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Wars of Light and Shadow #2
Ships of Merior
When the dark fogs that choked the skies of Althera are dispersed, the evil Mistwraith seeks vengeance on the responsible two princes who control the forces of light and darkness, and places them at odds with one another. Reprint.
637 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1994
147 people are currently reading
2,603 people want to read
About the author
Janny Wurts
98books1,778followersJanny 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 147 reviews
August 24, 2013
There are a number of rather large fantasy series' which started in the 90's and continued through the last few years. They all started slowly, but have gone on to great popularity. They each defy the logic of the trilogy by doubling and tripling (and almost quintupling in one case) that tried and true number.
The Wheel of Time, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Malazan Book of the Fallen. These are some of the biggest names of the fantasy genre. These are commonly grouped together as favorites, especially in my book. Mention one and the others are not too far behind. Each layered in complexity and characters, epic in world-building, and all are included in .
The more I read this series, the more I can't understand why The Wars of Light and Shadow series is not a name synonymous with those others I've mentioned. How can it be that a series this rich in characters and complex in plot is passed over by so many people that obviously have shown to love a challenging series?
With only two books left of a planned 11 books (really 10 as I'll explain below), I certainly hope this picks up and more people are exposed to such a wonderful series.
And while I ponder such things, I do realize how different this series is. While the current trend seems to be that it's not fantasy if women aren't getting raped, this series does lack men having their way with the fairer sex. While new fantasy is cynical and hopeless, the Wars of Light and Shadow is a hopeful series that displays the good in humanity as well as many of the gray areas which inherently follow a complex fantasy series.
But it's not all serious. Just like the aforementioned series, tWoLaS has plenty of humor mixed in:
And another situation, also involving The Mad Prophet, Dakar, who's a terrible person, but also one of my favorites in the series:
Arithon s'Ffalenn, one of the main characters of the series and one of two brothers whose in whose hands hold the fate of the world of Athera, is a tragic character filled with subtelty and emotion. Arithon s'Ffalenn is a character not unlike Batman at the end of The Dark Knight. We all know the line:
He has done some terrible things, which I'll discuss after the spoiler warning, and yet must continue to go forward with plans set in motion. Here follow some spoilers, unless you want me to keep writing in vague references that are oh so informative, so I'll give proper warning...
Spoilers ahead for book 1:
Arithon s'Ffalenn is a ruling prince who came to Athera from a splinter world and who with his brother's help defeated the Mistwraith that blinded the continent of Athera from the sun. In doing so, both were afflicted with the Mistwraith's final retribution - a geas set upon both which would cause them each to seek out the other's downfall.
Due to this geas, both have committed terrible things. But, blind to this geas, though not unaffected, Lysaer (Arithon's brother) convinces almost the entire continent to rise up against Arithon. This is part of the genius of this, because you still root for Lysaer even though you don't root for what he is doing.
Arithon, on the other hand, has a mission to undertake despite the fact that he not only feels the complete blame for the atrocities committed in the first book (which were terrible, but provoked by the Mistwraith's geas). His compassion is second to none and even though he is reviled throughout the continent, he is the hero they need to defeat those forces who wish to destroy.
End Spoilers
I could keep going on and on, but I will stop for now. I could keep talking about the characters, ones you're rooting against, who broke your heart when they were killed. I could keep going about the subtlety of character, especially of the two brothers but including all of them, and emotions displayed through their interactions that are at times tragic and others light-hearted.
I could keep going about how this series was robbed of NPR's list of the top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy books, The Wars of Light and Shadow continue to get robbed of its rightful place at the top of the fantasy genre. Evoking emotions you may have never felt before and filled with the perfect combination of humor and despair, this series is not to be missed.
The Ships of Merior, while initially planned to be one book was split into two books by the publishers comprising this book and Warhost of Vastmark. Even though it is only essentially half a book, the quality is top notch and the ending is one heck of a ride.
5 out of 5 Stars (brilliant, complex fantasy)
The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts
Arc I
1) The Curse of the Mistwraith ()
Arc II: The Ships of Merior
2) The Ships of Merior
3) The Warhost of Vastmark
Arc III: Alliance of Light
4) Fugitive Prince
5) Grand Conspiracy
6) Peril's Gate
7) Traitor's Knot
8) Stormed Fortress
Arc IV: Sword of the Canon
9) Initiate's Trial
10) Destiny's Conflict (forthcoming)
Arc V
11) Song of the Mysteries (forthcoming)
The Wheel of Time, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Malazan Book of the Fallen. These are some of the biggest names of the fantasy genre. These are commonly grouped together as favorites, especially in my book. Mention one and the others are not too far behind. Each layered in complexity and characters, epic in world-building, and all are included in .
The more I read this series, the more I can't understand why The Wars of Light and Shadow series is not a name synonymous with those others I've mentioned. How can it be that a series this rich in characters and complex in plot is passed over by so many people that obviously have shown to love a challenging series?
With only two books left of a planned 11 books (really 10 as I'll explain below), I certainly hope this picks up and more people are exposed to such a wonderful series.
And while I ponder such things, I do realize how different this series is. While the current trend seems to be that it's not fantasy if women aren't getting raped, this series does lack men having their way with the fairer sex. While new fantasy is cynical and hopeless, the Wars of Light and Shadow is a hopeful series that displays the good in humanity as well as many of the gray areas which inherently follow a complex fantasy series.
But it's not all serious. Just like the aforementioned series, tWoLaS has plenty of humor mixed in:
"The Mad Prophet informed the man sent down to fetch him that he had never stayed sober for more than a fortnight, even as a babe at his mother's knee. Three months was a lifetime record, Dakar insisted, as if astounded to still be alive.
And another situation, also involving The Mad Prophet, Dakar, who's a terrible person, but also one of my favorites in the series:
"The carter purpled and swung. The suet-round face of his target vanished as Dakar ducked and fled beneath the saddle girth. Bunched knuckles smacked against he barrel-sprung ribs of the horse, who responded from both ends with a grunt and a fart like an explosion.
'Oh my,' cried Dakar, stifling a chortle. 'Your wife's nose must look like a pudding if that's your reaction to her kisses.'"
Arithon s'Ffalenn, one of the main characters of the series and one of two brothers whose in whose hands hold the fate of the world of Athera, is a tragic character filled with subtelty and emotion. Arithon s'Ffalenn is a character not unlike Batman at the end of The Dark Knight. We all know the line:
He has done some terrible things, which I'll discuss after the spoiler warning, and yet must continue to go forward with plans set in motion. Here follow some spoilers, unless you want me to keep writing in vague references that are oh so informative, so I'll give proper warning...
Spoilers ahead for book 1:
Arithon s'Ffalenn is a ruling prince who came to Athera from a splinter world and who with his brother's help defeated the Mistwraith that blinded the continent of Athera from the sun. In doing so, both were afflicted with the Mistwraith's final retribution - a geas set upon both which would cause them each to seek out the other's downfall.
Due to this geas, both have committed terrible things. But, blind to this geas, though not unaffected, Lysaer (Arithon's brother) convinces almost the entire continent to rise up against Arithon. This is part of the genius of this, because you still root for Lysaer even though you don't root for what he is doing.
Arithon, on the other hand, has a mission to undertake despite the fact that he not only feels the complete blame for the atrocities committed in the first book (which were terrible, but provoked by the Mistwraith's geas). His compassion is second to none and even though he is reviled throughout the continent, he is the hero they need to defeat those forces who wish to destroy.
End Spoilers
I could keep going on and on, but I will stop for now. I could keep talking about the characters, ones you're rooting against, who broke your heart when they were killed. I could keep going about the subtlety of character, especially of the two brothers but including all of them, and emotions displayed through their interactions that are at times tragic and others light-hearted.
I could keep going about how this series was robbed of NPR's list of the top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy books, The Wars of Light and Shadow continue to get robbed of its rightful place at the top of the fantasy genre. Evoking emotions you may have never felt before and filled with the perfect combination of humor and despair, this series is not to be missed.
The Ships of Merior, while initially planned to be one book was split into two books by the publishers comprising this book and Warhost of Vastmark. Even though it is only essentially half a book, the quality is top notch and the ending is one heck of a ride.
5 out of 5 Stars (brilliant, complex fantasy)
The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts
Arc I
1) The Curse of the Mistwraith ()
Arc II: The Ships of Merior
2) The Ships of Merior
3) The Warhost of Vastmark
Arc III: Alliance of Light
4) Fugitive Prince
5) Grand Conspiracy
6) Peril's Gate
7) Traitor's Knot
8) Stormed Fortress
Arc IV: Sword of the Canon
9) Initiate's Trial
10) Destiny's Conflict (forthcoming)
Arc V
11) Song of the Mysteries (forthcoming)
April 23, 2020
“Time is the hunting pack set at my heels, and the future, the thorn in my conscience.�
I normally devour books by the meter, which means reading more than one novel per week. This year, for many reasons, forced me to change my reading habits. I slowed down my reading pace to a mere shuffle and with the changed tempo, came changed appreciation for the words, their sound, rhythm and linkages, for their direct and indirect symbolism and meanings. This is something, I reckon, that allowed me for savouring Janny Wurts� series more than I normally would.
This language is so cinematic that should the series be turned into a series (please, HBO! pretty please?), the screenwriters would be nearly redundant as Janny did most of the work herself.
“For a second the sorcerer was limned with red glare, a still figure poised in cold patience who held power to forgive or condemn. Then the shadows settled back and gentled him.�
Although, undeniably the book is far better than any TV series could ever be, as it goes beyond the visual and instead engages all of the seven senses, including the most important one, our imagination:
“Smells of jasmine and lavender warred with the mess some lady’s lapdog had excreted in the gutter. In some cranny beyond reach of lamplight, a rat chittered through the patter of a street waif’s running footsteps. Farther off, the surf from the bay boomed in tireless refrain against the backwater.�
This novel was a solid feast in all its intoxicating details. One of the very few still able to teach me new words (how disappointingly rare these days!). It is nonetheless not merely the layered density of Janny’s prose that renders the novel more suitable for a reader who is not in a rush to gobble the book and be done with it, but who’d rather luxuriate in every single sentence. It is also what comes in these sentences, page after page, and is as careful and as intricate yet simultaneously elegant in certain simplicity as a mathematical puzzle.
As the general premise has been introduced in the opening volume, now we follow two brothers bound to a course of inescapable violence shackled by a curse. The Light and the Dark engaged in a violent conflict that can potentially rip the whole world apart. I love the beguiling simplicity of this concept.
Literary symbols are so dangerous precisely because their symbolism is not so easily recognisable. It is easy to take Arithon and Lysaer for face value. But it is even more rewarding to seek beyond the obvious in Janny’s writing. There are so many hidden gems in the thickness of her plots and arc. For instance, a very Tolkienesque idea that while evil does not have to be ugly, to the contrary it is very often presenting itself under the guise of astounding beauty, true goodness and heroism is very often unprepossessing and altogether unremarkable. Or, the challenge against the so popular illusion that evil has a certain liberating value. Or, it is shown with surgical precision and bardic subtlety that evil does not spring up from some unspeakable well of darkness or some rupture in the fabric of the world but that it is requested, supported, planned, performed and recorded in elegant rich rooms by rich, well-dressed people who do not have to raise their voice or their hand to destroy all things in their reach often as if for the greater good.
There are, however, several possible ways of reading this tale: both princes can be just divergent protagonists, or the symbols of concrete reality, or to the contrary - only personifications of altogether abstract concepts and a book just an allegory. All approaches will work.
However, I won’t deny that I had hoped to enjoy this diversity a little bit more. I thought that I would be more torn between miscalled mercy and blind justice, unsure whether and for whom to cheer. Regrettably, Janny makes it very obvious where her sentiments are and writes it plainly in the small print of detail and in the bold form of the biased setup. A pity as some tension, ambiguity, indecisiveness and forcing the readers to change their minds, from Lysaer to Arithon and back, and again, would change this novel into a true masterpiece.
Perhaps in the next instalment.
And oh, I forgot to tell: I hate Dakar’s fat drunken guts.
Also in the series:
1. The Curse of the Mistwraith ★★★★�
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
I normally devour books by the meter, which means reading more than one novel per week. This year, for many reasons, forced me to change my reading habits. I slowed down my reading pace to a mere shuffle and with the changed tempo, came changed appreciation for the words, their sound, rhythm and linkages, for their direct and indirect symbolism and meanings. This is something, I reckon, that allowed me for savouring Janny Wurts� series more than I normally would.
This language is so cinematic that should the series be turned into a series (please, HBO! pretty please?), the screenwriters would be nearly redundant as Janny did most of the work herself.
“For a second the sorcerer was limned with red glare, a still figure poised in cold patience who held power to forgive or condemn. Then the shadows settled back and gentled him.�
Although, undeniably the book is far better than any TV series could ever be, as it goes beyond the visual and instead engages all of the seven senses, including the most important one, our imagination:
“Smells of jasmine and lavender warred with the mess some lady’s lapdog had excreted in the gutter. In some cranny beyond reach of lamplight, a rat chittered through the patter of a street waif’s running footsteps. Farther off, the surf from the bay boomed in tireless refrain against the backwater.�
This novel was a solid feast in all its intoxicating details. One of the very few still able to teach me new words (how disappointingly rare these days!). It is nonetheless not merely the layered density of Janny’s prose that renders the novel more suitable for a reader who is not in a rush to gobble the book and be done with it, but who’d rather luxuriate in every single sentence. It is also what comes in these sentences, page after page, and is as careful and as intricate yet simultaneously elegant in certain simplicity as a mathematical puzzle.
