY before its time in this genre is very impressive and very different from anything I've read before. I wouldn't place it as dark as the ICoS, Fallocaust or Strain series as yet but I can see the potential is there yet I doubt it will go that way. Still, it's a very interesting read for the lovers of the darker side of M/M dystopian Sci-Fi.
Considering this was first written in 1980 and then expanded and re-edited in 1987, it's one excellent M/M, dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy novel aimed at the much darker side of those genres, I loved it and encourage fellow lovers of darker books to read this trilogy, I bought book 2&3 without a thought but I know outside of Australia you can get all three novels as a single volume.
Yes there is mpeg BUT for once it is NOTHING like you'd expect at all.
It's M/M status for a book written WAY before its time in this genre is very impressive and very different from anything I've read before. I wouldn't place it as dark as the ICoS, Fallocaust or Strain series as yet but I can see the potential is there yet I doubt it will go that way. Still, it's a very interesting read for the lovers of the darker side of M/M dystopian Sci-Fi.
July 27, 2011
I would like to start with the final lines of my A Writer's Gotta Read review from the first time I read this, over two years ago:
"The novel is interesting, if nothing else. I’m glad I read it. But I’ll never read it again."
Apparently, I was full of shit. 'Cause now I've read it again, and didn't even remember those lines until I decided to reread that review before coming here.
And I'm glad I reread it. Very, very glad. Being prepared for the things that frustrated me so much last time, I was able to see them more clearly. Last time, I didn't really know I loved Pell until I found out he wasn't the narrator of the second book. This time, I did. I felt like I got him this time. And everyone else in the book, too.
Loved everyone I loved last time, only more. Except for maybe Vaysh, but that's good; I don't think I could have beared loving Vaysh more. I do believe it was the mystery last time, and seeing him change without knowing how he was going to change. Knowing, this time, made it not quite as magical, but that can't be helped. I still love him as much as I did.
Cal's still my favorite, though. I'm still not sure how I'm going to take the third book, where he's the narrator. {crosses fingers and moves on to second book}
Now, there were still some small, niggly things that weren't quite..."amazing." But here's the deal; I can't think of what they were---only that I had the thought. So, really, we're thinking of this as 4.5 stars. Or, maybe, like 4.7. But the five stars isn't just rounding up; it's taking into effect that I can't remember what those things were.
(And no, I didn't read this book in a day. I started it before Stephanie came over with Crescendo, and then read that because I had to see the comments, then finished this today. And this book may have saved my life, since I was able to escape right back into this beautiful writing after Nora's hot mess.)
"The novel is interesting, if nothing else. I’m glad I read it. But I’ll never read it again."
Apparently, I was full of shit. 'Cause now I've read it again, and didn't even remember those lines until I decided to reread that review before coming here.
And I'm glad I reread it. Very, very glad. Being prepared for the things that frustrated me so much last time, I was able to see them more clearly. Last time, I didn't really know I loved Pell until I found out he wasn't the narrator of the second book. This time, I did. I felt like I got him this time. And everyone else in the book, too.
Loved everyone I loved last time, only more. Except for maybe Vaysh, but that's good; I don't think I could have beared loving Vaysh more. I do believe it was the mystery last time, and seeing him change without knowing how he was going to change. Knowing, this time, made it not quite as magical, but that can't be helped. I still love him as much as I did.
Cal's still my favorite, though. I'm still not sure how I'm going to take the third book, where he's the narrator. {crosses fingers and moves on to second book}
Now, there were still some small, niggly things that weren't quite..."amazing." But here's the deal; I can't think of what they were---only that I had the thought. So, really, we're thinking of this as 4.5 stars. Or, maybe, like 4.7. But the five stars isn't just rounding up; it's taking into effect that I can't remember what those things were.
(And no, I didn't read this book in a day. I started it before Stephanie came over with Crescendo, and then read that because I had to see the comments, then finished this today. And this book may have saved my life, since I was able to escape right back into this beautiful writing after Nora's hot mess.)
July 13, 2016
I don't normally read books out of a series... I literally stay away from them because I must have a fear of commitment. However, this book has long intrigued me and sat on my shelf for a long period of time. I couldn't find it at the library or any book stores, I eventually found it through Thriftbooks. SCORE! Why isn't this book more well known? Shame on you people! lol
I have completely savored this intricate plot, enjoyed the rich deep language, awestruck at the vivid imagery, loved the memorable characters.
I read this a little slower then my norm, because I just loved it that much! I didn't want it to end.
I also need to say, although this is labeled as gay romance, I think that is way to broad of a statement for this novel.
The species are actually hermaphrodites, so firstly- gender queer would be a better label. BUT, I feel even this label may hinder more people from reading it, a cis male reaching for a gender queer romance novel? Probably wont happen thanks to this ill labeling system. That is SAD! Labels take away something special from this book.
This is magic surrealism, fantasy, dystopian AND IT IS FILLED TO THE BRIM with beauty.
I really do not like labels as you can see. There were no uncomfortable romance scenes, the species has a different way of sharing romance with one another, it is a sharing of breath/essence, it is profoundly beautiful. I don't enjoy reading blatant sexual scenes of any gender, I usually skim them and squirm through it. But None of that was needed here, I acutually enjoyed it, because it was unique, tender and different.
I never thought that so much could be included into this reading adventure. Yu have a new species of human, a new world that they are conquering, and there is also a new language. The language
takes a while for you to learn. I never liked learning a new language in order to enjoy a book, but this was easy, especially since there is a glossary in the back. BE PATIENT, IT IS WORTH IT!
I need more from this Author's world. I do not feel satisfied with this as a standalone, and it is hard to jump into another novel without longing for a continuation of this series.
Hook, line and sinker, you got me! I am officially a Storm Constantine fan. :)
I have completely savored this intricate plot, enjoyed the rich deep language, awestruck at the vivid imagery, loved the memorable characters.
I read this a little slower then my norm, because I just loved it that much! I didn't want it to end.
I also need to say, although this is labeled as gay romance, I think that is way to broad of a statement for this novel.
The species are actually hermaphrodites, so firstly- gender queer would be a better label. BUT, I feel even this label may hinder more people from reading it, a cis male reaching for a gender queer romance novel? Probably wont happen thanks to this ill labeling system. That is SAD! Labels take away something special from this book.
This is magic surrealism, fantasy, dystopian AND IT IS FILLED TO THE BRIM with beauty.
I really do not like labels as you can see. There were no uncomfortable romance scenes, the species has a different way of sharing romance with one another, it is a sharing of breath/essence, it is profoundly beautiful. I don't enjoy reading blatant sexual scenes of any gender, I usually skim them and squirm through it. But None of that was needed here, I acutually enjoyed it, because it was unique, tender and different.
I never thought that so much could be included into this reading adventure. Yu have a new species of human, a new world that they are conquering, and there is also a new language. The language
takes a while for you to learn. I never liked learning a new language in order to enjoy a book, but this was easy, especially since there is a glossary in the back. BE PATIENT, IT IS WORTH IT!
I need more from this Author's world. I do not feel satisfied with this as a standalone, and it is hard to jump into another novel without longing for a continuation of this series.
Hook, line and sinker, you got me! I am officially a Storm Constantine fan. :)
May 22, 2017
Rating: 3* of five
Wraeththu burst onto the barren LGBT science fiction scene in the late 1980s with a blaze of attention. It was unique! Hermaphroditic men who fucked each other and made babies (somehow, I never really got with that part of the program)! They look like human men because they were human men until It Happened.
This book was the introduction of It Happening. In hindsight, it feels more like vampire fiction than gay men's fiction, but then I ate. it. up.
Wraeththu burst onto the barren LGBT science fiction scene in the late 1980s with a blaze of attention. It was unique! Hermaphroditic men who fucked each other and made babies (somehow, I never really got with that part of the program)! They look like human men because they were human men until It Happened.
This book was the introduction of It Happening. In hindsight, it feels more like vampire fiction than gay men's fiction, but then I ate. it. up.
November 8, 2014
I REALLY wanted to like this book. The premise is awesome. The world is awesome. The characters have the potential to be awesome. Unfortunately for me, the writing is so horrendously poor that I can't give it more than two stars. I wish I could love it more, and I really did try.
April 14, 2019
This book is a really 'enchanting' and absorbing story. There is religious mysticism, and it challenges stereotypical views of it. I've not read a book like this, having few references to compare with the themes and world, but some parts of TEOFAS really reached out to me.
There is a lot of anticipation and tension leading up to the ceremony and initiation into the beyond-human Wraeththu cult. It's written from the point of view of the main character Pellaz reflecting on his journey getting acquainted with the Wraeththu and his ascent through the magical caste system. Pellaz feels like the perfect character to familiarise us with the Wraeththu with his inquisitive nature and his penchant for being spoilt with luxury, which allows the reader a sense of cultural discovery.
The unusual circumstances are exactly what pull you into Pellaz's thoughts and the Wraeththu. The Wraeththu and the difference they embody, physically and psychologically, are very much the main focus of the story compared to the more violent groups of humans who are retreating from the new countries and lack the unity. Human desires appear base and almost immature next to the advanced system of the Wraeththu and I suspect this is exactly how author Storm Constantine wanted these desires to appear. The momentum is very much with the Wraeththu, who are both secretive and mysterious, and possess differentiation.
Yet despite this, there is the ever-present concern they have that they’re not much better than humans and are susceptible to the same hurtful feelings of love and vengeance that we are … it’s worth reading to see what I mean. There is a lot of thought and background put into TEOFAS and it made reading feel like a rich three-dimensional exotic adventure. There is so much depth to the world that it would be worth reading more by Storm Constantine.
*Oh, and the interior of the book layout was beautiful, with illustrations, so I recommend you at least purchase the paperback.
There is a lot of anticipation and tension leading up to the ceremony and initiation into the beyond-human Wraeththu cult. It's written from the point of view of the main character Pellaz reflecting on his journey getting acquainted with the Wraeththu and his ascent through the magical caste system. Pellaz feels like the perfect character to familiarise us with the Wraeththu with his inquisitive nature and his penchant for being spoilt with luxury, which allows the reader a sense of cultural discovery.
The unusual circumstances are exactly what pull you into Pellaz's thoughts and the Wraeththu. The Wraeththu and the difference they embody, physically and psychologically, are very much the main focus of the story compared to the more violent groups of humans who are retreating from the new countries and lack the unity. Human desires appear base and almost immature next to the advanced system of the Wraeththu and I suspect this is exactly how author Storm Constantine wanted these desires to appear. The momentum is very much with the Wraeththu, who are both secretive and mysterious, and possess differentiation.
Yet despite this, there is the ever-present concern they have that they’re not much better than humans and are susceptible to the same hurtful feelings of love and vengeance that we are … it’s worth reading to see what I mean. There is a lot of thought and background put into TEOFAS and it made reading feel like a rich three-dimensional exotic adventure. There is so much depth to the world that it would be worth reading more by Storm Constantine.
*Oh, and the interior of the book layout was beautiful, with illustrations, so I recommend you at least purchase the paperback.
January 21, 2021
Over-sexed pretty-boy Goths inherit the Earth... and, yes, their collective hair was perfect.
Or that's what I'd say if I was being facetious about TEoFaS, but I'm not, because it doesn't deserve it.
Constantine has put a lot of thought into her Wraeththu (though, it has to be said, her love for 80s fashions is blaring), their exotic otherworldliness, their fractured society, their essentially hermaphrodite psychology and physicality, but especially their sexuality. She also knows how to keep a reader's interest, drip-feeding facts about her post-apocalyptic world, its inheritors and their emerging powers, never fully explaining what has happened to not-so-good Humanity, or what the full capabilities of the Wraeththu might be (magic, usually based around their multifarious sexual acts, abounds, allowing -amongst other things- shapeshifting, teleportation, and thought transfer). Admittedly, the latter half of the book does become a tad Who's Shagging Who, a little teen-angsty, but there remain enough hints at future possibilities by the end to keep the interest and virtually compel further reading of the Wraeththu.
Or that's what I'd say if I was being facetious about TEoFaS, but I'm not, because it doesn't deserve it.
Constantine has put a lot of thought into her Wraeththu (though, it has to be said, her love for 80s fashions is blaring), their exotic otherworldliness, their fractured society, their essentially hermaphrodite psychology and physicality, but especially their sexuality. She also knows how to keep a reader's interest, drip-feeding facts about her post-apocalyptic world, its inheritors and their emerging powers, never fully explaining what has happened to not-so-good Humanity, or what the full capabilities of the Wraeththu might be (magic, usually based around their multifarious sexual acts, abounds, allowing -amongst other things- shapeshifting, teleportation, and thought transfer). Admittedly, the latter half of the book does become a tad Who's Shagging Who, a little teen-angsty, but there remain enough hints at future possibilities by the end to keep the interest and virtually compel further reading of the Wraeththu.
January 27, 2021
I find it hard to judge this book. Its quite an extraordinary story which came across more as an intimate story than sensual (which is what I expected)
April 16, 2020
oh my Lord it's a terrible book.
January 17, 2008
Pellaz, a young peasant farmer boy, runs away with a har ("har" is to "Wraeththu" as "person" is to "human"), is transformed into a Wraeththu, travels around meeting various Wraeththu tribes, is killed by humans and resurrected by a powerful har, & then becomes a King of the Wraeththu as part of a plot to unite all Wraeththu. The book ends right soon after he becomes King, after an unsurprising revelation about his patron.
If it seems like nothing much happens for a full novel, you'd be right. It's more about showing off as much of possible about the Wraeththu & the world they have made for themselves. It reads less like a story & more like the digested journal of a teenaged supernatural being.
Is it any good? I found myself blowing through the novel very rapidly. Part of this is because the novel is short, but part is because Storm has a very good sense of pacing.
I liked it. There's a sort of teenage pretentiousness to it that some might find off-putting, but it reminded me somewhat of Michael Moorcock.
So, then, what are the Wraeththu? The Wraeththu started with a mutant human, someone who was born as something else. Abandoned, while living on the streets an insane bum tried to sate his hunger by drinking the mutant's blood. After 3 painful days, the bum was infected by the nature of the mutant, becoming another mutant: The 2nd-ever Wraeththu.
After that, many teenaged boys were chosen to become Wraeththu. Humanity ignored them until it was too late: By the time Pell becomes a Wraeththu, humanity is dying out.
Tho the majority of the current Wraeththu were derived from men who were "incepted", Wraeththu are capable of sexual reproduction & having children. In a lot of ways, creating Wraeththu from men is just step towards creating enough of them that they can have kids.
It's a lot like reading about a White Wolf RPG: There are splats (Wraeththu tribes) and there's a whole new vocabulary of words (aruna = sex, har = a Wraeththu, etc.) & each Wraeththu is a member of a caste, which, like a real caste, defines a role in Wraeththu society, but unlike a Hindu caste is a sort of level that one can advance to, like a strange White Wolf gamer take on Freemasonry.
Har are very mystically powerful, having direct, creative connection to psychic powers which were latent but abandoned in mankind.
Now, the strange bit: Har have only 1 gender. Each har has an unusual penis which looks kinda like an orchid. It can operate like a normal penis, in a sort of male mode, or it can open up like a flower to operate in a sort of female mode. During aruna (i.e. sex), a given Wraeththu can be either male-like or female-like in operation.
The har are all universally beautiful and androgynous, with an aesthetic that's heavy on kohl & glitter.
In essence, the Wraeththu are a SF metaphor for 1980s glitterboi male homosexuals, a literal "3rd sex". They're more creative than normal humans, more mystical, and their form of sex generally doesn't create children. The Wraeththu are kinda like a yaoi fangirl's view of 1980s glam sexuality writ large.
Hell, there is a female character, Kate, who is, in essence, a Wraeththu fag hag. She hangs out with har, wishes she was har & curses she was born a girl so she can't be har, & tries to set up her favorite hara with other hara.
So, if the strange biology bugs you, don't bother reading the book. It didn't bother me because it doesn't focus on sex. The flower-penis is described once, & all sex scenes are in vague terms as to how wonderful and mystical "aruna" is...
As a thought experiment & as an alternate concept of how a species could repoduce sexually, I find the Wraeththu very interesting. Also, as a child of the 80s, I find the whole sensual glitterboi aesthetic very enjoyable, especially as it's combined with a proper amount of decaying decadence and a feeling of youth: The Wraeththu are, as a whole, a young race. It is a fun read if you can dig the vibe.
If it seems like nothing much happens for a full novel, you'd be right. It's more about showing off as much of possible about the Wraeththu & the world they have made for themselves. It reads less like a story & more like the digested journal of a teenaged supernatural being.
Is it any good? I found myself blowing through the novel very rapidly. Part of this is because the novel is short, but part is because Storm has a very good sense of pacing.
I liked it. There's a sort of teenage pretentiousness to it that some might find off-putting, but it reminded me somewhat of Michael Moorcock.
So, then, what are the Wraeththu? The Wraeththu started with a mutant human, someone who was born as something else. Abandoned, while living on the streets an insane bum tried to sate his hunger by drinking the mutant's blood. After 3 painful days, the bum was infected by the nature of the mutant, becoming another mutant: The 2nd-ever Wraeththu.
After that, many teenaged boys were chosen to become Wraeththu. Humanity ignored them until it was too late: By the time Pell becomes a Wraeththu, humanity is dying out.
Tho the majority of the current Wraeththu were derived from men who were "incepted", Wraeththu are capable of sexual reproduction & having children. In a lot of ways, creating Wraeththu from men is just step towards creating enough of them that they can have kids.
It's a lot like reading about a White Wolf RPG: There are splats (Wraeththu tribes) and there's a whole new vocabulary of words (aruna = sex, har = a Wraeththu, etc.) & each Wraeththu is a member of a caste, which, like a real caste, defines a role in Wraeththu society, but unlike a Hindu caste is a sort of level that one can advance to, like a strange White Wolf gamer take on Freemasonry.
Har are very mystically powerful, having direct, creative connection to psychic powers which were latent but abandoned in mankind.
Now, the strange bit: Har have only 1 gender. Each har has an unusual penis which looks kinda like an orchid. It can operate like a normal penis, in a sort of male mode, or it can open up like a flower to operate in a sort of female mode. During aruna (i.e. sex), a given Wraeththu can be either male-like or female-like in operation.
The har are all universally beautiful and androgynous, with an aesthetic that's heavy on kohl & glitter.
In essence, the Wraeththu are a SF metaphor for 1980s glitterboi male homosexuals, a literal "3rd sex". They're more creative than normal humans, more mystical, and their form of sex generally doesn't create children. The Wraeththu are kinda like a yaoi fangirl's view of 1980s glam sexuality writ large.
Hell, there is a female character, Kate, who is, in essence, a Wraeththu fag hag. She hangs out with har, wishes she was har & curses she was born a girl so she can't be har, & tries to set up her favorite hara with other hara.
So, if the strange biology bugs you, don't bother reading the book. It didn't bother me because it doesn't focus on sex. The flower-penis is described once, & all sex scenes are in vague terms as to how wonderful and mystical "aruna" is...
As a thought experiment & as an alternate concept of how a species could repoduce sexually, I find the Wraeththu very interesting. Also, as a child of the 80s, I find the whole sensual glitterboi aesthetic very enjoyable, especially as it's combined with a proper amount of decaying decadence and a feeling of youth: The Wraeththu are, as a whole, a young race. It is a fun read if you can dig the vibe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2019
I tried, I really did.
I actually first heard about this book when I came across a thread on the RPG.Net forums bashing the (admittedly horrible) tabletop RPG adaptation of this book, "Wraeththu: From Enchantment to Fulfillment." Naturally, me being big on train-wreck curiosity, I decided I should read the original source material. After waffling with myself over whether to inter-library loan it or not (our local library doesn't carry it), I finally stumbled across a copy in a used bookstore. And all I can say is... it's not worth it. It might be a step up from the game, but it's just so BORING and full of cringe I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
(I fully believe that the review of someone who didn't finish a work can be just as valid as the review of someone who DID finish it, provided they only cover the material they actually completed. Sometimes knowing why someone couldn't bring themselves to finish a work can be valuable, after all.)
First off, the writing is rather bland and boring. There's little worldbuilding, and I got almost no sense of place as I read. There's little attempt to establish exactly what a Wraeththu is, though the vague descriptions we get place them somewhere between vampires and the Fae. Descriptive words are thrown about with wild abandon and used in laughable ways (a character's face is described as "satanic" at one point), and the only real character traits for any of the characters are "pretty" and "whiny," which gets old FAST.
Also, I've heard from other sources that this book was revolutionary in the LGBTQ fantasy/sci-fi community... which might have been true in the '80s when this book was first published. Now it comes across as more cringe-worthy than anything. Storm Constantine treats homosexual characters as fetish objects instead of actual characters, which isn't much better than writers who villianize LGBTQ characters in my opinion. Also, constantly describing the gay and hermaphroditic characters as effeminate and/or androgynous isn't doing them any favors...
If anything, "The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit" is a testament to how far LGBTQ fiction has come over the years. If you want a good fantasy or sci-fi novel featuring LGBTQ characters, I highly recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree or This Is How You Lose the Time War instead.
I actually first heard about this book when I came across a thread on the RPG.Net forums bashing the (admittedly horrible) tabletop RPG adaptation of this book, "Wraeththu: From Enchantment to Fulfillment." Naturally, me being big on train-wreck curiosity, I decided I should read the original source material. After waffling with myself over whether to inter-library loan it or not (our local library doesn't carry it), I finally stumbled across a copy in a used bookstore. And all I can say is... it's not worth it. It might be a step up from the game, but it's just so BORING and full of cringe I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
(I fully believe that the review of someone who didn't finish a work can be just as valid as the review of someone who DID finish it, provided they only cover the material they actually completed. Sometimes knowing why someone couldn't bring themselves to finish a work can be valuable, after all.)
First off, the writing is rather bland and boring. There's little worldbuilding, and I got almost no sense of place as I read. There's little attempt to establish exactly what a Wraeththu is, though the vague descriptions we get place them somewhere between vampires and the Fae. Descriptive words are thrown about with wild abandon and used in laughable ways (a character's face is described as "satanic" at one point), and the only real character traits for any of the characters are "pretty" and "whiny," which gets old FAST.
Also, I've heard from other sources that this book was revolutionary in the LGBTQ fantasy/sci-fi community... which might have been true in the '80s when this book was first published. Now it comes across as more cringe-worthy than anything. Storm Constantine treats homosexual characters as fetish objects instead of actual characters, which isn't much better than writers who villianize LGBTQ characters in my opinion. Also, constantly describing the gay and hermaphroditic characters as effeminate and/or androgynous isn't doing them any favors...
If anything, "The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit" is a testament to how far LGBTQ fiction has come over the years. If you want a good fantasy or sci-fi novel featuring LGBTQ characters, I highly recommend The Priory of the Orange Tree or This Is How You Lose the Time War instead.
December 28, 2018
I just finished reading this book and all I can say is WOW. I had been facing a conundrum of "which book should I read on the plane?" and my friend picked out this book from my shelf. I had picked it up some time ago, but hadn't yet taken the time to read it. I had been missing out on an amazing story!
As I read it, I figured that this book must've been written rather recently. This assumption came largely from the depictions of gender and sexual fluidity; this was new to me in a book, and thus I believed that it had been written in the past five years or so. Totally wrong! This book was first released in 1987! An amazing find, and an absolute must-read.
The world is immersive and beautiful, and the characters are vivid and varied amongst one another. Just enough detail is left to the reader's imagination to make this story as much yours as it is anyone else's.
The Wraeththu are a new species, recently birthed by nature as a "replacement" for mankind. With this new species comes new abilities, a new physical form, and a new sixth sense previously untapped by man.
As I read it, I figured that this book must've been written rather recently. This assumption came largely from the depictions of gender and sexual fluidity; this was new to me in a book, and thus I believed that it had been written in the past five years or so. Totally wrong! This book was first released in 1987! An amazing find, and an absolute must-read.
The world is immersive and beautiful, and the characters are vivid and varied amongst one another. Just enough detail is left to the reader's imagination to make this story as much yours as it is anyone else's.
The Wraeththu are a new species, recently birthed by nature as a "replacement" for mankind. With this new species comes new abilities, a new physical form, and a new sixth sense previously untapped by man.
December 8, 2020
I came so close to DNFing this so many times. I’m still not even sure why I didn’t. There are so many things I disliked about this book, from the way it talked about these sort-of mage vampires who actually weren’t either, to the all sorts of nothing that happens.
Pell is supposed to be this exceptional Wraeththu (attractive human boy who is turned into a supernatural, supposedly androgynous being through fasting, a blood ritual/transfusion and public sex). He learns made up words fast which means he can be promoted but also that promotion doesn’t really do anything so he’s still pretty useless. It seems most of whatever he learns he doesn’t actually use or it really serves no purpose.
There’s lots of gay sex magic but most of that is ridiculous. And also all the “we’re the softest parts of man, the hardest parts of woman” Bs. Gender means nothing, but then it also does apparently. He seems to be contradicting himself a lot. And two men make baby pearls.
So I guess there are trigger warnings for this book such as paedophilia (a guy comes along looking for pretty young boys to turn and then have sex with when they’re probably not even legal), rape, child murder, torture, etc etc.
In case you didn’t guess, I will not be reading any more from this series.
Pell is supposed to be this exceptional Wraeththu (attractive human boy who is turned into a supernatural, supposedly androgynous being through fasting, a blood ritual/transfusion and public sex). He learns made up words fast which means he can be promoted but also that promotion doesn’t really do anything so he’s still pretty useless. It seems most of whatever he learns he doesn’t actually use or it really serves no purpose.
There’s lots of gay sex magic but most of that is ridiculous. And also all the “we’re the softest parts of man, the hardest parts of woman” Bs. Gender means nothing, but then it also does apparently. He seems to be contradicting himself a lot. And two men make baby pearls.
So I guess there are trigger warnings for this book such as paedophilia (a guy comes along looking for pretty young boys to turn and then have sex with when they’re probably not even legal), rape, child murder, torture, etc etc.
In case you didn’t guess, I will not be reading any more from this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2017
The sad part with the Wraethuthu series is that I would have loved this back in the early 90's where I was going through this emo-goth period in my life and just about anything transgressive and nonsensical would have some sense of meaning in my already depressing world. Reading this as an adult, I can't believe this is what makes for literary high fantasy where Storm Constantine is trying too hard to build a post-apocalyptic world of magic, mysticism, and un-PC gender bending LGBT characters. This book is such a hot mess that I can't believe I got almost halfway through without chucking it in the trash after the first chapter. Well, it certainly killed some time on my long 15 hour flight. It's so bad that I couldn't finish it and I've left this true gem of trash literature in the hotel library where I'm sure some unsuspecting guest is going to discover it and form a cult from it like Scientology. As for me, give me a good ol' Jackie Collins novel any day. At least that is trash that is worth reading.
January 14, 2013
What an amazing book. I've never read anything more beautifully written. The entire book reads and flows together like an elegant poem. The amount of thought and heart that went into creating this story is not lost on me. I love the overall statement that she makes about the human race and how beautifully she has pieced together this "evolved" race of beings. The characters are intriguing and the plot never let's up. She has a real talent for easily introducing strange new ideas and plot twists and making them believable and accepted by the reader. I hope that non m/m fans are able to see past those subtle aspects of the plot and see its importance to the overall plot line and the message she is trying to get across. Her writing has a very hypnotic quality and it all comes together in a powerful, enchanting, and incredibly emotional tale. This will remain in my top 3 for a long time and be reread over and over again, I'm sure.
January 15, 2014
This was different than most fantasies I've read. The author sucked me into the story much like Elizabeth Chadwick. The use of sexual connotations without actually using them was ingenious (as were the terms). The characters were better than most I've seen in a lengthy jog such as this one. It wasn't disgusting or even really weird. She removed me so far from reality that I was able to embrace her universe and leave mine for a little while. On the other hand, the plot plods along. It's very much a Dark Tower-esque book, a journey to destiny. Action-seekers may not like the book. I tend to fall in love with characters and Pell was fairly likable. The very end was a little abrupt, but I think I've been spoiled by the "oh here is the end, all tied up neatly". It was a big fantasy story with one hell of a journey to the top. The outcome was mostly unexpected. I suggest you give it a try and open your mind to new possibilities.
June 5, 2024
2020 - I really wanted to like this - the premise was great - but sadly the writing is atrocious. I know it's her first novel so maybe they improve but it reads like bad fan fic.
2024 - Ok. Attempted this again with a physical copy of the book and decidedly ludicrous concept aside, it's quite fun. Once I got into the novel the writing is fine so I'm not sure why I labelled it as 'atrocious' previously.
When reading this, I imagined Storm as writing these as a homage to bands like Fields of the Nephilim - and low and behold she was friends with Carl McCoy apparently providing artwork for several Nephilim albums, whilst his graphics company 'Sheerfaith' designed the cover for her novel Hermetech.
Now I'm off to play Dawnrazor and fire up my crimping irons.
2024 - Ok. Attempted this again with a physical copy of the book and decidedly ludicrous concept aside, it's quite fun. Once I got into the novel the writing is fine so I'm not sure why I labelled it as 'atrocious' previously.
When reading this, I imagined Storm as writing these as a homage to bands like Fields of the Nephilim - and low and behold she was friends with Carl McCoy apparently providing artwork for several Nephilim albums, whilst his graphics company 'Sheerfaith' designed the cover for her novel Hermetech.
Now I'm off to play Dawnrazor and fire up my crimping irons.
April 13, 2008
I was SO disappointed with this book. I guess I was expecting too much from Constantine, or expecting way too much from the human race even in it's future mutation. Although the new race is all male, but with a strangely evolved womb than can conceive and give birth, there is still some kind of heterosexist treatment of individuals- a dichotomy of role and position that is a major sexist issue among humans now.
But even aside from that- the horrible black magic sacrifice scene was boring and not scary at all. And that is just one example among many in which there is nothing exciting or original about Wraethu.
But even aside from that- the horrible black magic sacrifice scene was boring and not scary at all. And that is just one example among many in which there is nothing exciting or original about Wraethu.
January 1, 2016
I'm reading this book again. It's just so enjoyable. I love the way her characters develop. Metamorphosis, after all, is a theme of the book. A race of people metamorphoses from the ashes of men who must adapt to being both male and female with mystical powers. So, through the eyes of her characters you get to see this process. You get to see how a race matures and evolves and becomes better.
2015
So I read this one again. It's my favourite in the series. Cal is a bad boy(?) done right. I felt sympathy for him. I loved watching his character grow and develop, loved watching him claim his power. You just have to read this entire series, but this one, omg this one!
2015
So I read this one again. It's my favourite in the series. Cal is a bad boy(?) done right. I felt sympathy for him. I loved watching his character grow and develop, loved watching him claim his power. You just have to read this entire series, but this one, omg this one!
January 1, 2015
I don't even know where to start, except to say Thiede is the Wraeththu I thought he was! BAM!!! I'd like to kick Pell in the ass and tell him to grow a pair. Vaysh, needs to stop whining, and I hope Rue lets Pell have it.
Anyway I saw many similarities between the world Eresse created and what Storm Has written! In love with both authors...
Anyway I saw many similarities between the world Eresse created and what Storm Has written! In love with both authors...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2011
Gender-bending silliness. A complete mess.
January 30, 2017
(This review consists of my raw thoughts right after finishing this book within three days. Really finished reading just a moment ago. I might edit it later to be more coherent, or to fix up errors. Excuse my poor choice of formulation sometimes, English is my third language.
Please be aware that the review might contain spoilers in the later parts where I talk about the events of the book. It is also EXTENSIVELY LONG and I have not betaread it yet because of this sole reason, so if you find some bullshit words and typos, try to uhh... ignore it, I shall re-read and edit this later.)
I feel kind of bad for giving this book a three, because I know I gave the same rating to Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, and BOY was that one a shit book. But unfortunately I can not give half-stars, thus I can not raise the rating to 3.5/5 (which is what I would realistically give, 3.5), and it does not sit right with me to raise it up to four. Now that I think about it, I'm gonna go edit that and give City of Bones a two. Why did I ever give it a 3 in the first place?!
Why that is, you need to understand a thing.
There are two facts relating to this book for me.
-I enjoyed it greatly. Really fucking much. I loved it. More, please, this instant.
-Still, under no circumstances am I under the illusion that this was a great book, only because I really loved it. It was not a shit book. It was good. But it wasn't the best of books.
This book has a whole plethora of problems I could not overlook even through my great enjoyment of it. In a way, the story's really fucking trashy. It reads a little bit like a really good, trashy guilty pleasure fanfiction. It is shrouded within eloquent and at times mildly pretentious flowery language, yet messes up frequently on the front of consistency of world-building, believability of characters and events, and the flow of the story.
It is a book from a series that was written for me. It has been gift wrapped for me, it has everything I would have ever wanted from the premise of the book (hermaphrodite species consisting of androgynous-looking handsome men that never age and solve all of their problems with sex (and violence but mostly sex)? Sign me the fU CK U P ...!!! ... You know. That kinda thing. I can not believe it took me 23 years of my life to start reading this thing. (I only found out about it about a year ago.)
If you tried to explain this premise to a "normie" person, they would either stare at you in horror and disgust or stop listening to you after the mention of the word "hermaphrodite". Likely the latter, among the people I know.
With greater execution, this book could have been top of the game. This way... It is what it is, something great that is also trashy and a little bit of a guilty pleasure, and reads like a crazy internet fanfiction.
A friend of mine introduced me to the series (she has written I think two? short stories for the series, both of which I have read a while ago without having read the actual initial books, and I have greatly enjoyed them). She tells me some of the inconsistencies I had problems with get resolved later on, some in more insane ways than others (...lol). No problem, gonna look forward to it. For now, I judge the book as it is, a piece of work standing on its own, as it once, a long time ago, surely was.
First, a thing I see many people having problems with, that I actually do NOT have a problem with:
The books's lack of female characters and it's apparent "woman-hating" premise, as many put it.
...I am probably a woman-hater, then, as in my opinion the book could have done with even fewer female characters, haha. And by that I mean, oh god, do I hate Kate for no apparent reason. I just, uh. Find it troublesome to identify with female characters. None in a book? Heck yeah, sign me up.
(This has been a brief and useless personal intermission.)
On to my problems with the book.
(From here on the review shall contain spoilers.)
-Some (many) events just kind of... happen. Many lead nowhere and happen for no reason. As I Hate Everything puts it in his movie reviews on youtube, "BECAUSE MOVIE!", many things in this book just kind of... happen like that. "Because book". The motives are not really consistently understood or explained, and often nothing comes of it. I understand that it might partially because the book is written from the subjective point of view of Pellaz, and many things' reasoning may not be known to him, but in a way this bothered me greatly.
-Speaking of Pellaz. BOY is Pellaz a horrible asshole. BOY is he also a gosh-darned Mary Sue. Like. ...We can totally agree that he's a Mary Sue, right?
Sometimes, Cal gets not only equally as insufferable, but oftentimes even surpasses Pellaz's levels of assholery. Especially when he's throwing hissy fits for no reason. Boy, what an ass. (I love him.)
-The Wraeththu language, castes (levels?) and culture. Personally, I find it impossible to get over the fact that some of this stuff, and how it has come to be, is not only not explained, but makes no damned sense.
In the context of the book, Wraeththu started as a mutation, conveniently spreading as a viral infection. Wraeththu arose from men. If we take that as a premise, then:
-Who made up the Wraeththu language, if it doesn't resemble any human language it could have evolved from? (By language I mean the names for the rituals, words like chesna, aruna, etc, the consistend Wraeththu language) Did Thiede kind of just sit there making shit up, like, okay, uhhhhh, what are we going to call these things? And he kind of just came up with random fantasy-esque keyboard mashups?
-Who made up the castes? Was it Thiede again? If no one really even knows too well how to make babies, therefore Wraeththu could not have been around all that long (I'd assume something around 100 years at the very best), how has this caste system spread so quick? How did they determine these level things? How can somebody tell who is what level just by looking? What? Just what? I just have so many questions? Help.
-The whole fall of man thing. It's just not really explained very well. It's a somewhat weak subplot that kind of happens for no reason and everyone talks about it all the time, but for the entirety of the book I felt like I actually knew nothing about it. (I feel like the whole collapse of civilisation could have been executed much better.)
-It is once explicitly stated that the world has little electric power left, since power plants are the invention of man and they have been breaking down, so Wraeththu can not effectively communicate by internet/phones/whatevs, but Ferelithia totally has electric lights and ...clubbing. Oook?
-The whole thing with Lianvis was just.... dude, a very meh subplot. (Although I do love Ulaume)
-Sometimes, the speech patterns of the characters are very inconsistent. The very same character speaks in a very polished, eloquent and flowery manner at times, and just quite .... normally (+swear words) at other times.
-For literally ALL of the book, I had not a damned smidgen of an idea /where/ we actually were. Not at all. I suppose this would be distant future, but if we are still in the world of men.... Where the fuck? For the longest time I assumed that the story started out in India or the Middle East, but... apparently not? I'd argue that Megalithica is Euroasia, and Book Two takes place somewhere in North America, but .... huh ?
-Thiede and his motives. He kind of just .... acts as an omnipotent Deus ex machina, everyone that knows him obeys him absolutely. But. ...Why? Because he is the first? Because he is hecka powerful? Sure, valid reasons, but has nobody like... ever tried to defy him? Why does everybody just automatically obey? Are there truly no records that could have been mentioned of revolts against Thiede's manipulation, like "No fuck you brah", and Thiede consequently just kind of smiting them to demonstrate his power and hold on people? You know. Plus. /WHY/ THE HECK DOES THIEDE ANY OF THE STUFF HE DOES? ...And why does Pellaz just go along with it so easily? No questions asked?
"Go here and here to become a king".
"Yep sure. No problem."
....Only once Thiede tries to hook him up with somebody with a working hoo-hah does he start to rebel.
I know this is probably a weak issue to have with the story, but to me Thiede is kind of just an Uber Mary Sue buddy to Pellaz.
....Man, this has turned into a rant, haha. I'm sorry! I truly don't hate this book, whatever it might seem like. I loved it.
Things that I absolutely adore(d), often beyond measure:
-Wraeththu as a concept.
-Vaysh. He is my son and I will protect him forever. Hashtag Justice for Vaysh 2k17.
-The odd we-are-both-horrible-assholes-but-love-each-other chemistry between Calanthe and Pellaz. They work together really well, they totally sold me their love story.
-Calanthe's name. Love it.
-The inception and subsequent transformation of Pellaz into Wraeththu was written fucka sweetly.
-Cobweb is also my son.
-The scene where Cal and Pell bicker about still viewing themselves as male and not paying too much attention to their baby ovens.
-How somehow nobody knows how the fuck to actually reproduce, ahaha. From what I've read, people have had a problem buying it, but to me, it just amused me greatly.
-Have I mentioned Vaysh. Because I fucking love that guy.
To conclude my thoughts and my stream of incessant bitching about the book I actually claim to have adored reading, so that now y'all probably don't believe me for shit (lol),
Have I enjoyed this book?
-Oh yes, greatly.
Is this the best book there is?
-Quite definitely not.
Does this book have major problems?
-Hell yes, so many.
Do I think it has any re-read value?
-Actually, yes.
Am I going to continue reading this series?
-....About to do that just now, gimme more of this shit. Let me draw each of the characters like 78 times too, for good measure.
Final verdict:
3.5 out of 5, if this concept is for you and you've got a thing for a guilty pleasure insanity fest of a book, hop right in, you're going to love this stuff.
Please be aware that the review might contain spoilers in the later parts where I talk about the events of the book. It is also EXTENSIVELY LONG and I have not betaread it yet because of this sole reason, so if you find some bullshit words and typos, try to uhh... ignore it, I shall re-read and edit this later.)
I feel kind of bad for giving this book a three, because I know I gave the same rating to Cassandra Clare's City of Bones, and BOY was that one a shit book. But unfortunately I can not give half-stars, thus I can not raise the rating to 3.5/5 (which is what I would realistically give, 3.5), and it does not sit right with me to raise it up to four. Now that I think about it, I'm gonna go edit that and give City of Bones a two. Why did I ever give it a 3 in the first place?!
Why that is, you need to understand a thing.
There are two facts relating to this book for me.
-I enjoyed it greatly. Really fucking much. I loved it. More, please, this instant.
-Still, under no circumstances am I under the illusion that this was a great book, only because I really loved it. It was not a shit book. It was good. But it wasn't the best of books.
This book has a whole plethora of problems I could not overlook even through my great enjoyment of it. In a way, the story's really fucking trashy. It reads a little bit like a really good, trashy guilty pleasure fanfiction. It is shrouded within eloquent and at times mildly pretentious flowery language, yet messes up frequently on the front of consistency of world-building, believability of characters and events, and the flow of the story.
It is a book from a series that was written for me. It has been gift wrapped for me, it has everything I would have ever wanted from the premise of the book (hermaphrodite species consisting of androgynous-looking handsome men that never age and solve all of their problems with sex (and violence but mostly sex)? Sign me the fU CK U P ...!!! ... You know. That kinda thing. I can not believe it took me 23 years of my life to start reading this thing. (I only found out about it about a year ago.)
If you tried to explain this premise to a "normie" person, they would either stare at you in horror and disgust or stop listening to you after the mention of the word "hermaphrodite". Likely the latter, among the people I know.
With greater execution, this book could have been top of the game. This way... It is what it is, something great that is also trashy and a little bit of a guilty pleasure, and reads like a crazy internet fanfiction.
A friend of mine introduced me to the series (she has written I think two? short stories for the series, both of which I have read a while ago without having read the actual initial books, and I have greatly enjoyed them). She tells me some of the inconsistencies I had problems with get resolved later on, some in more insane ways than others (...lol). No problem, gonna look forward to it. For now, I judge the book as it is, a piece of work standing on its own, as it once, a long time ago, surely was.
First, a thing I see many people having problems with, that I actually do NOT have a problem with:
The books's lack of female characters and it's apparent "woman-hating" premise, as many put it.
...I am probably a woman-hater, then, as in my opinion the book could have done with even fewer female characters, haha. And by that I mean, oh god, do I hate Kate for no apparent reason. I just, uh. Find it troublesome to identify with female characters. None in a book? Heck yeah, sign me up.
(This has been a brief and useless personal intermission.)
On to my problems with the book.
(From here on the review shall contain spoilers.)
-Some (many) events just kind of... happen. Many lead nowhere and happen for no reason. As I Hate Everything puts it in his movie reviews on youtube, "BECAUSE MOVIE!", many things in this book just kind of... happen like that. "Because book". The motives are not really consistently understood or explained, and often nothing comes of it. I understand that it might partially because the book is written from the subjective point of view of Pellaz, and many things' reasoning may not be known to him, but in a way this bothered me greatly.
-Speaking of Pellaz. BOY is Pellaz a horrible asshole. BOY is he also a gosh-darned Mary Sue. Like. ...We can totally agree that he's a Mary Sue, right?
Sometimes, Cal gets not only equally as insufferable, but oftentimes even surpasses Pellaz's levels of assholery. Especially when he's throwing hissy fits for no reason. Boy, what an ass. (I love him.)
-The Wraeththu language, castes (levels?) and culture. Personally, I find it impossible to get over the fact that some of this stuff, and how it has come to be, is not only not explained, but makes no damned sense.
In the context of the book, Wraeththu started as a mutation, conveniently spreading as a viral infection. Wraeththu arose from men. If we take that as a premise, then:
-Who made up the Wraeththu language, if it doesn't resemble any human language it could have evolved from? (By language I mean the names for the rituals, words like chesna, aruna, etc, the consistend Wraeththu language) Did Thiede kind of just sit there making shit up, like, okay, uhhhhh, what are we going to call these things? And he kind of just came up with random fantasy-esque keyboard mashups?
-Who made up the castes? Was it Thiede again? If no one really even knows too well how to make babies, therefore Wraeththu could not have been around all that long (I'd assume something around 100 years at the very best), how has this caste system spread so quick? How did they determine these level things? How can somebody tell who is what level just by looking? What? Just what? I just have so many questions? Help.
-The whole fall of man thing. It's just not really explained very well. It's a somewhat weak subplot that kind of happens for no reason and everyone talks about it all the time, but for the entirety of the book I felt like I actually knew nothing about it. (I feel like the whole collapse of civilisation could have been executed much better.)
-It is once explicitly stated that the world has little electric power left, since power plants are the invention of man and they have been breaking down, so Wraeththu can not effectively communicate by internet/phones/whatevs, but Ferelithia totally has electric lights and ...clubbing. Oook?
-The whole thing with Lianvis was just.... dude, a very meh subplot. (Although I do love Ulaume)
-Sometimes, the speech patterns of the characters are very inconsistent. The very same character speaks in a very polished, eloquent and flowery manner at times, and just quite .... normally (+swear words) at other times.
-For literally ALL of the book, I had not a damned smidgen of an idea /where/ we actually were. Not at all. I suppose this would be distant future, but if we are still in the world of men.... Where the fuck? For the longest time I assumed that the story started out in India or the Middle East, but... apparently not? I'd argue that Megalithica is Euroasia, and Book Two takes place somewhere in North America, but .... huh ?
-Thiede and his motives. He kind of just .... acts as an omnipotent Deus ex machina, everyone that knows him obeys him absolutely. But. ...Why? Because he is the first? Because he is hecka powerful? Sure, valid reasons, but has nobody like... ever tried to defy him? Why does everybody just automatically obey? Are there truly no records that could have been mentioned of revolts against Thiede's manipulation, like "No fuck you brah", and Thiede consequently just kind of smiting them to demonstrate his power and hold on people? You know. Plus. /WHY/ THE HECK DOES THIEDE ANY OF THE STUFF HE DOES? ...And why does Pellaz just go along with it so easily? No questions asked?
"Go here and here to become a king".
"Yep sure. No problem."
....Only once Thiede tries to hook him up with somebody with a working hoo-hah does he start to rebel.
I know this is probably a weak issue to have with the story, but to me Thiede is kind of just an Uber Mary Sue buddy to Pellaz.
....Man, this has turned into a rant, haha. I'm sorry! I truly don't hate this book, whatever it might seem like. I loved it.
Things that I absolutely adore(d), often beyond measure:
-Wraeththu as a concept.
-Vaysh. He is my son and I will protect him forever. Hashtag Justice for Vaysh 2k17.
-The odd we-are-both-horrible-assholes-but-love-each-other chemistry between Calanthe and Pellaz. They work together really well, they totally sold me their love story.
-Calanthe's name. Love it.
-The inception and subsequent transformation of Pellaz into Wraeththu was written fucka sweetly.
-Cobweb is also my son.
-The scene where Cal and Pell bicker about still viewing themselves as male and not paying too much attention to their baby ovens.
-How somehow nobody knows how the fuck to actually reproduce, ahaha. From what I've read, people have had a problem buying it, but to me, it just amused me greatly.
-Have I mentioned Vaysh. Because I fucking love that guy.
To conclude my thoughts and my stream of incessant bitching about the book I actually claim to have adored reading, so that now y'all probably don't believe me for shit (lol),
Have I enjoyed this book?
-Oh yes, greatly.
Is this the best book there is?
-Quite definitely not.
Does this book have major problems?
-Hell yes, so many.
Do I think it has any re-read value?
-Actually, yes.
Am I going to continue reading this series?
-....About to do that just now, gimme more of this shit. Let me draw each of the characters like 78 times too, for good measure.
Final verdict:
3.5 out of 5, if this concept is for you and you've got a thing for a guilty pleasure insanity fest of a book, hop right in, you're going to love this stuff.
April 19, 2025
Around 20 years ago, I was busy reading through all the sci-fi and fantasy books our city library had on the English section. One day, I got my hands on Storm Constantine's massive Wraeththu omnibus and, welp, I was gone. It had a huge impact on me and I remember staying in the world for ages after I finished reading. It's been living in the protected, well-insulated corner of my heart for almost two decades and every now and then, I've entertained the idea of reading it again.
Then I got my Kindle and realized that buying e-books might be a valid idea.
So, I got all three: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, The Bewitchments of Love and Hate, and The Fulfillments of Fate and Desire. I've been stalling with reading them, either because I've been so wrapped up in fic or because they're so important to me and I wasn't sure if they'd survive a reread. And I would hate it if my shining memory turned into something else.
The whole series is set in a vague post-apocalyptic future where a new race emerges, slowly replacing humanity. The new race, Wraeththu, have a complex social structure with a caste system, rules and regulations and, of course, sex magic! For more info, check Wraeththu companion in Wayback machine or visit the author's homepage. (The site hasn’t been updated since Storm Constantine passed away on January 14th 2021 at the age of 64, following a long illness.)
The story kicks off with the first book, The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit. It tells a story of Pell, a 16yo boy who feels the call of Wraeththu in him and abandons his family and old home to transform into something new and exciting.
I've put this under the spoiler-cut because it got Long.
I can see why I fell in love with the book and the world but I honestly can’t say I remember what my reaction to Pell’s character was back then but now, I’m mostly disgusted and exasperated. The world is fascinating and offers so many possibilities to fic writing (that Storm Constantine enthusiastically encouraged btw, as soon as she found out about it). Despite claiming hara have no gender, the world is unabashedly misogynistic, at least in the first book. Women have no value as they are part of a dying race and cannot be induced to transform. They’re mostly portrayed as something pathetic trailing after the better and more beautiful, as if staying in their shadow would grant them a bit of their glory through proximity osmosis or something. The Wraeththu refer to themselves with male pronouns and the top/bottom discourse is there, although slightly muted. Omegaverse tropes, anyone?
That said, I am going to read the two other books of the trilogy. I want to see how Pell’s character growth is tackled or if it’s tackled at all (because I don’t remember).
Then I got my Kindle and realized that buying e-books might be a valid idea.
So, I got all three: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, The Bewitchments of Love and Hate, and The Fulfillments of Fate and Desire. I've been stalling with reading them, either because I've been so wrapped up in fic or because they're so important to me and I wasn't sure if they'd survive a reread. And I would hate it if my shining memory turned into something else.
The whole series is set in a vague post-apocalyptic future where a new race emerges, slowly replacing humanity. The new race, Wraeththu, have a complex social structure with a caste system, rules and regulations and, of course, sex magic! For more info, check Wraeththu companion in Wayback machine or visit the author's homepage. (The site hasn’t been updated since Storm Constantine passed away on January 14th 2021 at the age of 64, following a long illness.)
The story kicks off with the first book, The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit. It tells a story of Pell, a 16yo boy who feels the call of Wraeththu in him and abandons his family and old home to transform into something new and exciting.
I've put this under the spoiler-cut because it got Long.
I can see why I fell in love with the book and the world but I honestly can’t say I remember what my reaction to Pell’s character was back then but now, I’m mostly disgusted and exasperated. The world is fascinating and offers so many possibilities to fic writing (that Storm Constantine enthusiastically encouraged btw, as soon as she found out about it). Despite claiming hara have no gender, the world is unabashedly misogynistic, at least in the first book. Women have no value as they are part of a dying race and cannot be induced to transform. They’re mostly portrayed as something pathetic trailing after the better and more beautiful, as if staying in their shadow would grant them a bit of their glory through proximity osmosis or something. The Wraeththu refer to themselves with male pronouns and the top/bottom discourse is there, although slightly muted. Omegaverse tropes, anyone?
That said, I am going to read the two other books of the trilogy. I want to see how Pell’s character growth is tackled or if it’s tackled at all (because I don’t remember).
June 11, 2023
2023 reread: I won't lie. I miss Storm Constantine something fierce. She was an incredible and largely underrated force as an author, editor, and publisher, and it was an incredible experience for me to have been able to work with her on many stories for her Wraeththu mythos. (The only thing that would top this for me is if I could embark on a spot of necromancy and raise JRR Tolkien from the dead, or if I ever had the chance to work with Neil Gaiman.) I miss talking to Storm about writing, about her worlds, and miss the insights she had in my own, and I guess that's why I've picked up the Wraeththu books again, specifically because I've yet to reread the ones that she revised since she initially published them after their rights reverted to her. I wish I could talk to her again, so revisiting her writing is the only way I'll be able to have any form of dialogue with her again.
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit is the first book in her Wraeththu mythos, and for those who are new to the setting, I'll give the *very* brief introduction: Humanity has failed and a new species is rising out of its demise – the androgynous Wraeththu, who combine both male and female traits in one body, are completely gender-fluid, and who unlike humans, can wield magic. In that regards, the story, when it first came out in 1987, was ahead of its time if we consider some of the fantasy that we see today.
We start book one with Pell, who is a very human young man, working on his family's farm somewhere on the American continent. His world is narrow and sheltered, and while he's aware that things are not so great beyond the fields where he works, and that the Wraeththu stalking the ruined cities are something to fear, he is much loved.
And perhaps, if Cal – one of the fabled Wraeththu – had not stumbled upon Pell's home when he did, it would have been another Wraeththu. Perhaps one not quite as kind as Cal. Though calling Cal kind is a bit of a stretch – he has ulterior motives and can be rather self-centred. So, in a tale as old as time, Pell runs away with the fey creature, and discovers what it is like to be incepted into the Wraeththu, who divide themselves into tribes, and whose development as individuals is arranged along a caste system as they become more magically adept.
We discover a world made anew out of the bones of the old, and the Wraeththu are still trying to figure things out – some more successfully than others, who appear to be doomed to repeat the same mistakes humankind made. With an edgy, almost punk-ish, post-apocalyptic and trans-human flavour, this tale is divided into two sections. I won't go into too much detail to spare you the spoilers, suffice to say that the first half is more travelogue and origin story for Pell's coming into being, while the second is a somewhat bitter acceptance of an inescapable fate caught up in another's machinations. So very much a bildungsroman for Pell and a suitable introduction to the setting for those with the stamina to tackle further books.
I'll be honest. The Wraeththu mythos is not for everyone. I've always maintained that Storm is more an author concerned with painting mood, texture, and atmosphere rather than meticulously plotting and executing a perfect story. If you are looking for stock-standard romances, rather look elsewhere. Yes, there is sensuality at times, and love often fierce, but sentimentality has no place here. This story is about Storm exploring her world and the characters who populate it – so in that regard her work does bear a passing similarity to JRR Tolkien's in terms of motivation for writing. But knowing her as I do, she'd probably be a bit annoyed by the comparison to Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
I love Storm's writing for the moods she evokes, the often otherworldly, ethereal landscapes she paints, and the lush, often narcotic descriptions that add substance to her tales that underpin a keen understanding of magic and the mythologies that often underpin it.
Feb 22, 2014: Possibly one of my biggest sins so far is the fact that I keep meaning to read all Storm Constantine’s Wraeththu Mythos stories but don’t ever quite get round to doing so. So, this is on my “to do” list for 2014. After all, Storm is one of my top favourite authors of all time.
I first encountered her novel, Calenture, and also a number of others way back when I was in my teens. I don’t know quite what it was that drew me to her writing – quite a number of things, actually. Her subject matter always hints at the unfolding of some greater mystery and is filled with references to esoteric subject matter, which is grist for my mill.
Not just that, but you get the idea that events are set up against a greater backdrop of epic proportions. There is an underlying current of eroticism without being explicit. I like that – sexual gratification is often implied rather that gratuitously depicted, which is refreshing in this day and age.
Settings and descriptions are lush. Storm takes her time to place you in her world and, as you read it, it is easy to build up a very vivid image of place and characters in one’s head.
The Wraeththu Mythos has, from what I can see, a small but devoted cult following among Storm’s fans. The world itself has also been expanded by the release of anthologies of stories written by fans of the milieu, not to mention fan art to be found on sites like deviantart.com.
The premise is simple – mankind’s successor, the hermaphrodite Wraeththu, has come into being, and mankind as a species is on the wane. Naturally this shift in the balance of power does not come without a price, and the world we discover is in turmoil.
But instead of putting up a united front, the Wraeththu themselves are in conflict with each other and seemed doomed to repeat the same mistakes as humanity before them.
Wraeththu come across essentially human – like viewing a woman superimposed over a young man. They do not appear to age visibly, and many of them develop magical abilities. They are a young race, and their abilities have yet to be fully explored, so there’s not telling what sorts of powers or abilities will crop up.
It’s clear why Storm begins her story where she does – essentially a coming-of-age tale for one Pellaz, who has spent his formative years as a peasant cable farmer (as for what cable plants truly are, Storm doesn’t tell us – and that’s fine by me. The name and uses suggest a singularly utilitarian crop that is about as inspiring as baked beans. Kinda like young Luke Skywalker working on his uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine.)
Which makes Pell’s elopement with the mysterious Wraeththu Cal all the more delicious and forbidden. They head off to a settlement known only as Saltrock, which is run by a Wraeththu named Seel – who has envisioned a Wraeththu community where all can live in productive harmony in their self-made Utopia.
We discover the Wraeththu culture through the eyes of Pell the outsider, who like us is unaware of all the subtle undercurrents – and in that way we know only as much as he himself discovers. The first part of this novel is pretty much just a travelogue of Pell and Cal going forth and adventuring, and some fascinating folks along the way.
Then, of course, everything changes. I won’t say what, but there’s enough of a foreshadowing at Pell’s inception for you to figure out that there are larger plans afoot, whether Pell likes it or not.
All I can add is that this mythos will not have broad appeal, especially in this day and age where authors are encouraged to start their stories off with a big bang and lots of trauma. Of course I love the Wraeththu Mythos, for all its intensity and wild beauty and the textured, slow-moving prose. Storm concerns herself with creating moods and weaving a rich tapestry that constructs her rich mythology. Emphasis is placed on complex relationships and vivid world-building.
The story is ripe with detail, and I was surprised by how much of it felt new even with the second read-through of this novel. Mainly, this story is one of those feel-good, self-indulgent tales for me that I can truly immerse myself in the setting – a not-so-guilty pleasure. The Wraeththu themselves are fascinating, enigmatic beings, and if you’re looking for a supernatural creature that is a magical departure from the bog-standard fare of fairies, angels or vampires, then you really cannot go wrong with the Wraeththu Mythos.
2009: Finally able to get hold of the first of the Wraeththu series. I think for its time, Storm was very daring to suggest such a creature and I enjoyed the sexual ambiguity very much. Am definitely going to go read the others in this series, which are currently available on Smashwords... Instant gratification, yay!
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit is the first book in her Wraeththu mythos, and for those who are new to the setting, I'll give the *very* brief introduction: Humanity has failed and a new species is rising out of its demise – the androgynous Wraeththu, who combine both male and female traits in one body, are completely gender-fluid, and who unlike humans, can wield magic. In that regards, the story, when it first came out in 1987, was ahead of its time if we consider some of the fantasy that we see today.
We start book one with Pell, who is a very human young man, working on his family's farm somewhere on the American continent. His world is narrow and sheltered, and while he's aware that things are not so great beyond the fields where he works, and that the Wraeththu stalking the ruined cities are something to fear, he is much loved.
And perhaps, if Cal – one of the fabled Wraeththu – had not stumbled upon Pell's home when he did, it would have been another Wraeththu. Perhaps one not quite as kind as Cal. Though calling Cal kind is a bit of a stretch – he has ulterior motives and can be rather self-centred. So, in a tale as old as time, Pell runs away with the fey creature, and discovers what it is like to be incepted into the Wraeththu, who divide themselves into tribes, and whose development as individuals is arranged along a caste system as they become more magically adept.
We discover a world made anew out of the bones of the old, and the Wraeththu are still trying to figure things out – some more successfully than others, who appear to be doomed to repeat the same mistakes humankind made. With an edgy, almost punk-ish, post-apocalyptic and trans-human flavour, this tale is divided into two sections. I won't go into too much detail to spare you the spoilers, suffice to say that the first half is more travelogue and origin story for Pell's coming into being, while the second is a somewhat bitter acceptance of an inescapable fate caught up in another's machinations. So very much a bildungsroman for Pell and a suitable introduction to the setting for those with the stamina to tackle further books.
I'll be honest. The Wraeththu mythos is not for everyone. I've always maintained that Storm is more an author concerned with painting mood, texture, and atmosphere rather than meticulously plotting and executing a perfect story. If you are looking for stock-standard romances, rather look elsewhere. Yes, there is sensuality at times, and love often fierce, but sentimentality has no place here. This story is about Storm exploring her world and the characters who populate it – so in that regard her work does bear a passing similarity to JRR Tolkien's in terms of motivation for writing. But knowing her as I do, she'd probably be a bit annoyed by the comparison to Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
I love Storm's writing for the moods she evokes, the often otherworldly, ethereal landscapes she paints, and the lush, often narcotic descriptions that add substance to her tales that underpin a keen understanding of magic and the mythologies that often underpin it.
Feb 22, 2014: Possibly one of my biggest sins so far is the fact that I keep meaning to read all Storm Constantine’s Wraeththu Mythos stories but don’t ever quite get round to doing so. So, this is on my “to do” list for 2014. After all, Storm is one of my top favourite authors of all time.
I first encountered her novel, Calenture, and also a number of others way back when I was in my teens. I don’t know quite what it was that drew me to her writing – quite a number of things, actually. Her subject matter always hints at the unfolding of some greater mystery and is filled with references to esoteric subject matter, which is grist for my mill.
Not just that, but you get the idea that events are set up against a greater backdrop of epic proportions. There is an underlying current of eroticism without being explicit. I like that – sexual gratification is often implied rather that gratuitously depicted, which is refreshing in this day and age.
Settings and descriptions are lush. Storm takes her time to place you in her world and, as you read it, it is easy to build up a very vivid image of place and characters in one’s head.
The Wraeththu Mythos has, from what I can see, a small but devoted cult following among Storm’s fans. The world itself has also been expanded by the release of anthologies of stories written by fans of the milieu, not to mention fan art to be found on sites like deviantart.com.
The premise is simple – mankind’s successor, the hermaphrodite Wraeththu, has come into being, and mankind as a species is on the wane. Naturally this shift in the balance of power does not come without a price, and the world we discover is in turmoil.
But instead of putting up a united front, the Wraeththu themselves are in conflict with each other and seemed doomed to repeat the same mistakes as humanity before them.
Wraeththu come across essentially human – like viewing a woman superimposed over a young man. They do not appear to age visibly, and many of them develop magical abilities. They are a young race, and their abilities have yet to be fully explored, so there’s not telling what sorts of powers or abilities will crop up.
It’s clear why Storm begins her story where she does – essentially a coming-of-age tale for one Pellaz, who has spent his formative years as a peasant cable farmer (as for what cable plants truly are, Storm doesn’t tell us – and that’s fine by me. The name and uses suggest a singularly utilitarian crop that is about as inspiring as baked beans. Kinda like young Luke Skywalker working on his uncle’s moisture farm on Tatooine.)
Which makes Pell’s elopement with the mysterious Wraeththu Cal all the more delicious and forbidden. They head off to a settlement known only as Saltrock, which is run by a Wraeththu named Seel – who has envisioned a Wraeththu community where all can live in productive harmony in their self-made Utopia.
We discover the Wraeththu culture through the eyes of Pell the outsider, who like us is unaware of all the subtle undercurrents – and in that way we know only as much as he himself discovers. The first part of this novel is pretty much just a travelogue of Pell and Cal going forth and adventuring, and some fascinating folks along the way.
Then, of course, everything changes. I won’t say what, but there’s enough of a foreshadowing at Pell’s inception for you to figure out that there are larger plans afoot, whether Pell likes it or not.
All I can add is that this mythos will not have broad appeal, especially in this day and age where authors are encouraged to start their stories off with a big bang and lots of trauma. Of course I love the Wraeththu Mythos, for all its intensity and wild beauty and the textured, slow-moving prose. Storm concerns herself with creating moods and weaving a rich tapestry that constructs her rich mythology. Emphasis is placed on complex relationships and vivid world-building.
The story is ripe with detail, and I was surprised by how much of it felt new even with the second read-through of this novel. Mainly, this story is one of those feel-good, self-indulgent tales for me that I can truly immerse myself in the setting – a not-so-guilty pleasure. The Wraeththu themselves are fascinating, enigmatic beings, and if you’re looking for a supernatural creature that is a magical departure from the bog-standard fare of fairies, angels or vampires, then you really cannot go wrong with the Wraeththu Mythos.
2009: Finally able to get hold of the first of the Wraeththu series. I think for its time, Storm was very daring to suggest such a creature and I enjoyed the sexual ambiguity very much. Am definitely going to go read the others in this series, which are currently available on Smashwords... Instant gratification, yay!
August 7, 2018
It's impossible to believe that it's around 40 years since this came out. It was the first of a trilogy ... and a debut novel ... and created quite a stir in the late 1980s. Even today it's one of the "weird ones," but also the best of the frst Wraethu Trilogy. The second one (The Bewitchment of Love and Hate) was good too, then the story somehow trailed away, didn't end with the wallop we'd all expected from The Fulfillments of Fate and Desire. You can actually ready this first one as a stand-alone without getting into the other two, and it has a lot to recommend it, without having to tow the rest of the trilogy behind it.
Constantine looked like one of her characters, at the time: goth-punk with electrocuted hair. 20 years on, she had the look of a wiccan practitioner -- close to accurate, since she's a Reiki master and publishes magic books. She's also written loads of SF and fantasy, but it all started right here with the first Wraethu novel... which remains my favorite of her writings. The trilogy has been reprinted, but I'm lucky enough to have the whole thing in the original edition. It came out from Tor between 1988 and 1991, and as I said, raised quite a stir.
There's some disagreement even now, about whether these novels are actually gay SF or not. I'm not going to pass judgment! They're often listed as, and with, "Queer SF," so, what the heck? In fact, the characters are more of what you'd call androgynes. The Wraethu seem to be the next evolution of humans, where individuals have the characteristics of male and female, and swing either way. At least, that's how it seemed to me ... it's complicated!
The story is post-apocalyptic. The blurb says, "the cities of the industrial north have become a wasteland," and there seems to have been a breakdown in the climate. We've caused a kind of runaway greenhouse effect; mankind is evolving again, to survive.
There's no map in Enchantments, but if you stick around till the third book the map there centralizes on a land-locked sea, and anybody who knows a bit about the map of the globe goes "aha!" because you easily recognize the Black Sea and the little Sea of Azov just to the north. In the Wraethu novels, they're known as the Sea of Shadows and the Sea of Arel.
So the stage is close to set. The world is a hothouse, the tale takes place in eastern Europe, and concerns a new evolution of mankind ... plus magic, sorcery, psychic powers, the foundation of a new race, new cities, the troubles between the Wraethu and the old humans from which they evolved.
The story follows several characters. You'll like Pellaz, a young man -- this is his "coming of age" or even "coming out" story. He and his strange new friend Calanthe trek south to find the Wreaethe and join them. They meet the tribe known as the Gelaming, who are peaceful and sophisticated. Other Wraethu are warlike -- it's said that they'd exterminate humankind if they could -- but these are artistic and diplomatic. Calanthe is Wraethu already ... Pell will become Wraethu.
They're superhuman in many ways, probably a kind of mutation. Nobody seems to know when or how the mutation started, except that it began among young folk ... specifically young male gays, if I read the hints right.
Down in the south, these Wraethu have gathered to build their city. Cal is heading to join them, since his own tribe has been wiped out in the fighting, in the north. Pell flees a village of huts where dirt-farmers manage to pound a living out of the sand and dust, but what's he running toward?
There's a glossary of the alien language in the first book, but the map is in the third. You'll be glad for the glossary! I didn't have trouble remembering the terms, but many are pronounced differently than you'd think ... which starts to make sense when you run into the map in Fulfillments, and realize what part of the world this is.
The trilogy is huge. At 300pp of very small type, Enchantments is the smallest segment. Both the others are about 400pp, so you have 1,000 pages of mind-blowing, gender-bending fantasy ahead of you! Constantine returned to this world to do another trilogy, which I believe is a prequel (Wraiths of Will and Pleasure, Shades of Time and Memory, Ghosts of Bood and Innocence. I believe these were also done by Tor, but I never managed to get them).
Very recommended, but be warned: these books are dark, intense and can be a bit weird! AG's rating, 4 out of 5 stars.
Constantine looked like one of her characters, at the time: goth-punk with electrocuted hair. 20 years on, she had the look of a wiccan practitioner -- close to accurate, since she's a Reiki master and publishes magic books. She's also written loads of SF and fantasy, but it all started right here with the first Wraethu novel... which remains my favorite of her writings. The trilogy has been reprinted, but I'm lucky enough to have the whole thing in the original edition. It came out from Tor between 1988 and 1991, and as I said, raised quite a stir.
There's some disagreement even now, about whether these novels are actually gay SF or not. I'm not going to pass judgment! They're often listed as, and with, "Queer SF," so, what the heck? In fact, the characters are more of what you'd call androgynes. The Wraethu seem to be the next evolution of humans, where individuals have the characteristics of male and female, and swing either way. At least, that's how it seemed to me ... it's complicated!
The story is post-apocalyptic. The blurb says, "the cities of the industrial north have become a wasteland," and there seems to have been a breakdown in the climate. We've caused a kind of runaway greenhouse effect; mankind is evolving again, to survive.
There's no map in Enchantments, but if you stick around till the third book the map there centralizes on a land-locked sea, and anybody who knows a bit about the map of the globe goes "aha!" because you easily recognize the Black Sea and the little Sea of Azov just to the north. In the Wraethu novels, they're known as the Sea of Shadows and the Sea of Arel.
So the stage is close to set. The world is a hothouse, the tale takes place in eastern Europe, and concerns a new evolution of mankind ... plus magic, sorcery, psychic powers, the foundation of a new race, new cities, the troubles between the Wraethu and the old humans from which they evolved.
The story follows several characters. You'll like Pellaz, a young man -- this is his "coming of age" or even "coming out" story. He and his strange new friend Calanthe trek south to find the Wreaethe and join them. They meet the tribe known as the Gelaming, who are peaceful and sophisticated. Other Wraethu are warlike -- it's said that they'd exterminate humankind if they could -- but these are artistic and diplomatic. Calanthe is Wraethu already ... Pell will become Wraethu.
They're superhuman in many ways, probably a kind of mutation. Nobody seems to know when or how the mutation started, except that it began among young folk ... specifically young male gays, if I read the hints right.
Down in the south, these Wraethu have gathered to build their city. Cal is heading to join them, since his own tribe has been wiped out in the fighting, in the north. Pell flees a village of huts where dirt-farmers manage to pound a living out of the sand and dust, but what's he running toward?
There's a glossary of the alien language in the first book, but the map is in the third. You'll be glad for the glossary! I didn't have trouble remembering the terms, but many are pronounced differently than you'd think ... which starts to make sense when you run into the map in Fulfillments, and realize what part of the world this is.
The trilogy is huge. At 300pp of very small type, Enchantments is the smallest segment. Both the others are about 400pp, so you have 1,000 pages of mind-blowing, gender-bending fantasy ahead of you! Constantine returned to this world to do another trilogy, which I believe is a prequel (Wraiths of Will and Pleasure, Shades of Time and Memory, Ghosts of Bood and Innocence. I believe these were also done by Tor, but I never managed to get them).
Very recommended, but be warned: these books are dark, intense and can be a bit weird! AG's rating, 4 out of 5 stars.
March 21, 2020
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit (Wraeththu #1)
This is an old series, first published in the late 1980s. The first trilogy is available on e-book, as is the extended series. I would class this as LGBTQ+, and Dystopian Fantasy too, possibly YA 😊
The lead character, Pellaz, would likely be gay but in the world created by Constantine encounters the enigmatic, broken and undependable Cal, the on-off love interest. Cal wanders into Pellaz’s life and fundamentally changes it. Cal is not gay, but is Wraththlu, a new third gender which bears both male and female characteristics and sexual organs, both functional. This makes relationships more complex.
Wraeththhlu are supposed to be an evolutionary step in human development, but instead of taking their place as leaders, they seem to have form small sects dotted about the landscape, having been driven out by humans. They also fight amongst themselves and tend greatly towards promiscuity. If I were to try and describe an alternative of how it works, it would be Mad Max’s world, with groups of renegades competing against each other and against the surviving society as a whole.
While Pellaz is introduced into the Wraeththlu thanks to Cal’s involvement, he becomes a pawn in the games of a higher being.
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit is a thought-provoking read, with a spiritual feel suggested by the title. For its period (late 80s) its quite forward thinking, but perhaps fails a little in its execution and loses its way a little in the pursuit of art. I am sure different people will take different things away from it, however. This is about a 3.8 which is a shame, it has promise and has stuck with me over the years :-)
Harper
www.HarperMaze.com
This is an old series, first published in the late 1980s. The first trilogy is available on e-book, as is the extended series. I would class this as LGBTQ+, and Dystopian Fantasy too, possibly YA 😊
The lead character, Pellaz, would likely be gay but in the world created by Constantine encounters the enigmatic, broken and undependable Cal, the on-off love interest. Cal wanders into Pellaz’s life and fundamentally changes it. Cal is not gay, but is Wraththlu, a new third gender which bears both male and female characteristics and sexual organs, both functional. This makes relationships more complex.
Wraeththhlu are supposed to be an evolutionary step in human development, but instead of taking their place as leaders, they seem to have form small sects dotted about the landscape, having been driven out by humans. They also fight amongst themselves and tend greatly towards promiscuity. If I were to try and describe an alternative of how it works, it would be Mad Max’s world, with groups of renegades competing against each other and against the surviving society as a whole.
While Pellaz is introduced into the Wraeththlu thanks to Cal’s involvement, he becomes a pawn in the games of a higher being.
The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit is a thought-provoking read, with a spiritual feel suggested by the title. For its period (late 80s) its quite forward thinking, but perhaps fails a little in its execution and loses its way a little in the pursuit of art. I am sure different people will take different things away from it, however. This is about a 3.8 which is a shame, it has promise and has stuck with me over the years :-)
Harper
www.HarperMaze.com
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