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Wars of Light and Shadow #1
Curse of the Mistwraith
The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith's stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadows, is complex and enigmatic. Lysaer, Lord of Light, is a single-minded crusader motivated by anger.
690 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
751 people are currently reading
18604 people want to read
About the author
Janny Wurts
106 books1,934 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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February 16, 2025 The series is now complete - 11 books, 30+ years! An epic work of epic fantasy.
The Curse of the Mistwraith is a book that had been sitting on a shelf in our bathroom for many years before I picked it up and blew off a thick layer of dust. I’d never heard of the book but I knew the author’s name well because she co-authored (with Raymond E Feist) one of my favourite fantasy trilogies, The Empire Trilogy. I’ve enjoyed a good number of other books penned by Raymondy all by himself, but I’ve always wondered how much of the magic in The Empire Trilogy came from Janny Wurts.
TCOTM came out in 1993 … 23 years ago! And the series in its various sub-groups is now 10 books long with (I think) 2 more to come. My copy is a 4th edition paperback printed in 1997, and the book has nearly 4,000 ratings on Goodreads, which for a book that came out well over a decade before Goodreads was created is an impressive total. All this is to say that the book clearly sold well and has many fans.
The Curse of the Mistwraith is a big fat fantasy. My copy has over 800 pages. It’s 226,000 words, which is longer by some margin than any book I’ve ever written and nearly three times the length of Prince of Thorns.
It’s a long book and I have quite a lot to say about it. Not all of those things are good, but some are, and the parts that aren’t are all a matter of taste.
Let’s segue into music. I don’t like jazz. Sorry jazz fans. I actually have spent a pleasant evening in a jazz club … but I’m never going to sit down in my own home and listen to the stuff. Now, you could wheel in the world’s most talented musician, a genius capable of the highest quality in any musical genre, and have them play jazz for me. I still wouldn’t like jazz. But I would probably be able to tell that the jazz was being extremely well played. Janny Wurts has, in TCOTM written a book I’m not a great fan of extremely well.
Actually, I liked the first 50 pages a fair bit, soldiered on through the next 600 or so, and enjoyed the last 200.
There are two main elements I’m going to discuss. The first is the writing, the second the story-telling / plot.
Writing-wise Wurts has clearly made a definite choice (jazz). It’s not a failing or a mistake, and I’ve seen her write in another style, but here she has opted for HIGH FANTASY, about as high as you can get it. I’m not adverse to a bit of high-falutin’ prose myself, and I like to get the language to exercise its power. But for me I like to strive for efficiency, where less is more, and to save my more purple prose for high-points where I feel the story has earned me a spot of indulgence. In TCOTM the prose is wordy. Think Tolkien (who I love) but turned up to 11.
This is a not atypical dialogue tag: the aged crone tartly qualified.
And lines such as this are common:
The incongruity of their wholeness against the surrounding wreckage was a dichotomy fit to maim the soul: for their lines were harmony distilled into form, and strength beyond time's attrition.
Archaic expressions such as “it is not meet that” meaning “it is not proper that” abound.
Now, I’m no puritan and I don’t object to occasional ornamentation, but when you get page after page where every line is of this richness, it can become too much. You start to feel as if you’re eating a ten course banquet where every course is Christmas pudding.
Before I over-play this aspect many readers praise Wurts to the skies for her prose, and I can see the talent in it. It’s very well done. She has some wonderful turns of phrase and descriptions. She has a poet’s eye for scenery. And, after 600 pages either I got used to the style or it mellowed as action took over from … not action … because toward the end of the book my eyes managed to see past the ornamentation to the meaning without distraction.
The second aspect of the book I want to address is the story-telling. For me the book begins well with some excitement, action, magic, and threat, two main characters are introduced and it’s all full of promise.
After that, for more than the length of a regular book, TCOTM adopts a very different style. In many ways it’s unique and bold for a fantasy book. The rate at which stuff happens slows to a crawl. Threat and tension largely take a hike, and we spend 500 pages on traveling about a wet and misty countryside slowly world building while our two main characters and a small collection of wizards agonize over what choices to make.
The book focuses on two princes imported from a different fantasy world to end the curse of the mistwraith. This curse is that the land is shrouded in mist (and so we have a lot of description of wet, dripping, chilly, misty, foggy landscapes). One of our princes would rather be a musician and the burden of an unwanted throne and responsibility vex his heart. There’s a lot of too-ing and fro-ing over this. The mages scry this and that, view possibly futures, look into the princes’ hearts, figure the odds, hold meetings … it goes on.
There’s nothing wrong with this. There’s no reason a fantasy book has to be filled with sword swinging and lives in peril and enemies charging over the ridge… A mature reader (whatever their age) can enjoy personal interactions and dilemmas, world-building, magical displays…
But for me it dragged. Perhaps it’s an immature desire in me for some threat/conflict and for it to have a face/character.
Slight spoilers concerning the lack of threats:
Moderate spoilers:
A lot of the plot concerns prophecies and calculations of the future. Which always feels a bit arbitrary to me. The two princes aren’t driving things forward. We’re not dealing with the ambitions or plans of the two young men, rather it’s the 500 year old plans of 1000 year old men who we only see implementing those plans and whose driving ambition is simply that fate roll out to maximise harmony and well-being while undoing some ancient wrongs to let the vanished races (centaurs, unicorns, and sun-children) back into the world.
One prince, Arithron, master of shadows, Teir’s’Ffalenn has a sword, Alithiel. We get a chapter entitled Alithiel’s story which (though only 8 pages) is pretty much all about the sword’s manufacture. 10,500 years ago 12 blades were made by a centaur, each blade took 5 years to make plus another 5 years for the sorcery to make and keep it sharp. Then the swords went to the Sun-Children for finishing. 21 masters took 10 years to make Alithiel’s hilt… And the unicorns had to sing songs of defence.
We see the sword pulled out when a bunch of dragon-things threaten. Its light strikes them down. We don’t see any more of the dragon-things. There’s one time the sword’s cut brings our prince out of a dangerous trance/madness. And that’s pretty much it for Alithiel after all that build up. When Arithron finally does swing it in battle (in the last 200 pages where things hot up) it just seems like a regular sword.
I mention this because I feel it gives an indication of the general balance between build-up and resolution through-out the book.
Anyway. The plan is to impose these two princes on the city folk who hundreds of years ago rebelled against royalty. The remnants of the aristocracy are now wild clansmen who raid the trade-routes between the cities. Strangely the cities with their guilds and labour organisations are portrayed as dens of iniquity and evil, while the bandits raiding them centuries later are the good guys. I was rather rooting for the city-folk when they showed resistance to the idea that this young man should take over since he was related to the king their ancestors killed five centuries before and a mage said they should. I know I shouldn’t let my views get in the way of a good story, but it did feel rather heavy handed how those who weren’t in favour of giving up self-determination in favour of a king were almost-uniformly painted as terrible people.
Let’s put all that behind us. After 600 pages of politicking, agonizing, magicking and world-building the shit finally hit the fan and suddenly, and against my lowered expectations, I started enjoying myself again. Wurts writes very good battle scenes. She writes dark, bloody fights, and gives no quarter. Good people die nasty deaths, nobody is safe, children and puppies explode. The last 200 pages were fun.
So in the end I’m going to repeat myself. Wurts has, with great talent, written a book that mostly didn’t work that well for me. The reasons that I didn’t devour the work were a combination of the prose style and the focus of the story. These are choice the author took that are clearly very successful for many readers and may well be successful for you.
My advice would be to hop over to Amazon and click on the book – you can read the first few dozen pages.
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Mistwrait...
Give it a go. This is a very rich, detailed, immersive world and if it clicks for you then there’s a hell of a ride ahead!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
The Curse of the Mistwraith is a book that had been sitting on a shelf in our bathroom for many years before I picked it up and blew off a thick layer of dust. I’d never heard of the book but I knew the author’s name well because she co-authored (with Raymond E Feist) one of my favourite fantasy trilogies, The Empire Trilogy. I’ve enjoyed a good number of other books penned by Raymondy all by himself, but I’ve always wondered how much of the magic in The Empire Trilogy came from Janny Wurts.
TCOTM came out in 1993 … 23 years ago! And the series in its various sub-groups is now 10 books long with (I think) 2 more to come. My copy is a 4th edition paperback printed in 1997, and the book has nearly 4,000 ratings on Goodreads, which for a book that came out well over a decade before Goodreads was created is an impressive total. All this is to say that the book clearly sold well and has many fans.
The Curse of the Mistwraith is a big fat fantasy. My copy has over 800 pages. It’s 226,000 words, which is longer by some margin than any book I’ve ever written and nearly three times the length of Prince of Thorns.
It’s a long book and I have quite a lot to say about it. Not all of those things are good, but some are, and the parts that aren’t are all a matter of taste.
Let’s segue into music. I don’t like jazz. Sorry jazz fans. I actually have spent a pleasant evening in a jazz club … but I’m never going to sit down in my own home and listen to the stuff. Now, you could wheel in the world’s most talented musician, a genius capable of the highest quality in any musical genre, and have them play jazz for me. I still wouldn’t like jazz. But I would probably be able to tell that the jazz was being extremely well played. Janny Wurts has, in TCOTM written a book I’m not a great fan of extremely well.
Actually, I liked the first 50 pages a fair bit, soldiered on through the next 600 or so, and enjoyed the last 200.
There are two main elements I’m going to discuss. The first is the writing, the second the story-telling / plot.
Writing-wise Wurts has clearly made a definite choice (jazz). It’s not a failing or a mistake, and I’ve seen her write in another style, but here she has opted for HIGH FANTASY, about as high as you can get it. I’m not adverse to a bit of high-falutin’ prose myself, and I like to get the language to exercise its power. But for me I like to strive for efficiency, where less is more, and to save my more purple prose for high-points where I feel the story has earned me a spot of indulgence. In TCOTM the prose is wordy. Think Tolkien (who I love) but turned up to 11.
This is a not atypical dialogue tag: the aged crone tartly qualified.
And lines such as this are common:
The incongruity of their wholeness against the surrounding wreckage was a dichotomy fit to maim the soul: for their lines were harmony distilled into form, and strength beyond time's attrition.
Archaic expressions such as “it is not meet that” meaning “it is not proper that” abound.
Now, I’m no puritan and I don’t object to occasional ornamentation, but when you get page after page where every line is of this richness, it can become too much. You start to feel as if you’re eating a ten course banquet where every course is Christmas pudding.
Before I over-play this aspect many readers praise Wurts to the skies for her prose, and I can see the talent in it. It’s very well done. She has some wonderful turns of phrase and descriptions. She has a poet’s eye for scenery. And, after 600 pages either I got used to the style or it mellowed as action took over from … not action … because toward the end of the book my eyes managed to see past the ornamentation to the meaning without distraction.
The second aspect of the book I want to address is the story-telling. For me the book begins well with some excitement, action, magic, and threat, two main characters are introduced and it’s all full of promise.
After that, for more than the length of a regular book, TCOTM adopts a very different style. In many ways it’s unique and bold for a fantasy book. The rate at which stuff happens slows to a crawl. Threat and tension largely take a hike, and we spend 500 pages on traveling about a wet and misty countryside slowly world building while our two main characters and a small collection of wizards agonize over what choices to make.
The book focuses on two princes imported from a different fantasy world to end the curse of the mistwraith. This curse is that the land is shrouded in mist (and so we have a lot of description of wet, dripping, chilly, misty, foggy landscapes). One of our princes would rather be a musician and the burden of an unwanted throne and responsibility vex his heart. There’s a lot of too-ing and fro-ing over this. The mages scry this and that, view possibly futures, look into the princes’ hearts, figure the odds, hold meetings … it goes on.
There’s nothing wrong with this. There’s no reason a fantasy book has to be filled with sword swinging and lives in peril and enemies charging over the ridge… A mature reader (whatever their age) can enjoy personal interactions and dilemmas, world-building, magical displays…
But for me it dragged. Perhaps it’s an immature desire in me for some threat/conflict and for it to have a face/character.
Slight spoilers concerning the lack of threats:
Moderate spoilers:
A lot of the plot concerns prophecies and calculations of the future. Which always feels a bit arbitrary to me. The two princes aren’t driving things forward. We’re not dealing with the ambitions or plans of the two young men, rather it’s the 500 year old plans of 1000 year old men who we only see implementing those plans and whose driving ambition is simply that fate roll out to maximise harmony and well-being while undoing some ancient wrongs to let the vanished races (centaurs, unicorns, and sun-children) back into the world.
One prince, Arithron, master of shadows, Teir’s’Ffalenn has a sword, Alithiel. We get a chapter entitled Alithiel’s story which (though only 8 pages) is pretty much all about the sword’s manufacture. 10,500 years ago 12 blades were made by a centaur, each blade took 5 years to make plus another 5 years for the sorcery to make and keep it sharp. Then the swords went to the Sun-Children for finishing. 21 masters took 10 years to make Alithiel’s hilt… And the unicorns had to sing songs of defence.
We see the sword pulled out when a bunch of dragon-things threaten. Its light strikes them down. We don’t see any more of the dragon-things. There’s one time the sword’s cut brings our prince out of a dangerous trance/madness. And that’s pretty much it for Alithiel after all that build up. When Arithron finally does swing it in battle (in the last 200 pages where things hot up) it just seems like a regular sword.
I mention this because I feel it gives an indication of the general balance between build-up and resolution through-out the book.
Anyway. The plan is to impose these two princes on the city folk who hundreds of years ago rebelled against royalty. The remnants of the aristocracy are now wild clansmen who raid the trade-routes between the cities. Strangely the cities with their guilds and labour organisations are portrayed as dens of iniquity and evil, while the bandits raiding them centuries later are the good guys. I was rather rooting for the city-folk when they showed resistance to the idea that this young man should take over since he was related to the king their ancestors killed five centuries before and a mage said they should. I know I shouldn’t let my views get in the way of a good story, but it did feel rather heavy handed how those who weren’t in favour of giving up self-determination in favour of a king were almost-uniformly painted as terrible people.
Let’s put all that behind us. After 600 pages of politicking, agonizing, magicking and world-building the shit finally hit the fan and suddenly, and against my lowered expectations, I started enjoying myself again. Wurts writes very good battle scenes. She writes dark, bloody fights, and gives no quarter. Good people die nasty deaths, nobody is safe, children and puppies explode. The last 200 pages were fun.
So in the end I’m going to repeat myself. Wurts has, with great talent, written a book that mostly didn’t work that well for me. The reasons that I didn’t devour the work were a combination of the prose style and the focus of the story. These are choice the author took that are clearly very successful for many readers and may well be successful for you.
My advice would be to hop over to Amazon and click on the book – you can read the first few dozen pages.
http://www.amazon.com/Curse-Mistwrait...
Give it a go. This is a very rich, detailed, immersive world and if it clicks for you then there’s a hell of a ride ahead!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
March 6, 2019
Buddy read with some of the most wonderful people in my Fantasy book group! ❌⭕️😘
This was a fantastic high fantasy book! If you’re into a lot of fighting this is probably not for you, but you could always give it a go!!
I have been lucky enough to get some of her old school books in hardback! And I have a bunch in paperback not shown in pic. I ordered one of her many bookmarks I’m going to get and she sent a note and a signed bookplate!! Omg!! I wish all cool authors did this, but she also drew all of the art! I love her!! 💕
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
A black, winged beast narrows scarlet eyes and dives off a ledge into cloud, and a long, wailing whistle summons others into formation behind its scale-clad tail
This was a fantastic high fantasy book! If you’re into a lot of fighting this is probably not for you, but you could always give it a go!!
I have been lucky enough to get some of her old school books in hardback! And I have a bunch in paperback not shown in pic. I ordered one of her many bookmarks I’m going to get and she sent a note and a signed bookplate!! Omg!! I wish all cool authors did this, but she also drew all of the art! I love her!! 💕
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 16, 2024
The Curse of the Mistwraith is the start of a super ambitious epic fantasy, and it is a book that will require your 100% concentration.
I had Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts, her magnum opus, in my TBR pile since 2019. Plus, as a diehard fan of The Riftwar: Empire trilogy that Raymond E. Feist co-wrote together with Janny Wurts, to say that I was looking forward to reading this is a disservice to my anticipation. But if you’ve been following my YouTube channel, you’ll know I have delayed starting this series year after year. Based on everything I heard, Wars of Light and Shadow feels like a series that should only be read when my life isn’t too busy. And after reading The Curse of the Mistwraith, I feel more confident about this.
Firstly, the premise. The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the combined powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith’s stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadow and Lysaer, Lord of Light.
Arithon and Lysaer will find that they are inescapably bound inside a pattern of events dictated by their own deepest convictions. Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.
I have delayed writing this review for a month because of two things. The first important thing to remember is The Curse of the Mistwraith feels like a book that will work much better on rereading after reading through the series rather than first-time reading. As the first book of a series, it set the tone for the rest of the series and made sure readers knew what they were getting into when it came to the prose. But at the same time, in a similar fashion to Gardens of the Moon, it is totally possible to tell all the foreshadowing and foundation laid in this first entry will work superbly more on reread. If you’re similar to me, some of you might have heard Wars of Light and Shadow compared to The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. Narrative-wise, it is tonally different than Gardens of the Moon and the rest of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, the comparison is not given without ground due to two factors. One is the reason I just mentioned. And the other one is the high level of concentration required to traverse the writing. Personally speaking, I found Gardens of the Moon a far easier read compared to Curse of the Mistwraith
Secondly, and this will be the biggest determining factor to your enjoyment of The Curse of the Mistwraith: the writing style. It is a double-edged blade. Due to my hectic schedule, it felt like I couldn’t give the necessary 100% attention span needed to enjoy Janny Wurts’ prose. To clarify, I found Wurts’ writing in the first 60 pages and the climax sequences, about 100 pages, brilliant and compelling. I was hooked and immersed, and my mind had a great time dancing along to the tune of the prose. The in-between, however, is another story. It felt meandering and frankly overkill. Wurts has purple prose that feels beautiful being digested in small portions, and I wish the prose was balanced with a more straightforward style during the mundane moments. When everything is written in the same style, if you have read this book then you will know what I mean, even though it is intentionally done, the beautiful impact felt diminished and tedious. There was no break. And I am not surprised by the lower-than-usual average rating for The Curse of the Mistwraith. The prose is purple to the max. I have never read a fantasy book with prose as purple as The Curse of the Mistwraith. And as I said, this is intentionally done that way. As proven in Riftwar: Empire, Janny Wurts could write in a different style if she chose to. This shows her versatility. But this is the path she chose for Wars of Light and Shadow. Challenging? Yes. But it will be more precise to say the prose is demanding rather than hard. As I said at the beginning of this review, it requires 100% concentration with no distractions.
