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Wars of Light and Shadow #10
Destiny's Conflict
The long-awaited second book of the fourth story arc - Sword of the Canon - in the epic fantasy series, the Wars of Light and Shadow.
Lysaer’s unstable integrity lies under threat of total downfall, and as his determined protector, Daliana will face the most frightening decision of her young life.
Arithon, Master of Shadow, is marked for death and still hunted, when his critical quest to recover his obscured past entangles him in a web of deep intrigue and ancient perils beyond his imagining.
Elaira’s urgent pursuit of the Biedar Tribes’ secret embroils her in the terrible directive of the Fellowship Sorcerers, while Dakar — the Mad Prophet — confronts the hard reckoning for the colossal mistake of his misspent past, and Tarens is steered by a destiny far from his crofter’s origins.
The penultimate volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow will touch the grand depths of Athera’s endowment, and deliver the thrilling finale of arc IV, the Sword of the Canon.
War, blood, magic, mystery – and the most hidden powers of all – will stand or fall on their hour of unveiling.
Lysaer’s unstable integrity lies under threat of total downfall, and as his determined protector, Daliana will face the most frightening decision of her young life.
Arithon, Master of Shadow, is marked for death and still hunted, when his critical quest to recover his obscured past entangles him in a web of deep intrigue and ancient perils beyond his imagining.
Elaira’s urgent pursuit of the Biedar Tribes’ secret embroils her in the terrible directive of the Fellowship Sorcerers, while Dakar — the Mad Prophet — confronts the hard reckoning for the colossal mistake of his misspent past, and Tarens is steered by a destiny far from his crofter’s origins.
The penultimate volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow will touch the grand depths of Athera’s endowment, and deliver the thrilling finale of arc IV, the Sword of the Canon.
War, blood, magic, mystery – and the most hidden powers of all – will stand or fall on their hour of unveiling.
609 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2017
55 people are currently reading
1501 people want to read
About the author
Janny Wurts
106 books1,941 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 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 20, 2024
3rd time reading this and I still caught things that I had missed the first two times. I can't wait for the last book coming out Thursday. Holy smokes are those seven in for it when Arithon is up and around!
--------------------------
Finished my re-read, and I stand by my review from two years ago below:
Outstanding! Holy crap, what an ending! I will be eagerly awaiting the last book. This whole series is highly recommended!
October 14, 2018
And... I'm done.
With yet another installment where Arithon is being hunted across the world, always being forced by his "gift" of compassion to make the most idiotic decisions possible.
Where even after 200+ years of revolution, the common folk haven't yet risen up against the actual idiots causing the conflict.
With Lysaer being a pointless side note with no true purpose.
With everyone literally crying over Arithon's compassion making him miserable.
With a major series plot point wrapping up in half a chapter, yet carrying on for chapters on end over yet another stupid chase.
With overworked prose utilizing a multitudinous compendium of ostentatious terminology invoked in disproportionate measure.
Goodbye, Athera. I'll just read the spoiler reviews to see how it all ends.
With yet another installment where Arithon is being hunted across the world, always being forced by his "gift" of compassion to make the most idiotic decisions possible.
Where even after 200+ years of revolution, the common folk haven't yet risen up against the actual idiots causing the conflict.
With Lysaer being a pointless side note with no true purpose.
With everyone literally crying over Arithon's compassion making him miserable.
With a major series plot point wrapping up in half a chapter, yet carrying on for chapters on end over yet another stupid chase.
With overworked prose utilizing a multitudinous compendium of ostentatious terminology invoked in disproportionate measure.
Goodbye, Athera. I'll just read the spoiler reviews to see how it all ends.
January 6, 2018
“You seek the entitlement for wholesale slaughter?” He added, “The benighted fools raised to arms against you will leave behind orphans who grow up to continue the next cycle of vengeful reprisal. You can’t sow a legacy of meaningful joy while you widow their mothers and sisters to suppress a misguided canon.”
Pure genius.
One moment, inevitable, turned destiny’s card like the bell stroke that shattered all hope; or else, like the phoenix birthed from immolation, a spark struck in bright, helpless pain might salvage the cold course of destiny. No way to tell which ahead of the crux where possibility ended, and probability dimmed to opacity.
Pure genius.
One moment, inevitable, turned destiny’s card like the bell stroke that shattered all hope; or else, like the phoenix birthed from immolation, a spark struck in bright, helpless pain might salvage the cold course of destiny. No way to tell which ahead of the crux where possibility ended, and probability dimmed to opacity.
October 13, 2018
I've been reading this series for over 20 years, but I broke on this one - audiobook version. I couldn't finish, as it just seems twee and annoying. Filled with torpid prose, circling the same ideas again and again. Criticisms that I had 5 books ago but can no longer ignore. I'll probably check back in for the very last book, but I'm walking away for now.
December 21, 2018
Sweet Mother Of All That's Holy!!! That end!!
It drove me to my knees and ripped my heart open!!
I have never ever read something as spellbinding, and as heartbreakingly beautiful as this!!
FRTC
It drove me to my knees and ripped my heart open!!
I have never ever read something as spellbinding, and as heartbreakingly beautiful as this!!
FRTC
October 29, 2017
Destiny's Conflict:
Book Two of Sword of the Canon
(The Wars of Light and Shadow Volume 10)
Based on the scope of the story alone, this review has been a while in the works. Janny Wurts does it again: takes on big issues and a big sweep of events, and brings the reader on an emotional ride that doesn’t stop even after the book ends.
Destiny’s Conflict is a whirlwind of action and emotional upheaval. Covering a short span in Atheran time, the book ranges wide, tackling huge issues and offering up staggering reveals. Like Initiate’s Trial before it, Destiny’s Conflict pulls new threads from a story already epic in its exploration of the depths to be found in every person – for better or for worse.
Easily forgotten amidst the grand struggles for power by all parties (and the seemingly-bottomless creative genius of Arithon), is the basic humanity of all the characters. For all the knowledge and power held by the wisest of them, and for all the evil done by the worst of them, in Destiny’s Conflict Wurts manages to remind her readers of the inherent failings and weaknesses that come with being human, no matter who you are.
Destiny’s Conflict works on so many levels – surprising the reader at every turn with swift action and unexpected choices of POV in key scenes. To delve deeply into each layer revealed in this novel would do a disservice to those who have yet to read it, but there are things worth noting in advance of diving in.
Lysear’s story frames the novel in such a heart-breaking way as to make long-time readers re-think all his past actions and interactions.
Arithon’s ongoing loss of self remains torture – with the stakes raised by his flawed self-awareness as dangerous as anything he has before encountered. The twist this time is that the danger arises not on a grand scale, but from the depths of Arithon’s deepest self, laid bare as he remains disconnected from the experiences that have both burdened and steeled him. It is heartbreaking to watch, but necessary remind to the reader of all that is at stake, and on what a fragile thread the future hangs.
And the truth long held in the background, that the women in this series are the ones who really hold humanity’s destiny in their hands, has never been more apparent than in this book. The brilliance of Arithon as a character throughout the Wars of Light and Shadow can blind the reader to the fact that the rock of integrity that is Elaira, and the twisted order of the Koriathan (Gads, Morriel is the baddest bad woman EVER), and the endless and unmarked danger presented by the Beidar, drive every aspect of the story. Backed by a host of other female characters – from Talith to Ellaine to Jinesse to Daliana to Dame Dawr to Feylind, women have always shaped the action in the series. On their choices, strengths, and weaknesses, the whole thing turns.
In fact, things unnoticed and/or forgotten feels to me to be the driving theme of this book. The failings all humans have – in forgetting history, or failing to learn from it, in putting the powerful or beloved on pedestals while forgetting that no human being is without weakness or flaw, in being unwilling to look beyond our own desires and expectations – are bared, unvarnished, and without any attempt to ease their harshness. As a reader, I was forced to look at the characters I love best and see their darkness and their faults, and at the characters I have liked least, and see them truly as people.
From the failings of the Fellowship of Seven, to the ongoing mystery of North Gate and the wary-making machinations of the Beidar, to the heart-rending finale that left me shell-shocked for a week – Destiny’s Conflict is a book that defies expectation. In doing so, it demands attention, as well as a willingness on the part of the reader to set aside expectation and just hang on.
