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The Cycle of Fire #2
Keeper of the Keys
Enkel met de hulp van Taen, de jonge vrouwelijke Droomwever, kan Jaric Ivainzoon de gevaarlijke krachten die hij van zijn vader heeft geërfd, in toom houden en een Vuurheer worden.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
20 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Janny Wurts
96Ìýbooks1,810ÌýfollowersJanny Wurts is the author of War of Light and Shadow series, and To Ride Hell's Chasm. Her eighteen published titles include a trilogy in audio, a short story collection, as well as the internationally best selling Empire trilogy, co authored with Raymond E. Feist, with works translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Her latest title in the Wars of Light and Shadow series, Destiny's Conflict, culminates more than thirty years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the US and abroad, are her own paintings, depicting her vision of characters and setting.
Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.
The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered that historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented.
Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition - that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events.
Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off - explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness... explore free thought and compassionate understanding."
Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planet
Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.
The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered that historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented.
Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition - that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events.
Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off - explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness... explore free thought and compassionate understanding."
Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planet
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 20, 2020
“You are what you must become.�
Contrary to what you might think, I love when an Author gives me a flick on my smug nose.
Us, reviewers, we often tend to think ourselves omniscient, all-knowing and oh so much wiser than the average author obviously unable to see the inconsistencies, the inadequacies, the plotholes, and the whole assortments of things that could and should have been so much better in their own book.
Let the reviewer who is sinless be the first to throw astone book at me.
I do it too. My review for the Stormwarden ended with questions and doubts. The good news is:I have been put firmly in my place I got my answers and all you need to know is that what she did with the demons here was smart. Thank you, Janny!
The Keeper of the Keys continues the epic struggle initiated in the previous book. Lines are drawn, roles are set, but the outcome is far from predictable as the forces of good suffer serious disadvantages.
The main one is that the Keeper of the Keys has some serious daddy issues, and some responsibility concerns which coupled with some bad “the-girl-laughed-at-me� memories lead him to do one idiotic thing after another. I have to say that while this was my favourite protagonist in the previous book, halfway through this instalment I concluded that what he needs is a solid spanking. (No, I do not volunteer for this task!)
My conclusion is the following: if you don’t like ignorant fools who always come to exactly wrong conclusions and manage to select the one option out of many that should have been left alone and yet at the same time are full of best intentions, courage, and compassion, leave this book alone.
(From all the characters, the contrary but heroic in his ordinariness Kielmark, was the most interesting this time).
Ignorance and good intentions - what better recipe for calamity is there? None. And because the whole thing hinges, to a great extent, on this one person doing one thing, you can imagine the mayhem of impending doom and so the rest of the cast is either facilitating this or trying to inhibit the process and are largely of secondary importance (this includes the romance, by the way).
In terms of narrative, visions frequently used either to provide the back story (this sometimes includes flashbacks) or insight into what is happening elsewhere. This is nice as it provides the reader with an ability to know what is happening in parallel locations but at the same time, it renders the storytelling with a sort of detachment. I felt more like a voyeur than a participant.
But the pacing is decent and new developments promise even morefun peril, including a glimpse at the very seat of evil foreboding what is yet to come so perhaps it is worth to endure the angsty undertone of this instalment as the whole series is definitely worth reading.
Also in the series:
1. Stormwarden ★★★★�
3. Shadowfane ★☆☆☆�
Contrary to what you might think, I love when an Author gives me a flick on my smug nose.
Us, reviewers, we often tend to think ourselves omniscient, all-knowing and oh so much wiser than the average author obviously unable to see the inconsistencies, the inadequacies, the plotholes, and the whole assortments of things that could and should have been so much better in their own book.
Let the reviewer who is sinless be the first to throw a
I do it too. My review for the Stormwarden ended with questions and doubts. The good news is:
The Keeper of the Keys continues the epic struggle initiated in the previous book. Lines are drawn, roles are set, but the outcome is far from predictable as the forces of good suffer serious disadvantages.
