Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

This book was my introduction to Janny Wurtz and have made it a point to buy anything of hers I have seen since.

This is hard fantasy at its best, in my opinion, superior even to the much-lauded Jordan (of whom I am a fan, as well). Here, Wurtz has created a world whose history reaches back through several eras. The depth and complexity of politics and prophecy, magic and war and all the institutions of society are there to be explored and rendered in intricate detail.

As a "hard" fantasy fan, I particularly appreciated the varieties of sorcery. Each is original and much time spent in outlining how the opposing forces can be used..The most potent force of magic in Athera is that bequeathed by ancient lost races to a fellowship, based on True Names...yet it can accomplish nothing without the permission of its source. Lesser magics, including the elemental magic of the brothers Lysander and Arithon, are potentially more destructive, but also more limited in scale. And this is just one example the finely wrought characteristics Wurtz has imbued in her work.

A word of warning, however. This book, is the first in what appears to be MANY books. In and of itself, it is a great prologue to the story that follows, with almost anything a fantasy fan could hope for.

Except resolution.

As in many detailed worlds (such as those of Robert Jordan, Steven Erikson, George Martin) the sheer scope threatens to overwhelm the forward momentum of the story. By the time you get a few books in, you realize that the hero and villain (I will let you decide which is which) have a VERY long life expectancy and that many forces are at work to keep them from resolving their destinies. With each book, new characters and locales are included, the "quest" widens for each character, and you begin to get bogged down in too many viewpoints, not enough action.

But as I said, that is a problem for the later books. This introduction is a fantastic read. Highly recommened.

BTW - This is definitely a series to re-read before moving onto the next book, especially if there's been any delay between. It's just too vast (and occasionally slow) to remember.

Curse of the Mistwraith is the book with which I discovered Janny Wurts and is probably still my favourite. It is wordy and indeed a slow read in places, but, as in all her works, it is the epitome of artful, thoughtful characterisation. The plot and setting are all backdrop to the central relationship between the two half-brother main characters. If you like concept driven plots typical of hard science-fiction than this one is probably not for you, however, if you like a series that can deeply probe a relationship over six books and still leave you wanting to know what is going to happen next - then this one might be for you. It rates a 5 not because it is perfect (what book is?) but because it would make any shortlist that I could think of making of books that most captured my imagination - and what more can you ask than that?

I came by Janny Wurts and the witnessed the Curse of the Mistwraith in the beginning of what was to be called the Wars of Light and Shadow by total accident, random circumstance. And I am a different person ever since then. We can't deny it, the books that we read, the philosophy within them, the story that we witness, the story that becomes our own, the characters we met and got to know-all these things become part of us and in ways more than one, affect our beings. The Curse of the Mistwraith was one such book I must say. As a fan and avid reader of the Fantasy Fiction genre, this book was, and is one of the best that I have ever come to witness in the entirety of my young life. As an author Janny Wurts is a master storyteller, bringing you to the story, as though you were amongst the characters themselves, as if they were tangible and real. She brought me into the realms of that forsaken land, that accursed land beyond what Arithon and Lysaer knew as home. The characters are well-crafted and rendered with humanity...noble humanity. The conflict and tension is there, emotion, love, compassion, evil, love, wickedness, blind pride, honor...name it and it is there... I was only too sad, when I without notice had ended such a quest, and turned the last page, the last leaf of a great adventure, spelling the end of my adventure and discovery in that magical land. I'm only too sad that I have not found as I had by accident, the other installments to this Series. Finding decent books to read here where I am is difficult as it is. Alas! Has the curse of the mistwraith befallen me as well? As much as this book has given me, I owe it to Janny Wurts to give her a perfect five!!! If I could give more I willingly would! I hope to stumble upon those lands again...and see Arithon, Lysaer, the Wizards...and everyone else...I have come to love these noble...and cruel men.