As the general premise has been introduced in the opening volume, now we follow two brothers bound to a course of inescapable violence shackled by a curse. The Light and the Dark engaged in a violent conflict that can potentially rip the whole world apart. I love the beguiling simplicity of this concept.
Literary symbols are so dangerous precisely because their symbolism is not so easily recognisable. It is easy to take Arithon and Lysaer for face value. But it is even more rewarding to seek beyond the obvious in Janny’s writing. There are so many hidden gems in the thickness of her plots and arc. For instance, a very Tolkienesque idea that while evil does not have to be ugly, to the contrary it is very often presenting itself under the guise of astounding beauty, true goodness and heroism is very often unprepossessing and altogether unremarkable. Or, the challenge against the so popular illusion that evil has a certain liberating value. Or, it is shown with surgical precision and bardic subtlety that evil does not spring up from some unspeakable well of darkness or some rupture in the fabric of the world but that it is requested, supported, planned, performed and recorded in elegant rich rooms by rich, well-dressed people who do not have to raise their voice or their hand to destroy all things in their reach often as if for the greater good.
There are, however, several possible ways of reading this tale: both princes can be just divergent protagonists, or the symbols of concrete reality, or to the contrary - only personifications of altogether abstract concepts and a book just an allegory. All approaches will work.
However, I won’t deny that I had hoped to enjoy this diversity a little bit more. I thought that I would be more torn between miscalled mercy and blind justice, unsure whether and for whom to cheer. Regrettably, Janny makes it very obvious where her sentiments are and writes it plainly in the small print of detail and in the bold form of the biased setup. A pity as some tension, ambiguity, indecisiveness and forcing the readers to change their minds, from Lysaer to Arithon and back, and again, would change this novel into a true masterpiece.
Perhaps in the next instalment.
And oh, I forgot to tell: I hate Dakar’s fat drunken guts.
Also in the series:
1. The Curse of the Mistwraith ★★★★�
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
May 4, 2018
*** 4.65 ***
I am enchanted by this author and her writing stile. I realize that it is not for everyone and even I at times get carried away on the cadence of the words and forget about the story, but that is not a weakness in my view. I think contemporary authors should stop being judged as lofty just because they refuse to lower the level of their craft. I know also, that I might be a part of the problem, since I enjoy stories which are not very well written, but fill the niche of entertainment and give me leave to relax and turn-off the brain I seem to tax too much on regular basis, allowing it to just coast on automatic controls... I do not apologize for it - there are times in our daily lives we need different things and those entertaining "fast-food" books are perfectly suited for some of them. However, there are the times when the brain is starving and barely passable writing with adrenaline educing content is not enough, those are the times when we need to be reminded that there is more out there, that we do not always have to settle for the "just enough" we usually do. It comes with a price - time and concentration commitment. The worst thing you could do, when you pick-up a book from an author like Janny Wurts, is to live with the allusion that you could skim and watch TV with one eye, make supper for the family, and do the kids math homework while reading it. The writing and the intricacies of the story need your full attention in order to get not only the plot, but the full enjoyment of the experience that is The Ships of Merior and its series mates.
"..."Having met Lysaer s'Ilessid only briefly, Maenalle still sighed in regret for a gifted statesman's skills twisted awry by Desh-thiere's curse. Through the course of just one past visit, her most reticent scouts had warmed to their prince enough to sorrow rather than rage over his treacherous alliance with town enemies. As for Arithon of Rathain, he was mage-trained: secretive, powerfully clever, and too fiendishly innovative to crumple before whatever odds Lysaer would raise against him."..."
After the slaughter on the first book, there has been a five year tenuous peace, mostly because the Master of Shadows has disappeared with no trace. Neither his friends nor foes know of his location. His half brother, prince Lysear s"Ilessid, is living in luxury, cultivating support and armies to support his plans against Arithon, about whom he spins tales of evil and ill intent, to the point of which The Mater of Shadows has become the boogie-man of the world of Athera. While Lysear plans and plots, Arithon has taken a different identity and is apprenticing to the Mater Bard, who is getting very old and ill. He is on route to his hometown, where he has left a wife and daughter behind in order to ply his art. What drives the Prince of the West to seek the complete destruction of his brother is not only the hatred perpetuated through generations between the two royal lines, but the Curse of Mistwraith, which left a geas upon both of them when they contained it together. The Desh-thiere's curse found a fertile ground in the soul of the proud princes and it compels them to seek each-other's complete destruction, since their possible cooperation would be the only force capable of destroying the curse's initial source. Understanding this, Arithon wants to be as far away from Lysear as possible, but the Prince of the West suffers no such knowledge, and even when confronted with the possibility, he chooses to believe it is only another evil plot against him by the Master of Shadows. Such is the nature of the curse which drives not only the lives of the half-siblings, but the fate of the people, politics and power structures on Athera.
"..."The wiles of s'Ffalenn drove my father to mad acts of grief. Given my stance against him, I should be foolish to expect the bastard would not seek to try the same with me. My given gift of light offers strength, but no wisdom. I am no better man, no less prone to frailty than my sire. But to bring justice to the Shadow Master's victims, and for the protection of this land, I must find a way to stand strong....'"..."
The first part of the tale includes some traveling and mischief, mostly offered to us by the Mad Profit, Dakar, who brings on as much calamities as he gets himself. At moments I laughed, while at others I wanted him to get a knife in his throat so badly, I could kill him myself. But as contradictory in the feelings he induced, we get to understand his stance and the divided allegiances he is forced to suffer. None of the characters are black or white - they are all in that gray scale which gives us the choice of rooting for them or against them independently of the author's intent. I love this about this story, because I waver from like to dislike in the span of a chapter and later back again, always making me rethink their choices and put myself in their place having to face making those as well... It is easy to choose the "good guy", much harder when one of those is harder to recognize...
I am also fascinated by the Male and Female mage cabals and can't wait to see how much more grief they will bring to the table as we go... They are already elbows deep in it, it is deliciously intriguing:):):)
"..."Like the curl of a breaker against rock, the blend of chord and notes framed a statement that forced the doors of the mind.�"..."
I will recommend this series to all fans of Fantasy and all those who enjoy a well-written and deliberate storytelling, full of music and poetic prose! As for myself, I am throwing into the following volume right away! Inquiring minds need to know and all that....:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
I am enchanted by this author and her writing stile. I realize that it is not for everyone and even I at times get carried away on the cadence of the words and forget about the story, but that is not a weakness in my view. I think contemporary authors should stop being judged as lofty just because they refuse to lower the level of their craft. I know also, that I might be a part of the problem, since I enjoy stories which are not very well written, but fill the niche of entertainment and give me leave to relax and turn-off the brain I seem to tax too much on regular basis, allowing it to just coast on automatic controls... I do not apologize for it - there are times in our daily lives we need different things and those entertaining "fast-food" books are perfectly suited for some of them. However, there are the times when the brain is starving and barely passable writing with adrenaline educing content is not enough, those are the times when we need to be reminded that there is more out there, that we do not always have to settle for the "just enough" we usually do. It comes with a price - time and concentration commitment. The worst thing you could do, when you pick-up a book from an author like Janny Wurts, is to live with the allusion that you could skim and watch TV with one eye, make supper for the family, and do the kids math homework while reading it. The writing and the intricacies of the story need your full attention in order to get not only the plot, but the full enjoyment of the experience that is The Ships of Merior and its series mates.
"..."Having met Lysaer s'Ilessid only briefly, Maenalle still sighed in regret for a gifted statesman's skills twisted awry by Desh-thiere's curse. Through the course of just one past visit, her most reticent scouts had warmed to their prince enough to sorrow rather than rage over his treacherous alliance with town enemies. As for Arithon of Rathain, he was mage-trained: secretive, powerfully clever, and too fiendishly innovative to crumple before whatever odds Lysaer would raise against him."..."
After the slaughter on the first book, there has been a five year tenuous peace, mostly because the Master of Shadows has disappeared with no trace. Neither his friends nor foes know of his location. His half brother, prince Lysear s"Ilessid, is living in luxury, cultivating support and armies to support his plans against Arithon, about whom he spins tales of evil and ill intent, to the point of which The Mater of Shadows has become the boogie-man of the world of Athera. While Lysear plans and plots, Arithon has taken a different identity and is apprenticing to the Mater Bard, who is getting very old and ill. He is on route to his hometown, where he has left a wife and daughter behind in order to ply his art. What drives the Prince of the West to seek the complete destruction of his brother is not only the hatred perpetuated through generations between the two royal lines, but the Curse of Mistwraith, which left a geas upon both of them when they contained it together. The Desh-thiere's curse found a fertile ground in the soul of the proud princes and it compels them to seek each-other's complete destruction, since their possible cooperation would be the only force capable of destroying the curse's initial source. Understanding this, Arithon wants to be as far away from Lysear as possible, but the Prince of the West suffers no such knowledge, and even when confronted with the possibility, he chooses to believe it is only another evil plot against him by the Master of Shadows. Such is the nature of the curse which drives not only the lives of the half-siblings, but the fate of the people, politics and power structures on Athera.
"..."The wiles of s'Ffalenn drove my father to mad acts of grief. Given my stance against him, I should be foolish to expect the bastard would not seek to try the same with me. My given gift of light offers strength, but no wisdom. I am no better man, no less prone to frailty than my sire. But to bring justice to the Shadow Master's victims, and for the protection of this land, I must find a way to stand strong....'"..."
The first part of the tale includes some traveling and mischief, mostly offered to us by the Mad Profit, Dakar, who brings on as much calamities as he gets himself. At moments I laughed, while at others I wanted him to get a knife in his throat so badly, I could kill him myself. But as contradictory in the feelings he induced, we get to understand his stance and the divided allegiances he is forced to suffer. None of the characters are black or white - they are all in that gray scale which gives us the choice of rooting for them or against them independently of the author's intent. I love this about this story, because I waver from like to dislike in the span of a chapter and later back again, always making me rethink their choices and put myself in their place having to face making those as well... It is easy to choose the "good guy", much harder when one of those is harder to recognize...
I am also fascinated by the Male and Female mage cabals and can't wait to see how much more grief they will bring to the table as we go... They are already elbows deep in it, it is deliciously intriguing:):):)
"..."Like the curl of a breaker against rock, the blend of chord and notes framed a statement that forced the doors of the mind.�"..."
I will recommend this series to all fans of Fantasy and all those who enjoy a well-written and deliberate storytelling, full of music and poetic prose! As for myself, I am throwing into the following volume right away! Inquiring minds need to know and all that....:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
May 3, 2018
A new amazing journey into the world of Athera featuring returning and new characters, several different factions and interests, powerful world-building and a larger-than-life story expertly woven by the never-ending imagination of Janny Wurts, a master of delivering events presented from new angles, whose facets often revise the reader opinions at every new turn.
This book raises the stakes of the story even higher beyond the layout of and it is seamlessly connected with the next book, , which in fact represents the end of this Arc.
The story opens five years after the tragic events in Deshir: the two half-brothers, ripe with their legacy gifts and blessed with longevity by the Five Centuries Fountain, are hopelessly compromised by a deep geas-inspired mutual hatred spawn by tragically different reasons, and carry on with their lives in a so diametrically opposed manner: Lysaer, tall, blond, charming, a master of statecraft and sole repository of the power of Light, with the support of Etarra pushes a common cause and marches to found his new kingdom in Tysan. His sole purpose is to rid the world of Athera, even at the cost of great personal sacrifice, from the threat of the Master of Shadow. Said Master, small and lithe Arithon, conflicted and desolate, after the tragedy of Deshir and the loss of his mage-sight finds a bit of solace in cultivating his greatest gift and in running away from Lysaer and the world, lest he gives in again to the powerful compulsion of the hate-geas imposed by the mysterious and only temporarily tamed Mistwraith.
However, while the scion of the High Kings of Tysan earns the admiration of his natural enemies, the Townborns, and the enmity of the traditional supporters of the Kings rule, the Clanborns, and pursues his strategy of creating an alliance against the Master of Shadow by reconciling city factions and massing his army, his elusive and quiet brother desperately guards his privacy and intentions, with the result that many only perceive "the ironies of Arithon's nature and see nothing beyond surface paradox" and conclude he is a threat to their world’s balance, paramount amongst them Dakar the Mad Prophet, one of the most interesting character of the book.
But indeed the truth is not so simple.
The conflict that is taking shape has a multi-layered quality of complexity, and the reader soon realizes that each party, in championing interests often diametrically opposed, has a moral high ground they adhere to even if it is sorrowfully wrong or misguided. An incredible example of the credibility and effect of this is when, at the demise of a character certainly not loved, I felt regret and sense of loss.
