Shadowfane is a mixture of fantasty and sci-fi. . . of course,though, it is the sci-fi that always rules. The whole book is gripping and it makes you want to find out what exactly happens next. . . and many things that happen are unexpected - lots of things are unexpected. It still is an excellent book and has a very good ending - at least I think it does

As mentioned by the other reviewers, Wurts has done an excellent job at telling a rich, character-driven, complex story in one book. Some other modern fantasy authors should take note of this!

The one thing that none of the other reviewers commented on was Wurts' phenomenal use of Beowulf as his source for this book. He has taken the heroic epic and woven it into a superb study of what drives a man like Beowulf to be the best.

A Master of a tale. I was completely drawn into the story, being hauled head over heals from the first page. Frankly, this book is perfect. Mrs Wurts grabs the reader by the throat and squeezes. Korendir is an unforgetable character, his will and persistence appaudable. I read this book, over a 1000 pages, in one memorable sitting, I totally forgot about the outside world. Never, in all my years as an avid reader have I been so absorbed and fasinated about ONE (thats right there is no volume 2)book. I read it 3 times, it was so good. Expertly written, with almost touchable details and man, talk about character development! Korendir will take his firm hold in your mind long after the book is finished. Janny Wurts, I believe, is one of the best Fantasy Adventure writer on God's green Earth and is still highly under-rated. In Laymans term, THE MASTER OF WHITESTORM is the BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!! NO EXZAGERATION. I hope more people disvover this magnificent writer. **********.... stars.

I plan to buy all of her books and read THE MASTER OF WHITESTORM AGAIN!

...

So often is the case in mondern fantasy that authors utilize the serial format and I think that the writing suffers because of that. I am more impressed if an author can write a single book of however many pages, and have it be good, and stand alone, than I would be if that same author wrote an 8 book series that accomplished as much in that span of time as the single book did.

This is the case with this book. It isn't often that I read stand alone books, I read so fast that they always leave me looking for more anyway, and so it is usually easier for me to read a series where I know there are going to be more books. This book was a wonderful exception to my rule though.

This was such a great book because of the characters. They were fantasy characters and performed tasks that the average man could not. And it wasn't becaues of magic necessarily in this book, but the will finding a way.

It turns out that the main character is a legacy of some mighty wizard; but he spurns this heritage is forges out into the world on his own bereft of any use of magic. Any accomplishment he does is his own, and this is what makes this a great book. His character is driven and does impossible tasks, but it is not impossible to fall in love and deeply admire this character because of his deeds and his will.

The setting was unique, but I think the shining moment for this author was in creating and developing her character of Korendir.

Read this book. I know it is an older book, and I know that it didn't recieve rave reviews when it came out like a robert jordan, or a terry goodkind, but this author is a very good one and proven, just give this book a chance. You will like it.

This book begins with action at the very start. The Fellowship find themselves underpowered, but still have to meet the initial onslaught of an investigation by the same source that invaded all those years prior - another faction of the mistwraith.

But this is just a side battle in the preparation for something much grander as Arithon finds he cannot run from his half-brother forever.

This book ends a series of wars between the Light (Lysaer) and Shadow (Arithon), but the story continues. At this point the plots are still thick and alliances are constantly changing as truth and knowledge become available to those participating on the various sides.

Janny does not come out and say that this side is good and this side is evil. Instead, she paints a picture defining the characteristics of all involved and leaves that up to you.

The depth of this book continues with the others, but is not as able to stand alone as the others, simply because it was originally to be part of Ships of Merior. When that book became too large, Warhost of Vastmark took a life of its own. This is not to say it is wanting because it continues in the grand tradition that Janny set forth in her previous books in this series.

