HarperVoyager The Curse of the Mistwraith

Transcendent Fantasy.That is, I have determined, the best appellation to apply to this series as a whole.It is a thoroughly unique series, unlike any other out there and should be ranked among the topmost series in the fantasy genre. Its absence among those is a travesty. The prose is amazing, drawing you into a world of Janny's creation that has been meticulously crafted and a work in progress since around 1972 when she first conceived the idea. Over 50 years of work to present day! The number of series with that sort of background are few and far between.I want to address a few things first though, as these are some common complaints about the series and this book in particular. (I'll reference a few varying sources here as well.)1. The prose is overdone and unnecessarily complex. This one comes up often and truthfully couldn't be further from the truth. This is a series meant to be savored and read slowly. Instant gratification isn't really going to be found here. Each word is chosen precisely, both to paint a picture for your mind. (Janny has extensive art appearance and I truthfully liken her writing to painting with words. The page is the canvas and the words the ink and colors.) It's meant to draw you in and unfold the world around you. A.P Canavan(A Critical Dragon on youtube) has a recent video: Curse of the Mistwraith - Excerpt (A brief look at the writing) where he takes a short scene and breaks down the artistry behind it and I encourage anyone interested to give his video a view! It's insightful and sheds a lot of light on the intent behind the writing.2. The story meanders. The initial setup sees two brothers on opposing sides of a blood feud, cast out of their world and to another, finding out they are prophesied saviors, meant to cast down a force that has blighted the sky for some five hundred years. What's more, those who greet them clearly aren't relaying the whole story to them, for a variety of reasons(many of which are not immediately clear, as I mentioned above, the story unfolds as you go and you can often find your preconceptions of what is happening upended as more information becomes available to you.) There are no easy answers here. Neither for the protagonists nor for the reader.3. The characters are inconsistent and shift personalities and opinions at the drop of a hat. Both Arithon and Lysaer have been reft away from their homeworld with no way to return, and are cast into a wholly new world with politics and factions that they are ignorant of and an immense responsibility cast upon their shoulders. Neither reacts to this very well and tries to deal with this change in circumstances in their own way, according to their upbringing and teaching. While both are Princes, the commonalities in upbringing are vastly different. The blood feud that lay between their kingdoms before exile looms as a specter over them both. Cast adrift, Lysaer sees the responsibilities before them as a way to find purpose and fulfilment. For Arithon, the reverse is true as his prior responsibilities as Prince of Karthan ended in tragedy and have broken his peace of mind, leaving him unwilling to embrace what Lysaer finds so appealing.I think that covers the primary things I can think of. You can also check A.P. Canavan's channel on youtube for a video that breaks down the prologue, which sets the stage for everything to follow. The important thing here is that this is a complex and in-depth series and Curse of the Mistwraith is merely scratching the surface of everything. Having gone through the series multiple times since I first picked it up back in the early-mid 90s, I can honestly say that I find new things on every read-through. Events in future books provide insights and knowledge that *recast* what you've read and experienced prior. How you view any given scene will change as your knowledge of the world grows.Much like the Fellowship of Seven, the Sorcerors who move throughout the book, Curse of the Mistwraith and its following volumes do not simply tell you things, or volunteer information. You must question and look outside yourself. The information is shown to you and I promise as you learn more and more about how the world works, you'll find your perceptions and preconceptions challenged. There are no static or simple answers. However, persist through Curse and beyond to the series' end and I promise you will not be disappointed. Rather, uplifted, as your views and prejudices are challenged and expanded in ways you had not even imagined.Transcendent Fantasy, as I said.Curse of the Mistwraith is the opening volume of a series that clearly is a labour of love. We are introduced to many of our primary characters in this volume and learn the peril that plagues the world of Athera and how two half-brothers become entangled in a sprawling web that will envelop everything they know. I hesitate to say that it is in the vein of such sprawling works as Wheel of Time and Stormlight Archive, as there is a depth to the series that I feel both of those lack.What it definitely is, however, is a series that challenges your conceptions and inspires you to look deeper, to examine motivations and characters. The surface isn't everything and this is not a popcorn fantasy series by any stretch of the imagination. It's a rewarding investment of time, however and I challenge anyone who reads to carry through. The first book can, I will admit, be a bit daunting at times with laying the groundwork for all that is ahead, however it's worth it as the series is one that needs to be experienced to truly understand.Edited to Add: One common thing that is mentioned about this book is calling it a travel log, etc, that it seems to be a lot of disconnected scenes up until the final third and those scenes apparently have no bearing on anything. Why this scene, etc?The important thing here is this book lays the foundation for everything that follows, with the finale that is forthcoming in May 2024 tracing events back all the way to this volume. Had certain things not happened here, you'd be left wondering 'Who is this?' or 'Why did this happen?' as the finale comes in swinging and does not let up.Do not sleep on this series! You've no idea what you're in store for. This is an absolute gem that nails the finale in every possible way and then goes, to borrow a meme, even further beyond!

