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Arc 2 - The Ships of Merior #1-2
Ships of Merior
This edition includes the entire arc of The Ships of Merior, later separated into books (Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark)
From the bestselling author of Curse of the Mistwraith and coauthor of the Empire series comes an epic new tale in the Wars of Light and Shadow series. In defeat, the Mistwraith has set its two royal captains at odds under a powerful curse of vengeance. Now, the princes hold the fates of the nations in the throes of their feud.
From the bestselling author of Curse of the Mistwraith and coauthor of the Empire series comes an epic new tale in the Wars of Light and Shadow series. In defeat, the Mistwraith has set its two royal captains at odds under a powerful curse of vengeance. Now, the princes hold the fates of the nations in the throes of their feud.
917 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
194 people want to read
About the author
Janny Wurts
106 books1,951 followersJanny Wurts is the author of War of Light and Shadow series, and To Ride Hell's Chasm. Her eighteen published titles include a trilogy in audio, a short story collection, as well as the internationally best selling Empire trilogy, co authored with Raymond E. Feist, with works translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Her latest title in the Wars of Light and Shadow series, Destiny's Conflict, culminates more than thirty years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the US and abroad, are her own paintings, depicting her vision of characters and setting.
Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.
The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered that historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented.
Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition - that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events.
Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off - explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness... explore free thought and compassionate understanding."
Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planet
Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.
The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered that historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented.
Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition - that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events.
Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off - explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness... explore free thought and compassionate understanding."
Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planet
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 11, 2025
Ships of Merior (Wars of Light & Shadow, #2-3) sends the reader on an intriguing journey and is a fantastic read. I am addicted to this authors work.
Jannys’ work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer. It challenges them to confront the darkness within the narrative, suggesting that those who venture into this world will want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and chilling enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends supernatural and paranormal elements. I am addicted! This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, humour and action within a world where nothing is what it seems.
Jannys’ work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer. It challenges them to confront the darkness within the narrative, suggesting that those who venture into this world will want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and chilling enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends supernatural and paranormal elements. I am addicted! This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, humour and action within a world where nothing is what it seems.
September 18, 2025
9.5/10
So many wonderful wonderful moments. I can’t even count how many there were. So excited to be continuing onward in this series. One of the best anti war novels I’ve come across! A half point was taken off only because I liked part one slightly more than part two. It was such a joy to spend most of the year with this novel!
So many wonderful wonderful moments. I can’t even count how many there were. So excited to be continuing onward in this series. One of the best anti war novels I’ve come across! A half point was taken off only because I liked part one slightly more than part two. It was such a joy to spend most of the year with this novel!
December 27, 2009
As Goodreads notes, this is Arc 2, #1-2, as it's also been published as separate volumes (the second half called Warhost of Vastmark). In any case, these two novels are the follow-up to Curse of the Mistwraith, which I read back in August, when it was being discussed on the Fantasy Book Club here on Goodreads. The author, Janny Wurts, did a great job leading the discussion and talking about her writing, and after hearing her talk about the origin of the ideas for the novels, it sounded like exactly the kind of fantasy I myself would want to write. So it should be exactly what I'd want to read, right? And yet, there was something about Curse of the Mistwraith that wasn't satisfying to me, and I think a large part of it was stylistic. I felt like it got better as it went along, and combining that with what Wurts had said about her series,I decided to hang in for at least one more book.
Which, when I got it from the library, inadvertently turned out to be two books, but that was fine since it was quite good. The first book of the series centered around half-brother princes born into an ancient feud between their family's (on their fathers' sides--they share a mother). The half-brothers end up sent through a magical gate into another world, where they hold the key to defeating a centuries-long evil that affliced the land, the Mistwraith. To do so, they must put aside their differences to combine their innate magical gifts against the Mistwraith.
I don't want to give too much away, but thanks to the titular curse, the two princes end up embroiled in a centuries-long feud. This volume continues their feud. Lysaer, the Prince of Light, is committed to his vision of justice, which demands that his half-brother Arithon die for what Lysaer perceives to be his crimes and depravity. Arithon, Master of Shadows, wants nothing to do with the feud, so he works to avoid his half-brother and his armies.
All in all, a very good story, with strong characters, some of whom are ultimately able to change and grow, while others never can.
Which, when I got it from the library, inadvertently turned out to be two books, but that was fine since it was quite good. The first book of the series centered around half-brother princes born into an ancient feud between their family's (on their fathers' sides--they share a mother). The half-brothers end up sent through a magical gate into another world, where they hold the key to defeating a centuries-long evil that affliced the land, the Mistwraith. To do so, they must put aside their differences to combine their innate magical gifts against the Mistwraith.