It’s going to take some distance and several re-reads for me to feel I have a full grasp of everything that revealed in the conclusion of Arc Four. As always in the Wars of Light and Shadow, the story leads nowhere I can predict – which is both the genius and the torture of the work.
Brava, Janny Wurts! I can’t wait for The Song of the Mysteries!
Book Two of Sword of the Canon
(The Wars of Light and Shadow Volume 10)
Based on the scope of the story alone, this review has been a while in the works. Janny Wurts does it again: takes on big issues and a big sweep of events, and brings the reader on an emotional ride that doesn’t stop even after the book ends.
Destiny’s Conflict is a whirlwind of action and emotional upheaval. Covering a short span in Atheran time, the book ranges wide, tackling huge issues and offering up staggering reveals. Like Initiate’s Trial before it, Destiny’s Conflict pulls new threads from a story already epic in its exploration of the depths to be found in every person – for better or for worse.
Easily forgotten amidst the grand struggles for power by all parties (and the seemingly-bottomless creative genius of Arithon), is the basic humanity of all the characters. For all the knowledge and power held by the wisest of them, and for all the evil done by the worst of them, in Destiny’s Conflict Wurts manages to remind her readers of the inherent failings and weaknesses that come with being human, no matter who you are.
Destiny’s Conflict works on so many levels – surprising the reader at every turn with swift action and unexpected choices of POV in key scenes. To delve deeply into each layer revealed in this novel would do a disservice to those who have yet to read it, but there are things worth noting in advance of diving in.
Lysear’s story frames the novel in such a heart-breaking way as to make long-time readers re-think all his past actions and interactions.
Arithon’s ongoing loss of self remains torture – with the stakes raised by his flawed self-awareness as dangerous as anything he has before encountered. The twist this time is that the danger arises not on a grand scale, but from the depths of Arithon’s deepest self, laid bare as he remains disconnected from the experiences that have both burdened and steeled him. It is heartbreaking to watch, but necessary remind to the reader of all that is at stake, and on what a fragile thread the future hangs.
And the truth long held in the background, that the women in this series are the ones who really hold humanity’s destiny in their hands, has never been more apparent than in this book. The brilliance of Arithon as a character throughout the Wars of Light and Shadow can blind the reader to the fact that the rock of integrity that is Elaira, and the twisted order of the Koriathan (Gads, Morriel is the baddest bad woman EVER), and the endless and unmarked danger presented by the Beidar, drive every aspect of the story. Backed by a host of other female characters – from Talith to Ellaine to Jinesse to Daliana to Dame Dawr to Feylind, women have always shaped the action in the series. On their choices, strengths, and weaknesses, the whole thing turns.
In fact, things unnoticed and/or forgotten feels to me to be the driving theme of this book. The failings all humans have – in forgetting history, or failing to learn from it, in putting the powerful or beloved on pedestals while forgetting that no human being is without weakness or flaw, in being unwilling to look beyond our own desires and expectations – are bared, unvarnished, and without any attempt to ease their harshness. As a reader, I was forced to look at the characters I love best and see their darkness and their faults, and at the characters I have liked least, and see them truly as people.
From the failings of the Fellowship of Seven, to the ongoing mystery of North Gate and the wary-making machinations of the Beidar, to the heart-rending finale that left me shell-shocked for a week – Destiny’s Conflict is a book that defies expectation. In doing so, it demands attention, as well as a willingness on the part of the reader to set aside expectation and just hang on.
It’s going to take some distance and several re-reads for me to feel I have a full grasp of everything that revealed in the conclusion of Arc Four. As always in the Wars of Light and Shadow, the story leads nowhere I can predict – which is both the genius and the torture of the work.
Brava, Janny Wurts! I can’t wait for The Song of the Mysteries!
May 25, 2025
I AM ALMOST THERE!
Two stars for a penultimate book of an eleven book series makes me sad. Especially because I was so excited by book one.
Even Wurt’s prose isn’t enough to keep me enthralled as I feel like so much is repetition. Especially in these last two books due to the time jump and the spoiler to do with Arithon.
“You are individual as a melody sung once, then lost in a storm. Calm will refound the cadence again. Beauty survives, and healing demands a fallow time for renewal.”
Elaira has started to annoy me (whaaat?!), as has the Fellowship of the Seven. Who could imagine Dakar would be one of my favourites by the end (Me, I called it as a twist of fate)?
I think if this arc had been cut out, this series could have been tighter and, in my opinion, easier to keep investment in.
“What is any war, after all, but the abject surrender of hope? A craven rejection of human grace, with righteous mass murder ennobled in place of inspired imagination!” Against scorching rebuttal, he mocked, “The stubborn mind never looks for alternatives. Let’s drop the cat-and-mouse rhetoric since you’ve come only to drag the chained bear to the mastiff’s pit.”
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Two stars for a penultimate book of an eleven book series makes me sad. Especially because I was so excited by book one.
Even Wurt’s prose isn’t enough to keep me enthralled as I feel like so much is repetition. Especially in these last two books due to the time jump and the spoiler to do with Arithon.
“You are individual as a melody sung once, then lost in a storm. Calm will refound the cadence again. Beauty survives, and healing demands a fallow time for renewal.”
Elaira has started to annoy me (whaaat?!), as has the Fellowship of the Seven. Who could imagine Dakar would be one of my favourites by the end (Me, I called it as a twist of fate)?
I think if this arc had been cut out, this series could have been tighter and, in my opinion, easier to keep investment in.
“What is any war, after all, but the abject surrender of hope? A craven rejection of human grace, with righteous mass murder ennobled in place of inspired imagination!” Against scorching rebuttal, he mocked, “The stubborn mind never looks for alternatives. Let’s drop the cat-and-mouse rhetoric since you’ve come only to drag the chained bear to the mastiff’s pit.”
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September 2, 2019
I've barely read the first two chapters and already find myself annoyed. Another 500 page book which does nothing to advance the overall plot. Lots and lots and lots of words -- looking at just one paragraph there are five sentences with an average sentence length of 18 words; all to say "x and y went to [place]." If I just skip to the last chapter I will will be able to pick up the gist of what happened and save myself the agony of further reading.
And so, I predict that there will be, at least one: (1) new character introduced, if not more, (2) excruciating chase scene that will last several chapters ending with the protagonist barely escaping, (3) mass slaughter of innocents in the name of religion; (4) trap that the Koriathein Prime sets which fails, and (5) instance where the Fellowship Sorcerers wring their hands while anguishing over the lost Paravians and doing nothing.
And so, I predict that there will be, at least one: (1) new character introduced, if not more, (2) excruciating chase scene that will last several chapters ending with the protagonist barely escaping, (3) mass slaughter of innocents in the name of religion; (4) trap that the Koriathein Prime sets which fails, and (5) instance where the Fellowship Sorcerers wring their hands while anguishing over the lost Paravians and doing nothing.
December 8, 2017
Relentless. Uncompromising. Outstanding.
December 27, 2021
https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...
At long last we have reached the latest published book in the War of Light and Shadow series with only the finale left to go. With Destiny’s Conflict being the end of ARC IV, Janny had a big task ahead of her to bring this part of the story to a close and to make the reader leave astonished. I can honestly say that Destiny’s Conflict is one of the best books in the series and every emotion will be felt. Happiness, sadness, fear, exhilaration, shock, and euphoria are the terms that immediately come to mind when describing this book. The goal post will be moved drastically from where we started in The Curse of The Mistwraith and everything will change. This will be a spoiler free review but I will be talking about events from the previous volumes.
Arithon having escaped the confinement of the Koriani and separated from his Caithedian Tarens, he is on a mission to discover his long lost love Elaria, even though he has no memory of her. Along the way he quickly encounters across a brutal scene and comes to the rescue of a young woman. Over the course of the story, Arithon will become entranced in the customs and lifestyle of the Ettinmere. Arithon’s path will be forged with the bonds he makes and the power the Ettinmere posses which can be his undoing.