Both warned on their birth world that “the powers of mages and the burdens of a ruler make an incompatible legacy�, the princes keep the tenet at heart. Lysaer hearkens his sire’s words and strives to be a good and compassionate leader, "a mind undivided between the laws that must govern humanity and the uncanny secrets of the mysteries", thus discarding any possibility of redemption of his mage-trained half-brother, taking bitterly upon himself Athera's plight and to pass judgment.
Arithon upholds this sorrow-taught conviction, too. He tries to avoid all conflicts, shunning the help offered by the Clans which feel threatened by Lysaer policy, and painfully tries to hold onto his uncompromising integrity, no matter the cost. But his empathy, his compassion for the suffering of others, which are a great contradiction in his heritage and experience, show a man so damaged that very few can really understand the deep motivations behind his actions.
The princes� ambivalence foils any attempt to truly frame them, yet no one meeting them is left unchanged, for better or for worse, and such encounters lend new point of views and nuances for the reader to unriddle a part of Arithon and Lysaer inner selves.
Inevitably, the Master of Shadow and the Prince of the West (both extremely gifted and capable of refined subtleties, of masterminding complicated plans of actions and counteractions, to all outer appearances so sure of themselves but indeed far from perfect and heavily burdened by the natural frailty of human character), as their strategies unfold, are going to have a worldwide impact on the warring and magic-wary Five Kingdoms of Athera.
On this layered stage, the Fellowship of Sorcerers, bent on finding a cure for the Mistwraith curse and guarding the future of Athera, fitting the events to their own agenda of neutrality; The Koriani witches, embittered and set on restoring their former glory, locked in a silent rivalry with the Sorcerers and sure of the righteousness of their quest to preserve their World's balance by opposing Arithon’s unpredictability.
To the tapestry of the events are also interwoven the plot threads of single individuals, a bitter widow who is afraid of the sea, two young siblings yearning for their place in the world, a disgraced captain... all their actions count and represent a fundamental element in the story. Not by chance, along with the coherent plot developments and the masterfully managed growing cast of characters, the lines of morality and certainties blur even more, good and evil truly "depend on where you are standing" and the rich twists and surprises sweep away the reader in an incredible variety of settings, landscapes and encounters.
The story never loses focus, simply all the details matter and make for great entertainment; moments of levity and gravity are genially interspersed and concur to the bigger picture (if I thought the mayhem at Jaelot’s gate was hilarious, the scenes in Alestron armory are absolutely precious!).
On the writing style, I will not dwell much, but I will never stop singing the praises of the author's great mastery of language, and her ability to paint scenes and emotions with words. Her stories build slowly, but perseverance is highly rewarded with epic journeys of the utmost intensity.
The more I read, the more I see why Janny Wurts is really a star of fantasy literature. Anyone who loves deep, intriguing, challenging, unique stories with characters who encompass the full spectrum of human nature (not just the bleak, not just the good), able to constantly amuse, surprise and move the reader, cannot absolutely miss her and The Wars of Light and Shadow.
This book raises the stakes of the story even higher beyond the layout of and it is seamlessly connected with the next book, , which in fact represents the end of this Arc.
The story opens five years after the tragic events in Deshir: the two half-brothers, ripe with their legacy gifts and blessed with longevity by the Five Centuries Fountain, are hopelessly compromised by a deep geas-inspired mutual hatred spawn by tragically different reasons, and carry on with their lives in a so diametrically opposed manner: Lysaer, tall, blond, charming, a master of statecraft and sole repository of the power of Light, with the support of Etarra pushes a common cause and marches to found his new kingdom in Tysan. His sole purpose is to rid the world of Athera, even at the cost of great personal sacrifice, from the threat of the Master of Shadow. Said Master, small and lithe Arithon, conflicted and desolate, after the tragedy of Deshir and the loss of his mage-sight finds a bit of solace in cultivating his greatest gift and in running away from Lysaer and the world, lest he gives in again to the powerful compulsion of the hate-geas imposed by the mysterious and only temporarily tamed Mistwraith.
However, while the scion of the High Kings of Tysan earns the admiration of his natural enemies, the Townborns, and the enmity of the traditional supporters of the Kings rule, the Clanborns, and pursues his strategy of creating an alliance against the Master of Shadow by reconciling city factions and massing his army, his elusive and quiet brother desperately guards his privacy and intentions, with the result that many only perceive "the ironies of Arithon's nature and see nothing beyond surface paradox" and conclude he is a threat to their world’s balance, paramount amongst them Dakar the Mad Prophet, one of the most interesting character of the book.
But indeed the truth is not so simple.
The conflict that is taking shape has a multi-layered quality of complexity, and the reader soon realizes that each party, in championing interests often diametrically opposed, has a moral high ground they adhere to even if it is sorrowfully wrong or misguided. An incredible example of the credibility and effect of this is when, at the demise of a character certainly not loved, I felt regret and sense of loss.
Both warned on their birth world that “the powers of mages and the burdens of a ruler make an incompatible legacy�, the princes keep the tenet at heart. Lysaer hearkens his sire’s words and strives to be a good and compassionate leader, "a mind undivided between the laws that must govern humanity and the uncanny secrets of the mysteries", thus discarding any possibility of redemption of his mage-trained half-brother, taking bitterly upon himself Athera's plight and to pass judgment.
Arithon upholds this sorrow-taught conviction, too. He tries to avoid all conflicts, shunning the help offered by the Clans which feel threatened by Lysaer policy, and painfully tries to hold onto his uncompromising integrity, no matter the cost. But his empathy, his compassion for the suffering of others, which are a great contradiction in his heritage and experience, show a man so damaged that very few can really understand the deep motivations behind his actions.
The princes� ambivalence foils any attempt to truly frame them, yet no one meeting them is left unchanged, for better or for worse, and such encounters lend new point of views and nuances for the reader to unriddle a part of Arithon and Lysaer inner selves.
Inevitably, the Master of Shadow and the Prince of the West (both extremely gifted and capable of refined subtleties, of masterminding complicated plans of actions and counteractions, to all outer appearances so sure of themselves but indeed far from perfect and heavily burdened by the natural frailty of human character), as their strategies unfold, are going to have a worldwide impact on the warring and magic-wary Five Kingdoms of Athera.
On this layered stage, the Fellowship of Sorcerers, bent on finding a cure for the Mistwraith curse and guarding the future of Athera, fitting the events to their own agenda of neutrality; The Koriani witches, embittered and set on restoring their former glory, locked in a silent rivalry with the Sorcerers and sure of the righteousness of their quest to preserve their World's balance by opposing Arithon’s unpredictability.
To the tapestry of the events are also interwoven the plot threads of single individuals, a bitter widow who is afraid of the sea, two young siblings yearning for their place in the world, a disgraced captain... all their actions count and represent a fundamental element in the story. Not by chance, along with the coherent plot developments and the masterfully managed growing cast of characters, the lines of morality and certainties blur even more, good and evil truly "depend on where you are standing" and the rich twists and surprises sweep away the reader in an incredible variety of settings, landscapes and encounters.
The story never loses focus, simply all the details matter and make for great entertainment; moments of levity and gravity are genially interspersed and concur to the bigger picture (if I thought the mayhem at Jaelot’s gate was hilarious, the scenes in Alestron armory are absolutely precious!).
On the writing style, I will not dwell much, but I will never stop singing the praises of the author's great mastery of language, and her ability to paint scenes and emotions with words. Her stories build slowly, but perseverance is highly rewarded with epic journeys of the utmost intensity.
The more I read, the more I see why Janny Wurts is really a star of fantasy literature. Anyone who loves deep, intriguing, challenging, unique stories with characters who encompass the full spectrum of human nature (not just the bleak, not just the good), able to constantly amuse, surprise and move the reader, cannot absolutely miss her and The Wars of Light and Shadow.
June 6, 2019
The second volume in a series that’s already claimed a place among my all-time favourites! And I loved it just as much as the first.
The Wars of Light and Shadow is a unique and absolutely amazing series but, due to its complexity of both prose and detail, not many readers venture beyond its first volume. And that is a real pity because, as with every journey, the beginning is always the hardest.
Ships of Merior continues the story of the 2 half-brothers Arithon and Lysaer and picks up after 5 years from the events of the first book.
Lysaer, bred to rule with majestic charisma, raises a kingdom from ashes and an army to found a new order and bring down his half-brother. Arithon on the other hand, apprenticed to master bard Halliron, because his heart’s passion is music not war, is driven on the run trying to avoid an armed confrontation.
This sequel is far easier to go through than the first book, both world and premise having already been established, but it is also a bit slower and does feel more like a build-up than a novel in itself. That is expected however, as it was originally intended as part of a larger volume that included Warhost of Vastmark as its conclusion. And despite the slower pace this still has all the elements to turn it into a fantastic read.
Let me start with the characters. Just as the series they belong to, they themselves are unique. Not simply black or white, absolutely good or evil, they are all flawed and drawn in different shades of grey. And they are always either more or less than what they seem. You will start by loving one of them and then suddenly realise, somewhere in the middle of the story, that you somehow ended up hating him. And then, when the end comes, you’ll be left so conflicted, wondering what it is that you actually feel towards him.
Let’s take Dakar for instance. The Mad Prophet, companion to Arithon. Sit him at a table with Kruppe over a jug of good wine and they’ll probably discover they could be related. That is if they both don’t fall asleep under said table after emptying the innkeeper’s barrel of best vintage! :D
Dakar is horrible! And I really mean it! He drinks like a fish (anything but water), has a total disregard of anyone’s feelings but his own, causes trouble after trouble and makes you want to wring his neck once every few chapters. You will definitely hate him for lots of petty mean stuff he does and for all the heartache he causes. And still, you won’t be able to ‘not love� him � exactly because of what he is and what he does.
Am I confusing you? Let me explain.
Dakar is short and more than a bit round but he chooses to ride on a tall, bony and clumsy gelding with knock-knees and a tail stripped of hair like a rat. Now imagine how he’ll look riding like that!
He calls his gelding Faery-toes and gets frightfully offended when someone dares to mock him:
’What in Sithaer will you do about that misbegotten insult of a horse?�
‘Misbegotten? Insult?� ‘You’re pretty ugly yourself you know.� � ‘I suggest you forgive the old boy. How could you not? He likes you.�
And now imagine the scene as the offended tries to punch and Dakar ducks and Bunched knuckles smacked against the barrel-sprung ribs of the horse who responded from both ends with a grunt and a fart like an explosion.
‘Oh my�, cried Dakar stifling a chortle. ‘Your wife’s nose must look like a pudding if that’s your reaction to her kisses.�
Now see what I mean? How can you not love the mad walking disaster when he pulls all sorts of stunts like this?!
And Dakar is just an example. When we get to Lysaer and Arithon � then we are really talking feelings and choices! Will you hate them or love them? Root for one or the other, or perhaps for both? These 2 half-brothers are among the most intriguing characters ever written. With them, Mrs. Wurts creates a complex and unique story in which nothing is easy and nothing is ever as it seems. She weaves a tale about compassion and trust, justice, falsehood and betrayal, pride and integrity and last but not at all least, magic, music and love!
Music to mourn or celebrate! Wonderful magical
music to heal, to ease a stricken consciousness into death, to summon back life and awareness, or to encompass a spirit, weave its essence in a tapestry of sound
:
‘The lyranthe strings whispered, sighed, then rippled into melody like the plangent tap of autumn rain. The musician did not choose satire for vengeance. His free-running arpeggios sparked through sniggers and barbed sarcasm like pearls flung off a snapped string. Notes round and perfectly spaced and wholly without sting or anger framed a statement so powerfully at odds with the antipathy of his listeners that its overture became an act of daring.
Like the curl of a breaker against rock, the blend of chord and notes framed a statement that forced the doors of the mind.� � ‘harmonies set in moving counterpoint as stark as clean sunlight over snow.�
And love and longing � enough to melt or break a heart!
‘what she read in every locked joint and in the raised tilt of his head was a longing of unbearable proportion.�
‘Beloved, what is there of me that is not yours before anything?�
This beautifully woven tale has everything it takes to make a reader cry or laugh, get sad or angry, heartbroken or happy. It is not only an amazing story, but also a work of art.
Until I came across the works of Mrs. Wurts, I thought Kay was the one to sweep me off my feet with his beautiful and elegant prose. But Mrs. Wurts� writing is breath-taking. Nothing can compare to it!
So to all those who love wonderful prose, to all fans of the works of Gavriel Kay, Tad Williams and Robin Hobb: YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS!!!! It may become one of you all-time favourites also, if you just give it a try!
The Wars of Light and Shadow is a unique and absolutely amazing series but, due to its complexity of both prose and detail, not many readers venture beyond its first volume. And that is a real pity because, as with every journey, the beginning is always the hardest.
Ships of Merior continues the story of the 2 half-brothers Arithon and Lysaer and picks up after 5 years from the events of the first book.
Lysaer, bred to rule with majestic charisma, raises a kingdom from ashes and an army to found a new order and bring down his half-brother. Arithon on the other hand, apprenticed to master bard Halliron, because his heart’s passion is music not war, is driven on the run trying to avoid an armed confrontation.
This sequel is far easier to go through than the first book, both world and premise having already been established, but it is also a bit slower and does feel more like a build-up than a novel in itself. That is expected however, as it was originally intended as part of a larger volume that included Warhost of Vastmark as its conclusion. And despite the slower pace this still has all the elements to turn it into a fantastic read.
