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The Madness Season
Three hundred years had passed since the Tyr conquered the people of Earth as they had previously overcome numerous races throughout the galaxy. In their victory they had taken the very heart out of the human race, isolating the true individualists, the geniuses, all the people who represented the hopes, dreams, and discoveries of the future, and imprisoning them in dome colonies on planets hostile to human life. There the Tyr, a race which itself shared a unified gestalt mind, had left these gifted individuals to work on projects which would, the conquerers hoped, reveal all of human kind's secrets to them.
Yet Daetrin's secret as one no scientist had ever uncovered, for down through the years he had succeeded in burying it so well that he had even hidden his real nature from himself. But, taken into custody by the Tyr, there was no longer any place left for Daetrin to run, no new name and life for him to assume. Now he would at last be forced to confront the truth about himself—and if he failed, not just Daetrin but all humans would pay the price...
Yet Daetrin's secret as one no scientist had ever uncovered, for down through the years he had succeeded in burying it so well that he had even hidden his real nature from himself. But, taken into custody by the Tyr, there was no longer any place left for Daetrin to run, no new name and life for him to assume. Now he would at last be forced to confront the truth about himself—and if he failed, not just Daetrin but all humans would pay the price...
459 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 1990
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2236 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Friedman
49 books1,276 followersCelia S. Friedman is a science fiction and fantasy author. She has also been credited Celia S. Friedman and Celia Friedman.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
January 7, 2022
I drank it in until the last glimmer of twilight had faded, and the light of a thousand alien stars blazed furiously against the stark black backdrop of the [] night. A thousand brilliant points of light that burned my eyes as I stared at them, and filled me with the wonder of their power and beauty—as well as my own vulnerability.
This is one of those Space Opera novels that is predominantly character driven, with some philosophical and anthropological aspects. A curious marriage of golden age space opera and new wave sensibility. Despite the overarching themes of conquest and insurrection the military action is kept to a minimum. The focus is on subterfuge and strategy. So: even though the book isn’t immediately rewarding, once it starts giving up its revelations (a little bit here, a little bit there) you will find yourself unable to put it down.
And frankly, some of these revelations are quite astounding:
"No." My voice was a hoarse whisper, emotionless. Divorced from the turmoil inside me, the rage and despair and indignation and fury all combined, all mixed up and burning inside me until I lowered my head and shook like a leaf in a storm, overcome by the force of it.
As the story develops, additional POV characters and locations are introduced, creating the very real sense that the story is expanding and expanding. This forms a parallel to the protagonist’s character development as he learns more and more about himself and his place in the universe.
Also: Aliens: the ones featured here are truly interesting, in particular the Marra who is described, at one point, as “no more than sentient chaos” (in order to truly understand this in context you would have to read the book). Fantastic stuff all round.
He tried not to remember the green fields and open skies of his native planet. There was too much pain in that, in knowing that he could never go home. Transfer him they might, but never to Earth. That was the Law.
So, in conclusion, a remarkable story, and one that I enjoyed a lot more than I initially expected. I didn’t think I would enjoy the folklore / monster mythology elements that are pretty much at the heart of the book (given the drivel churned out in the last few years, dealing with similar themes), but in the context of the story everything comes together quite well.
An easy 4 stars.
You are the unknown. The alien. Their nightmare, come to life.
This is one of those Space Opera novels that is predominantly character driven, with some philosophical and anthropological aspects. A curious marriage of golden age space opera and new wave sensibility. Despite the overarching themes of conquest and insurrection the military action is kept to a minimum. The focus is on subterfuge and strategy. So: even though the book isn’t immediately rewarding, once it starts giving up its revelations (a little bit here, a little bit there) you will find yourself unable to put it down.
And frankly, some of these revelations are quite astounding:
"No." My voice was a hoarse whisper, emotionless. Divorced from the turmoil inside me, the rage and despair and indignation and fury all combined, all mixed up and burning inside me until I lowered my head and shook like a leaf in a storm, overcome by the force of it.
As the story develops, additional POV characters and locations are introduced, creating the very real sense that the story is expanding and expanding. This forms a parallel to the protagonist’s character development as he learns more and more about himself and his place in the universe.
Also: Aliens: the ones featured here are truly interesting, in particular the Marra who is described, at one point, as “no more than sentient chaos” (in order to truly understand this in context you would have to read the book). Fantastic stuff all round.
He tried not to remember the green fields and open skies of his native planet. There was too much pain in that, in knowing that he could never go home. Transfer him they might, but never to Earth. That was the Law.
So, in conclusion, a remarkable story, and one that I enjoyed a lot more than I initially expected. I didn’t think I would enjoy the folklore / monster mythology elements that are pretty much at the heart of the book (given the drivel churned out in the last few years, dealing with similar themes), but in the context of the story everything comes together quite well.
