Feast of Souls (The Magister Trilogy, #1)

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Feast of Souls (The Magister Trilogy #1)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 2,328 ratings · 167 reviews

At the end of her bestselling Coldfire trilogy, C.S. Friedman challenged readers to imagine what a world would be like if sorcery required the ultimate sacrifice-that of life itself. Now, in Feast of Souls, she introduces us to a terrifying world in which the cost of magic is just that...in which the fuel for sorcery is the very fire of the human spirit, and those who hung...more

Hardcover, 464 pages

Published January 2nd 2007 by DAW Hardcover (first published January 1st 2007)

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Jun 17, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dark, epic-fantasy, favorites

The master of all things anti-hero is back.

I'm a huge C.S. Friedman fan, so I'll freely admit that I am 100% bias going into this. I can't help it. I just love her writing!

This book was amazing. It had layers and layers of meaning. The story was captivating. The writing was damn near flawless. I love how emotionally charged Friedman's writing can be, while keeping well away from the "campy" line that many writers tend to cross when they try to write emotion filled books. This book didn't just t...more

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Aug 03, 2008 Hirondelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Marketing of books is strange, this beginning of a new trilogy, by an experienced author of some cult books nearly passed under my radar. Thank goodness it did not, it´s probably the best fantasy novel I have read recently. The setting is interesting, the economics of magic are original and suitably creepy. There are courtly intrigues, mythical history, well drawn characters and a feeling that this series will bring a lot yet. I look forward to the rest of the series.

As drawbacks, it´s one book...more

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Oct 07, 2007 Doc Opp rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once again Friedman produces a masterpiece. Her books are consistently creative, deep, and satisfying. This is no exception. I find that in today's fantasy novels, true originality is very rare. Mostly there are variations on an old theme, and rehashing and combining a couple of archetypal plots. Friedman's works are all strikingly innovative. But she also manages to pace her books well, develop intriguing and memorable characters, and tells a really good story. This is a great book - the only p...more

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Mar 26, 2007 Ferdinand rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasyandsciencefictionclassics, greatreads

At present, I would consider Martin and Friedman the best living authors of Fantasy. Both are capable of rendering deeply 3 dimensional characters, endearing them to the readers (and presumably themselves) and offering them to the rightful fates that their worlds require. That's no mean feat, when it's far more palatable to pad their worlds in the name of story-telling, keeping them in gilded adventures, with only a shadow of true risk.

That's a beautiful thing.

This book has many of CS Friedman's...more

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Jul 04, 2008 Izlinda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is a wonderful fast-paced fantasy book. It's dark in places and it's not saturated with sexuality or the usage of sexuality in order to play games with someone, either as a pawn or not. It's pretty refreshing, actually. Characters are believable and I hope for more characterization of some rather intriguing characters. While at some point the faint misogynist and acute misandrist perspectives can seem somewhat simplified in their roots and solutions, it carries the story well. Believable en...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Alice Bridgwater rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Se non sapessi che � della Friedman gli darei probabilmente una stellina in pi�. Dal momento per� che ho letto la trilogia Coldfire della stessa autrice... ahim� non posso che chiedermi che fine ha fatto la sua brillantezza: la storia risulta come spezzata in due, prima viene trattata la formazione magica di Kamala, e solo in un secondo tempo, troppo distaccato, viene introdotto il famoso "male", immancabile in ogni fantasy che si rispetti. Tanto distaccato che per quasi met� libro viene da chie...more

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Aug 05, 2011 mybluesunset rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I will definitely be reading more of this author.

Pros: A fascinating and thought-provoking premise on the fuel for magic. A heroine who unapologetically hangs on to life, even if it means the death of good people. Some VERY powerful scenes on this that I can identify with. A twisting plot that feels genuinely unpredictable. VERY well drawn characters, including: Kamala, Andovan, Colivar, Gwynofar, and Ethanus. Oh! And I love the glimpse into Magister Laws-- it gets me thinking of a what a...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Hollins rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 K...more 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.(less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On the back of this book there's a quote about the author: "She writes bright, clear prose that can shine like gemstones or cut like broken glass. If you haven't read her work, you need to do something about that right now." And it couldn't be more true.

