NOVELS
Celia has published fourteen science fiction and fantasy novels to date, including the acclaimed Coldfire Trilogy. Her works have been translated into German, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, and Polish.
Nightborn: Coldfire Rising
A prequel to the lauded Coldfire trilogy, Friedman’s latest novel mixes the best of dark fantasy and chilling sci-fi.
A ship full of colonists arrive on a seemingly hospitable planet, only to discover that it harbors a terrifying secret. Soon the settlers find themselves caught up in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, bringing a person’s greatest fears and darkest nightmares to life.
As Colony Commander Leon Case and Chief Medic Lise Perez struggle to find a way to control the fae before more people die, other settlers have ideas of their own…and they may prove more of a threat to colony than the fae itself.
Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is a tale that blends sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, suspenseful and emotionally intense, as a handful of humans struggle to survive on an alien world that seems determined to kill them. In the end they will have to draw upon both scientific knowledge and mystical traditions to save themselves.
Whether you’re just discovering the Coldfire universe through this prequel or returning to it as a classic favorite, Nightborn: Coldfire Rising is the perfect entry point to this unique, genre-blending space fantasy epic.
THE COLDFIRE TRILOGY
Black Sun Rising
Over a millennium ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world, was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold, and the colonists were soon caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth a person’s worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life.
Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realizing that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength. Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, four people are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy. read more…
When True Night Falls
With her ground-breaking fantasy novel, Black Sun Rising, C.S. Friedman introduced readers to a world far-distant from Earth, a beautiful planet which at first appeared to be an ideal home for humankind. But the seismic activity which periodically took its toll of the world of Erna was only the most obvious of the trials with which the colonists would be faced. For there were other powers at work upon the planet, chief among them the fae–a terrifying force of nature with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, indiscriminately drawing forth a person’s worst nightmare visions or most treasured dreams and bringing them to life. For twelve centuries, humanity’s survival has been defined by its battle with the fae, but recently the ranks of the dark fae have begun to increase dramatically and unless something drastic is done to shift the balance, humanity may soon face a final terrifying descent into oblivion.
When True Night Falls returns to Erna at a crucial time in this undeclared war. Over the years, five attempts have been made to cross the planet’s greatest ocean and settle the lands in the east. But the Novatlantic Divide, riddled with active volcanoes and fae-born dangers, has apparently swallowed each expedition in its turn, leaving the fates of these explorers forever veiled in mystery. read more…
Crown of Shadows
In the first two volumes of her acclaimed Coldfire trilogy, C.S. Friedman introduced readers to the beautiful but treacherous world of Erna, where humanity has fought a desperate struggle for survival against the fae–a force of nature which responds to the human psyche, indiscriminately bringing to life a person’s most treasured dreams or hideous nightmares.
For more than a millennium now Erna’s humans have maintained an uneasy stalemate with the fae, with adepts and sorcerers working for their own profit while the demonic creatures who feed upon such efforts rapidly gain power and ambition. Now one of these demons, a Iezu called Calesta, has declared war on all of mankind. read more…
THE OUTWORLDS
This Alien Shore
It is the second stage of human colon-ization–the first age, humanity’s initial attempt to people the stars, ended in disaster when it was discovered that Earth’s original superluminal drive did permanent genetic damage to all who used it–mutating Earth’s far-flung colonists in mind and body. Now, one of Earth’s first colonies has given humanity back the stars, but at a high price–a monopoly over all human commerce. And when a satellite in earth’s outer orbit is viciously attacked by corporate raiders, an unusual young woman flees to a ship bound for the Up-and-Out. But her narrow escape does not mean safety. For speeding across the galaxy pursued by ruthless, but unknown adversaries, this young woman will discover a secret which is buried deep inside her psyche–a revelation the universe may not be ready to face… read more…
This Virtual Night
When deep-space travel altered the genes of the first interstellar colonists, Earth abandoned them. But some of the colonies survived, and a new civilization of mental and physical “Variants” has been established, centered around clusters of space stations known as the outworlds.
Now the unthinkable has happened: a suicide assault has destroyed the life support system of a major waystation. All that is known about the young men responsible is that in their last living moments they were receiving messages from an uninhabited sector of space, and were playing a virtual reality game.
Two unlikely allies have joined forces to investigate the incident: Ru Gaya, a mercenary explorer with a taste for high risk ventures, and game designer Micah Bello, who must find the parties responsible for the attack in order to clear his name. From the corridors of a derelict station lost to madness to an outlaw stronghold in the depths of uncharted space, the two now follow the trail of an enemy who can twist human minds to his purpose, and whose plans could bring about the collapse of outworld civilization.