Lysaer having been saved from the previous battle by Daliana and Dakar finds himself in new surroundings and makes his own choice to leave. Conflicted over her emotions, Daliana makes a deal with none other than Davien to make the presence of his grace available once again. Meanwhile, the Koriani are on the hunt for the Master of Shadows and the True Sect are putting forth a crusade against any and all supporters of Darkness with the Hatchet leading the charge. The scenes in this book will tear your heart out and reshape your imagination several times over.
Several times over the course of reading Destiny’s Conflict, I was constantly brought back to previous scenes for the preceding books. Almost every big scene that has taken place before will be looked upon in a new light based upon the revelations this books contains. From the Kewar Tunnel, to the coronation in Curse, to the oath between Prime and Elaria, to the origins of the seven and the royal lines of Athera. It is all there to be discovered if you have the eagle eye to spot it. If you thought the intentions and schemes of the Koriani, Biedar, and the Seven were crazy before, I promise you have not seen the half of it. The stage has been set for Song of the Mystery’s and I have every confidence Janny will create an epic finale for the ages.
If you have joined me on this journey through the War of Light and Shadow series, thank you! This has been such a joy and incredible experience that I may have never had the courage to tackle. I can now declare myself as a lifelong fan of Janny’s work and I am eagerly waiting for the finale. Don’t keep us waiting too long Janny!
Cheers!
At long last we have reached the latest published book in the War of Light and Shadow series with only the finale left to go. With Destiny’s Conflict being the end of ARC IV, Janny had a big task ahead of her to bring this part of the story to a close and to make the reader leave astonished. I can honestly say that Destiny’s Conflict is one of the best books in the series and every emotion will be felt. Happiness, sadness, fear, exhilaration, shock, and euphoria are the terms that immediately come to mind when describing this book. The goal post will be moved drastically from where we started in The Curse of The Mistwraith and everything will change. This will be a spoiler free review but I will be talking about events from the previous volumes.
Arithon having escaped the confinement of the Koriani and separated from his Caithedian Tarens, he is on a mission to discover his long lost love Elaria, even though he has no memory of her. Along the way he quickly encounters across a brutal scene and comes to the rescue of a young woman. Over the course of the story, Arithon will become entranced in the customs and lifestyle of the Ettinmere. Arithon’s path will be forged with the bonds he makes and the power the Ettinmere posses which can be his undoing.
Lysaer having been saved from the previous battle by Daliana and Dakar finds himself in new surroundings and makes his own choice to leave. Conflicted over her emotions, Daliana makes a deal with none other than Davien to make the presence of his grace available once again. Meanwhile, the Koriani are on the hunt for the Master of Shadows and the True Sect are putting forth a crusade against any and all supporters of Darkness with the Hatchet leading the charge. The scenes in this book will tear your heart out and reshape your imagination several times over.
Several times over the course of reading Destiny’s Conflict, I was constantly brought back to previous scenes for the preceding books. Almost every big scene that has taken place before will be looked upon in a new light based upon the revelations this books contains. From the Kewar Tunnel, to the coronation in Curse, to the oath between Prime and Elaria, to the origins of the seven and the royal lines of Athera. It is all there to be discovered if you have the eagle eye to spot it. If you thought the intentions and schemes of the Koriani, Biedar, and the Seven were crazy before, I promise you have not seen the half of it. The stage has been set for Song of the Mystery’s and I have every confidence Janny will create an epic finale for the ages.
If you have joined me on this journey through the War of Light and Shadow series, thank you! This has been such a joy and incredible experience that I may have never had the courage to tackle. I can now declare myself as a lifelong fan of Janny’s work and I am eagerly waiting for the finale. Don’t keep us waiting too long Janny!
Cheers!
October 6, 2017
I've missed Janny's writing. The way she words scenic descriptions with concise but descriptive words like the following gem:
The country rose steeply beyond the pebbled moraine that lined the lake-shore of Lithmarin. Here, where a great fault-line bisected the continent, the Storlain foot-hills shattered into slopes of slab-sided rock. Stunted trees knuckled into the cracks, crabbed branches yawed over the shadowed gorges.
Slab-sided rock and crabbed branches... So cool, I can just picture that entire scene.
So description is awesome and I seriously want to kill the Prime more now than ever before! No, torture would be better. Long, eternal torture!
OK, so I've finished the book and I have just one thing to say - WOW!!!!! Or maybe AWESOME!!!!
This should be a real pleasing read for anyone who has read the series up until now. There are a lot of events that were foretold or anticipated that come to fruition and not always in ways you expected. There are at least two fist pumping shouts of OH HECK YA!!!! that will have you emotionally reacting in a strong way (sorry, trying to keep it vague and spoiler free). It's great to see the plot advancing to where you can see the end in sight - good thing since there's only one more book left. I can honestly say this is my favorite book of the series because it nailed so many climaxes and shifted others along.
I definitely recommend this for anyone who has read the series up until now. You won't be disappointed.
The country rose steeply beyond the pebbled moraine that lined the lake-shore of Lithmarin. Here, where a great fault-line bisected the continent, the Storlain foot-hills shattered into slopes of slab-sided rock. Stunted trees knuckled into the cracks, crabbed branches yawed over the shadowed gorges.
Slab-sided rock and crabbed branches... So cool, I can just picture that entire scene.
So description is awesome and I seriously want to kill the Prime more now than ever before! No, torture would be better. Long, eternal torture!
OK, so I've finished the book and I have just one thing to say - WOW!!!!! Or maybe AWESOME!!!!
This should be a real pleasing read for anyone who has read the series up until now. There are a lot of events that were foretold or anticipated that come to fruition and not always in ways you expected. There are at least two fist pumping shouts of OH HECK YA!!!! that will have you emotionally reacting in a strong way (sorry, trying to keep it vague and spoiler free). It's great to see the plot advancing to where you can see the end in sight - good thing since there's only one more book left. I can honestly say this is my favorite book of the series because it nailed so many climaxes and shifted others along.
I definitely recommend this for anyone who has read the series up until now. You won't be disappointed.
December 17, 2020
Sorry but I must say that I'm a bit disappointed by this book. Don't get me wrong, I still love Janny's writing style and this series, but I've waited this book so much and I was so excited and I was expecting so much more in the story.
Read
November 4, 20174.5 stars.
It's hard to believe this long-running series is nearing it's end and doing so in fine style.
This volume starts to close out some of the long running plot threads while whetting our appetites for the finale.
It's also a little disappointing that this stellar series is not at the publicity/ saturation level of some other fantasy series: if you like fantasy, you owe it to yourself to read this series!
It's hard to believe this long-running series is nearing it's end and doing so in fine style.
This volume starts to close out some of the long running plot threads while whetting our appetites for the finale.
It's also a little disappointing that this stellar series is not at the publicity/ saturation level of some other fantasy series: if you like fantasy, you owe it to yourself to read this series!
June 10, 2023
Storytelling at its very best.
After re-reading this series from book 1 to this book 10, I am now held in status until the final book next year. After over 20 years of waiting it can't come soon enough.
Each time I read this series I find so much that I have missed previously that it's like reading another story but this time with my own experiences and understandings honed through advancing age, so much more becomes clear.
Another year ..... how will I survive the wait?
After re-reading this series from book 1 to this book 10, I am now held in status until the final book next year. After over 20 years of waiting it can't come soon enough.
Each time I read this series I find so much that I have missed previously that it's like reading another story but this time with my own experiences and understandings honed through advancing age, so much more becomes clear.
Another year ..... how will I survive the wait?
December 19, 2018
I don't read these books anymore, just skim. It's too painful to deal with the overwrought prose that seems to be her idea of older English (but what era? Medieval? Shakespearean? Tolkienian?). The plot is only marginally better, but I'm trapped into wanting to know how it finishes after 20 years.
December 16, 2017
Not worth the wait.
I have read all of the previous books and had looked forward to the continued tale but believe the authors objective is to produce text for the payday with little new story line. This is not the quality of the earlier work.
I have read all of the previous books and had looked forward to the continued tale but believe the authors objective is to produce text for the payday with little new story line. This is not the quality of the earlier work.