An easy 4 stars.
You are the unknown. The alien. Their nightmare, come to life.
March 16, 2025
4.5 Stars
This was such an enjoyable science fiction story that blended in elements of horror. The characters were complex and morally gray. This is such a fantastic novel that deserves more attention. I really loved it.
This was such an enjoyable science fiction story that blended in elements of horror. The characters were complex and morally gray. This is such a fantastic novel that deserves more attention. I really loved it.
August 16, 2024
A terrific piece of speculative fiction that interweaves historical mythologies into an old school SF conquest and rebellion drama.
The combination of excellent writing and amazing creativity makes this an exceptional book. I think the last book I read that reminds of the tone and wide ranging story of the The Madness Season would probably be Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The two books are decades apart and are completely different but still feel as if they are woven from the same skein.
I’m shocked this isn’t more widely read, but so glad I finally got around to it myself.
The combination of excellent writing and amazing creativity makes this an exceptional book. I think the last book I read that reminds of the tone and wide ranging story of the The Madness Season would probably be Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The two books are decades apart and are completely different but still feel as if they are woven from the same skein.
I’m shocked this isn’t more widely read, but so glad I finally got around to it myself.
February 20, 2010
4.5 stars. Excellent blending on science fiction and monster mythology (don't want to say more and give away the surprise). Another superb novel by a terrific writer.
August 23, 2012
4.5 stars
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
I am quickly becoming a fan of C.S. Friedman. Audible Frontiers has recently produced all her novels in audio format, so I snatched them up and I'm happy I did. Her science fiction is original, imaginative, and super smart.
In The Madness Season, a man named Daetrin is old enough to have fought in the last battle when the Earth was conquered by the aliens of Tyr. That was three hundred years ago and the Tyrians want to know how Daetrin is still alive. So they've captured him, just like they've rounded up all the humans who they think they can learn something from. The Tyr have been genetically engineering the humans who are left on Earth -- breeding out creativity, intelligence, and rebelliousness in the hopes of making them more biddable -- but some humans have found ways to resist their captors' plans. Daetrin is worried about what they intend to do with him. If he cooperates with them, will he doom the future of his own people? Should he try to find some allies and fight back? Or is it possible that there are values more important than survival?
The Madness Season showcases many of C.S. Friedman's admirable skills: inventive and perfectly leak-proof plot, excellent character development (this book contains some of my favorite Friedman characters so far), elegant writing style, a nice balance of tension and release, a touch of understated humor, and a foundation of science (math, physics, biology, comparative anatomy, neuroscience, evolution, sociology) that informs without being at all teachy.
Perhaps what I appreciate most about C.S. Friedman is that she creates wonderfully inventive worlds, species, languages, and cultures that truly feel alien rather than just variations on humanity. Friedman's aliens are so alien that they're frightening. They have different language processing equipment, different sensory systems, and completely different ways of thinking. All of their physiological and psychological details are different from ours, but Friedman uses her scientific knowledge to construct them so that they make sense. Friedman also has interesting insights and ideas about human behavior -- again, backed up by research findings about memory, perception, consciousness, sleep, etc.
Jonathan Davis, as I've said so many times before, is one of the very best audiobook narrators. As usual, he gives a terrific reading of The Madness Season. Even though he speaks a little too slowly (I had to increase the playback speed), Davis has perfect cadence and makes it possible to forget that we're being read to. If you see Jonathan Davis' name on the cover, you can be sure it's a good production. I highly recommend The Madness Season -- especially in audio format!
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
I am quickly becoming a fan of C.S. Friedman. Audible Frontiers has recently produced all her novels in audio format, so I snatched them up and I'm happy I did. Her science fiction is original, imaginative, and super smart.
In The Madness Season, a man named Daetrin is old enough to have fought in the last battle when the Earth was conquered by the aliens of Tyr. That was three hundred years ago and the Tyrians want to know how Daetrin is still alive. So they've captured him, just like they've rounded up all the humans who they think they can learn something from. The Tyr have been genetically engineering the humans who are left on Earth -- breeding out creativity, intelligence, and rebelliousness in the hopes of making them more biddable -- but some humans have found ways to resist their captors' plans. Daetrin is worried about what they intend to do with him. If he cooperates with them, will he doom the future of his own people? Should he try to find some allies and fight back? Or is it possible that there are values more important than survival?
The Madness Season showcases many of C.S. Friedman's admirable skills: inventive and perfectly leak-proof plot, excellent character development (this book contains some of my favorite Friedman characters so far), elegant writing style, a nice balance of tension and release, a touch of understated humor, and a foundation of science (math, physics, biology, comparative anatomy, neuroscience, evolution, sociology) that informs without being at all teachy.
Perhaps what I appreciate most about C.S. Friedman is that she creates wonderfully inventive worlds, species, languages, and cultures that truly feel alien rather than just variations on humanity. Friedman's aliens are so alien that they're frightening. They have different language processing equipment, different sensory systems, and completely different ways of thinking. All of their physiological and psychological details are different from ours, but Friedman uses her scientific knowledge to construct them so that they make sense. Friedman also has interesting insights and ideas about human behavior -- again, backed up by research findings about memory, perception, consciousness, sleep, etc.
Jonathan Davis, as I've said so many times before, is one of the very best audiobook narrators. As usual, he gives a terrific reading of The Madness Season. Even though he speaks a little too slowly (I had to increase the playback speed), Davis has perfect cadence and makes it possible to forget that we're being read to. If you see Jonathan Davis' name on the cover, you can be sure it's a good production. I highly recommend The Madness Season -- especially in audio format!
June 16, 2025
2.5 stars. This was our book club read for September, and this book is not something I would have picked up on my own, although the idea behind it sounded a bit intriguing. The main character, Daetrin has a secret that he is keeping from the alien race that conquered earth 300 years ago. He's a vampire type creature who has been alive for centuries. One day the aliens come and take him and he realizes he's been found out. This sets into motion a whole lot of events. I won't go into what they all are in my review, but I will say that at times I found this book interesting and likable, and at other times it was a dry and boring read. There were points where I skimmed text that did not further the plot.
I like the addition of the other alien races, especially the Mara. They were interesting to me and I kept reading, wanting to know more about them. I also wanted to know more about Daetrin and whether he was really a vampire or if his origins were from another alien race. To be honest I don't know if this was ever really answered in a clear concise way, but maybe I missed something. I did find myself zoning out a few times as I read and listened to this. I did like the resolution to the problem of the other aliens who had conquered earth, but was also a bit horrified by something that happened after that.
The most annoying thing about the book was the way the story jumped from one perspective to another, or back in time with no warning. There were characters I wanted to like and almost did, but unfortunately I never really felt much of a connection to any of them like I wanted to. I liked the very end, it even employed some humor, which was a surprise since this book was not a humorous book. I think that's what the book a missing though. It needed some humor thrown in here and there to lighten it a little.
Overall this was just an ok read for me. I feel like there was a little too much going on in the story with the dystopian type world conquered by aliens, the vampire-like creatures, and plotting by other aliens.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
I like the addition of the other alien races, especially the Mara. They were interesting to me and I kept reading, wanting to know more about them. I also wanted to know more about Daetrin and whether he was really a vampire or if his origins were from another alien race. To be honest I don't know if this was ever really answered in a clear concise way, but maybe I missed something. I did find myself zoning out a few times as I read and listened to this. I did like the resolution to the problem of the other aliens who had conquered earth, but was also a bit horrified by something that happened after that.
The most annoying thing about the book was the way the story jumped from one perspective to another, or back in time with no warning. There were characters I wanted to like and almost did, but unfortunately I never really felt much of a connection to any of them like I wanted to. I liked the very end, it even employed some humor, which was a surprise since this book was not a humorous book. I think that's what the book a missing though. It needed some humor thrown in here and there to lighten it a little.
Overall this was just an ok read for me. I feel like there was a little too much going on in the story with the dystopian type world conquered by aliens, the vampire-like creatures, and plotting by other aliens.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
June 15, 2024
O L D SCHOOL!
-Conquest and enslavement of Earth by aliens with hive-ish minds.
-Aliens with different castes for different roles.
-Aliens who specialize in diplomacy and communications.
-Aliens who change shape.
-Aliens sneaking onto other aliens' spaceships to figure what is going on.
and Alien Aliens = GOOD TIMES!!
Granted sometimes the writing (C.S. Friedman has improved her wordcraft since 1990) is klunky, but the ideas, interactions, how characters seek information and learn about the world – first class. At times I felt like I was reading Robert Silverberg, James Tiptree Jr., Octavia Butler.
_______________
Daetrin is a vampire-like person who lives on Earth, which was conquered by the Tyr three centuries ago. The Tyr figure out that he has been alive since before the conquest, capture him, and send him to their home planet to be studied. Meanwhile an alien “Marra” leaves her assignment on a gas giant and stows away on a Tyr ship, seeking to understand what has changed about the world since she was down there. Daetrin and the Marra hook up and search for other Marra, human colonists, or scientists who might help with a revolution.
Right up until the end everyone keeps pressing to learn more about the alien overlords, other alien species, the political situation, and themselves. No passive main characters here. Just good Old-Fashioned Science Fiction FUN.
-Conquest and enslavement of Earth by aliens with hive-ish minds.
-Aliens with different castes for different roles.
