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Tossing this up for us in case anyone wants to share preliminary thoughts, etc.
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It is my pleasure to be joined once again by the incredible Janny Wurts to discuss her series finale to The Wars of Light and Shadow series. We discuss the 6 years it took to write it, when the final volume will be published, and a special reading from Song of the Mysteries (Warning if you have not read the series up to book 10 and do not wish to be spoiled). I hope you all enjoy this one! https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/k32RS4FG5zb -
Song of the Mysteries Episode with Janny Wurts An amazing podcast with Under the Radar and Janny Wurts, talking about the production and history of Song of the Mysteries. Announcement of the preorder and release date, and a special surprise(warning, if you aren't read up, there will be spoilers in that surprise, but it is warned in advance, of a reading of the first six pages of Song of the Mysteries. -
I had such a good start with this one but struggled with it for a bit. If anyone reads that has finished FP, I'd appreciate your thoughts. @P.L. Stuart I have blocked off a bit because it does give away some stuff about how Warhost ends. I tried to be as vague as possible, but as the series goes on, it's *really* hard to delve into the details in a review without spoilers coming up. Especially for FP. Anyway, without further do: In victory, despair, in defeat, pride. Without going into in-depth spoilers, the above is an accurate summation of the ramifications of the preceding volume. Fugitive Prince opens the Alliance of Light arc, which is the third in the series, with Curse of the Mistwraith being the first arc and Ships of Merior & Warhost of Vastmark being the 2nd. With this, Janny Wurts lays the groundwork for an arc that will upend everyone’s perceptions of what has been occurring and upset the paradigm entirely. It’s a brilliant introductory volume to the arc, taking what had come out of the second arc’s conclusion and setting the stage for what is one enthralling ride. Again, Janny’s writing is immersive and engrossing, drawing you into the mind of Arithon, who seeks desperately to preserve the clans while warring with his own conscience, the weight of all the deaths dragging at his every step. I’d spoken in the Warhost review of the exquisite character arc laid down for Dakar throughout the previous volume and the same is true here, albeit of a different sort. Several others are explored in-depth and fleshed out quite well. Fugitive Prince, as I said, opens the third arc of the series and is, in many ways, the darkest turn for the series so far. On a personal level, at least. The weight of the events of the past volumes finally comes crashing down for Arithon and makes for some compelling and evocative writing as his struggles with that and the gnawing, constant push of the Mistwraith’s curse. Culminating in a bittersweet finale, Fugitive Prince is a worthy follow-up to Warhost of Vastmark and a fascinating entry point to the third arc, managing to set up so much to come while still maintaining its own pace and coming to a satisfying conclusion. Perhaps one of the strongest features of these books is how each will tell a complete tale while still setting the stage for later volumes.
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Warhost of Vastmark Where to begin? In my previous review of the first part of this arc, I touched on the details behind publication and the separating of the book(depending on region and format) into 2 separate books. This was due to the size of the book. Hardcovers of that size can wear poorly. The US release, though, contained both parts intact, while the UK did not. In paperback, however(and ebook now), the divide remains, hence a total of 11 volumes is how most are likely to encounter this series. There isn’t any other historical oddity I can add for this book, so this review will be more focused toward the story. I’ll try to balance the future reviews better when I do have some information to share regarding the series’ difficulties. That is a few volumes away, though, so for now, let’s take a look at Warhost of Vastmark, released as a mass market paperback in 1995. This picks up only a short while after the conclusion of Ships of Merior, where a brilliant move by Arithon had crippled Lysaer’s fleet at anchor, an advantage he hoped to give him the time to finish the small fleet he had been building and escape to sea, leaving Lysaer and the Mistwraith’s curse no target to strike at. Events, however, have outpaced him as secretive factions with an interest in opposing him had orchestrated an assault on his shipyard, reducing almost all of his work to cinders. This setback kicks off a desperation fueled effort to salvage what he can while Lysaer regroups far too swiftly and the actions that follow shake the entire continent of Athera, indelibly marking itself in history’s weave. From a hike into the mountains that culminates in one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series, to conclude with a surprising act by a character, this book is, above all else, a stunning piece of character work. In truth, across both Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark, if you are reading as separate parts, the book(s) is/are truly Dakar’s. His arc across the pages, particularly in Warhost, locked this series in for me even more solidly than it already had been. There will undoubtedly be more to learn about him but amid a book filled with harsh lessons for many, Arithon and Lysaer included, Dakar the Mad Prophet’s character arc is the heart and soul of this book. Janny Wurts conducts it flawlessly into the written word, placing him in close proximity to one that he detests and forced to shed his preconceptions and really examine the situation between Arithon and his half-brother. It isn’t an easy journey and there is more than a bit of tragedy involved, but by the end, as with Wurts’ other works, you’re wholly engrossed in the changes and are holding your breath while that arc reaches its pinnacle. I’ve compared Janny’s writing to painting before, an immersive experience that draws you in and lets you visualize the world of the story, eclipsing the world around you and this is true in multiple locations throughout this book. You will find yourself: working alongside other craftsmen, the smell of burnt timber lingering in the wind while you work feverishly to finish a ship’s hull; scaling narrow mountain paths more suited to goats while winged drakespawn careen and wheel in the sky above; and perched among those same cliffs as a massive army musters in the vale below. Each scene is engrossing, sparing no effort in showcasing both the beauty and terrible majesty of the vistas to witness or events to happen. By book's end, the entire course of the future volumes is set, leading to the third arc of the series, Alliance of Light and what a ride awaits there! The Wars of Light and Shadow encompasses a total of 11 volumes. 1. Curse of the Mistwraith 2. Ships of Merior 3. Warhost of Vastmark 4. Fugitive Prince 5. Grand Conspiracy 6. Peril's Gate 7. Traitor's Knot 8. Stormed Fortress 9. Initiate's Trial 10. Destiny's Conflict 11. Song of the Mysteries (forthcoming. Janny has finished it and sent to the publisher and we're waiting for a release date as I write this.) You can find more information at her website. Janny Wurts' Official Website Hope you enjoyed this review and give this phenomenal series a try!
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I post my review concerning Ships of Merior! And talk more about the edition history and formats it was published in more than the story itself. Maybe I'm getting a bit too ambitious with what I am thinking of doing with my reviews... Also available on goodreads and will go to Reddit tomorrow. I'm going to go into a bit of history throughout this, both my own with the series and the publishing history(from my view as a long time follower of Janny’s work) so please bear with me. I'm working on these reviews as a series and I hope those of you reading will follow along, as this history is important and will hopefully raise awareness of the issues that have hindered this series from getting the sort of market push that it has been lacking. What this will mean from here and going forward is that you will see a recounting of issues that have plagued the series, as aforementioned. The book itself will be covered but in some instances, it may be sparsely so. Please also note that I am reviewing these without any benefit or compensation save that of hopefully driving up knowledge of this series that I adore. Nor do I have any particular secretive knowledge of the inner workings of the publishing industry. All my observations are gleaned from the outside and having followed this author’s works over the course of decades, including periods of turmoil and how those have impacted her(and undoubtedly others!) As I mentioned previously in my Curse review, this is a truly transcendent fantasy epic and yet, a number of circumstances have resulted in it lacking the kind of marketing push that would give it the reach and notice it deserves. We’ll try and shed some light on those as we go, but for now, let’s delve into this! The second volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow, Janny Wurts' fantasy epic, titled Ships of Merior was originally published in October of 1994 in the UK. The US edition hardcover was released in February of 1995. Now, there's two very important details to be raised regarding publishing. Due to printing constraints, which edition you're holding can be very important. The completed manuscript of Ships of Merior was divided into two at a point to avoid cliffhangers as much as possible, a natural pause) and released in two separate volumes. The US version, however, was released intact as a singular hardcover. It's one of the largest volumes in the series and a thrilling read. In paperback, however, it is, following the UK format, divided into two parts, which is the beginning of the confusion some may experience about how many volumes are in the series, as it depends on the printing format. (It's also a small example of something we'll come back to in a later review). For now, however, that clarifies things a bit I hope. The series encompasses(or will encompass) ten volumes in hardcover in the US(with one exception of a trade paperback), but a complete set in nearly every other format(such as