THE MAGISTER’S TRILOGY
Feast of Souls
At the end of her bestselling Coldfire Trilogy, C.S. Friedman challenged readers to imagine what a world would be like if sorcery required the ultimate sacrifice–that of life itself. Now, in a groundbreaking new fantasy novel, FEAST OF SOULS, she introduces us to a terrifying new world in which the cost of magic is just that–a world in which the fuel for sorcery is the very fire of the human spirit, and those who hunger for magical power must pay for it with their lives. In this epic tale of terrifying shadows and desperate hope, the greatest threat of all may not be that of ancient enemies returned, or ancient wars resumed, but of the darkness that lies within the hearts of men. read more…
Wings of Wrath
In a world where spells are fueled by the essence of one’s own life, the young peasant woman Kamala has proven strong and determined enough to claim the most powerful sorcery for her own. But her rise to power is not without cost. The shadowy brotherhood of Magisters now hunts her for killing one of their kind, and her only hope of survival may lie in fleeing to the northern Protectorates, where spells are warped by a curse called the Wrath and the shadow of an ancient Enemy is once more falling across the land. Joining company with the Guardian Rhys, she will soon discover the true origin of the Wrath, and learn of an ancient artifact that might awaken the northern bloodlines to their true potential…if it does not drive them mad first. read more…
Legacy of Kings
The young peasant woman Kamala has proven strong and determined enough to claim the most powerful Magister sorcery for herself-but now the Magisters hunt her for killing one of their own. Her only hope of survival lies in the northern Protectorates, where spells are warped by a curse called the Wrath that even the Magisters fear. Originally intended to protect the lands of men from creatures known only as souleaters, the Wrath appears to be weakening-and the threat of this ancient enemy is once more falling across the land. read more…
DREAMWALKER TRILOGY
Dreamwalker (Dreamwalker Chronicles #1)
All her life Jessica Drake has dreamed of other worlds, some of them similar to her own, others disturbingly alien. She never shares the details with anyone, save her younger brother Tommy, a compulsive gamer who incorporates some aspects of Jessica’s dreams into his games. But now someone is asking about those dreams…and about her. A strange woman has been watching her house. A visitor to her school attempts to take possession of her dream-inspired artwork. read more…
Dreamseeker (Dreamwalker Chronicles #2)
When Jessica Drake learned that her DNA didn’t match that of her parents, she had no idea that the search for her heritage would put her family’s lives in danger, or force her to cross into another world. In an alternate Earth dominated by individuals with unnatural mental powers called Gifts, Jessica learned that there was a curse within her blood, one so feared that all who possessed it were destroyed on sight. For she was a Dreamwalker, and the same dark Gift that would allow her to enter the dreams of others would eventually destroy her mind and spread insanity to all those around her. read more…
Dreamweaver (Dreamwalker Chronicles #3)
When Jessica Drake learned that her DNA didn’t match that of her parents, she had no idea that investigating her true heritage would put her family’s lives in danger, and ultimately force her to cross into another world.
There, in an alternate Earth dominated by individuals with frightening mental powers called Gifts, Jessica learned of a curse within her blood, one so terrifying that all who possessed it were destroyed on sight. For she is a Dreamwalker, and the same dark Gift that allows her to enter the dreams of others will eventually destroy her mind and spread insanity to all around her.
OTHER WORKS
In Conquest Born
The Great War between Braxi and Azea has gone on since the beginning of interstellar history, and will continue–some claim–to its end. Unable to achieve final victory, unwilling to accept defeat, both sides have devoted centuries to perfecting their martial capacity, each according to a unique tradition. In the Braxin Holding, the ruling Braxaná tribe draws upon ancient customs to create a warrior race as strong as it is ruthless, and utterly without human weakness. In the Azean Empire scientists race to perfect the human genome, and to unleash the psychic potential of the human mind against their implacable opponent.
Now two great generals have arisen, each determined to breach the stalement at any cost. And their obsession will soon spark a vendetta that will change the course of empires… read more…
The Madness Season
He’d had so many names over the centuries, so many new identities that he could scarcely remember who he had originally been. Now his name was Daetrin, a name given by the alien conquerors of humankind, the Tyr.
Three hundred years had passed since the Tyr conquered the people of Earth as they had previously overcome numerous races throughout the galaxy. In their victory they had taken the very heart out of the human race, isolating the true individualists, the geniuses, all the people who represented the hopes, dreams, and discoveries of the future, and imprisoning them in dome colonies on planets hostile to human life. There the Tyr, a race which shared a unified gestalt mind, had left these gifted individuals to work on projects which would, the conquerors hoped, reveal all of humankind’s secrets to them. read more…
The Erciyes Fragments
This is a soucebook for White Wolf’s roleplaying game, Vampire: the Masquerade. The Erciyes Fragments is the Book of Nod from Caine’s point of view. The text is in manuscript form with learned scribblings in the margins (compliments of the various methuselahs who have come across it down through the ages).
“While this book was intended for players familiar with the White Wolf’s World of Darkness setting, some non-players have reported they enjoyed it. The Book of Nod is the legendary “bible” of the vampires, telling of their origin as the result of a biblical spat with God, outlining the parameters of their curse, and providing prophecies of horrors to come. This version was written by the first of all vampires, who has a small problem with megalomania and envisions himself as a rival to God. You see where it got him.
(Maybe if he hadn’t killed his brother, White Wolf would have given his book a title that people could pronounce)” – C.S. Friedman
The Wilding
It is now two hundred years since the great generals Zatar the Magnificent and Anzha lyu Mitethe pursued their vendetta among the stars, and in doing so altered the very flow of human history. The psychics of the Azean Empire have since scattered in fear, taking shelter in regions of space where neither Empire nor Holding dares follow. They are legendary creatures now, rumored to be half mad from the mental fallout of their homeworld’s destruction, surfacing but rarely to raid the civilized worlds for supplies, information…or more human trade goods. read more…
The Dreaming Kind
From humorous to dark, witty to lyrical, this collection of eight short stories (plus a few extra treats) showcases the versatile talent of one of the genre’s most creative writers. If you’re not already a fan of C. S. Friedman, you soon will be. And if you’re already a fan, you’ll enjoy reading these rarely-seen shorter works.
read more…