Feast of souls

by C. S. Friedman

"At the end of her 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 Feast of Souls, she introduces us to a terrifying world in which the cost of magic is just that: 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 tale of nightmarish 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." "In the court of High King Danton Aurelius, young Prince Andovan lies dying of a mysterious malady known only as the Wasting. Determined to save his son from this incurable disease, the High King summons a council of Magisters to aid him. These solitary, seemingly immortal sorcerers rarely combine forces for any purpose, but in this one case they are willing to unit