paperback) will end with 11 volumes. For the purposes of this review, though, we'll cover the first part of this, which is Ships of Merior, the mass market paperback version. The second half(and third book in the series) of Warhost of Vastmark, we'll save for a separate review as I want to keep these in line with what a reader new to the series is going to be experiencing now and skipping an entire volume may confuse. Now, as I mentioned the US Hardcover was released in February 1995, and the mass market paperback later that year. And it is to that edition that, a young chibipoe split off from their family in the grocery store while making our weekly shopping trip and went to the magazine and book aisle. There, that fifteen/sixteen year old(math is hard, ok!) scanned the shelves and saw a familiar name on the cover of a book. 'Janny Wurts' I had previously read other books by her,Master of Whitestorm, The Cycle of Fire, the project with Feist, so it was a name I was familiar with and I knew her writing was something I would enjoy, that this was something new that I had not seen before. The picture on the cover, of Arithon perched against a ship’s rail, playing a musical instrument, with the spires of a city behind, was a captivating image. (As an aside, entirely separate from being an amazing writer, Janny is *also* a fantastic artist and with a few early exceptions, the releases of all her books(especially in the present day) have had cover and interior art produced entirely by her. She is an award winning artist as well as a fantastic author! As Stephen R. Donaldson said in a review of one of her books, "It ought to be illegal for one person to have this much talent." ) So I acquired this book then and devoured it, the second book serving as my actual entry point into the larger Wars of Light and Shadow series. I had previous experience into fantasy, of course. The usual staples; The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Earthsea, Prydain, etc, were my initial entry into fantasy, a story I am sure many share. I can safely say that, while I had been exposed to the fantasy books prior to this, that none of anything I had read until that point had the impact this book did. Ships of Merior was eye opening, an exposure to the genre that even other books written by Wurts had not provided, even as I enjoyed them immensely. From the moment the first page sets you a well worn path, accompanying a rider meandering on horseback, to a banquet hall where you witness a performance that exalts memory of the fallen then casts a degenerate and hostile audience down, weeping in despair for what they have wrought, to finally coming to a close amid the turbulent waters of a bay, a ship sailing clear of fire and destruction, this is a singular experience. The turn of phrase throughout the book is without peer. The author’s command of language in the prose is brilliant, each word chosen with utmost care, as a piece of a larger puzzle, filling in the picture and unveiling it to your eyes. I mentioned in the previous review of Curse of the Mistwraith that each word is meticulously chosen, and this facet of her writing deepens and expands with each progressive volume. With Ships, we are exposed to the manner of how the series will progress going forward. Curse set the stage, and now we begin peeling back the layers, expanding your understanding of the world and complexity underpinning the story. The conflict that exploded at the end of the first book in an inferno of violence has banked in the ensuing five years. Bereft of a target for his aggressions, Lysaer endeavors now to expand his influence and lay claim to his birthright, intending to refound the kingdom of Tysan and bind other cities under his banner. Meanwhile, Arithon abides in secrecy, adopting subterfuge that has defanged the drive of the Mistwraith's geas these past five years. Lysaer taking action and the entanglements with other characters prove the impetus to bring him into the open. From there, the events domino and cascade, gaining momentum and rushing toward a climax that stuns the mind and leaves you aching for more. Ships of Merior is in every way a worthy follow up to Curse of the Mistwraith, and in many ways an improvement upon it. I am oft conflicted over what to call my favorite book in the series and while I may favor one over the other, I believe the only true and correct answer is: whichever one I am currently reading. This volume gives you more of what Curse offered, freed of the constraints of being the opening volume, so it is everything the first was, but more. While simultaneously being different. The stage has been set, and now you begin to see the depths as the curtain draws back to expand your view and knowledge. Wonders await, as there are amazing depths ahead and Ships is the beginning of our descent to expose and experience them. Character wise, our cast largely remains the same, though some new additions arrive and bring a breath of fresh air as well as complications. New facets of returning cast are exposed and old characters may be changed drastically from our last sight of them. In conclusion, as I have no doubt rambled incessantly, Ships of Merior is a fantastic second volume in the larger saga of the Wars of Light and Shadow, as well as a stunning book on its own merits that I hope you'll enjoy every bit as much as I do. The Wars of Light and Shadow encompasses a total of 11 volumes. 