Everything I wrote is my first impression of finishing The Curse of the Mistwraith. And please don’t misunderstand. Even though the middle portion was less enjoyable than the beginning and ending sections, there were some beautiful and badass moments; Arithon unleashing his sword for the first time, the first encounter with unicorns, and more. It is a bit of a shame that even though I enjoyed the story, characterizations, and definitely the world-building, the writing style (and my current circumstances) prevented me from enjoying The Curse of the Mistwraith to the utmost. But as I said, your miles will vary. I strongly recommend you sample the writing first. From my perspective, if you click with the writing and you need a massive completed epic fantasy series with prose 1000% opposite the style of, let’s say, Brandon Sanderson, The Curse of the Mistwraith is the book for you. Will I continue reading the series? Yes. At least, I will try to read until Warhost of Vastmark before I finalize the decision to continue or drop the series. When will that happen? That’s a question I cannot answer at the moment. It all depends on my reading mood and schedule. It could be soon. It could be later. We will see. Until then, allow me to close this review with gratitude toward my friend, Barbara, for sending me a hardcover copy of The Curse of the Mistwraith.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
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I had Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts, her magnum opus, in my TBR pile since 2019. Plus, as a diehard fan of The Riftwar: Empire trilogy that Raymond E. Feist co-wrote together with Janny Wurts, to say that I was looking forward to reading this is a disservice to my anticipation. But if you’ve been following my YouTube channel, you’ll know I have delayed starting this series year after year. Based on everything I heard, Wars of Light and Shadow feels like a series that should only be read when my life isn’t too busy. And after reading The Curse of the Mistwraith, I feel more confident about this.
“The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth.”
Firstly, the premise. The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the combined powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith’s stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadow and Lysaer, Lord of Light.
Arithon and Lysaer will find that they are inescapably bound inside a pattern of events dictated by their own deepest convictions. Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.
“As a spirit schooled to power, his perception stems from one absolute. Universal harmony begins with recognition that the life in an ordinary pebble is as sacred as conscious selfhood.”
I have delayed writing this review for a month because of two things. The first important thing to remember is The Curse of the Mistwraith feels like a book that will work much better on rereading after reading through the series rather than first-time reading. As the first book of a series, it set the tone for the rest of the series and made sure readers knew what they were getting into when it came to the prose. But at the same time, in a similar fashion to Gardens of the Moon, it is totally possible to tell all the foreshadowing and foundation laid in this first entry will work superbly more on reread. If you’re similar to me, some of you might have heard Wars of Light and Shadow compared to The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. Narrative-wise, it is tonally different than Gardens of the Moon and the rest of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, the comparison is not given without ground due to two factors. One is the reason I just mentioned. And the other one is the high level of concentration required to traverse the writing. Personally speaking, I found Gardens of the Moon a far easier read compared to Curse of the Mistwraith
“Mage-taught wisdom reproached him: any gift of power was two-edged.”
Secondly, and this will be the biggest determining factor to your enjoyment of The Curse of the Mistwraith: the writing style. It is a double-edged blade. Due to my hectic schedule, it felt like I couldn’t give the necessary 100% attention span needed to enjoy Janny Wurts’ prose. To clarify, I found Wurts’ writing in the first 60 pages and the climax sequences, about 100 pages, brilliant and compelling. I was hooked and immersed, and my mind had a great time dancing along to the tune of the prose. The in-between, however, is another story. It felt meandering and frankly overkill. Wurts has purple prose that feels beautiful being digested in small portions, and I wish the prose was balanced with a more straightforward style during the mundane moments. When everything is written in the same style, if you have read this book then you will know what I mean, even though it is intentionally done, the beautiful impact felt diminished and tedious. There was no break. And I am not surprised by the lower-than-usual average rating for The Curse of the Mistwraith. The prose is purple to the max. I have never read a fantasy book with prose as purple as The Curse of the Mistwraith. And as I said, this is intentionally done that way. As proven in Riftwar: Empire, Janny Wurts could write in a different style if she chose to. This shows her versatility. But this is the path she chose for Wars of Light and Shadow. Challenging? Yes. But it will be more precise to say the prose is demanding rather than hard. As I said at the beginning of this review, it requires 100% concentration with no distractions.
“Show me a hero and I’ll show you a man enslaved by his competence.”
Everything I wrote is my first impression of finishing The Curse of the Mistwraith. And please don’t misunderstand. Even though the middle portion was less enjoyable than the beginning and ending sections, there were some beautiful and badass moments; Arithon unleashing his sword for the first time, the first encounter with unicorns, and more. It is a bit of a shame that even though I enjoyed the story, characterizations, and definitely the world-building, the writing style (and my current circumstances) prevented me from enjoying The Curse of the Mistwraith to the utmost. But as I said, your miles will vary. I strongly recommend you sample the writing first. From my perspective, if you click with the writing and you need a massive completed epic fantasy series with prose 1000% opposite the style of, let’s say, Brandon Sanderson, The Curse of the Mistwraith is the book for you. Will I continue reading the series? Yes. At least, I will try to read until Warhost of Vastmark before I finalize the decision to continue or drop the series. When will that happen? That’s a question I cannot answer at the moment. It all depends on my reading mood and schedule. It could be soon. It could be later. We will see. Until then, allow me to close this review with gratitude toward my friend, Barbara, for sending me a hardcover copy of The Curse of the Mistwraith.
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My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew S, Annabeth, Anne, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, James, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Stephanie, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
October 17, 2023
*** 4.65 ***
I had never heard of this series until one of the groups here on GR, The Fantasy Buddy Reads Group, announced they were reading it starting this month. I had just read something else by Ms. Wurts and loved it, so I was very excited to check this one out. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't it. I knew it would by High Fantasy, I just didn't expect the way this author had gone about writing and structuring it. It starts typically enough, a fleet of Royal Ships is battling some pirates, but although they are victorious, the majority of their fleet is lost and it is a rough recovery. A prisoner is taken alive, because he is suspected to be the Master of Shadows, a wizard-trained mage with mastery over shadows despite his youth. He also happens to be the bastard son of the Queen, who ran away from the king and her other son before the Master was born and lived with her lover, the Pirate King, but died long time ago. However, the blow to the Royal King's pride was such, that his wife's get has become an obsession for him to capture and publicly humiliate, torture and kill as a traitor to the realm. Straight foreword, right?
"...“Yet contrary evidence supports a claim that the Master was unjustly aligned with evil. Fragments of manuscript survive which expose the entire religion of Light as fraud, and award Arithon the attributes of saint and mystic instead.”..."
Well, this is only the set-up. The Master of Shadows, or Arithon and his brother, The Master of Light, or Lysaer, are only a continuation of a seven generations feud between royal families exiled from another world, Athera, to Dascen Elur. Five such families with magical heritage have crossed a one directional gate and the problems they carried with them only deepened when they were stuck in their present. The familial magic had been reworked and channeled in a way to be passed on to the first sons, taking the specific for the family nature. Just as most, we are all conditioned to think of Shadows and Light as arcanely negative or positive, but this first book in the series is going to challenge our perceptions and make us pay attention to everything, since nothing is exactly what it seems.
"...“Because the factual account lay hopelessly entangled between legend and theology, sages in the seventh age meditated upon the ancient past, and recalled through visions the events as they happened. Contrary to all expectation, the conflict did not begin on the council stair of Etarra, nor even on the soil of Athera itself; instead the visions started upon the wide oceans of the splinter world, Dascen Elur. This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”..."
Once exiled to Athera, the half-brothers Arithon and Lysear, each deeply indoctrinated in the family tradition of hatred for each-other, realize they have to work together in order to defeat The Curse of the Mistwraith, which has chocked the land with thick mist, not allowing for a view of the Sun or the stars. But many things seem to constantly get in their way, despite of a brotherhood of Wizards, who obviously harbor many secrets, trying to help them... Or are they? Could they also have agendas of their own, similar to all the groups of people they are faced with. Even if the brothers would have liked to just be, way too many eyes are on them, following their every move and hoping to influence them one way or another. Having to rely on the locals to let them know what is going on, what is expected on them, and what their choices are, they are players in a game which rules they barely know and on top of all the other stresses, the ancient feud always colors their vision. All of it makes for a perfect situation of which The Mistwraith to take advantage and pit the two brothers, the only people who might be able to defied it if band together, against one another.
"...“The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth”..."
I loved the way Ms. Janny Wurts build the world and the backstory, but most of all I loved the way she told it. From the reviews of some of my friends I can tell that the thing they had the most issues with is exactly the thing I loved the most - the prose! Wow! I understand how it can be too much if you planned on reading something light and did not plan to devote all of your attention to every sentence, because the author's choice for style in this book is complex and very rich in detail and nuances. You have to pay attention. You can't really allow yourself to mind-drift or skim, because she tends to craft her clues in parts of many sentences, blink and you might miss something. Yes, the prose is lush and some might call it convoluted, but it sang to my mind and made me experience a multitude of nuanced emotions. It was a feast for the brain of people who love words! If you are one of them, this is your series!!! It develops slowly, is full of its legends and mythology, and overflows with politics, power struggles, and complicated magic. The author makes you work for every pay-off and you feel involved because of it. Nothing is ever handed you on a platter and no action or emotion spared. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but how would you know unless you give it a try??? Go ahead, take a chance!!!!
"...“As a spirit schooled to power, his perception stems from one absolute. Universal harmony begins with recognition that the life in an ordinary pebble is as sacred as conscious selfhood.”..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
I had never heard of this series until one of the groups here on GR, The Fantasy Buddy Reads Group, announced they were reading it starting this month. I had just read something else by Ms. Wurts and loved it, so I was very excited to check this one out. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't it. I knew it would by High Fantasy, I just didn't expect the way this author had gone about writing and structuring it. It starts typically enough, a fleet of Royal Ships is battling some pirates, but although they are victorious, the majority of their fleet is lost and it is a rough recovery. A prisoner is taken alive, because he is suspected to be the Master of Shadows, a wizard-trained mage with mastery over shadows despite his youth. He also happens to be the bastard son of the Queen, who ran away from the king and her other son before the Master was born and lived with her lover, the Pirate King, but died long time ago. However, the blow to the Royal King's pride was such, that his wife's get has become an obsession for him to capture and publicly humiliate, torture and kill as a traitor to the realm. Straight foreword, right?
"...“Yet contrary evidence supports a claim that the Master was unjustly aligned with evil. Fragments of manuscript survive which expose the entire religion of Light as fraud, and award Arithon the attributes of saint and mystic instead.”..."
Well, this is only the set-up. The Master of Shadows, or Arithon and his brother, The Master of Light, or Lysaer, are only a continuation of a seven generations feud between royal families exiled from another world, Athera, to Dascen Elur. Five such families with magical heritage have crossed a one directional gate and the problems they carried with them only deepened when they were stuck in their present. The familial magic had been reworked and channeled in a way to be passed on to the first sons, taking the specific for the family nature. Just as most, we are all conditioned to think of Shadows and Light as arcanely negative or positive, but this first book in the series is going to challenge our perceptions and make us pay attention to everything, since nothing is exactly what it seems.
"...“Because the factual account lay hopelessly entangled between legend and theology, sages in the seventh age meditated upon the ancient past, and recalled through visions the events as they happened. Contrary to all expectation, the conflict did not begin on the council stair of Etarra, nor even on the soil of Athera itself; instead the visions started upon the wide oceans of the splinter world, Dascen Elur. This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”..."
Once exiled to Athera, the half-brothers Arithon and Lysear, each deeply indoctrinated in the family tradition of hatred for each-other, realize they have to work together in order to defeat The Curse of the Mistwraith, which has chocked the land with thick mist, not allowing for a view of the Sun or the stars. But many things seem to constantly get in their way, despite of a brotherhood of Wizards, who obviously harbor many secrets, trying to help them... Or are they? Could they also have agendas of their own, similar to all the groups of people they are faced with. Even if the brothers would have liked to just be, way too many eyes are on them, following their every move and hoping to influence them one way or another. Having to rely on the locals to let them know what is going on, what is expected on them, and what their choices are, they are players in a game which rules they barely know and on top of all the other stresses, the ancient feud always colors their vision. All of it makes for a perfect situation of which The Mistwraith to take advantage and pit the two brothers, the only people who might be able to defied it if band together, against one another.
"...“The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth”..."
I loved the way Ms. Janny Wurts build the world and the backstory, but most of all I loved the way she told it. From the reviews of some of my friends I can tell that the thing they had the most issues with is exactly the thing I loved the most - the prose! Wow! I understand how it can be too much if you planned on reading something light and did not plan to devote all of your attention to every sentence, because the author's choice for style in this book is complex and very rich in detail and nuances. You have to pay attention. You can't really allow yourself to mind-drift or skim, because she tends to craft her clues in parts of many sentences, blink and you might miss something. Yes, the prose is lush and some might call it convoluted, but it sang to my mind and made me experience a multitude of nuanced emotions. It was a feast for the brain of people who love words! If you are one of them, this is your series!!! It develops slowly, is full of its legends and mythology, and overflows with politics, power struggles, and complicated magic. The author makes you work for every pay-off and you feel involved because of it. Nothing is ever handed you on a platter and no action or emotion spared. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea, but how would you know unless you give it a try??? Go ahead, take a chance!!!!
"...“As a spirit schooled to power, his perception stems from one absolute. Universal harmony begins with recognition that the life in an ordinary pebble is as sacred as conscious selfhood.”..."
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
May 16, 2016
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Mistwraith at all. I literally was forcing myself to read 50 to 100 pages at a time, before I'd lose interest and set it down again. Had the plot been told in a more linear fashion, with less background and more actual action, I might have enjoyed it more.
The writing suffered from a disjointed structure and over-abundance of verbage. As in example, within the first twenty-seven pages of the book, we are treated to a "Prologue," written in historical fashion; a sea rescue written from the viewpoint of a non-significant first officer; sword practice and embedded memory from the view of a prince; a chapter with an unnamed high mage and farseer; and "Fragments," which are, quite literally, three separate and incomplete sentences that reference other scenes, some of which are inconsequential but attempt to be portentous. I found it unnecessarily confusing, made even worse by a magical transport across a gate to a whole other land shortly after page 50. Yes, the half-hearted world-building that we muddled our way through in the first chapters was completely abandoned. It turns out those chapters were mostly significant for character development and politics, but unfortunately there was so little direct focus on the main characters, it was hard to get a solid feel for them.
Actually, that leads me to a second stumbling block: characterization. These princes change reactions and mood every five steps it seems, and their moodiness makes it hard to identify redeeming qualities of either. A small instance is when Lysaer was talking with Dakar, and found he was angry enough at Dakar's inquiry about not being taught about his gift of light, that he needed to try to keep from hitting something. Yet in the end of the scene, he's declining teaching from a Fellowship mage "for the greater good of Tysan" in an accepting and noble manner. Which leads me to a story-wide problem: Much of the story hinges on why Arithon is talented as Master of Shadow, a bard, and a prince, but must pursue one talent to the exclusion of all others. Likewise Lysaer can' learn more than elementary magecraft because he must be a ruler. Except that Lysaer has taught himself enough to be able to summon light on his own, and knows enough to recognize and be awed by magical acts. "A power focus," he mused in an awed whisper. We aren't told why this is so, and Lysaer's own self-taught knowledge seems to belie the thought that it is strictly a matter of time; already he's been taught duties of prince while learning magic. Even more significantly are how fast reactions change; We are constantly being told how this "seemed an impossibly cruel twist of fate" to the half-brothers, but not exactly why this is so cruel.
I found the writing seriously overwrought. There are some that praise the prose of Mistwraith, but I'll never be one of them. Almost every noun comes coupled with an adjective, and every verb an adverb, so the whole image is lost in description. Describing the base of a tower: "Here the drafts sang in dissonance through arrow loops and murder holes." A reaction to the weather--and not a plot point: "Chilled to gooseflesh as dampness hit his wet skin, Lysaer sucked in a deep breath." Reflecting on an obligation: "The ritual unleashed emotion, could and had linked participants to the depths of insight that a bond of sympathy with the subject under study became nearly impossible to deny." As singular sentences, they might be pleasing; as they contribute to focus on plot points or character, they are virtually meaningless.
The issue of verbosity transcends mere sentences to cause larger structural problems. When equal attention is given to all scenes, it lends to an uneven focus. For instance, a sorcerer discovers a meth-snake, destroys it and reports its unusual development to the fellowship. Suddenly the princes are riding furiously toward a tower but not knowing why. Once at the tower, Asandir joins the sorcerers in a trance, and the impending disaster is dealt with magically in four or five pages. It makes the feat of magic seem less significant and somewhat unimpressive.
A small peeve was the introduction of a young and willful sorceress flouting the restrictions of her order. Although it's been years since I've read The Wheel of Time, I felt like someone was channeling Jordan when she ended up with Asandir in a hayloft.
Overall, not a series I'll continue. While I enjoy the occasional epic fantasy, this one felt too messy and forced to be enjoyable and ultimately was not worth my time.
The writing suffered from a disjointed structure and over-abundance of verbage. As in example, within the first twenty-seven pages of the book, we are treated to a "Prologue," written in historical fashion; a sea rescue written from the viewpoint of a non-significant first officer; sword practice and embedded memory from the view of a prince; a chapter with an unnamed high mage and farseer; and "Fragments," which are, quite literally, three separate and incomplete sentences that reference other scenes, some of which are inconsequential but attempt to be portentous. I found it unnecessarily confusing, made even worse by a magical transport across a gate to a whole other land shortly after page 50. Yes, the half-hearted world-building that we muddled our way through in the first chapters was completely abandoned. It turns out those chapters were mostly significant for character development and politics, but unfortunately there was so little direct focus on the main characters, it was hard to get a solid feel for them.