January 11, 2018
This latest book of the series is as lyrically written as ever, however it also felt a little choppy and as if a million really important things that we had been waiting forever for were all suddenly dumped in our laps. Having re-read the entire series over the past couple of months before reading this volume, I was struck even more by the break between "Stormed Fortress" and "Initiate's Trial," and I can't help but wonder if Janny had been pressured to condense the end of the series. Having to re-write or re-outline a significant chunk of the series could also explain the longer than previous waits before volumes 9 and 10.
I found the conclusion of this volume very satisfying and I am eagerly awaiting the final volume of the series. I did have to take pause at one point towards the beginning after we were first introduced to the subplot with Vivet and put the book aside for a few days, but I should have had faith. Janny managed a very neat, very heart-breaking storyline, as always.
Things that made Destiny's Conflict so very satisfying to a long-time reader of the series:
I found the conclusion of this volume very satisfying and I am eagerly awaiting the final volume of the series. I did have to take pause at one point towards the beginning after we were first introduced to the subplot with Vivet and put the book aside for a few days, but I should have had faith. Janny managed a very neat, very heart-breaking storyline, as always.
Things that made Destiny's Conflict so very satisfying to a long-time reader of the series:
January 11, 2025
Destiny's Conflict (Wars of Light & Shadow) is the epic start of this journey and is a fantastic read. I am addicted to this author's work and have been since I first read her work back when I was in my twenties.
Jannys’ work needs to be unraveled due to its intricacies layer by layer. Therefore you will not be getting any spoilers from me. Her work entices us 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 ensnared me from the very first page. This story seamlessly blends fantasy, supernatural and paranormal elements.
This series is gripping and exciting and a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, and action within a world where chaos reigns.
Jannys’ work needs to be unraveled due to its intricacies layer by layer. Therefore you will not be getting any spoilers from me. Her work entices us 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 ensnared me from the very first page. This story seamlessly blends fantasy, supernatural and paranormal elements.
This series is gripping and exciting and a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, and action within a world where chaos reigns.
October 15, 2017
As another reader said - I love the overall plot line but found this book disappointing. For much of the book Arithon is being chased (same-old) and his story doesn't advance much. The troubles of the Fellowship of the Seven progresses, and the Korithani have significant plot advances, but for the main characters this book and the world as a whole, it leaves them mired in the same problems. I can understand why Janny needed to write this one to tie up some secondary plot lines but would like to see some broader world problem solving and main characters that are not just doing the same things again.
....and Vivet's entire sub plot was so predictable!
So basically it left me still waiting, wishing for more of the main characters' stories.
....and Vivet's entire sub plot was so predictable!
So basically it left me still waiting, wishing for more of the main characters' stories.
December 10, 2018
I loved this book. I can't believe that this is the last book in the series. I love Lysaer and Arithon. I hate how Arithon was still being hunted, and how he got involved in more than he had bargained for. I love how they finally quit. I am sad that this is the last book, but this series was totally worth it. Janny Wurts is definitely one of my favorite authors. I would definitely rate this book 20/10 stars. Outstanding.
November 1, 2018
November/2018
So I needed to read Destiny’s Conflict a second time...slowly and thoughtfully. One of the notorious aspects of Janny’s writing is that she’s excruciatingly precise with words and foreshadowing. I’ve read Wars of Light and Shadow about five times now, though only twice for the last two volumes. I’ve recognized important aspects every time through.
In Destiny’s Conflict, Janny is setting up the final volume, so the stakes are high for her and for those of us that have been reading this series for twenty plus years.
Arithon is still on the run from the Korithain and Seledie Prime has another long play to bring him down. Lysaer is dead set on avoiding the consequences of The Curse, and the Seven are handcuffed from helping Arithon by a past agreement literally set in stone.
The beauty in this series and in this book is how all of our main characters act: bravely, beautifully, and within their true character.
Meanwhile, the True Sect and its military enforcer, The Hatchet, begins a new campaign of murder upon the clans.
There are some loose threads in the book that I’m still struggling to explain, but I’ll save those for discussions on Paravia.com.
In the end, my second read was as it should be. Another beautiful, tragic, exciting, and revealing look into the history of Athera and the experiment at bringing humanity closer to its potential.
Eleven volumes (ten so far) is a lot to read, but if you love deeply detailed world-building, beautiful prose, lovable characters, and precise tempo...then this is the series you must read.
October/2017
My initial rating is not my final rating. I need to review portions of the book and re-read whole sections, and probably also talk about it with other readers. This is the crux of Janny's work. Sometimes it's so complex that you simply miss things. This has happened in the past with other volumes in Wars of Light and Shadow.
I also read it very fast, into late hours, half asleep. I should get the hardcover this week and I will re-read it slowly and properly.
So I needed to read Destiny’s Conflict a second time...slowly and thoughtfully. One of the notorious aspects of Janny’s writing is that she’s excruciatingly precise with words and foreshadowing. I’ve read Wars of Light and Shadow about five times now, though only twice for the last two volumes. I’ve recognized important aspects every time through.
In Destiny’s Conflict, Janny is setting up the final volume, so the stakes are high for her and for those of us that have been reading this series for twenty plus years.
Arithon is still on the run from the Korithain and Seledie Prime has another long play to bring him down. Lysaer is dead set on avoiding the consequences of The Curse, and the Seven are handcuffed from helping Arithon by a past agreement literally set in stone.
The beauty in this series and in this book is how all of our main characters act: bravely, beautifully, and within their true character.
Meanwhile, the True Sect and its military enforcer, The Hatchet, begins a new campaign of murder upon the clans.
There are some loose threads in the book that I’m still struggling to explain, but I’ll save those for discussions on Paravia.com.
In the end, my second read was as it should be. Another beautiful, tragic, exciting, and revealing look into the history of Athera and the experiment at bringing humanity closer to its potential.
Eleven volumes (ten so far) is a lot to read, but if you love deeply detailed world-building, beautiful prose, lovable characters, and precise tempo...then this is the series you must read.
October/2017
My initial rating is not my final rating. I need to review portions of the book and re-read whole sections, and probably also talk about it with other readers. This is the crux of Janny's work. Sometimes it's so complex that you simply miss things. This has happened in the past with other volumes in Wars of Light and Shadow.
I also read it very fast, into late hours, half asleep. I should get the hardcover this week and I will re-read it slowly and properly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2024
I varied in my opinion as to whether I would rate this a 4 or 5 star book as I read through it. The finale certainly redeemed any doubts. I LOVE Ms. Wurts writing style. Poetic without being pretentious. My only criticism of this latest installment of this saga is that it seemed to progress through numerous crises all which would "end life on the planet Athera" unless rersolved; unlike most of the earlier books which slowly built to a ultimate resolution. Nevertheless, it was a joy to read. I can understand criticisms by other who lament the somewhat abrupt ending, but I sincerely hope this disappointment will be rectified by a sequel that will be forthcoming in a shorter span than the six year interval that occurred between the release between the last two books in the series ! My only other regret is that this is not an epic that readers can pick up starting in the later books. To those willing to start at the beginning, I envy you your voyage.
Whew: I decided to reread this book before I tackled the next and last book of the series. Glad I did. I started this series a little over 30 years ago and it is so rich in its details and complex in its plot that I would have been completely lost had I not done so. As it was, I found myself wishing I had the life span to start at the beginning (11 volumes and approx. 9,000 pages ago). That being said, I enjoyed this read as much as the original. Can't wait to pick the right time to enjoy the final volume in the series.
P.S. Cudos to Ms. Wurts for keeping her promise to finish the series before she shuffles off this mortal coil (unlike certain other authors who will remain nameless ((but with the initials G.R.R.M and P.R.)).
Whew: I decided to reread this book before I tackled the next and last book of the series. Glad I did. I started this series a little over 30 years ago and it is so rich in its details and complex in its plot that I would have been completely lost had I not done so. As it was, I found myself wishing I had the life span to start at the beginning (11 volumes and approx. 9,000 pages ago). That being said, I enjoyed this read as much as the original. Can't wait to pick the right time to enjoy the final volume in the series.
P.S. Cudos to Ms. Wurts for keeping her promise to finish the series before she shuffles off this mortal coil (unlike certain other authors who will remain nameless ((but with the initials G.R.R.M and P.R.)).