The tale of the two half-brothers continues in volume 2A of The Wars of Light and Shadow. A carefully balanced alliance has been shattered by actions not in the control of either brother. Actions that not even the Fellowship of Seven are able to counter. Move and counter move proceed across the continent of Paravia as Lysaer moves town Mayors and armies in his never ending desire to see the destruction of Arithon. Arithon flees back to the ships that served himself so well as a pirate on his home world of Dascen Elur. But Lysaer pursues him closely. Into this mix comes a character from CURSE OF THE MISTWRAITH, Dakar the Mad Prophet, he of the West Gate prophecy. Devoted to his cups and wenching. Desiring nothing so much as to be left to his own devices he is entwined into the fate of the two brothers. Ms. Wurts weaves a deft tale that reveals incredible depths in these characters. You care so much about each of these that it is hard to take sides. But take sides you will. Lesser characters shine in the roles of friends, lovers or opponents. Stroke and counter stroke are described with a delicate nicety that leaves you wanting more. Events of such striking compassion occur that you will be forced to lay the book aside, but not for long, and contemplate the results.

I really can see how this book is the second half of "Ships of Merior"--it flows perfectly and sets up the stage for what will hopefully be a terrific final showdown in the next few books. I came to understand a little bit more about both prince's characters, although I still believe that Arithon is the hero and Lysaer is an over-zealous prig. But that's just me. Read this one RIGHT after "ships".

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first in the series, but I think it may have just been because Daughter of the Empire raised my expectations to a very high level.

I thought this book went a little overboard with Mara of the Acoma breaking traditions as she falls in love with Kevin, the slave from across the rift in Midkemia. Nevertheless, this is still a very good book and I see it as sort of a bridge between the other two fantastic volumes of this series.

If you liked the first book in the series, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well, but if you don't like this as much, don't worry because the conclusion, Mistress of the Empire lives up to the standard set by Daughter of the Empire.

This is a great book! I must say that this book didn't let the intensity change as often seems to happen in the 2nd book of a trilogy! While this book starts off a bit slower than the first. Mara of the Acoma isn't in quiet a tight a situation when the book starts out. She has proved her metal in the great game.

As the intensity ramps up, we are informed with great skill on the part of the authors to several key situations to the storyline. And then as if unlocking a brake, the story takes off in a situation that give Mara the chance to make great changes, at the same time bringing her face to face with her family's long time foe.

Again, I can't say enought about this trilogy! Its very well written, the authors portray the culture, the attitudes of the people, the class struction, this new world they have created with great skill. If you enjoyed Raymond E. Feist's Krondor series then I am sure you will enjoy this story as well of a woman who while a lady uses her mind and the soldiers of her house for the good of her house, and of the Empire as whole!

Once again, the Feist-Wurts team has created a beautiful masterpiece. Feist supplies the intricate fantasy setting, and Wurts tells the tale from a woman's perspective. Fearfully, I actually began to view Mara of the Acoma as my own personal hero! Time to take a break and ground myself in reality. But truth to tell, Janny Wurtz has struck an admirable balance between strength, beauty, and self-improvement. The Feist-Wurtz heroine is a more realistic one than is often seen on the fantasy shelves, as the progression of the story lies as much in her own development as in the plot. Forgoing the traditional "sword and sorcery" formula, this book may well be a fiction novel from another world.

Daughter of the Empire and the two books that follow are a must for any Raymond Feist fan. It matches the rift war saga in enjoyability and surpases anything else that Feist has worked on. I haven't read any Janny Wurts stuff, so I don't know how it compares.

The book is almost historical fiction, except the events take place in a completely ficticious asian style world. There are enough fantastical elements (the black ones and the Cho-ja) to keep fantasy enthousiasts entertained, but this goes far beyond run of the mill fantasy novels. The writing moves along at a great pace, it starts fast and never stops. The characters are almost always cool and fun to read about, there are seldom characters who you are sorry to get back to when their plot line rotates back again (especially the spy master, I loved that guy).

If you've read these books and are looking for something along similar lines, you'll almost certainly be entertained by Sean Russell's "Initiate Brother" and "Gatherer of Clouds" which are very similar and just as fun to read.

I had to laugh when I read one of the reviews for this book. The writer called it boring and said if you liked Raymond Feist you would not like this book. I totally agree. I picked up Feist's books because of my absolute adoration of the Empire series. I was shocked. Feist's books are soooo poorly written and simply plotted. Where was all the wonderful political intrigue, suspense, and plot manipulation like that found in Daughter of the Empire? Feist's books read like outlines of "how to write a formulaic fantasy book." Granted, they are probably entertaining to teen-age boys or someone just getting into the fantasy genre, but the Empire series is definitely for a more intelligent, thoughtful reader. Together Wurts and Feist have created a wonderful new world and peopled it with interesting characters doing very interesting things. It is not about swords and sorcery, it is about a heroine who manipulates the restrictions and resources of her culture to survive. If you like a book that keeps you guessing, takes unexpected twists and turns, and challenges you to keep up, this is the book!