Actually, that leads me to a second stumbling block: characterization. These princes change reactions and mood every five steps it seems, and their moodiness makes it hard to identify redeeming qualities of either. A small instance is when Lysaer was talking with Dakar, and found he was angry enough at Dakar's inquiry about not being taught about his gift of light, that he needed to try to keep from hitting something. Yet in the end of the scene, he's declining teaching from a Fellowship mage "for the greater good of Tysan" in an accepting and noble manner. Which leads me to a story-wide problem: Much of the story hinges on why Arithon is talented as Master of Shadow, a bard, and a prince, but must pursue one talent to the exclusion of all others. Likewise Lysaer can' learn more than elementary magecraft because he must be a ruler. Except that Lysaer has taught himself enough to be able to summon light on his own, and knows enough to recognize and be awed by magical acts. "A power focus," he mused in an awed whisper. We aren't told why this is so, and Lysaer's own self-taught knowledge seems to belie the thought that it is strictly a matter of time; already he's been taught duties of prince while learning magic. Even more significantly are how fast reactions change; We are constantly being told how this "seemed an impossibly cruel twist of fate" to the half-brothers, but not exactly why this is so cruel.
I found the writing seriously overwrought. There are some that praise the prose of Mistwraith, but I'll never be one of them. Almost every noun comes coupled with an adjective, and every verb an adverb, so the whole image is lost in description. Describing the base of a tower: "Here the drafts sang in dissonance through arrow loops and murder holes." A reaction to the weather--and not a plot point: "Chilled to gooseflesh as dampness hit his wet skin, Lysaer sucked in a deep breath." Reflecting on an obligation: "The ritual unleashed emotion, could and had linked participants to the depths of insight that a bond of sympathy with the subject under study became nearly impossible to deny." As singular sentences, they might be pleasing; as they contribute to focus on plot points or character, they are virtually meaningless.
The issue of verbosity transcends mere sentences to cause larger structural problems. When equal attention is given to all scenes, it lends to an uneven focus. For instance, a sorcerer discovers a meth-snake, destroys it and reports its unusual development to the fellowship. Suddenly the princes are riding furiously toward a tower but not knowing why. Once at the tower, Asandir joins the sorcerers in a trance, and the impending disaster is dealt with magically in four or five pages. It makes the feat of magic seem less significant and somewhat unimpressive.
A small peeve was the introduction of a young and willful sorceress flouting the restrictions of her order. Although it's been years since I've read The Wheel of Time, I felt like someone was channeling Jordan when she ended up with Asandir in a hayloft.
Overall, not a series I'll continue. While I enjoy the occasional epic fantasy, this one felt too messy and forced to be enjoyable and ultimately was not worth my time.
April 23, 2020
“Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”
There is this wonderful saying in one of the languages I pretend to know: “to take/tackle something like [you would] a hedgehog.” It means doing something reluctantly, awkwardly, and with exaggerated caution. That is me, writing this review. The reason is simple, The Curse of Mistwraith opens one of the most impressive if least known epic fantasy series out there.
You all probably know The Song of Ice and Fire, and Malazan, the Wheel of Time, and other fat, long high fantasy series. The Wars of Light and Shadow are at least as good of a half of those and yet far less popular - for no reason I can explain.
The plot is quite banal, the two brothers have to save the world by defeating the menacing Mistwraith. It might seem that this is just another story of the struggle between good and evil. However, this set up is merely an opening to something far more profound and the characters are created in ambiguous ways: light casts shadow, shadows illuminate, those who should be the guardians of the world order have their own goals and secrets that question their motivations and impartiality. Most importantly, if you like the butterfly effect in your books, you will appreciate how skilfully Janny* manages to show that the tiniest action by a marginal protagonist can have a profound and unforeseen effect of momentous consequences and how everything is connected (the treble notes ending each chapter - I liked those a lot!).
What else can you expect?
Writing sytle: Janny is impossible to be mistaken with any other author. If you gave me something by her, without a cover, I’d recognise her writing style instantly. It is lush, it is opulent, complex and nuanced. This means that you need to play your part, be attentive and attuned to innuendoes. If you are looking for something you can read with half of your brain switched off, stay away from this series! It is totally absorbing to the point of becoming overwhelming. Again, this is typical for grand epics (see the discussions in Malazan fandom). But if you are brave enough to give this novel a try, here you will find amazing chapter summaries and highlights that will guide your reading.
If there is one thing I wish could be more pronounced, it is humour. There are attempts at comic relief but the Mad Prophet is as far from Kruppe or Iskaral Pust as Gandalf is from Dumbledore. That is to say: both are completely different and because Janny’s affinity with tolkienesque narrative is huge, crude banter is not one of her fortes.
Superb characterisation: I am not sure if the Oxford Handbooks of Clinical and Cognitive Psychology are Janny’s favourite bedtime stories but she definitely has black belt in character development. It is layered, it is latticed, it is beyond sophisticated. Mind you, there is a dark side to this because whereas the book reads quickly, it slogs at times with unnecessary rumination which are the biggest downside of the novel (it could easily be half as much and still legible).
Incredible world building: This is not my first book (or series) by Janny. And while it happens very often that when you read books penned by the same author frequently, you begin to notice that some of the writers start regurgitating their own ideas after a novel or three. Janny’s imagination could give Einstein a pause because I am sure it knows no limits. The worlds she creates are different from book to book. What is presented here, is a universe that can proudly challenge Middle-Earth, Malazan, Lands of Ice and Fire, Forgotten Realms, Discworld, and the like - although we only glimpse small fragments of the whole breathtaking vista. History, lore, languages, magic in all forms and guises, cultures, ancient mysteries and vibrancy of kingdoms, clans, guilds and magic brotherhoods and sisterhoods. You’d like some geopolitics with all the unexpected turns of intrigues and twists propelled by egoistic interests. Check. You’d love to see internal strife, ethnic and cultural clashes, various forces at play including magical beings and artefacts? Check. Speaking of magic:
Non-pareil magic awaits you here: I have said it before that nobody writes magic like Janny does. Where the typical description of magic battle states something along the following lines: “and then he gathered his powers and attacked the enemy,” Janny will offer a whirlwind of action, tension, parries and feints better than some of the sword fighting action sequences I read. She does take magic to another level. Janny knows where magic comes from, how and why it works or doesn’t, what laws it follows, how it interacts with different kinds of magic and what it takes to apply the mastery of it in practice. If you like complex magic systems, you will cherish this jewel.
Sexy tropes: I have read people complaining that this series is tropey. OK, criticising fantasy for tropes is like criticising forest for being made of wood. I like tropes when they are made alive, that is when they are reworked through the author’s talent. Additionally, I have my favourite tropes and siblings on the opposite sides of a conflict is one of those (Janny must like it too because she did it before). It is not an easy one, or rather it is so deceptively easy that most of the stories that employ it veer towards banality. This is where The Curse of Mistwraith stands out. Around this master-trope, so many arcs are built with other tropes interweaved and inter-connected that this whole tapestry can leave the reader speechless.
So, why not five stars, you stingy woman? (you surely want to ask) The thing is: I have struggled with the Curse of Mistwraith. I did so not because it is a slow-moving character-driven story, but because of how it is driven. And in essence, it is driven by external circumstances and structural factors: first, there is one ancient prophecy, and then there is another one, there are bloodlines bearing certain overriding traits of characters, there is magic, and machinations of others. Both protagonists are set up for their doom by forces unbeknown to them and there is nothing they can do to alter the course of action.
It is more than a cleverly played game of chess where each of the figures follows certain rules and hence is predictable. In chess, you can still surprise your opponent. There is nothing surprising about the Curse of Mistwraith. All is determined from the beginning, the only thing that remains negotiable is how to interpret the events (that is: who to cheer for, the one with responsibility problems, or the one with a sense of justice problems). The fact that the grand outcome is, in fact, predetermined from the outset, renders all the complex characterisation and the nuanced plotting obsolete. The plot goes through the arc as a car goes through an assembly line: You know what you will get, save the colour and some other minor details.
For me, this is a major if not the fundamental problem. But if you are not as picky when it comes to facing one’s destiny, you might enjoy this design.
Myself, while I am not overawed, I consider this novel to be a very promising beginning of a long journey. Before you make up your mind, please try to read Laura’s review because of all the reviews I have read on GR, she is the one who gives justice to this brilliant and underfed series.
* For those of you who read my reviews, I’d like to explain why I am familiarising with the Author, instead of using the usual proper forms and thus forsaking any pretence of objectivity. So here it is: I cannot help but feel a certain fondness for Janny. It must be rooted in how I am reading her books and how they somehow not only resonate with me but also manage to create a certain intimate bond that transcends the pages I am traversing. Additionally, Janny is an extremely nice, responsive and approachable author, interactions with whom are just pure pleasure. And she loves cats. What more to ask for?
Also in the series:
2.The Ships of Merior ★★★★☆
3. Warhost of Vastmark ★★★★☆
4. Fugitive Prince
5. Grand Conspiracy RTC
6. Peril's Gate RTC
7. Traitor's Knot RTC
8. Stormed Fortress RTC
9. Initiate's Trials RTC
10. Destiny's Conflict RTC
There is this wonderful saying in one of the languages I pretend to know: “to take/tackle something like [you would] a hedgehog.” It means doing something reluctantly, awkwardly, and with exaggerated caution. That is me, writing this review. The reason is simple, The Curse of Mistwraith opens one of the most impressive if least known epic fantasy series out there.
You all probably know The Song of Ice and Fire, and Malazan, the Wheel of Time, and other fat, long high fantasy series. The Wars of Light and Shadow are at least as good of a half of those and yet far less popular - for no reason I can explain.
The plot is quite banal, the two brothers have to save the world by defeating the menacing Mistwraith. It might seem that this is just another story of the struggle between good and evil. However, this set up is merely an opening to something far more profound and the characters are created in ambiguous ways: light casts shadow, shadows illuminate, those who should be the guardians of the world order have their own goals and secrets that question their motivations and impartiality. Most importantly, if you like the butterfly effect in your books, you will appreciate how skilfully Janny* manages to show that the tiniest action by a marginal protagonist can have a profound and unforeseen effect of momentous consequences and how everything is connected (the treble notes ending each chapter - I liked those a lot!).
What else can you expect?
Writing sytle: Janny is impossible to be mistaken with any other author. If you gave me something by her, without a cover, I’d recognise her writing style instantly. It is lush, it is opulent, complex and nuanced. This means that you need to play your part, be attentive and attuned to innuendoes. If you are looking for something you can read with half of your brain switched off, stay away from this series! It is totally absorbing to the point of becoming overwhelming. Again, this is typical for grand epics (see the discussions in Malazan fandom). But if you are brave enough to give this novel a try, here you will find amazing chapter summaries and highlights that will guide your reading.
If there is one thing I wish could be more pronounced, it is humour. There are attempts at comic relief but the Mad Prophet is as far from Kruppe or Iskaral Pust as Gandalf is from Dumbledore. That is to say: both are completely different and because Janny’s affinity with tolkienesque narrative is huge, crude banter is not one of her fortes.
Superb characterisation: I am not sure if the Oxford Handbooks of Clinical and Cognitive Psychology are Janny’s favourite bedtime stories but she definitely has black belt in character development. It is layered, it is latticed, it is beyond sophisticated. Mind you, there is a dark side to this because whereas the book reads quickly, it slogs at times with unnecessary rumination which are the biggest downside of the novel (it could easily be half as much and still legible).
Incredible world building: This is not my first book (or series) by Janny. And while it happens very often that when you read books penned by the same author frequently, you begin to notice that some of the writers start regurgitating their own ideas after a novel or three. Janny’s imagination could give Einstein a pause because I am sure it knows no limits. The worlds she creates are different from book to book. What is presented here, is a universe that can proudly challenge Middle-Earth, Malazan, Lands of Ice and Fire, Forgotten Realms, Discworld, and the like - although we only glimpse small fragments of the whole breathtaking vista. History, lore, languages, magic in all forms and guises, cultures, ancient mysteries and vibrancy of kingdoms, clans, guilds and magic brotherhoods and sisterhoods. You’d like some geopolitics with all the unexpected turns of intrigues and twists propelled by egoistic interests. Check. You’d love to see internal strife, ethnic and cultural clashes, various forces at play including magical beings and artefacts? Check. Speaking of magic:
Non-pareil magic awaits you here: I have said it before that nobody writes magic like Janny does. Where the typical description of magic battle states something along the following lines: “and then he gathered his powers and attacked the enemy,” Janny will offer a whirlwind of action, tension, parries and feints better than some of the sword fighting action sequences I read. She does take magic to another level. Janny knows where magic comes from, how and why it works or doesn’t, what laws it follows, how it interacts with different kinds of magic and what it takes to apply the mastery of it in practice. If you like complex magic systems, you will cherish this jewel.
Sexy tropes: I have read people complaining that this series is tropey. OK, criticising fantasy for tropes is like criticising forest for being made of wood. I like tropes when they are made alive, that is when they are reworked through the author’s talent. Additionally, I have my favourite tropes and siblings on the opposite sides of a conflict is one of those (Janny must like it too because she did it before). It is not an easy one, or rather it is so deceptively easy that most of the stories that employ it veer towards banality. This is where The Curse of Mistwraith stands out. Around this master-trope, so many arcs are built with other tropes interweaved and inter-connected that this whole tapestry can leave the reader speechless.
So, why not five stars, you stingy woman? (you surely want to ask) The thing is: I have struggled with the Curse of Mistwraith. I did so not because it is a slow-moving character-driven story, but because of how it is driven. And in essence, it is driven by external circumstances and structural factors: first, there is one ancient prophecy, and then there is another one, there are bloodlines bearing certain overriding traits of characters, there is magic, and machinations of others. Both protagonists are set up for their doom by forces unbeknown to them and there is nothing they can do to alter the course of action.
It is more than a cleverly played game of chess where each of the figures follows certain rules and hence is predictable. In chess, you can still surprise your opponent. There is nothing surprising about the Curse of Mistwraith. All is determined from the beginning, the only thing that remains negotiable is how to interpret the events (that is: who to cheer for, the one with responsibility problems, or the one with a sense of justice problems). The fact that the grand outcome is, in fact, predetermined from the outset, renders all the complex characterisation and the nuanced plotting obsolete. The plot goes through the arc as a car goes through an assembly line: You know what you will get, save the colour and some other minor details.
For me, this is a major if not the fundamental problem. But if you are not as picky when it comes to facing one’s destiny, you might enjoy this design.
Myself, while I am not overawed, I consider this novel to be a very promising beginning of a long journey. Before you make up your mind, please try to read Laura’s review because of all the reviews I have read on GR, she is the one who gives justice to this brilliant and underfed series.
* For those of you who read my reviews, I’d like to explain why I am familiarising with the Author, instead of using the usual proper forms and thus forsaking any pretence of objectivity. So here it is: I cannot help but feel a certain fondness for Janny. It must be rooted in how I am reading her books and how they somehow not only resonate with me but also manage to create a certain intimate bond that transcends the pages I am traversing. Additionally, Janny is an extremely nice, responsive and approachable author, interactions with whom are just pure pleasure. And she loves cats. What more to ask for?
Also in the series:
2.The Ships of Merior ★★★★☆
3. Warhost of Vastmark ★★★★☆
4. Fugitive Prince
5. Grand Conspiracy RTC
6. Peril's Gate RTC
7. Traitor's Knot RTC
8. Stormed Fortress RTC
9. Initiate's Trials RTC
10. Destiny's Conflict RTC
September 22, 2021
Hey, I have a booktube channel (youtube for book reviews, etc.), and I include Curse in my top 10 fantasy books list here.
The best thing I can come up with to describe this book is that it's the most frustratingly amazing book I've ever read.
I can see why The Curse of the Mistwraith is one of those love it or hate it kind of books. It's been called overly-long, overly-detailed, and overly-descriptive, but I didn't find that to be the case. Instead, I'd go with the word 'immersive,' a word more often used to describe imagery and 3D technology.
What polarizes readers of this book/series comes down to the writing. This is also the reason for the "frustrating" part of my above statement. Not only is it full of details and description, the phrasing itself is complicated and the ideas expressed are, therefore, difficult to grasp the first time through. I can honestly say I've never had to reread passages as often as I have with this book.
At the same time, I couldn't imagine anything different. The writing perfectly fits the story, giving it an epic feeling, making it feel like history in the making.
Sometimes it's just a phrase framed with a negative instead of a positive and while I loved this book, I had a really hard time being forced to reread so often. It's definitely not a book to take to bed with you or for any time when you are remotely sleepy. You need full brainpower for this one.
Wurts is an incredible writer in so many ways, but what I really noticed is her ability to combine the "show don't tell" advice that's the typical writing advice with the moments when it's just better to tell. Character traits will be displayed through action or dialogue, but sometimes it's just better to tell a few things and Wurts is the master at it.
Along with the writing, the structure of the book is unique. After a short prologue, the book follows a pattern with a chapter, followed by two titled sub-chapters and then another prologue (essentially) with three lines that set up the next block of chapter/sub-chapters. The closest thing I can compare this to is Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, which has set-up chapters throughout to explore the entire world and begin foreshadowing events.
Probably best compared to The Wheel of Time in terms of complexity of plot and immersion into the world, the Wars of Light and Shadow series is something full of life where if the characters don't feel like good friends, you'll at least know them just as well.
If you want a challenge along the lines of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, but not quite, that will having you living and breathing in another world altogether, you're in for a treat. I'm looking forward to the next book, Ships of Merior, but if you'd asked me a week or two ago while I was in the middle of Curse, I'd probably have told you I needed a long break before diving back into this series.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Ps. Janny Wurts is also an amazing artist who's done all the covers (new and old) of this series. Some people just have it all. :)
The best thing I can come up with to describe this book is that it's the most frustratingly amazing book I've ever read.
I can see why The Curse of the Mistwraith is one of those love it or hate it kind of books. It's been called overly-long, overly-detailed, and overly-descriptive, but I didn't find that to be the case. Instead, I'd go with the word 'immersive,' a word more often used to describe imagery and 3D technology.
What polarizes readers of this book/series comes down to the writing. This is also the reason for the "frustrating" part of my above statement. Not only is it full of details and description, the phrasing itself is complicated and the ideas expressed are, therefore, difficult to grasp the first time through. I can honestly say I've never had to reread passages as often as I have with this book.
At the same time, I couldn't imagine anything different. The writing perfectly fits the story, giving it an epic feeling, making it feel like history in the making.