March 17, 2018
Another whirlwind edition to WOLS and I can feel the story winding down. There are so many over the top emotional events in this book! I’m excited for the audio edition to come. The tension is really hyped up. Read it! But the whole series! Not just this book! Immensely satisfying, rich, and intelligent. Definitely not just another fantasy series.
Almost time for the release of the audio edition! I can hardly wait!
AUDIO VERSION IS HERE! ! Am starting! Narrator fantastic!
I just finished the audiobook and am blown away! I love the way Ms Wurts winds up every book without cliff hangers. I can breathe a sigh of relief while I wait for the next book. I follow the discussions on www.paravia.com and it seems to be cooking along. Like Babette’s Feast!
Almost time for the release of the audio edition! I can hardly wait!
AUDIO VERSION IS HERE! ! Am starting! Narrator fantastic!
I just finished the audiobook and am blown away! I love the way Ms Wurts winds up every book without cliff hangers. I can breathe a sigh of relief while I wait for the next book. I follow the discussions on www.paravia.com and it seems to be cooking along. Like Babette’s Feast!
March 10, 2021
I’m finally finished with this series….at least finished with what the author has completed of this series. It has been a long journey that has taken me a year to complete. It has been one that has at times been a taunting uphill battle. But I endured through this arduous reading experience. In many of my past reviews of the series I’ve sung this series praise to high heavens but now that I’m finally finished with the War of Light and Shadows and can stand back and assess the series more critically, I am more critical. Although I would say that this series is greater than the sum of its parts, I do not think that it is as great as I initially thought. None of the individual’s novels really stood apart from the rest and moments of dramatic emotional tension did not quite reach the high point of emotional poignancy that you see in truly great novels. This series is well plotted, well characterized, and intellectual but at times it is too smart for its own good.
As is the case with many of the previous books in the series, this volume started off excitingly enough, with some shocking turns to the plot. This set the expectations for later parts of the books higher. Sadly it did not meet those expectations. As was her wont the author divulged into her pedantic, overwrought writing style which made it drag on a lot longer than was necessary. As good of a writer as Janny Wurts is I fault her for not being able to tell the story more cogently. There are many better fantasy writers out there who are able to write two hundred to three hundred something page novels magnificently. This novel got more and more boring as it progressed. By the end I couldn’t wait for it to end and to start on a new adventure in some other grand epic series, hopefully one that I will enjoy more than this one. The longwinded writing makes it hard for me to engage with the story and really feel for the characters and their plights. This is a shame because there is a really great story there, but often I feel like I’m missing the full brunt of the emotional impact. This novel had an emotionally charged conclusion that ended with the near death of Arithion, the death of a child, and the reunion of Arithion with his lover Elaira. But yet I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection to what was happening.
There were some reviewers who I trust whose recommendation I took in choosing to read this series. These reviewers were enthusiastic in their praise of the series and they’re comments on the writing style, characters, and the depth of the series persuaded me that this would be a great reading choice for me. Unfortunately at the end of the ten books I find that I’m not as impressed or enthusiastic in support of this series as those other reviewers. While they were right in pointing out the brilliancy of the writer’s concepts and the depth of the series, I found the writing too distractingly overwrought, pretentious, repetitious and verbose to consider this among the all time great fantasy series’ or a favorite of mine. Some people like the overwrought, use as many words as possible writing styles but I am not one of them. Janny Wurts should be less concerned about trying to sound smart through her use of language and more concerned about the economy of her words. I also found the writing detached. It felt like most of the time the narrator didn’t dive very deep into the character’s head, instead choosing to stay at the surface level, or like an over-the-head narrator didactically narrating events to the reader. This is the primary reason I don’t feel as much emotion reading this series as I should. I also listened to this one on audible and read along which is the only book in the series you can listen to. Unfortunately only the final volume in this series has an audiobook version. I think this helped me better retain and understand what was happening in the story.
Although this series is not my favorite I have to admit that it is a monumental achievement. The only other fantasy series that I’ve read that’s on par with it in terms of complexity and the scope of the story is Malazan. There was some boring parts to this series and at least one of the books of the series I seriously disliked, but overall this is one of the most consistent fantasy series’ I’ve encounter. Having said this though, this series was not immune from many of the flaws that plague long series’. This includes longwinded writing, stylistic repetitiveness, the repetition of info the reader already knows, concepts that seemed brilliant early on becoming trite, etc. I’m not sure whether or not I’m glad I read this series. It is a very long series and I could have read many more books than it took to this series. Nonetheless it was a unique experience that I’m unlikely to repeat in another fantasy series.
As is the case with many of the previous books in the series, this volume started off excitingly enough, with some shocking turns to the plot. This set the expectations for later parts of the books higher. Sadly it did not meet those expectations. As was her wont the author divulged into her pedantic, overwrought writing style which made it drag on a lot longer than was necessary. As good of a writer as Janny Wurts is I fault her for not being able to tell the story more cogently. There are many better fantasy writers out there who are able to write two hundred to three hundred something page novels magnificently. This novel got more and more boring as it progressed. By the end I couldn’t wait for it to end and to start on a new adventure in some other grand epic series, hopefully one that I will enjoy more than this one. The longwinded writing makes it hard for me to engage with the story and really feel for the characters and their plights. This is a shame because there is a really great story there, but often I feel like I’m missing the full brunt of the emotional impact. This novel had an emotionally charged conclusion that ended with the near death of Arithion, the death of a child, and the reunion of Arithion with his lover Elaira. But yet I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection to what was happening.
There were some reviewers who I trust whose recommendation I took in choosing to read this series. These reviewers were enthusiastic in their praise of the series and they’re comments on the writing style, characters, and the depth of the series persuaded me that this would be a great reading choice for me. Unfortunately at the end of the ten books I find that I’m not as impressed or enthusiastic in support of this series as those other reviewers. While they were right in pointing out the brilliancy of the writer’s concepts and the depth of the series, I found the writing too distractingly overwrought, pretentious, repetitious and verbose to consider this among the all time great fantasy series’ or a favorite of mine. Some people like the overwrought, use as many words as possible writing styles but I am not one of them. Janny Wurts should be less concerned about trying to sound smart through her use of language and more concerned about the economy of her words. I also found the writing detached. It felt like most of the time the narrator didn’t dive very deep into the character’s head, instead choosing to stay at the surface level, or like an over-the-head narrator didactically narrating events to the reader. This is the primary reason I don’t feel as much emotion reading this series as I should. I also listened to this one on audible and read along which is the only book in the series you can listen to. Unfortunately only the final volume in this series has an audiobook version. I think this helped me better retain and understand what was happening in the story.
Although this series is not my favorite I have to admit that it is a monumental achievement. The only other fantasy series that I’ve read that’s on par with it in terms of complexity and the scope of the story is Malazan. There was some boring parts to this series and at least one of the books of the series I seriously disliked, but overall this is one of the most consistent fantasy series’ I’ve encounter. Having said this though, this series was not immune from many of the flaws that plague long series’. This includes longwinded writing, stylistic repetitiveness, the repetition of info the reader already knows, concepts that seemed brilliant early on becoming trite, etc. I’m not sure whether or not I’m glad I read this series. It is a very long series and I could have read many more books than it took to this series. Nonetheless it was a unique experience that I’m unlikely to repeat in another fantasy series.
September 5, 2024
We've spent so many books in crisis (including the time leap during which things only went worse) that the edge is sort of worn off. The tension never lets loose so the organism adjusts to not care. I also wish there was some substantial developments on the central matters of worldbuilding but it seems like one plot after another.
Though Wurts is a wise writer and I've time and again dismissed events that gained more meaning in hindsight. When she writes something that appears shallow or illogical, then that's a marker to pay attention -- soon it will be revealed that more was going on.
...and so it is this time. Things do advance, and those advancements do rely on previous conflict-resolutions that by themselves had started to feel repetitive. I guess I do have another complaint in that ex machina devices are heavily utilized. Then again, freewill and its absence are some of the main themes of the series, so in a way its very suitable. Like it or not.
Though Wurts is a wise writer and I've time and again dismissed events that gained more meaning in hindsight. When she writes something that appears shallow or illogical, then that's a marker to pay attention -- soon it will be revealed that more was going on.
