The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit (Wraeththu, No 1)

Rating:
Summary: Author Debut
Review: From back of book: O Brave New World, That Has Such People In It!
The cities of the industrial North have become a wasteland; the South a sun-scorched desert. The hot-house climate of Earth is about to bring forth a strange new kind of human being, a race whose psychic powers will place them as far beyond their parent race as man was beyond the ape.

Pellaz is young, but about to meet his destiny. With his companion Calanthe, he undertakes the arduous journey south. There, the coalescing new race, the Wraeththu, are building a city of their own.

There, the sorcerer Thiede has plans of his own for Pellaz.

Rating:
Summary: A great book despite shortcomings
Review: The Wraeththu are the new supreme race. Makind's time is over and what takes there place is an improved version of humanity. Set in a fictional world that resonates with a warning of what may happen to mankind if we continue along our path; this book serves as entertainment as well as a warning.
Let's start with the weaknesses of this book because there are plenty of them. The first is the aimless narrative of the story. Much of the book follows two characters that wonder from place to place in an obtuse search for knowledge and the Wraeththu version of Zion. As a corollary to this problem there are whole pages that are dedicated to the philosophical ramblings of the narrator that do nothing to further the plot. But with all these shortcomings the author succeeds in creating a very good book.
What makes this book great is the characters. This new race that the author has defined is all we want to be. They are strong, smart, sensual, and near immortal. With an exacting elegance the author portrays this new race as the epitome of humanity, what mankind could have achieved but failed to do.
I feel that this book is a success despite some strange choices the author made. The choice I question most is the fact that this new race is populated solely by mankind's gay males. I feel this stretches the boundary of credibility and dilutes the ideal of the Wraththu, that of a pure sexuality that is not blinded by gender or orientation. Perhaps the author was trying for a political statement, but I feel it is unnecessary.