The main one is that the Keeper of the Keys has some serious daddy issues, and some responsibility concerns which coupled with some bad “the-girl-laughed-at-me� memories lead him to do one idiotic thing after another. I have to say that while this was my favourite protagonist in the previous book, halfway through this instalment I concluded that what he needs is a solid spanking. (No, I do not volunteer for this task!)
My conclusion is the following: if you don’t like ignorant fools who always come to exactly wrong conclusions and manage to select the one option out of many that should have been left alone and yet at the same time are full of best intentions, courage, and compassion, leave this book alone.
(From all the characters, the contrary but heroic in his ordinariness Kielmark, was the most interesting this time).
Ignorance and good intentions - what better recipe for calamity is there? None. And because the whole thing hinges, to a great extent, on this one person doing one thing, you can imagine the mayhem of impending doom and so the rest of the cast is either facilitating this or trying to inhibit the process and are largely of secondary importance (this includes the romance, by the way).
In terms of narrative, visions frequently used either to provide the back story (this sometimes includes flashbacks) or insight into what is happening elsewhere. This is nice as it provides the reader with an ability to know what is happening in parallel locations but at the same time, it renders the storytelling with a sort of detachment. I felt more like a voyeur than a participant.
But the pacing is decent and new developments promise even more
Also in the series:
1. Stormwarden ★★★★�
3. Shadowfane ★☆☆☆�
May 10, 2021
Great middle book, with a lot of mental warfare around raising stakes. I truly enjoyed the ride. Onwards for the final leg of the journey!
Since the day Anskiere’s geas overtook him, he had acted without thought or strategy, forced to complete the sorcerer’s bidding within a framework not of his shaping. Now, chilled by the discomforts of rain and fog, Jaric fought to choose for himself. He would seek his own course instead of answering power with like power
Since the day Anskiere’s geas overtook him, he had acted without thought or strategy, forced to complete the sorcerer’s bidding within a framework not of his shaping. Now, chilled by the discomforts of rain and fog, Jaric fought to choose for himself. He would seek his own course instead of answering power with like power
March 4, 2019
Janny Wurts is a gifted writer and her talent shows in this novel.
It didn't quite work for me, simply because I'm not keen on angst-ridden heroes or a dash of sci-fi in my fantasy.
I shall be reading the sequel and am fairly confident of a gripping climax (as I say, Janny Wurts is a very good writer - this novel didn't quite work for me because of my quirks, not through any lack of talent on her part).
And a shout-out for the gorgeous artwork on the covers - Ms. Wurts is also a talented artist - which is so much better than the fugly covers of the original UK releases way back when, which stopped me picking up this trilogy years ago in the local library.
It didn't quite work for me, simply because I'm not keen on angst-ridden heroes or a dash of sci-fi in my fantasy.
I shall be reading the sequel and am fairly confident of a gripping climax (as I say, Janny Wurts is a very good writer - this novel didn't quite work for me because of my quirks, not through any lack of talent on her part).
And a shout-out for the gorgeous artwork on the covers - Ms. Wurts is also a talented artist - which is so much better than the fugly covers of the original UK releases way back when, which stopped me picking up this trilogy years ago in the local library.
February 27, 2023
This series continues to delight!
Here in the middle book of the series we really slow down and dig into the meat of what makes out characters tick. I feel like reading this book was like watching a boat crest a large wave. Fully expecting it to crash into me and sweep me away in Shadowfane! Watching Jaric struggle to find any escape from his destiny while battling literal demons is heart rendering. Taen struggles with dream weaver powers are for me analogous to a child taking on adult responsibilities and doing the best she can in a world she barely can comprehend.
My overall thoughts
Prose 4.5/5
Characterization 5/5
World building 5/5
Structure 4.5/5
Pacing 3/5 this one is a bit slower but there are moments of action
Darkness 3/5 this one is a bit sad
Inventiveness 5/5. Beautiful marriage of nautical, fantasy, and sci-fi
I love it!