-Aliens who specialize in diplomacy and communications.
-Aliens who change shape.
-Aliens sneaking onto other aliens' spaceships to figure what is going on.
and Alien Aliens = GOOD TIMES!!
Granted sometimes the writing (C.S. Friedman has improved her wordcraft since 1990) is klunky, but the ideas, interactions, how characters seek information and learn about the world – first class. At times I felt like I was reading Robert Silverberg, James Tiptree Jr., Octavia Butler.
_______________
Daetrin is a vampire-like person who lives on Earth, which was conquered by the Tyr three centuries ago. The Tyr figure out that he has been alive since before the conquest, capture him, and send him to their home planet to be studied. Meanwhile an alien “Marra” leaves her assignment on a gas giant and stows away on a Tyr ship, seeking to understand what has changed about the world since she was down there. Daetrin and the Marra hook up and search for other Marra, human colonists, or scientists who might help with a revolution.
Right up until the end everyone keeps pressing to learn more about the alien overlords, other alien species, the political situation, and themselves. No passive main characters here. Just good Old-Fashioned Science Fiction FUN.
January 7, 2021
A grand world and time-spanning tale, and yet a very intimate story of what it means to be human.
Friedman writes truly alien aliens and worlds, a tight and complex plot, with thought-provoking, sometimes chilling, themes.
Highly recommended.
Friedman writes truly alien aliens and worlds, a tight and complex plot, with thought-provoking, sometimes chilling, themes.
Highly recommended.
April 15, 2017
From the "so crazy it just might work" shelf.
I loved this book. I've been busy so it took me far too long to finish, but every time I came back I fell right back in. I liked the style, the story, the characters and the narration was excellent. Most sci-fi is plagued with flat characters, it's something sci-fi fans have learned to live with. This is not the case with Friedman's characters, they are lively, well rounded and you learn to appreciate even the ones you don't like.
You can't tell people you're reading a book about a vampire in space, because they assume you're 14 years old, but the book is so much more mature than that. It is very beautifully written.
I will definitely be reading more books by C.S. Friedman.
Side Notes: I can usually tell fairly quickly whether an author is male or female, I was sure this author was male and wouldn't have second guessed myself had I not seen otherwise in someone's review. I hope that isn't sexist, I don't mean for it to be and I'm not really sure what it says for the author's style, but I really enjoyed it.
Christ's name was taken in vain several times. I hope I never reach a point where I'm not repulsed by that. Religion in general is also made light of, but welcome to science fiction.
Update: Second listen. Great book.
I loved this book. I've been busy so it took me far too long to finish, but every time I came back I fell right back in. I liked the style, the story, the characters and the narration was excellent. Most sci-fi is plagued with flat characters, it's something sci-fi fans have learned to live with. This is not the case with Friedman's characters, they are lively, well rounded and you learn to appreciate even the ones you don't like.
You can't tell people you're reading a book about a vampire in space, because they assume you're 14 years old, but the book is so much more mature than that. It is very beautifully written.
I will definitely be reading more books by C.S. Friedman.
Side Notes: I can usually tell fairly quickly whether an author is male or female, I was sure this author was male and wouldn't have second guessed myself had I not seen otherwise in someone's review. I hope that isn't sexist, I don't mean for it to be and I'm not really sure what it says for the author's style, but I really enjoyed it.
Christ's name was taken in vain several times. I hope I never reach a point where I'm not repulsed by that. Religion in general is also made light of, but welcome to science fiction.
Update: Second listen. Great book.
April 11, 2025
Wow space vampires!
Initially we learn of a conquered Earth that for many generations had been used as slaves by the repitlian Tyr, who have culled resisentance by taking the best and brightest out of the population slowly conquering even hope.
We follow Daetrin, a vampire hiding amoung humanity but also claiming to be part of it, he is captured by Tyr and taken off Earth— but quickly escapes.
The rest of the books changes in tone as we change focus to Daetrin’s s lf acceptance and discovery about his true nature and gow to come to terms with it. Eventually we circle back around to the main plot for a satiafying ending…
Initially we learn of a conquered Earth that for many generations had been used as slaves by the repitlian Tyr, who have culled resisentance by taking the best and brightest out of the population slowly conquering even hope.
We follow Daetrin, a vampire hiding amoung humanity but also claiming to be part of it, he is captured by Tyr and taken off Earth— but quickly escapes.
The rest of the books changes in tone as we change focus to Daetrin’s s lf acceptance and discovery about his true nature and gow to come to terms with it. Eventually we circle back around to the main plot for a satiafying ending…
April 20, 2008
This book is just amazing; every time I re-read it I am just as invested in the characters, their growth, and their individual pieces of the whole story as I was the very first time, if not more so. I would love for there to be more of this book, but at the same time I could never give up the perfect ending.