Mara is only seconds from being irrevocably sealed to a religious life when she learns of her father's and brother's death and that she is now ruling lady of the Acoma, a feudal house on a world based primarily on Korean custom and myth. With her family, most of the soldiers perished. Mara must gather her few resources and rebuild, while fighting a quiet war with her enemies. In her favor--her willingness to ignore custom and tap into unexpected resources. But will that be enough?

Fine book from the other side of the Rift in Feist's Riftwar saga (Magician, etc.) While there is incidental contact with some of the characters from Magician and its sequels(we will briefly meet Pug in this series, but he will not play any major part), this series stands well on its own, and is probably more accessible than the Riftwar series, which got rather arcane in its final books.

An interesting and fine read.

I am not sure quite how to review this book since I never actually finished it. It took me over a month to come within 150 pages of the end. I am not a slow reader and my interests are very broad. But I just could not bring myself to continue reading this book anymore. What is so frustrating is that I found the first book, Curse of the Mistwraith, so enjoyable; in fact, I read it in two or three days. The concept of pure justice, as embodied in Lysaer, in contest with nearly pure compassion (Arithon) is an interesting plot.

This series, The Wars of Light and Shadow, has garnered much praise for Janny Wurts both on this site and elsewhere. And while I agree with much of the praise for Curse of Mistwraith, the first installment, I must disagree for Ships of Merior. This book is very predictable. By itself that isn't necessarily a detriment. But it is also slow. It sort of wanders its way through the plot. Her phrasing is awkward at times. There doesn't seem to be anything new in terms of character development. I was hoping to find out more about Dakar in this book. Maybe that was relagated to the last 150 pages I couldn't make it through. His increasing bitterness and anger toward Arithon is, unless I missed something, inexplicable. And, predicatably, he keeps showing up at the wrong time and place to spoil Arithon's plans. Maybe Dakar is Arithon's albatross.

Long books and series are the rage these days. Witness Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Well written verse keeps the pages turning and the reader engrossed, no matter the length. But many authors just fill up space with words. Ships of Merior could have been reduced to about half its wordage and still conveyed the basic plot without sacrificing reader enjoyment.

Despite this book I think Janny Wurts is a good author. In my opinion, her best work is the Rift War Saga parallel series written in collaboration with Raymond Feist.

The tale of the two half-brothers continues in volume two of The Wars of Light and Shadow. A carefully balanced alliance has been shattered by actions not in the control of either brother. Actions that not even the Fellowship of Seven are able to counter. Move and counter move proceed across the continent of Athera as Lysaer moves town Mayors and armies in his never ending desire to see the destruction of Arithon. Arithon flees back to the ships that served himself so well as a pirate on his home world of Dascen Elur. But Lysaer pursues him closely. Into this mix comes a character from CURSE OF THE MISTWRAITH, Dakar the Mad Prophet, he of the West Gate prophecy. Devoted to his cups and wenching. Desiring nothing so much as to be left to his own devices he is entwined into the fate of the two brothers. Ms. Wurts weaves a deft tale that reveals incredible depths in these characters. You care so much about each of these that it is hard to take sides. But take sides you will. Lesser characters shine in the roles of friends, lovers or opponents. Stroke and counter stroke are described with a delicate nicety that leaves you wanting more. Events of such striking compassion occur that you will be forced to lay the book aside, but not for long, and contemplate the results.

It has normally been my experience that when an author begins an epic series with a book as long as Curse of the Mistwraith, the tale normally ends in a never ending list of badly written sequels trying to profit from the interest generated by the first. Happily, my experience with Ms Wurts in terms of the Wars of LIght and Shadows allow me to revise such an opinion. The characters merely deepen their appeal in the subsequent novels, rather than follow a series of shallow plot twists and revelations. Arithon merely becomes more pitiable and noble as time goes on. What can't you say about him? He is one of the most memrable fantasy characters that I have ever read about...and I have read a LOT of fantasy novels! This series is worth every star it can get, and you can email me at c_lambert@hotmail.com if you would care to talk more about it.