Let me start with the characters. Just as the series they belong to, they themselves are unique. Not simply black or white, absolutely good or evil, they are all flawed and drawn in different shades of grey. And they are always either more or less than what they seem. You will start by loving one of them and then suddenly realise, somewhere in the middle of the story, that you somehow ended up hating him. And then, when the end comes, you’ll be left so conflicted, wondering what it is that you actually feel towards him.
Let’s take Dakar for instance. The Mad Prophet, companion to Arithon. Sit him at a table with Kruppe over a jug of good wine and they’ll probably discover they could be related. That is if they both don’t fall asleep under said table after emptying the innkeeper’s barrel of best vintage! :D
Dakar is horrible! And I really mean it! He drinks like a fish (anything but water), has a total disregard of anyone’s feelings but his own, causes trouble after trouble and makes you want to wring his neck once every few chapters. You will definitely hate him for lots of petty mean stuff he does and for all the heartache he causes. And still, you won’t be able to ‘not love� him � exactly because of what he is and what he does.
Am I confusing you? Let me explain.
Dakar is short and more than a bit round but he chooses to ride on a tall, bony and clumsy gelding with knock-knees and a tail stripped of hair like a rat. Now imagine how he’ll look riding like that!
He calls his gelding Faery-toes and gets frightfully offended when someone dares to mock him:
’What in Sithaer will you do about that misbegotten insult of a horse?�
‘Misbegotten? Insult?� ‘You’re pretty ugly yourself you know.� � ‘I suggest you forgive the old boy. How could you not? He likes you.�
And now imagine the scene as the offended tries to punch and Dakar ducks and Bunched knuckles smacked against the barrel-sprung ribs of the horse who responded from both ends with a grunt and a fart like an explosion.
‘Oh my�, cried Dakar stifling a chortle. ‘Your wife’s nose must look like a pudding if that’s your reaction to her kisses.�
Now see what I mean? How can you not love the mad walking disaster when he pulls all sorts of stunts like this?!
And Dakar is just an example. When we get to Lysaer and Arithon � then we are really talking feelings and choices! Will you hate them or love them? Root for one or the other, or perhaps for both? These 2 half-brothers are among the most intriguing characters ever written. With them, Mrs. Wurts creates a complex and unique story in which nothing is easy and nothing is ever as it seems. She weaves a tale about compassion and trust, justice, falsehood and betrayal, pride and integrity and last but not at all least, magic, music and love!
Music to mourn or celebrate! Wonderful magical
music to heal, to ease a stricken consciousness into death, to summon back life and awareness, or to encompass a spirit, weave its essence in a tapestry of sound
:
‘The lyranthe strings whispered, sighed, then rippled into melody like the plangent tap of autumn rain. The musician did not choose satire for vengeance. His free-running arpeggios sparked through sniggers and barbed sarcasm like pearls flung off a snapped string. Notes round and perfectly spaced and wholly without sting or anger framed a statement so powerfully at odds with the antipathy of his listeners that its overture became an act of daring.
Like the curl of a breaker against rock, the blend of chord and notes framed a statement that forced the doors of the mind.� � ‘harmonies set in moving counterpoint as stark as clean sunlight over snow.�
And love and longing � enough to melt or break a heart!
‘what she read in every locked joint and in the raised tilt of his head was a longing of unbearable proportion.�
‘Beloved, what is there of me that is not yours before anything?�
This beautifully woven tale has everything it takes to make a reader cry or laugh, get sad or angry, heartbroken or happy. It is not only an amazing story, but also a work of art.
Until I came across the works of Mrs. Wurts, I thought Kay was the one to sweep me off my feet with his beautiful and elegant prose. But Mrs. Wurts� writing is breath-taking. Nothing can compare to it!
So to all those who love wonderful prose, to all fans of the works of Gavriel Kay, Tad Williams and Robin Hobb: YOU HAVE GOT TO READ THIS!!!! It may become one of you all-time favourites also, if you just give it a try!
April 24, 2018
4.5 Stars.
I already know I will be re-reading this series and might even bump it up to five stars.
This is the second book in the Wars of Light and Shadow Series. This series will probably turn into one of my favourites. It's a bit early, since there's going to be eleven books, but I'm pretty confident.
I love the characters. Especially Arithon. He's such a wonderful, deeply flawed, character.
Yes, it's dense. Yes, I play the 'old English word I have to look up or a made-up fantasy word?' game a lot as a non native speaker (thank you Kindle for your dictionary!) but the glossary is extremely helpful. The series requires patience and an attentive reader. It is high fantasy!
I love the descriptive prose and it fits the tone of the series. Wurts knows how to write beautifully and there are so many layers to this book. I can't wait to read it all again to find all the things I've missed between the lines.
This second book is easier than the first since the world is a bit more established and the concepts felt more familiar, but it's also a bit slower because it was originally supposed to be a part of a larger volume.
The series offers a richly detailed world, filled with lore and history. It feels like every word is hand picked. If you're a high fantasy fan and enjoy beautiful prose along the lines of Guy Gavriel Kay and Tad Williams, give Wars of Light and Shadow a try.
I already know I will be re-reading this series and might even bump it up to five stars.
This is the second book in the Wars of Light and Shadow Series. This series will probably turn into one of my favourites. It's a bit early, since there's going to be eleven books, but I'm pretty confident.
I love the characters. Especially Arithon. He's such a wonderful, deeply flawed, character.
Yes, it's dense. Yes, I play the 'old English word I have to look up or a made-up fantasy word?' game a lot as a non native speaker (thank you Kindle for your dictionary!) but the glossary is extremely helpful. The series requires patience and an attentive reader. It is high fantasy!
I love the descriptive prose and it fits the tone of the series. Wurts knows how to write beautifully and there are so many layers to this book. I can't wait to read it all again to find all the things I've missed between the lines.
This second book is easier than the first since the world is a bit more established and the concepts felt more familiar, but it's also a bit slower because it was originally supposed to be a part of a larger volume.
The series offers a richly detailed world, filled with lore and history. It feels like every word is hand picked. If you're a high fantasy fan and enjoy beautiful prose along the lines of Guy Gavriel Kay and Tad Williams, give Wars of Light and Shadow a try.
May 5, 2025
Major Wheel of Time vibes.
I admit, this felt like a filler book where nothing happened and the end saw our characters in pretty much the same position as the start.
The land’s restoration to clear sky bought at a cost of two mortal destinies and the land’s lasting peace. Unless the Fellowship sorcerers could find means to break Desh-thiere’s geas of hatred against the royal half-brothers whose gifts brought its bane, the freed sunlight that warmed the growing earth could yet be paid for in blood.
We get waaay too much Dakar, the Mad Prophet in this once. He is a character who is so vindictive and useless, so that you can’t help but despise him.
Give him a mission to protect Prince Arithon and he tries his hardest to get him killed.
I wonder if we are supposed to find it hard to pick sides in this war, but I easily prefer Arithon. We spend more time with him and he is pushed and pulled by empathy.
On the other hand, Prince Lysaer is hellbent on making war against his half-brother. Despite his public presence and insidious charisma, Arithon makes the greatest personal impact.
"Time is the hunting pack set at my heels, and the future, the thorn in my conscience."
Elaira, initiate Koriani enchantress, an unwilling spy and traitor to her lover. This entire storyline frustrated me. Her order reminds me of the Aes Sedai from the Wheel of Time.
Arithon knows her order’s purpose in sending her and yet still puts up and indulges her. It really frustrated me.
Overall, a bit disappointing, but I am still engaged by the overall story and direction. Of course, the beautiful prose always helps.
I admit, this felt like a filler book where nothing happened and the end saw our characters in pretty much the same position as the start.
The land’s restoration to clear sky bought at a cost of two mortal destinies and the land’s lasting peace. Unless the Fellowship sorcerers could find means to break Desh-thiere’s geas of hatred against the royal half-brothers whose gifts brought its bane, the freed sunlight that warmed the growing earth could yet be paid for in blood.
We get waaay too much Dakar, the Mad Prophet in this once. He is a character who is so vindictive and useless, so that you can’t help but despise him.
Give him a mission to protect Prince Arithon and he tries his hardest to get him killed.
I wonder if we are supposed to find it hard to pick sides in this war, but I easily prefer Arithon. We spend more time with him and he is pushed and pulled by empathy.
On the other hand, Prince Lysaer is hellbent on making war against his half-brother. Despite his public presence and insidious charisma, Arithon makes the greatest personal impact.
"Time is the hunting pack set at my heels, and the future, the thorn in my conscience."
Elaira, initiate Koriani enchantress, an unwilling spy and traitor to her lover. This entire storyline frustrated me. Her order reminds me of the Aes Sedai from the Wheel of Time.
Arithon knows her order’s purpose in sending her and yet still puts up and indulges her. It really frustrated me.
Overall, a bit disappointing, but I am still engaged by the overall story and direction. Of course, the beautiful prose always helps.
January 9, 2010
Arithon apprenticed six years with the Master Bard Halliron. Six years of respite in the War of Light and Shadow forced upon him and his half-brother by the Mistwraith's curse. Circumstances surrounding Dakar's antics converge and conspire against Arithon's studies. The conflagration that resolves the dilemma left me bereft.
I struggled to feel compassion for Lysaer, whose rigid adherence to royal justice borders on the inhumane. To an outside observer, it appears obvious his motivations and actions are influenced if not outright controlled by the Mistwraith's curse. His ignorance and lack of magical instruction and discipline play right into the plans of the Mistwraith.
I look forward to continuing this epic fantasy tale in the second volume of The Ships of Merior in the very near future.
I struggled to feel compassion for Lysaer, whose rigid adherence to royal justice borders on the inhumane. To an outside observer, it appears obvious his motivations and actions are influenced if not outright controlled by the Mistwraith's curse. His ignorance and lack of magical instruction and discipline play right into the plans of the Mistwraith.
I look forward to continuing this epic fantasy tale in the second volume of The Ships of Merior in the very near future.
Read
May 14, 2020Disconnect and Bailing Ship
This is a strange book, I'm getting too hung up on the language to follow the narrative. I'm putting it aside as a DNF at 52%.
Very sad to say that I'm just not engaged, care factor has dwindled to nothing.
Although the author is clearly a genius, hence I'm too silly to appreciate her writing, hence moving onto simpler pastures my poor mind can appreciate.
I'm putting it down to an isolated childhood where I was raised by a herd of dairy cows.
This is a strange book, I'm getting too hung up on the language to follow the narrative. I'm putting it aside as a DNF at 52%.
Very sad to say that I'm just not engaged, care factor has dwindled to nothing.
Although the author is clearly a genius, hence I'm too silly to appreciate her writing, hence moving onto simpler pastures my poor mind can appreciate.
I'm putting it down to an isolated childhood where I was raised by a herd of dairy cows.
June 3, 2024
3.5-stars.
My rating is mostly due to the timeframe in which I read this book and my personal circumstances so don't read too much into that.
I'm still not overly fond of Lysaer or the Mad Prophet but Arithon is a very interesting and deep character and it is him that holds my attention the most.
I have no idea when I will have time to read the next book but I have the whole series on my shelves.
My rating is mostly due to the timeframe in which I read this book and my personal circumstances so don't read too much into that.
I'm still not overly fond of Lysaer or the Mad Prophet but Arithon is a very interesting and deep character and it is him that holds my attention the most.
I have no idea when I will have time to read the next book but I have the whole series on my shelves.
September 30, 2009
The Ships of Merior is the first part of Arc 2 of THE WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, the incomparable epic fantasy series by Janny Wurts. The novel was originally released in 1994, and has most recently been re-released by HarperCollins Voyager in a lovely mass market paperback edition, featuring brand new artwork by the author herself. This is the first US paperback edition of the novel in at least 7 years. Further novels in the series will be re-released in late 2009 and throughout 2010, in anticipation of the next novel in the series, Initiate's Trial, in late 2010.
If it's been a while since you've read the first book in the series, you'll find the important events of that novel recapped early in the novel, not in the form of a summary but rather as an integral part of the story, usually seen from a different perspective or recounted by another person. In this way, Janny Wurts refreshes her readers' memories while deepening their understanding of this many-layered story. At the same time, there are plenty of surprises in store, including some information about the Fellowship's origin that dizzyingly changes the entire perspective of the series, and some (in comparison minor) twists and shocks that are sure to make you blink.
If you enjoyed The Curse of the Mistwraith, there's simply no reason or excuse not to read The Ships of Merior. The novel features all of the many strengths of its predecessor: meticulous plotting, strong characters, attention to the smallest details of world-building, and most notably Janny Wurts' gorgeous prose. Simply put, I can't think of many fantasy authors who can rival the richness and subtlety of the language Janny Wurts deploys in her novels.
One difference with The Curse of the Mistwraith is the amount of humor in the book. While the earlier book had just a few glimpses of lightheartedness, The Ships of Merior displays this side of the author more often, especially when recounting the exploits of the mad prophet Dakar early in the novel. The grimmer tone of the second half of the book is probably at least in part due to the fact that Dakar spends much of it drunk to the point of unconsciousness.
The Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark, the second book in this Arc of THE WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, were originally envisioned (and published) as one - very large - novel, but have been split into two titles in many editions. Fortunately, one of Janny Wurts' hallmarks is a midpoint climax, halfway through each novel - which in this case has the happy result of creating an unforgettable ending in the last chapters of The Ships of Merior (which were originally the middle chapters of the complete Arc 2). The book ends on an unmitigated nail-biter that left me unable to stop reading until the very end, and eager to get into Warhost of Vastmark as soon as possible.
If it's been a while since you've read the first book in the series, you'll find the important events of that novel recapped early in the novel, not in the form of a summary but rather as an integral part of the story, usually seen from a different perspective or recounted by another person. In this way, Janny Wurts refreshes her readers' memories while deepening their understanding of this many-layered story. At the same time, there are plenty of surprises in store, including some information about the Fellowship's origin that dizzyingly changes the entire perspective of the series, and some (in comparison minor) twists and shocks that are sure to make you blink.
If you enjoyed The Curse of the Mistwraith, there's simply no reason or excuse not to read The Ships of Merior. The novel features all of the many strengths of its predecessor: meticulous plotting, strong characters, attention to the smallest details of world-building, and most notably Janny Wurts' gorgeous prose. Simply put, I can't think of many fantasy authors who can rival the richness and subtlety of the language Janny Wurts deploys in her novels.
One difference with The Curse of the Mistwraith is the amount of humor in the book. While the earlier book had just a few glimpses of lightheartedness, The Ships of Merior displays this side of the author more often, especially when recounting the exploits of the mad prophet Dakar early in the novel. The grimmer tone of the second half of the book is probably at least in part due to the fact that Dakar spends much of it drunk to the point of unconsciousness.
The Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark, the second book in this Arc of THE WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, were originally envisioned (and published) as one - very large - novel, but have been split into two titles in many editions. Fortunately, one of Janny Wurts' hallmarks is a midpoint climax, halfway through each novel - which in this case has the happy result of creating an unforgettable ending in the last chapters of The Ships of Merior (which were originally the middle chapters of the complete Arc 2). The book ends on an unmitigated nail-biter that left me unable to stop reading until the very end, and eager to get into Warhost of Vastmark as soon as possible.
October 23, 2014
I liked this more than the previous novel in the series, & that's hard to imagine. Part of the reason is that the world & characters are already set, so Janny could spend more time exploring how the curse played out & the characters. The world expanded & the action increased, too.
There were some things I didn't like, but I can't mention them without making a spoiler review, something I hate. I can say, that what I didn't like were necessary to the story, pieces of a hard life that was masterfully told & just ripped at my emotions - so they weren't 'bad', just heart rending. They heightened the good points to bring more joy, but they weren't easy to take.
Again, the book ended logically & on crescendo of action. There's obviously plenty of room for the story to go on. My hardback edition has both this book & together as one book. Since it is a first edition, signed to me by the author, I didn't read it but the paperback which makes two books out of them.
If you liked the Lord of the Rings, I think you'll love this series. If you're used to skimming candy books, be warned that Janny's prose is dense. Each word is polished & set in place like a fine jeweler sets stones. If you skim, you'll miss points, but most of all, you'll miss an almost poetic tale.
There were some things I didn't like, but I can't mention them without making a spoiler review, something I hate. I can say, that what I didn't like were necessary to the story, pieces of a hard life that was masterfully told & just ripped at my emotions - so they weren't 'bad', just heart rending. They heightened the good points to bring more joy, but they weren't easy to take.
Again, the book ended logically & on crescendo of action. There's obviously plenty of room for the story to go on. My hardback edition has both this book & together as one book. Since it is a first edition, signed to me by the author, I didn't read it but the paperback which makes two books out of them.
If you liked the Lord of the Rings, I think you'll love this series. If you're used to skimming candy books, be warned that Janny's prose is dense. Each word is polished & set in place like a fine jeweler sets stones. If you skim, you'll miss points, but most of all, you'll miss an almost poetic tale.
June 22, 2022
I'm really disappointed in this one. I really liked the first book and I felt like this was completely bungled in execution.
The sentence to sentence structure is well done but the overarching plot and characters did not move forward enough. Really slow and I had to force myself through parts of this.
I'm not feeling that connected to the characters and the main driver for me in this series is the magic and the mysteries going on in the background. Those elements were very minor in this entry. Also there were a few moments that were supposed to have more impact where I just didn't feel anything.
I'll give the third book a try but I really did not click with how this story was told.
The sentence to sentence structure is well done but the overarching plot and characters did not move forward enough. Really slow and I had to force myself through parts of this.
I'm not feeling that connected to the characters and the main driver for me in this series is the magic and the mysteries going on in the background. Those elements were very minor in this entry. Also there were a few moments that were supposed to have more impact where I just didn't feel anything.
I'll give the third book a try but I really did not click with how this story was told.
July 12, 2013
I realize I admire this series more than I enjoy it. That admiration for Janny Wurts' descriptive writing, world-building and risk-taking bumps this up a star, but ultimately I abandoned this series after "Ships of Merior," much as I didn't want to.
The gripes I managed to overlook in "Curse of the Mistwraith" are still there, but a worse problem plagued this one and made me give up despite some really fine qualities: Wurts' inability to leave anything out and her unwillingness to just get on with things. There are entirely too many dead spots in "Ships of Merior," which at 700 pages is the first part of a book divided in two for paperback publication. When you're giving us what is, in essence, a 1,200-page second volume, making readers slog through slow spots can be devastating.
I managed to plow on despite a chapter that nearly killed the series for me. Not a slow one, but a chaotic one in which Master of Shadows Arithon cavorts around an armory (for an unknown reason) for 20 pages causing damage. It just wouldn't end. Frustrated, I put the book aside, gave it another chance, and Wurts rewarded me with some interesting back story about the Fellowship sorcerers. Back on board. Then? Needless, tiring description, slow-slow-slow pacing, too much setup. This book needed an editor.
I think Wurts is in control of her world and has done something really remarkable in many ways. I still found many of the characters far too ridiculously powerful � there are a lot of moments of "Wait a minute ... why doesn't he just ...?" when it seems as if sorcerers can do anything, so why don't they? I'm sure Wurts has all the details in place for why everything is happening, but as a reader, in the end, it just doesn't capture me enough. I wish it weren't the case. I wanted to come along for the entire 11-book, generally very interesting ride. But, sometimes, no matter how rewarding you think the destination might be, once in awhile your ass just gets sore and you go home.
The gripes I managed to overlook in "Curse of the Mistwraith" are still there, but a worse problem plagued this one and made me give up despite some really fine qualities: Wurts' inability to leave anything out and her unwillingness to just get on with things. There are entirely too many dead spots in "Ships of Merior," which at 700 pages is the first part of a book divided in two for paperback publication. When you're giving us what is, in essence, a 1,200-page second volume, making readers slog through slow spots can be devastating.
I managed to plow on despite a chapter that nearly killed the series for me. Not a slow one, but a chaotic one in which Master of Shadows Arithon cavorts around an armory (for an unknown reason) for 20 pages causing damage. It just wouldn't end. Frustrated, I put the book aside, gave it another chance, and Wurts rewarded me with some interesting back story about the Fellowship sorcerers. Back on board. Then? Needless, tiring description, slow-slow-slow pacing, too much setup. This book needed an editor.
I think Wurts is in control of her world and has done something really remarkable in many ways. I still found many of the characters far too ridiculously powerful � there are a lot of moments of "Wait a minute ... why doesn't he just ...?" when it seems as if sorcerers can do anything, so why don't they? I'm sure Wurts has all the details in place for why everything is happening, but as a reader, in the end, it just doesn't capture me enough. I wish it weren't the case. I wanted to come along for the entire 11-book, generally very interesting ride. But, sometimes, no matter how rewarding you think the destination might be, once in awhile your ass just gets sore and you go home.
August 6, 2014
Reread: 8/5/14 As usual on a reread, I find myself caught up and emotionally involved with the characters and events. This is a complex epic and from reviews I see some get impatient and quit. I've never been able to do that and after several rereads, still find it as fascinating as ever. I also find insights and details missed the other times through that are essential to true understanding of the story.
_______________________________________________________________________
If I could, I’d give these books 5.5 or 6 stars! I don’t know when I’ve been so enthralled with a story. I feel quite inadequate to write a review. The last book ended with Lysaer’s total defeat by Arithon, although Lysaer’s troops decimated the clansmen who fought with Arithon. Arithon sings the souls of the departed on to the afterlife, and Halliron, the Masterbard of Athera asks him to be his apprentice.
When this book begins, Arithon disguises himself with his gift of shadow and names himself Medlir, and stays with the Masterbard for five years while he learns his craft and is able to do what his heart desires � make music � and avoid another battle with his half brother. To his sadness, his gift of Magic is gone, a consequence of his ‘unmaking� the crossbow of an archer who was decimating the men who fought with him in the battle with Lysaer. This deed is wrought with danger because it destroys the delicate balance and interconnection that exists between all things. He carries a tremendous amount of guilt for his role in the deaths of the clansmen and their wives and children in the battle of the last book. His ability to have compassion and to see all sides of a story burdens him with grief and melancholy that he hides with sarcasm and antagonism. Only a few see beneath his cover.
Every thread of the story is intertwined and important to the forward momentum. Janny manages to weave her tale with a complexity and compelling momentum that hardly lets me lay the books down.
Dakar, the Mad Prophet, has been given the task of protecting Arithon as a penance by his master Asandir, one of the circle of seven sorcerers tasked with maintaining the delicate balance in the world and with restoring the ancient unicorns and centaurs who have left Athera eons ago.
Dakar is angry with the seven because they let Lysaer bear the brunt of the Mistwraith attack and Lysaer was his favorite of the two. Throughout the book, he plots to get Arithon killed and because he’s a drunk and a ne’er-do-well, every plot goes hilariously afoul except that they earn Arithon the enmity of many of the citizens of Athera. Finally, an accident in one of the escapades gives Halliron a grave injury, and he and Arithon barely escape with the injured Halliron in their wagon. During this ordeal, Arithon plays his Lyranthe and his playing is able to arouse the old magical energies in the earth that creates an upheaval in the corrupt city and topples buildings and heaves up the ground, while never harming a soul.
Lysaer solidifies his power, rebuilds an old city to be his capital, marries his love, the beautiful Talith, and gathers his troops for another assault on his half-brother, carrying out the 'curse'. Lysaer is in every way, Arithon’s opposite. Where Arithon is small and dark, Lysaer is tall and blonde and handsome. He wins people to his side with charm and smiles and his single minded pursuit of ‘justice� as he sees it. Reminds me of some people I can think of on the national stage.
Elaira, the girl that Arithon met in book one, is sent to the little town of Merior by the Koriani order of enchantresses to seduce Arithon because they see him as dangerous to them. Elaira loves him but cannot disobey because of her vows to the order. She does not try to seduce him, but they begin to spend time together, as Arithon wants to learn her healing skills and about herbs and poultices. Finally a fisherman is badly wounded and the two strive to heal him, Elaira with her craft, and Arithon with his Lyranthe and song. They are able to see inside each other during this process and it is one of the most intense, passionate, powerful scenes I have ever read. They declare their love to each other, but Arithon turns from her because of her vow of chastity to the Koriani order.
The climax comes when Lysaer finds Arithon and leads his troops to take the village of Merior and destroy Arithon’s ships. Arithon is able to defeat him once again, building a shadow fleet out of fishing boats and disguising them as powerful sailing warships, and Lysaer has a huge attack of rage and sends out his gift of light and burns his own fleet that was supposed to take his armies to Merior.
The mere telling of the plot conveys none of the brilliance of the writing, the complexity of the characters, the intensity of the emotional impact.
Do yourself a favor and read this series!
_______________________________________________________________________
If I could, I’d give these books 5.5 or 6 stars! I don’t know when I’ve been so enthralled with a story. I feel quite inadequate to write a review. The last book ended with Lysaer’s total defeat by Arithon, although Lysaer’s troops decimated the clansmen who fought with Arithon. Arithon sings the souls of the departed on to the afterlife, and Halliron, the Masterbard of Athera asks him to be his apprentice.
When this book begins, Arithon disguises himself with his gift of shadow and names himself Medlir, and stays with the Masterbard for five years while he learns his craft and is able to do what his heart desires � make music � and avoid another battle with his half brother. To his sadness, his gift of Magic is gone, a consequence of his ‘unmaking� the crossbow of an archer who was decimating the men who fought with him in the battle with Lysaer. This deed is wrought with danger because it destroys the delicate balance and interconnection that exists between all things. He carries a tremendous amount of guilt for his role in the deaths of the clansmen and their wives and children in the battle of the last book. His ability to have compassion and to see all sides of a story burdens him with grief and melancholy that he hides with sarcasm and antagonism. Only a few see beneath his cover.
Every thread of the story is intertwined and important to the forward momentum. Janny manages to weave her tale with a complexity and compelling momentum that hardly lets me lay the books down.
Dakar, the Mad Prophet, has been given the task of protecting Arithon as a penance by his master Asandir, one of the circle of seven sorcerers tasked with maintaining the delicate balance in the world and with restoring the ancient unicorns and centaurs who have left Athera eons ago.
Dakar is angry with the seven because they let Lysaer bear the brunt of the Mistwraith attack and Lysaer was his favorite of the two. Throughout the book, he plots to get Arithon killed and because he’s a drunk and a ne’er-do-well, every plot goes hilariously afoul except that they earn Arithon the enmity of many of the citizens of Athera. Finally, an accident in one of the escapades gives Halliron a grave injury, and he and Arithon barely escape with the injured Halliron in their wagon. During this ordeal, Arithon plays his Lyranthe and his playing is able to arouse the old magical energies in the earth that creates an upheaval in the corrupt city and topples buildings and heaves up the ground, while never harming a soul.
Lysaer solidifies his power, rebuilds an old city to be his capital, marries his love, the beautiful Talith, and gathers his troops for another assault on his half-brother, carrying out the 'curse'. Lysaer is in every way, Arithon’s opposite. Where Arithon is small and dark, Lysaer is tall and blonde and handsome. He wins people to his side with charm and smiles and his single minded pursuit of ‘justice� as he sees it. Reminds me of some people I can think of on the national stage.
Elaira, the girl that Arithon met in book one, is sent to the little town of Merior by the Koriani order of enchantresses to seduce Arithon because they see him as dangerous to them. Elaira loves him but cannot disobey because of her vows to the order. She does not try to seduce him, but they begin to spend time together, as Arithon wants to learn her healing skills and about herbs and poultices. Finally a fisherman is badly wounded and the two strive to heal him, Elaira with her craft, and Arithon with his Lyranthe and song. They are able to see inside each other during this process and it is one of the most intense, passionate, powerful scenes I have ever read. They declare their love to each other, but Arithon turns from her because of her vow of chastity to the Koriani order.
The climax comes when Lysaer finds Arithon and leads his troops to take the village of Merior and destroy Arithon’s ships. Arithon is able to defeat him once again, building a shadow fleet out of fishing boats and disguising them as powerful sailing warships, and Lysaer has a huge attack of rage and sends out his gift of light and burns his own fleet that was supposed to take his armies to Merior.
The mere telling of the plot conveys none of the brilliance of the writing, the complexity of the characters, the intensity of the emotional impact.
Do yourself a favor and read this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2010
I find this series is to be strange. Not strange in a bad way, but strange. I'm not sure if the problem I'm having with it is really a problem. (Just bear with me)
Wurts seems to be retelling a story that the history of her wonderfully built world got wrong. She plays, quite well, with the overused conventions and tropes of fantasy. The good guy really isn't a good guy; the bad guy really isn't a bad guy.
My problem is that I find both central male characters to be unlikable for different reasons. The half brothers are cursed by the Mistwraith, an enity that they defeated in the last book. The problem is only one of them seems cursed, the other doesn't. Yet, the nice one isn't likable. He's too nice, too perfect. He's not the anti-hero, but the hero (making use of still one standard convention) Both brothers inspire loyalty in a way that doesn't quite make sense. I understand what Wurts is doing and she is doing it better than did, yet I want the two main central characters to hurry up and kill each. The minor characters are so much more interesting. (This I think is intentional. How many of us truly know our leaders? I just find it, intentional or not, to be a little trying. That's me. Not the writer).
Yet, despite that; the world is wonderfully created and there are some truly funny passages, especially involing horses.
Wurts seems to be retelling a story that the history of her wonderfully built world got wrong. She plays, quite well, with the overused conventions and tropes of fantasy. The good guy really isn't a good guy; the bad guy really isn't a bad guy.
My problem is that I find both central male characters to be unlikable for different reasons. The half brothers are cursed by the Mistwraith, an enity that they defeated in the last book. The problem is only one of them seems cursed, the other doesn't. Yet, the nice one isn't likable. He's too nice, too perfect. He's not the anti-hero, but the hero (making use of still one standard convention) Both brothers inspire loyalty in a way that doesn't quite make sense. I understand what Wurts is doing and she is doing it better than did, yet I want the two main central characters to hurry up and kill each. The minor characters are so much more interesting. (This I think is intentional. How many of us truly know our leaders? I just find it, intentional or not, to be a little trying. That's me. Not the writer).
Yet, despite that; the world is wonderfully created and there are some truly funny passages, especially involing horses.
Read
April 30, 2019dnf after 102 pages
The fact that I dnf'd this does not indicate that this is a bad book!!
This series is awesome in many ways - worldbuilding, writing, characters, philosophy and thoughts) - it just isn't for me. Or it just isn't for me at the moment, maybe I'll pick it up again at some point in the future, who knows.
I found it too slow-moving and descriptive for my liking and I just could not motivate myself to continue reading it.
The fact that I dnf'd this does not indicate that this is a bad book!!
This series is awesome in many ways - worldbuilding, writing, characters, philosophy and thoughts) - it just isn't for me. Or it just isn't for me at the moment, maybe I'll pick it up again at some point in the future, who knows.
I found it too slow-moving and descriptive for my liking and I just could not motivate myself to continue reading it.
October 26, 2021
My gosh, Janny Wurts can write. These books are mesmerizing; they are the kind that I have trouble closing! Despite the fact that this is my second time reading it, I enjoyed it tremendously.
And I still stand by my original opinion that both Lysaer and Dakar need slaps upside their heads!
And I still stand by my original opinion that both Lysaer and Dakar need slaps upside their heads!
June 10, 2022
“On the morning the Fellowship sorcerer who had crowned the King at Ostermere fared northward on the old disused road, the five years of peace precariously re-established since the carnage that followed the Mistwraith's defeat as yet showed no sign of breaking."
And so continues one of the most highly lauded epic high fantasy series, and for me the second book in the greatest fantasy series, EVER.
That book, entitled "The Ships of Merior", takes the readers of seminal author Janny Wurts back to the incredible world she has created, first seen in "The Curse of the Mistwraith", volume one in "The Wars of Light and Shadow."
I read this book for my #March of the Sequels TBR a few months ago, but I am still thinking about it, and it has taken me so long to get my thoughts down on paper, so impactful was this book on me. Nevertheless, here we go.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Approximately five years have passed since the events of "Curse of the Mistwraith". Following the catastrophic events at the conclusion of that book, and the massive battle that left ruinous consequences, especially for Arithon's side, said Arithon, known as the Master of Shadow, has gone to ground.
Arithon is plagued by guilt, and determined to protect his scattered andwounded allies and sworn vassals fromfurther harm. But he needs all the friends he can get, with the magical powers normally at his disposal seemingly curtailed. Thus, despite not wishing more lives to be lost, being embroiled in Arithon's wars, it seems inevitable that Arithon'sallies will continue to pay a heavy price for their allegiance, with their master appearing more vulnerable than ever before.
The erstwhile Prince Arithon is living under an assumed name, travelling with the kind and aging Master Bard, Halliron. Since Arithon is a peerless musician himself, and a worthy heir to Halliron's legacy, there is a level of contentment in Arithon's vocation, but he is still traumatized by his war with his half-brother, Prince Lysaer, and determined to avoid conflict with Lysaer at all costs. His solution: avoid Lysaer, period.
But Lysaer is obsessed with tracking down and killing Arithon. Using all his charm and charisma, and drawing all his allies to his cause, the determined Prince amasses large forces, bent on locating his foe, and destroying him. With his faithful second-in-command, Lord Diegan, at his side, Lysaer is still driven by the Mistwraith's curse (as is Arithon) to eternal enmity towards Arithon, and will exact horrible punishment on any who stand in his way of his mission to eliminate his half-brother - in Lysaer's mind, to make the realms free of the ultimate threat of the evil Master of Shadow.
Meanwhile, both the Fellowship Sorcerers and the Koriani Enchantresses have their own plans for both Princes, and are working overtly or surreptitiously to influence the outcome of the conflict, since the Princes hold the fate of the world in their hands.
CHARACTERS
Wurts' characterization continues to be masterclass.
Arithon and Lysaer still take centre stage in this second book of the series, but there is some definite scene stealing from several characters, including Dakar the Mad Prophet, Jieret, Mayor Captain Pesquil, Dhirken, and Jinesse who all really shine through as characters of note. Dakar in particular is maddeningly wicked, selfish, obtuse, even downright evil, but also extremely funny, with much of the humour in the book coming at the Mad Prophet's expense.
As in the previous book, every character, especially the main ones in Arithon and Lysear, do terrible things. They also do noble things. Their CHOICES make it difficult, at many junctures, to label them either good or evil, based on those choices.
Every character is so complex, so filled with conflicting motivations and desires, and Wurts does a phenomenal job of making you feel sorry for these morally grey characters one minute, detesting them the next, cheering for them, then cheering against them, then devastated if they don't make it through the book. Additionally, and brilliantly, Wurts juxtaposes sets of characters against each other, to the point where the reader will start to question what truly constitutes good versus evil.
PACING
What I am finding now, in reading my third Janny Wurts novel, is that, of all her startling writing skills, she truly knows how to stick a landing. The climaxes of her novels are fantastic. The build-up always makes the pinnacle worth it, and the pinnacle itself is always explosive and leaves the reader reeling.
Yes, the novel is a slow burn, punctuated with some incredibly poignant and gripping scenes throughout. But you will not want to skip anything, because when the truly thrilling parts of the novel arrive, all the beautiful, more quiet, reflective scenes, the political maneuvering, the romance, the touching parts that will leave you sad, all leading up to the big battles will be far more appreciated, for how they tie into the ending.
WORLD-BUILDING
I stated in my review of "Curse of the Mistwraith '', that Wurts' worldbuilding rivals all the great fantasy writers who are renowned for their worldbuilding. Since "The Ships of Merior'' takes us to even more unique lands, and introduces us to ever more unique people and customs than the previous novel, nothing I have read in the second book does anything to change my initial assessment.
There is a 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.
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, is staggering.
Of note, is that Wurts should receive far more attention for her fight scenes. They are amazing, poetic, intense, brutal, glorious. Wurts also does a fabulous and very realistic job of depicting huge military campaigns, what it takes to supply the armies, how the armies move, obstacles to massive troop movement, terrain and supply-line issues, scouting challenges, and everything involved with larger scale warfare, including naval warfare. Whether at land, at sea, or both, Wurts can really write a thrilling battle sequence.
Finally, the musical performance by Halliron (and Medlir) in Jaelot, is one of the most consequential scenes I have ever read in fantasy. I read that scene at least three times, before I could move forward with the rest of the book. Read this scene, and be completely amazed not merely for the beauty of the writing and the emotional effect the scene will have on you as a reader. Be also amazed for a hint of the larger implications that Arithon's power could have on the world, and who or what is lurking beyond the fringes of reality, ready to return to a world where their presence has not been seen for countless years.
THEMES
It would be extremely oversimplifying "Ships of Merior", and indeed the entire "Wars of Light and Shadow Series", to say that it is about a war between good versus evil, as evidenced by the two brothers, each representing a side. It would be oversimplifying to say that the novel is about pathos, because of Wurts' incredible ability to make the reader feel sorry for both brothers (and those caught up in their war), completely manipulated by the Mistwraith's curse, in hatred of one another. What I find the main theme of the novel to be, oddly enough, though in so many ways because due to the curse, the brothers are robbed of their choices, is about that very thing: choice.
So many of our characters have to make decisions in the novel, under duress, under a curse, under influence of their leaders, or in a moment of crisis. But ultimately, they are still the characters' choices, largely of free will, to be good or bad, to administer justice blindly, or give miscalled mercy, to sacrifice themselves, or sacrifice others, to keep their oaths, or to forsake them, no matter the personal cost, even their very lives. I found it fascinating to witness what the characters did with their choices, and amazed - often horrified - even when those choices were made for altruistic, or entirely pragmatic reasons, at how devastating the consequences could be for others.
Yet overall, the primary secondary theme I have found running through the book, more prominent than in the previous installment in the series, was the concept that evil can be subtly cloaked (to a degree where it actually seems like "goodness") in a veneer of kindness, civility, and outward beauty, while goodness can appear crude, uncultured, "ugly".
I do need to take a moment to speak of romance, as well, in the book. There is more of that in this book than in "The Curse of the Mistwraith", as we see Lysaer and his right hand man Lord Diegan's sister Lady Talith's courtship escalate, while the forbidden passion between Arithon and Elaira comes to a head.
I am a lover of romance, and have read a lot of pure romance books. Still, some of the most heartbreaking passages I have ever read in that regard, ones that truly hit me in all the feels, came in of all things, a fantasy novel: this novel, as opposed to a romance novel. Those passages were centered around Arithon and Elaira.
"What Elaira felt for this man was real, untarnished. Yet she could not wrench hope back into her hands, nor cross the gulf, nor complete the desire between them. Not without sullying forever the shining truth of her love, that Morriel's manipulation had no part of."
All I can say is the four or five pages preceding that passage and the paragraphs following it were completely heart-wrenching to read, in all the right ways.
PROSE
Perhaps since Shakespeare, never have I read prose that beguiles me in the way the Wurts' prose does.
Yes, THAT is how luxuriously Wurts writes. But to be clear, I am someone who loves relishing and basking in the beauty of language, and quite happy to take my time in doing so. If that's not for you - in other words if you prefer scarcity of words, just to get through the book, under no circumstances do you wish to stop and savour every single word, candidly: look elsewhere.