Sometimes it's just a phrase framed with a negative instead of a positive and while I loved this book, I had a really hard time being forced to reread so often. It's definitely not a book to take to bed with you or for any time when you are remotely sleepy. You need full brainpower for this one.
Wurts is an incredible writer in so many ways, but what I really noticed is her ability to combine the "show don't tell" advice that's the typical writing advice with the moments when it's just better to tell. Character traits will be displayed through action or dialogue, but sometimes it's just better to tell a few things and Wurts is the master at it.
Along with the writing, the structure of the book is unique. After a short prologue, the book follows a pattern with a chapter, followed by two titled sub-chapters and then another prologue (essentially) with three lines that set up the next block of chapter/sub-chapters. The closest thing I can compare this to is Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, which has set-up chapters throughout to explore the entire world and begin foreshadowing events.
Probably best compared to The Wheel of Time in terms of complexity of plot and immersion into the world, the Wars of Light and Shadow series is something full of life where if the characters don't feel like good friends, you'll at least know them just as well.
If you want a challenge along the lines of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, but not quite, that will having you living and breathing in another world altogether, you're in for a treat. I'm looking forward to the next book, Ships of Merior, but if you'd asked me a week or two ago while I was in the middle of Curse, I'd probably have told you I needed a long break before diving back into this series.
4.5 out of 5 Stars
Ps. Janny Wurts is also an amazing artist who's done all the covers (new and old) of this series. Some people just have it all. :)
February 23, 2024
Re-read for the read-along from r/fantasy.
If you'd like to check it out, here is the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comm...
Warning! This review contains spoilers!
Note: I have added a note that includes spoilers at the end of my original review, in answer to a request from a fellow GR reader/reviewer who asked me to address a few of his issues with this book.
My review - spoiler-free
Epic high fantasy at its highest and I absolutely adored it!!!
What is it about?
It is the story of 2 half-brothers, divided by the vicious throes of a blood feud – Lysaer, a prince raised as heir to a crown, and Arithon, brought up by mages. One bears the gift of the power of light and the other, command of darkness. Exiled to a world not their own, the pair must find common ground to defeat the Mistwraith that has banished the sun.
Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them, the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.
(from the back cover)
There are so many things I loved about this, starting with the prose.
I’ve seen many people complain about it being dense, but it is high fantasy and it is a huge series after all!
Just as in all other huge series, the first volume would have to contain a lot of info to pave the way for the story to come. And The Curse of the Mistwraith, especially the first half of it, is filled with little ‘small details’ that, according to the author, ‘had to be shown’ and even if ‘the reasons why are not (yet) apparent. They will be.’ So that makes it very dense, but amazingly, despite it all, every single word has its place and will at one time make sense.
'The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth
Yet contrary evidence supports a claim that the Master was unjustly aligned with evil. Fragments of manuscript survive which expose the entire religion of Light as fraud, and award Arithon the attributes of saint and mystic instead.'
Granted, this is not one of those books you can read before bedtime. It is not one you can skim or skip. It’s a subtle and complex story into which you have to invest your time and attention. But it is all worth it because this is one of those rare books that, once you finish, you will never forget!
Mrs. Wurts gives us layers upon layers of meaning and complexity, she gives us plot twists that come whenever you least expect them and most of all, she gives us food for thought by bringing in choices made smack down ‘on the line’ between right and wrong. And that is how we stop and wonder what is right and what is wrong? What is ethic or morally right!? What can we accept as truth or lies?!
Yes, the prose is dense, but it is also elegant and beautiful and I have to pay homage to the way Mrs. Wurts tells this story. She turns writing into an art! Let’s take a battle for example. The description is so good that you practically see the events unfolding. You can hear the arrows zipping past or the moans of the dying. You can practically see the horses falling over and pitching their riders to the ground. And don’t you think for even one minute that this author shies away from giving you blood and gore! Hell no! She gives it to the full! And when that time comes, because of the brilliant way she writes her story, you will be left numbed and shocked to the core! Not even Joe Abercrombie or Steven Erikson managed to do that for me.
And don’t think she gives you only drama also! Though she does make you tear up once in a while! You will feel like smiling, if not burst out laughing, not once, but many times. After all, she has The Mad Prophet, who is to this book what Kruppe is to Gardens Of The Moon. You cannot help but love him! Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the witches either! Their meddling with the mages will more often than not make you lips curl up in a smile. :)
So many things I got to love here! And one of the best is the music!
‘When the lyranthe was re-strung with the sorcerer’s spell tempered wire, the virtue of Elshian’s craftwork became apparent from the instant Arithon struck the first note for tuning. The scratched wood in his hands came alive with a tone that touched the farthest recesses of even that cavernous stone hall. Harmonics seemed to shiver and melt upon the air, and every conversation faltered to a hush. Speakers forgot their next words and listeners heard nothing beyond the dance of Arithon’s fingers and the languid gliding sweetness of the strings as he turned each peg to true the pitch. When his work was done and the first full chord rang out under his hands, he stopped breathing, bowed his head, then damped the magnificent sound to silence.’
And this is just the beginning!
As many reviews show, this book is not for everyone. If you like fast paced action and easy writing, you’ll most probably give up on this after just the first chapters. If, on the other hand, you like writing like that of Guy Gavriel Kay, Robin Hobb, Tad Williams, or Steven Erikson, you’re probably going to love this too!
But then, you will never know unless you give it a try!
Additional Note after re-read - CAUTION - spoilers ahead:
This is one of those series that will always seem better at a re-read! It is amazing how many little details one tends to miss the first time around and how much more sense things make the second time around! So many assumptions I made at first read ended upslapping me in the face showing me I didn't pay attention and got it all wrong! Truth be told, the slapping part came sooner, while reading the rest of the volumes at first read, but it was nicely hammered down during the re-read, when I already knew what I was looking for.
I've already mentioned above, why I found this book to be "brilliant", so I won't stress on it anymore. The only thing I'll add is the magic! Because I forgot to mention the magic in my review!!! And the magic is fabulous! The strands, the castings, the system, the sheer magnitude of it is, for lack of a better word, awe-inspiring!
Now to the issues I've been asked to address, all related to plot and characters.
1st - the Prophecies and the fact that they seem to provide "unavoidable edicts". No choice but to follow them; and their guidelines show how it will all go down!? It does seem so at first read and I admit even I had a tiny problem with that. I too made the assumption of "chessboard pieces moved according to the whim of fate, regardless of their preferences and choices." All because "it has been prophesised"! After reading the entire series up to date and doing a re-read of the first book, this is one of those assumptions that came back to kick me in the butt.
In the subchapter "Strands" in Chapter Set 9, where the sorcerers divine the strands of all possible futures determined by the conquest of Desh-thiere by the brothers, we do get to see that there are thousands of possible futures, not only the one foreseen by the prophecies. The prophecy itself doesn't determine what will happen! Events do not happen BECAUSE of the prophecy! On the contrary, the sorcerers try to shift the events in such a way that they will bring about their preferred future - the one in which the prophecy manifests. They manipulate, prod and push the princes and everyone else to achieve their desired outcome. But free will is always there! Especially that of Arithon, who is a wild card that may or may not play the game the Seven desire.
The Westgate Prophecy was supposed to deliver ONE prince to be the Mistwraith's bane, instead it gave us TWO! The Black Rose Prophecy is supposed to be fulfilled IF a certain set of events will take place. Most of them hanging on Arithon's choices. Whether he will choose to follow the path chosen by the Fellowship, or he will thread his own, that remains to be seen. Free will plays a major role in this series!
2nd - Why did the Fellowship take Lysaer to Etarra when they KNEW bloodshed will follow? Because taking Lysaer to Etarra was part of that future the Seven were trying to bring about. Besides, where else would they leave him while taking Arithon to Etarra? They were shorthanded as it was.
3rd - What were the sorcerers doing when the shoe dropped in Etarra? Why weren't they able to come in between the brothers and prevent disaster?
Traithe was in the council hall of Etarra, trying to keep the nobles on a leash.
Sethvir was in the armoury trying to keep the Etarrans from arming themselves.
Kharadmon was diverting rain from Etarra and sending the storm to the north coast of Fallowmere, ensuring fair weather for Arithon’s coronation.
Asandir and Luhaine were both in the square but couldn't interfere. Asandir was too far and Luhaine couldn't get Arithon away while he was being held down by angry townspeople.
4th - "Lysaer is cursed and doesn't know it ... he goes around being cursed for months and doesn't notice?"
WRONG! Lysaer is possessed and doesn't know it! And the sorcerers didn't know it either because the wraith possessing Lysaer was hiding in a place where the Fellowship would have never thought to look - the inborn gift of justice of the s'Illessid line. And the wraith does take months to slowly take possession of Lysaer. Bit by bit and with extreme subtlety, it sets it's hooks into place and only then takes over, suddently striking, when the trap is all set.
5th - Last but perhaps the most important point: the mopping. Specifically Arithon's "devastation" because he has to choose rulership instead of music!
I admit, I personally wanted to dump Arithon head first into a lake to make him quit it and man up because ruling a country is not the end of the world for crying out loud! That was at first read and before I reached the end of this book. Before I realised what Arithon's inner make-up truly meant! Yet another thing that came back to kick my butt! Because I didn't pay attention to Sethvir's remark:
“Our Teir’s’Ffalenn has the sensitivity imbued in his forefather’s line, but none of the protections. His maternal inheritance of farsightedness lets him take no step without guilt, for he sees the consequences of his every act, and equally keenly feels them.”
Arithon FEELS the pain he causes to every living soul. He will FEEL the pain of the wounded and dying. He will experience the last thoughts of those he kills, or of those whose death he indirectly causes! He will feel the misery and suffering caused by a ruler's decisions! Good people or bad people, all the same - Arithon will feel all their pain as his own! Now, if we sit and mull over it, what normal person would be eager and happy to embrace a ruler's mantle in Arithon's place!? I know I wouldn't! Hell! I'd run from it as if the hellhounds were on my heels!
So no, I don't blame the poor man anymore for being reluctant to accept that burden! But it took me 16 chapters to come to that conclusion.
All questions now answered, I'd like to specify again that the above explanations are given according to my own understanding, at the request of another GR reader/reviewer. I hope they are useful and help clear up some of the doubts because this series is one that's truly worth reading!
Happy reading! :)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
If you'd like to check it out, here is the link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comm...
Warning! This review contains spoilers!
Note: I have added a note that includes spoilers at the end of my original review, in answer to a request from a fellow GR reader/reviewer who asked me to address a few of his issues with this book.
My review - spoiler-free
Epic high fantasy at its highest and I absolutely adored it!!!
What is it about?
It is the story of 2 half-brothers, divided by the vicious throes of a blood feud – Lysaer, a prince raised as heir to a crown, and Arithon, brought up by mages. One bears the gift of the power of light and the other, command of darkness. Exiled to a world not their own, the pair must find common ground to defeat the Mistwraith that has banished the sun.
Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them, the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.
(from the back cover)
There are so many things I loved about this, starting with the prose.
I’ve seen many people complain about it being dense, but it is high fantasy and it is a huge series after all!
Just as in all other huge series, the first volume would have to contain a lot of info to pave the way for the story to come. And The Curse of the Mistwraith, especially the first half of it, is filled with little ‘small details’ that, according to the author, ‘had to be shown’ and even if ‘the reasons why are not (yet) apparent. They will be.’ So that makes it very dense, but amazingly, despite it all, every single word has its place and will at one time make sense.
'The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth
Yet contrary evidence supports a claim that the Master was unjustly aligned with evil. Fragments of manuscript survive which expose the entire religion of Light as fraud, and award Arithon the attributes of saint and mystic instead.'
Granted, this is not one of those books you can read before bedtime. It is not one you can skim or skip. It’s a subtle and complex story into which you have to invest your time and attention. But it is all worth it because this is one of those rare books that, once you finish, you will never forget!
Mrs. Wurts gives us layers upon layers of meaning and complexity, she gives us plot twists that come whenever you least expect them and most of all, she gives us food for thought by bringing in choices made smack down ‘on the line’ between right and wrong. And that is how we stop and wonder what is right and what is wrong? What is ethic or morally right!? What can we accept as truth or lies?!
Yes, the prose is dense, but it is also elegant and beautiful and I have to pay homage to the way Mrs. Wurts tells this story. She turns writing into an art! Let’s take a battle for example. The description is so good that you practically see the events unfolding. You can hear the arrows zipping past or the moans of the dying. You can practically see the horses falling over and pitching their riders to the ground. And don’t you think for even one minute that this author shies away from giving you blood and gore! Hell no! She gives it to the full! And when that time comes, because of the brilliant way she writes her story, you will be left numbed and shocked to the core! Not even Joe Abercrombie or Steven Erikson managed to do that for me.
And don’t think she gives you only drama also! Though she does make you tear up once in a while! You will feel like smiling, if not burst out laughing, not once, but many times. After all, she has The Mad Prophet, who is to this book what Kruppe is to Gardens Of The Moon. You cannot help but love him! Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the witches either! Their meddling with the mages will more often than not make you lips curl up in a smile. :)
So many things I got to love here! And one of the best is the music!
‘When the lyranthe was re-strung with the sorcerer’s spell tempered wire, the virtue of Elshian’s craftwork became apparent from the instant Arithon struck the first note for tuning. The scratched wood in his hands came alive with a tone that touched the farthest recesses of even that cavernous stone hall. Harmonics seemed to shiver and melt upon the air, and every conversation faltered to a hush. Speakers forgot their next words and listeners heard nothing beyond the dance of Arithon’s fingers and the languid gliding sweetness of the strings as he turned each peg to true the pitch. When his work was done and the first full chord rang out under his hands, he stopped breathing, bowed his head, then damped the magnificent sound to silence.’
And this is just the beginning!
As many reviews show, this book is not for everyone. If you like fast paced action and easy writing, you’ll most probably give up on this after just the first chapters. If, on the other hand, you like writing like that of Guy Gavriel Kay, Robin Hobb, Tad Williams, or Steven Erikson, you’re probably going to love this too!
But then, you will never know unless you give it a try!
Additional Note after re-read - CAUTION - spoilers ahead:
This is one of those series that will always seem better at a re-read! It is amazing how many little details one tends to miss the first time around and how much more sense things make the second time around! So many assumptions I made at first read ended up
I've already mentioned above, why I found this book to be "brilliant", so I won't stress on it anymore. The only thing I'll add is the magic! Because I forgot to mention the magic in my review!!! And the magic is fabulous! The strands, the castings, the system, the sheer magnitude of it is, for lack of a better word, awe-inspiring!
Now to the issues I've been asked to address, all related to plot and characters.
1st - the Prophecies and the fact that they seem to provide "unavoidable edicts". No choice but to follow them; and their guidelines show how it will all go down!? It does seem so at first read and I admit even I had a tiny problem with that. I too made the assumption of "chessboard pieces moved according to the whim of fate, regardless of their preferences and choices." All because "it has been prophesised"! After reading the entire series up to date and doing a re-read of the first book, this is one of those assumptions that came back to kick me in the butt.
In the subchapter "Strands" in Chapter Set 9, where the sorcerers divine the strands of all possible futures determined by the conquest of Desh-thiere by the brothers, we do get to see that there are thousands of possible futures, not only the one foreseen by the prophecies. The prophecy itself doesn't determine what will happen! Events do not happen BECAUSE of the prophecy! On the contrary, the sorcerers try to shift the events in such a way that they will bring about their preferred future - the one in which the prophecy manifests. They manipulate, prod and push the princes and everyone else to achieve their desired outcome. But free will is always there! Especially that of Arithon, who is a wild card that may or may not play the game the Seven desire.
The Westgate Prophecy was supposed to deliver ONE prince to be the Mistwraith's bane, instead it gave us TWO! The Black Rose Prophecy is supposed to be fulfilled IF a certain set of events will take place. Most of them hanging on Arithon's choices. Whether he will choose to follow the path chosen by the Fellowship, or he will thread his own, that remains to be seen. Free will plays a major role in this series!
2nd - Why did the Fellowship take Lysaer to Etarra when they KNEW bloodshed will follow? Because taking Lysaer to Etarra was part of that future the Seven were trying to bring about. Besides, where else would they leave him while taking Arithon to Etarra? They were shorthanded as it was.
3rd - What were the sorcerers doing when the shoe dropped in Etarra? Why weren't they able to come in between the brothers and prevent disaster?
Traithe was in the council hall of Etarra, trying to keep the nobles on a leash.
Sethvir was in the armoury trying to keep the Etarrans from arming themselves.
Kharadmon was diverting rain from Etarra and sending the storm to the north coast of Fallowmere, ensuring fair weather for Arithon’s coronation.
Asandir and Luhaine were both in the square but couldn't interfere. Asandir was too far and Luhaine couldn't get Arithon away while he was being held down by angry townspeople.
4th - "Lysaer is cursed and doesn't know it ... he goes around being cursed for months and doesn't notice?"
WRONG! Lysaer is possessed and doesn't know it! And the sorcerers didn't know it either because the wraith possessing Lysaer was hiding in a place where the Fellowship would have never thought to look - the inborn gift of justice of the s'Illessid line. And the wraith does take months to slowly take possession of Lysaer. Bit by bit and with extreme subtlety, it sets it's hooks into place and only then takes over, suddently striking, when the trap is all set.
5th - Last but perhaps the most important point: the mopping. Specifically Arithon's "devastation" because he has to choose rulership instead of music!
I admit, I personally wanted to dump Arithon head first into a lake to make him quit it and man up because ruling a country is not the end of the world for crying out loud! That was at first read and before I reached the end of this book. Before I realised what Arithon's inner make-up truly meant! Yet another thing that came back to kick my butt! Because I didn't pay attention to Sethvir's remark:
“Our Teir’s’Ffalenn has the sensitivity imbued in his forefather’s line, but none of the protections. His maternal inheritance of farsightedness lets him take no step without guilt, for he sees the consequences of his every act, and equally keenly feels them.”
Arithon FEELS the pain he causes to every living soul. He will FEEL the pain of the wounded and dying. He will experience the last thoughts of those he kills, or of those whose death he indirectly causes! He will feel the misery and suffering caused by a ruler's decisions! Good people or bad people, all the same - Arithon will feel all their pain as his own! Now, if we sit and mull over it, what normal person would be eager and happy to embrace a ruler's mantle in Arithon's place!? I know I wouldn't! Hell! I'd run from it as if the hellhounds were on my heels!
So no, I don't blame the poor man anymore for being reluctant to accept that burden! But it took me 16 chapters to come to that conclusion.
All questions now answered, I'd like to specify again that the above explanations are given according to my own understanding, at the request of another GR reader/reviewer. I hope they are useful and help clear up some of the doubts because this series is one that's truly worth reading!
Happy reading! :)
Check out this review and more over at The Magic Book Corner
April 8, 2020
What would a war between mercy and justice look like? - read this epic 5 star fantasy book to find out.
Janny Wurts is to be congratulated on her awesome world building, deeply nuanced and delineated characters, and plotting that reminds me of flawlessly putting together a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
However, I have a caveat as I almost DNF'ed this book at around the 300 page mark, and it's entirely due to the style in which it is written.
When reading Janny's excellent work, I was often left experiencing it something like this....
FADE IN: Morning, Exterior, Forest glade, Arithon and Lysaer face off.
Run Panning Shot Montage of the Glade: ... A small bird trills brightly on a branch. ... Recent rain drips from a leaf to strike the dewy moss creeping over an exposed tree root. ... Sunlight lances through the mighty boles of the forest giants. ... The shadow of a unicorn prances on the edge of view.
Cut to: Close up of Arithon's hands: His wrists are wrapped in dark brocaded cuffs laced with fine silver threads, his quick and nimble fingers hold the hilt of the ancient Paravian sword Alithiel.
Cut to: Close up of Alithiel.
Panning Shot: Along the length of the sword's blade, the tip sparkles in the morning light - a sudden blinding flash covers the glade.
Cut to: Close up of Arithon's face, his vividly green eyes are filled with heartfelt compassion, emphasized by the gaunt, pale features of his handsome face. They narrow as he stares at his half-brother with otherworldly enmity barely within his control.
Run Panning Shot Montage of the Glade (again): ... A dark skinned lizard peeks from behind a strip of bark, its tiny pink tongue flicks out to taste the air. ... A breeze rustles leaves. ... A crow "craw, craws," in mournful lament. ... Dew glistens like a field of diamonds dropped casually on the green velvet of the forest floor. ... The shadow of a centaur can be seen just on the edge of the shot.
Cut to: Close up of Lysaer's head. Lysaer tosses his head like a prize bull about to charge. He's golden locks swish in a wide arc over his broad shoulders. He is wearing an azure doublet stitched with fine golden thread, the garment matches the striking blue of his eyes. He arches his left eyebrow, his full, sensual lips curving into a grim smile. With a swish, he draws his long sword and flourishes it with the elegance of a skilled dancer.
Cut to: Close up on Lysaer's boots. Lysaer's right boot pivots on the ball of his foot, crushing emerald green grass as sunlight sparkles on stray drops of flying dew.
....
And so on an so forth.
When I was in my teens and living at home with my parents, I borrowed (out of curiosity...) a historical romance novel from one of my older sisters. This book reminded me of that old book I borrowed. To spark that memory took a bit of doing.
Janny's style reminds me of a Historical Drama crossed with a Costume Drama crossed with Epic/High Fantasy. Ally all that with an omnipresent POV narrative style where you are in every characters heart and head in any given scene.
If a tree falls in the forest, you will be told about it in loving detail.
For me, too many extraneous details were described at pretty much all times throughout the book, which lowered the reading enjoyment for me as it made it harder for me to immerse myself within the actual story being told.
So, I almost DNF'ed it, and I find the author's writing style a bit difficult to engage with as a reader, and yet I gave it five stars. Why? Because, concept and difficulty ratings for this story are off the charts, and Janny pulls it off. This book is an enigma. At times tedious enough to put me to sleep - at others, sheer riveting genius, but in the final analysis I'm hugely impressed by this piece of work.
I have this in paperback and read it with Fantasy Buddy Reads at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
Well done Janny Wurts - and yes, - she's a genius. 5 'Sheer Genius,' stars.
Janny Wurts is to be congratulated on her awesome world building, deeply nuanced and delineated characters, and plotting that reminds me of flawlessly putting together a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
However, I have a caveat as I almost DNF'ed this book at around the 300 page mark, and it's entirely due to the style in which it is written.
When reading Janny's excellent work, I was often left experiencing it something like this....
FADE IN: Morning, Exterior, Forest glade, Arithon and Lysaer face off.
Run Panning Shot Montage of the Glade: ... A small bird trills brightly on a branch. ... Recent rain drips from a leaf to strike the dewy moss creeping over an exposed tree root. ... Sunlight lances through the mighty boles of the forest giants. ... The shadow of a unicorn prances on the edge of view.
Cut to: Close up of Arithon's hands: His wrists are wrapped in dark brocaded cuffs laced with fine silver threads, his quick and nimble fingers hold the hilt of the ancient Paravian sword Alithiel.
Cut to: Close up of Alithiel.
Panning Shot: Along the length of the sword's blade, the tip sparkles in the morning light - a sudden blinding flash covers the glade.
Cut to: Close up of Arithon's face, his vividly green eyes are filled with heartfelt compassion, emphasized by the gaunt, pale features of his handsome face. They narrow as he stares at his half-brother with otherworldly enmity barely within his control.
Run Panning Shot Montage of the Glade (again): ... A dark skinned lizard peeks from behind a strip of bark, its tiny pink tongue flicks out to taste the air. ... A breeze rustles leaves. ... A crow "craw, craws," in mournful lament. ... Dew glistens like a field of diamonds dropped casually on the green velvet of the forest floor. ... The shadow of a centaur can be seen just on the edge of the shot.
Cut to: Close up of Lysaer's head. Lysaer tosses his head like a prize bull about to charge. He's golden locks swish in a wide arc over his broad shoulders. He is wearing an azure doublet stitched with fine golden thread, the garment matches the striking blue of his eyes. He arches his left eyebrow, his full, sensual lips curving into a grim smile. With a swish, he draws his long sword and flourishes it with the elegance of a skilled dancer.
Cut to: Close up on Lysaer's boots. Lysaer's right boot pivots on the ball of his foot, crushing emerald green grass as sunlight sparkles on stray drops of flying dew.
....
And so on an so forth.
When I was in my teens and living at home with my parents, I borrowed (out of curiosity...) a historical romance novel from one of my older sisters. This book reminded me of that old book I borrowed. To spark that memory took a bit of doing.
Janny's style reminds me of a Historical Drama crossed with a Costume Drama crossed with Epic/High Fantasy. Ally all that with an omnipresent POV narrative style where you are in every characters heart and head in any given scene.
If a tree falls in the forest, you will be told about it in loving detail.
For me, too many extraneous details were described at pretty much all times throughout the book, which lowered the reading enjoyment for me as it made it harder for me to immerse myself within the actual story being told.
So, I almost DNF'ed it, and I find the author's writing style a bit difficult to engage with as a reader, and yet I gave it five stars. Why? Because, concept and difficulty ratings for this story are off the charts, and Janny pulls it off. This book is an enigma. At times tedious enough to put me to sleep - at others, sheer riveting genius, but in the final analysis I'm hugely impressed by this piece of work.
I have this in paperback and read it with Fantasy Buddy Reads at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/....
Well done Janny Wurts - and yes, - she's a genius. 5 'Sheer Genius,' stars.
January 4, 2024
5 stars after a second read.
I loved this first book in the Wars of Light and Shadow series. I will definitely re-read the entire series once I'm done with it, and I can imagine that it'll turn into a five star read. There's much between the lines to be discovered, and there are definitely things I missed.
Edit in 2019 after reading it a second time: this is incredibly rewarding to re-read.
This isn't an easy book. It's not a quick read. The prose is dense, beautiful, descriptive, and the author, Janny Wurts, asks the reader to pay attention and to be patient. No word is wasted, no paragraph can be skimmed. It's all there from the very start, and I found it extremely rewarding to put in the time and immerse myself in the world and the characters.
The Curse of the Mistwraith offers a richly detailed world, filled with lore and history. It feels like every word is hand picked, and I must admit I fell in love with Arithon, Master of Shadow, who just wants to play his music and instead gets pulled into an epic conflict.
I recommend this to everyone who enjoys high fantasy, is looking for an epic series, maybe even for a bit of a challenge, and who doesn't mind reading slowly, absorbing the prose and putting in some work.
I loved this first book in the Wars of Light and Shadow series. I will definitely re-read the entire series once I'm done with it, and I can imagine that it'll turn into a five star read. There's much between the lines to be discovered, and there are definitely things I missed.
Edit in 2019 after reading it a second time: this is incredibly rewarding to re-read.
This isn't an easy book. It's not a quick read. The prose is dense, beautiful, descriptive, and the author, Janny Wurts, asks the reader to pay attention and to be patient. No word is wasted, no paragraph can be skimmed. It's all there from the very start, and I found it extremely rewarding to put in the time and immerse myself in the world and the characters.
The Curse of the Mistwraith offers a richly detailed world, filled with lore and history. It feels like every word is hand picked, and I must admit I fell in love with Arithon, Master of Shadow, who just wants to play his music and instead gets pulled into an epic conflict.
I recommend this to everyone who enjoys high fantasy, is looking for an epic series, maybe even for a bit of a challenge, and who doesn't mind reading slowly, absorbing the prose and putting in some work.
September 6, 2025
NO SPOILERS. Another reread: After the powerful ending of Stormed Fortress, considering the way the story threads converge, I was so satisfied that I had to start Initiate's Trial forthwith. And again, which wasn't easy, it was simply brilliant! This is my favorite series. It's a sweeping epic, unpredictable, featuring top-notch characterization, never lagging and wrought in gorgeous prose. I'm constantly hungry for more.
March 2015: I'm currently reading Stormed Fortress, this series is simply awesome, a fantasy jewel of unique complexity and emotion of story and prose. My (totally spoiler-free) thoughts up to Peril's Gate. I'm so so so glad I've picked up Curse of the Mistwraith, and started this wondrous journey.
January 2015: Very intense and emotional epic fantasy of mature scope and depth, a book that can be experienced as a self-contained story yet it's the stage setter of a longer series, which I'm currently reading and enjoying immensely.
I loved the richly detailed and researched descriptions and the harmonic world-building, full of lore and history. Athera is a world of ancient mysteries, guarded by sorcerers and enchantresses, sundered by internal strife and molded by the fears and hopes of his inhabitants. Both the plot and the relationships between characters are deep and layered, granting unexpected twists and unpredictable turns of events, all presented with the striking vibrancy of Janny Wurts' boundless imagination and lyric style.
The story opens with a grave prologue and shows the long-lasting all-consuming hate between two kingdoms in the world of Dascen Elur, and the dictates of a five-century-old prophecy which promises restoration and disruption in another world. Two princes, apparently the embodiment of good and evil, unwittingly are entangled by the coils of fate and thrown (literally) into an epic journey of unknown consequences.
Arithon, a small, lithe man who struggles between an emphatic core that craves harmony and the expectations of others who want him to be a hero.
Lysaer, a stalwart, handsome and charming man born and breed to the crown, driven by an innate hunger for justice and looking for a purpose to cope with the loss of his birthright.
They are the only hope to free the world of Athera from the vices of the unnatural mist which covers the sun and corrupts the life on the land, but nurtured in misunderstandings and mutual hurt, the elusive balance between them is soon to tip the scale against all auguries.
My first foray into the series was with Child of Prophecy, a short story set on the world of Athera centuries earlier than Mistwraith's opening, and some names and facts sounded familiar, it was more immediate to gain reading momentum and go past the first pages where the massive context-shaping leaves the reader a little disoriented, but soon follows the first unveiling of Arithon's demeanor and Lysaer's resolve as the Sorcerers give insight of the princes duty to Athera's plight.
I'm very glad I've discovered this fantasy gem of deepest complexity and stylistic brilliance, featuring unforgettable adult protagonists, a well-rounded cast of characters and a compelling, thought-provoking tale that engaged me at every level, and had me run to grab the following book, The Ships of Merior.
March 2015: I'm currently reading Stormed Fortress, this series is simply awesome, a fantasy jewel of unique complexity and emotion of story and prose. My (totally spoiler-free) thoughts up to Peril's Gate. I'm so so so glad I've picked up Curse of the Mistwraith, and started this wondrous journey.
January 2015: Very intense and emotional epic fantasy of mature scope and depth, a book that can be experienced as a self-contained story yet it's the stage setter of a longer series, which I'm currently reading and enjoying immensely.
I loved the richly detailed and researched descriptions and the harmonic world-building, full of lore and history. Athera is a world of ancient mysteries, guarded by sorcerers and enchantresses, sundered by internal strife and molded by the fears and hopes of his inhabitants. Both the plot and the relationships between characters are deep and layered, granting unexpected twists and unpredictable turns of events, all presented with the striking vibrancy of Janny Wurts' boundless imagination and lyric style.
The story opens with a grave prologue and shows the long-lasting all-consuming hate between two kingdoms in the world of Dascen Elur, and the dictates of a five-century-old prophecy which promises restoration and disruption in another world. Two princes, apparently the embodiment of good and evil, unwittingly are entangled by the coils of fate and thrown (literally) into an epic journey of unknown consequences.
Arithon, a small, lithe man who struggles between an emphatic core that craves harmony and the expectations of others who want him to be a hero.
Lysaer, a stalwart, handsome and charming man born and breed to the crown, driven by an innate hunger for justice and looking for a purpose to cope with the loss of his birthright.
They are the only hope to free the world of Athera from the vices of the unnatural mist which covers the sun and corrupts the life on the land, but nurtured in misunderstandings and mutual hurt, the elusive balance between them is soon to tip the scale against all auguries.
My first foray into the series was with Child of Prophecy, a short story set on the world of Athera centuries earlier than Mistwraith's opening, and some names and facts sounded familiar, it was more immediate to gain reading momentum and go past the first pages where the massive context-shaping leaves the reader a little disoriented, but soon follows the first unveiling of Arithon's demeanor and Lysaer's resolve as the Sorcerers give insight of the princes duty to Athera's plight.
I'm very glad I've discovered this fantasy gem of deepest complexity and stylistic brilliance, featuring unforgettable adult protagonists, a well-rounded cast of characters and a compelling, thought-provoking tale that engaged me at every level, and had me run to grab the following book, The Ships of Merior.
November 23, 2015
This is a fantasy epic that is truly 'epic'. It has a bit of everything, and a lot of some things. It is not an easy/quick 'summer' read. It takes concentration, patience, and quite a bit of faith to become completely absorbed and brought along to the book's climax (actually the second one). And at that point, it scores a winning run...
This is certainly one that will inspire two things: first, that I get ahold of the rest of the series and dive into them, and second, that in time I go back and re-read this. I can see that there is much to be picked up with subsequent readings, especially after continuing on in the series.
The language is beautiful, the story at time humorous and others quite tragic, the pace is very quick and intense. Sure, it takes a serious minded reader to get everything out of it, but it's certainly worth the effort. The ending is satisfying in the sense that the story is wrapped up neatly, though it certainly begs for more to be told of these brilliant characters and wonderful setting.
This is certainly one that will inspire two things: first, that I get ahold of the rest of the series and dive into them, and second, that in time I go back and re-read this. I can see that there is much to be picked up with subsequent readings, especially after continuing on in the series.
The language is beautiful, the story at time humorous and others quite tragic, the pace is very quick and intense. Sure, it takes a serious minded reader to get everything out of it, but it's certainly worth the effort. The ending is satisfying in the sense that the story is wrapped up neatly, though it certainly begs for more to be told of these brilliant characters and wonderful setting.
October 23, 2014
The first book in a sweeping epic, it sets up a complex set of worlds & yet also has a ton of action. If you're looking for something that rivals the Lord of the Rings, I think this is it. If you're looking for a quick easy read, something you can skim through - don't read this book. You'll only get confused. Every word is hand picked & polished to wring out the full meaning.
While the book is a setup to a series, it doesn't end on a cliff hanger, something I appreciate. Actually, it could easily be two books & was in at least one edition (German, I think). The action rises to a peak in about the middle & that would make a fine novel, all on its own. Then, very logically & smoothly, the adventure continues until another shattering climax at the end. The players are all still there & it's obvious life goes on, so I'm ready to read the next in the series. (The complete series this time - they're all coming now!!!)
This is a book I'll keep & re-read, something I don't do lightly any more. There are too many good books out there to re-read any but the best.
While the book is a setup to a series, it doesn't end on a cliff hanger, something I appreciate. Actually, it could easily be two books & was in at least one edition (German, I think). The action rises to a peak in about the middle & that would make a fine novel, all on its own. Then, very logically & smoothly, the adventure continues until another shattering climax at the end. The players are all still there & it's obvious life goes on, so I'm ready to read the next in the series. (The complete series this time - they're all coming now!!!)
This is a book I'll keep & re-read, something I don't do lightly any more. There are too many good books out there to re-read any but the best.
February 16, 2015
"The Curse of the Mistwraith" took me completely by surprise. Based on (obviously mistaken) assumptions, I expected something completely different - epic fantasy, yes, but nothing even close to the gorgeous prose and astounding depth I found in this novel.
The plot of this story is hard to summarize, partly because there are so many twists and turns that it's almost impossible not to run into spoiler territory very quickly. Two half-brothers, Arithon and Lysaer, are on opposite sides of a conflict that spans generations. As they become involved in the struggle against the Mistwraith that keeps the world of Athera in a stranglehold, the reader quickly realizes that the half-brothers' conflict doesn't just go back generations, but literally ages.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
The plot of this story is hard to summarize, partly because there are so many twists and turns that it's almost impossible not to run into spoiler territory very quickly. Two half-brothers, Arithon and Lysaer, are on opposite sides of a conflict that spans generations. As they become involved in the struggle against the Mistwraith that keeps the world of Athera in a stranglehold, the reader quickly realizes that the half-brothers' conflict doesn't just go back generations, but literally ages.
Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!
June 29, 2010
I'm giving up on this one on page 307 of about 600. It's just not grabbing me. Here are my problems with it:
1. I don't understand the basis for the system of magic being used, because it's never really explained. There are long, LONG passages where you read about WHAT the mages are doing, but have no idea HOW or WHY it is supposed to work. I have no idea if the efforts being made are likely to work or not, and so the descriptions fall pretty flat as far as building dramatic tension goes. I see no basis for the conclusions characters are drawing about the magical nature of the threats they are facing, so I'm not really drawn into wondering or considering for myself whether they are correct or not. As a result, I feel very passive as a reader, not engaged intellectually.