...and so it is this time. Things do advance, and those advancements do rely on previous conflict-resolutions that by themselves had started to feel repetitive. I guess I do have another complaint in that ex machina devices are heavily utilized. Then again, freewill and its absence are some of the main themes of the series, so in a way its very suitable. Like it or not.
November 20, 2022
What an ending! An epic series!
What a lead-in to the finale!
What a lead-in to the finale!
May 6, 2025
8/10
December 19, 2023
**Please note**this review touches on events that occurred in previous books in the series – thus potential SPOILERS for the previous books.*
“You seek the entitlement for wholesale slaughter?” He added, “The benighted fools raised to arms against you will leave behind orphans who grow up to continue the next cycle of vengeful reprisal. You can’t sow a legacy of meaningful joy while you widow their mothers and sisters to suppress a misguided canon.”
In the last book of the “Wars of Light and Shadow” series that is currently available (the series concludes with the final volume “Song of the Mysteries”, to be published in 2024), author Janny Wurts gives us the rampage of religious zealots, some brutal comeuppance for scheming sorcery, and the two main characters – Arithon and Lysaer – in more mortal danger of than ever before. Yet greatest dangers posed to Arithon and Lysaer are no longer from the curse-driven enmity of the Mistwraith’s geas.
It is powerful outside forces who imperil the so-called Spinner of Darkness, and former Lord of Light, and who seek the destruction of the two half-brothers, and endanger the entire world of Athera, in volume #10 of the series, entitled “Destiny’s Conflict.”
Separated from all his support systems, including his faithful beloved Elaira, and his loyal Caithdein, Tarens, Arithon is alone, adrift, pursued, and perhaps at his most vulnerable point as we’ve seen him in the series since “Peril’s Gate.”
Then, for a large part of the story, we find Arithon in the unique situation of being bound to a woman he has no desire to be with. After intervening to rescue the victim of what appears to be a sexual assault, Arithon ends up being snared in a loveless union with that supposed victim. In the façade of a marriage, a child is also passed off as Arithon’s.
Arithon’s gift of compassion, natural goodness and honour, and his belief in a positive destiny for the child, keep him static in the sham marriage, where he needs to be mobile and fleeing those who seek his capture and death. As a result, the unrelenting efforts to finally entrap Arithon for utterly devious purposes, finally bear fruit.
Meanwhile, Lysaer is determined to wrestle back control of the religion of the Light he started, and was the avatar of, from the sinister True Sect, and its redoubtable military leader, the fearsome Hatchet.
Later grievously wounded after a Koriani assassination attempt, in danger of succumbing to insanity, and hemmed in by other malevolent True Sect leaders, such as the Priest Supreme and Exalted Examiner, the faithful Daliana – now in disguise as Dace in order to gain Lyaser’s trust – is the only thing saving Lysaer from madness and certain death.
“The coward in him preferred not the bear what could never be reconciled. Thousands of times, over hundreds of years, the voice of self-censure condemned him: better he died than fall prey to the next wretched bout of insanity. Logic destroyed the weakness of delusion, that he had ever owned the brute will to defeat the forces that rode him.”
As I said in my review of the very first book in the series, “Curse of the Mistwraith”, the sophistication of Wurts' characterization is truly a thing to behold. There are so many amazing, fascinating secondary characters that surround the two princes, most of whom very much have their own agendas, and are extremely grey in their perspectives and ambitions.
There some downright despicable people too, but there are also some very “good” characters, who the reader will root for. But be warned – don’t get too attached. Like GRRM, Wurts has no compunction whatsoever in making noble characters suffer or die, and the final battle scenes of the book are of the tear-jerking variety, as loveable characters fall.
Elaira, the long-time Koriathain initiate, and Arithon’s love, truly stands out in this book. She has been so long-suffering, so brave, so completely devoted to Arithon, so willing to sacrifice her self physically and emotionally for him, despite her untenable position as part of the organization determined to bring Arithon down. Over the course of the series, I have really come to appreciate her as an underrated character, and admire all her qualities, including her dry wit, and sometimes abrasiveness. Elaira will be tested like never before in “Destiny’s Conflict”.
As noted, Wurts has a stunning capacity to deliver charismatic characters beyond the two main players that we can’t get enough of. Often those characters are morally grey, or outright evil. This continues in “Destiny’s Conflict”: enter THE HATCHET!
Wow did I absolutely love this character! Blazing into the previous book, “Initiate’s Trial”, sheathed in steel mail and gauntlets, riding a steel chariot driven by a quartet of white geldings, this vicious yet brilliant dynamo, the Supreme Commander of the True Sect’s forces, is bullish, bombastic, and such an amazing character.
He’s really, really BAD news for the feal clansfolk, Arithon, and Lysaer, and you will want to pay close attention to him, during this story. He plays a MAJOR role.
Add in Davien, the renegade sorcerer, another one of my fav ambiguous characters, whose deliciously complicated and unpredictable arc I continue to be delighted with, and this book was a real character feast for me. Davien promises a lot, and he delivers. But one has to wonder, what will the price be, when he comes to collect the tab? This is someone who clearly has their own agenda, and is playing their cards close to the vest.
I adore this character, and all the potential Davien has to upset the apple-cart, in unexpected and astonishing ways.
Two of the Koriathain, Seldie Prime (Morriel) and Lirenda, have been key figures throughout the series. When we arrive at this book, Lirenda is still enslaved, and Seldie has continued her plots, that are seemingly boundless in underhandedness. These two characters also play a pivotal part in this specific book, and for all the evil they have done in the name of good, you know that a reckoning will come due at some point.
It appears that Lirenda has already received that reckoning. But what about Seldie, who has dabbled in necromancy - perhaps the ultimate sin - to hold onto power?
And, though I can’t spoil it by giving away names, the discovery of the fate of a missing character not yet seen, but referred to throughout the series, whom I’ve been extremely curious about, will also have major implications, no doubt, for the future.
A myriad of compelling themes have been part of this series, yet one particular theme stood out for me in “Destiny’s Conflict”, and that is the theme of the cost of the Law of Major Balance, and the cost of free will.
To recap, this tenant, handed down by the mythical Paravians, and which guides and constrains the Fellowship Sorcerers in the series, asserts that “no force of nature should be used without consent, or against the will of another living being.”
Prevented from direct intervention, it has seemed at times, throughout the series, for all their unlimited power, the Fellowship has been bereft of part of their agency, because of the law. Sometimes they can only be bystanders, when horrible things happen. I stopped to consider, during this book, what an immense psychological toll that must take on them, having to wait for permission before acting, to want to act, to have the power to act, but to have to stand down, time and time again.
There were times in the book that I felt the Fellowship fighting the despair of their burdens, seeming like worn-down, exhausted, and beyond ancient. Humankind seems bent on destroying themselves, despite everything the Fellowship is trying to do to protect them. You have to wonder if the Fellowship is not cracking under the strain, and wanting to give up, wondering if humankind is worth it.
As with any Wurts book, the reader can expect thrilling battles, betrayals, revenge, utter ruthlessness, political machinations, and unforgettable moments of quiet, philosophizing, and reflection.
This book is especially trying, and at times highly disturbing, with the physical pain and turmoil, and mental anguish, that Arithon and Lysaer undergo.
The climax of this book will leave you speechless, gasping and wondering, “Is this it for…???” Janny Wurts writes the best endings in fantasy, and you will never feel prepared for what she might throw at you, when she wraps up a novel. I certainly wasn’t ready for this ending. It will destroy you. I was wringing my hands in distress. Count on Wurts to do something this heart-rending, with how she wraps us this book.
And, as per usual, I will be repetitive here, and note that very single word in the book is written with purpose, and holds meaning. The exactitude, the punctiliousness with which Wurts writes, is like nothing I've ever encountered before. The sheer beauty of the prose continues to be staggering. Wurts’ uses adjectives in ways that will astound and bedazzle. This is the best prose I’ve ever read in fantasy.
“One moment, inevitable, turned destiny’s card like the bell stroke that shattered all hope; or else, like the phoenix birthed from immolation, a spark struck in bright, helpless pain might salvage the cold course of destiny. No way to tell which ahead of the crux where possibility ended, and probability dimmed to opacity.”