This book brings to an end the saga of Mara of the Acoma, and her political rise through the Empire of Tsuranuanni. It begins with a tragedy that leads a grief-stricken Mara to realise that she has a new enemy, the awesomely powerful Assembly of Magicians. The story follows Mara through a new series of plots, near-death encounters, revelations, and personal struggles as she once more fights to protect her loved ones and family honour.
Mistress of the Empire is as well-written as its two prequels, and as the tension mounted towards the end, I couldn't put it down. Yet the book did leave a sour taste in the mouth, and that is because Mara ends up with everything. Yes, we know she's lost many people she loved. Yes, we know she's suffered greatly. But at the end of the book she has more power and wealth than ever, the literal protection of the gods, and the love of her life returned. Some balance on this score would have been preferable. In contrast to the other books, it didn't seem to me that Mara really learnt anything in this book, either - it's hard to believe that she's acting for anyone other than herself, no matter how moving her struggles can be. Her supposed concern for the underprivileged just doesn't seem to shine through in this book.
The Assembly of Magicians was an unsatisfactory enemy; its portrayal in other books seemed at variance with its portrayal here, and I did wonder how well the concept had been thought out. And it certainly gave up far too easily in the end. The priests, too, were problematic. They never seemed to care about the cruelty in the empire before, so why start now? There was too much plot contrivance of this sort, and it did undermine Mistress of the Empire. Other annoying contrivances that furthered specific plot ends were the poisoning, the divorce of Hokanu, and the death of Ayaki.
The book was also let down by its ending. The showdown before the emperor's throne was silly, with all its stops and starts, the constant raising of the stakes, and its contrived resolution. And as for the epilogue, that read like wish fulfilment on the part of the authors, rather than being consistent with what had gone before - sorry, I just don't believe that social change would have come that fast. Feist and Wurts have perhaps caught a disease that is unfortunately becoming more common amongst fantasy authors: total control of their imaginary world from creation to destruction, with nothing left unresolved and nothing left for anyone else to play with, even readers.
Yet it was nice to see in this book how much came about through the actions of characters other than Mara, particularly Arakasi and Lujan. The change in Arakasi (always my favourite character) was especially welcome and well done.
If you liked Daughter of the Empire and Servant of the Empire, you'll no doubt enjoy this, too. It's not as good as Servant of the Empire, but it's still a fun read. You might find it best not to think on it too deeply, though.

Twists inside twists is the best way to describe the plot in this one. Not that it will shock you so much as that the action never seems to falter or fall short. There was only one point where I thought there was a plot malfunction, where the story seems to be heading somewhere, then goes somewhere completely different. But if you don't notice it, I'm not going to tell you where it is. Because the rest of the book is so good, I'm still giving it five stars. The final book of the series, Mistress gives us the ends we've all known that Mara and her associates deserved despite their sometimes ruthless means. In this episode, Mara travels far afield to a land she barely knew existed; Arakasi, Acoma Spymaster, takes on an entire fortress of trained assassins, and falls in love with a beautiful, but jaded girl; we see the fruits of Mara's constant labor to unite the Empire and protect the future of her family name. And if that isn't enough, maybe you just don't like fantasy.

I loved the first two books in this series and was really hoping that the third could maintain the standard set in those. I was not disappointed, this book may have been the best of the three.

As Mara of the Acoma continues to be a major player in the politics of the Tsurani Empire on Kelewan, this book is packed with action and intrigue right up to the exciting conclusion.

For those who read and enjoyed the first two books in this series, you will not be disappointed by this one.

