Product Description

Where there is light, there must always be shadow! The fourth volume in Janny Wurts's spectacular epic fantasy, now re-released with a striking new cover design along with the rest of the series. The curse that hangs over the Master of Shadow, Arithon, and Lord of Light, Lysaer, is drawing the two half-brothers ever closer towards direct conflict. For the Natural Balance to be maintained, the two must never fight. If they do, one is sure to perish and the Mistwraith will regain its evil power over their world. Even now, Lysaer -- convinced of his own godhead and aided by the treacherous Koriani Sisterhood -- is tracking Arithon the Masterbard through the snows and wastes of the winter-locked mountains and the Barrens of Daon Ramon. Arithon is tortured by the knowledge that for the sake of future generations he must not be killed, no matter the cost of others' lives now. Fighting valiantly to prevent unnecessary suffering, he strikes out on his own; but he is injured and failing fast. Meanwhile, the ancient Paravians are stirring, summoned by trespassers on their sacred domain; and the Fellowship of Seven are battling on many other fronts, as the Mistwraith's wards begin to break, and khadrim and free wraiths roam the land!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138924 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 784 pages

Review
Praise for the Wars of Light and Shadow: 'Astonishingly original and compelling! A gifted creator of wonder' Raymond E Feist 'Janny Wurts builds beautiful castles in the air ! where every detail is richly imagined and vividly rendered' Diana Gabaldon 'It ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent' Stephen Donaldson

About the Author
Janny Wurts is the author of the Cycle of Fire series, co-author of the worldwide bestselling Empire series with Raymond E. Feist, and is currently working on the Wars of Light and Shadow series. She often paints her own covers and is also an expert horsewoman, sailor, musician and archer.

Customer Reviews

Another breathtaking book by Janny Wurts
Perils Gate is one of thoes books that has you holding your breathe all the way through to the end, and when you turn the last page you frown, and then frantically surching for the next book. It takes you through the story so far, and as always the chase is one.

Arithon is once again hunted by the Alliance of light, led by his halfbrother, who have allied themselves with the Koriathain. The Fellowship is troubled by loose Khadrim, an invasion of Wraiths from Marek, and the Mistwraith nearly having acomplished freeing itself.

We get to meet Davien and see a Paravien or two. It makes it very hard to await Stormed Fortress

like an addict, I can't wait for my next fix
Arithon.

No-one who embarks upon this series can ever fail to fall in love with (or at least strongly identify with) Janny’s main character. The trials she puts him through are enough to make anyone pity, and then burn, bleed and sweat for this character. It’s compelling.

But you should not discount the other characters in this series. I don’t mean Lysaer – he pales into insignificance, as he has so little knowledge of the true meaning of events. No, look at Sethvir and Asandir. You really believe Janny when she shows you how these men have survived and fought centuries of conflict and loss in her world.

I also have a soft spot for Morriel; she’s just so deliciously determined that she is right. Though, I do hope that Elaria takes a big stick and clobbers the rest of her order about the head.

It is hard to hate anyone. Janny does a wonderful job of asking you to judge evil for yourself. As the reader, you know more about the significance of events than anyone save perhaps Sethvir and the Paravians. The character’s don’t have our omnipotence, and the motives of each are shown to be molded by their ignorance. Even Arithon is shown to be wrong on occasion, and he torments himself with it.

As he torments himself with everything.

If I have a gripe about the series, it is that reading it can seem like you are being repeatedly whacked around the head with the same despairs. The main action of Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark seems to me to be the same disaster in different settings. Arithon endlessly tortures himself with regrets about past events. And if he isn’t doing it, someone else is.

Peril’s Gate, for example, includes what amounts to a long recap of everything that has already happened to him, and he worries about the whole thing afresh. Although there are indications that in the next book, we might be able to move forward.

This series inspires strong emotion. Mostly longing that the author will hurry up and write the next installment.

Perilously Bad
I'm actually a fan of Wurts, ever since I read her Empire series collaboration with Feist (whom I don't much like). However, I disliked this book, primarily for the following 3 reasons:
The pace of the book is awful. From the first page we are told that Arithon is in the worst danger possible; the kind of danger that would threaten Athera itself....and the Fellowship is threatened...and Arithon really, really, this time must break down and destroy the world... well, no this time he will break down and destroy the world... ok, this time he is really, really stretched and a catastrophe must happen... no? Get the picture? Dangers pile on dangers, and throughout the book, Wurts wants us to believe that we're balancing on the very edge of disaster. The only thing is, this is pretty hard to believe in as a reader - especially when you know you've got 600 more pages to go before the end of this book (and God knows how many volumes left in the series).

Another example of the bad pace are the multiple times in the story where we are told some character must make a split-second decision; upon which we are then treated with 2-3 pages of the character intensely contemplating what s/he should do in the next second. Doh!

Secondly (and perhaps I am a minority here), I am finding it increasingly difficult to emphatize with the characters in these books. The reason is that every one of them is painted as either black or white; every character in the book can be considered either divinely good (Arithon and his bunch), diabolically evil with no redeeming attributes (Lysaer, the Witches and a few of his henchmen), or good but fighting in an evil cause (most of Lysaer's henchmen). Also, every character in the books are described as being brave, unbowed, giving their all for their cause though harried to the end of their endurance, etc. No ordinary humans on Athera, that's for sure (the only one, Dakar, has now converted to join the divinely good fraternity).

Finally, the flowery prose. This is the reason I love Wurt's writing, but unfortunately also the reason why I am beginning to dislike it. After 100 pages describing how beat up, worn out, on the edge of endurance, unwashed, etc. Arithon is, I'm sure we know how he looks. This book could be half its current size and it would be much better.

IMO, this book should never have been written (it was, incidentally not in the original publishing plans either). All it does is blow up the size of a series which is looking increasingly unmanageable, and though a few important plot developments occur, I fail to see why they should require 700 pages!! As a long time fan of the series, I plan on buying the next (and hopefully the final in the Alliance of Light cycle) book, but if there are no significant improvements in this story, I doubt that I will continue reading it.

So why 2 stars? Well, there are a few wonderfully evocative passages in the book. There is no doubt that Wurts knows her stuff, and can write like few others. Just a pity she overdoes it.

If you're a new reader, my suggestion is that you try some of her other work. If you're an old reader of her work and getting tired of it; stay away from this one (unless you're really wanting to punish yourself).