I don't want to give too much away, but thanks to the titular curse, the two princes end up embroiled in a centuries-long feud. This volume continues their feud. Lysaer, the Prince of Light, is committed to his vision of justice, which demands that his half-brother Arithon die for what Lysaer perceives to be his crimes and depravity. Arithon, Master of Shadows, wants nothing to do with the feud, so he works to avoid his half-brother and his armies.
All in all, a very good story, with strong characters, some of whom are ultimately able to change and grow, while others never can.
November 30, 2021
Ein Krieg zwischen zwei Halbbrüdern, verursacht durch den Fluch des Nebelgeists, zieht die verschiedenen Länder Atheras in einen tödlichen Konflikt hinein. Auf der einen Seite steht Lysaer, der das Licht beherrscht und dem die Stadtbewohner folgen, auf der anderen Seite Arithon, der Meister der Schatten, dem die Clans treu ergeben sind.
The Ships of Merior ist der zweite Band der Wars of Light & Shadow-Reihe und enthält beide Bände des zweiten Arcs – zumindest in meiner Ausgabe. Der Konflikt zwischen den beiden Halbbrüdern, der im ersten Teil aufgebaut wurde, entfaltet und verschärft sich hier nach und nach. Besonders gut gefällt mir dabei, dass es ohne weiteres möglich wäre, das Buch alleinstehend zu lesen. Es gibt genug Stellen, an denen die Ereignisse aus dem ersten Band – an den ich mich übrigens während dem Lesen noch erstaunlich erinnerte, obwohl ich ihn vor etwa 2 Jahren gelesen habe – ausreichend erläutert. Auch das Ende des Buchs ist befriedigend genug, um nicht zwingend mit dem nächsten weiterlesen zu müssen.
Mein größtes – und einziges – Problem mit dem Buch ist das Pacing der Geschichte. Diese braucht enorm viel Anlaufzeit, um ins Rollen zu kommen. Hätte ich das Buch in zwei Büchern gelesen, wie es scheinbar ursprünglich veröffentlicht wurde, dann hätte ich spätestens nach dem ersten Buch aufgehört. In der mir vorliegenden Form jedoch fand ich es jedoch verständlich, dass eine groß angelegte Geschichte manchmal eine längere Einleitung voraussetzt. Diese zahlt sich auch definitiv aus. Nach der ersten Hälfte wird die ganze Geschichte deutlich besser. Sie nimmt an Fahrt auf, bleibt dauerhaft spannend und der Konflikt entfaltet sich in seiner vollen Bandbreite.
Der Fokus der Geschichte und wohl auch der ganzen Reihe liegt auf Arithon und Lysaer. Diese beiden sind daher auch mit Abstand die detailliertesten Charaktere. Zwar erhalten auch wichtige Nebencharaktere wie beispielsweise Dakar reichlich Aufmerksamkeit, doch diese können mit den beiden Protagonisten nicht ganz mithalten. Dabei gefällt mir persönlich Arithon deutlich besser. Er ist charismatisch, verfasst die kompliziertesten Pläne und bleibt dabei stets sympathisch und nachvollziehbar. Auch Lysaers Handlungen sind anhand seines Charakters nachvollziehbar, doch warum ihm Leute folgen, konnte ich persönlich nicht verstehen. Er ist uncharismatisch, fällt auf jede List Arithon herein und ich empfinde ihn zudem als heuchlerisch und unsympathisch. Da sich dieses Buch jedoch eher mit Arithon befasst und auch ganz offensichtlich beabsichtigt, vor allem von diesem ein positives Bild zu zeichnen, bleibt meine Hoffnung erhalten, dass Lysaer im nächsten Band mehr Aufmerksamkeit und eine bessere Charakterisierung erhält.
Außerdem ist das Buch wunderschön geschrieben. Die Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Personen und Aktionen sind so bildhaft Worten beschrieben, dass alles praktisch auf die Seiten gezeichnet ist. Persönlich denke ich zwar, dass gerade diese ausführlichen Beschreibungen zum problematischen Pacing beitragen, doch angesichts der Wirkung der Worte, nehme ich diesen Nachteil gerne in Kauf.
Auch das Worldbuilding ist ausgezeichnet. Die Welt fühlt sich lebhaft an und gibt das Gefühl einer tiefen Hintergrundgeschichte, die für viele Mysterien im Zeitalter von Lysaer und Arithon sorgt. Die verschiedenen Orte und Kulturen wirken real, was vor allem Wurts guten Beschreibungen zu verdanken ist.
Alles in allem ist The Ships of Merior ein großartiges Buch, das auf eine (hoffentlich) ebenso großartige lange Buchreihe schließen lässt, die sich anders als viele andere derartig lange Buchreihen wie zum Beispiel Das Spiel der Götter auf lediglich zwei Hauptcharaktere beschränkt. Ich will mehr davon.
