The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light & Shadow, Book 1) [Paperback]

Janny Wurts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the combined powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith's stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadow, and Lysaer, Lord of Light. Arithon and Lysaer soon find that they are inescapably bound to a series of events dictated by their own deepest convictions. Yet as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well, there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith: between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world—its harmony and its future—in their hands.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What promises to be a rather standard epic fantasy commences with this book, volume one in a series called The Wars of Light and Shadow. In this installment, two magic-wielding half brothers are forced by an evil geas (a delayed compulsion spell cast by the incorporeal but sorcerously potent Mistwraiths) to battle each other, nearly ripping their kingdoms asunder in the bloody fray. Arithon, Master Mage and keeper of the shadow-half of the royal magic, is a compassionate man who is constantly battling his sensitive musical nature as he struggles to come to terms with the job of ruler, which he does not want. His brother Lysaer has the power to focus light; a charming man and born ruler, he becomes cunning and devious after the Mistwraith's spell is activated. Events in the heavily foreshadowed plot conspire against the royal duo, until they are forced to pit jaded townsmen against noble barbarians in a punishing and debilitating war. They are aided in their travails by a young enchantress, Elaira, a spunky role model sure to become beloved as the series progresses, and by many wise and quirky sorcerers. Forced to do duty as a harbinger of many volumes, this tale is plot-heavy, but there are hints of the appearance of unicorns and other mythical, crowd-pleasing wonders in later installments. Veteran epic-writer Wurts ( Mistress of Empire ) brings the breadth of her experience to bear in an entertaining and readable--though not outstanding--story.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Two brothers, heirs to lands and locked in a blood feud, are drawn across a dimensional portal into a world where they are hailed as the promised saviors. As Arithon, the Master of Shadows, and his half-brother Lysaer, the Lord of Light, prepare to do battle against the Mistwraith, who has for centuries cloaked the world of Athera in darkness, they face an additional battle born of their mutual distrust of each other. Although fantasy author Wurts breaks no new ground in this series opener, her elaborate and vivid world-building and complex protagonists recommend this title to fans of epic fantasy.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 841 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0586210695
• ISBN-13: 978-0586210697
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #817,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I value direct experience over virtual experience and research alone.
Most of the things I write about, I have done at one point in my life.
I find inspiration in the natural world, travel, insatiable curiosity, and in music.

I paint the covers and do all the interiors artwork and maps for my novels.

Experiences have included horse training and competitive riding, offshore sailing, Outward Bound, music gigs, and extensive amateur bagpiping competition, and a second career in oil painting and illustration.

One of my goals is to bring the vividness of these experiences to the readers on the pages of my stories.

For the past fifteen years, I've been happily married to Don Maitz, the artist of SF/Fantasy book cover and Captain Morgan Spiced rum fame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex epic, April 5, 2000

By 

Liyet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow) (Paperback)

Curse of the Mistwraith is the start of a grand, sweeping epic. It teeters on the edge of traditional high fantasy with its sorcerers, princes, and world-shaking problems. Nonetheless Janny Wurts presides over it all with a firm grasp on her interwoven plots, three-dimensional characters, and lyrical writing.

This book is not for all. You can be easily lost in the complexity of her language, instead of moved by it, and the fine detail--from every perspective imaginable--that prevents this from becoming a typical quest story also causes events to drag their feet along, leaving you impatient with an urge to flip ahead. This is not light reading; prepare to spend time delving into each page, each paragraph, each word. Janny Wurts has spent time building this story, and she lovingly uncovers each aspect of it at her own pace.

I obviously enjoyed this book; it was sprinkled through with humor and followed by a glossary that makes the created words less daunting, it was relished during a time when I needed a slow, deep read. There are times when I have to wince at the overworn ideas--light versus shadow, the power of music--but I closed the back cover with the urge to search out the sequel.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hang in there for the rest ..., June 22, 2000

By 

Phome "phome" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow) (Paperback)

Like many people, it cost me a lot of effort to "plow" through this book. Nevertheless, I was completely swept away by the powerful characters and fascinating story line. This book is unlike any other fantasy book I've read. Although the plot is based on the usual good vs evil, Ms Wurts uncovers very complex themes and heros. One moment you like Lysaer, the next you know that he's turning but you don't want to admit it, and then finally you have to face the fact that he's really not likeable at all. Arithon is equally difficult to make out at first, and needs to grow a reader's trust and respect as he's ever elusive. Yet, although we never find out enough about him, Arithon sweeps us off our feet, like the mysterious boy next door. The Fellowship of Seven are hilarious old men, and my grandpa would have fit right in.

This is a complex book, with many details and it's easy to miss changes in the plot unless you read carefully. However, it is a brilliant set up for the rest of the series, where the characters are further explored, their humanity uncannily realistic and grow into personalities. Readers will learn to love some characters, sympathise with others and dislike a few, as you would in real life.

If you can grit your teeth and cling on to follow the plot through the verbose jungle, then you find your energy and time well spent ... for the rest of the series.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex And At Times Dense Fantasy, July 15, 2000

By 

Elyon (Mesilla, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow) (Paperback)

I had held off reading Janny Wurts in part because of her past association with Raymond Feist: I assumed this would be more lightweight and, if at times engaging, conventional fare similar to that author's writing (Apologies in advance to Feist fans; his books, though found simple, can be fun). However, Wurt's efforts here are far more ambitious---some might say overly so. After a rather awkward, sketchily limned and shifting start in the first fifty pages---additionally marred by the shadows of Mearth that bear too close a resemblance to Jordan's Shadar Logoth to be entirely comfortable---upon arrival in Athera the story begins to quickly settle in to an expansive and largely inventive plot. While many traditional conventions abound, Wurts has broadly recontextualized many, while creating a tale as tangled in subplots as say Jordan's, but that forges ahead at a far more brisk pace.

Densely descriptive and extravagantly detailed, the writing at times wearies, as would a constant diet of richly seasoned food, yet never entirely disengages interest. Rarely will one find anything said simply or directly. As another reviewer implies, this may lead some to conclude that the style of writing at times verges on being over-written, and I myself would have welcomed a more judicious use of language. Nonetheless, one is forced to admire the breadth of the author's use of words, as well as the energy behind its application, a descriptive rhythm that punctuates the entire narrative and is nothing if not varied and elaborately realized. Whether or not it becomes too much I'll leave for the individual reader to decide; one person's stylistic extravagance may become another's aesthetic valuable.

This is a book brimming with energy and a desire to tell a much multi-faceted tale. There is enough lore and magic here to fill several volumes of some other authors' works. While without further expansion this compression might prove a fault, I suspect in the volumes to follow that the author will elaborate upon the many themes and plot threads she has initially sown, and look forward to their maturation. Since I've already gone out and purchased the next installment, that should say it all.