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blvckate's review against another edition
1.0
DNF, even tho I hate to do that. Also hated this book so far. I had really high hopes for this book, but I couldn't stand the amount of sexism. Literally, I had to check if the author is really a woman, because it screamed MALE GAZE. And it made it even worse. After reading some reviews, I decided to let it go and just find something better to read. It's really a bummer because I feel like this book had a potential that went nowhere.
cheerful_elephant's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Rape
Moderate: Death and Misogyny
songwind's review
4.0
Friedman excels at writing conflicted protagonists. Feast of Souls is no exception.
Kamala is a young woman sold by her mother into prostitution at a young age. After years of suffering through it, she has learned that she is one of a few people who can use "witchery," the ability to turn one's own life force into magic. The unfortunate and predictable consequence of this is an early death. Kamala sets out to learn to be a Magister - one of a group of men who have discovered how to use their magic without meeting that untimely demise. The problem is, no woman has ever done it, and the Magisters' wisdom says it can't be done.
As she moves through this new world, Kamala becomes embroiled in the politics of Magisters, and of normal kings and princes. All of it takes place against the backdrop of the reemergence of an ancient and terrible threat.
Friedman does a very good job of balancing the extremely personal stories of Kamala and a few others against the world-affecting events. Neither feels as though it has been glossed over or given unwarranted prominence. By the end of the book, several long-term storylines for the series has been established, and the single book plot arcs have been deftly brought to a close. The magical schtick of her world is interesting without being overwhelming. All in all, an excellent book, and just what I expected from Friedman after Coldfire and stand-alone works like This Alien Shore.
Kamala is a young woman sold by her mother into prostitution at a young age. After years of suffering through it, she has learned that she is one of a few people who can use "witchery," the ability to turn one's own life force into magic. The unfortunate and predictable consequence of this is an early death. Kamala sets out to learn to be a Magister - one of a group of men who have discovered how to use their magic without meeting that untimely demise. The problem is, no woman has ever done it, and the Magisters' wisdom says it can't be done.
As she moves through this new world, Kamala becomes embroiled in the politics of Magisters, and of normal kings and princes. All of it takes place against the backdrop of the reemergence of an ancient and terrible threat.
Friedman does a very good job of balancing the extremely personal stories of Kamala and a few others against the world-affecting events. Neither feels as though it has been glossed over or given unwarranted prominence. By the end of the book, several long-term storylines for the series has been established, and the single book plot arcs have been deftly brought to a close. The magical schtick of her world is interesting without being overwhelming. All in all, an excellent book, and just what I expected from Friedman after Coldfire and stand-alone works like This Alien Shore.
aliceboule's review
4.0
I have always loved the concept of a conscious magic, a sentient being if you will. Friedman comes close to fulfilling this love of mine with her aware, and dangerous magic.
I kept thinking this story was going into a certain direction and then Friedman would surprise me by going in the other. Which is to say that this book kept me on my toes the entire way.
At this point, I need to read the rest to understand where the story is headed and to form a more true feeling about The Magister Trilogy . The first book certainly sets an interesting premise and I want to see if Friedman carries through.
I kept thinking this story was going into a certain direction and then Friedman would surprise me by going in the other. Which is to say that this book kept me on my toes the entire way.
At this point, I need to read the rest to understand where the story is headed and to form a more true feeling about The Magister Trilogy . The first book certainly sets an interesting premise and I want to see if Friedman carries through.
rikerandom's review against another edition
5.0
Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele
Rezensionsexemplar, zur Verfügung gestellt vom Verlag im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension ♥
Die junge Kamala lebt in einer Welt, in der Magie den höchsten aller Preise fordert: Das Leben selbst. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass die Hexen, die über magische Fähigkeiten verfügen, diese nur mit größter Sorgfalt einsetzten, denn jede Anwendung von Magie kostet sie ein Stück ihrer Lebenszeit, ihrer Seele.
Die Männer jedoch, die sich Magie zu eigen machen können, streben, anstatt ein unnatürlich kurzes Leben als Hexer zu fristen, zumeist danach zu Magistern zu werden. Mächtige Zauberer, die Mittel und Wege haben Magie zu wirken ohne dabei von ihrer eigenen Energie zu zehren.
Frauen ist es verwehrt auch nur bei einem Magister in die Lehre zu gehen, sagt man doch, dass ihnen die körperliche Kraft fehle, um tatsächlich Magister zu werden. Doch Kamala hat sich in den Kopf gesetzt die erste Frau unter den Magistern zu werden. Die junge Frau dringt in eine Gemeinschaft ein, die eigentlich keine ist, eine Gruppe mehr oder weniger alter Männer, die seit Jahrhunderten in ihren Vorurteilen und gegenseitigem Misstrauen erstarrt sind.