Here in the middle book of the series we really slow down and dig into the meat of what makes out characters tick. I feel like reading this book was like watching a boat crest a large wave. Fully expecting it to crash into me and sweep me away in Shadowfane! Watching Jaric struggle to find any escape from his destiny while battling literal demons is heart rendering. Taen struggles with dream weaver powers are for me analogous to a child taking on adult responsibilities and doing the best she can in a world she barely can comprehend.
My overall thoughts
Prose 4.5/5
Characterization 5/5
World building 5/5
Structure 4.5/5
Pacing 3/5 this one is a bit slower but there are moments of action
Darkness 3/5 this one is a bit sad
Inventiveness 5/5. Beautiful marriage of nautical, fantasy, and sci-fi
I love it!
October 31, 2010
The Cycle of Fire continues, with Jaeric running from his destiny because of his horror of ending like his father. How contemporary is that? The elements of science fiction are more plausible than they were in the first book. Sailing and the sea are vivid elements in the story, well written, making me feel the wind and the surf and the salt spray.
The demons are nasty and disgusting critters, the magic intriguing, and the characters finely drawn. It's interesting reading this early work after reading the Wars of Light and Shadow and seeing the hints of elements that are much further developed in the later series.
Janny does have a way of weaving an intriguing fairy tale, scary, seductive, and at the same time comfortable... a place I really like to be.
The magic has a lot to do with using the mind's telepathic abilities and 'dream sense'. I was thinking about how little we know about the mind and wondering if the brain could be developed to the point where some of these capabilities could be used by us humans.
In other books by Janny, 'mage' sense is mostly a heightened awareness achieved through rigorous training and native talent to observe things that most of us never see -- energy emitted by growing things and rocks, auras, and the like. I really don't think it's so far beyond the realm of possibility that the brain could be trained or utilized more fully to encompass some of those skills.
The demons are nasty and disgusting critters, the magic intriguing, and the characters finely drawn. It's interesting reading this early work after reading the Wars of Light and Shadow and seeing the hints of elements that are much further developed in the later series.
Janny does have a way of weaving an intriguing fairy tale, scary, seductive, and at the same time comfortable... a place I really like to be.
The magic has a lot to do with using the mind's telepathic abilities and 'dream sense'. I was thinking about how little we know about the mind and wondering if the brain could be developed to the point where some of these capabilities could be used by us humans.
In other books by Janny, 'mage' sense is mostly a heightened awareness achieved through rigorous training and native talent to observe things that most of us never see -- energy emitted by growing things and rocks, auras, and the like. I really don't think it's so far beyond the realm of possibility that the brain could be trained or utilized more fully to encompass some of those skills.
December 18, 2010
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT .
In this second episode of The Cycle of Fire, Ivainson Jaric witnesses some crucial history: how his father the Firelord and Anskiere the Stormwarden, both Vaere-trained sorcerers, bound the demons at Elrinfaer; how his father went mad and betrayed Anskiere; and how, though the demons were eventually bound, the land was destroyed in the process. Jaric also receives forewarnings, in the form of visions, of what the future will hold if he does not master his powers to help Taen and Anskiere subdue the rising demonkind who have now recruited Emien, Taen’s brother, as one of their leaders.
Keeper of the Keys is a "middle book," so much of the plot involves Jaric’s gradually increasing realization and conviction that he can no longer deny the world the talents he was given as Firelord’s heir, even though he risks the madness that his father suffered. Though there are many exciting episodes in Keeper of the Keys, they mainly serve to get Jaric ready to prepare himself for the future.
Janny Wurts� story is creative and I especially like the fantasy/science fiction mix which is reminiscent of Andre Norton’s Witchworld. Wurts� characters are likable and the transitions they go through, especially Jaric’s, are realistic (though I was really ready for Jaric to man up by the end of this book). I especially like a couple of the gruffer characters: The Kielmark (Lord of Cliffhaven and King of Pirates) and his captain Corley. Wurts is particularly good with these types of characters and they are a nice counterpoint to Jaric’s occasional whininess.
I listened to Keeper of the Keys on audio (Audible Frontiers) with narrator David Thorpe. Thorpe’s enthusiastic voice is charming and I read on Ms. Wurts� forum that he has all of the names and places pronounced correctly. I have one complaint, though � something I mentioned in my review of Stormwarden and which I’ve now realized may be specific to the audio version: Though the dialogue is quite nice and the scenery and action are clearly described, I find that, for me at least, the occasional wordiness and frequent use of participial phrases at the beginning of sentences reduces the vividness of my mental imagery and interrupts the plot’s tension. This occurs in sentences constructed this way:
* Rooted in total acceptance of the powers which had torn her from youth, her poise was an embarrassment.
* Inured to the pain of stressed tendons, he wrenched his body upwards and hooked his forearm over the edge.
* Cued by a shift in his master’s stance, Corley slipped his whetstone in his pocket.
When read out loud, especially with Mr. Thorpe’s enthusiastic voice, passages with several of these types of sentences occasionally feel choppy and the action sometimes feels sluggish. Interestingly, when I checked the print version, this was not so much of an issue � maybe because I read faster than the audiobook reader narrates, or because I process the entire participial phrase at once instead of with the same pause and inflection that Thorpe gives each one. When I’m listening to the audiobook I also notice that Ms. Wurts has a preference for polysyllabic words, but I didn’t notice this in the print version � probably because I don’t “hear� the separate syllables when reading. Because I’m a Strunk & White kind of girl, the conspicuousness of the style affected my enjoyment of the audio version, but it’s only likely to bother weird people like me. (Weird people such as me, I mean.) I should also mention that The Cycle of Fire is Janny Wurts� first epic and that I prefer her later style.
But I’m looking forward to Shadowfane, the last novel in The Cycle of Fire. I don’t doubt that Jaric and Taen will save the world, but it will be fun to see how they triumph, to find out what happens to Emien and Anskiere, and to learn more about the history of the Vaere and the Corinne Dane. Janny Wurts writes with creativity and passion, so I'm expecting an exciting finale!
In this second episode of The Cycle of Fire, Ivainson Jaric witnesses some crucial history: how his father the Firelord and Anskiere the Stormwarden, both Vaere-trained sorcerers, bound the demons at Elrinfaer; how his father went mad and betrayed Anskiere; and how, though the demons were eventually bound, the land was destroyed in the process. Jaric also receives forewarnings, in the form of visions, of what the future will hold if he does not master his powers to help Taen and Anskiere subdue the rising demonkind who have now recruited Emien, Taen’s brother, as one of their leaders.
Keeper of the Keys is a "middle book," so much of the plot involves Jaric’s gradually increasing realization and conviction that he can no longer deny the world the talents he was given as Firelord’s heir, even though he risks the madness that his father suffered. Though there are many exciting episodes in Keeper of the Keys, they mainly serve to get Jaric ready to prepare himself for the future.
Janny Wurts� story is creative and I especially like the fantasy/science fiction mix which is reminiscent of Andre Norton’s Witchworld. Wurts� characters are likable and the transitions they go through, especially Jaric’s, are realistic (though I was really ready for Jaric to man up by the end of this book). I especially like a couple of the gruffer characters: The Kielmark (Lord of Cliffhaven and King of Pirates) and his captain Corley. Wurts is particularly good with these types of characters and they are a nice counterpoint to Jaric’s occasional whininess.
I listened to Keeper of the Keys on audio (Audible Frontiers) with narrator David Thorpe. Thorpe’s enthusiastic voice is charming and I read on Ms. Wurts� forum that he has all of the names and places pronounced correctly. I have one complaint, though � something I mentioned in my review of Stormwarden and which I’ve now realized may be specific to the audio version: Though the dialogue is quite nice and the scenery and action are clearly described, I find that, for me at least, the occasional wordiness and frequent use of participial phrases at the beginning of sentences reduces the vividness of my mental imagery and interrupts the plot’s tension. This occurs in sentences constructed this way:
* Rooted in total acceptance of the powers which had torn her from youth, her poise was an embarrassment.
