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Wraeththu Mythos #3
Student of Kyme
A Wraeththu Mythos novel, sequel to The Hienama. The young Wraeththu har, Gesaril, has been shamed and cast out of Jesith, after an inappropriate affair with his hienama, Ysobi. Ysobi's reputation was at stake, so Gesaril was made the scapegoat. Taken in by Huriel Har Kyme, a codexia of the famed Alba Sulh academy, Gesaril vows to begin his life anew in the Wraeththu city of learning. He is determined to put the past and its ghosts behind him, to restore his name and prove to hara he is not what Ysobi painted him to be. But sometimes the past will not lie quietly in its grave, and Gesaril soon learns he must confront the restless ghosts and fight them. Ysobi is not done with him, but no har will believe him. If he is to retain his sanity and his hard won new life, Gesaril must win this bitter war alone, with magic dark and light. This is a powerful story of obsession, betrayal and doomed love, sure to be a hit with Wraeththu fans and followers of the dark and Gothic alike.
196 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
97 people want to read
About the author
Storm Constantine
144 books503 followersStorm Constantine was a British science fiction and fantasy author, primarily known for her Wraeththu series.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
Since the late 1980s she wrote more than 20 novels, plus several non-fiction books. She is featured in the Goth Bible and is often included in discussions of alternative sexuality and gender in science fiction and fantasy; many of her novels include same-sex relationships or hermaphrodites or other twists of gender. Magic, mysticism and ancient legends (like the Grigori) also figure strongly in her works.
In 2003 she launched Immanion Press, based out of Stafford, England. The publishing company publishes not only her own works but those of new writers, as well as well-known genre writers, mainly from the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 30, 2013
I think I'm really over the Storm Constantine experience. She's always been hit-or-miss with me: The 6 books in the core Wraeththu mythos were wildly uneven-- some of them were incredible, some of them felt contrived; her early short stories, and one other book I can't remember the title of because I couldn't be arsed to finish it were dull and amateurish in their execution. Her Sea Dragon's Heir trilogy also veered wildly from wonderful to blah.
That said, I absolutely loved The Hienama, a stand-alone novel which exists within the Wraeththu universe, so I've been waiting with great anticipation for the follow-up, Student of Kyme, to appear. Unfortunately, it utterly failed to live up to the promise of The Hienama.
Gesaril, the main character and antagonist of The Hienama, has become markedly less loathsome as he has grown up and matured a little, but I still found him to be fairly petulant and tedious, like a beautiful high-school girl who's utterly self-involved in her own overblown angst. "Oh, it's so dreadfully hard to be so beautiful and have everyone want me! *sigh*" Oh, poor baby. *eyeroll*
The first-person diary style feels like a cop-out, less a stylistic choice than Storm simply deciding she didn't want to put in the effort. The prose itself isn't nearly as lush as anything in the original Wraeththu novels, which to me was their biggest selling point. Relationships are created and summarily dropped without sufficient explanation; other friendships develop which seem unlikely to the point of being nearly implausible, and seem to be explained only by the fact that *Gesaril is so beautiful that everyhar must either befriend him or possess him, WOE!* There's an underdeveloped subplot which toys with the idea of a chasm of understanding between first- and second- generation Wraeththu, but even that isn't really explored to any serious degree. And perhaps most tragically of all, there's only one Aruna scene, and compared to some of her other work, it's lackluster at best.
I've got to say, when it feels like authors are just phoning it in, it's hard for me to maintain any semblance of interest in their work. Someone is really going to have to compel me to read any of Storm's future work.
That said, I absolutely loved The Hienama, a stand-alone novel which exists within the Wraeththu universe, so I've been waiting with great anticipation for the follow-up, Student of Kyme, to appear. Unfortunately, it utterly failed to live up to the promise of The Hienama.
Gesaril, the main character and antagonist of The Hienama, has become markedly less loathsome as he has grown up and matured a little, but I still found him to be fairly petulant and tedious, like a beautiful high-school girl who's utterly self-involved in her own overblown angst. "Oh, it's so dreadfully hard to be so beautiful and have everyone want me! *sigh*" Oh, poor baby. *eyeroll*
The first-person diary style feels like a cop-out, less a stylistic choice than Storm simply deciding she didn't want to put in the effort. The prose itself isn't nearly as lush as anything in the original Wraeththu novels, which to me was their biggest selling point. Relationships are created and summarily dropped without sufficient explanation; other friendships develop which seem unlikely to the point of being nearly implausible, and seem to be explained only by the fact that *Gesaril is so beautiful that everyhar must either befriend him or possess him, WOE!* There's an underdeveloped subplot which toys with the idea of a chasm of understanding between first- and second- generation Wraeththu, but even that isn't really explored to any serious degree. And perhaps most tragically of all, there's only one Aruna scene, and compared to some of her other work, it's lackluster at best.
I've got to say, when it feels like authors are just phoning it in, it's hard for me to maintain any semblance of interest in their work. Someone is really going to have to compel me to read any of Storm's future work.
July 15, 2012
This book picks up the story begun in The Hienama. However it changes perspective as this time it is Gesaril who tells the story.
Portrayed as the evil, selfish kid in the first book, here he gets to tell his view of the things that happened before and of how it continues.
