The Ships of Merior
Book 2 of Wars of Light and Shadow
Language: English
Publisher: HarperVoyager
Published: Jan 1, 1994
Pages:
660
Book Details
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Description:
A powerful, layered weaving of myth, prose and pure imagination – The Ships of Merior continues an epic fantasy series perfect for enthusiasts of The Dark Tower and Earthsea.
The second volume of Janny Wurts's incomparable series following Arithon and Lysaer, two brothers forced to take opposite sides in a relentless conflict.
After defeating the malevolent fog that blighted Athera, Arithon and Lysaer battle the throes of the Mistwraith's insidious retribution: a curse set upon them at their moment of triumph compels them each to seek the other's downfall.
Lysaer, the charming and charismatic Lord of Light, drives his brother out of hiding and hounds Arithon with a massive army at his command. Meanwhile Arithon, Master of Shadow, the sensitive mage who prefers music to violence, must take to the seas to evade capture and strike back against Lysaer's mighty war host.
Locked into lifelong enmity, the brothers’ pursuit of each other's destruction will test the foundations of human morailty, even as threat to the world’s deepest magic rides on the outcome.
THE SHIPS OF MERIOR weaves a rich and complicated tapestry, bringing readers deeper into the mystical world of Athera. Striking a balance between epic scope and intricate subtlety, the Wars of Light and Shadow is a must-read series for readers of intelligent fantasy.
Amazon.com Review
"We look forward to the next three books of this epic." -- Realms of Fantasy
From Publishers Weekly
A demon's curse pits princely brother against brother and leads a world to war in this mammoth sequel to Curse of the Mistwraith. When half-brothers Lysaer s'Ilessid, Prince of the West, and Arithon s'Falenn, Master of Shadow, overcome and entomb Desh-thiere, the Mistwraith, they are cursed to eternal enmity. The mage-trained Arithon can fight the compulsion to a certain extent, but the powerful Lysaer is consumed by hatred and raises his armies to rid the world of the danger he perceives in the Master of Shadow. Dogged by Dakar, the Mad Prophet, who hates Arithon but has been charged to protect him by another sorcerer, the hunted prince establishes a shipyard in the village of Merior by the Sea to build a fleet that will speed him from his enemies. Wurts (the Empire series, with Raymond Feist) creates a complex, beautiful world while detailing the difficulties and rewards falling to people who remain true to their cause. Issues left unresolved at the conclusion suggest another volume.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
‘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… It ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent’
STEPHEN DONALDSON
Give it a go. This is a very rich, detailed, immersive … there’s a hell of a ride ahead!
MARK LAWRENCE
‘Janny Wurts builds beautiful castles in the air… where every detail is richly imagined and vividly rendered’
DIANA GABALDON
‘With each new book it becomes more and more obvious how important Janny Wurts is to contemporary fantasy’
GUY GAVRIEL KAY
‘Astonishingly original and compelling’
RAYMOND E FEIST
About the Author
A World Fantasy Award-winning artist (her painting adorns the cover of this, and of all her books), Janny Wurts is the author of several bestselling fantasy series, including the Cycle of Fire trilogy and The Wars of Light and Shadow, as well as the recently released, Shadowfane, all published by HarperPrism.
She lives in Florida with her husband, artist Don Maitz.
And it came to pass as foretold by prophecy, the art of power over light and dark was channeled through two princes: and the fogs that had smothered Athera's skies were dispersed. But in defeat, the Mistwraith set its two royal captors at odds under a powerful curse of vengeance. Locked now in deadly enmity, the princes hold the fates of nations and the balance of the world's mystical powers entangled in the throes of their feud. Lysaer--Lord of Light--handsome, princely, charismatic, his heartfelt commitment to justice and fair rule has been turned toward destroying the Master of Shadow, an obsession that drives him to win allies and raise armies to shed blood for the cause of lasting peace. Arithon--Master of Shadow--bastard son of a pirate king and Lysaer's errant mother, trained by mages and gifted with a musical talent unequaled in ten centuries, must choose to use dark arts and cleverness against his half brother in self-defense and attack, or let innocents die in the breach. After a ruinous battle, recounted in "Curse of the Mistwraith, " Arithon, forced out of hiding, finds himself hounded by Lysaer and his mighty army. He must take to his natural element, the seas, to evade pursuit and steal the initiative. Maligning his efforts to stay free of entrapment are outside magical factions embroiled in his fate, and a drunken prophet sent to safeguard his life, but determined to wreck his cause by misadventure. "A great natural storyteller!" --L. Sprague De Camp "The world Janny Wurts writes about is wonderfully vivid!" --Stephen B. Donaldson "The gift of Janny Wurts is that of a true artist: intense, driven, passionate. This is powerful, grittyfantasy at its very best." --Jennifer Roberson "With each new book it becomes more and more obvious how important Janny Wurts is to contemporary fantasy." --Guy Gavriel Kay "Janny Wurts is a true bard whose voice soars among many wonders...She writes of mages and wizards, yet it is she who casts the words of enchantment in a captivating net of spells."--Dennis L. McKiernan