1.Curse of the Mistwraith 2. Ships of Merior 3. Warhost of Vastmark 4. Fugitive Prince 5. Grand Conspiracy 6. Peril's Gate 7. Traitor's Knot 8. Stormed Fortress 9. Initiate's Trial 10. Destiny's Conflict 11. Song of the Mysteries (forthcoming. Janny has finished it and sent to the publisher and we're waiting for a release date as I write this.) You can find more information at her website. Janny Wurts' Official Website Hope you enjoyed this review and give this phenomenal series a try! ETA: You can also check out some other reviews here, if mine alone isn't enough to convince you: Angie the Bookaholic has a live discussion with P.L. Stuart, Blaise from Under the Radar SFF, and Janny herself: Ships of Merior Livestream discussion.(This one is fairly long and goes into a lot of detail, so fair warning! However, it is intensely fascinating.) Books with Banks has a youtube review here as well: Ships of Merior, by Janny Wurts - Book Review - (Wars of Light and Shadow Book 2)
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Here is A.P. Canavan's Inital thoughts on Curse of the Mistwraith. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VIDEO DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!!!. He nailed all the points that you need to look out for. I hope you all enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SA68ijp5nk
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Hello everyone, I'm looking for some epic fantasy recommendations by female SFF authors that may not have been so well marketed but are still great to read. My favourite epic fantasy author is J.R.R. Tolkien. Other top favourites include Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I also have a deep reverence for the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin after my recent reread. Books/series I have tried/read: Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey ASH: A Secret History by Mary Gentle Authors I am aware of but haven't tried yet: Mercedes Lackey Carol Berg C.J. Cherryh Katherine Kerr Barbara Hambly The year 2000 is an arbitrary cutoff just to give an indication that I am looking for older published works. I would be very thankful for any and all recommendations. -
This post is about Susanna Clarke, one of the best fantasy writers ever, in my opinion. She has a very short backlist but her writing is simply out of this world. I especially recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell if you don't mind a lengthy standalone novel (it is one of the masterpieces of modern fantasy and I truly hope will stand the test of time) but Piranesi is also a very good, short, standalone read which accomplishes something totally different to her debut novel. Susanna Clarke's works: 1. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell 2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15161.The_Ladies_of_Grace_Adieu_and_Other_Stories 3.Piranesi: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50202953-piranesi 4. Short story for BBC Christmas (audio): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001g9m4
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Janny Wurts has created something I have seen very few authors do in the fantasy genre and I am in awe of the brilliance and creativity. In the first volume of this 11 book epic fantasy series, Janny builds up an elaborate world, stacked up the history with layers of lore and magic, and laid the ground work for the rest of the series to come. I have also been told by the author that everything I just read has the potential to be turned on its head in many different ways. Not since I have read Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson have I had this much excitement for the novels and revelations to come! Before I get into all the positives of the novel I will need to touch on some of the shortcomings. This book is challenging and not an easy read to get through. Much in the same way as Malazan, you will need to pay close attention to the characters and the history as they will be important down the road. You must also have faith that the author will deliver on the promises laid out in this series. Although I have only read the first book, I have been told by lifelong fans that Janny Wurts delivers on the buildup and promises but she will make you work for it. You will not be spoon fed the answers like a warm piece of apple pie! Please also note that the middle section of this book is very slow at times and plot mainly focuses on travel, political, and the building up of the threats to the land. Slow burns don’t bother me at all but some readers will find this a major deterrent. I want everyone to be prepared of what to expect. Now on to all of the positives with The Curse of the Mistwraith. The story revolves around a prophecy that the land of Athera, which currently exist in a state of eternal fog for the past 500 years, will be vanquished by a prince who wields the powers of light and shadow. The prophecy was half right in that the powers are split into 2 half brothers: Arithon is the Master of Shadow and Lysaer is the Lord of Light. The two brothers are accompanied by the Sorcerer