Luckily I've been previously introduced to Ms. Wurts's books. "Fugitive Prince" is an excellent beginning for the next, well developed, story arc in the Mistwraith series. The book reads slow only if you dislike the depth of character Janny establishes. If you keep in mind the fact that the characters make these books what they are, the reading is quite entertaining. What the book may lack in action it makes up for in plot development and epic promise. Janny does a fine job handling capable adult heroes. The theme of accountability plays heavy against the theme of justice here. I'm very pleased to hear that Ms. Wurts plans to lengthen the scale of this series. This lets her do a little more of the development we see in "Fugitive Prince". If you liked the other books in the series definitely get a hold of this one. It has just the right mix of, "what'll happen next," and, "jeeze that was rough".

I LOVED it! This book just keeps the thrills of the Atheran saga coming. I can't wait for the next book to come out. This series has captivated me since the first book. The characters are enthralling, the world detailed and clearly defined, the conflicts heartlifting and soulwrenching. I'm always tempted to just let myself HATE Lysaer, but then I get reminded that the situation isn't that simple. All of the people in these books shine with life; their hope and their much more common despair is communicated straight out of the book and into the reader. It's well-nigh impossible to put the book down, and the wait between books is almost unbearable. If you haven't read the book, READ IT NOW! I don't know whether it's just me or what, but I've found this series to be better than Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Granted, I was young when I read that trilogy, and I've only read it once, but I've enjoyed Janny Wurts's books far more. I've read several reviews on her books that comment on atroscious grammar and other such complaints. I've never noticed it; the books have engrossed me beyond any ability to notice anything of the sort.

The Wars of Light and Shadow series, by Janny Wurts, begun with Curse of the Mistwraith, and continued with Ships of Merior and Warhost of Vastmark, is an excellent series, combining the best elements of fantasy into a sweeping saga of epic scope. Two princes, one, Master of Shadow, the other, Prince of Light, are set at odds by the curse of the Mistwraith, a being set upon destroying all life in their world of Athera. The curse draws the whole world into their horrible conflict. Fugitive Prince is the next installment in this gripping series. If this book is as well-written as Janny Wurt's previous novels, Fugitive Prince will be a page-turner not soon forgotten. Look for this book sometime during late summer/early fall of 1997. For more information point your browser to: http://www.westol.com/~trystane/JannyWurts.htm

These are nicely written stories. They're the first Wurts I've read and now I'm inclined to read more. I actually wish a couple of the stories would have continued and evolved into books because I was drawn to the characters.

The only complaint I really have is that the blurb for the hardback made it seem like the stories were all fantasy, when in fact half were SF. The SF was done well (it was space opera/adventure with an edge) but I wasn't in the mood for it, so it would have been nice to know that in advance.

I found that this book was absolutely enchanting. I had a hard time putting it down for more than a minute. The collaboration of these authors was a great idea, which created a book that takes you to many places and back again. You seem to be drawn into the book. The writing is so well done that it allows you to create images in your mind as you read. This book has a collection of the most beautifully told stories that I have read so far. I, therefore, highly recomend this book for those who like science fiction and fantasy novels. So don't delay buy it today!

In this book Janny Wurts proves to us that good things can come in small packages...I love Janny's novels and was a bit skeptical about reading mere short stories, but I was mistaken. In so short a story she wove wonderful characters and set the stage for great stories...at the end of each story I was left wishing there was more, as each story proved to be exceptional. She easily wrote about mystical magic and futuristic possibilities...there are no words to describe the talent of the author and artist; Janny Wurts.

I've read this book as well as the one before and, though it's not exactly the best series out there, it's nice enough. Jaric is a good character as well as Taen, but the storyline, which at first seems novel and original, is simply more of the same. Its only real originality comes from the origin of the demons and the truth about Kor's Fires. Other than that . . . Well, as I said, good, but not great.

Usually when I read a book that's part of a series without having read the series, I get confused. I didn't have that problem with Keeper of the Keys. I found myself drawn into the storyline, cheering Jaric's successes and feeling his pain and confusion in his struggles. The author does not overload you with too much scenery or descriptions. This book is a keeper!

The Keeper of the keys is a very nice story as it tells the whole story in detail, not vague like some of the other books I've read. I thouroughly enjoy reading this book and I couldn't put it down once I had started reading it. We follow Jaric's adventures on the second book of the Cycle of Fire and we feel excited when he meets danger. It is simply fantastic, I've never read anything like this! You should read it!