* Inured to the pain of stressed tendons, he wrenched his body upwards and hooked his forearm over the edge.
* Cued by a shift in his master’s stance, Corley slipped his whetstone in his pocket.
When read out loud, especially with Mr. Thorpe’s enthusiastic voice, passages with several of these types of sentences occasionally feel choppy and the action sometimes feels sluggish. Interestingly, when I checked the print version, this was not so much of an issue � maybe because I read faster than the audiobook reader narrates, or because I process the entire participial phrase at once instead of with the same pause and inflection that Thorpe gives each one. When I’m listening to the audiobook I also notice that Ms. Wurts has a preference for polysyllabic words, but I didn’t notice this in the print version � probably because I don’t “hear� the separate syllables when reading. Because I’m a Strunk & White kind of girl, the conspicuousness of the style affected my enjoyment of the audio version, but it’s only likely to bother weird people like me. (Weird people such as me, I mean.) I should also mention that The Cycle of Fire is Janny Wurts� first epic and that I prefer her later style.
But I’m looking forward to Shadowfane, the last novel in The Cycle of Fire. I don’t doubt that Jaric and Taen will save the world, but it will be fun to see how they triumph, to find out what happens to Emien and Anskiere, and to learn more about the history of the Vaere and the Corinne Dane. Janny Wurts writes with creativity and passion, so I'm expecting an exciting finale!
January 11, 2025
I read this book when it first came out and when I came across it again had to dive right in. It's just as good as I remember.
Keeper of the Keys (The Cycle of Fire #2) is an intriguing and epic journey and is a fantastic read. I am addicted to this authors work.
Jannys� work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer as you venture into a world that you will not want to put down and want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends fantasy, high fantasy, supernatural and paranormal elements. This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, magic and action.
Keeper of the Keys (The Cycle of Fire #2) is an intriguing and epic journey and is a fantastic read. I am addicted to this authors work.
Jannys� work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer as you venture into a world that you will not want to put down and want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends fantasy, high fantasy, supernatural and paranormal elements. This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, magic and action.
March 2, 2023
I had trouble putting this book down for the first 70%!
Following on from the events of book one, Keeper of the Keys largely focuses on the journey of Taen and Jaric.
Jaric must decide if he will undertake the Cycles of Fire, to free the master of water and wind, and keep the demons at bay.
Struggling with the weight on his shoulders he seeks any other solution, but all signs point to danger.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the final book.
Following on from the events of book one, Keeper of the Keys largely focuses on the journey of Taen and Jaric.
Jaric must decide if he will undertake the Cycles of Fire, to free the master of water and wind, and keep the demons at bay.
Struggling with the weight on his shoulders he seeks any other solution, but all signs point to danger.
I can’t wait to see what happens in the final book.
August 27, 2021
Didn't hold my interest as much as the first book.
This starts off immediately after the events of the first one. Jaric and Taen have recovered the keys but Jaric is still trying everything he can possible think of to not do the cycle of fire and become like his father. What follows are these attempts to deny his fate, all the while Shadowfane are upping their attempts to either kill him or turn him.
I struggled with this book. Half the story is set on ships and the amount of sailing jargon thrown at you is numbing. I like stories set on the sea but I think this was basically too realistic. Unless you know about sailing most of the language and terminology is going to fly over your head and so I felt my eyes and mind glaze over more than once. On top of this not a lot happens. They basically sail a bunch of places, a bit of knowledge is found, some mysteries are revealed but that's it. Yes there is character growth etc but I don't think we needed a whole book sailing places for it.