The Ships of Merior ist der zweite Band der Wars of Light & Shadow-Reihe und enthält beide Bände des zweiten Arcs – zumindest in meiner Ausgabe. Der Konflikt zwischen den beiden Halbbrüdern, der im ersten Teil aufgebaut wurde, entfaltet und verschärft sich hier nach und nach. Besonders gut gefällt mir dabei, dass es ohne weiteres möglich wäre, das Buch alleinstehend zu lesen. Es gibt genug Stellen, an denen die Ereignisse aus dem ersten Band – an den ich mich übrigens während dem Lesen noch erstaunlich erinnerte, obwohl ich ihn vor etwa 2 Jahren gelesen habe – ausreichend erläutert. Auch das Ende des Buchs ist befriedigend genug, um nicht zwingend mit dem nächsten weiterlesen zu müssen.
Mein größtes – und einziges – Problem mit dem Buch ist das Pacing der Geschichte. Diese braucht enorm viel Anlaufzeit, um ins Rollen zu kommen. Hätte ich das Buch in zwei Büchern gelesen, wie es scheinbar ursprünglich veröffentlicht wurde, dann hätte ich spätestens nach dem ersten Buch aufgehört. In der mir vorliegenden Form jedoch fand ich es jedoch verständlich, dass eine groß angelegte Geschichte manchmal eine längere Einleitung voraussetzt. Diese zahlt sich auch definitiv aus. Nach der ersten Hälfte wird die ganze Geschichte deutlich besser. Sie nimmt an Fahrt auf, bleibt dauerhaft spannend und der Konflikt entfaltet sich in seiner vollen Bandbreite.
Der Fokus der Geschichte und wohl auch der ganzen Reihe liegt auf Arithon und Lysaer. Diese beiden sind daher auch mit Abstand die detailliertesten Charaktere. Zwar erhalten auch wichtige Nebencharaktere wie beispielsweise Dakar reichlich Aufmerksamkeit, doch diese können mit den beiden Protagonisten nicht ganz mithalten. Dabei gefällt mir persönlich Arithon deutlich besser. Er ist charismatisch, verfasst die kompliziertesten Pläne und bleibt dabei stets sympathisch und nachvollziehbar. Auch Lysaers Handlungen sind anhand seines Charakters nachvollziehbar, doch warum ihm Leute folgen, konnte ich persönlich nicht verstehen. Er ist uncharismatisch, fällt auf jede List Arithon herein und ich empfinde ihn zudem als heuchlerisch und unsympathisch. Da sich dieses Buch jedoch eher mit Arithon befasst und auch ganz offensichtlich beabsichtigt, vor allem von diesem ein positives Bild zu zeichnen, bleibt meine Hoffnung erhalten, dass Lysaer im nächsten Band mehr Aufmerksamkeit und eine bessere Charakterisierung erhält.
Außerdem ist das Buch wunderschön geschrieben. Die Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Personen und Aktionen sind so bildhaft Worten beschrieben, dass alles praktisch auf die Seiten gezeichnet ist. Persönlich denke ich zwar, dass gerade diese ausführlichen Beschreibungen zum problematischen Pacing beitragen, doch angesichts der Wirkung der Worte, nehme ich diesen Nachteil gerne in Kauf.
Auch das Worldbuilding ist ausgezeichnet. Die Welt fühlt sich lebhaft an und gibt das Gefühl einer tiefen Hintergrundgeschichte, die für viele Mysterien im Zeitalter von Lysaer und Arithon sorgt. Die verschiedenen Orte und Kulturen wirken real, was vor allem Wurts guten Beschreibungen zu verdanken ist.
Alles in allem ist The Ships of Merior ein großartiges Buch, das auf eine (hoffentlich) ebenso großartige lange Buchreihe schließen lässt, die sich anders als viele andere derartig lange Buchreihen wie zum Beispiel Das Spiel der Götter auf lediglich zwei Hauptcharaktere beschränkt. Ich will mehr davon.
February 13, 2021
This is my first reread of this book, the first in the series that I ever read. You have to be in the right mood to read this book - the language is full of metaphor and can be quite slow moving.
What I love about this series is that it's about personality and character traits more than plot for the sake of plot. You understand all the characters and feel for them, despite the fact that they're on opposite sides.
I'm looking forward to working my way through the series!
What I love about this series is that it's about personality and character traits more than plot for the sake of plot. You understand all the characters and feel for them, despite the fact that they're on opposite sides.
I'm looking forward to working my way through the series!
July 28, 2025
Janny Wurts has delivered an unmistakable five star read. The character development, the plot, the prose - everything. A massive step up from Curse of the Mistwraith, Ships of Merior (and the second half, Warhost of Vastmark) build upon everything from the first book, adds more, and then leaves you with the perfect amount of questions to set up Fugitive Prince and the arc that it starts, Alliance of Light.
October 9, 2010
gave up with just a few pages left to go. This has pretty much convinced me I don't like fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews