To Ride Hell's Chasm [Paperback]

Janny Wurts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 2005

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?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this splendid fantasy about two warriors, a princess, and a demonic plot, the last is against Princess Anja of Sessalie, whom Commander Taskin thinks has been kidnapped. Captain Mykkael thinks there is more to it than that, but because of his race and mercenary background, he isn't readily believed until civil war threatens to break out in Sessalie. Meanwhile, Princess Anja has fled far away, and Mykkael has to flee for his own life, overtake her, enlist help for her, and finally lead her to safety through the monster-haunted terrain of Hell's Chasm. Once a marriage is arranged into a family of potent sorcerers, Anja can see about saving her realm and family, while Mykkael takes vengeance on the demons who, many years ago, drove him from his homeland and love. Wurts is skillful as ever at world-building and pacing, and her background as an artist shows in the kind of intensely visual writing that makes one wish more fantasy were written by artists. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc. (July 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159222024X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592220243
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,655,495 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

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Protecting the Princess, February 25, 2004

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Ride Hell's Chasm (Hardcover)

To Ride Hell's Chasm is a singleton fantasy novel. The Kingdom of Sessalie is a quiet highland realm that longs for an outlet to the sea. The King and Chancellors have arranged a marriage for Princess Anja with the High Prince of Devall to gain treaty access to their seaport and the two royals have fallen deeply in love. The High Prince has returned to Sessalie for the upcoming betrothal ceremony and the town has become a madhouse of wild and drunken celebration.

In this novel, Captain Mykkael and his Garrison troopers have had busy days and busier nights. Mykkael hasn't slept in twenty hours and barely has the energy to tend to his lame knee. His sword shows use and needs a good cleaning if he can find time. The rumors have been varied and fantastic, including a new one that Princess Anja has disappeared. Then he is summoned to appear before the King.

The rumor doesn't have the half of it. The princess has apparently fled on her own and is no longer anywhere in the castle, town or environs. The Seneshal is frantically worried that the betrothal will be rejected by the High Prince, but the prince seems only to be deeply concerned for the princess, urging all possible measures to find her. Commander Taskin of the Palace Guard has men searching all of the princess's old childhood hiding places within the castle, but soon has to agree with Mykkael that the princess is no longer there.

A sorcerer's mark has been found in the castle cellars, but Mykkael knows that it is false, having had experience with the real thing. In fact, Mykkael is almost the only man in Sessalie who knows anything about sorcery and demons, having fought against them on several occasions, and is one of the few survivors of the futile defense of Efandi before it was overwhelmed by sorcery.

Another sorcerer's mark is only too real, killing one of the few other men in the kingdom with the knowledge to defend against sorcery. Other deaths also seem to have been caused by sorcery, even though some of the nobles blame Mykkael and try to force his trial for these deaths. However, the King is well aware of the captain's history and charges him with responsibility for finding and protecting the princess.

This story is a study of a man with heavy responsibilities, horrific experiences, and sorrowful memories. It is also a tale of the love that can develop between a man and woman enduring exhausting and terrible tests of stamina and perseverance. Underlying it all is the threat of demons, bound sorcerers, and their minions.

Highly recommended for Wurts fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of loyalty, persistence, and competence in the midst of great trials.

-Arthur W. Jordin

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rollicking yarn, Wurts at full steam - a must read, March 20, 2004

By 

Geoff (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Ride Hell's Chasm (Hardcover)

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book to keep and reread, March 27, 2004

By 

Leonie Rogers (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Ride Hell's Chasm (Hardcover)

When I opened To Ride Hell's Chasm, I was enthralled with characters that deepened with every page, unexpected emotion, and a wonderfully detailed plot. Each character is masterfully created, with an attention to detail that makes them leap from the page and into your mind. Even the animals within the plot take on personality and emotion as they become a focus point for both the action and the drama of the storyline. From a deceptively gentle start, the pace of the action increases until you are left breathless at the climax. The plot weaves a complex world into a wonderfully varied whole that adds to the richness of the reading. This book is an original, avoiding standard fantasy cliches which are so often encountered. It tells a human story that has echoes within our own world. It gets better with each reread.

In case you can't tell - I loved it!