2. The characters seem pretty cardboard. One character is Dramatic and Complicated, and you know this because...you are repeatedly told that he is Dramatic and Complicated. But I don't feel that I've actually seen enough from the character to draw this conclusion on my own. It's a case of being told, not shown. Likewise, the book keeps trying to build sympathy for another character by repeatedly bringing up the fiancee he left behind and will Never See Again. Which might be more effective if we had ever MET this fiancee back when he was in her same general geographic location (she was never mentioned until she was Left Behind). Or if she had a NAME. Or a SINGLE, IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT. Or if there was A MEMORY connected to her. As it is, this anonymous person is just mentioned every now and then in an attempt to create some kind of sympathy for her alleged lover, but again, it falls flat, because there's nothing there to make us actually care about this person and no reason to feel that her lover actually cares about her, other than the fact that we are repeatedly told that he misses her. Whoever she may be.
3. The language is overly flowery and doesn't flow naturally. I have a great love for authors like Guy Gavriel Kay and Jacqueline Carey, who can write in beautiful, flowing, formal language and make it seem natural in the context of their novels, but that is a rare talent, in my experience. This attempt feels more like the author sat down with a thesaurus and referred to it for every other word in the story. It's not working for me. Also, the passive voice is used a LOT, enough that it's annoying me and pulling me out of the story.
All in all, I'm half way through and I don't care if any of the characters make it to the end of the book, let alone the end of the series 10 and a half books from now, so I'm throwing in the towel.
1. I don't understand the basis for the system of magic being used, because it's never really explained. There are long, LONG passages where you read about WHAT the mages are doing, but have no idea HOW or WHY it is supposed to work. I have no idea if the efforts being made are likely to work or not, and so the descriptions fall pretty flat as far as building dramatic tension goes. I see no basis for the conclusions characters are drawing about the magical nature of the threats they are facing, so I'm not really drawn into wondering or considering for myself whether they are correct or not. As a result, I feel very passive as a reader, not engaged intellectually.
2. The characters seem pretty cardboard. One character is Dramatic and Complicated, and you know this because...you are repeatedly told that he is Dramatic and Complicated. But I don't feel that I've actually seen enough from the character to draw this conclusion on my own. It's a case of being told, not shown. Likewise, the book keeps trying to build sympathy for another character by repeatedly bringing up the fiancee he left behind and will Never See Again. Which might be more effective if we had ever MET this fiancee back when he was in her same general geographic location (she was never mentioned until she was Left Behind). Or if she had a NAME. Or a SINGLE, IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT. Or if there was A MEMORY connected to her. As it is, this anonymous person is just mentioned every now and then in an attempt to create some kind of sympathy for her alleged lover, but again, it falls flat, because there's nothing there to make us actually care about this person and no reason to feel that her lover actually cares about her, other than the fact that we are repeatedly told that he misses her. Whoever she may be.
3. The language is overly flowery and doesn't flow naturally. I have a great love for authors like Guy Gavriel Kay and Jacqueline Carey, who can write in beautiful, flowing, formal language and make it seem natural in the context of their novels, but that is a rare talent, in my experience. This attempt feels more like the author sat down with a thesaurus and referred to it for every other word in the story. It's not working for me. Also, the passive voice is used a LOT, enough that it's annoying me and pulling me out of the story.
All in all, I'm half way through and I don't care if any of the characters make it to the end of the book, let alone the end of the series 10 and a half books from now, so I'm throwing in the towel.
July 27, 2023
Her writting is at times poetic and at times ponderous and mostly distracting from the story. But I sensed there was a really cool story underlying all the prose somewhere. Andvby God there was! The world is epic and the longer you spend with the characters the more you grow to love this unique novel. Can't wait for the rest!!!
August 18, 2009
Simply put, I loved this book. From the intriguing Prologue, to the turbulent climax, to the cautiously peaceful denouement, I loved this book. It was a reading experience and I am looking forward to continuing with the rest of this powerful series.
The main characters, half-brothers Lysaer and Arithon, are a living embodiment of Light and Dark in all its permutations: each always in contrast but both absolutely necessary to the other. Born on the splinter world of Dascen Elur and raised to loathe one another, Lysaer and Arithon are thrust by circumstance into the ancient world of their ancestors, Athera, where fate has decreed them to be that world’s freedom and bane. Athera is under curse of a Mistwraith and has been shrouded in fog and misery for an age. With the assistance of the Fellowship of the Seven and against the interfering powers of the Koriani, Lysaer and Arithon work to free Athera from the curse and restore the world’s royal lines.
I found this work to be especially powerful because it hits at the heart of human nature. The Wraith exploits Lysaer and Arithon’s virtues to twist them against one another. How often do we see this in the real world - virtue turned vice by circumstance where the actor is so certain he or she is right that they are compelled to carry out their purpose to completion at any cost. The book explores the theme that seeking an ultimate goal can be an ugly business. There are consequences to the disagreeable actions that often seem necessary and justified when serving the “greater good.”
My favorite aspects of Wurt’s work are the wonderful depth demonstrated in the characters, the richly imagined setting, and the beautiful and effective literary style. There is nothing one-sided or simple about the characters in this work. Each demonstrates emotional intensity, conflict, selfishness, guilt, altruism, hope – all the emotions constantly at battle in “real” people. The setting is richly imagined, detailed and intriguing. This first volume gives the reader the necessary insight and information without overloading history and backstory. Finally, I really enjoyed the style of the novel. In particular, I like how the prologue sets up the story source and the chapter design lends itself it the historical, story-telling aspect of the novel. I think the language used is poetic and dramatic without being over-the-top.
The driving force behind this book and the entire series is the author’s dedication to telling a rich, detailed story with breathtaking scope. Wurt’s prose is lyrical and enchanting; she is literally able to weave the story. Too few authors carefully craft their work in such a manner.
The main characters, half-brothers Lysaer and Arithon, are a living embodiment of Light and Dark in all its permutations: each always in contrast but both absolutely necessary to the other. Born on the splinter world of Dascen Elur and raised to loathe one another, Lysaer and Arithon are thrust by circumstance into the ancient world of their ancestors, Athera, where fate has decreed them to be that world’s freedom and bane. Athera is under curse of a Mistwraith and has been shrouded in fog and misery for an age. With the assistance of the Fellowship of the Seven and against the interfering powers of the Koriani, Lysaer and Arithon work to free Athera from the curse and restore the world’s royal lines.
I found this work to be especially powerful because it hits at the heart of human nature. The Wraith exploits Lysaer and Arithon’s virtues to twist them against one another. How often do we see this in the real world - virtue turned vice by circumstance where the actor is so certain he or she is right that they are compelled to carry out their purpose to completion at any cost. The book explores the theme that seeking an ultimate goal can be an ugly business. There are consequences to the disagreeable actions that often seem necessary and justified when serving the “greater good.”
My favorite aspects of Wurt’s work are the wonderful depth demonstrated in the characters, the richly imagined setting, and the beautiful and effective literary style. There is nothing one-sided or simple about the characters in this work. Each demonstrates emotional intensity, conflict, selfishness, guilt, altruism, hope – all the emotions constantly at battle in “real” people. The setting is richly imagined, detailed and intriguing. This first volume gives the reader the necessary insight and information without overloading history and backstory. Finally, I really enjoyed the style of the novel. In particular, I like how the prologue sets up the story source and the chapter design lends itself it the historical, story-telling aspect of the novel. I think the language used is poetic and dramatic without being over-the-top.
The driving force behind this book and the entire series is the author’s dedication to telling a rich, detailed story with breathtaking scope. Wurt’s prose is lyrical and enchanting; she is literally able to weave the story. Too few authors carefully craft their work in such a manner.
February 11, 2013
ETA 2/11/2013: This is a series that builds with beautifully woven detail. It takes persistence, because there are unreliable narrators, small clues that get lost first time through, etc. But by the time I got to book 9, Initiate's Trial, I saw much more clearly how all of it is woven together. The style takes some getting used to, but after halfway through it reads like butter. (end of edit)
This may have been one of the best books I've read. It certainly has one of the most complex, intriguing, and intense, brilliant, and enchanting main characters I've come across in a long, long time. I am so glad there are more books because I'm not ready to let go of Arithon.
It took some time for me to get oriented in the complex world that Janny has created. But once I did, it was hang on because the action is exciting and potentially deadly, the evil is truly scary, and the two half brothers are fascinating. Essentially the book is about what the title says - wars of light and shadow. One brother commands light, the other shadow. In a sense, it's the old war of good and evil, or of consciousness and unconsciousness; but the complexity and ambiguity of good/bad, light/dark are not so easy to discern.
The one character that I fell in love with is Arithon in all his intensity, his deep understanding of the consequences of action/non-action, love/hate, good/bad are so painful at times that it brought tears to my eyes. And even though events take place in a fantasy world, the conflicts, tensions, and emotions are very real and pertinent to today.
For a really good review, see Stefan's. He is much more analytical than I.
ETA 9/20/11: I finished a reread and saw so much better this time through how much Lysaer is a total victim of the curse and feel sorry for him. Arithon is the lucky one as he can separate himself at least at times. The sorcerers really did mess up, this time, saving Arithon so that the Mistwraith wouldn't learn his mage sight, when they already had.
This may have been one of the best books I've read. It certainly has one of the most complex, intriguing, and intense, brilliant, and enchanting main characters I've come across in a long, long time. I am so glad there are more books because I'm not ready to let go of Arithon.
It took some time for me to get oriented in the complex world that Janny has created. But once I did, it was hang on because the action is exciting and potentially deadly, the evil is truly scary, and the two half brothers are fascinating. Essentially the book is about what the title says - wars of light and shadow. One brother commands light, the other shadow. In a sense, it's the old war of good and evil, or of consciousness and unconsciousness; but the complexity and ambiguity of good/bad, light/dark are not so easy to discern.
The one character that I fell in love with is Arithon in all his intensity, his deep understanding of the consequences of action/non-action, love/hate, good/bad are so painful at times that it brought tears to my eyes. And even though events take place in a fantasy world, the conflicts, tensions, and emotions are very real and pertinent to today.
For a really good review, see Stefan's. He is much more analytical than I.
ETA 9/20/11: I finished a reread and saw so much better this time through how much Lysaer is a total victim of the curse and feel sorry for him. Arithon is the lucky one as he can separate himself at least at times. The sorcerers really did mess up, this time, saving Arithon so that the Mistwraith wouldn't learn his mage sight, when they already had.
May 3, 2025
WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THIS IS SLOW OR BORING?!
Two enemy half-brothers with talents of Light and Shadow can save the world if only they can get over blood debts of seven generations.
Arithon, Master of Shadow and heir-apparent of Karthan, is driven by empathy. He seems angry and nasty and scary, but he’s actually a sweetheart who cares too much about other people.
Lysaer, crown prince of Amroth, is charming, proud, and honourable. He pursues justice with a steadfastness that puts anyone to shame.
First of all Wurts’ prose? Incredible. I found myself rereading paragraphs to get the full impact again.
Saying that, the massive tome sped by.
At nightfall, the sky above the Red Desert became a thief’s hoard of diamonds strewn across black velvet; but like a beauty bewitched, such magnificence proved short-lived. The mild breeze of twilight sharpened after dusk, swelling into gusts which ripped the dry crests of the dunes. Chased sand hissed into herringbone patterns and the alien constellations smouldered through haloes of airborne dust.
We have a prince dedicated to his role, one who is determined to control his own fate.
We have a Fellowship of incredibly powerful and ancient sorcerers trying to save the world.
Think Wheel of Time scope.
Sorcerers, enchantresses, prophets and huge prophecies, clans, serpent-like creatures with wings.
‘Why not? You know the ballads. Show me a hero and I’ll show you a man enslaved by his competence.’
I am strapped in for 11 books.
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Two enemy half-brothers with talents of Light and Shadow can save the world if only they can get over blood debts of seven generations.
Arithon, Master of Shadow and heir-apparent of Karthan, is driven by empathy. He seems angry and nasty and scary, but he’s actually a sweetheart who cares too much about other people.
Lysaer, crown prince of Amroth, is charming, proud, and honourable. He pursues justice with a steadfastness that puts anyone to shame.
First of all Wurts’ prose? Incredible. I found myself rereading paragraphs to get the full impact again.
Saying that, the massive tome sped by.
At nightfall, the sky above the Red Desert became a thief’s hoard of diamonds strewn across black velvet; but like a beauty bewitched, such magnificence proved short-lived. The mild breeze of twilight sharpened after dusk, swelling into gusts which ripped the dry crests of the dunes. Chased sand hissed into herringbone patterns and the alien constellations smouldered through haloes of airborne dust.
We have a prince dedicated to his role, one who is determined to control his own fate.
We have a Fellowship of incredibly powerful and ancient sorcerers trying to save the world.
Think Wheel of Time scope.
Sorcerers, enchantresses, prophets and huge prophecies, clans, serpent-like creatures with wings.
‘Why not? You know the ballads. Show me a hero and I’ll show you a man enslaved by his competence.’
I am strapped in for 11 books.
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March 7, 2016
5 stars
Posting my comment to Mark Lawrence's review of The Curse of the Mistwraith here:
Thanks, Mark, for your 'honest' review. I'm a huge fan of Janny's work and have read and reread Curse multiple times because Janny doesn't hand-hold her readers like most modern authors do these days. Janny expects real intelligence, not artificial or superficial intelligence, from her audience. I would bet that if I picked up Curse of the Mistwraith and reread it I would find even more depths and layers that I missed the first three times I read it. And that's what I love about her writing. You cannot blink. You cannot skim. Every word is crucial. No other author challenges me as Janny does and I adore her for it.
But in this age of soundbites, social media and nanosecond attention spans, I can see where the masses would get lost and confused in the mists and completely miss the crucial linchpin of the series buried in plain site in Curse of the Mistwraith, as you obviously did.
Posting my comment to Mark Lawrence's review of The Curse of the Mistwraith here:
Thanks, Mark, for your 'honest' review. I'm a huge fan of Janny's work and have read and reread Curse multiple times because Janny doesn't hand-hold her readers like most modern authors do these days. Janny expects real intelligence, not artificial or superficial intelligence, from her audience. I would bet that if I picked up Curse of the Mistwraith and reread it I would find even more depths and layers that I missed the first three times I read it. And that's what I love about her writing. You cannot blink. You cannot skim. Every word is crucial. No other author challenges me as Janny does and I adore her for it.
But in this age of soundbites, social media and nanosecond attention spans, I can see where the masses would get lost and confused in the mists and completely miss the crucial linchpin of the series buried in plain site in Curse of the Mistwraith, as you obviously did.
September 10, 2022
Another book that I have tried to read when I was a teen and could not appreciate. This time I was almost captivated. Wurts builds a mysterious setting with much atmosphere. Her prose is complex and she puts efforts to feel distinct. I do not like it when authors make their medieval fantasy characters sound modern. She is the opposite. Her style is closer to authors like Donaldson or maybe Hobb. Slow but well written and impressional.
The story itself is also not a typical one. At first sight it seems tropey with some prophecies and chosen ones but the execution and the plot is unlike most of that kind. Most of the story is about atmospheric meetings, schemings and journeys. Shadowy refuges and sorcerer towers. Cold deep forests and tall peaks. Manipulative enchantresses and wizards. And two protagonists that I found the dynamics that are built around them were really interesting and promising. There is not much action but when the story needs it, it is well executed.
The book is over 800 pages and there were a couple of times I felt it was a bit of a slog but most of it I devoured with much pleasure and anticipation. The ending has no cliff hangers and it sets perfectly the foundations for the long story that Wars of Light and Shadow seem to be.
The story itself is also not a typical one. At first sight it seems tropey with some prophecies and chosen ones but the execution and the plot is unlike most of that kind. Most of the story is about atmospheric meetings, schemings and journeys. Shadowy refuges and sorcerer towers. Cold deep forests and tall peaks. Manipulative enchantresses and wizards. And two protagonists that I found the dynamics that are built around them were really interesting and promising. There is not much action but when the story needs it, it is well executed.
The book is over 800 pages and there were a couple of times I felt it was a bit of a slog but most of it I devoured with much pleasure and anticipation. The ending has no cliff hangers and it sets perfectly the foundations for the long story that Wars of Light and Shadow seem to be.
December 24, 2023
4-stars for this one.
I have found an author in Janny Wurts who I believe I shall stick with and read many more of her works in the future. She is multi-talented as many of you who have read her books will already know. She has a gifted turn of phrase and uses her knowledge of different life-skills to enhance her storytelling.
I found myself feeling rather sorry for Arithon throughout this first book of what is geared to be a lengthy 11-book-series. He's not perfect and I don't usually form attachments with morally-grey characters, but I think that the way the author represents him with talents and an underlying nobility and decency warmed me towards him. And his story does read somewhat like a "Tragedy".
If I was going to say anything negative about the book it would be that the author sometimes becomes a little too wordy, but her prose is so beautifully structured that I can forgive her for that whereas other authors might have lost my interest somewhere along the line.
So all in all this was a keeper and I have 9 of the other 10 books on my shelf ready for next year.
That's my last read for 2023. Catch up with you all in 2024.
I have found an author in Janny Wurts who I believe I shall stick with and read many more of her works in the future. She is multi-talented as many of you who have read her books will already know. She has a gifted turn of phrase and uses her knowledge of different life-skills to enhance her storytelling.
I found myself feeling rather sorry for Arithon throughout this first book of what is geared to be a lengthy 11-book-series. He's not perfect and I don't usually form attachments with morally-grey characters, but I think that the way the author represents him with talents and an underlying nobility and decency warmed me towards him. And his story does read somewhat like a "Tragedy".
If I was going to say anything negative about the book it would be that the author sometimes becomes a little too wordy, but her prose is so beautifully structured that I can forgive her for that whereas other authors might have lost my interest somewhere along the line.
So all in all this was a keeper and I have 9 of the other 10 books on my shelf ready for next year.
That's my last read for 2023. Catch up with you all in 2024.