It didn't help that Jaric is basically insufferable for most of it. Honestly I actually grew to dislike him over parts of it, the arrogance and stubbornness was very off putting and caused so many other people grief, my sympathy for him was erased. I also think it missed Emien as he didn't really feature much in it. Taen is a good character but is pretty bland and so didn't interest me as much here, especially due to her circumstances for the majority of the book.
This is a relatively short book (for fantasy) at three hundred pages but honestly could have been cut by a third at least. There is enough here to want me to continue as I think the selfish self pity phase of Jaric is finally over, and we can get moving towards more significant events. After what I thought was a great opener, this middle volume fell very flat.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Please see this and other reviews at
This starts off immediately after the events of the first one. Jaric and Taen have recovered the keys but Jaric is still trying everything he can possible think of to not do the cycle of fire and become like his father. What follows are these attempts to deny his fate, all the while Shadowfane are upping their attempts to either kill him or turn him.
I struggled with this book. Half the story is set on ships and the amount of sailing jargon thrown at you is numbing. I like stories set on the sea but I think this was basically too realistic. Unless you know about sailing most of the language and terminology is going to fly over your head and so I felt my eyes and mind glaze over more than once. On top of this not a lot happens. They basically sail a bunch of places, a bit of knowledge is found, some mysteries are revealed but that's it. Yes there is character growth etc but I don't think we needed a whole book sailing places for it.
It didn't help that Jaric is basically insufferable for most of it. Honestly I actually grew to dislike him over parts of it, the arrogance and stubbornness was very off putting and caused so many other people grief, my sympathy for him was erased. I also think it missed Emien as he didn't really feature much in it. Taen is a good character but is pretty bland and so didn't interest me as much here, especially due to her circumstances for the majority of the book.
This is a relatively short book (for fantasy) at three hundred pages but honestly could have been cut by a third at least. There is enough here to want me to continue as I think the selfish self pity phase of Jaric is finally over, and we can get moving towards more significant events. After what I thought was a great opener, this middle volume fell very flat.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Please see this and other reviews at
May 18, 2016
In this one we see Jaric still trying to not become his Father Ivain the Firelord, to run from his responsibilities yet deep down knows he must face them sooner or later. IMHO This book explores the question does the power make a man mad or is the man mad to begin with? Just because the Firelord Ivain, Jerics father, was mad/crazy with power does that mean that Jaric will be too?
Taen is going through some troubles of her own plus still trying to save Anskiere and Jeric. There are some nasty demons that are playing with Jeric & Taen making them/Me wonder just what to believe is it real or dream.
I know that’s a bad description but as usual there is a lot going on. Action packed all the way through it’s definitely the middle book because it was pure action from beginning to end.
I look forward to the next book to see how this story ends up. Will Jeric embrace his Firelord heritage? What will be the consequences to him and those around him if he does? Will Taen survive? Is there a way to save her brother from the demons who enslave him? Do all of Taen's dreams come true or do they change from people's choices?
So yes alot of questions to answers in the next book.
I enjoyed the Epilogue's last line Taen reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara-Tomorrow could only come after today.
As with the last book the narration by David Thorpe was fantastic! His demons were so scary the voices gave me chills.
Taen is going through some troubles of her own plus still trying to save Anskiere and Jeric. There are some nasty demons that are playing with Jeric & Taen making them/Me wonder just what to believe is it real or dream.
I know that’s a bad description but as usual there is a lot going on. Action packed all the way through it’s definitely the middle book because it was pure action from beginning to end.
I look forward to the next book to see how this story ends up. Will Jeric embrace his Firelord heritage? What will be the consequences to him and those around him if he does? Will Taen survive? Is there a way to save her brother from the demons who enslave him? Do all of Taen's dreams come true or do they change from people's choices?
So yes alot of questions to answers in the next book.
I enjoyed the Epilogue's last line Taen reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara-Tomorrow could only come after today.
As with the last book the narration by David Thorpe was fantastic! His demons were so scary the voices gave me chills.
