Product Description

An epic fantasy standalone novel from the author of the stunning Wars of Light and Shadow series. When Princess Anja fails to appear at her betrothal banquet, the tiny, peaceful kingdom of Sessalie is plunged into intrigue. When Princess Anja fails to appear at her betrothal banquet, the tiny, peaceful kingdom of Sessalie is plunged into intrigue. Two warriors are charged with recovering the distraught king's beloved daughter. Taskin, Commander of the Royal Guard, whose icy competence and impressive life-term as the Crown's right-hand man command the kingdom's deep-seated respect; and Mykkael, the rough-hewn newcomer who has won the post of Captain of the Garrison -- a scarred veteran with a deadly record of field warfare, whose 'interesting' background and foreign breeding are held in contempt by court society. As the princess's trail vanishes outside the citadel's gates, anxiety and tension escalate. Mykkael's investigations lead him to a radical explanation for the mystery, but he finds himself under suspicion from the court factions. Will Commander Taskin's famous fair-mindedness be enough to unravel the truth behind the garrison captain's dramatic theory: that the resourceful, high-spirited princess was not taken by force, but fled the palace to escape a demonic evil?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59872 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
'Astonishingly original and compelling! A gifted creator of wonder' RAYMOND E. FEIST 'It ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent' STEPHEN DONALDSON 'A fascinating fantasy tale set in a delightful world' Dreamwatch 'One to skive off work for' Starburst 'Full of intriguing characters, dark magic, courage and mystery. Janny Wurts has created a masterpiece!' Alien Online

Stephen Donaldson
It ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent

From the Publisher
On the eve of the wedding that will keep her country at peace, a beloved princess vanishes. Has she run away to escape the marriage; or has she been kidnapped for nefarious purposes?
This is the story of the quest to find her, and the story of each of the motley band of lords and adventurers who set out to scour the kingdom.

Customer Reviews

Intensely satisfying on so many levels.
Short Reveiw:

Intricate, challenging, beautiful, yet accessible. Buy it. Read it. Sit in awed wonder as you remember that fantasy can be so much more than Dragonlance.

Longer Reveiw:

For those of you who have never read anything by Janny Wurts..

Are you sick of characters that have been taken from the pages of "Stereotypes and Their Common Derivatives"? Are you frustrated by plots that rely on stupid coincidences, idiotic assumptions, frustratingly stubborn characters refusing to acknowledge the obvious, or even dialogue that could be substituted with that of several other fanatasy 'works'? If so, then 'To Ride Hell's Chasm' is most certainly an opportunity for you to rediscover that Fantasy is not just for 11 year old boys who should get outside more.

Put simply, Janny Wurts doesn't dumb things down. She won't spoon-feed you with justifications and explanations you don't need. She assumes that you are an intelligent reader, that you have the ability to pick up on subtleties and emotional nuance. And having made these assumptions, she then takes you by the hand and leads you down a path that other mainstream authors are afraid to tread.

And does she deliver? Is the proverbial bacon brought home?

Now, keep in mind that none of my comments here are made lightly. I've read my share of reviews, and I know how easy it is to be cynical about somebody else's high praise. But there really is no other way to go about this - with 'To Ride Hell's Chasm', Janny doesn't just deliver. No way. What you receive when you read this book is no less than a package of Total Literary Satisfaction.

So, what are the Characters like? Well, let's just say that we finally have an author willing to give us an assortment of protagonists that are intelligent enough to be believable. But it goes deeper than that, even the minor players are wonderfully developed - you truly get an appreciation not just of WHAT people are doing, but WHY they are doing it. And more importantly, why they are doing it in their particular way. I can't go into detail without spoiling your enjoyment of the story, but I will say this - never has a Fantasy book made me constantly reassess my interpretations of the characters and their roles to the extent that To Ride Hell's Chasm did. I never saw a lot of the developments coming, and they added an immense amount of depth and texture to the story. Satisfying does not begin to describe how it feels for an author to place so much trust in me as a reader.

And the plot! When I started reading it, I thought I was in familiar territory, that I was in for a comfortable stroll through well known material. Five minutes later, I was gripping the book a little harder than was strictly good for it, trying to second guess where everything was leading. Half an hour later, I was as good as dead to the world around me, a stupid grin fixed on my face, resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be sleeping til the story was over. This book is one long crescendo of building tension, excitement, and action - which is great. But where this novel really shines is in the way it doesn't follow the formula you'd expect it to. It's a story that will mess with your preconceptions, it will constantly lead you into territory both unfamilliar and exciting, and it will culminates in a climax that you will not expect but rather find to be wholly and utterly fulfilling. This is not your average hack-and-slash must-find-the-sacred-artifact-and-save-the-world fantasy. This is not a book written to formula. This is not a story which allows its genre to compromise its integrity.

This is, quite simply, an accessible, well-paced, stand-alone novel that will make you wonder why you've been putting up with the second rate drivel that many major publishing houses think we want. On the whole, Fantasy is read by intelligent, creative, highly imaginative people. In this case, both the Author and her book do justice to the audience.

So there you have it. If you want an exciting read, buy this book. If you want to read Fantasy that you can finally relate to, buy this book. If you think you've read everything there is to read, and life holds no more wonder for you - buy this book.

No matter what your motivation, you won't go away disappointed. It's just that good.

Great book - compelling reading
This is a really terrific book from a writer who excells at creating vivid characters and variations on the usual fantasy cliches.

The character of Mykkael is the core of this book. A true tortured hero, Wurt's balances his unrivialled skills as a warrior with crippling battle scars. His towering strength of character and honour are underscored by the memory of terrible defeats. His fate compells you to read on.

There are some other great characters, I particualrly like Vensic and Taskin, and Princess Anja is engaging enough.

The book has two quite distinct parts: the action in the city and then pursuit through Hell's Chasm (although there are scenes from the city in the latter part too). Both sections are enjoyable and the shift from missing person hunt to desperate defence against sorcery is cleverly handled.

The demonic mythology and the defences against it are simple to understand and seem fairly fresh.

It has a good ending, although I have to admit that it wouldn't have been my preferred way for things to end.

A rollicking yarn, Wurts at full steam - a must read
To refresh herself after the emotional toll of sending Arithon through Kewar Tunnel in Peril's Gate, Janny Wurts has written this stand alone story of honour, integrity and redemption as Mykkael, the coloured mercenary charged with securing and protecting the safety of the Anja, crown princess of Sessalie, through the physical and metaphorical trial of Hell's Chasm.

The story is deceptively simple - on the day the High Prince of Devall arrives in Sessalie to formalize his betrothal to Anja, Anja disappears and sorcery is suspected. Her intended fiance and her brother both want her found, the King of Sessalie orders Mykkael to find her and protect her. Has she been abducted or has she run? Mykkael is an outsider in both colour and origin and suspicion quickly falls on him, the populace of Sessalie easily led to this conclusion.

With sorcery afoot in Sessalie, Mykkael is forced to re-live his previous failure to protect a princess from sorcerous pursuit. With Sessalie turned against him, Mykkael must master both the real demons in Sessalie and the demons from his past. This book is as much a study of a principled character of robust integrity set under immense pressure as any "simple" chase story.

The world of Sessalie pulsates with the hallmarks of Janny Wurts' writing - self-serving nobility, the seething masses of the general populace, the populace easily swayed by rumour and innuendo and a fear of foreigners.

As a standalone novel, this is a good read and well worth following the trials of Mykkael to the emotional ending. As a tempter for the writing style of Wurts for those who have yet to read the massive Wars of Light and Shadow series, this is an essential starting point for the magic that is the writing of Janny Wurts.