I'm also caught between the urge to do a thorough thematic review and talk about this story's use of gender, religion, memory, civilization, etc., and the urge to spoil you for nothing, so I will say no more today.
I'm also caught between the urge to do a thorough thematic review and talk about this story's use of gender, religion, memory, civilization, etc., and the urge to spoil you for nothing, so I will say no more today.
April 27, 2025
I read two vampire books simultaneously this month, one that's kind of an urban fantasy, the other, this one, vampires in space. Well, one vampire. Plus a shapechanging alien, plus hivemind alien invaders. So ultimately a kind of throw-off-our-alien-oppressors story. Extremely well-executed, which I'm beginning to realise is nothing less than what I should be expecting from C.S. Friedman.
The exploration of the gestalt consciousness had a lot of depth, the second act where Daetrin is in the Tyr ship in a constant state of crisis was my favourite by far. With the hraas (whom I picture as the extinct thylacine, for some reason), the strange ship, his slow acceptance that he needs blood to survive and everything. Friedman lovingly describes Daetrin's feelings and sensations, his unique condition as he succumbs to his blood hunger, as he becomes a wolf and a bird, and as he strikes up a tense friendship with one of the Tyr. The Marra, who initially appears to be set up as a secondary protagonist, is not nearly as well-developed and her point-of-view chapters are relatively few. Despite the two of them eventually meeting, forming a (lukewarm) bond and travelling to other human settlements, something kept me at arm's length as far as character investment goes. Perhaps we never spent too much time with any one group? Or just too much time in Daetrin's head? Or maybe because the Marra is too alien, almost as alien as the Tyr itself. Either way, despite loving the story and its big ideas, something wasn't quite satisfying. Possibly I'm not a space opera person, the way I was a cyberpunk person for This Alien Shore. The book had so much going on, no one thing lived up to its true potential. Well, except the Tyr. And Daetrin's shapechanging adventures . Friedman spread herself a bit too thin, and neglected to show the toll the conquest took on anyone else but Daetrin somewhat. So it all came off as a bizarrely personal rebellion. But I guess it was just as much about all the seemingly insurmountable things that set Daetrin apart from humanity, as it was about the alien conflict. I suspect I'd have liked it better if the (platonic, initially) chemistry between Daetrin and Kiri, the Marra were more convincing.
The exploration of the gestalt consciousness had a lot of depth, the second act where Daetrin is in the Tyr ship in a constant state of crisis was my favourite by far. With the hraas (whom I picture as the extinct thylacine, for some reason), the strange ship, his slow acceptance that he needs blood to survive and everything. Friedman lovingly describes Daetrin's feelings and sensations, his unique condition as he succumbs to his blood hunger, as he becomes a wolf and a bird, and as he strikes up a tense friendship with one of the Tyr. The Marra, who initially appears to be set up as a secondary protagonist, is not nearly as well-developed and her point-of-view chapters are relatively few. Despite the two of them eventually meeting, forming a (lukewarm) bond and travelling to other human settlements, something kept me at arm's length as far as character investment goes. Perhaps we never spent too much time with any one group? Or just too much time in Daetrin's head? Or maybe because the Marra is too alien, almost as alien as the Tyr itself. Either way, despite loving the story and its big ideas, something wasn't quite satisfying. Possibly I'm not a space opera person, the way I was a cyberpunk person for This Alien Shore. The book had so much going on, no one thing lived up to its true potential. Well, except the Tyr. And Daetrin's shapechanging adventures . Friedman spread herself a bit too thin, and neglected to show the toll the conquest took on anyone else but Daetrin somewhat. So it all came off as a bizarrely personal rebellion. But I guess it was just as much about all the seemingly insurmountable things that set Daetrin apart from humanity, as it was about the alien conflict. I suspect I'd have liked it better if the (platonic, initially) chemistry between Daetrin and Kiri, the Marra were more convincing.
September 22, 2024
If I recall correctly, someone recommended The Madness Season to me after I bemoaned the lack of vampires in sci-fi. This novel is set in apocalyptic future in which an alien empire has invaded and occupied Earth. The protagonist has lived for five centuries, several of them under alien subjugation. As the plot begins, the aliens notice he's weirdly long-lived and decide to study him. Taken into space, he gains a better understanding of the aliens and himself, then gets involved in resistance to the alien empire. I found The Madness Season a suitable read for a long train journey, as it's nearly 500 pages in low-weight paperback format. The worldbuilding details of alien and vampire physiology are interesting and the plot involving. However it is rather pervasively grimdark and could have done with some humour to add piquancy to the pain and suffering. My favourite characters were the Marra, as they were the strangest of the alien species introduced. Our protagonist may have been a vampire but he was also very much Just Some Guy. I liked the political resistance plot, while finding the tone rather stolid throughout. The Madness Season executes an interesting idea smartly enough but without any fun to speak of. I reflexively compare any combination of sci-fi and supernatural fiction with the Locked Tomb series; no contest.