I give you a sample of the type of marvellous, melodious prose one can expect from Wurts:
"The change came with such masterful subtlety, Meldir alone could name the moment when senseless strings of syllables strung together for their resonance and rhythm. Against the superlative weave of the lyrante, the counterplay of consonant and vowel sparked like gems of a tapestry. The heart leaped in step for pure wonder."
Yet, even if you are that type of reader that desires less flowery prose, I still encourage you to give this book, and all Wurts' books, a chance. There is an obvious elegance and utter sophistication to Wurts' writing, but the dichotomy is there is also an efficiency and simplicity that, the more you read of the author, the more straightforward and simple, in a weird way, the writing seems. It is resplendent writing that is also very functional. It is layered, it is meant to be read carefully and not rushed over, but it is also very effective, and very very beautiful. And, if you continue reading, you may find that it suits you just fine.
CONCLUSION
This has been a long review, as I attempted to do justice to the sheer brilliance of the author, who has blessed fantasy readers with yet another chapter in what in my mind is one of the best fantasy series EVER. Still, I feel wholly inadequate in trying to review “The Ships of Merior", and my praise of this book seems paltry, compared to how I actually feel about it.
I can tell, now that I have read the first two books in the series, Wurts is just teasing the reader, with the ramifications of some of the decisions and events that took place in "The Ships of Merior", in terms of what consequence they will have on the overall series.
Only two books in, as a reader, I am aware (intuitively, from what long-time readers, and from what the author herself notes about it) that I truly don't know so much of what is REALLY going on yet in this series. There is a lot more to "The War of Light and Shadow" than immediately meets the eye, or that one can discern this early on in the series. But as my eyes are slowly opened, the scope of what Wurts has accomplished becomes more and more startling and magnificent. Yet, as the veil is being pulled back, novel by novel, in an eleven-book saga, I am more determined than ever to focus on enjoying the ride, and being content to have all things revealed to me, in good time, rather than trying to solve all the mysteries at once.I suggest if you read this book, to consider doing the same, to enhance the pleasure of your reading experience.
The combination of the lusciousness of Wurts� writing, the enormity of the depth and breadth of the worldbuilding, the immaculately drawn characters, and the poignancy of the themes make the Wars of Light and Shadow series like nothing else I have ever read, and the books that I will no doubt return to time and time again to re-read them, for pure reading joy.
I will read every single book that Wurts has ever written or will write in the future. Simply put, she is my favourite author of all-time. That is on a list of my favourite authors that includes such luminaries as Jemisin, Gwynne, Tolkien, Abercrombie, Lawrence, Cameron, Cornwell, and T.H. White.
I am enriched as a reader for experiencing "The Ships of Merior", and will be counting the days until I can read the next installment, “Warhost of Vastmark�.
And so continues one of the most highly lauded epic high fantasy series, and for me the second book in the greatest fantasy series, EVER.
That book, entitled "The Ships of Merior", takes the readers of seminal author Janny Wurts back to the incredible world she has created, first seen in "The Curse of the Mistwraith", volume one in "The Wars of Light and Shadow."
I read this book for my #March of the Sequels TBR a few months ago, but I am still thinking about it, and it has taken me so long to get my thoughts down on paper, so impactful was this book on me. Nevertheless, here we go.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Approximately five years have passed since the events of "Curse of the Mistwraith". Following the catastrophic events at the conclusion of that book, and the massive battle that left ruinous consequences, especially for Arithon's side, said Arithon, known as the Master of Shadow, has gone to ground.
Arithon is plagued by guilt, and determined to protect his scattered andwounded allies and sworn vassals fromfurther harm. But he needs all the friends he can get, with the magical powers normally at his disposal seemingly curtailed. Thus, despite not wishing more lives to be lost, being embroiled in Arithon's wars, it seems inevitable that Arithon'sallies will continue to pay a heavy price for their allegiance, with their master appearing more vulnerable than ever before.
The erstwhile Prince Arithon is living under an assumed name, travelling with the kind and aging Master Bard, Halliron. Since Arithon is a peerless musician himself, and a worthy heir to Halliron's legacy, there is a level of contentment in Arithon's vocation, but he is still traumatized by his war with his half-brother, Prince Lysaer, and determined to avoid conflict with Lysaer at all costs. His solution: avoid Lysaer, period.
But Lysaer is obsessed with tracking down and killing Arithon. Using all his charm and charisma, and drawing all his allies to his cause, the determined Prince amasses large forces, bent on locating his foe, and destroying him. With his faithful second-in-command, Lord Diegan, at his side, Lysaer is still driven by the Mistwraith's curse (as is Arithon) to eternal enmity towards Arithon, and will exact horrible punishment on any who stand in his way of his mission to eliminate his half-brother - in Lysaer's mind, to make the realms free of the ultimate threat of the evil Master of Shadow.
Meanwhile, both the Fellowship Sorcerers and the Koriani Enchantresses have their own plans for both Princes, and are working overtly or surreptitiously to influence the outcome of the conflict, since the Princes hold the fate of the world in their hands.
CHARACTERS
Wurts' characterization continues to be masterclass.
Arithon and Lysaer still take centre stage in this second book of the series, but there is some definite scene stealing from several characters, including Dakar the Mad Prophet, Jieret, Mayor Captain Pesquil, Dhirken, and Jinesse who all really shine through as characters of note. Dakar in particular is maddeningly wicked, selfish, obtuse, even downright evil, but also extremely funny, with much of the humour in the book coming at the Mad Prophet's expense.
As in the previous book, every character, especially the main ones in Arithon and Lysear, do terrible things. They also do noble things. Their CHOICES make it difficult, at many junctures, to label them either good or evil, based on those choices.
Every character is so complex, so filled with conflicting motivations and desires, and Wurts does a phenomenal job of making you feel sorry for these morally grey characters one minute, detesting them the next, cheering for them, then cheering against them, then devastated if they don't make it through the book. Additionally, and brilliantly, Wurts juxtaposes sets of characters against each other, to the point where the reader will start to question what truly constitutes good versus evil.
PACING
What I am finding now, in reading my third Janny Wurts novel, is that, of all her startling writing skills, she truly knows how to stick a landing. The climaxes of her novels are fantastic. The build-up always makes the pinnacle worth it, and the pinnacle itself is always explosive and leaves the reader reeling.
Yes, the novel is a slow burn, punctuated with some incredibly poignant and gripping scenes throughout. But you will not want to skip anything, because when the truly thrilling parts of the novel arrive, all the beautiful, more quiet, reflective scenes, the political maneuvering, the romance, the touching parts that will leave you sad, all leading up to the big battles will be far more appreciated, for how they tie into the ending.
WORLD-BUILDING
I stated in my review of "Curse of the Mistwraith '', that Wurts' worldbuilding rivals all the great fantasy writers who are renowned for their worldbuilding. Since "The Ships of Merior'' takes us to even more unique lands, and introduces us to ever more unique people and customs than the previous novel, nothing I have read in the second book does anything to change my initial assessment.
There is a 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.
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, is staggering.
Of note, is that Wurts should receive far more attention for her fight scenes. They are amazing, poetic, intense, brutal, glorious. Wurts also does a fabulous and very realistic job of depicting huge military campaigns, what it takes to supply the armies, how the armies move, obstacles to massive troop movement, terrain and supply-line issues, scouting challenges, and everything involved with larger scale warfare, including naval warfare. Whether at land, at sea, or both, Wurts can really write a thrilling battle sequence.
Finally, the musical performance by Halliron (and Medlir) in Jaelot, is one of the most consequential scenes I have ever read in fantasy. I read that scene at least three times, before I could move forward with the rest of the book. Read this scene, and be completely amazed not merely for the beauty of the writing and the emotional effect the scene will have on you as a reader. Be also amazed for a hint of the larger implications that Arithon's power could have on the world, and who or what is lurking beyond the fringes of reality, ready to return to a world where their presence has not been seen for countless years.
THEMES
It would be extremely oversimplifying "Ships of Merior", and indeed the entire "Wars of Light and Shadow Series", to say that it is about a war between good versus evil, as evidenced by the two brothers, each representing a side. It would be oversimplifying to say that the novel is about pathos, because of Wurts' incredible ability to make the reader feel sorry for both brothers (and those caught up in their war), completely manipulated by the Mistwraith's curse, in hatred of one another. What I find the main theme of the novel to be, oddly enough, though in so many ways because due to the curse, the brothers are robbed of their choices, is about that very thing: choice.
So many of our characters have to make decisions in the novel, under duress, under a curse, under influence of their leaders, or in a moment of crisis. But ultimately, they are still the characters' choices, largely of free will, to be good or bad, to administer justice blindly, or give miscalled mercy, to sacrifice themselves, or sacrifice others, to keep their oaths, or to forsake them, no matter the personal cost, even their very lives. I found it fascinating to witness what the characters did with their choices, and amazed - often horrified - even when those choices were made for altruistic, or entirely pragmatic reasons, at how devastating the consequences could be for others.
Yet overall, the primary secondary theme I have found running through the book, more prominent than in the previous installment in the series, was the concept that evil can be subtly cloaked (to a degree where it actually seems like "goodness") in a veneer of kindness, civility, and outward beauty, while goodness can appear crude, uncultured, "ugly".
I do need to take a moment to speak of romance, as well, in the book. There is more of that in this book than in "The Curse of the Mistwraith", as we see Lysaer and his right hand man Lord Diegan's sister Lady Talith's courtship escalate, while the forbidden passion between Arithon and Elaira comes to a head.
I am a lover of romance, and have read a lot of pure romance books. Still, some of the most heartbreaking passages I have ever read in that regard, ones that truly hit me in all the feels, came in of all things, a fantasy novel: this novel, as opposed to a romance novel. Those passages were centered around Arithon and Elaira.
"What Elaira felt for this man was real, untarnished. Yet she could not wrench hope back into her hands, nor cross the gulf, nor complete the desire between them. Not without sullying forever the shining truth of her love, that Morriel's manipulation had no part of."
All I can say is the four or five pages preceding that passage and the paragraphs following it were completely heart-wrenching to read, in all the right ways.
PROSE
Perhaps since Shakespeare, never have I read prose that beguiles me in the way the Wurts' prose does.
Yes, THAT is how luxuriously Wurts writes. But to be clear, I am someone who loves relishing and basking in the beauty of language, and quite happy to take my time in doing so. If that's not for you - in other words if you prefer scarcity of words, just to get through the book, under no circumstances do you wish to stop and savour every single word, candidly: look elsewhere.
I give you a sample of the type of marvellous, melodious prose one can expect from Wurts:
"The change came with such masterful subtlety, Meldir alone could name the moment when senseless strings of syllables strung together for their resonance and rhythm. Against the superlative weave of the lyrante, the counterplay of consonant and vowel sparked like gems of a tapestry. The heart leaped in step for pure wonder."
Yet, even if you are that type of reader that desires less flowery prose, I still encourage you to give this book, and all Wurts' books, a chance. There is an obvious elegance and utter sophistication to Wurts' writing, but the dichotomy is there is also an efficiency and simplicity that, the more you read of the author, the more straightforward and simple, in a weird way, the writing seems. It is resplendent writing that is also very functional. It is layered, it is meant to be read carefully and not rushed over, but it is also very effective, and very very beautiful. And, if you continue reading, you may find that it suits you just fine.
CONCLUSION
This has been a long review, as I attempted to do justice to the sheer brilliance of the author, who has blessed fantasy readers with yet another chapter in what in my mind is one of the best fantasy series EVER. Still, I feel wholly inadequate in trying to review “The Ships of Merior", and my praise of this book seems paltry, compared to how I actually feel about it.
I can tell, now that I have read the first two books in the series, Wurts is just teasing the reader, with the ramifications of some of the decisions and events that took place in "The Ships of Merior", in terms of what consequence they will have on the overall series.
Only two books in, as a reader, I am aware (intuitively, from what long-time readers, and from what the author herself notes about it) that I truly don't know so much of what is REALLY going on yet in this series. There is a lot more to "The War of Light and Shadow" than immediately meets the eye, or that one can discern this early on in the series. But as my eyes are slowly opened, the scope of what Wurts has accomplished becomes more and more startling and magnificent. Yet, as the veil is being pulled back, novel by novel, in an eleven-book saga, I am more determined than ever to focus on enjoying the ride, and being content to have all things revealed to me, in good time, rather than trying to solve all the mysteries at once.I suggest if you read this book, to consider doing the same, to enhance the pleasure of your reading experience.
The combination of the lusciousness of Wurts� writing, the enormity of the depth and breadth of the worldbuilding, the immaculately drawn characters, and the poignancy of the themes make the Wars of Light and Shadow series like nothing else I have ever read, and the books that I will no doubt return to time and time again to re-read them, for pure reading joy.
I will read every single book that Wurts has ever written or will write in the future. Simply put, she is my favourite author of all-time. That is on a list of my favourite authors that includes such luminaries as Jemisin, Gwynne, Tolkien, Abercrombie, Lawrence, Cameron, Cornwell, and T.H. White.
I am enriched as a reader for experiencing "The Ships of Merior", and will be counting the days until I can read the next installment, “Warhost of Vastmark�.
July 20, 2024
The second installment of the first arc of Wars of Light and Shadow, The Ships of Merior delivers on the promises Wurts set up in Curse of the Mistwraith.