Asandir and his apprentice Dakar sometimes refereed to as the Mad Prophet as it is his prophecy which all hope the brothers will fulfill. Asandir takes on the Gandalf type role of the story as the history, lore, factions, and traditions of Athera are told from his perspective. The plot slowly builds to the last 200 pages where the fireworks start and the plot kicks into hyperdrive. I won’t get into spoilers but I’m just letting it be known that the investment has a great payoff at the end. Janny Wurts writes Curse of the Mistwraith as a high fantasy novel with beautiful and descriptive prose. There will not be info dumps as the tale and histories will be told organically and slowly over the course of the story. Janny also does something very interesting when it comes to switching the character narrative during a chapter. Each chapter is divided into several sections with a new character taking over, but the fun part comes at the end of each chapter. Janny will write 3 short paragraphs detailing an important event taking place in other parts of the world. I found myself referring back to these again and again as you normal expand on that short paragraph in the next chapter. This is a writing technique I have never seen used in this way and it was welcoming to learn something new. Not everything will be answered in this book and the rug will be pulled out from under you (or so I have been told). I had a great time reading the first book in this epic series. Although The Curse of the Mistwraith asks a lot from the reader and I did struggled at times getting through the middle section, the groundwork has been built and I can see great things coming in future novels. I don’t know when, but I will be continuing with this series and I know Janny Wurts will knock this out of the park! Fans of Malazan will enjoy this series and it is one Under the Radar series I am happy to have started. Cheers! 51xh2nkv6NL._SY346_.webp
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Prince Lysaer, having been made a fool of at Merior, is out for revenge against his half-brother and the shadow prince Arithon. Lysaer and his warhost of allies will have to travel through the mountains of Vastmark for his revenge while still being under the gaes of the Mistwraith. Arithon has plans of his own to stop the invading forces and not every encounter will end at the tip of a sword. The stage is set for the ultimate battle of wits, might, alliances, and betrayals. The investments you put into this series are starting to be paid back in spades with plenty more to come. I have been told this by Janny on several different occasions and I am going full speed ahead until the end. This will be a spoiler free review, but I will be speaking on certain scenes from the first two novels. Let me state from the beginning that Ships of Merior (book 2) and Warhost of Vastmark were originally published as one complete novel, but eventually split in two at a great stopping point. It would be better for you as the reader to jump straight to Warhost upon the completion of Ships of Merior. It is almost impossible to discuss this series without going into spoilers as perceptions and theories you might have made when completing the first two works will be changed drastically by the end of this book. Characters both primary and secondary will shift their motives, desires, and will only grow on you throughout the story. Small details will come to the forefront in a big way while never feeling too overwhelming. The bigger scope of the Fellowship as well as the Koriani will come into focus and their presence will be felt on both sides of the conflict. I can’t speak enough about how much I enjoyed the writing of this series. Janny is a magician with the pen as the layers of this world are being woven together seamlessly and with the utmost care. You don’t come across works of this magnitude often but when you do, they are a sight to behold! Character development is where Janny’s words really shine and Warhost is a prime example of this. Multiple times through the course of this novel, my emotions and theories about certain characters were tossed out the window with my heart on my sleeve. I won’t go into everyone, but I would like to talk about two characters who really jumped off the page. The first one is Talith, brother to commander Diegan and wife of Prince Lysaer. Talith was not a character that moved the needle in any direction when I first read about her, but by the end she will be a forever on my radar. This was not done in one big scene but slowly and methodically over the entire novel. The gears in my head will continue to turn until I revisit this world again. The other character I wish to discuss is Tharrick. Once a guard at the s’Brydon Armory, Tharrick was flogged and beaten by the s’Brydon brothers after Arithon set fire to the place killing seven people. Tharrick vowed revenge on the shadow prince and that is where his story begins in Warhost. Tharrick starts as a character driven by vengeance to one of the most complex and determined characters I have come across in a fantasy novel. There is so much more beneath the gruff exterior if you can just peel back the layers. No one will be able to guess his story arc and where he will end up but Janny will not steer you wrong. Lysaer is driven by the compulsion of the Mistwraith to rid the world of magic influence and he is not afraid to accomplish his task with death and destruction. Arithon is driven by a desire to avoid bloodshed and to bring peace to the lands by other means. These two opposing forces will meet at center stage and it is interesting to see how some tactics may need to be changed before the end. You will experience some of the most shocking and emotionally driven moments in any fantasy book with this series. With seven books left on my plate to be all caught up with the War of Light and Shadow, I have a lot of catching up to do. With Janny as my guide, this will be a series for the ages and one I will revisit for ages to come! Cheers!
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https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/BGJkDzkZZvb It's my honor and privilege to welcome Janny Wurts to my podcast. Janny is the international best seller author of over 20 books and offers her insight on the industry, science, and the creation of her 11 book epic. This has been a long time coming and I hope you enjoy our conversation!
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We return to the land of Athera with our two princes Arithon and Lysaer as bitter enemies. 5 years have past following the end of The Curse of the Mistwraith with all of Athera on its edge. The tension is so thin you could cut it with a butter knife as Lysaer, under geas of the Mistwraith is determined to destroy his half brother. Arithon has given up his princely aspirations for the life as a bard apprentice to Halliron. These two princes are destined to confront each other on the battlefield, but the journey is the masterpiece behind this amazing sequel, this will be a spoiler free review, but I will be touching upon events that took place in book 1. The lands of Athera have been cleansed of the mist with the high cost of turning the to princes into enemies. Arithon has decided to go into hiding and take up the life of a bard instead of subjecting his people to war and pain. For 5 long years Lysaer has been on the hunt and bidding his time for the opportunity to strike at the heart of Athera. Gathering allies, kingdoms, and a fiancé in Lady Talith the light haired prince is driven by madness for the death and destruction of Arithon. With a massive army at his back, Lysaer has driven the shadow prince out of hiding and Arithon must take to the seas to avoid an all out war, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve and allies of his own hiding in plain sight. It is impossible for me to describe all the mysteries and secrets this book has to offer, not mention the every progressing character arcs in a single review. What I can do is gush about the ingenious creativity and monumental achievement of what I consider to be a classic epic of the genre. What makes this series such a joy to read can also be perceived as its biggest hurdle for new readers. Janny will throw you head first into the storm with little to no point of reference in book 1. You are asked as a reader to not only absorb this tremendous volume with dozens of characters, but to be hit with wave after wave of lore, myths, magic, factions, and rivalries all while moving at a slower than normal pace. This is done on purpose with the intention of slowing your mind to achieve maximum understanding of the nuances the story has to offer. You can not skim this series due to the complexities and important hints that will are bound to come up in a later chapter or even volume. The Ships of Merior not only builds on the positives of book 1, but is also a much better paced and more direct plot than its predecessor. With a climax you will not see coming the series is ripe for an epic volume 3 and the end of the second ARC in the War of Shadow and Light. The Ships of Merior has dozens of humorous moments and most of them revolving around our notorious mad prophet. He is almost always getting into trouble and the laughs just kept on coming. The Fellowship of the Seven is scattered throughout the land trying to discover the workings of the curse surrounding the two princes and how best to destroy it. The Koraithain sisterhood is on the hunt for the shadow prince and the Prime has no inclinations of using Elaira’s love for Arithon to her advantage. Janny starts to weave her web surrounding the histories of these two powers with plenty more to come in book 3. War is coming to Merior and Arithon will pull every trick in the book to avoid death and destruction by his hands once again. This sequel has many surprises coming your way and plenty you will not see coming. The complexities, history, and everchanging dynamic of this series will keep even the most experienced reader guessing by the end. This series has so much to offer to the modern fantasy reader that it would be a travesty to not dip your toes into the deep end. Whether complex characters, magic, twists, or epic worldbuilding this series has it all. My only disappointment with this book is the fact that it was split in two. Books 2 and 3 were written as one novel and split for publication reasons. You can guess what I will be reading next! I’m in this until the end and I have one more question to ask you, will you join me? Cheers!
