Daughter of the Empire

[alessandro]

Wondering if there are any here who are fans of Wurtz's collabration with Feist?

I have tried the non-Riftwar books by Wurtz. While decent, they just dont grab me like the Empire collaboration. Which begs the question, at least for me, how much of the collaboration was Feist how much was Wurtz.

i dont see myself as a big Feist fan. His original series, Apprentice etc, were good not great. So I'm wondering if anyone knows or has heard the authors themselves (or rumor) as to the writing contributions. I'm left wondering if it was just the collaboration that (to quote shamelessly from Jerry McGuire) "completed" the little things that left me wanting in each author.

Just a random thought.

 

[alchemist]

This is my number one favourite Fantasy series. I wondered, too, what form the collaboration took. It's hard enough for one person to write a book. I can't imagine two makes it much easier.

 

[nixie]

I always felt that Mara was mainly Wurts creation but the assembly was Feist. Its a good mix, I can't think of any other collaboration that I've enjoyed as much.

 

[Grimward]

I have to agree; Weis and Hickman's stuff is also among my favorites, but decidedly distant second to this pair. And while I differ from you Alessandro in loving Wurts' solo offerings, there is definitely truth to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts with this series. Wurts' touch is clearly seen in Mara and company's character development, while Feist's hand is readily apparent in the plot structure (in my opinion).

Having said that, Wurts and Feist read and "overwrote" each others chapters in completing the work, so you should take my statement above as purely speculation from someone who's only reason for offering it is that he's read many solo efforts by each of the authors. The link above definitely indicates that the plot started out as a collaborative effort; it just seems to move more like Ray's stuff than Janny's to me.

 

[Clansman]

Wondering if there are any here who are fans of Wurtz's collabration with Feist?

I have tried the non-Riftwar books by Wurtz. While decent, they just dont grab me like the Empire collaboration. Which begs the question, at least for me, how much of the collaboration was Feist how much was Wurtz.

alessandro:

resident huge fan of Janny Wurts. I gave up on Feist years ago. He seemed stuck in Midkemia, and had no new stories to tell.

What of Wurts' stuff have you read? Her earlier works are markedly different from her later ones, so it may be that what you have read already does not match your tastes, but that other stuff does.

I agree wholeheartedly with Grimward, that the Empire books are the best of the whole Feist multi-verse. He never did anything better than what he did with Wurts. She (imo) on the other hand, has done better with The Wars of Light and Shadow. However, comparing the two is apples and oranges. The Empire books are relatively short, and are limited to a three-book series. WoLaS is a sprawling epic set over 500 years, and it is just coming to its conclusion in the next five years (the 10th and penultimate book is being written now, likely out in 2013, early 2014, and the last book will follow 2-3 years after that). It focuses on an entire world and ancient conflicts, with sweeping themes and huge character development. In contrast, the Empire series is focused tightly on one character and her family.

 

[alessandro]

1) this was my first post. had just stumbled upon this website the same day. so in full disclosure, have not read any other posts/threads/sections. so very pleasantly surprised by the replies. so glad not to read "WTF?!?! Wurtz could write a new BIBLE if she wasnt busy writing REAL stuff!!"

2) i read Curse of the Mythwraith and Stormwarden. good writing - not a slam at all - just not "interesting" to me. so her writing style is not the issue. she writes well. the story is what didnt grab me in either book.

trying to figure what was so special about Empire series has been tough. like someone mentined, Feist first series was good-ish. again, decent writer. story kept me going but it didnt make me DIE to read next one. but then all his books after that just seemed repeats. which is true of almost every writer. the creative process is so hard we all tend to repeat what we're good at. ("we" meaning peeps in general not writers..which i dont wanna claim to be)

i guess what i liked so much about EMPIRE was something i loved about SHOGUN. not necessarily a different world, it was an interesting culture. no idea how accurate Clavell was about 16 century Japan, but it "felt" beyond anything i knew culturally.

the same can be said of my other favorites. LORD O' RINGS, DUNE, GIRL WITH DRAGON TATOO, RED DRAGON (Thomas), VOID series (Hamilton), DEED OF PAKSENARRION, etc... all take me to what is a different culture/world/lifestyle i know nothing about. whether it's real or not...at least it's very "sneak-peaky" into those areas.

yeah, pretty weird/ecclectic tastes. and some of these guys - Larsson - have poor writing styles but the subject matter is rivetting.

so that's what i've been able to surmise from my own deep and spiritual self evaluation. /picks nose and wipes it under the chair

thanks for the feedback and i'll peruse the forums for more suggestions as to good reads.

may the farce be with all y'all

alessandro

(for you non-texans..."yall" is singular, "all y'all" is plural. (roll your eyes now)

 

[Clansman]

alessandro, nice to have you here.

I will only say one more thing about Curse...It is the set up for perhaps the biggest epic fantasy series in the history of the genre. The Wars of Light and Shadow is bigger than Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, bigger than The Malazan Book of the Fallen (at least it will be by the time it is done), bigger than than anything else that comes to mind (Kurtz' Deverry series has more books, but the page count is a lot less). The only bigger series I can think of is Jordan's The Wheel of Time, but that series suffered massively from story bloat and poor character development, and about 4 full books could have been cut out of the story, making it better.

When did you read Curse? I'd give it another go. This story is just so big and important, it required a good foundation, and some people did find that off-putting. If you read it again and liked it, pick up Ships of Merior, and see how far the story takes you. This story is perhaps the best-reviewed and undersold of the entire fantasy genre.

BTW, it was the Empire series that got me reading Wurts in the first place.

Anyway, welcome to the Chrons!


Yall!

 

[Grimward]

Aye, I'm remiss in not welcoming you here, too.

Clanny's said plenty about Janny's stuff. Would just mention one more Feist book that's well worth the read, even though there's a good chance you did read it. If you didn't stick with the first part of the Riftwar series long enough to read A Darkness at Sethanon, you're doing yourself a disservice where Feist is concerned. He's got other, later stuff that's good (The King's Buccaneer comes to mind), but I think Darkness is the single best book in the entire Riftwar series.

And this place thrives on eclectic. Hope yall find much to like.

 

[Clansman]

Happy 2000th post, Grimward.

 

[JJasKelly]

I think the reason the Empire series is so popular is that unlike most fantasy books(at least those that I've read) it focuses more on the political side of things.

 

[dekket]

I am currently reading 'Servant of the Empire' at the moment. I believe these are definitely the best of all of Feist's collaborations, and as good as 'Magician' and 'Darkness at Sethanon', which are my favourite two of the Midkemia books. I love the politics in the Empire trilogy, as Mara strives for the continuance of her house, and the good of the empire.