Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman is an exciting story, with several different events occurring and intertwining at the same time. Kamala is the first woman to become a Magister, an order that can draw upon humans' souls to use magic. She has just killed another member of the order, and is hunted for it. To save herself, Kamala flees to the Northern Protectorates, where she meets Rhys, who, with his Lyr blood, is immune to the Wrath, a sorcerous boundary that warps magic used by anyone and causes terror in all who approach it. It was formed to keep Souleaters, creatures who feast on the souls of humans, away from civilization. After saving Rhys from a traitorous tribe of the Northern Protectorates, the Alkali, they together search for a disturbance in the Wrath which Rhys had been sent to find. They find one of the stones that forms the Wrath had been broken, and a witch was inside, having been sacrificed to create it. This causes Rhys to doubt his people's beliefs, as they believe that the Gods had created the Wrath to help them, not to torture their people. Rhys is unsure of what to do when he returns to his leaders, as telling them the truth could ruin their morale, as their beliefs will be shattered. Meanwhile, another story takes place south, in the High Kingdom, where Salvator Aurelius take the throne from his father. He renounces his vows as a Penitent monk, and takes his role as ruler of the Kingdom. He is faced with trouble when reports of attacks from the Northern Protectorates come in, as his mother is half Lyr, and is Rhys' mother as well. The third thread of the story is centered around the Witch-Queen of Sankara, Siderea, whose use of magic has brought her to the end of her life. Her soulfire, which is used to make her magic, has almost expired. She is saved when she is shown a group of Souleaters hiding in the mountains near her home. She is paired to one, and it renews her soulfire, while she sets it free from its prison. Siderea is concerned with allying her home country with the High Kingdom to ensure peace. Meanwhile, in the High Kingdom, Salvator finds out from Rhys that the Alkali had betrayed the other Protectorates, and they are the ones that attacked the High Kingdom in an attempt to start a war between the Protectorates and the High Kingdom. However, Salvator allies himself with Rhys' tribe and the other tribes, and they begin a campaign against the Alkali while Rhys and Kamala sneak through to the main city of the Alkali on a secret mission.. Will the fighting be enough to distract the Alkali and allow Rhys and Kamala to succeed, or will Salvator and the others fail and doom the entire Northern Protectorates? Read Wings of Wrath to find out.
While I have never read the first book in the trilogy, Feast of Souls, Wings of Wrath is a very confusing book, with a plot that has good ideas, but is hard to understand. The author refers to places and events from the first book too much for someone who hasn't read it to understand. The different threads of the story based on different characters, along with the constant flashes to the past, make it very difficult to follow as well. Even if I had read Feast of Souls, I feel that Wings of Wrath would still be a confusing and difficult read. However, if you can read through the confusing points of the book, the plot is good, and can keep you interested if you understand it. While I would not recommend this book to someone who has difficulty concentrating while reading, I do think that anyone who has read Feast of Souls and enjoyed it should definitely consider reading Wings of Wrath.
ViolenceSexual Themes
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA US