This book has served to remind me, as a reader, how far I’ve come on my journey reading this series.
When I started reading it in the autumn of 2021, I was captivated by the tale of two young half-brothers. Each had distinct and opposing magical powers of Light versus Darkness, and familial traits of empathy versus justice. They were reared to be enemies, but had to work together as comrades for a greater purpose, to banish the Mistwraith. Only to be cursed for their efforts in saving the world from being covered in the Mistwraith’s blight, and turned against each other.
My, how far those two brothers have come. And look how far I’ve come, reading 10 books, to the point where I am at now in the series, finished reading the last book currently available, keyed up to read the LAST book, period.
In saying that, I can only imagine what if feels like for Wurts, with her journey as the author of this series.
I often forget my journey is paltry compared to that that Wurts, who published the first book in this series back in 1993, and that it has been undergoing a just-over-30-year journey to completion. Kudos Janny Wurts! The perseverance alone, is worthy of huge applause. But to stay the course, and compose something THIS amazing over the course of 3 decades…wow.
I cannot say enough about the immense accomplishment that this series is. Once again, it’s my favourite fantasy series, ever, and Wurts is my favourite writer, ever.
Wurts’ saga is masterful, each novel so intricately and lovingly crafted, every sentence or passage to be savoured. Each book has built upon the last, escalating towards a crescendo that I am completely confident that will be like nothing I’ve ever read before, and will be breathtaking.
I no doubt will mourn for the end, with the concluding installment coming in the next few months, but I also predict feeling immensely gratified.
I have never anticipated ANY book, the way I am anticipating “Song of the Mysteries”, the final installment in the seminal “Wars of Light and Shadow”.
Bring it on!
“You seek the entitlement for wholesale slaughter?” He added, “The benighted fools raised to arms against you will leave behind orphans who grow up to continue the next cycle of vengeful reprisal. You can’t sow a legacy of meaningful joy while you widow their mothers and sisters to suppress a misguided canon.”
In the last book of the “Wars of Light and Shadow” series that is currently available (the series concludes with the final volume “Song of the Mysteries”, to be published in 2024), author Janny Wurts gives us the rampage of religious zealots, some brutal comeuppance for scheming sorcery, and the two main characters – Arithon and Lysaer – in more mortal danger of than ever before. Yet greatest dangers posed to Arithon and Lysaer are no longer from the curse-driven enmity of the Mistwraith’s geas.
It is powerful outside forces who imperil the so-called Spinner of Darkness, and former Lord of Light, and who seek the destruction of the two half-brothers, and endanger the entire world of Athera, in volume #10 of the series, entitled “Destiny’s Conflict.”
Separated from all his support systems, including his faithful beloved Elaira, and his loyal Caithdein, Tarens, Arithon is alone, adrift, pursued, and perhaps at his most vulnerable point as we’ve seen him in the series since “Peril’s Gate.”
Then, for a large part of the story, we find Arithon in the unique situation of being bound to a woman he has no desire to be with. After intervening to rescue the victim of what appears to be a sexual assault, Arithon ends up being snared in a loveless union with that supposed victim. In the façade of a marriage, a child is also passed off as Arithon’s.
Arithon’s gift of compassion, natural goodness and honour, and his belief in a positive destiny for the child, keep him static in the sham marriage, where he needs to be mobile and fleeing those who seek his capture and death. As a result, the unrelenting efforts to finally entrap Arithon for utterly devious purposes, finally bear fruit.
Meanwhile, Lysaer is determined to wrestle back control of the religion of the Light he started, and was the avatar of, from the sinister True Sect, and its redoubtable military leader, the fearsome Hatchet.
Later grievously wounded after a Koriani assassination attempt, in danger of succumbing to insanity, and hemmed in by other malevolent True Sect leaders, such as the Priest Supreme and Exalted Examiner, the faithful Daliana – now in disguise as Dace in order to gain Lyaser’s trust – is the only thing saving Lysaer from madness and certain death.
“The coward in him preferred not the bear what could never be reconciled. Thousands of times, over hundreds of years, the voice of self-censure condemned him: better he died than fall prey to the next wretched bout of insanity. Logic destroyed the weakness of delusion, that he had ever owned the brute will to defeat the forces that rode him.”
As I said in my review of the very first book in the series, “Curse of the Mistwraith”, the sophistication of Wurts' characterization is truly a thing to behold. There are so many amazing, fascinating secondary characters that surround the two princes, most of whom very much have their own agendas, and are extremely grey in their perspectives and ambitions.
There some downright despicable people too, but there are also some very “good” characters, who the reader will root for. But be warned – don’t get too attached. Like GRRM, Wurts has no compunction whatsoever in making noble characters suffer or die, and the final battle scenes of the book are of the tear-jerking variety, as loveable characters fall.
Elaira, the long-time Koriathain initiate, and Arithon’s love, truly stands out in this book. She has been so long-suffering, so brave, so completely devoted to Arithon, so willing to sacrifice her self physically and emotionally for him, despite her untenable position as part of the organization determined to bring Arithon down. Over the course of the series, I have really come to appreciate her as an underrated character, and admire all her qualities, including her dry wit, and sometimes abrasiveness. Elaira will be tested like never before in “Destiny’s Conflict”.
As noted, Wurts has a stunning capacity to deliver charismatic characters beyond the two main players that we can’t get enough of. Often those characters are morally grey, or outright evil. This continues in “Destiny’s Conflict”: enter THE HATCHET!
Wow did I absolutely love this character! Blazing into the previous book, “Initiate’s Trial”, sheathed in steel mail and gauntlets, riding a steel chariot driven by a quartet of white geldings, this vicious yet brilliant dynamo, the Supreme Commander of the True Sect’s forces, is bullish, bombastic, and such an amazing character.
He’s really, really BAD news for the feal clansfolk, Arithon, and Lysaer, and you will want to pay close attention to him, during this story. He plays a MAJOR role.
Add in Davien, the renegade sorcerer, another one of my fav ambiguous characters, whose deliciously complicated and unpredictable arc I continue to be delighted with, and this book was a real character feast for me. Davien promises a lot, and he delivers. But one has to wonder, what will the price be, when he comes to collect the tab? This is someone who clearly has their own agenda, and is playing their cards close to the vest.
I adore this character, and all the potential Davien has to upset the apple-cart, in unexpected and astonishing ways.
Two of the Koriathain, Seldie Prime (Morriel) and Lirenda, have been key figures throughout the series. When we arrive at this book, Lirenda is still enslaved, and Seldie has continued her plots, that are seemingly boundless in underhandedness. These two characters also play a pivotal part in this specific book, and for all the evil they have done in the name of good, you know that a reckoning will come due at some point.
It appears that Lirenda has already received that reckoning. But what about Seldie, who has dabbled in necromancy - perhaps the ultimate sin - to hold onto power?
And, though I can’t spoil it by giving away names, the discovery of the fate of a missing character not yet seen, but referred to throughout the series, whom I’ve been extremely curious about, will also have major implications, no doubt, for the future.
A myriad of compelling themes have been part of this series, yet one particular theme stood out for me in “Destiny’s Conflict”, and that is the theme of the cost of the Law of Major Balance, and the cost of free will.
To recap, this tenant, handed down by the mythical Paravians, and which guides and constrains the Fellowship Sorcerers in the series, asserts that “no force of nature should be used without consent, or against the will of another living being.”
Prevented from direct intervention, it has seemed at times, throughout the series, for all their unlimited power, the Fellowship has been bereft of part of their agency, because of the law. Sometimes they can only be bystanders, when horrible things happen. I stopped to consider, during this book, what an immense psychological toll that must take on them, having to wait for permission before acting, to want to act, to have the power to act, but to have to stand down, time and time again.
There were times in the book that I felt the Fellowship fighting the despair of their burdens, seeming like worn-down, exhausted, and beyond ancient. Humankind seems bent on destroying themselves, despite everything the Fellowship is trying to do to protect them. You have to wonder if the Fellowship is not cracking under the strain, and wanting to give up, wondering if humankind is worth it.
