Thursday, July 07, 2005
The Curse of the Mistwraith
Name: The Curse of the Mistwraith
Author: Janny Wurts
Series: The War of Light and Shadows (Book One)
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1993
Rating: 5 / 5
"It ought to be illegal for someone to have so much talent," says the blurb on the back cover. Yeah right, I sniggered. Especially since the series had a title as trite-sounding as "The War of Light and Shadows".
Twenty minutes and an equal number of pages later, I found myself hooked. I didn't let the book out of my sight until I finished all 800 pages of it. I've read too many fantasy series in this lifetime for my own good, but in my opinion this one beats them all hands down.
The story starts off in the midst of a war in which a nation of islands and sparse resources relies on acts of piracy on the richer mainland nation for their very survival. Divided by countless generations of strife, fate brings the princes of the rival kingdoms, half-brothers by blood, together as they are cast through a portal into a deserted world. Gifted with the ability to control the elements of Light and Darkness respectively, by virtue of their common blood on their Mother's side, they fight their way through the cursed planet and reach the portal to yet another world... only to find that they were expected there.
The world of Athera has its skies covered by an unnatural, sentient mist whose complete dominion was thwarted centuries ago by a Fellowship of Sorcerers who have acted as its guardians for several Millenia. Now, it finds itself on the brink of conflict as the relations between the people who live within the cities and those who live without, sour steadily and irreversibly. Its only hope lies in the prophecy of the return of the heirs of the royal families who were banished from their world during an age long past: the very princes Arithon s'Ffallen, Master of Shadows, and Lysaer S'Illessid, Lord of Light, newly returned from an exile they hadn't been aware of, to a world they never knew existed. Together, their powers can destroy the mist and bring light back into the lives of the millions on the planet after five centuries... but the Fellowship foresees that the mysterious wraiths of the mist will have their revenge, and curse the Princes into hatred and war for the rest of their magically prolonged lives: five more centuries of strife, into which every soul on the planet will be sucked in. The alternative: doom the planet into eternal darkness.
A brilliantly conceived series, Wurts plans to write it in the form of five trilogies, of which two are already written. This is the first book, and is good not merely because she creates fantastic worlds with its peoples and places described in vivid detail; not merely because the nature of the magic that pervades the series is utterly captivating; but because of her skill as a weaver of stories and characters, that is as great as her skill in conceptualizing fantasy. The plot is full of startling twists, cruel ironies, far-sighted planning and breathtaking deception. The characters are stripped to the bone in front of your eyes, their every facet outlined in such a way that you will find yourself living their ecstacies and anguish.
Suitable for people of all ages, this is one book; nay, one series; that no fantasy fan must miss.
Author: Janny Wurts
Series: The War of Light and Shadows (Book One)
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1993
Rating: 5 / 5
"It ought to be illegal for someone to have so much talent," says the blurb on the back cover. Yeah right, I sniggered. Especially since the series had a title as trite-sounding as "The War of Light and Shadows".
Twenty minutes and an equal number of pages later, I found myself hooked. I didn't let the book out of my sight until I finished all 800 pages of it. I've read too many fantasy series in this lifetime for my own good, but in my opinion this one beats them all hands down.
The story starts off in the midst of a war in which a nation of islands and sparse resources relies on acts of piracy on the richer mainland nation for their very survival. Divided by countless generations of strife, fate brings the princes of the rival kingdoms, half-brothers by blood, together as they are cast through a portal into a deserted world. Gifted with the ability to control the elements of Light and Darkness respectively, by virtue of their common blood on their Mother's side, they fight their way through the cursed planet and reach the portal to yet another world... only to find that they were expected there.
The world of Athera has its skies covered by an unnatural, sentient mist whose complete dominion was thwarted centuries ago by a Fellowship of Sorcerers who have acted as its guardians for several Millenia. Now, it finds itself on the brink of conflict as the relations between the people who live within the cities and those who live without, sour steadily and irreversibly. Its only hope lies in the prophecy of the return of the heirs of the royal families who were banished from their world during an age long past: the very princes Arithon s'Ffallen, Master of Shadows, and Lysaer S'Illessid, Lord of Light, newly returned from an exile they hadn't been aware of, to a world they never knew existed. Together, their powers can destroy the mist and bring light back into the lives of the millions on the planet after five centuries... but the Fellowship foresees that the mysterious wraiths of the mist will have their revenge, and curse the Princes into hatred and war for the rest of their magically prolonged lives: five more centuries of strife, into which every soul on the planet will be sucked in. The alternative: doom the planet into eternal darkness.
A brilliantly conceived series, Wurts plans to write it in the form of five trilogies, of which two are already written. This is the first book, and is good not merely because she creates fantastic worlds with its peoples and places described in vivid detail; not merely because the nature of the magic that pervades the series is utterly captivating; but because of her skill as a weaver of stories and characters, that is as great as her skill in conceptualizing fantasy. The plot is full of startling twists, cruel ironies, far-sighted planning and breathtaking deception. The characters are stripped to the bone in front of your eyes, their every facet outlined in such a way that you will find yourself living their ecstacies and anguish.
Suitable for people of all ages, this is one book; nay, one series; that no fantasy fan must miss.
# posted by Prashanth @ 9:49 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
do u have the e-books? i've been trying to find more of his books.
loved the beginning of the series. the interplay between the two princes is fascinating. What i liked is htat she managed to stay waay from typecasting the dark dealer and the light wielder.absolutely brilliant.
loved the beginning of the series. the interplay between the two princes is fascinating. What i liked is htat she managed to stay waay from typecasting the dark dealer and the light wielder.absolutely brilliant.
# posted by 
: 6:01 PM
: 6:01 PM
I have Books Two and Four in e-books and Book One in print! In other words, I'm trying to find Book Three: Warhost of Vastmark before I read Book Four: The Fugitive Prince.
And yes, I really loved the first book. Check out her homepage: home.paravia.com/jannywurts
And I can't tell you how surprised I am that I've actually found another person who's read the book!
And yes, I really loved the first book. Check out her homepage: home.paravia.com/jannywurts
And I can't tell you how surprised I am that I've actually found another person who's read the book!
Hey SP who's this Dee ?
Man o Man you make my eyes water ...i am off to buy "The Curse of the Mistwraith" .. 800 pages.. wow my type of book :)
Post a Comment
Man o Man you make my eyes water ...i am off to buy "The Curse of the Mistwraith" .. 800 pages.. wow my type of book :)
<< Home
