That Way Lies Camelot [Mass Market Paperback]

Janny Wurts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

Our ancient tradition of tale-spinning is blessed with a treasure trove of truly sacred places. One such place is Camelot.

In this superb collection of unforgettable stories, the multitalented artist/writer Janny Wurts, one of today's bestselling fantasy authors, takes the reader to a very special Camelot that is both deeply familiar and delightfully strange. She tells of the Eld Tree that is the link to the fey world, and of the terrible price that must be paid for cutting it; of the elvenkind that emulate the wolf to protect themselves from man; of the horses that rose, and still rise, from the sea.

"That Way Lies Camelot" is a book that proves what Wurts' legions of readers already know: that the worlds of fantasy will live on as long as there are writers such as Janny Wurts, with the vision and the skill to bring them to life in the minds of each generation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gifted creator of wonder." -- Raymond E. Feist

"Janny Wurts brings an artist's eye for detail and mood to the field of fantasy writing." -- Robert Lynn Asprin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

In this our ancient tradition of tale-spinning, readers are blessed with a treasure trove of truly sacred places.

Places that have transcended the bonds of space and time to live eternally as legend -- in the stories told by the old and in the dreams that rise, unbidden, in the hearts of the young. Magic places where human and faery meet in friendly rivalry; where wizardry still holds sway over dry science; where romance not only lives but flourishes, clothed in the long robes of the imagination.

One such place is Camelot.

In this superb collection of unforgettable stories, the multitalented artist/writer Janny Wurts, one of today's best-selling fantasy authors, takes the reader to a very special and deeply familiar Camelot that is both deeply familiar, as well as down byways which themselves are delightfully strange. She tells of the Eld Tree that is the link to the fey world, and of the terrible price that must be paid for cutting it; of the suburban children who find and bury an alien; of the elvenkind that emulate the wolf to protect themselves from man; of the horses that rose, and still rise, from the sea.

Here are myriad wonders, all rendered with an artist's eye and a writer's voice. Janny Wurts' many fans will be delighted to discover that she has included her popular tales of the space pirate MacKenzie James. And new and old readers alike will be moved by the title story, in which a dying boy's impossible last wish -- to see with his own eyes the Court of King Arthur -- comes magnificently true.

That Way Lies Camelot is a book that proves what Wurts' legions of readers already know: The worlds of fantasy will live on as long as there are sorcerers such as Janny Wurts, with the vision and the skill to bring them to life in the minds of each new generation of readers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper Prism (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061057789
• ISBN-13: 978-0061057786
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,443,065 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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy/SF short story writing as an art form, May 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: That Way Lies Camelot (Mass Market Paperback)

This collection of short stories is well written. Two of the recurring protagonists, the spaceship pilot and the elf huntress, seem to be characters to whom she couldn't give a whole novel. Their various adventures are self-contained, ironic, and quite entertaining. The real reason for buying this book is the last story: This Way Lies Camelot. I was moved to tears by its sheer power and beauty. In a very short space, Ms Wurts captures what heroism, struggle, sorrow, imagination, and magic all have in common: the thread of the human spirit. If you don't share this story with your children, after having introduced them previously to the Arthurian legends, their lives will be poorer for it. I have re read the story four times now, and it still makes me weep. Perhaps having a son and a dog makes me identify too closely to the characters. I will read it again soon.

3.0 out of 5 stars Camelot? I think not., October 30, 2010

By 

Laurel Vanblarcum (Waxahachie, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: That Way Lies Camelot (Mass Market Paperback)

Three stars for creativity. This is the first (and last) book I've read by this author. She's good at what she does, a bit overly prosy for me as I was not interested in the subject matter it took me days rather than hours to gnaw my way through the book. There are several sci-fi, feral elves, just plain fantasy as well as a modern day tear jerker (with the only passing reference to Camelot in the book). I was looking forward to a new take on the Arthurian legends and this collection couldn't be further from that; I'd call that false advertising but that's just me. There are strong female characters, men acting badly and some heroic if sorely put upon minors. One or two of the stories even had something as close as she apparently can bring herself to a happy ending. Obviously not my cup of tea especially considering my expectations but again well written and formulated.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly good short-story collection, February 21, 2010

By 

R. Daniel Williams (China) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: That Way Lies Camelot (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a compilation of fantasy and science fiction short stories, although all of the stories are not stand-alone stories. There are two of the stories which contain 3 short stories each. Overall, this collection of stories is good, but a couple of the stories are just a titch dark, so I only gave this book 3 stars, because I'm one of those readers who always likes to have a "happy" ending.