Our two main characters are under the full thrall of the amorphous antagonist and their love/hate relationship veers towards catastrophe. Only one of them is trained enough to exhibit some measure of self-control, and this internal struggle and friction is the heart of this story. I am fully in love with this character at this point, both for the incredible strength and frailty he exhibits, as well as the self-awareness and choices he makes.
As usual, the world building, descriptions, landscape, towns, and fortresses are sumptuously described. Wurts is a master at setting a scene and pulling you in to walk the streets, drink at the pubs, or weather the storms along with the characters. Her love of the maritime is on full display here.
Political intrigue is at the center of the struggle, both in the secular kingdoms, but also between the wizards and the enchantresses. I would like to see more of the enchantresses in this series, reminding me a bit of the Aes Sedai but not as fleshed out. The one enchantress we really get to know adds to the heart of the story reference I made earlier.
Oh, and did I mention the Glossary? I referenced it several times. Like most epic fantasy books, keeping track of all the names, characters, locations, etc. is a challenge, but the glossary helps immensely.
There are some phenomenal scenes of magic and sorcery in this installment, which are some of the aspects that keep me invested in this series. No one does them better than Janny Wurts. The prose, as I mentioned in my review of Curse of the Mistwraith, has finally succeeded in seducing me, and I am now thoroughly hooked. I continued directly on to the third and final book of the first arc (bound together in my ominbus edition), the Warhost of Vastmark, and it begins with a bang, so I am very excited to complete this first arc of the epic series, "The Wars of Light and Shadow."
Our two main characters are under the full thrall of the amorphous antagonist and their love/hate relationship veers towards catastrophe. Only one of them is trained enough to exhibit some measure of self-control, and this internal struggle and friction is the heart of this story. I am fully in love with this character at this point, both for the incredible strength and frailty he exhibits, as well as the self-awareness and choices he makes.
As usual, the world building, descriptions, landscape, towns, and fortresses are sumptuously described. Wurts is a master at setting a scene and pulling you in to walk the streets, drink at the pubs, or weather the storms along with the characters. Her love of the maritime is on full display here.
Political intrigue is at the center of the struggle, both in the secular kingdoms, but also between the wizards and the enchantresses. I would like to see more of the enchantresses in this series, reminding me a bit of the Aes Sedai but not as fleshed out. The one enchantress we really get to know adds to the heart of the story reference I made earlier.
Oh, and did I mention the Glossary? I referenced it several times. Like most epic fantasy books, keeping track of all the names, characters, locations, etc. is a challenge, but the glossary helps immensely.
There are some phenomenal scenes of magic and sorcery in this installment, which are some of the aspects that keep me invested in this series. No one does them better than Janny Wurts. The prose, as I mentioned in my review of Curse of the Mistwraith, has finally succeeded in seducing me, and I am now thoroughly hooked. I continued directly on to the third and final book of the first arc (bound together in my ominbus edition), the Warhost of Vastmark, and it begins with a bang, so I am very excited to complete this first arc of the epic series, "The Wars of Light and Shadow."
November 23, 2015
I didn't like this quite as well as the first book in the series, The Curse of the Mistwraith. That said, it's still a great book. As I've come to expect with my forth Janny Wurts read, I was pleased once more to have the payoff with the final climax. Janny sure knows how to close up a story.
It leads right into Warhose of Vastmark, which I've started already. Not with a cliffhanger, but with a tease/sample of things to come. I should note that these two books were originally published and intended to be a single volume, though the close of Ships brings the story together quite well. Of course, it's simply too good to stop there.
There were a few scenes in this book that I loved, but I won't go into specifics here in order to avoid spoilers. I'll save those comments for the various places on GoodReads where the book will be discussed over the next couple of months.
For the most part, Ships felt like a bridge novel, taking the story introduced with Curse and fleshing the world and characters out a little before getting to the really juicy stuff. Time, patience, and a lot of reading will determine whether this hunch is correct. At any rate, I look forward to Warhost and beyond...
It leads right into Warhose of Vastmark, which I've started already. Not with a cliffhanger, but with a tease/sample of things to come. I should note that these two books were originally published and intended to be a single volume, though the close of Ships brings the story together quite well. Of course, it's simply too good to stop there.
There were a few scenes in this book that I loved, but I won't go into specifics here in order to avoid spoilers. I'll save those comments for the various places on GoodReads where the book will be discussed over the next couple of months.
For the most part, Ships felt like a bridge novel, taking the story introduced with Curse and fleshing the world and characters out a little before getting to the really juicy stuff. Time, patience, and a lot of reading will determine whether this hunch is correct. At any rate, I look forward to Warhost and beyond...
September 6, 2016
The Ships of Merior flawlessly continues The Wars of Light and Shadow saga. Arithon, the Master of Shadow, is on the run, which is fine by him because his perfect cover is also his heart's desire: working as apprentice to the master-bard Halliron. Lysaer has been far from idle during Arithon's absence. He carries on his plans to become appointed high king, courts Talera, begins the rebuilding of the ruins of Avenor, and wins over the townships to his cause of hunting down Arithon. Meanwhile, the Fellowship of Seven dangerously pursue the means to defeat the Mistwraith once and for all and to lift the curse that has Arithon and Lysaer at each others' throats, threatening to plunge Athera into bloody war.
If there is anyone who can write more beautifully than Janny Wurts, I haven't run across `em yet. Her characters are so genuine and her worlds are so life-like, it seems as if she isn't making up these stories, but translating them onto paper as the characters relate them.
What makes Ms. Wurts's stories so "real" is her extensive knowledge regarding everything she writes about. In The Ships of Merior, she describes music in such a way that the reader can't help but realize that there truly is something magical about it. Her descriptions of shipbuilding recognize that it's an art form as well as a practical skill. Wurts's biography states that she's a musician and an offshore sailor, among several other remarkable achievements. What it doesn't say is that she's apparently a military strategist as well! The clans' guerrilla tactics and the campaign of Lysaer's war-host reveal the wisdom of a seasoned general.
The more books by Janny Wurts I read, the more I'm impressed by her genius.
If there is anyone who can write more beautifully than Janny Wurts, I haven't run across `em yet. Her characters are so genuine and her worlds are so life-like, it seems as if she isn't making up these stories, but translating them onto paper as the characters relate them.
What makes Ms. Wurts's stories so "real" is her extensive knowledge regarding everything she writes about. In The Ships of Merior, she describes music in such a way that the reader can't help but realize that there truly is something magical about it. Her descriptions of shipbuilding recognize that it's an art form as well as a practical skill. Wurts's biography states that she's a musician and an offshore sailor, among several other remarkable achievements. What it doesn't say is that she's apparently a military strategist as well! The clans' guerrilla tactics and the campaign of Lysaer's war-host reveal the wisdom of a seasoned general.
The more books by Janny Wurts I read, the more I'm impressed by her genius.
December 27, 2024
i will say the same thing i said for the first book "My favorite thing about the book is it feels like a book, it feels like a real go to the library book like, the reason why you borrow and read something and like, stay up past midnight"
i love reading in december. and i love books that read like folk tales. if you haven't picked up this series, you're robbing yourself of excellence. the writing? exceptional. the characters? will climb under your ribs and make a home in your heart.
i love reading in december. and i love books that read like folk tales. if you haven't picked up this series, you're robbing yourself of excellence. the writing? exceptional. the characters? will climb under your ribs and make a home in your heart.
January 5, 2011
The Ships of Merior picks up five years after the end of the first book. It is the first half of the second arc of the story, and in many way seems to serve simply as a long setup of the next book. Epic fantasy, we've moved past the basic world building of the first book and into setting up the greater plot, theme and conflict, although with a little less payoff than might be desired.
For the most part it jumps back and forth between the two princes, with a bit less focus on the Fellowship and other players that populate the world. Lysaer continues to become more and more unlikeable, even as his star rises within the world. Perhaps this is done on purpose, to juxtapose what an omniscient reader knows and what the random person within the story knows, but it seems like the story would be more heartfelt if there were sympathy for both sides of the conflict. Lysaer is supposed to be about justice, but very little of what he does has any sense of justice since he always comes to conclusions based on his preconceived notions without any gathering of fact or nuance. Arithon is clearly the deeper character (at least at this point), and again while this was probably done purposefully, I rather wish at this point that there were greater balance. Dakar, the mad prophet, is an enigma in the story; his blind hatred for Arithon never makes any sense to me, while the reason his master lets him get away with so many liberties is yet to be explained (although I am sure is coming in future books).
For the most part it jumps back and forth between the two princes, with a bit less focus on the Fellowship and other players that populate the world. Lysaer continues to become more and more unlikeable, even as his star rises within the world. Perhaps this is done on purpose, to juxtapose what an omniscient reader knows and what the random person within the story knows, but it seems like the story would be more heartfelt if there were sympathy for both sides of the conflict. Lysaer is supposed to be about justice, but very little of what he does has any sense of justice since he always comes to conclusions based on his preconceived notions without any gathering of fact or nuance. Arithon is clearly the deeper character (at least at this point), and again while this was probably done purposefully, I rather wish at this point that there were greater balance. Dakar, the mad prophet, is an enigma in the story; his blind hatred for Arithon never makes any sense to me, while the reason his master lets him get away with so many liberties is yet to be explained (although I am sure is coming in future books).
March 5, 2016
For anyone who enjoys a GREAT read, and loves fantasy with real depth of feeling and meaning I can recommend Janny Wurts series of books, "The Wars of Light and Shadow" (Commencing with "The Curse of the Mistwraith').
I picked the first book up 8 months ago and am now onto book 9, and haven't been able to put them down. I am eagerly awaiting the final two books (yet to be published). Alternatively, you could start with her three e-books, to be found on Janny's website. I haven't read these, but I am sure they will be worth the read as well.
"They are half-brothers, divided by a vicious throes of a blood feud.... Yet there is more at stake than one battle... For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future in their hands." (back cover - "The Curse of the Mistwraith")
I picked the first book up 8 months ago and am now onto book 9, and haven't been able to put them down. I am eagerly awaiting the final two books (yet to be published). Alternatively, you could start with her three e-books, to be found on Janny's website. I haven't read these, but I am sure they will be worth the read as well.
"They are half-brothers, divided by a vicious throes of a blood feud.... Yet there is more at stake than one battle... For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future in their hands." (back cover - "The Curse of the Mistwraith")
January 11, 2025
The Ships of Merior (Wars of Light & Shadow) sends the reader on an intriguing journey and is a fantastic read. I am addicted to this authors work.
Jannys� work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer. It challenges them to confront the darkness within the narrative, suggesting that those who venture into this world will want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and chilling enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends supernatural and paranormal elements. I am addicted! This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, humour and action within a world where nothing is what it seems.
Jannys� work invites readers to unravel its intricacies layer by layer. It challenges them to confront the darkness within the narrative, suggesting that those who venture into this world will want to remain amongst the pages. She masterfully weaves together a tapestry of suspenseful storytelling. The narrative unfolds through edge-of-your-seat plots and chilling enigmas that ensnare readers from the very first page.
This story seamlessly blends supernatural and paranormal elements. I am addicted! This series is gripping and exciting. It is a tangled web that leaves you breathless and craving more. It is filled with loss and hope, magic and danger, suspense and tension, humour and action within a world where nothing is what it seems.
August 19, 2013
The Ships of Merior is the second volume in the Wars of Light and Shadow and here we see where Janny turns from complex magic systems to simple relationships.
The founding of the love between Arithon and the enchantress Elaira is founded in these pages and it is an extraordinary command of prose that rings every bit of truth from these characters.
There is intrigue all over Athera surrounding the actions of Arithon and Lysaer that eventually leads to a larger conflict, more world building and setup is done for the second arc, but the core is once again Arithon, Lysaer, the Curse, and a handful of unique and imaginative characters.
If you struggled through Mistwraith, take heart. In this second book of the series, you will be rewarded with more humor and more heart.
The founding of the love between Arithon and the enchantress Elaira is founded in these pages and it is an extraordinary command of prose that rings every bit of truth from these characters.
There is intrigue all over Athera surrounding the actions of Arithon and Lysaer that eventually leads to a larger conflict, more world building and setup is done for the second arc, but the core is once again Arithon, Lysaer, the Curse, and a handful of unique and imaginative characters.
If you struggled through Mistwraith, take heart. In this second book of the series, you will be rewarded with more humor and more heart.
March 15, 2013
Arithon studies to his first love, music, while dakar struggles against arithons attempts to free himself from lysaer's grasp. I really enjoy janny wurts style of prose but I understand that it may be difficult for others so I rated the book at 4 stars fot this reason. Even I had trouble at times, but overall, I find myself struggling to feel compassion for lysaers royal justice. He seems driven entirely by the desh-thiere's (sp) curse. While there is zero threat from arithon except to use the curse to keep the two brothers from converging in all out war, it's difficult to care for lysaers cause. I still feel this is entirely on purpose based on the intro from the first book.
April 23, 2018
It is really hard to do a review of Janny Wurts' books. Her Elegant use of beautifully written prose makes me embarrassed to even attempt to write anything about her books. Same for this book. She has, without a doubt, the most beautiful written word in all of fantasy. So with that said I'll add, the book was great.
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