January 12, 2018
Het tweede deel van de trilogie bouwt uiteraard voort op de gebeurtenissen uit deel 1 en eindigt zonder definitief uitsluitsel te geven omdat er nog een derde deel komt. Kort samengevat is het "meer van hetzelfde" uit deel 1. Toch met enkele duidelijke nuances die het zeler de moeite maken om te lezen, los van het geit dat Janny Wurts een erg goede schrijfster is.
Het karakter van de hoofdpersonen vormt zich van de kindsheid in deel 1 naar sterke volwassenen wiens angsten en verlangens evolueren van een egoïstisch kinderniveau naar een bewust wereldbeïnvloedend niveau dat wel begrepen maar nog nauwelijks beheerst wordt.
De krijtlijnen voor een eindafrekening worden uitgezet, broer tegen zus magiër, mensheid tegen demonen.
Uniek is de blik die ons gegund wordt op een stuk science fiction binnen het fantasy verhaal: een ruimsteschip van de mensheid dat andere planeten en wezens bezocht en bevocht. Een verhaal van technich falen en een noodlanding die ontaard in een wanhopige strijd op leven en dood waarbij het verleden vergeten wordt of hoogstens tot legendes wordt gereduceerd.
Het karakter van de hoofdpersonen vormt zich van de kindsheid in deel 1 naar sterke volwassenen wiens angsten en verlangens evolueren van een egoïstisch kinderniveau naar een bewust wereldbeïnvloedend niveau dat wel begrepen maar nog nauwelijks beheerst wordt.
De krijtlijnen voor een eindafrekening worden uitgezet, broer tegen zus magiër, mensheid tegen demonen.
Uniek is de blik die ons gegund wordt op een stuk science fiction binnen het fantasy verhaal: een ruimsteschip van de mensheid dat andere planeten en wezens bezocht en bevocht. Een verhaal van technich falen en een noodlanding die ontaard in een wanhopige strijd op leven en dood waarbij het verleden vergeten wordt of hoogstens tot legendes wordt gereduceerd.
January 10, 2012
I think this book is my least favorite Janny Wurts book. Halfway through the book, I stopped caring about Jaric. Taen's dreamsense made me wonder why the book wasn't told in true third person instead of watching through her powers. Oh, and Jaric sailed. A lot. Every other page, it seemed. I get it. He's a sailor. Good for him.
Read
April 21, 20232023: Ooit heb ik dit boek 5 sterren gegeven, maar kan me er helemaal niets van herinneren, daarom sterrenwaardering verwijderd. Zal proberen het opnieuw te gaan lezen.
March 13, 2023
"Just get in the robot Shinji!"
Fairly enjoyable, but Jaric and his reluctance to assume his role can be quite grating.
Fairly enjoyable, but Jaric and his reluctance to assume his role can be quite grating.
October 27, 2022
This is possibly the oddest fantasy series that I have comes across in my readings for a long time. It is a mix between science fiction and fantasy that is absolutely unique.
Writing now about this book, I realise that I possibly should listen to it again and take my time with it in order to be able to really savour it, because I think this book might be quite the hidden treasure.
Writing now about this book, I realise that I possibly should listen to it again and take my time with it in order to be able to really savour it, because I think this book might be quite the hidden treasure.
April 14, 2025
We slow down considerably in this second entry; but let's face it, book 1 had so many rapid surprises and layers introduced that the slow-down here was almost necessary to dive deeper. We're left in a great spot with the relationships fleshed out, the plot at full-steam ahead, and potential for more climactic sorcerous moments across the multi-island landscape.
While I was bothered at first having to spend a lot of time with our character that is determined to take the easy way out, we then get to investigate a theme that negligence of one's duty may have some dire consequences. What does it take to finally pierce into the heart of someone who is almost *determined* to fail? Snap out of it!
The nautical jargon / detailed boat knowledge is cranked up and did have me a little lost in some action scenes, but that definitely did not take away from my overall experience.
I am bracing for impact before Shadowfane because I know Janny Wurts knows how to wrap up a tale in grand fashion, having already experienced "To Ride Hell's Chasm" and "The Gallant".
While I was bothered at first having to spend a lot of time with our character that is determined to take the easy way out, we then get to investigate a theme that negligence of one's duty may have some dire consequences. What does it take to finally pierce into the heart of someone who is almost *determined* to fail? Snap out of it!
The nautical jargon / detailed boat knowledge is cranked up and did have me a little lost in some action scenes, but that definitely did not take away from my overall experience.
I am bracing for impact before Shadowfane because I know Janny Wurts knows how to wrap up a tale in grand fashion, having already experienced "To Ride Hell's Chasm" and "The Gallant".
February 7, 2024
While this book has a fun and fast-moving plot with lots of action sequences to keep you entertained, it does one of the things that tend to happen when you have a chosen one story: Jaric spends most of the book trying to avoid what we ALL know he has to do. While I get the author has to show Jaric’s journey in accepting his burden, going through hundreds of pages of Im NoT gOiNg To Do ThE cYcLe Of FiRe just for him at the end admit that he has to do the cycle of fire just makes me feel like we wasted a lot of time.
Beyond that, he even admits that he was stalling this whole time because if there was an option OTHER than the cycle of fire, his ancestors who founded Keithland (which don’t even get me started on how much I hate that this country is called KEITHLAND) would have used those tactics back in ye olden days! He straight up says it! You could cut out all the time Jaric spends dicking around Landfast and still have the same story.
Still gonna finish the damn story though.
Beyond that, he even admits that he was stalling this whole time because if there was an option OTHER than the cycle of fire, his ancestors who founded Keithland (which don’t even get me started on how much I hate that this country is called KEITHLAND) would have used those tactics back in ye olden days! He straight up says it! You could cut out all the time Jaric spends dicking around Landfast and still have the same story.
Still gonna finish the damn story though.
August 11, 2019
Janny Wurts is a wonderful fantasy writer. However I found this a bit boring in places with the storyline wandering in line with Jaric’s indecision about attempting the cycle of fire. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book but I am still looking forward to the 3rd and last book in the series as well as reading her other books. She is seriously under-rated as a fantasy writer. If you like Ursula Le Guin you’ll probably like Janny Wurts.
October 18, 2022
If I was Jaric, then i’d be tempted just to let the world burn. Might be better off that way. Story progresses how you would expect it when you force an juvenile scribe to pay for the sins of his father. Manipulated at every turn to become something that is doomed to destroy him.
The Emien side plot feels like it could be tossed aside without any damage to the story. Not him as a character. Decent foil again Taen. We just don’t need to spend nearly that much time with him.
The Emien side plot feels like it could be tossed aside without any damage to the story. Not him as a character. Decent foil again Taen. We just don’t need to spend nearly that much time with him.
April 29, 2024
I enjoyed this book as a kid and it’s been roughly 20 years since the last time I read it. For me it just didn’t hold up to what I remembered. It was still fun but it didn’t capture my imagination as it once did.
April 15, 2018
mmm more a 3 1/2
June 27, 2019
Great mix of things from different genre.
Read
July 26, 2022DNF. Dragged too much. Not as gripping as the first installment. If you have to force yourself to continue reading something, it's time to give up.
July 29, 2024
Beauitfully written and engaging, with great characters.
June 20, 2009
I can't say enough about Janny Wurts, her books are the kind where you fall in love with the characters and feel you know them, where you keep turning the pages cause you have to find out what happens next!!!!
Merged review:
Merged review:
August 12, 2009
Was happy to see the series started with Stormwarden continued. Enjoyed this book too, although not as much as Stormwarden.
March 31, 2011
#2good plot, rough edges to narrative, badly proofed in places
June 26, 2011
Really great action, though the protagonist wears on you with his constant denial of his calling. He has other redeeming traits that make you forget his vices.
June 3, 2013
Excellent series. Rather easier reading than some of Janny Wurts
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