July 25, 2023
As I read Curse of the Mistwraith I thought several times how much I wished I had discovered Janny Wurts earlier, but honestly, this book came at the right time in life for me. (I was a lad when they first came out…)
I’m not going to go into this review spoiling plot. But I can say this: don’t read this book expecting a bunch of tropes. You won’t find any. You’ll see moments of familiarity you might recognize in other fantasies. I mean, why wouldn’t there be? It’s a fantasy.
There will be travel, but not without purpose. There will be wizards. But not goofy old codgers. I’d say there is more Saruman or Raistlin about them than Gandalf the Grey. There will be political intrigue that very much overturns expectations. And there will be two half-brothers you’ll want to box around the ears more than once. All you need do is read for yourself and see that Janny Wurts is a master of her craft. She will have you expecting one thing, and with her bardic skill, twist and answer it with something new and in a way that makes more sense than you first expected. This is no cup game. You are the listener and she is the bard, playing at strings, both silver and heart, with a prose and word choice that will have you wanting to send excerpts from every page to send to friends.
There is a continual plangency (thank you for teaching me a new word Janny!) that runs through the entire book from beginning to end. And the descriptions of music by bards will draw emotion from you more moving than any other book description of a bard’s music I’ve read.
It’s a travesty that Wurts is not already and continually on everyone’s minds when lists of fantasy greats are named along with plenty of other authors I’m not going to bother listing here. But the fact is, there is a timelessness to Wurts’ writing that I feel fails in other respected authors from yesteryear. It’s time we seek out and read authors like Janny Wurts and ensure her legacy continues right now. (Especially as the final book in this series is set to come out next year.)
5+/5 stars
I’m not going to go into this review spoiling plot. But I can say this: don’t read this book expecting a bunch of tropes. You won’t find any. You’ll see moments of familiarity you might recognize in other fantasies. I mean, why wouldn’t there be? It’s a fantasy.
There will be travel, but not without purpose. There will be wizards. But not goofy old codgers. I’d say there is more Saruman or Raistlin about them than Gandalf the Grey. There will be political intrigue that very much overturns expectations. And there will be two half-brothers you’ll want to box around the ears more than once. All you need do is read for yourself and see that Janny Wurts is a master of her craft. She will have you expecting one thing, and with her bardic skill, twist and answer it with something new and in a way that makes more sense than you first expected. This is no cup game. You are the listener and she is the bard, playing at strings, both silver and heart, with a prose and word choice that will have you wanting to send excerpts from every page to send to friends.
There is a continual plangency (thank you for teaching me a new word Janny!) that runs through the entire book from beginning to end. And the descriptions of music by bards will draw emotion from you more moving than any other book description of a bard’s music I’ve read.
It’s a travesty that Wurts is not already and continually on everyone’s minds when lists of fantasy greats are named along with plenty of other authors I’m not going to bother listing here. But the fact is, there is a timelessness to Wurts’ writing that I feel fails in other respected authors from yesteryear. It’s time we seek out and read authors like Janny Wurts and ensure her legacy continues right now. (Especially as the final book in this series is set to come out next year.)
5+/5 stars
December 17, 2012
This is a good book, this is a well written book, and I wish I liked it better than I do. It is well constructed, it's a well laid out world (worlds?) and the characters are filled out and "fairly" true to themselves.
I can't say that the plot or the characters are particularly original (as some reviewers have)... though to be fair, how many "really" new or original stories and characters are there? Yes, I've seen the "archetypes". There are the brothers one light one dark...caught in destiny's trap. The "hate filled father" who will bring down the world and sacrifice even his own child for his hate's sake... and oh yes, the inescapable conflict. We spend a huge amount of time "questing", I almost felt I'd worn out my own shoe leather (or possibly developed saddle sores :)) from the travel. All are facets of stories we've run on before, and that's not a bad thing. Just because a story element has been used before doesn't mean there's a problem with it being used again. And Ms. Wurts does it well.
The book grabbed my interest right away and I got into the story (in spite of the elements that I found a bit annoying). I followed it through the trials and tribulations of our "princes", but eventually I found my interest waning. I got very tired of the dichotomy between the two brothers and then the "cause" of the final conflict("so to speak" as things really can't be said to be finalized) truly annoyed me. (No spoilers.)
I plan to go on with the next book. As I said, this is a good book, but I am not a huge fan of the "hate theme" that continues to lay at the heart of the story. I found that as I got into the story I just lost interest and really didn't care about the main characters all that much. I'm going to a 3 as the book is about a 3.5 "but" quite possibly this is a case of just not appealing "to me". Hopefully I can get into the story's "groove" as I read the next volume.
I can't say that the plot or the characters are particularly original (as some reviewers have)... though to be fair, how many "really" new or original stories and characters are there? Yes, I've seen the "archetypes". There are the brothers one light one dark...caught in destiny's trap. The "hate filled father" who will bring down the world and sacrifice even his own child for his hate's sake... and oh yes, the inescapable conflict. We spend a huge amount of time "questing", I almost felt I'd worn out my own shoe leather (or possibly developed saddle sores :)) from the travel. All are facets of stories we've run on before, and that's not a bad thing. Just because a story element has been used before doesn't mean there's a problem with it being used again. And Ms. Wurts does it well.
The book grabbed my interest right away and I got into the story (in spite of the elements that I found a bit annoying). I followed it through the trials and tribulations of our "princes", but eventually I found my interest waning. I got very tired of the dichotomy between the two brothers and then the "cause" of the final conflict("so to speak" as things really can't be said to be finalized) truly annoyed me. (No spoilers.)
I plan to go on with the next book. As I said, this is a good book, but I am not a huge fan of the "hate theme" that continues to lay at the heart of the story. I found that as I got into the story I just lost interest and really didn't care about the main characters all that much. I'm going to a 3 as the book is about a 3.5 "but" quite possibly this is a case of just not appealing "to me". Hopefully I can get into the story's "groove" as I read the next volume.
January 19, 2013
Well, either Goodreads has changed the way you can review books, or I didn't see how to post more than one review before. I've read this one at least 3 times, I enjoyed it that much.
There are two authors whose writing is dense and difficult but in the end reveals a story both exciting and addictive - Janny Wurts and Dorothy Dunnett. I've read and reread their works and never get tired of them.
This first book of what is to be an eleven book series is the introduction to a world of wonder, and intrigue. Of power struggles, murder, love, grand battles and characters that are to die for. ETA 1/19/13: Be prepared though to have your guts wrenched out. The journey is tragic and soul searing. The last battle scene in this one had me in tears this time. It's not easy, light weight reading. Even though I knew what was coming, it was vivid and dreadful.
If you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, in spite of (or maybe because of) the intensity of it and the tragedy of it; because in the end everyone is richer for it.
There are two authors whose writing is dense and difficult but in the end reveals a story both exciting and addictive - Janny Wurts and Dorothy Dunnett. I've read and reread their works and never get tired of them.
This first book of what is to be an eleven book series is the introduction to a world of wonder, and intrigue. Of power struggles, murder, love, grand battles and characters that are to die for. ETA 1/19/13: Be prepared though to have your guts wrenched out. The journey is tragic and soul searing. The last battle scene in this one had me in tears this time. It's not easy, light weight reading. Even though I knew what was coming, it was vivid and dreadful.
If you decide to read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, in spite of (or maybe because of) the intensity of it and the tragedy of it; because in the end everyone is richer for it.
June 24, 2024
I give up. It's not often I quit a book, especially after having waded through 400+ pages (and it so highly recommended by readers I trust), but I'm going to be the odd man out on this one.
The farther I got, the less I liked it. I don't care if either prince dies or kills the other. Two-thirds of the way through they (maybe/kinda/sorta) conquered the Mistwraith and took up trying to be kings. Paradoxically, the initiate enchantress Elaira seemed the best drawn character.
If it had been written fifty years earlier, I might have excused the style. But there's no excuse today. Wurts seemed to have chosen the most obtuse word and sentence construction for each sentence. Then, over and over, she explained what had happened and what it meant as if she didn't think the reader smart enough to figure it out. The book would have been better for being two-thirds as long. It's more Robert Jordan than JRR Tolkien. (That's not a compliment.) No wonder so many are writing opaque fantasy tomes today, if this gets high praise.
Quibble: The map was so small scaled that it's impossible to read. What's the point?
Cover art: Nice. Perhaps Janny should stick to art.
Not recommended for anyone with any other books on their to-read pile.
The farther I got, the less I liked it. I don't care if either prince dies or kills the other. Two-thirds of the way through they (maybe/kinda/sorta) conquered the Mistwraith and took up trying to be kings. Paradoxically, the initiate enchantress Elaira seemed the best drawn character.
If it had been written fifty years earlier, I might have excused the style. But there's no excuse today. Wurts seemed to have chosen the most obtuse word and sentence construction for each sentence. Then, over and over, she explained what had happened and what it meant as if she didn't think the reader smart enough to figure it out. The book would have been better for being two-thirds as long. It's more Robert Jordan than JRR Tolkien. (That's not a compliment.) No wonder so many are writing opaque fantasy tomes today, if this gets high praise.
Quibble: The map was so small scaled that it's impossible to read. What's the point?
Cover art: Nice. Perhaps Janny should stick to art.
Not recommended for anyone with any other books on their to-read pile.
September 22, 2024
I have started rereading another of my all-time favourite fantasy series: ‘The Wars of Light and Shadow’, as the final book in this tremendous 11 book series has just been published (the first was in 1993) and I wanted to remind myself of the story so far.
This series is unusual (perhaps unique) in that it does not equate Light with goodness, and Shadow with evil. Both can be used for attack, or defence; for the good of the world, or to commit atrocities; for joy or for anguish. Their value depends upon whom you ask, and history books are always written by the winners.
The (anti)heroes are half-brother princes who are exiled to another world. They have the same mother, but their respective father’s families have been at war for centuries. Why is not made clear in this book. Lysaer s’Ilessid’s family rule a very rich country, while Arithon s’Ffalenn’s family live on an impoverished sandspit, and exist through piracy. It turns out that the world to which they are exiled, was the world from whence both families originated, and many, many centuries ago had ruled. When an antimonarchist revolution had broken out, they had fled through a portal. Now, in the old world, the former aristocracy are impoverished, hunted outlaws. The city mayors and commerce rule.
The world has been devastated by a Mistwraith, which has blocked the sun, and covered everything in gloom. Prophecies state that a prince will come to defeat the Mistwraith. Arithon has inherent mastery of Shadows, Lysaer of Light, talents gifted to their families by the ancient sorcerers. They must put their enmity to one side, and work together, alongside the Fellowship of Seven sorcerers to battle the Mistwraith, to bring back the sun, and hopefully the mythical Paravians (Unicorns, Centaurs and Sun Children) who left with the arrival of the Mistwraith. Only with the return of the Paravians will the world once more be in balance.
The Mistwraith is eventually vanquished (or so it seems), but a curse of obsessive and eternal enmity is laid on the princes. And what appears to be a victory soon becomes a bloody, unending war pitting anew the old aristocracy and Arithon against the townfolk and Lysaer; Shadow against Light.
There is magic in these books, but more important is the interplay between the brothers, and between the factions. Arithon has immeasurable empathy – overwhelming, wounding understanding for all entities. Lysaer “will always seek justice, even where none can be found.”. They are judged on how they appear, on the benefits that each is believed to be able to provide, on centuries of custom. Lysaer was born to rule, and looks the part. Arithon would love nothing more than to be a bard. But, both have preordained duties and fates that they cannot escape:
Additionally, there are strands relating to environmentalism, slavery, discrimination, morality, and questions about what is a ‘just war’, and whom to believe and follow. Is there more than one truth? Is there room for love?
Alongside the brothers are a raft of secondary, but very important, characters: Dakar, the Mad Prophet; Elaira of the Koriani Sisterhood; the aristocratic Caithdiens, Maenelle and Jieret; and the Fellowship to name but a few. Most characters evolve through the series (or die), and by the end of each book, are not the same as they were at the start
A wonderful start to a phenomenal series. Recommended to all.
This series is unusual (perhaps unique) in that it does not equate Light with goodness, and Shadow with evil. Both can be used for attack, or defence; for the good of the world, or to commit atrocities; for joy or for anguish. Their value depends upon whom you ask, and history books are always written by the winners.
“At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth. … This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”
The (anti)heroes are half-brother princes who are exiled to another world. They have the same mother, but their respective father’s families have been at war for centuries. Why is not made clear in this book. Lysaer s’Ilessid’s family rule a very rich country, while Arithon s’Ffalenn’s family live on an impoverished sandspit, and exist through piracy. It turns out that the world to which they are exiled, was the world from whence both families originated, and many, many centuries ago had ruled. When an antimonarchist revolution had broken out, they had fled through a portal. Now, in the old world, the former aristocracy are impoverished, hunted outlaws. The city mayors and commerce rule.
The world has been devastated by a Mistwraith, which has blocked the sun, and covered everything in gloom. Prophecies state that a prince will come to defeat the Mistwraith. Arithon has inherent mastery of Shadows, Lysaer of Light, talents gifted to their families by the ancient sorcerers. They must put their enmity to one side, and work together, alongside the Fellowship of Seven sorcerers to battle the Mistwraith, to bring back the sun, and hopefully the mythical Paravians (Unicorns, Centaurs and Sun Children) who left with the arrival of the Mistwraith. Only with the return of the Paravians will the world once more be in balance.
The Mistwraith is eventually vanquished (or so it seems), but a curse of obsessive and eternal enmity is laid on the princes. And what appears to be a victory soon becomes a bloody, unending war pitting anew the old aristocracy and Arithon against the townfolk and Lysaer; Shadow against Light.
There is magic in these books, but more important is the interplay between the brothers, and between the factions. Arithon has immeasurable empathy – overwhelming, wounding understanding for all entities. Lysaer “will always seek justice, even where none can be found.”. They are judged on how they appear, on the benefits that each is believed to be able to provide, on centuries of custom. Lysaer was born to rule, and looks the part. Arithon would love nothing more than to be a bard. But, both have preordained duties and fates that they cannot escape:
“The moment passed, and the chance died, that Arithon could become the bard the strands had forepromised at Althain, a musician cherished across the continent for his generosity and warmth of perception. The legacy of a beloved master singer, whose equal had not been seen since Elshian, for need had been cancelled out. In his place walked a prince whose competence would come to be feared, and whose gifts would be whetted by adversity to a cruelly focused edge. Arithon would not now refuse the crown that waited at Etarra.”
“The prince who had abjured all rights to royal rank said gently, ‘No. After Arithon’s betrayal, any man’s enmity is fair. Let me prove myself worthy of trust, his, yours, and Etarra’s.’ The prince in his tinsel velvets showed a proud, unpractised majesty, and the result of unprepossessing humbleness clothed in grace and shining wealth combined to powerful effect.”
Additionally, there are strands relating to environmentalism, slavery, discrimination, morality, and questions about what is a ‘just war’, and whom to believe and follow. Is there more than one truth? Is there room for love?
Alongside the brothers are a raft of secondary, but very important, characters: Dakar, the Mad Prophet; Elaira of the Koriani Sisterhood; the aristocratic Caithdiens, Maenelle and Jieret; and the Fellowship to name but a few. Most characters evolve through the series (or die), and by the end of each book, are not the same as they were at the start
A wonderful start to a phenomenal series. Recommended to all.
August 12, 2010
If I had read just the last 50 pages of this novel I would have been quite impressed. They are wonderfully moving, reminiscent (in a good way) of the section in The Return of the King after Sauron is defeated but before the hobbits head back to the Shire.
Unfortunately, those last 50 pages are not earned by the 540 pages before. The first 540 pages were really quite bad -- not because Wurts is a poor writer, but because she is a poor storyteller. The sentence-by-sentence writing is actually quite good -- there was some beautiful imagery sprinkled throughout the novel. But while each sentence was crafted well, somehow the story never gelled. I didn't believe the characters. I didn't believe the world. I *really* didn't believe the politics. And in every single scene I wanted to be in some other scene -- she always seemed to be moving away from the action instead of towards it.
There were more little quirks of her storytelling that annoyed me than I can count -- she summed up important scenes rather than showing them; she used peoples' titles for no reason I could come up with but the fact that she had already used their name in the same paragraph; she was far more in love with her characters than I was; etc. And the biggest failing -- though many published (best-selling even!) writers fail at this one, so maybe it doesn't bother others as much as it does me -- all of the conflict in the novel rested on characters refusing to tell each other anything. If the mages and the two leads had simply sat down together on page 100 and pooled their information, all the conflict would have been brought to a head where it could be dealt with summarily. Of course, then there would be no epic door-stopper fantasy novel.
Unfortunately, those last 50 pages are not earned by the 540 pages before. The first 540 pages were really quite bad -- not because Wurts is a poor writer, but because she is a poor storyteller. The sentence-by-sentence writing is actually quite good -- there was some beautiful imagery sprinkled throughout the novel. But while each sentence was crafted well, somehow the story never gelled. I didn't believe the characters. I didn't believe the world. I *really* didn't believe the politics. And in every single scene I wanted to be in some other scene -- she always seemed to be moving away from the action instead of towards it.
There were more little quirks of her storytelling that annoyed me than I can count -- she summed up important scenes rather than showing them; she used peoples' titles for no reason I could come up with but the fact that she had already used their name in the same paragraph; she was far more in love with her characters than I was; etc. And the biggest failing -- though many published (best-selling even!) writers fail at this one, so maybe it doesn't bother others as much as it does me -- all of the conflict in the novel rested on characters refusing to tell each other anything. If the mages and the two leads had simply sat down together on page 100 and pooled their information, all the conflict would have been brought to a head where it could be dealt with summarily. Of course, then there would be no epic door-stopper fantasy novel.
December 25, 2021
“The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth”..."
“Because the factual account lay hopelessly entangled between legend and theology, sages in the seventh age meditated upon the ancient past, and recalled through visions the events as they happened. Contrary to all expectation, the conflict did not begin on the council stair of Etarra, nor even on the soil of Athera itself; instead the visions started upon the wide oceans of the splinter world, Dascen Elur. This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”..."
And so begins one of the most epic high fantasy books, and the opening entry in one of the greatest epic fantasy series, EVER.
For years, I had planned to read the illustrious Janny Wurts. To be clear, Janny Wurts is often heralded as one of the best fantasy writers of all time, yet somehow I did not get to any of her extensive collection of books. No longer. Now that I have read “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, I understand why Wurts is mentioned in the same breath, in many circles, as Tolkien, Martin, and many of the truly elite fantasy authors. https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-li... .