July 13, 2014
Not my favorite book ever, but I give it many, many points for originality. Somehow, the author combines hive-mind aliens; more aliens; non-embodied entities; shapeshifters (more than one type, at that); vampires; Earth's takeover, and the aftermath; a fight for the salvation of the human race; a multiple-planet, interstellar setting; and probably several things I've forgotten. And, somehow, it works. It works well. All these things are mixed together and an intriguing, actually coherent story comes out of it. I mean, a book involving humanity's enslavement by aliens and a vampiric protagonist is either going to be an enthusiastic mess or well worth reading. Obviously, this is the latter.
September 19, 2018
Boring....
😴😴😴
I tried really hard to find a heart beat in this story. Its this months book club selection and I pushed myself to halfway through it and then skimmed the rest. It had such great potential to be something but it lacked substance. The main character is emotional unavailable and monologues 90% of the book. Good grief! He is an individual that can’t express himself if he got a paper cut.
😴😴😴
I tried really hard to find a heart beat in this story. Its this months book club selection and I pushed myself to halfway through it and then skimmed the rest. It had such great potential to be something but it lacked substance. The main character is emotional unavailable and monologues 90% of the book. Good grief! He is an individual that can’t express himself if he got a paper cut.
May 13, 2008
This is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi books. It's been read many times and it always stands up. I don't think this author has written a better one since this came out. That good!
June 23, 2024
I enjoyed this book a lot! Certainly a page-turner for me. I particularly liked reading the POVs of all the different characters, several of which were aliens whose thought process was extremely different to that of the human POVs. And the premise of a functionally immortal vampire-adjacent character surviving after Earth has been conquered aliens was very interesting.
I wouldn’t say the writing style was dry, but it certainly wasn’t lyrical, which isn’t a bad thing. My love of the plot was diminished a bit by that fever dream of an ending. And I was a little grossed out by one of the last things that happened with Frederick and Daetrin. But the epilogue nearly makes up for that!
Overall, a nice, low-effort, and pleasant read.
I wouldn’t say the writing style was dry, but it certainly wasn’t lyrical, which isn’t a bad thing. My love of the plot was diminished a bit by that fever dream of an ending. And I was a little grossed out by one of the last things that happened with Frederick and Daetrin. But the epilogue nearly makes up for that!
Overall, a nice, low-effort, and pleasant read.
September 16, 2014
I never read the blurb for this book. So imagine my surprise when the abilities of the main character, Daetrin, were revealed. I found this book to be a real pleasure. It seems to have a quest-like storyline that is more common in fantasy novels, so that probably helped my enjoyment. I found the actual science in the book much better left unexamined, like how the Tyr communicate. But it's a really good story, and it does what science fiction should do - it makes you forget about what you think is possible and stretch your imagination. I thought there were some parts of the book that were unclear, and I'm not sure whether or not that's on purpose or because I wasn't reading carefully enough.
I am also a little surprised at the ending. I also thought the book could use more humor. But overall, I really enjoyed the book and it made me want to read more of Friedman's work.
I am also a little surprised at the ending. I also thought the book could use more humor. But overall, I really enjoyed the book and it made me want to read more of Friedman's work.
December 2, 2014
Disappointing. I have generally enjoyed Celia Friedman's works, especially her Coldfire and Magister trilogies, but not this one. I am guessing it was one of her earliest works and just isn't up to the same standard I have come to expect from reading her more recent work.
While I liked the base premise, the idea of a human vampire/shapeshifter chimaera and his relationship with the alien "mirra" energy entity/shapeshifter presented as a female was an intriguing concept -
But I found the way it was written was confusing, storylines jumping abruptly from scene to scene, sometimes on Tyr ships, sometimes on a planet etc - and different groups of superficial and (mostly) unsympathetic secondary characters, both human and alien.
While I liked the base premise, the idea of a human vampire/shapeshifter chimaera and his relationship with the alien "mirra" energy entity/shapeshifter presented as a female was an intriguing concept -
But I found the way it was written was confusing, storylines jumping abruptly from scene to scene, sometimes on Tyr ships, sometimes on a planet etc - and different groups of superficial and (mostly) unsympathetic secondary characters, both human and alien.
October 21, 2012
This book was the official toilet book in my house for the longest time. You could pretty much pick it up at any point and read and, yeah, not have to concentrate on it too much. It was entertaining, but I found it a bit wonky. The writing is straightforward, nothing fancy, and lacks the sort of artistry and nuance I crave. It's an interesting concept -- vampire in space -- but I found the plot devolved into something less than believable.
July 20, 2013
3.5 stars
Very good up until 80% or so when the urge to fit everything neatly into a perfect little puzzle must have become too overwhelming for the author. When there is such a vast array of creatures-with-special-rules-that-the-author-made-up, it feels really contrived if they all just happen to fit together so perfectly. Bow-on-top epilogue didn't help.
Still, enjoyable overall.
Very good up until 80% or so when the urge to fit everything neatly into a perfect little puzzle must have become too overwhelming for the author. When there is such a vast array of creatures-with-special-rules-that-the-author-made-up, it feels really contrived if they all just happen to fit together so perfectly. Bow-on-top epilogue didn't help.
Still, enjoyable overall.
April 24, 2013
What can I say about a vampire book where the one and only time the word "Vampire" is used is on page 157. This is one of my all-time favorite books in the SF-Vampire category.
January 22, 2024
Firstly, DO NOT read Goodread's description of this book. It spoils something that should not be.
The Madness Season is a wonderfully written SD book about Earth after it has been conquered for 300 years. Earth's population has been culled and bred down by the Tyr to weed out any people that have ambitions of resistance. We then me Daetrin, a human who has been alive since about the 1800s or earlier (I don't recall if it is ever fully set). He fought to resist, and has since capitulated, living an existence of just not being noticed.
However, he is captured, and the Tyr know he is different from other humans, and learn he is old enough to remember Earth as it was before being conquered, and that scares and intrigues on of the Tyr. The story evolves from there.
It is a compelling read, but the last 1/4 or so, something led me astray, whether I just missed a portion while maybe nodding off while reading, but that least 1/4 was very hard concentrate and figure what was going. More than likely, it is a ME issue, but that last 200 or pages was difficult. This book is about 200 pages longer than it probably needed to be, but the evolution of Daetrin's reluctance to resist is interesting. His overall character is a bit thin for how long we spend with him, but regardless, this is a worthwhile read.
The Madness Season is a wonderfully written SD book about Earth after it has been conquered for 300 years. Earth's population has been culled and bred down by the Tyr to weed out any people that have ambitions of resistance. We then me Daetrin, a human who has been alive since about the 1800s or earlier (I don't recall if it is ever fully set). He fought to resist, and has since capitulated, living an existence of just not being noticed.
However, he is captured, and the Tyr know he is different from other humans, and learn he is old enough to remember Earth as it was before being conquered, and that scares and intrigues on of the Tyr. The story evolves from there.
It is a compelling read, but the last 1/4 or so, something led me astray, whether I just missed a portion while maybe nodding off while reading, but that least 1/4 was very hard concentrate and figure what was going. More than likely, it is a ME issue, but that last 200 or pages was difficult. This book is about 200 pages longer than it probably needed to be, but the evolution of Daetrin's reluctance to resist is interesting. His overall character is a bit thin for how long we spend with him, but regardless, this is a worthwhile read.
May 18, 2025
It never quite grabbed me, some of this was my own fault. I was expecting a horror/SF novel and it was basically just SF. I was also distracted by some other things so reading took a back seat. It's usually not a big deal when that happens but I try not to read longer books when I am in that zone.
I didn't dislike the book but I liked more of the world building around the "shape-changers/vampire" characters over the actual plot of humans being subjugated by an alien species. Even those parts which I liked did sometimes feel like it was treading close to "Animorphs for Adults" territory. That probably isn't even a fair criticism because I've never read Animorphs.
I am bringing more sass to this review than the book deserves. It is worth reading if the plot summary interests you.
I didn't dislike the book but I liked more of the world building around the "shape-changers/vampire" characters over the actual plot of humans being subjugated by an alien species. Even those parts which I liked did sometimes feel like it was treading close to "Animorphs for Adults" territory. That probably isn't even a fair criticism because I've never read Animorphs.
I am bringing more sass to this review than the book deserves. It is worth reading if the plot summary interests you.
October 22, 2023
Even as the protagonist finds ways to aid humanity, he remains in conflict with himself due to the incompatibility between his anti-human biology and his human socialization. A well executed book about the influence of inherent traits on our behaviours, worldviews, and our relationship with others, especially those who operate from different assumptions.
December 4, 2013
I'm not a vampire/werewolf nut by any means but I was intrigued by the cross-over idea of mixing in a true sci-fi element. This was a surprisingly engaging read. The plot in short--several centuries after Earth has been conquered by an alien race they find a long-lived human they can't explain. Turns out he's a vampire, but one who understands his genetic condition and has tamed it with science, until he is banished off world and has to deal with his body and needs returning to their normal state.