This time the book is actually the journal of Gesaril so there are some gaps in the story when he does not write in it and omissions of things he does not want to talk about. The author uses this quite cleverly to keep up suspense and leave out unimportant bits or jump forward in time when nothing is happening for a while.
The in depth portray painted of Gesaril as a second generation hara is very well done and Constantine really dives into the psychological effects of being Wraeththu. For someone who has read all the other books this is interesting but I would guess a first time reader would find it rather confusing.
The plot is simply Gesaril's life and how he is trying to find some love - and keeps failing.
It is a better book then The Hienama but still far from the fascinating stuff Constantine has written before and the characters in general lack that certain something that I loved about Cobweb or Calanthe.
Portrayed as the evil, selfish kid in the first book, here he gets to tell his view of the things that happened before and of how it continues.
This time the book is actually the journal of Gesaril so there are some gaps in the story when he does not write in it and omissions of things he does not want to talk about. The author uses this quite cleverly to keep up suspense and leave out unimportant bits or jump forward in time when nothing is happening for a while.
The in depth portray painted of Gesaril as a second generation hara is very well done and Constantine really dives into the psychological effects of being Wraeththu. For someone who has read all the other books this is interesting but I would guess a first time reader would find it rather confusing.
The plot is simply Gesaril's life and how he is trying to find some love - and keeps failing.
It is a better book then The Hienama but still far from the fascinating stuff Constantine has written before and the characters in general lack that certain something that I loved about Cobweb or Calanthe.
March 20, 2011
Where to start? Well, it wasn't good. The main protagonist, Gesaril, was really annoying at times, so much so that I hardly felt any sympathy for him after his initial complaints about everything that has happened to him; including, but not limited to him being all frustrated that he’s so good looking and how hard it is, and also his constant whining about how his life is ruined when he’s got a good thing going for him in Alba Sulh.
Another thing that bothered me was the way it was narrated, it left something to be desired. I felt like it took away from the story. Compared to if it was like a memoir or just first person, I didn't feel like I was in the story, but just given the dumb down narration of what happened (besides I’ve never really enjoyed stories that were written in diary format).
Another problem I have with Constantine's novels and series, in general, is that they are so inconsistent. Like the Wraeththu Series in my opinion were great, I found that a majority of the time the Wraeththu Histories were good (with a little issues), but then this? I hate to say it, but I think I'm done with Constantine's books for a bit.
Another thing that bothered me was the way it was narrated, it left something to be desired. I felt like it took away from the story. Compared to if it was like a memoir or just first person, I didn't feel like I was in the story, but just given the dumb down narration of what happened (besides I’ve never really enjoyed stories that were written in diary format).
Another problem I have with Constantine's novels and series, in general, is that they are so inconsistent. Like the Wraeththu Series in my opinion were great, I found that a majority of the time the Wraeththu Histories were good (with a little issues), but then this? I hate to say it, but I think I'm done with Constantine's books for a bit.
June 24, 2015
I liked this book very much. We get to see what happens to Gesaril who was a really messed up har in "Heinama". He's still in love with Isobi and this sequel is about the journey Gesaril takes in trying to get over his love for Isobi, who has a chesnara and has had a harling with him.
August 10, 2011
I really liked it; it was a nice light read. I think I would have liked it to be a little more in depth, but as Wraeththu mythos goes it's definitely a keeper.
March 12, 2018
I great follow up to Hienama, it makes that story more complicated and adds texture and depth to the characters here.
May 20, 2025
The lyrical, melancholy voice of the young protagonist takes the reader into a labyinth of self-doubt, solidified by his past misdeeds, others’s perception of him, and yet he cannot shake the feeling that he’s been victimized by the object of his obsession, that the one he’s obsessed with is encouraging his passion in a sly way no one can catch him at. Fear of being caught in a pattern spoils the beginning of a romance, before his dark past comes searching for him, fulfilling his desire and fear in a trap he cannot escape from.
This is the other side of the story in The Hienama, showing how human hara can be, yet their psychological problems can be mystically amplified by their unique condition. No cozy romantic resolution is made, yet the protagonist reaches a sense of empowerment, reclaiming himself, after trying and failing a few times to let go of his toxic past. There was something recognizable about the relationship he couldn’t let go of, for all his efforts to heal himself. Sometimes the process was magical, sometimes it was a realistic struggle against an emotion which refused to die. Painfully beautiful, the gorgeous prose bursting forth from every page was like a balm for the emotional anguish.
There’s always another side to a story. It was heartening that the narrator got to tell his.
This is the other side of the story in The Hienama, showing how human hara can be, yet their psychological problems can be mystically amplified by their unique condition. No cozy romantic resolution is made, yet the protagonist reaches a sense of empowerment, reclaiming himself, after trying and failing a few times to let go of his toxic past. There was something recognizable about the relationship he couldn’t let go of, for all his efforts to heal himself. Sometimes the process was magical, sometimes it was a realistic struggle against an emotion which refused to die. Painfully beautiful, the gorgeous prose bursting forth from every page was like a balm for the emotional anguish.
There’s always another side to a story. It was heartening that the narrator got to tell his.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews