When True Night Falls (Coldfire Trilogy, Book 2)

Rating:
Summary: This one is better than the first.
Review: This book, the 2nd in the ColdFire trilogy, has Damien, Tarrant, Hesseth and a new character, Jenesey a young girl who escapes a massacre, traveling in the eastern continent of Erna to do battle with the Undying Prince, a man who controls both humans and rakhs from his stronghold in the Black Lands. The Undying Prince plans to invade the northern part of the continent and has being laying plans with spies and the Matrias, female rakhs who are disguised as humans who lead the Church of the north.
After a long journey fraught with perils and a battle in the Wasting during which Hesseth dies, Damien, Tarrant and Jenesay reach the Undying Prince's lair only to have Tarrant betray the others to the Prince. The betrayal is a false one and Damien tries to kill the Prince but fails. Jenesey succeeds in killing the Prince and herself. Damien and Tarrant leae the Black Lands and travel north where they find the human populace engaged in a campaign of hysterical extermination against the rakh invaders.
It turns out that the Undying Prince isn't the real danger but Calesta, an Iezu demon who thrives on pain and suffering, is. Calesta wants to turn the fae against humans and rakh alike to create an unending warfare.
This book lacks the level of violence tht the 1st had but in makes up for it in character development and a deepening relationship between Damien and Tarrant. Damien learns that his Church may be corrupted, not only by rakh imposters, but even well-meaning humans who twist their faith to coincide with their hatreds rather than the other way around. Tarrant learns that his biggest experiment, the Chruch and God, may actually be working. Twice in the book, an unknown force intervenes, a force that bothe Damien and Tarrant call God. If so, then Tarrant is doubly damned for he is separated from God by his curse and his pride.
This development is the crux of the book, the other actions are merely props to the discovery of God. If the fae can bring demons to life, why can't the prayers and faith of millions bring God to life, too? An interesting idea that will be developed in the 3rd book.
Philosophy and religious themes overshadow the action plot, a predictable and mediocre effort. Again, Friedman takes a lot of words to painstakingly describe every rock, tree, flower, animal, human, rakh and their costumes. Intellectually, the book is better than the 1st as the characters mature.
I look forward to the final book.

Rating:
Summary: This was a great book but it left me with a lot of questions
Review: This is one of the best books I read, especially for the way that it was put together. I am an avid fan of science fiction, and vampires especially. The problem that I have is that I don't think that there are a lot of authors who put them together well. C. S. Friedman did this very well she left me with a lot of questions that will force me to read the last book in the trilogy, and I can't wait. For one I want to know who created Tarrant, and what they are going to do with him now that he has broken his agreement with them. I really reccomend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Don't worry
Review: This is probably the weakest of the three books, but don't be discouraged. While it doesn't have quite the feel of originality the first book did it is still an OK novel, and the ending of the third book will be worth slogging through this slightly slogged down and slightly loose book.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This series was good, but not as good as "The Madness Season" or "In Conquest Born". The magic system was a little hokey. I prefer magic systems in which the rules are as well defined as possible, or else the author can just say, "...and then the good guy wiggled his fingers and the bad guys all died." If you object he can respond with, "Oh, you didn't know that was possible? Well, it is." On the other hand, the character developments were first rate. They are the sort of characters that you can't help imagining in other scenes and other situations as you read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Seriel
Review: This was one of the most interesting series of book I have encountered in quite a long time. The characters are well developed with unexpected twists occuring throughout the story. The story line is unique, well laid out and not always predictable. I will certainly look for more works by this author. My only complaint is the the climax of the story seems to come very quickly after a length build up. A little like se......

Rating:
Summary: Like most second installments
Review: What I've tended to notice in trilogies(at least the good ones) is that the second installment tends to be the weakest part of the series. The first is usually great and the conclusion tends to pack a great emotional charge as the series is wrapped up. This is not to say that this is a bad book, far from it. The characters are fascinating, the ideas original and the plot has a great deal of twists and turns. Gerald Tarrant is one of the best anti-heroes in sci-fi/fantasy and the relationship between the Hunter and Damien Vryce provides an interesting study. It's more horror than action, but the plot rarely slows. On the whole it's a worthwhile read but the strength in this series is definitely in the first and last installments.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book; a worthy successor to _Black Sun Rising_.
Review: _When True Night Falls_ is the sequel to _Black Sun Rising_, set five months after the end of that novel. The evil that Damien, Ciani, Hesseth and Tarrant found in the rakhlands is just the beginning. Now, Damien, Tarrant and Hesseth must find the originator of the evil, and conquer *it* as well, before Erna as they know it is destroyed. The characters continue to change throughout this second part of The Coldfire Trilogy. A must read for anyone who has read and enjoyed _Black Sun Rising_, any of C. S. Friedman's other books, or who just enjoys complex, layered plots and fascinating, absorbing characters.