Friedman hat einen etwas düsteren High-Fantasy-Roman voller neuer Ideen geschaffen, in dem es darum geht, wie sich eine ganz eigensinnige junge Frau in einer von Männern dominierten Welt zu behaupten versucht. Kamala als Protagonistin ist dabei in meinen Augen wirklich hervorragend gelungen. An ihrer Seite wird der Leser durch eine spannende und abwechslungsreiche Geschichte geführt, die neben viel Action und auch ein wenig Romantik auch auf tiefschürfendere Themen zu sprechen kommt.
Wer Fantasy mit wundervoll detaillierten und ausgearbeiteten Charakteren mag und auch vor etwas schwereren Thematiken (die aber wirklich nur in Maßen vorhanden sind) nicht zurück schreckt, wird seinen Spaß an “Die Seelenjägerin” haben.
Rezensionsexemplar, zur Verfügung gestellt vom Verlag im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension ♥
Die junge Kamala lebt in einer Welt, in der Magie den höchsten aller Preise fordert: Das Leben selbst. So ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass die Hexen, die über magische Fähigkeiten verfügen, diese nur mit größter Sorgfalt einsetzten, denn jede Anwendung von Magie kostet sie ein Stück ihrer Lebenszeit, ihrer Seele.
Die Männer jedoch, die sich Magie zu eigen machen können, streben, anstatt ein unnatürlich kurzes Leben als Hexer zu fristen, zumeist danach zu Magistern zu werden. Mächtige Zauberer, die Mittel und Wege haben Magie zu wirken ohne dabei von ihrer eigenen Energie zu zehren.
Frauen ist es verwehrt auch nur bei einem Magister in die Lehre zu gehen, sagt man doch, dass ihnen die körperliche Kraft fehle, um tatsächlich Magister zu werden. Doch Kamala hat sich in den Kopf gesetzt die erste Frau unter den Magistern zu werden. Die junge Frau dringt in eine Gemeinschaft ein, die eigentlich keine ist, eine Gruppe mehr oder weniger alter Männer, die seit Jahrhunderten in ihren Vorurteilen und gegenseitigem Misstrauen erstarrt sind.
Friedman hat einen etwas düsteren High-Fantasy-Roman voller neuer Ideen geschaffen, in dem es darum geht, wie sich eine ganz eigensinnige junge Frau in einer von Männern dominierten Welt zu behaupten versucht. Kamala als Protagonistin ist dabei in meinen Augen wirklich hervorragend gelungen. An ihrer Seite wird der Leser durch eine spannende und abwechslungsreiche Geschichte geführt, die neben viel Action und auch ein wenig Romantik auch auf tiefschürfendere Themen zu sprechen kommt.
Wer Fantasy mit wundervoll detaillierten und ausgearbeiteten Charakteren mag und auch vor etwas schwereren Thematiken (die aber wirklich nur in Maßen vorhanden sind) nicht zurück schreckt, wird seinen Spaß an “Die Seelenjägerin” haben.
tani's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the world-building in this, and how new details of the world are slowly revealed throughout the series. I did feel that the story was a bit too slow - maybe burdened by too many point of view characters? - but I still greatly enjoyed the story, and I am excited to see what happens to these characters next (particularly Kamala).
pezzo's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
gloame's review against another edition
2.0
I have to admit I bought this book for the cover. It was good for fantasy; bad for anything else.
for fantasy, this is grade-A meat; for standard literary value, this is about three stars. The plot is really interesting and had me hooked from the very beginning. I won't lie; I loved the plot, and it kept me reading, but the writing--well, the writing's not bad, really. For the most part, it was little Ravenclaw quibbles that anyone else would have skimmed right over.
Basically, the story follows Kamala, who is a witch. Not everyone has witching ability and those who do don't use it because every spell costs you part of your life force to do, so practicing witches die when they're like 30 or something. Now, men witches can become Magisters, which is a sooper seekrit society of witches who have figured out how to do magic without dying. Long story short: Kamala is an erstwhile prostitute who wants to be a Magister so she finds a Magister and he reluctantly teaches her and she becomes the first woman Magister evar, like for serious. O.O
There are also snake-dragon-beast-moths who kill people and are taking over the world and EATING SOULS JUST LIKE THE WHUT SPOILERS: *Magisters! Zomg, their seekrit way to stay alive is by using other peoplez lives instead of their own. Aren't they clever, they are just like the 'Souleaters'. (lame)*. Yep. Just like that.
I am not ashamed to admit that it bothered me to see 'loyalty' missing the final y: 'loyalt'. I am also not ashamed to admit that I LOL'd when I saw the use of extraneous exclamation points a total of three times. One example, quoted verbatim, down to the last exclamation:
"NO!!!!!!!!!!"
Yes, I'm serious: there were ten. Ten.
Other than that, I disliked the characters' names. They were all stupid and absurdly 'different' and 'fantasy'. Things such as Kamala, Coliver (which was not too bad), Ethanus and Kostas. What's wrong with naming your character Allison? I mean, really? AND WHILE I'M ON IT I HATE HATE HATE THE NAME DAMIEN DON'T NAME UR CHARACTER DAMIEN. OR DAMIAN. I could have done without the constant reminder that the main character was once a prostitute and I thought it was stupid and Mary-Sueish that she was often referred to as 'My brave, stubborn whore,' or some such. I mean, honestly? I wasn't offended by the profession, merely that it was so overused.
The ending was anti-climatic. I won't be reading the sequel. Or anything else by CS Friedman, even though I sort of enjoyed the book.
for fantasy, this is grade-A meat; for standard literary value, this is about three stars. The plot is really interesting and had me hooked from the very beginning. I won't lie; I loved the plot, and it kept me reading, but the writing--well, the writing's not bad, really. For the most part, it was little Ravenclaw quibbles that anyone else would have skimmed right over.
Basically, the story follows Kamala, who is a witch. Not everyone has witching ability and those who do don't use it because every spell costs you part of your life force to do, so practicing witches die when they're like 30 or something. Now, men witches can become Magisters, which is a sooper seekrit society of witches who have figured out how to do magic without dying. Long story short: Kamala is an erstwhile prostitute who wants to be a Magister so she finds a Magister and he reluctantly teaches her and she becomes the first woman Magister evar, like for serious. O.O
There are also snake-dragon-beast-moths who kill people and are taking over the world and EATING SOULS JUST LIKE THE WHUT SPOILERS: *Magisters! Zomg, their seekrit way to stay alive is by using other peoplez lives instead of their own. Aren't they clever, they are just like the 'Souleaters'. (lame)*. Yep. Just like that.
I am not ashamed to admit that it bothered me to see 'loyalty' missing the final y: 'loyalt'. I am also not ashamed to admit that I LOL'd when I saw the use of extraneous exclamation points a total of three times. One example, quoted verbatim, down to the last exclamation:
"NO!!!!!!!!!!"
Yes, I'm serious: there were ten. Ten.
Other than that, I disliked the characters' names. They were all stupid and absurdly 'different' and 'fantasy'. Things such as Kamala, Coliver (which was not too bad), Ethanus and Kostas. What's wrong with naming your character Allison? I mean, really? AND WHILE I'M ON IT I HATE HATE HATE THE NAME DAMIEN DON'T NAME UR CHARACTER DAMIEN. OR DAMIAN. I could have done without the constant reminder that the main character was once a prostitute and I thought it was stupid and Mary-Sueish that she was often referred to as 'My brave, stubborn whore,' or some such. I mean, honestly? I wasn't offended by the profession, merely that it was so overused.
The ending was anti-climatic. I won't be reading the sequel. Or anything else by CS Friedman, even though I sort of enjoyed the book.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good fantasy book and this was just that. I could not put it down.
I did want a map though, I always need a map in fantasy. But ok, on to the story. We meet a king and queen and one son is dying. Those who are the masters of magic in the world has been sent for (the Magisters). They know what's wrong, I am not gonna say it, but it was such a good twist. And I so want to talk about it as it's one big part of this book, and the whole series. But just know that..it's good.
We follow a few people as the story progress, and again I just can't tell you what they all are doing. There is Kamila, who wants to do more in life than the hard life of a poor woman without choices. She wants to be a Magister, but only men can become Magisters. Women lacks something and does not make it through the training. They become witches, but not all men can become Magisters either, so they are also witches. I did enjoy the magic system. But did I like her? Not really. Dunno why either. Sure she was cold, but her life had been hard.
There is Prince Andovan who is dying, I liked him. Colivar, a magister, he is a mystery, I liked him too. Queen Gwynofar, a princess from the North and of a people who guard the rest of the world against a dark evil. An evil that is said to return one day. All in all a great cast.
A great story, there is a quest of finding answers, a quest of becoming bigger than you are, and then the story takes a darker turn too. A turn that made me want to read the rest of this trilogy at once. It looks to be a great series indeed.
What is the price of magic? What's to big to pay? That you will learn.
I did want a map though, I always need a map in fantasy. But ok, on to the story. We meet a king and queen and one son is dying. Those who are the masters of magic in the world has been sent for (the Magisters). They know what's wrong, I am not gonna say it, but it was such a good twist. And I so want to talk about it as it's one big part of this book, and the whole series. But just know that..it's good.
We follow a few people as the story progress, and again I just can't tell you what they all are doing. There is Kamila, who wants to do more in life than the hard life of a poor woman without choices. She wants to be a Magister, but only men can become Magisters. Women lacks something and does not make it through the training. They become witches, but not all men can become Magisters either, so they are also witches. I did enjoy the magic system. But did I like her? Not really. Dunno why either. Sure she was cold, but her life had been hard.
There is Prince Andovan who is dying, I liked him. Colivar, a magister, he is a mystery, I liked him too. Queen Gwynofar, a princess from the North and of a people who guard the rest of the world against a dark evil. An evil that is said to return one day. All in all a great cast.
A great story, there is a quest of finding answers, a quest of becoming bigger than you are, and then the story takes a darker turn too. A turn that made me want to read the rest of this trilogy at once. It looks to be a great series indeed.
What is the price of magic? What's to big to pay? That you will learn.