The Hienama — Storm Constantine

When Jassenah har Sulh arrives in the Wraeththu town of Jesith to train magically with the famous hienama Ysobi, he's unprepared for the effect this har will have on him. Ysobi opens Jassenah's mind to the potential that hara can reach for and in doing so, also opens his heart. Just as it seems Jassenah has achieved his heart's desire, a new student arrives, in the form of Gesaril, a damaged young creature with mysteries lurking in his past. The magic of both the unseen world and that of harish emotions conspire to destroy Jassenah's idyllic life, until he feels he's forced to stoop to equally cruel methods to salvage his happiness. But at what cost? The Hienama is a rich and deeply erotic tale of the Wraeththu, set in the magical land of Alba Sulh. This is not a story of great leaders who affect the destiny of all, but simply that of hara who live on the land and in the wake of human passing are trying to establish communities. They strive to cast off human limitations but sometimes this task proves difficult, especially when it involves matters of the heart, when all the dark anxieties and jealousy of their previous human condition can rise to torment them. This story is the first in a series of Wraeththu novellas by Storm Constantine, involving the hermaphrodite race who comes to replace humanity, first explored in her seminal trilogies: The Wraeththu Chronicles and The Wraeththu Histories.