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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An improvement to a book that was excellent to begin with, 2 Dec 2003
About halfway through reading this, I mentally nicknamed this revised edition "The -Enhancements- of Flesh and Spirit," because the updates and changes that Storm has made are widespread and well-placed. An additional scene here and there, an entirely new chapter added near the end (marking a major improvement over the original in itself), various subtle changes throughout and more background information tossed in like bits of spice in a well-seasoned gumbo, as well as structural and style improvements, like better placement of chapter breaks... All of these combine to make a fine addition to any fan's collection and a great place for new readers to become acquainted with Storm's remarkable Wraeththu.
For best results, read this new edition alongside the original version, if you have it, and "spot the new stuff" -- you'll enjoy the original story more and gain insights into Storm's thinking as she made the changes. One thing that surprised me was how much detail I thought was "new" had actually appeared in the original, enhancing my appreciation of the story as a whole.
My only caveat concerns the font and type-size: the papyrus font and the slightly smaller size take some getting used to, but once you've become acclimated, you forget about it, and the new cover and interior art from Ruby more than counterbalance this slight blemish on an otherwise-excellent new version. Highly recommended for fans and newcomers alike.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an amazing improvement!, 8 July 2003
Like many fans of the Wreaththu books I was slightly concerned when I heard Storm Constantine was doing a republication and re-edit of her first published book. However, I was more excited and intrigued than anything and I was one of the first to pre-order this new edition.Fans of the original will not be disappointed! As Storm says herself in her introduction to the book (read it afterwards if you have not read the original, it contains spoilers!), although the feeling of the book was spot on, sometimes characters seemed to lack the right motivation for the choices they make. The central character often just went along with things even though he had quite a strong personality at other times. Storm has effortlessly ironed out all these niggles by rewriting passages, adding new ones, and sometimes simply re-ordering paragraphs. Certain small things have been added or changed to fit in with the newest edition to the Wreaththu world, The Wraiths if Will and Pleasure, published earlier this year. You would not know that it had been messed with, as the flow of the book is wonderful. For those new to Storm's Wraeththu, they are an androgynous race that emerge from a human race in crisis and proceed to take over. The Story is told from the point of view of Pell, who is taken away from his family and "incepted" into what he at first believes is a strange but exciting cult. As the story progresses you realise that not all is what it seems and Pell is not ultimately in control of his future. As Pell and his companion Cal journey though Pell's education, they make their way across the country, encountering many of the different tribes of wreaththu that have sprung up, each with their own customs and traits. The way the tribes have evolved is wonderfully organic, warts and all; you are in essence seeing a new society evolving from the chaos.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An improved enchantment, 8 July 2003
This is an exquisite refinement of a novel that first introduced the uncanny world of Wraeththu, the race of ermaphrodites evolved from mankind. Here the feelings and interrelations between the major charachters (Pellaz the innocent seduced by the ensnaring charm of the trickster Cal, the industrious Seel and the elfin Flick, Orien the gentle Shaman and the powerful awesome Thiede, the ruthless warlord Terzian and the mysterious Cobweb, the misbegotten Caeru, Vaysch the wounded soul and the dissident Lord Ashmael) are more elaborately wowen and more deeply investigated. The fascination of an alternate reality where spirituality and sensuality are intertwined are intact, and the issue of the extent of the freedom of choice of the individual against manipulations of all kinds or true chance is more deeply investigated. We have there a more self-conscious Pellaz, and a more angst-ridden Cal, who says, joking "If there are a thousand reasons or only one, the outcome is the same".Sometimes, we can't avoid our destiny.
The last chapters are a very much needed improvement on the abrupt ending of the original version. profoundity and magical wonder. All that love books on alternate realities and magic whit an aura of refined sensuality (such as that found in Clive Barker's Imajica ) should read this book, that is the first revised book of a most original and fascinating saga, comparable to Julian May's Galactic Milieu and Tad Williams' Otherland for psychological insight and magical wonder. Very original illustrations complete this true gem of a book.
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by Storm Constantine
by Storm Constantine
by Storm Constantine