Before this book, I was one of those people who didn't know about C.S. Friedman and now I want to read everything by her. I haven't given this book 5 stars - yet - because I give out 5 stars rarely and I need to reflect over time and see if this...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Mei-Lu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I bought this book at the Borders sale because I'd heard C.S. Friedman was a good writer and I liked the cover. I had absolutely no idea what to expect (especially since the cover gives so little about the plot away). Truthfully, it's hard to write about this book without giving away spoilers, which is why my review is hidden. In the Magister Trilogy, magic is powered by life force. Witches use their own life force, burning out and dying young. Magisters do not, but how they manage is a great my...more I bought this book at the Borders sale because I'd heard C.S. Friedman was a good writer and I liked the cover. I had absolutely no idea what to expect (especially since the cover gives so little about the plot away). Truthfully, it's hard to write about this book without giving away spoilers, which is why my review is hidden. In the Magister Trilogy, magic is powered by life force. Witches use their own life force, burning out and dying young. Magisters do not, but how they manage is a great mystery and secret that only magisters know the truth of. I'm sure you can guess the truth as easily as I did, which is that magisters are immortal because they drain the life force of someone else (called a consort) in order to fuel their power. They never meet their consort, and are not able to choose their own source. Those who are being drained suffer from a disease called "The Wasting", in which apparently able-bodied types suddenly become weak. I've suffered from CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) for almost four years now and the symptoms of CFS and the Wasting are eerily close. In fact, my friend (and fellow sufferer)'s mother frequently comments that it is though "someone is stealing your life away". So this book struck an unexpectedly personal note for me. But it's worth reading for anyone who likes a good story (you don't have to have CFS to enjoy it!). C.S. Friedman is a really good writer, and it is a pleasure to read her books - the characters, the situations, are so well-drawn and well-conceived. I thought this book was going to be a fairly straight-forward coming of age story for the main character, Kamala, but then it took a left turn and became much more interesting, much more mysterious and, frankly, just a little bit heartbreaking. This series definitely has a darkness to it. And it's a real, human darkness (rather than a dichotomous good vs evil). The main characters all have varying shades of gray, which makes them so much more realistic. Yes, there are heros in this world, but they aren't necessarily who we're rooting for and they don't always win. Or if they do win, they are questionable victories rather than outright triumphs. I'm deep into the second book already and am so hooked that I can't wait for the third book to come out... I hope it's sooner rather than later!(less)

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Apr 01, 2009 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished this and I'm pretty pumped about starting the 2nd book in the series. It seems like the first really original fantasy book that I've read in a long while. It's actually NOT about some amazingly all-powerful magical object that can only be wielded by one person in the entire world, who must then take it across the realm to some dark and terrible place. Madness. I guess if I have to compare it to another fantasy series it would be George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire but so far...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you have not read any C.S. Friedman before (and I haven't), that will not affect the reading and enjoyment of this book. It stands alone, and any knowledge of her previous books or worlds is not necessary.

First, the bad. The main character has grown up in a harsh life (hinted at, but never really expounded on), and Friedman mentions more than once that she had been used as a child prostitute. I can understand why Friedman chose this (the determination to win out over this sort of life makes h...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

Friedman is very good at writing tension-filled, compulsively readable chapters, each one with its own revelation or twist, pulling you on to the next enticing scene. She's not so good, however, at resolving the tension. There are a whopping total of TWO (maybe three, depending on how you count them) action scenes in the entire book, all toward the end, and all completely underwhelming. In each, the action resolves so quickly, and with so little effort, that it really cheapens the rich, anticipa...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Su Linn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise is interesting, that magic requires the ultimate sacrifice of one's soul and that a woman, against all odds, learns to wield the sorcery and power of a magister.

But after spending so much time setting the scene and establishing the different narrative threads, it feels the author rushed into far too easy a conclusion. Poof! A character that disappeared several chapters back conveniently reappears in the last few pages to save the day. Sure, I can buy that, but I can't say it was par...more

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Dec 02, 2009 Mike M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 10, 2013 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

On the one hand I have little issues with recommending this book: there's some good world building, interesting characters and interesting plot. If someone is interested in more epic fantasy, but isn't quite ready to delve into GRRM or Robert Jordan, this is an excellent place to start.

The only people I could see not being quite as thrilled with this series are fans of Friedman's earlier works, most notably the Coldfire Trilogy, of which this book is touted as the spiritual successor to. On the...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book-- I have conflicted feelings about this book--but only mildly conflicted because for the most part, I didn't really like it. The female characters were problematic at best. Strong, yes. And under a heavy patriarchal rule, I get that, that's fine. But the three dominant (and only real female characters in the book) have been raped, get raped, or use sex and are utterly dependent on men for their well-being. They are strong women yes, but character wise? Not so much. The strongest was pe...more This book-- I have conflicted feelings about this book--but only mildly conflicted because for the most part, I didn't really like it. The female characters were problematic at best. Strong, yes. And under a heavy patriarchal rule, I get that, that's fine. But the three dominant (and only real female characters in the book) have been raped, get raped, or use sex and are utterly dependent on men for their well-being. They are strong women yes, but character wise? Not so much. The strongest was perhaps, the Queen, I can't even remember her name--so of course she was raped for the sake of the plot, and perhaps a future plot point.

Also, for the most part, most of the unnamed men in this book, were portrayed in a really negative light. Not all men are rapists. Not all men are pedophiles. The king, Danton, though made slightly more complex but not by much, was brutish looking and so of course was mean and cruel and it really annoys me how nobility is looked on as nothing but snobbish where the men are lustful and the women are contemputous. Is it present? Well sure. But it irks me that the only people who can be rich and heroic are shown as completely hating this rich life that they lead. See:Andovan. It's a trope that I see in many books. I think a stronger point would have been made if these background characters, rather than being one note to promote the characters good points, were more complex.

Though I have to say I do love the magic system. I think it's pretty clever though the cognitive disconnect that girl has to go through is impressive. It's very difficult for her to be sympathetic. Yes, terrible things happened to her when she was a child. She was a member of the terrible things happening to a peasant girl-child club pretty much so she chooses to live at the expense of others. Can it work? Well yes. But it seems to me that she spent most of the book running away. In fact, that's my problem with the women of this book. For the most part they are reactionary rather than taking action. They change nothing, they just try to fix what has been broken. All the action taken comes from the men like Andovan and Covliar.

Andovan, by the way, is a dumbass. Him faking his death caused a lot more problems then if he would have just told the truth. It just seemed way too convoluted. And then coming back. I don't know,man.

Will I read the next book? Eh, maybe. if I have nothing better to do. I want to find out what happens but for the most part the book irritated me.

Also, the story should have really started at the 250 page mark. Before that it's all buildup and backstory. I realize it's a fantasy novel but then again you can always cut to the meat and backfill later in subtle ways. The writing though is decent enough and can be downright good at times but eh. Eh. I'm afraid some things in this book are way too annoying for me.

Sort of as a post-script. I realize this is also a trend in fantasy and fiction in general and not just limited to one book--but the only people you have specifically of color are foreign or traders or that one pedo guy? Really book? Really? Come on. The world is not white with some black people in it. Racial diversity! Don't be afraid of it!(less)

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Jul 24, 2009 Trish rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 28, 2010 Maurisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Mar 11, 2009 Latharia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another enjoyable read from CS Friedman, with her unique worlds and moral questions. There are few "good guys," just people with dilemmas and resources to handle them in a variety of ways. I look forward to the next book in the series!

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Sep 03, 2011 Naomi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really adored this book. I love reading fantasy but every so often certain things tend to get on my nerves, like how at times the immortality of characters is just taken for granted with no real discussion of how they came to be so, and the concequence that it sometimes seems to give the characters a somewhat fluffy air of indestructability that makes me less invested in them.

