Wraeththu Series by Storm Constantine

In this powerful and elegant story set in a future Earth very different from our own, a new kind of human has evolved to challenge the dominion of Homo sapiens. This new breed is stronger, smarter, and far more beautiful than their parent race, and are endowed with psychic as well as physical gifts. They are destined to supplant humanity as we know it, but humanity won't die without a struggle... moreIn this powerful and elegant story set in a future Earth very different from our own, a new kind of human has evolved to challenge the dominion of Homo sapiens. This new breed is stronger, smarter, and far more beautiful than their parent race, and are endowed with psychic as well as physical gifts. They are destined to supplant humanity as we know it, but humanity won't die without a struggle.Here at last in a single volume are all three of Constantine's Wraeththu trilogy: The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit, The Bewitchments of Love and Hate, and The Fulfilments of Fate and Desire. less

‘Never speak his name, never!’ Cobweb warned. ‘Never whistle in the dark for it summons evil and he will hear it. In the treetops, the feathered ones will know. Watch them, Swift, watch the birds!’ That night I had a terrible dream. In the dream, the yellow-haired har was standing in a wreath of shadowy flames and his beauty was ugliness. He saw me and snared me in horror. ‘Call me,’ he whispered and held out his hands, which were dripping red and shaking... more‘Never speak his name, never!’ Cobweb warned. ‘Never whistle in the dark for it summons evil and he will hear it. In the treetops, the feathered ones will know. Watch them, Swift, watch the birds!’ That night I had a terrible dream. In the dream, the yellow-haired har was standing in a wreath of shadowy flames and his beauty was ugliness. He saw me and snared me in horror. ‘Call me,’ he whispered and held out his hands, which were dripping red and shaking. I tried to turn away, run away, but I could not move. His eyes transfixed me. ‘Call me!’ Swift is a young har, growing up in the town of Galhea, among the Varrs, one of the most feared of Wraeththu tribes. His father is Terzian, the phyle leader, his hostling the mysterious witch-har, Cobweb. Swift is sheltered from the horrors beyond his home, where humans and hara are still in conflict over territory, with the humans rapidly losing the fight. But now, different factions of hara are also engaged in hostilities. When a face from the past reappears, amid a host of dire omens, Swift has to face the truth about his own kind and make difficult decisions about what’s best for their future. The powerful Gelaming tribe seek to take control of Megalithica, Swift’s home country, because the Varrs are barbaric and cruel and commit atrocities against any who oppose them – or so Swift is told. This does not match the memories he has of his happy childhood. But perhaps the stories are true, and a vile canker eats at the heart of the Varr hierarchy – a canker that must be cut out, whatever the cost. The Bewitchments of Love and Hate is second volume in The Wraeththu Chronicles trilogy, expanded and updated. less

‘If life is a battle, then my inner scars are medals for valour, for swiftness, for courage, for passion. Evil is the dark-haired sibling of Good; they walk hand in hand—always. And, by the way, whatever it sounds like, that is not an excuse.’ Calanthe, erstwhile companion of Tigron Pellaz, is on the run. He flees from his past and his mistakes, haunted by spectres of the terrible things he has done... more‘If life is a battle, then my inner scars are medals for valour, for swiftness, for courage, for passion. Evil is the dark-haired sibling of Good; they walk hand in hand—always. And, by the way, whatever it sounds like, that is not an excuse.’ Calanthe, erstwhile companion of Tigron Pellaz, is on the run. He flees from his past and his mistakes, haunted by spectres of the terrible things he has done. Down on his luck, broke and starving, he takes work in a musenda, a brothel in the disreputable town of Fallsend. Here, he meets Panthera, a strange and beautiful har, held in unspeakable slavery, from which Cal vows to liberate him. Once free of Fallsend, Cal and Panthera undertake a mythic journey through the land of Jaddayoth, from the peaks of Shappa to the underground city of Sahen. Here strange new tribes have formed with intriguing mutations and customs. Only through the experiences he can gain from the tribes of Jaddayoth will Cal become strong and prepared enough to face what lies waiting for him at journey’s end - in the Tigron’s city of Immanion. With ghosts at his heels and phantoms beckoning to him from the future, Cal must confront his past, in order to fulfil his destiny and discover whether he and Pellaz can ever be reunited. Third in The Wraeththu Chronicles trilogy, The Fulfilments of Fate and Desire concludes the first saga of the androgynous race that has become the dominant species on earth. For this edition, the author expanded scenes and added extra appendices to give more background information about the world of Wraeththu. less