Awesome first book in the 11 part series

Simply put, I loved this book. From the intriguing Prologue, to the turbulent climax, to the cautiously peaceful denouement, I loved this book. It was a reading experience and I am looking forward to continuing with the rest of this powerful series.The main characters, half-brothers Lysaer and Arithon, are a living embodiment of Light and Dark in all its permutations: each always in contrast but both absolutely necessary to the other. Born on the splinter world of Dascen Elur and raised to loathe one another, Lysaer and Arithon are thrust by circumstance into the ancient world of their ancestors, Athera, where fate has decreed them to be that world's freedom and bane. Athera is under curse of a Mistwraith and has been shrouded in fog and misery for an age. With the assistance of the Fellowship of the Seven and against the interfering powers of the Koriani, Lysaer and Arithon work to free Athera from the curse and restore the world's royal lines.I found this work to be especially powerful because it hits at the heart of human nature. The Wraith exploits Lysaer and Arithon's virtues to twist them against one another. How often do we see this in the real world - virtue turned vice by circumstance where the actor is so certain he or she is right that they are compelled to carry out their purpose to completion at any cost. The book explores the theme that seeking an ultimate goal can be an ugly business. There are consequences to the disagreeable actions that often seem necessary and justified when serving the "greater good."My favorite aspects of Wurt's work are the wonderful depth demonstrated in the characters, the richly imagined setting, and the beautiful and effective literary style. There is nothing one-sided or simple about the characters in this work. Each demonstrates emotional intensity, conflict, selfishness, guilt, altruism, hope - all the emotions constantly at battle in "real" people. The setting is richly imagined, detailed and intriguing. This first volume gives the reader the necessary insight and information without overloading history and backstory. Finally, I really enjoyed the style of the novel. In particular, I like how the prologue sets up the story source and the chapter design lends itself it the historical, story-telling aspect of the novel. I think the language used is poetic and dramatic without being over-the-top.The driving force behind this book and the entire series is the author's dedication to telling a rich, detailed story with breathtaking scope. Wurt's prose is lyrical and enchanting; she is literally able to weave the story. Too few authors carefully craft their work in such a manner.

I'm new to the Wars of Light and Shadow and after book 1 I am hooked. The characters are believable and interesting. One of the best parts of the story is how the players interact with each other. The author is a master of suspense and letting it build throughout the story. The magic system is rich and the major conflict is well constructed. Book 1 ends in a truly cataclysmic finish. You won't want to put it down.

I was so disappointed with this book. It had all the features that I love in a book: evil forces, magic, controversy, mythical beings. I wanted to like this book so much, but just could not. The writing at times is brilliant and then at other times is choppy and disjointed. I think my biggest issue with the book overall is that the author may have tried to pair down what could’ve been a very nice trilogy into one large book. I found multiple scenes of magical or important keys to the story being glossed over. Other, seemingly important aspects of the story were summarized in a single sentence. I think if people can get through this type of writing style, there is a very nice story underneath it all. As a titled this review, disappointed, I am especially bummed because I know there are about another 10 books in the series and I love a long fantasy series.