So, without further ado, let me attempt to do justice to the phenomenal “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, Book One of The Wars of Light and Shadow, in my review.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
The beauty, for me, of the plot of the book is that, at its heart, it is simple. Some would even consider the plot full of tropes. Yet those tropes are wrapped in immeasurable nuance and complexity. I have never seen tropes meshed and threaded with such skill that one would cease to forget about the tropes themselves, and focus solely on how deftly written the book is. Until I read this book.
In the world of Dascen Elur, a war exists between two rival kings. One king is a flamboyant and notorious pirate king, the other is a cold, ruthless but highly capable monarch. The queen of the latter monarch, has a son (named Lysaer) with that particular king. Lysaer grows into the Master of Light. But the queen absconds on her husband, and runs off to have an affair with the pirate king, and bears him a (illegitimate) son as well, named Arithon. Arithon evolves into the Master of Shadow.
The queen’s husband is obsessed with being a cuckold, and vows to destroy the pirate king, his wife’s bastard son, and the pirate king’s naval forces. While the pirates are indeed a military threat to the rival king, it is the shame and humiliation of his wife’s betrayal that fuels his desire to annihilate the pirate king and his son.
Lysaer grows up to be the perfect prince and heir to the throne: handsome, courageous, intelligent, a natural leader and ruler, with an innate sense of justice. Lysaer also is eager to rule, and prove his worth. Yet Lysaer knows he possessed untapped, untutored magical powers, that he will only truly begin to uncover in another world.
Meanwhile Arithon, a lover of music and gifted musician, is raised as a mage, and trained in the arts of magic by his paternal grandfather. Arithon shuns inheriting the pirate king’s realm, and does not want to be tied to the burdens of sovereignty.
Though the queen eventually dies, the conflict continues to rage between the two rival kings. Finally, the pirate king is slain, and the Master of Shadows is captured by his enemies, eventually winding up in the hands of his half-brother, Crown Prince Lysaer.
Hate simmers between the two siblings, as Lysaer takes Arithon to Lysaer’s father, and Arithon is tortured, humiliated, and eventually banished from Dascen Elur. But Lysaer ends up being inadvertently exiled as well, to the world of Athera, and alternate reality, that can only reached via one-way magical portal.
There, initially, the brothers are forced to put their enmity aside and work together, under the guidance of wizards led by the mysterious Asandir, his apprentice Dakar (called the Mad Prophet) and other sorcerers belonging to the Fellowship of the Seven.
For Athera is clouded in permanent shadow and misery for the past 500 years, cursed by a Mistwraith, a powerful and malevolent being that is a blight upon the universe. No sun or stars can be seen in Athera, while the Mistwraith holds the land under its sway. Only the combined powers of Light (wielded by Lysaer), and Shadow (wielded by Arithon) can vanquish the Mistwraith, and bring an end to the curse.
Yet the curse is only one small part of Arithon and Lysaer’s issues. Another society of female magic-users, the Koriani, scheme against the Fellowship of the Seven, and have their own plans for the brothers. And the Fellowship themselves appear to be manipulative, secretive, and the reader will wonder if they truly have the best interests of the brothers at heart, or if the brothers are merely pawns in their designs.
Additionally, both princes are part of generational dynasties of which they are the heirs to in Athera. They have kingdoms and subjects that await their coming, like some sort of messiahs. Moreover, the blood feud between the two princes transcends into the new world of Athera. Will one prince be destroyed by the mutual hate? Will both? And will the world be destroyed with it?
CHARACTERS
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.
The princes are brilliantly drawn as counterpoint to each other at times, and at times their similarities cannot help but be noticed. Driven by forces beyond their control, played against each other by human and non-human agendas, and unsure of the players and game they are part of, one can’t help but feel sorry for Arithon and Lysaer. Their faults and positive attributes are both to their detriment, and it seems only disaster can await them both, with no pragmatic way to happiness and peace, based on the high destinies that ride on their shoulders.
PACING
This book, for me, is nothing if not a character-driven novel. That means the pacing, like many books of this nature, can be very slow-burn. There are plenty of fantastic action sequences, and the beginning and end of the novel are thrilling in terms of excitement. But the middle of the novel takes its time in drawing the reader into the politics, introducing the characters, how the magic works, the history and backstory, the settings, lining up all the chess pieces, then moving them. The book is a tome, coming in around 800 pages, yet I was never bored for one minute despite the length. Still, for those who treasure the sprint, not the marathon, it may not be for you. It is a dense, absorbing read, that requires the reader to proceed carefully, and virtually read every word.
WORLD-BUILDING
While this book is just the beginning of the journey this series seems destined to take me on, I am hard pressed to recall as immersive world building that is constructed by Wurts ANYWHERE in modern fantasy that I have read thus far. I’m talking Tolkien, Steven Erikson, GRRM. Wurts’ dizzyingly real world is replete with lush ancient history, backstory, lore, a variety of current and defunct kingdoms, ethnicities, races (including centaurs!) and cultures, and complex mythologies clans, magical guilds, complex royal genealogy, prophecy that transcends millennia, unique languages, complex magic systems and mysticism.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I have not read anything like it, and all indications is that the first book merely scratches a bit of the surface of what Wurts has in store for the remainder of what is a huge series. I am flabbergasted by Wurts' imagination, skill, and depth of research taken to create such an intricate and complex place, featuring a splinter world, main core world, and more. The end product is superlative, and second to none. For someone like me who craves detailed world-building, I have found exactly what I was looking for in a fantasy book.
PROSE
I understand that for some, Wurts’ prose may be too much of a good thing. For me, simply put, it is a thing of extreme beauty, a revelation. To say it is evocative is a paltry compliment. Her style of writing is classical, lyrical, poetic at times, stuffed full of detail, description, subtleties. You can read and appreciate the writing for its sheer loveliness, but in truth, you would literally be missing out.
That is because Wurts weaves clues to sub-plots or major plot points, innuendoes, sometimes even double-meanings into her words, that if the reader fails to pay attention – either completely mesmerized by the prose itself, or overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of it – things will be missed, and misunderstood. There is such a delight in the way Wurts writes, that I know I will be re-reading “The Curse of the Mistwraith” several times, just for the loveliness of the prose alone.
But I will also be re-reading to capture things that I know I neglected to pick up on the first read – it is that type of book. Wurts is a master at the craft of writing, and I cannot say enough about her abilities in this regard. She will make you work hard to comprehend the full picture, but I feel the payoff is well worth the effort on the part of the reader.
THEMES
Predestination, the “end justifies the means”, what it means to embrace leadership, the price and consequences of magic, loyalty, family, and lust for power, prestige, and glory are all compelling themes that you will find in “The Curse of the Mistwraith”. Also, the fact that nothing is ever as it seems, and the reliability of all the perspectives in the novel being cast in doubt at various points, makes for highly intriguing and thought-provoking reading.
The prologue holds some of the key to the point of the book – and is reminiscent of GRRMs (to paraphrase) “A villain is a hero of the other side”. This is particularly relevant when we consider the main two characters, the princes. The reader will in one chapter detest and be angry with Arithon, and then next chapter empathise with him, cheer for him and pray for his survival. Then they will turn around and feel the same about Lysaer. At least in this first entry in the series, though readers will likely come to have their favourite brother, I found myself hoping somehow both could co-exist, if not find lost familial bonds of love and harmony.
But this book, make no mistake, is a DARK book overall, and I do not predict any happy endings for either brother in the series. The two brothers are positioned for failure, and seemingly, catastrophic death for themselves, if not also the world around them.
Yet this is part of the genius of Wurts, as she has the reader caring for what happens to both men on opposite sides, and fretting over the fact that – while they seem to race towards inevitable doom - they are being manipulated by sorcerers and sorceresses, evil spirits, ambitious humans, and almost everyone and everything around them.
Perhaps the scariest thing about the book is that Arithon and Lysaer’s fate seems almost completely pre-determined, with only a few alternate probably outcomes. So, as the reader, one is reading the book (and the series, it would seem) for the journey, not the ultimate destination, perhaps. But that journey is so luxuriant, so verdant with artistry, splendour, and magnificence, that I am more than willing to just enjoy the scenery, and keep reading Wurts' “The War of Light and Shadow” to its conclusion.
CONCLUSION
This book got me in the feels on EVERY level. The writing is rapturous, the world-building was mind-blowing, the characters were superbly drawn, and the themes were spellbinding. It was a true feast of the senses, and if this book was just the beginning, the series truly promises greatness. “The Curse of the Mistwraith” was breathtaking and has me clamouring for more, much more of Wurts’ craftsmanship.
Wurts is a scintillating writer, one of the best in fantasy, who needs to be heralded in the same class as the Sandersons, Jordans, et all. I will be devouring anything she writes from now on. It won’t be long, I’m sure, until I am reading the next book in the series, “The Ships of Merior”.
“Because the factual account lay hopelessly entangled between legend and theology, sages in the seventh age meditated upon the ancient past, and recalled through visions the events as they happened. Contrary to all expectation, the conflict did not begin on the council stair of Etarra, nor even on the soil of Athera itself; instead the visions started upon the wide oceans of the splinter world, Dascen Elur. This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”..."
And so begins one of the most epic high fantasy books, and the opening entry in one of the greatest epic fantasy series, EVER.
For years, I had planned to read the illustrious Janny Wurts. To be clear, Janny Wurts is often heralded as one of the best fantasy writers of all time, yet somehow I did not get to any of her extensive collection of books. No longer. Now that I have read “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, I understand why Wurts is mentioned in the same breath, in many circles, as Tolkien, Martin, and many of the truly elite fantasy authors. https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-li... .
So, without further ado, let me attempt to do justice to the phenomenal “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, Book One of The Wars of Light and Shadow, in my review.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
The beauty, for me, of the plot of the book is that, at its heart, it is simple. Some would even consider the plot full of tropes. Yet those tropes are wrapped in immeasurable nuance and complexity. I have never seen tropes meshed and threaded with such skill that one would cease to forget about the tropes themselves, and focus solely on how deftly written the book is. Until I read this book.
In the world of Dascen Elur, a war exists between two rival kings. One king is a flamboyant and notorious pirate king, the other is a cold, ruthless but highly capable monarch. The queen of the latter monarch, has a son (named Lysaer) with that particular king. Lysaer grows into the Master of Light. But the queen absconds on her husband, and runs off to have an affair with the pirate king, and bears him a (illegitimate) son as well, named Arithon. Arithon evolves into the Master of Shadow.
The queen’s husband is obsessed with being a cuckold, and vows to destroy the pirate king, his wife’s bastard son, and the pirate king’s naval forces. While the pirates are indeed a military threat to the rival king, it is the shame and humiliation of his wife’s betrayal that fuels his desire to annihilate the pirate king and his son.
Lysaer grows up to be the perfect prince and heir to the throne: handsome, courageous, intelligent, a natural leader and ruler, with an innate sense of justice. Lysaer also is eager to rule, and prove his worth. Yet Lysaer knows he possessed untapped, untutored magical powers, that he will only truly begin to uncover in another world.
Meanwhile Arithon, a lover of music and gifted musician, is raised as a mage, and trained in the arts of magic by his paternal grandfather. Arithon shuns inheriting the pirate king’s realm, and does not want to be tied to the burdens of sovereignty.
Though the queen eventually dies, the conflict continues to rage between the two rival kings. Finally, the pirate king is slain, and the Master of Shadows is captured by his enemies, eventually winding up in the hands of his half-brother, Crown Prince Lysaer.
Hate simmers between the two siblings, as Lysaer takes Arithon to Lysaer’s father, and Arithon is tortured, humiliated, and eventually banished from Dascen Elur. But Lysaer ends up being inadvertently exiled as well, to the world of Athera, and alternate reality, that can only reached via one-way magical portal.
There, initially, the brothers are forced to put their enmity aside and work together, under the guidance of wizards led by the mysterious Asandir, his apprentice Dakar (called the Mad Prophet) and other sorcerers belonging to the Fellowship of the Seven.
For Athera is clouded in permanent shadow and misery for the past 500 years, cursed by a Mistwraith, a powerful and malevolent being that is a blight upon the universe. No sun or stars can be seen in Athera, while the Mistwraith holds the land under its sway. Only the combined powers of Light (wielded by Lysaer), and Shadow (wielded by Arithon) can vanquish the Mistwraith, and bring an end to the curse.
Yet the curse is only one small part of Arithon and Lysaer’s issues. Another society of female magic-users, the Koriani, scheme against the Fellowship of the Seven, and have their own plans for the brothers. And the Fellowship themselves appear to be manipulative, secretive, and the reader will wonder if they truly have the best interests of the brothers at heart, or if the brothers are merely pawns in their designs.
Additionally, both princes are part of generational dynasties of which they are the heirs to in Athera. They have kingdoms and subjects that await their coming, like some sort of messiahs. Moreover, the blood feud between the two princes transcends into the new world of Athera. Will one prince be destroyed by the mutual hate? Will both? And will the world be destroyed with it?
CHARACTERS
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.
The princes are brilliantly drawn as counterpoint to each other at times, and at times their similarities cannot help but be noticed. Driven by forces beyond their control, played against each other by human and non-human agendas, and unsure of the players and game they are part of, one can’t help but feel sorry for Arithon and Lysaer. Their faults and positive attributes are both to their detriment, and it seems only disaster can await them both, with no pragmatic way to happiness and peace, based on the high destinies that ride on their shoulders.
PACING
This book, for me, is nothing if not a character-driven novel. That means the pacing, like many books of this nature, can be very slow-burn. There are plenty of fantastic action sequences, and the beginning and end of the novel are thrilling in terms of excitement. But the middle of the novel takes its time in drawing the reader into the politics, introducing the characters, how the magic works, the history and backstory, the settings, lining up all the chess pieces, then moving them. The book is a tome, coming in around 800 pages, yet I was never bored for one minute despite the length. Still, for those who treasure the sprint, not the marathon, it may not be for you. It is a dense, absorbing read, that requires the reader to proceed carefully, and virtually read every word.
WORLD-BUILDING
While this book is just the beginning of the journey this series seems destined to take me on, I am hard pressed to recall as immersive world building that is constructed by Wurts ANYWHERE in modern fantasy that I have read thus far. I’m talking Tolkien, Steven Erikson, GRRM. Wurts’ dizzyingly real world is replete with lush ancient history, backstory, lore, a variety of current and defunct kingdoms, ethnicities, races (including centaurs!) and cultures, and complex mythologies clans, magical guilds, complex royal genealogy, prophecy that transcends millennia, unique languages, complex magic systems and mysticism.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I have not read anything like it, and all indications is that the first book merely scratches a bit of the surface of what Wurts has in store for the remainder of what is a huge series. I am flabbergasted by Wurts' imagination, skill, and depth of research taken to create such an intricate and complex place, featuring a splinter world, main core world, and more. The end product is superlative, and second to none. For someone like me who craves detailed world-building, I have found exactly what I was looking for in a fantasy book.
PROSE
I understand that for some, Wurts’ prose may be too much of a good thing. For me, simply put, it is a thing of extreme beauty, a revelation. To say it is evocative is a paltry compliment. Her style of writing is classical, lyrical, poetic at times, stuffed full of detail, description, subtleties. You can read and appreciate the writing for its sheer loveliness, but in truth, you would literally be missing out.
That is because Wurts weaves clues to sub-plots or major plot points, innuendoes, sometimes even double-meanings into her words, that if the reader fails to pay attention – either completely mesmerized by the prose itself, or overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of it – things will be missed, and misunderstood. There is such a delight in the way Wurts writes, that I know I will be re-reading “The Curse of the Mistwraith” several times, just for the loveliness of the prose alone.
But I will also be re-reading to capture things that I know I neglected to pick up on the first read – it is that type of book. Wurts is a master at the craft of writing, and I cannot say enough about her abilities in this regard. She will make you work hard to comprehend the full picture, but I feel the payoff is well worth the effort on the part of the reader.
THEMES
Predestination, the “end justifies the means”, what it means to embrace leadership, the price and consequences of magic, loyalty, family, and lust for power, prestige, and glory are all compelling themes that you will find in “The Curse of the Mistwraith”. Also, the fact that nothing is ever as it seems, and the reliability of all the perspectives in the novel being cast in doubt at various points, makes for highly intriguing and thought-provoking reading.
The prologue holds some of the key to the point of the book – and is reminiscent of GRRMs (to paraphrase) “A villain is a hero of the other side”. This is particularly relevant when we consider the main two characters, the princes. The reader will in one chapter detest and be angry with Arithon, and then next chapter empathise with him, cheer for him and pray for his survival. Then they will turn around and feel the same about Lysaer. At least in this first entry in the series, though readers will likely come to have their favourite brother, I found myself hoping somehow both could co-exist, if not find lost familial bonds of love and harmony.
But this book, make no mistake, is a DARK book overall, and I do not predict any happy endings for either brother in the series. The two brothers are positioned for failure, and seemingly, catastrophic death for themselves, if not also the world around them.
Yet this is part of the genius of Wurts, as she has the reader caring for what happens to both men on opposite sides, and fretting over the fact that – while they seem to race towards inevitable doom - they are being manipulated by sorcerers and sorceresses, evil spirits, ambitious humans, and almost everyone and everything around them.
Perhaps the scariest thing about the book is that Arithon and Lysaer’s fate seems almost completely pre-determined, with only a few alternate probably outcomes. So, as the reader, one is reading the book (and the series, it would seem) for the journey, not the ultimate destination, perhaps. But that journey is so luxuriant, so verdant with artistry, splendour, and magnificence, that I am more than willing to just enjoy the scenery, and keep reading Wurts' “The War of Light and Shadow” to its conclusion.
CONCLUSION
This book got me in the feels on EVERY level. The writing is rapturous, the world-building was mind-blowing, the characters were superbly drawn, and the themes were spellbinding. It was a true feast of the senses, and if this book was just the beginning, the series truly promises greatness. “The Curse of the Mistwraith” was breathtaking and has me clamouring for more, much more of Wurts’ craftsmanship.
Wurts is a scintillating writer, one of the best in fantasy, who needs to be heralded in the same class as the Sandersons, Jordans, et all. I will be devouring anything she writes from now on. It won’t be long, I’m sure, until I am reading the next book in the series, “The Ships of Merior”.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews