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A bit on the misogynistic side, slow and plodding pace and very poor world building. It didn't go in depth about the individual cultures, which I would have loved, it just skimmed over everything. The characters were incredibly shallow and annoying, and I was unable to relate to them at all. With each book it got worse and I was fighting myself to finish it, hoping that it would get better...it didn't. This could have been such a good series, it was such a good premise. Bottom line, don't waste your time.
This book is why I love goodreads. It's not in my library. If I'd seen it in a bookshop the cover and the back blurb would not have caught my interest. But because it kept appearing in lists on goodreads that other books I enjoyed were on, I noticed it, read reviews on goodreads and decided to read the book. And really enjoyed it. Like I found and enjoyed [b:Mind Fuck|2112823|Mind Fuck (The Administration, #1)|Manna Francis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266553622s/2112823.jpg|2118233] before this one. I think my days of aimlessly wandering the library isles, after finishing up all the books of yet another writer, to find something new to pique my interest are over. And I hope that there is much less default crap in my reading future because of that.
So what about this book? One of the weirder scifi ideas out there, and for me, that is good, since I have read so many of them, some of the more standard ones blur together by now. In this one the human race dies out by human men evolving into hermaphroditic beings with psychic powers and sex magic. See, I am not likely to forget that concept anytime soon or start mixing it up with all the other hermaphroditic scifi I've read (my experience being limited to one secondary character in [b:Young Miles|61916|Young Miles (Vorkosigan Saga, #3-4; Vorkosigan Omnibus, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266462751s/61916.jpg|3302870] and other books in the Vorkosigan saga). The 3 books in this volume deal with the period of transition, for one of the 'guys' telling the story going from boy to Wreaththu, for the young new race trying to figure out what their society should be like and on a side tangent for the earth as humans become scarce and the Wraeththu multiply (yes, they give birth too). Interesting struggle and it makes for good reading. [
So what about this book? One of the weirder scifi ideas out there, and for me, that is good, since I have read so many of them, some of the more standard ones blur together by now. In this one the human race dies out by human men evolving into hermaphroditic beings with psychic powers and sex magic. See, I am not likely to forget that concept anytime soon or start mixing it up with all the other hermaphroditic scifi I've read (my experience being limited to one secondary character in [b:Young Miles|61916|Young Miles (Vorkosigan Saga, #3-4; Vorkosigan Omnibus, #2)|Lois McMaster Bujold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266462751s/61916.jpg|3302870] and other books in the Vorkosigan saga). The 3 books in this volume deal with the period of transition, for one of the 'guys' telling the story going from boy to Wreaththu, for the young new race trying to figure out what their society should be like and on a side tangent for the earth as humans become scarce and the Wraeththu multiply (yes, they give birth too). Interesting struggle and it makes for good reading. [
The Wraeththu story is a strange journey through a post-apocalyptic and post-human world of ambisexual hermaphrodite witch-men, with an unusual, distant tenor and stormy literacy.
What a journey. Never did I ever imagine that this would take me 3 years to read, but life certainly kept getting in the way, as it does.
Reading this was incredibly enlightening and encouraging. Reading something that is so absolutely up my alley made me realize that there is a place out there for the stories I enjoy creating. I love fiction that is queer, and mind bending, and unafraid to be unique and sometimes weird.
I remember sharing my story ideas and characters with people as a kid, as a teen, and even up to now as an adult and having people scoff and exchange judging glances at one another. I suppose what I'm saying is that reading this gave me the courage to tell the stories I want to tell, and to do it bravely.
But enough about me. What I adore about this series is that it isn't Tolkien based, or based on some other long established tradition. Storm Constantine was creative enough to just go wild and dream to her hearts content, making up anything and everything that was interesting to her. As a fan of fantasy, I've grown tired of the exhaustive list of titles that are endlessly repackaging Middle-Earth and its races and characters.
The characters in Wraeththu are fresh, complicated, and compelling! And the biology of the different species and races present is detailed, well thought out, and deeply fascinating to me. And the world is breathtakingly bizarre and mystical in equal parts. Each tribe of the Wraeththu people were so vastly different in culture and sensibility, and each city, town or village they inhabited were vibrant and encapsulated a sense of alien wonder.
There was the odd moments here or there that reminds me that it was written in the 80s, such as ideas surrounding sexuality and gender that are outdated by today's standards. But nothing that offended me, or bothered me enough to remove a star from my rating. The brilliance far outweighed its miniscule dated moments.
Fantasy is a genre where anything and everything is possible, and this trilogy is a perfect reminder of how beautiful it can be to truly let one's imagination run wild and tell a story that has never been told before.
Reading this was incredibly enlightening and encouraging. Reading something that is so absolutely up my alley made me realize that there is a place out there for the stories I enjoy creating. I love fiction that is queer, and mind bending, and unafraid to be unique and sometimes weird.
I remember sharing my story ideas and characters with people as a kid, as a teen, and even up to now as an adult and having people scoff and exchange judging glances at one another. I suppose what I'm saying is that reading this gave me the courage to tell the stories I want to tell, and to do it bravely.
But enough about me. What I adore about this series is that it isn't Tolkien based, or based on some other long established tradition. Storm Constantine was creative enough to just go wild and dream to her hearts content, making up anything and everything that was interesting to her. As a fan of fantasy, I've grown tired of the exhaustive list of titles that are endlessly repackaging Middle-Earth and its races and characters.
The characters in Wraeththu are fresh, complicated, and compelling! And the biology of the different species and races present is detailed, well thought out, and deeply fascinating to me. And the world is breathtakingly bizarre and mystical in equal parts. Each tribe of the Wraeththu people were so vastly different in culture and sensibility, and each city, town or village they inhabited were vibrant and encapsulated a sense of alien wonder.
There was the odd moments here or there that reminds me that it was written in the 80s, such as ideas surrounding sexuality and gender that are outdated by today's standards. But nothing that offended me, or bothered me enough to remove a star from my rating. The brilliance far outweighed its miniscule dated moments.
Fantasy is a genre where anything and everything is possible, and this trilogy is a perfect reminder of how beautiful it can be to truly let one's imagination run wild and tell a story that has never been told before.
If I could give zero stars I would.
Difficult to read, with little to no plot. It’s a story of ‘nonbinary’ pseudo-androgynous gay men wielding sex magic. The premise could have been interesting, but somehow the author makes it so bland.
Difficult to read, with little to no plot. It’s a story of ‘nonbinary’ pseudo-androgynous gay men wielding sex magic. The premise could have been interesting, but somehow the author makes it so bland.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wrote this scathing review right after reading this book back in 2013 on Goodreads and I wanted to share it here because I still think it's a wild, harsh, and funny review.
Review from 2013:
I wanted to like these books, really I did. The poetic writing style, the atrocious dialogue, the strange and enticing premise, it all seemed so right!
Pellaz is a great main character, he goes through so much hardship but remains himself through and through. He has a great personality, the most realistic of all the characters, and I really enjoyed listening to his story.
Constantine has a tendency to throw a lot of pretty words and phrases together that are, in the end, just empty phrases. One of those, "Time was so fleeting, moving quickly on into the unknown, yet it was slow and agonizing, holding us all captive in..." (continue this for a full paragraph)
Yes, time exists, and it moves on. Can you? Because I would like to.
But the ultimate destroyer is the nightmare of a character that is Cal. Let me sum him up for you (and spare you the torment).
Spoilers and harsh words ahead, so beware.
BEGIN RANT
Cal is the most pathetic, irritating, piece of shit that rivals even that of Edward Cullen, with a matching eye colour that is over-described.
He is the definition of a contradiction, a perfect example of all of the worst personality traits smashed into one person with absolutely no redeeming qualities because every bit of him is as pitiful and fake as possible. He is self-obsessed and thinks himself worthy of others' attention, yet critical on him self on a psychotic level. He believes in "love" and yet he uses it to abuse everyone in his life and latches onto someone new without remorse. He has that "dark, twisted past" that he inflicts on everyone within arms reach and just blames it on their Fate. Nothing is ever his fault, not in his eyes and not in the eyes of any other characters (which is the worst part of all this, but I'll get to that).
He spends the entire series deflowering young boys, breaking up families for his own amusement, and just being the ultimate fucking jerk-off. You would think others in the novels would hate him, right? They know all of these terrible things, half of the time he laughingly admits to all of the terrible things he has done and that it was all for sport.
But it's the exact opposite: he is seen like he is just the PERFECT heartthrob.
Everyone and their psuedo-mother sleeps with this fucking imbecile, and suddenly realizes, "Oh, he's not terrible at all! Nothing he does is wrong, it just is! All because he is our personal sex God!"
This guy seriously has sex with Terzian (psuedo-dad), then his newly pubescent son, then this son's "hostling" (or psuedo-mom). And each time he fucks one of them, everything makes sense and he is the greatest fucking person in the world with some grand "Destiny" that has yet to be expanded on because Constantine was too busy expanding on his lavish sex scenes that needn't exist in the first place.
On a scale of 1 to Voldemort, I'd put him a few paces after the Dark Lord. At least Voldemort had his fucking reasons, but Cal has yet to explain his own, other than to just watch the people around him writhe in pain and apparently ecstasy at waiting in line to bang him.
TL;DR - Rename the series, "One Har To Fuck Them All" and just forget about a real plot, and get ready for Constantine's ultimate dream man banging everyone, not forgetting the children.
END RANT.
Needless to say, as much as I loved Pellaz and would love to see what happens with him, I cannot continue because if I read one more sentence about Cal that doesn't involve him being dismembered, I will cry.
(Please, someone who's read them all somehow magically, please tell me he is dismembered or tortured or SOMETHING!)
To her credit, Constantine created an engrossing, intricate world full of possibility and diversity in the ever-repeating genre that is dystopian fantasy.
And then did nothing with it.
But them some perty words you got there, Constantine! Just wish you put them to better use...
Review from 2013:
I wanted to like these books, really I did. The poetic writing style, the atrocious dialogue, the strange and enticing premise, it all seemed so right!
Pellaz is a great main character, he goes through so much hardship but remains himself through and through. He has a great personality, the most realistic of all the characters, and I really enjoyed listening to his story.
Constantine has a tendency to throw a lot of pretty words and phrases together that are, in the end, just empty phrases. One of those, "Time was so fleeting, moving quickly on into the unknown, yet it was slow and agonizing, holding us all captive in..." (continue this for a full paragraph)
Yes, time exists, and it moves on. Can you? Because I would like to.
But the ultimate destroyer is the nightmare of a character that is Cal. Let me sum him up for you (and spare you the torment).
Spoilers and harsh words ahead, so beware.
Cal is the most pathetic, irritating, piece of shit that rivals even that of Edward Cullen, with a matching eye colour that is over-described.
He is the definition of a contradiction, a perfect example of all of the worst personality traits smashed into one person with absolutely no redeeming qualities because every bit of him is as pitiful and fake as possible. He is self-obsessed and thinks himself worthy of others' attention, yet critical on him self on a psychotic level. He believes in "love" and yet he uses it to abuse everyone in his life and latches onto someone new without remorse. He has that "dark, twisted past" that he inflicts on everyone within arms reach and just blames it on their Fate. Nothing is ever his fault, not in his eyes and not in the eyes of any other characters (which is the worst part of all this, but I'll get to that).
He spends the entire series deflowering young boys, breaking up families for his own amusement, and just being the ultimate fucking jerk-off. You would think others in the novels would hate him, right? They know all of these terrible things, half of the time he laughingly admits to all of the terrible things he has done and that it was all for sport.
But it's the exact opposite: he is seen like he is just the PERFECT heartthrob.
Everyone and their psuedo-mother sleeps with this fucking imbecile, and suddenly realizes, "Oh, he's not terrible at all! Nothing he does is wrong, it just is! All because he is our personal sex God!"
This guy seriously has sex with Terzian (psuedo-dad), then his newly pubescent son, then this son's "hostling" (or psuedo-mom). And each time he fucks one of them, everything makes sense and he is the greatest fucking person in the world with some grand "Destiny" that has yet to be expanded on because Constantine was too busy expanding on his lavish sex scenes that needn't exist in the first place.
On a scale of 1 to Voldemort, I'd put him a few paces after the Dark Lord. At least Voldemort had his fucking reasons, but Cal has yet to explain his own, other than to just watch the people around him writhe in pain and apparently ecstasy at waiting in line to bang him.
TL;DR - Rename the series, "One Har To Fuck Them All" and just forget about a real plot, and get ready for Constantine's ultimate dream man banging everyone, not forgetting the children.
END RANT.
Needless to say, as much as I loved Pellaz and would love to see what happens with him, I cannot continue because if I read one more sentence about Cal that doesn't involve him being dismembered, I will cry.
(Please, someone who's read them all somehow magically, please tell me he is dismembered or tortured or SOMETHING!)
To her credit, Constantine created an engrossing, intricate world full of possibility and diversity in the ever-repeating genre that is dystopian fantasy.
And then did nothing with it.
But them some perty words you got there, Constantine! Just wish you put them to better use...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
This is a very interesting premise and is frequently well-written.
The content may be a bit much for some, but definitely will play to the fancy of others.
Personally, I found the prose a bit overwrought and the characters develop into a level of self-conscious dramatic tedium. There's so much romantic emphasis that the story itself sometimes gets lost.
Definitely an interesting read, but somewhat overhyped in my opinion.
The content may be a bit much for some, but definitely will play to the fancy of others.
Personally, I found the prose a bit overwrought and the characters develop into a level of self-conscious dramatic tedium. There's so much romantic emphasis that the story itself sometimes gets lost.
Definitely an interesting read, but somewhat overhyped in my opinion.