Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1) [Paperback]

C.S. Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Coldfire | Publication Date: September 1, 1992

The Coldfire trilogy tells a story of discovery and battle against evil on a planet where a force of nature exists that is capable of reshaping the world in response to psychic stimulus. This terrifying force, much like magic, has the power to prey upon the human mind, drawing forth a person's worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life. This is the story of two men: one, a warrior priest ready to sacrifice anything and everything for the cause of humanity's progress; the other, a sorcerer who has survived for countless centuries by a total submission to evil. They are absolute enemies who must unite to conquer an evil greater than anything their world has ever known.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

For over a thousand years, the colonists of the planet Erna have struggled to gain control over a land prone to seismic instability and infused with a wild, near-sentient natural force known as "the fae." While sorcerers and adepts manipulate the dark and light sides of this power, the Church maintains its stance in opposition to its use. As the dark side of the fae grows in strength, feeding off the nightmares and greed of the minds that are drawn to it, four individuals form an unwilling alliance to battle the source of evil. Friedman ( In Conquest Born , DAW, dist. by NAL, 1978; The Madness Season , DAW, dist. by NAL, 1990) has produced a splendid hybrid of sf and fantasy in this first volume of a trilogy. Hauntingly memorable protagonists, high drama, and vivid world-building mark the beginning of what promises to be a magnum opus of the imagination. A priority purchase for fantasy or sf collections.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A magnum opus of the imagination. (Library Journal) Lyric and fanciful...classic high fantasy. (Locus) Hard to put down. (Midwest Book Review) --None

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Product Details

• Paperback: 586 pages
• Publisher: Daw Books Inc (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886775272
• ISBN-13: 978-0886775278
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING - and this is only the beginning!!!, August 2, 2000

By 

"sarasarah" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1) (Paperback)

Oh God, I love these books! I've read the whole trilogy and I've reread it and then reread it again, and it still haunts me! I never tire of it. Some people complained that there wasn't enough depth in the characters and that made me laugh a lot because sure at first you don't know them that well (how can you? this is book one) but as you progress through the trilogy the character development is amazing! Believe me, when you are done with all three, you will know these characters inside out and they will fascinate you, and you'll feel for them. The author does an EXCELLENT job of slowly building up empathy among the readers for main characters Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant. At first I thought I could never like Damien because I hate the burly warrior types but he's more complex and solid than I ever guessed and to my surprise I began to treasure his wry humor and to admire his strength. The priestly side of him is a good balance for his warrior skills and rough experience. As for Gerald Tarrant...oh God! You'll fall under his spell instantly even though he's pretty evil, and I mean: EVIL. He fascinates and repells at the same time and he's just too cool for words. He's got so many vices: vanity, arrogance, ruthlessness, but somehow the author already begins in this book to hint at something underneath very complex and far from all bad. Which is why I love the sequel (When True Night Falls) so much. That is the book where the characters have their surfaces rubbed off and you see what they really are like! Gerald Tarrant is amazing and C.S. Friedman is even more amazing for creating him! I wish there were more Tarrants out there (in books I mean) but he's a very original character. Anyway, my message to you is KEEP READING THESE BOOKS and I promise you won't regret it. There are a lot of dark currents and a lot of action but the best is the interaction between hero and anti-hero. With Tarrant around, you don't even need the villain, but then again, if the villain didn't exist, Tarrant wouldn't become the amazing hero he is!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book only if you like your plots well developed, November 17, 2003

By 

Reillan (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Sun Rising (Coldfire) (Hardcover)

The Coldfire trilogy (Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls, Crown of Shadows) is possibly the most well-developed book series of all time. Friedman delves deep into the psyche of all of the major players - good and evil - to explore the depths of human morality. This book is not a fantasy or sci-fi book as much as it is a look at what makes man tick.

The entire story is an analogy, and each of the characters within it represent different aspects of humanity; primal cunning or fragile innocence, lust for power or for immortality, unwavering morality or a kind of good which sees only the end result, not the process taken to get there. Every desire a human may have will come to life in this place, and Friedman allows them all to run rampant and see where they will lead.

This is not a fast-paced, action-packed epic. If you are looking for something to turn into a $1 billion movie, this book is not for you. If, however, you can appreciate a plot that moves along based on the mental and emotional progress of its characters, a story that is driven entirely by the intricate decisions of its characters rather than by some deus ex machina, then this book is definately for you.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the BEST!, March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy, Book 1) (Paperback)

In my opinion C. S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy is tied with Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series as the best fantasy ever written! Tarrant is without question the most interesting character in any fantasy novel I have read. He isn't the flat "Big Bad Evil Guy Who's Going to Destroy the World" found in so many fantasy books, yet neither is he the "Poor Misguided Soul Who Just Has to Be Shown the Right Path." He's not some looming shadow who can be dismissed as the bad guy, labeled as evil and given no further consideration. He's a real, fully developed, character, one who is inclined toward cruelty. He sees "The Right Path" and is by no means sure he wants to take it. Likewise his companion, Damien, though he is a priest, hardly fits the traditional mold of that vocation. Damien begins the tale as a devout warrior priest to whom Tarrant and all he stands for are anathema. However, Damien's naive idealism and faith soon come under assault, and ever so slowly Damien comes to doubt himself and his beliefs. More and more he comes to find himself agreeing with Tarrant, and more and more the reader who identifies with Damien finds himself agreeing with Tarrant. It is much more chilling to be in the vampire's head, to understand him and maybe even agree with him, than it can ever be to be stalked by him. For anyone growing at all tired of trite conventional fantasy (unicorns, fairies, and little pet dragons) this series will be a thoroughly refreshing read.

The magic system devised by Friedman is deliciously original. The cover art is outstanding. This is one case where you CAN judge a book by its cover; if you like the cover you'll love the book. I have to see if I can get a poster sized copy and possibly frame it. :-) When you finish Crown of Shadows you will be stunned. The ending is like being hit by a train...4 or 5 times in rapid succession. While the body of the series has enough plot twists to utterly enthrall even the most inert reader, the ending puts it to shame as a candle before the rising sun. Without the slightest bit of hyperbole I can state that I had no idea how it would end until the last word of the last page was read. In sum the Coldfire Trilogy is a masterwork, the sort of gem that fantasy aficionados search for but only too rarely are privileged to find.