This book and its whole concept then was completely refreshing, there was a darkness and a cruel humanity at its heart,...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Vicky Wells rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's as simple as this, a good fantasy book must capture your imagination, take you to places that you only experience in your dreams, a good fantasy book will contain a roller coaster of emotions, it will have fear, frustration, excitement, sadness and happiness. A good fantasy book will make you put it down because you need 2 minutes to absorb the intensity of the plot, did this book deliver? Almost. This was a fair try - and enjoyable. Although, some battle scenes could be more epic/descripti...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Chip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Eh. Seriously, eh. Read both this and the next in the trilogy based on excellent reviews - but these books really aren't great. Not awful - but pedestrian at best. Strongest element is the worldbuilding, which is fairly creative. Otherwise, however - pretty generic high fantasy, with somewhat cardboard characters. Apparently significant characters can and do die, which I applaud, but unlike in G RR Martin's books, I don't particularly care about any of them. Basically, pales in comparison to Mar...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Yvonne Boag rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The world is divided into three types of people. There are humans, witches and magisters. Witches use there own soul fire to do magic and usually die fairly young. Magisters on the other hand use other people's soul fire and never age. No one outside of the magisters know this. So when a prince lies dying a meeting of magisters is called, they know that one of them is causing this. The real question is who?

This is one of the best fantasy reads I have come across in ages. I couldn't put it down a...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good book, I look forward to the second book in the series. ALthough there is one cheesy sentence at the end of the next-to-last chapter that had me giggling for hours....

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Jan 09, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought the concept presented in this book about the source of magical power was fascinating and I think the author could have taken it even further. Perhaps she will in the sequel. I found it a bit slow at the beginning and there was a lot of set-up. However the action picked up in the second half of the story, holding my interest and making it easier to read through all of the POV shifts, which, in the beginning of the story I found a bit annoying because I didn't feel I truly got to know an...more

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Dec 10, 2012 StrangeBedfellows rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though I love Friedman's writing and the dark fantasy genre, this is a difficult book to get through. Not because it's bad or poorly written or anything -- it's just a very heavy story that can take a lot out of you. I've had to read it in spurts because I wasn't in the right mind frame for it. Definitely not the book for when you're in the mood for some light reading. Still, the story concept and setting are excellent, the writing is, of course, brilliant, and the characters are very interestin...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the story at the beginning, it lost me a bit through the middle, yet it picked back up enough at the end that I'm looking forward to the next book.

It was refreshing that magic in this world was not without cost, and that some paid more heed to that cost than others made the characters quite interesting too. While my feelings toward the heroine were rather mixed I was intrigued by the Magisters and found most of my sympathy with Gwynofar and the plight of her family. Still with...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Friedman's Coldfire series, so I was very pleased to find the Magister series very nearly as great. Good enough that both series deserve 5 stars, which I rarely award. Once again, her well-drawn characters inhabit an extremely interesting grey zone between good and evil. It's certainly a refreshing change from the usual fantasy heroes. I didn't initially like the premise for magic in this world, which has sort of vampire-like element, but I soon changed my mind. It works, and the struggl...more

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May 03, 2012 Nicole Trainor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: c-s-friedman, liked-female-lead-fantasy, liked-male-lead, magister-trilogy, surprised-me-being-so-good

I'd read this book earlier, but ended up losing my hard copy of the novel. I've read CS Friedman's other work and between my general liking of her style, the blurb on the back, and the cover art, I was intrigued.
I really like the overall story - that magic has a price and that price is life. Kamala is a fascinating protagonist. Honestly, almost all the characters presented in the book were intriguing, from the seductive Witch-Queen to noble Andovan to engimatic Colivar - I wanted to keep learni...more

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About C.S. Friedman

Celia S. Friedman is a science fiction and fantasy author. She has also been credited Celia S. Friedman and Celia Friedman.

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Books by C.S. Friedman

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, #1)

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Quotes from Feast of Souls

“What is a child?" he asks her.
The diamond gaze does not flinch. "Creatures that are sold on the street by their parents, to get the coin to make more children." She paused. "Adults sell themselves.” — 10 people liked it

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Feast of Souls (The Magister Trilogy #1)

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