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Hello everyone, Links to SPOILER discussions on other YouTube channels/podcasts for each of the books in The Wars of Light and Shadow series by Janny Wurts @JannyWurts will be posted here. Many of these discussions feature Ms Wurts herself! Ongoing readalongs (2022/2023-) - 1) @angiethebookaholic, Blaise, @P.L. Stuart - 2) @PhilipChase, @ACriticalDragon, @TheFantasyNuttwork, @Johanna - 3) Our very own readalong on the Page Chewing forum hosted by @Steve with discussions starting April 2023 - The links to spoiler discussions from 1) and 2) will be posted here.
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- epic fantasy
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Hello everyone, This post is to honour Patricia A. McKillip, one of the best writers of fantasy literature. She wrote mostly standalone novels - original fairytales with beautiful evocative prose. Two exceptions include the Riddle-master trilogy and the Cygnet duology. She won the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008 for her contributions to fantasy literature. I will list some titles and links for anyone interested in getting into her work: a) The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (World Fantasy Award winner) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81069.The_Forgotten_Beasts_of_Eld b) Alphabet of Thorn - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81075.Alphabet_of_Thorn c) Ombria in Shadow (World Fantasy Award winner) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/781124.Ombria_in_Shadow d) The Riddle-Master trilogy - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19821.Riddle_Master Readers of her work, please do share your thoughts on her writing and other recommendations - she has a huge backlist and I have only listed the ones I have personally read so far. Thank you so much for reading!
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Hello everyone, This post is to list the SF works of Sheri S. Tepper which focus on powerful social themes and some very innovative worldbuilding. The works I list here are all part of the SF Masterworks series. a) The Gate to Women's Country: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104344.The_Gate_to_Women_s_Country b) Grass: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104342.Grass c) Raising The Stones: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104348.Raising_the_Stones Grass and Raising The Stones are part of the Arbai trilogy but they can be read as standalones. The Gate to Women's Country is a standalone. A note: Tepper's fiction contains many powerful ideas but may also contain some matter removed from modern sensibilities that may not have aged well. A request to please approach her works with an open mind, they are truly novel works, especially considering the time they were written in. Readers of her works, please do share your thoughts and other recommendations. Thank you so much for reading.
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Hello everyone, I thought about making a post about To Ride Hell's Chasm, a beautifully written standalone fantasy novel by Ms Janny Wurts @JannyWurts and an excellent introduction to her works. I'm not the best with articulating what is so great about this book (TL; DR: It's an extremely compelling thematically rich story as well as deep character study with human and non-human MCs - definitely worth a read imo) so I will share resources developed by redditors and Booktubers who are much more eloquent than me. Why You Should Read To Ride Hell's Chasm: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/byx6n5/to_ride_hells_chasm_by_janny_wurts_book_review/ Booktube reviews: 1) by @Vee 2) Please do check out some of these links if you are interested and give this book a chance. It is a wonderful read.
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Hello everyone, In this post I want to share links to two works by Nicola Griffith, both part of the SF Masterworks series. Nicola Griffith has a very strong authorial voice, some beautiful writing and great worldbuilding ideas. Ammonite deals with the concept of a female utopia while Slow River is set in a near future landscape and follows the journey of Lore, daughter of one of the world's most powerful families who was kidnapped and now finds herself destitute. Here are the links: Ammonite: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18171006 Slow River: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17270583 Video reviews of both books: Ammonite: Slow River: Happy reading!
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Hello everyone, Just wanted to make a post listing some of the SF works of Ursula K Le Guin and Octavia E. Butler that I have read and enjoyed. Goodreads links are attached as well as comments on whether they stand alone or are part of a series. Ursula K Le Guin: All these works work as standalones. While most of them take place in the same Hainish universe, it is not necessary to have knowledge of her prior works or read them in order. 1) The Left Hand Of Darkness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33830160-the-left-hand-of-darkness If there is one book by Ursula K Le Guin you want to try, please give this one a chance. It is a masterpiece of literature, not just SFF literature. 2) The Lathe Of Heaven: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25984055 3) The Dispossessed: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/756970 4) The Word for World is Forest: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24933757 5) The Telling: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8508467-the-telling NB for book collectors: 1) - 4) are part of the SF Masterworks series if you want nice matching editions (I have them in ebook format). If you have read these books or other books in the Hainish Cycle, please do share your thoughts. Octavia E. Butler: The works I list here include one duology, one trilogy and one standalone. Please take care with respect to content/trigger warnings for all the books. (I am happy to answer any specific questions you may have) 1) The Earthseed duology: Book 1- Parable of the Sower: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41161349-parable-of-the-sower This works well as a standalone even if you do not want to read both books. If you want to read any of Octavia E. Butler's works, please give this book a chance. In my opinion, it is a masterpiece of literature, not just SFF literature. Book 2 - Parable of the Talents: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41161350-parable-of-the-talents 2) Lilith's Brood/Xenogenesis trilogy: All the books are linked so one would have to read the trilogy as a whole to get the complete picture. Book 1 - Dawn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54817568-dawn Book 2 - Adulthood Rites: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56222216-adulthood-rites Book 3 - Imago: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57653419-imago 3) Kindred: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60931.Kindred If you have read any of these books or the Patternist series by Butler, please do share your thoughts. Thank you for reading 🙏🏽.
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Hello everyone, This post is to share general NON-SPOILER links and resources for WoLaS by Ms Janny Wurts @JannyWurts, an epic fantasy series like no other. Hopefully this will also help readers who are on the fence decide if they want to give the series a try. 1) The most important resource is to Ms Wurts' website https://paravia.com/JannyWurts/books/wolas-00-series.php where there is also a link to the paravia wiki which contains detailed summaries of the books. The series, consisting of 11 books, is divided into arcs. These arcs are explained in detail as follows: wolas-series.pdf (Note the symmetry in the 1-2-5-2-1 arc structure 😄) 2) A reddit post providing a detailed overview of the series: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/kqge2v/the_wars_of_light_and_shadow_an_overview/ 3) Video resources discussing the series including words from Ms Wurts herself: a) A dedicated non-spoiler discussion on WoLaS as a whole: b) An interview with Ms Janny Wurts by our very own @Steve and Mr P L Stuart @P.L. Stuartwhere WoLaS is mentioned in detail along with her other works: There are many resources available. Really looking forward to the readalong from April 2023 (please join if you can)! 😄 Please do share your (non-spoiler) thoughts and additional resources, if any, here if you have read the series/are in the process of reading the series.
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Here is a comprehensive guide to Ms Janny Wurts' published works compiled on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/kfa79x/a_guide_to_the_works_of_janny_wurts/