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  • Black Sun Rising

Black Sun Rising

The Coldfire Trilogy #1 / 3
by C. S. Friedman
Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy #1) by C. S. Friedman
★ 7.50 / 8
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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.

The Priest: Damien Vryce – a rebel, a warrior, one of the few men of his calling who believes that sorcery can, indeed, serve as a potent weapon in the war against evil, a man ready to sacrifice anything and everything in the name of human progress…

The Adept: Ciani of Faraday – one of the few humans born with the ability to see the fae and to alter it, she has devoted her life to the acquisition of knowledge. But a deadly evil from her mysterious past has marked her for vengeance, and its devastating assault leaves her no choice but to track down and destroy the demons who have robbed her of her lifelong powers and most of her memories…

The Apprentice: Senzei Reesse – Ciani’s friend and assistant, he has lived in the shadow of her power for many years, hungering to possess the adept’s talents which he knows can never be his…

The Sorcerer: Gerald Tarrant – an enigmatic figure of seductive elegance and chilling amorality, he draws his strength from a land immersed in perpetual darkness, and serves an evil will so powerful that it can alter the very balance between life and death…

Now a menace which even Tarrant has come to dread has invaded the human lands, and Ciani is only the first of its victims. Only the combined efforts of this uneasily allied foursome offers the least hope of finding and combating this ruthless, soul-devouring darkness. And so, with no other choice open to them, their journey begins…

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FantasyEpic FantasyHigh FantasyDark Fantasy
Release date: 1991

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C. S. Friedman

C. S. Friedman

C. S. Friedman writes the kind of stories that linger in the corners of your mind—the shadowy spaces where science fiction meets dark fantasy and nothing is ever quite what it seems. Her work doesn’t just build worlds; it dissects them, probing the fragile boundary between civilization and chaos, reason and belief, self and the unknown. With a style that’s both razor-sharp and richly layered, she’s become a defining voice for readers who crave speculative fiction that dares to ask difficult questions.

Read more ...

Her journey into writing was as unconventional as her characters. Born in New York City, Friedman first made her mark in the world of theater, earning an MFA in costume design and working for years behind the scenes. That love for mood, texture, and transformation seeps into her novels, where setting isn’t just backdrop—it’s a living force, often dangerous, always complex. And it’s no surprise that her earliest spark came from discovering Isaac Asimov as a child traveling through France—an origin story befitting a writer so adept at blending intellect with imagination.

When In Conquest Born hit shelves in 1986, it didn’t just introduce a new author—it carved out a space for unapologetically cerebral science fiction, filled with psychological tension and political drama. Then came the Coldfire Trilogy, a dark fantasy epic that has earned cult status for its fearless dive into morality, mysticism, and madness. In works like This Alien Shore, she explores themes of identity, transformation, and the evolution of humanity with a nuance that resonates in today’s fragmented world.

What truly defines her writing is its refusal to offer easy answers. Her protagonists often walk a razor’s edge, and the choices they face are as haunting as they are human. Her stories invite readers to question not only the fabric of the worlds she creates but the assumptions they bring with them.

For those who gravitate toward the intellectually rich, the emotionally challenging, and the beautifully strange, her books offer an experience that’s as provocative as it is immersive. Whether she’s spinning galaxies out of stardust or summoning monsters from myth, Friedman writes with a voice that feels both timeless and unmistakably her own.

The Coldfire Trilogy

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.

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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.


The Coldfire Trilogy consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Black Sun Rising (The Coldfire Trilogy #1)
★ 7.50 / 8
When True Night Falls (The Coldfire Trilogy #2)
★ 7.66 / 6
Crown of Shadows (The Coldfire Trilogy #3)
★ 8.00 / 7


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