JANNY WURTS - Most under-recognized Fantasy author!

[The Procrastinator]

Montero, for getting into Janny Wurts, I recommend The Master of Whitestorm. Not wordy like the later books, tightly paced, great characters, lots of adventure, a nice amount of substance. No colour coded trios of women floating about, and the cliches in it (there are always cliches in this kind of fantasy) are deftly handled so you hardly notice them. A jolly good read in my book.

 

[Clansman]

Montero, I agree with the Procrastinator. In fact, I am reading Master of Whitestorm right now. It is a fast paced sword & sorcery novel (in the good sense), with a main character who uses intelligence and guile to take on some pretty heavy challenges. Also, there is a terrible secret buried in his past... (cue sinister music).

As for the cover art you mention, it does not sound familiar at all. Wurts does all of her own covers, except her earliest (Sorcerer's Legacy) that had some awful schlock thrown on the front of it by some hack who claimed to be an artist. Sorcerer's Legacy and Master of Whitestorm are both very readable. I read the former 10 days ago in an afternoon.

For a look at all of her cover art, and the translations, here is the link: List of Books

I didn't see anything on the site that resembled the cover you describe, and the three women don't match my memory of any of her stories. Also, except for the Empire series and Sorcerer's Legacy, her primary characters tend to be men, though her women characters are not kept in the background by any stretch of the imagination. The ones in The Wars of Light and Shadow are kept very much in the foreground, in strong, powerful roles, and in a context that makes sense (i.e. does not require huge suspension of disbelief, especially for a fantasy).

The three women almost sound like Rand al'Thor's wives.

 

[dekket]

Originally posted by Montero
Managed to be a bit unclear. The cover I am remembering was a mauve background, black tower with a bit of a waistline to it, women in sillhouette - black backlit figure. Maybe only one woman. The colour coding of the women was in their description inside the book. Don't know if it was Stormwarden or not, guessed because the tower was on a stormswept coastline.
It was a trade paperback and I suspect it may be up to ten years old, or older. Bought it second hand.

Montero, presuming that it would be the UK editions (and going by the copies that I have), I belive that you description could possibly be for either Stormwarden (Book 1 of the Cycle of Fire -Grafton books 1989 edition) or Shadowfane (Book 3 of the Cycle of Fire - 1994 edition). The cover of Keeper of the Keys (Book 2 of the Cycle of Fire - 1993 edition) simply has the head and shoulder/upper check of Jaric Ivainson in the foreground, with some clouds and a violet sea in the background. He has red/blond hair, and the keys of the title on a chain around his neck. I can't imagine anyone mistaking him for a woman, and there is no tower in the background.

The cover of Stormwarden shows a figure in the foreground, with long white/grey hair, who I gather is Anskiere (a mature man, and the Stormwarden of the title) sitting on a beach, with a falcon (or other bird of prey) sitting on his wrist, with another flying behind him just over his shoulder. Behind him is the gentle lapping of the waves on the beach, in the middle distance is the what looks like some fog, behind which is the sillhouette of a rock coastline, upon which is the sillhouette of a squat tower. It appears to be around sunset, which would explain the muted reds and oranges of the colourscheme.

The cover of Shadowfane shows a figure in the foreground, with long dark hair, of a young (~18 years old or so) woman wraped in a blue/grey cloak. I have always presumed her to be Taen (the Dreamweaver, and beloved of Jaric Ivainson Firelord) Her arms are crossed, and there is a red jewel in a necklace around her neck.
Behind her in the near distance is a rocky ground - with the occasion tufts of yellow weeds/grass - leading to a rocky cliff face. Behind the cliffs is a storm wracked sea, lots of big blue/white waves, that are crashing down agains a tall dark rocky promenance, which might be a tower. At the top of this 'tower' is a fiery outline of a bird, surrounding in a ring of fire.

In the unlikely event that you may have seen these editions, could you possibly be remembering either of these covers? Or perhaps have mixed together all three in your memory?

I can't think of any other covers of any of Janny books that I have seen with towers and/or stormswept coastlines.

But I did enjoy all three books, and would recomment that you give them another try.

 

[Clansman]

More news on Janny Wurts. The first press run of Stormed Fortress is all but sold out, and the next book in the series is nicely underway. The Sword of the Canon: Inititiate's Trial is well past 200 pages of the first draft, but the author on her website, Trystane's Website: host for the Janny Wurts Offical Webpage and the Don Maitz Official Webpage, refuses to talk release date until the book is finished and the publisher actually announces a release date. Avoids the kinds of disappointments we have had from other epic fantasists (*cough* Martin *cough*). From the sound of things, progress in good, so a release in 2009 might be likely. That is my speculation, and nothing else, so take it for what it is worth.

 

[The Procrastinator]

When it comes to epic fantasists, I tend to believe it when I see it. No Expectations, No Disappointments. Of course if the next books in both series were released tomorrow you wouldn't hear me complaining.

 

[ben1xy]

Hi,

reading through the many threads, i might give janny wurts a shot. Thus far, i've only really read the empire trilogy. Many those who are more familiar with Janny Wurts can advise me on this.

Reading the many different threads, i can tell that her stories are character driven, which i like. However, is her style like Robin Hobb? Or would any other author have a similar style to her?

Thanks

 

[Grimward]

(Offered with the warning that I'm a big fan of Wurts, so no small bias here!)

Hmmm, I haven't read Hobb (yet ). Of those I've read, she's a little unique.

In some respects, (sheer number of characters developed within plots, number of separate plots addressed "concurrently", etc.), Tad Williams Shadow series has similarities to Wurts' WoLaS books. Even with that comparison, though, if one were to put a random paragraph from each author side-by-side, you'd still be able to tell which one is Wurts pretty quickly....

I loved the Empire Trilogy, ben1xy, and as with that series, you have to give the first book of WoLaS, Curse of the Mistwraith a few chapters or so to get the foundations in place. I don't think you'll be disappointed, however.

Finally, if you wanted to sample some of her other stuff without diving into a many-book series right away, the Cycle of Fire series is shorter, and precedes the Empire series in her writing career. Her individual books (e.g, Sorceror's Legacy, Master of Whitestorm, etc.) are pretty decent, too.

 

[ben1xy]

(Offered with the warning that I'm a big fan of Wurts, so no small bias here!)

Hmmm, I haven't read Hobb (yet ). Of those I've read, she's a little unique.

In some respects, (sheer number of characters developed within plots, number of separate plots addressed "concurrently", etc.), Tad Williams Shadow series has similarities to Wurts' WoLaS books. Even with that comparison, though, if one were to put a random paragraph from each author side-by-side, you'd still be able to tell which one is Wurts pretty quickly....

I loved the Empire Trilogy, ben1xy, and as with that series, you have to give the first book of WoLaS, Curse of the Mistwraith a few chapters or so to get the foundations in place. I don't think you'll be disappointed, however.

Finally, if you wanted to sample some of her other stuff without diving into a many-book series right away, the Cycle of Fire series is shorter, and precedes the Empire series in her writing career. Her individual books (e.g, Sorceror's Legacy, Master of Whitestorm, etc.) are pretty decent, too.

Just call me Ben . And thanks Grimward, i just ordered the first book based on your recommendation. I am really hoping that i'll enjoy it

 

[Clansman]

Ben:

Let me echo Grimward's sentiment. We are both unabashed Wurts fans. After you read for a while, you will understand this statement when reflecting on our screen names.

For a good dose of Wurts style, without committing to the full, 8-volume epic, you could try To Ride Hell's Chasm, which is a much more recent stand-alone novel. Her other stand-alones and Cycle of Fire are from much earlier in her career, and I like her stuff better now. Her artistry has definitely grown, and TRHC gives you a good shot of her current style, while giving you a great, fun story to read (I reviewed here in the reviews section and at Fantasy Literature .net: Fantasy literature book reviews, publication dates, novel synopses, audiobooks, download, Kindle, e-book information, author news). The Wars of Light and Shadow is a lot deeper than TRHC, but because of that, it is much more satisfying, kind of like the difference between a seven-course meal, and a really great dessert. Since you have ordered Curse of the Mistwraith, give yourself time with it. It will take unexpected turns, you will care about the bad guys. Her style is also beautifully complex, and that is difficult for some readers who are used to writers that eschew any kind of meaningful description and world-building, and who don't know what a decent vocabulary is. You will also find that she spends some time setting up the story, as it is the first novel of an 11 volume epic (three are forthcoming). Your patience will pay off, because about half way through the book, all hell breaks loose, in ways you don't expect (I have found Erikson similar in this regard).

I haven't read Robin Hobb (I have seen a lot of mixed reviews, some great, some downright nasty), so I don't know the answer to that question. I agree with Grimward about Williams, but I only have Memory, Sorrow and Thorn to which I can refer. Similar to Williams, Wurts has a story divided into multiple plot lines, but the styles are very distinct.

I have long held that fans of Martin and Erikson would like Wurts, due to the complexity of the stories, but her characterization is the best in the busines, bar none. Her characters never stagnate, unless they are supposed to.

Have fun, Ben! Tell us how you do once you get going in CotMW.

 

[ben1xy]

Ben:


I haven't read Robin Hobb (I have seen a lot of mixed reviews, some great, some downright nasty), so I don't know the answer to that question. I agree with Grimward about Williams, but I only have Memory, Sorrow and Thorn to which I can refer. Similar to Williams, Wurts has a story divided into multiple plot lines, but the styles are very distinct.

I have long held that fans of Martin and Erikson would like Wurts, due to the complexity of the stories, but her characterization is the best in the busines, bar none. Her characters never stagnate, unless they are supposed to.

Have fun, Ben! Tell us how you do once you get going in CotMW.

Interestingly enough, i really enjoyed MS&T by Williams. Reading some of the reviews, some readers were really annoyed with the slow pacing of the book. Personally, i really liked the series, even more so than his recent series (shadowmarch was it?). However, i didn't really like Steve Erickson. I had to put it down way too often because i just couldn't get into it. George Martin, however, i adore. One of my fav. reads.

The book will arrive in 8 days, and i'll be leaving for sydney in 9 days. I really hope the book arrives in time!

 

[GOLLUM]

I have long held that fans of Martin and Erikson would like Wurts, due to the complexity of the stories, but her characterization is the best in the busines, bar none. Her characters never stagnate, unless they are supposed to.

I agree being a fan of all 3 authors but I relly like her prose possibly above all else in her work. It's so economical, no word is wasted and that's an art.

 

[Clansman]

Gollum, I agree. EVERYTHING she writes has a reason. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, every word. It creates a complexity that just staggers the mind, and I have yet to see a continuity error over eight, really big novels. Her attention to detail is awe inspiring.

Ben, your statements on Williams bode well for reading CotMW. I read the beginning of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn before I started The Wars of Light and Shadow, and to me, the slow build to amazing developments was much more satisfying than the usual fantasy fare of those days (Eddings, Brooks, etc.). Watch out for spoilers in the threads, here and elsewhere, though. A lot of the pleasure in Janny's books comes from the surprise, and few ever even come close to guessing right.

 

[Shenk2ster]

I am in agreement with the statement in question. I have really enjoyed her works (they are a bit wordy at times but overall incredibly interesting). I became hooked with her stand alone book "The Master of Whitestorm". Amazing!! I have only been able to find used copies because it's out of print. But they are out there. I was vising my home country of Canada and low and behold I found a barley used copy at a book store. A hole in the wall really. I have all of the first 7 of The War of Light and Shadow. As well as "That Way Lies Camelot" which is a great book of short stories. Many more opinions but that is a start.

 

[Shenk2ster]

I agree! It's my favorite so far.

 

[Grimward]

Welcome to the Chrons, Shenk2ster. I hope you find this site as enjoyable as I have, not just for Janny's stuff (although Dekket, The Clansman, The Procrastinator and I love to kick all-that-is-Wurtsian around, as do a fair number of other Chrons-goers!), but for SFF and literature in general. If you haven't already done so, I might recommend that you visit the Introductions forum and tell us a little about yourself, then take a spin around the place. There's a reasonable degree of insanity here, but it's all in good fun. Happy Chronsing!

 

[Tier s'Ffalenn]

I am a long time Wurts fan. Started with the Empire series back in the 1980s. Personally, I believe that both she and fantasy readers in general got shafted by the way she was treated by her publisher. Her publisher goes through a merger, and despite the first books of The Wars of Light and Shadow selling reasonably well, they cut back her distribution. She has been virtually unmarketed in book stores since Fugitive Prince, which is a travesty.

The real problem is, how many other good authors get nailed this way? The same thing has happened to television news, (except for Frontline and Bill Moyers) which is not about journalism, but about how many tampons it can sell.

In the paraphrased words of Douglas Adams, the publisher/marketing morons should be "the first guys lined up and shot when the revolution comes".

I would argue that if quality is good, a book will sell if it is marketed properly. Let editors decide what is good, not marketers.

 

[biodroid]

Now you guys have my attention, I read in this thread that someone compares Wurtz to Erikson. Is that a fair comparison? What style does she write? Is she as light as Fiest or as slow and dragged out as Tad Williams? Does she kick booty like Gemmell and have superb characters like GRRM and excellent world building skills like Erikson? I would like to try read some of her books. What is the order of the books and do I have to read them in a specific order?

 

[Clansman]

Well, haven't you opened the door!

Wurts, Erikson and Martin I compare regularly, because their respective series and worlds are so friggin' huge. Their books too. Their respective styles, however, are quite different. Wurts provides more balance of dark and light in her Wars of Light and Shadow series, compared with the bleak and bloody fantasy of Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, and with the dark gritty reality of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. There is loss, tragedy, horrible violence, but also good things, like beauty and redemption. Balanced. However, each of these worlds is equally real to me, so these authors are on a par in world building.

As far as writing style, her vocabulary is immense. Some have called her books over-written (like The Procrastinator, who still loves her books anyway), but I disagree. Her writing is very precise. Her work is never slow and dragged out, imo, but she does take time to build her world enough for you to comprehend it (this is where I have difficulty with Erikson, is that you can't comprehend his world at all after two books, as he doesn't provide enough context). The start of her big series some have said is slow, but this series is to be 11 huge novels, 8 of which are done, and all of which are important to the story. So the first one, she takes the time to lay a foundation. I find her style reminiscent of an earlier age, where our language was not dumbed-down by reality television and text messaging, and her use of language is simply beautiful. However, she is not fantasy light, and this is literature you are reading, not fluff. If you want light escapist fantasy, Wurts is not your author. She tackles some heavy themes that make you think about the human condition.

First, to see if you like her style, I suggest reading the one-shot novel To Ride Hell's Chasm. Good themes, and a driving, building story (first half is mystery, second half is out-and-out action). Her characterization is as good as or better than Martin. You never have to guess who is saying what, and you will not complain that the characters sound like each other. And Mykkael is just the coolest guy ever.

If you like Feist, he and Wurts did a collaboration, the Empire series (3 books), featuring Mara of the Acoma on the Tsurani homeworld of Kelewan. A lot of Feist fans think of it as his best work. It also would be a good introduction to Wurts, especially if you are a Feist fan. This is Feist at his heaviest.

Wurts' magnum opus is The Wars of Light and Shadow, currently at 8 books, and the ninth is in the process of being written right now. She releases books much more quickly than Martin does, but not as fast as Erikson. About 2 years between volumes. THESE BOOKS MUST BE READ IN ORDER, like Martin's, or you are totally lost. The books are, in their story Arcs:

Arc I: Curse of the Mistwraith

Arc II: Ships of Merior, and Warhost of Vastmark

Arc III, The Alliance of Light (prefaces each title): Fugitive Prince, Grand Conspiracy, Peril's Gate, Traitor's Knot, and Stormed Fortress (just released in mass market Nov. 2008)

Arc IV, Sword of the Canon (prefaces each title): Initiate's Trial (being written & is forthcoming when the publisher indicates it is ready), and Destiny's Conflict (forthcoming in a few years).

Arc V: untitled as yet, but set to be one book, obviously forthcoming after Destiny's Conflict.

You should have no difficulty getting these books in South Africa, as they are all in print from the UK publishers.

She did an earlier series, which is out of print, called Cycle of Fire (a trilogy), and two earlier novels, Sorcerer's Legacy and Master of Whitestorm. These are also out of print, but you can find them in second hand shops. All of these are good books, and show her developing her craft. Her stuff has gotten better with time, and unlike Jordan, who got lost in his WoT story and expanded it beyond belief, there is not one superfluous chapter. Everything she writes in The Wars is important, and comes into play further along in the series.

 

[Ross]

Please, please, please listen to Clansman.

I beg of you.

I've just got onto Ships Of Merior today and i'm loving it. Managed to read 120pages, while at work, but shhhhhh don't tell anyone

 

[Clansman]

Please, please, please listen to Clansman.

I beg of you.

I've just got onto Ships Of Merior today and i'm loving it. Managed to read 120pages, while at work, but shhhhhh don't tell anyone

ROFLOL!!! Ross, you made my day. You're like, Mr. New Rabid Fan. You should check out her website, Trystane's Website: host for the Janny Wurts Offical Webpage and the Don Maitz Official Webpage. Good bunch there, but don't let it cut into your Chron time.

P.S. How'd you like the scene in front of the gates of Jaelot, with Dakar and Faerie Toes?