The third cycle in the Wars of Light and Shadow series begins with Fugitive Prince, book 1 of the Alliance of the Light triptych. Lysaer and Arithon are brothers divided by a curse of enmity; one driven by rapacious pride, the other marking a lonely fugitive path. In a style reminiscent of Tolkien or Herbert, Janny Wurts has concocted a world of enchantresses and runes, ciphers and prophecies, conjurers and plotters, in which the forces of good and evil are distilled to their most human levels. Be warned: after a taste of her potion, you may be under her spell for a very long time. This series is Ulyssesean in scope, comprising eight volumes at last count. --Jhana Bach



"With each new book it becomes more and more obvious how important Janny Wurts is to contemporary fantasy."



"Here is a magical tale that weaves a most wonderful song."



"Janny Wurts builds beautiful castles in the air . . . where every detail is richly imagined and vividly rendered."


Stephen R. Donaldson
"Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy; she aims high. Just when you think she's gone as far as anyone can go, she raises the stakes."


Morgan Llywelyn
"Rip-roaring, cliff-hanging adventure...the reader is in for a real treat."


Diana Gabaldon
"Janny Wurts builds beautiful castles in the air . . . where every detail is richly imagined and vividly rendered."


Dennis L. McKiernan
"Here is a magical tale that weaves a most wonderful song."


Guy Gavriel Kay
"With each new book it becomes more and more obvious how important Janny Wurts is to contemporary fantasy."


Jennifer Roberson
"The gift of Janny Wurts is that of a true artist: intense, driven, passionate. This is powerful, gritty fantasy at its very best."


Eric Lustbader
"Like the best of J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert, Janny Wurts's worlds are bursting with the primal force, brimming with unforgettable characters, infused with magic both dark and glorious."


Book Description
The wars of light and shadow With the appalling destruction of the Vastmark warhost, recoil and grief reshapes the balance of power in the Five Kingdoms. Two half brothers, cursed by a Mistwraith to a lifelong enmity, are set into violent conflict: Lysaer, Prince of the Light. Arithon, Master of Shadow. And there are those between who will stop at nothing to fulfill secret desires and consolidate their own power. With faction set against faction, heart set against heart, and spells of high mastery engaged to cast down the ancient mysteries, the moves made by hunters and fugitive alike will remake the course of world destiny.


About the Author
Janny Wurts is the author of eleven novels, a collection of short stories, and the internationally best selling Empire trilogy written in collaboration with Raymond E. Feist. Her current release in her Wars of Light and Shadow series, Grand Conspiracy, and her forthcoming hardcover, Peril's Gate, are the culmination of more than twenty years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the US and abroad, are her own paintings, depicting her vision of characters and setting.Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer beyond the world we know. Her lavish use of language lures the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to leave a lasting impression. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic an almost visionary credibility. A self–taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes no preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered the historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented. Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition-that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events. Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off-explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness." Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planetarium in New York; and two exhibits of fantasy art, at both the Delaware Art Museum, and Canton Art Museum.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

On the world of Athera, two half brothers gifted of Light and Shadow stood together and defeated the Mistwraith. In defeat, their magical foe set its captors at odds, bestowing upon them a life-long curse of enmity that has since woven three bitter wars and uncounted deadly intrigues." "Arithon s'Ffalenn, the Master of Shadow, is both mage-trained and masterbard, and the last living Prince of Rathain. His life has become the cipher upon which the fate of all the world must turn." "And the enemies who hunt him are legion....

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This hefty high fantasy is the fifth volume of the War of Light and Shadow, a saga that represents more than half the author's solo work. It may not immediately please the reader new to the story of the ruthless battle over the future of Athera--will Light prevail and suppress magic, to make the world safe for humans, or will the Shadow preserve magic and the nonhuman races? Even newcomers to the saga, however, will soon recognize fantasy writing of a high level. Both Lysaer of the Light and Arithon of the Shadow are able, charismatic, even heroic figures, but driven by their individual personalities and the demands of their causes to put aside much of their humanity. The focus in this volume is on the conspiracy of the title, in which the ruthless sorceresses of the Koriathain create a double to Arithon, a shepherd boy named Fion Areth, who is to lure the Master of Shadow into the women's trap. The desperate struggle of Arithon and the wizards who help him to rescue Fionn Areth, who believes all the vilest rumors about the cause of Shadow, makes a fine climax to the novel. Wurts is an accomplished builder of worlds, scenes and characters through well-chosen detail, with an ear for dialogue and an eye for realism--her shipboard scenes, the battling street mobs and the reluctantly taxed merchants are exemplary. Though not yet up to Tolkien or Jordan, Wurts is getting there, and fast. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Donna L. Scanlon

Fans of Wurts's intricate and elaborate sagas will be eager to read this latest installment in her epic The Wars of Light and Shadow, itself the first book in the subcycle Alliance of Light. The plot is too complex to describe in detail, particularly since it intertwines with the previous books, but it concerns the escalated conflict between half-bothers Lysaer, the Prince of the Light, and Arithon, Master of Shadow. Lysaer incorporates his pursuit of Arithon into his own personal quest for power, while Arithon, seeking peace, struggles to keep the clans loyal to him free and safe while trying to discover where the old, magical races of Athera have gone. Wurts's tale is carefully and thoughtfully constructed and packed with detail, including root origins for the words and names contained in the glossary. Her rich and evocative writing is highly descriptive and usually demonstrates skillful language spinning, although at times the descriptiveness palls. In addition, the book lacks leavening; whatever humor exists is so subtle that it is unrecognizable. It is possible to read this title on its own, especially if one employs diligently the extensive glossary in the back; however, it would be easier to read with the background from the previous books. This is a must-purchase where there is a following; it is recommended to libraries willing to buy the earlier works. VOYA Codes: 4Q 2P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, For the YA with a special interest in the subject, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

Library Journal

The defeat of the Mistwraith that threatened the land of Athera brought with it a curse upon the brothers who brought about its downfall. The continuation of Wurts's multivolume fantasy saga depicts the growing enmity between Prince Lysaer, the Lord of Light, and his half-brother Arithon, the Master of Shadows. The author's attention to detail and her skill for creating memorable heroes and villains lend a sense of immediacy to a tale of epic battles and great betrayals. For most fantasy collections. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"With each new book it becomes more and more obvious how important Janny Wurts is to contemporary fantasy."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"Like the best of J.R.R. Tolkien and Frank Herbert, Janny Wurts's worlds are bursting with the primal force, brimming with unforgettable characters, infused with magic both dark and glorious."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"Here is a magical tale that weaves a most wonderful song."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"Rip-roaring, cliff-hanging adventure...the reader is in for a real treat."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy; she aims high. Just when you think she's gone as far as anyone can go, she raises the stakes."  — Harper Collins - New Media

"The gift of Janny Wurts is that of a true artist: intense, driven, passionate. This is powerful, gritty fantasy at its very best."  — Harper Collins - New Media