There really isn't a lot of action in this book, which normally I need to stay interested in something... sooner or later something has to happen to somebody beyond conversation. But there isn't much of that here, and it didn't stop me from gliding through the whole story pretty quickly.
The vampire lead character knows what he is and scientifically why his body needs what it needs, and has developed supplements to satisfy those needs without killing. But when he's kicked off Earth he no longer has access to those things and he begins to regress. You feel bad for the guy, and get drawn in by how he copes.
And then of course there are a small group of humans remaining who actually have a chance to reclaim their freedom (scientists working at the leisure of the alien conquerors), and eventually our hero finds a way to help.
In the end I really enjoyed this somewhat casually paced tale.
There really isn't a lot of action in this book, which normally I need to stay interested in something... sooner or later something has to happen to somebody beyond conversation. But there isn't much of that here, and it didn't stop me from gliding through the whole story pretty quickly.
The vampire lead character knows what he is and scientifically why his body needs what it needs, and has developed supplements to satisfy those needs without killing. But when he's kicked off Earth he no longer has access to those things and he begins to regress. You feel bad for the guy, and get drawn in by how he copes.
And then of course there are a small group of humans remaining who actually have a chance to reclaim their freedom (scientists working at the leisure of the alien conquerors), and eventually our hero finds a way to help.
In the end I really enjoyed this somewhat casually paced tale.
June 9, 2013
4.5
I am quickly becoming a fan of C.S. Friedman. Audible Frontiers has recently produced all her novels in audio format, so I snatched them up and I’m happy I did. Her science fiction is original, imaginative, and super smart.
In The Madness Season, a man named Daetrin is old enough to have fought in the last battle when the Earth was conquered by the aliens of Tyr. That was three hundred years ago and the Tyrians want to know how Daetrin is still alive. So they’ve captured him, just like they’ve rounded up all the humans who they think they can learn something from. The Tyr have been genetically engineering the humans who are left on Earth — breeding out creativity, intelligence, and rebelliousness in the hopes of making them more biddable — but some humans have found ways to resist their captors’ plans. Daetrin is worried about what they ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
I am quickly becoming a fan of C.S. Friedman. Audible Frontiers has recently produced all her novels in audio format, so I snatched them up and I’m happy I did. Her science fiction is original, imaginative, and super smart.
In The Madness Season, a man named Daetrin is old enough to have fought in the last battle when the Earth was conquered by the aliens of Tyr. That was three hundred years ago and the Tyrians want to know how Daetrin is still alive. So they’ve captured him, just like they’ve rounded up all the humans who they think they can learn something from. The Tyr have been genetically engineering the humans who are left on Earth — breeding out creativity, intelligence, and rebelliousness in the hopes of making them more biddable — but some humans have found ways to resist their captors’ plans. Daetrin is worried about what they ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
July 10, 2016
I must say, I really enjoy C.S. Friedman character creation. This is certainly not a sci-fi book, despite the "space" exploration and the picture of the spaceship on the front. It doesn't focus on science nearly enough to be a sci-fi....and actually that is part of what I like about it. So if you are a sci-fi fan, you may be a little peaved by some of the logical contradictions.
I enjoyed losing myself in the context and the characters and tried not to pay too much attention to the fine details. If you do that, you will be on the right track to really enjoying this read.
I just finished it before this writing and my mind is divided. I want more...yet I'm afraid more would inevitably make the inconsistencies difficult to ignore.
In the end, I suppose it's a good thing this story comes in a single novel.
I enjoyed losing myself in the context and the characters and tried not to pay too much attention to the fine details. If you do that, you will be on the right track to really enjoying this read.
I just finished it before this writing and my mind is divided. I want more...yet I'm afraid more would inevitably make the inconsistencies difficult to ignore.
In the end, I suppose it's a good thing this story comes in a single novel.
October 4, 2011
This is every shapechanger/vampire story come to life in a future Earth that has been overrun by the alien Tyr. A man--Daetrin--trying to lay low and hide the fact that he was alive a hundred years ago when the Conquest took place and that he can remember a time when things were different.
When he is discovered, he is taken to the sector controller and shipped off Earth, never to be allowed back. Because of this he meets a creature somewhat similar to himself, humans making a life on other planets, and helps in the plot to overthrow the alien empire.
This is a story about conquest, insurrection, aliens, vampires, lycanthropes, and a love that bypasses physical form. Brilliantly written, it should be read by everyone that loves sci-fi. And vampires.
When he is discovered, he is taken to the sector controller and shipped off Earth, never to be allowed back. Because of this he meets a creature somewhat similar to himself, humans making a life on other planets, and helps in the plot to overthrow the alien empire.
This is a story about conquest, insurrection, aliens, vampires, lycanthropes, and a love that bypasses physical form. Brilliantly written, it should be read by everyone that loves sci-fi. And vampires.
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