As with any Wurts book, the reader can expect thrilling battles, betrayals, revenge, utter ruthlessness, political machinations, and unforgettable moments of quiet, philosophizing, and reflection.
This book is especially trying, and at times highly disturbing, with the physical pain and turmoil, and mental anguish, that Arithon and Lysaer undergo.
The climax of this book will leave you speechless, gasping and wondering, “Is this it for…???” Janny Wurts writes the best endings in fantasy, and you will never feel prepared for what she might throw at you, when she wraps up a novel. I certainly wasn’t ready for this ending. It will destroy you. I was wringing my hands in distress. Count on Wurts to do something this heart-rending, with how she wraps us this book.
And, as per usual, I will be repetitive here, and note that very single word in the book is written with purpose, and holds meaning. The exactitude, the punctiliousness with which Wurts writes, is like nothing I've ever encountered before. The sheer beauty of the prose continues to be staggering. Wurts’ uses adjectives in ways that will astound and bedazzle. This is the best prose I’ve ever read in fantasy.
“One moment, inevitable, turned destiny’s card like the bell stroke that shattered all hope; or else, like the phoenix birthed from immolation, a spark struck in bright, helpless pain might salvage the cold course of destiny. No way to tell which ahead of the crux where possibility ended, and probability dimmed to opacity.”
This book has served to remind me, as a reader, how far I’ve come on my journey reading this series.
When I started reading it in the autumn of 2021, I was captivated by the tale of two young half-brothers. Each had distinct and opposing magical powers of Light versus Darkness, and familial traits of empathy versus justice. They were reared to be enemies, but had to work together as comrades for a greater purpose, to banish the Mistwraith. Only to be cursed for their efforts in saving the world from being covered in the Mistwraith’s blight, and turned against each other.
My, how far those two brothers have come. And look how far I’ve come, reading 10 books, to the point where I am at now in the series, finished reading the last book currently available, keyed up to read the LAST book, period.
In saying that, I can only imagine what if feels like for Wurts, with her journey as the author of this series.
I often forget my journey is paltry compared to that that Wurts, who published the first book in this series back in 1993, and that it has been undergoing a just-over-30-year journey to completion. Kudos Janny Wurts! The perseverance alone, is worthy of huge applause. But to stay the course, and compose something THIS amazing over the course of 3 decades…wow.
I cannot say enough about the immense accomplishment that this series is. Once again, it’s my favourite fantasy series, ever, and Wurts is my favourite writer, ever.
Wurts’ saga is masterful, each novel so intricately and lovingly crafted, every sentence or passage to be savoured. Each book has built upon the last, escalating towards a crescendo that I am completely confident that will be like nothing I’ve ever read before, and will be breathtaking.
I no doubt will mourn for the end, with the concluding installment coming in the next few months, but I also predict feeling immensely gratified.
I have never anticipated ANY book, the way I am anticipating “Song of the Mysteries”, the final installment in the seminal “Wars of Light and Shadow”.
Bring it on!
March 16, 2024
Tempted to give this 1.5 stars but I'll stick with 2 for now...
The main plotline of this book was incredibly boring, and at the halfway point I was seriously considering DNFing the entire series (in the penultimate book!). Maybe I'm losing patience with this series but there are way too many reused ideas and circumstances (how many times is Arithon going to flee an armed force through the wilderness?) and many of the interesting ideas / plotlines happen off-screen, either between books, via Sethvir's omniscience, or via one of the short blurbs at the end of the chapter.
Fortunately, the book did pick up slightly in the second half and actually began wrapping up plotlines, although this almost seemed forced -- like Wurts remembered this was the penultimate book in the series and she needed to quickly transition from the boring filler to scenes that actually close plotlines. Because of this, these conclusions felt too convenient, and would have felt much more earned if we'd built up to them naturally over the course of the last couple books instead of just meandering around following boring plot threads.
Also, Arithon being called 'his Grace' by people close to him, especially in times of emotional distress, was seriously ridiculous to me and grated on my nerves.
Hoping the final book in this series is better.
The main plotline of this book was incredibly boring, and at the halfway point I was seriously considering DNFing the entire series (in the penultimate book!). Maybe I'm losing patience with this series but there are way too many reused ideas and circumstances (how many times is Arithon going to flee an armed force through the wilderness?) and many of the interesting ideas / plotlines happen off-screen, either between books, via Sethvir's omniscience, or via one of the short blurbs at the end of the chapter.
Fortunately, the book did pick up slightly in the second half and actually began wrapping up plotlines, although this almost seemed forced -- like Wurts remembered this was the penultimate book in the series and she needed to quickly transition from the boring filler to scenes that actually close plotlines. Because of this, these conclusions felt too convenient, and would have felt much more earned if we'd built up to them naturally over the course of the last couple books instead of just meandering around following boring plot threads.
Also, Arithon being called 'his Grace' by people close to him, especially in times of emotional distress, was seriously ridiculous to me and grated on my nerves.
Hoping the final book in this series is better.
June 12, 2024
Reread of WOLAS book 10
"Destiny's Conflict" or as I like to call it, "Ships of Merior part 2 Paravian Boogaloo" picks up where "Initiate's Trial" left off.
The first half of this book is pretty much "Ships of Merior." Lysaer declares war on the True Sect and Arithon hides out in the boonies with an Elaira look alike who works for the Koriani. Lots of nothing happens for the first 50% of the book and then all the things happen in the back half.
The first half of the book: Daliana becomes a man to serve Lysaer because he is a misogynist with anger management issues. Arithon is put under a spell of unendurable horniness which is probably the funniest part of this whole novel. Lysaer gets brain damage right when he was about to do something useful.
The last half of the book: Arithon fulfills the waystone prophecy.First confirmed Black character Ciladis makes an appearance. Arithon finds the paravians. The Fellowship quietly endorse child murder. Davithon confirmed (I'm being a little facetious here but honestly- best romance in this series)
When I say this series has pacing issues this is what I'm talking about. There are a few subplots regarding the Biedar and the Etin shamans that I hope will play out in the next book because it will have been a huge waste of my time to read all that crap if it doesn't.
There is an interesting conversation between Arithon and Cosach which pretty well spells out the end game of this series. And to be fair the ending has been hinted at since Arithons first visit to Jaelot. This conversation pretty much confirms that Athera is just one long DnD campaign for the Fellowship and I have all the more reason to dislike them.
This novel was fine. It didn't do anything special and there was nothing all that offensive about it. The biggest issue with this book is that there are 9 very similar books before it. After awhile it just becomes exhausting to read the same things happening to the same characters over and over again. These books are desperately crying out for a decent editor.
"Destiny's Conflict" or as I like to call it, "Ships of Merior part 2 Paravian Boogaloo" picks up where "Initiate's Trial" left off.
The first half of this book is pretty much "Ships of Merior." Lysaer declares war on the True Sect and Arithon hides out in the boonies with an Elaira look alike who works for the Koriani. Lots of nothing happens for the first 50% of the book and then all the things happen in the back half.
The first half of the book: Daliana becomes a man to serve Lysaer because he is a misogynist with anger management issues. Arithon is put under a spell of unendurable horniness which is probably the funniest part of this whole novel. Lysaer gets brain damage right when he was about to do something useful.
The last half of the book: Arithon fulfills the waystone prophecy.First confirmed Black character Ciladis makes an appearance. Arithon finds the paravians. The Fellowship quietly endorse child murder. Davithon confirmed (I'm being a little facetious here but honestly- best romance in this series)
When I say this series has pacing issues this is what I'm talking about. There are a few subplots regarding the Biedar and the Etin shamans that I hope will play out in the next book because it will have been a huge waste of my time to read all that crap if it doesn't.
There is an interesting conversation between Arithon and Cosach which pretty well spells out the end game of this series. And to be fair the ending has been hinted at since Arithons first visit to Jaelot. This conversation pretty much confirms that Athera is just one long DnD campaign for the Fellowship and I have all the more reason to dislike them.
This novel was fine. It didn't do anything special and there was nothing all that offensive about it. The biggest issue with this book is that there are 9 very similar books before it. After awhile it just becomes exhausting to read the same things happening to the same characters over and over again. These books are desperately crying out for a decent editor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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