The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts

Book Title: The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow #1)
Author: Janny Wurts
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Own a Kindle copy

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Goodreads Summary: The stunning first volume in Janny Wurts’s epic tale of two half-brothers cursed to life-long enmity.
The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the combined powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith’s stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadow and Lysaer, Lord of Light.
Arithon and Lysaer will find that they are inescapably bound inside a pattern of events dictated by their own deepest convictions. Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.

What did I think?

4.5 Stars.

I loved this first book in the Wars of Light and Shadow series. I will definitely re-read the entire series once I'm done with it, and I can imagine that it'll turn into a five star read. There's much between the lines to be discovered, and there are definitely things I missed.

This isn't an easy book. It's not a quick read. The prose is dense, beautiful, descriptive, and the author, Janny Wurts, asks the reader to pay attention and to be patient. No word is wasted, no paragraph can be skimmed. It's all there from the very start, and I found it extremely rewarding to put in the time and immerse myself in the world and the characters.

The Curse of the Mistwraith offers a richly detailed world, filled with lore and history. It feels like every word is hand picked, and I must admit I fell in love with Arithon, Master of Shadow, who just wants to play his music and instead gets pulled into an epic conflict.

I recommend this to everyone who enjoys high fantasy, is looking for an epic series, maybe even for a bit of a challenge, and who doesn't mind reading slowly, absorbing the prose and putting in some work.

On top of that, the author, Janny Wurts, is such a wonderful person and keeps answering our questions over on Goodreads and also interacts with fans on Twitter and Reddit. I can't wait to dive further into this world and discover more of her writing.

Daughter of the Empire by Feist and Wurts

Book Title: Daughter of the Empire
Author: Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Own a Kindle copy

Goodreads, Amazon UK 

Goodreads Summary: Mara, the youngest child of the ancient and noble Acoma family, is about to take her pledge of servitude to the goddess Lashima when the ceremony is disrupted by news of her father and brother’s death in battle.
Despite her grief, as the only surviving member of her house, Mara must now take up the mantles of Ruling Lady. But she soon discovers betrayal at the heart of her family’s loss, and the Acoma’s enemies have brought her house to the brink of utter destruction.
Mara, an inexperienced political player, must draw on all her wit, intelligence and cunning to navigate the ruthless Game of the Council, regain the honour of House Acoma and secure the future of her family. But with assassins waiting around every corner, it might take everything Mara has simply to survive.

In which order to read Raymond E. Feist and where does the Empire trilogy slot in? Raymond E. Feist has a reading order for his Riftwar Cycle on his website. He does say to read the initial Riftwar Saga trilogy FIRST, before diving into the Empire Trilogy.
But...I'm a rebel. Okay no, I'm kidding. A Goodreads group of mine did a buddy read of this, and I joined despite not having read the Riftwar Saga first. It took me a few chapters to get into the book and I've had a few confusing moments regarding world building and magic system that probably would have been answered in the Riftwar Saga, but I understood everything and think it's possible to read this trilogy its own.

What did I think?

What a wonderful book. Daughter of the Empire is set in a world inspired by Asia. There's not a lot of magic, instead it's all about intrigue and politics.  In addition, expect a kick-ass female character.

Mara is simply one of the best female fantasy characters I've ever encountered. She is cunning and intelligent. This entire book is one big chess game filled with politics and betrayal, and Mara does not use strength and violence to win this game but her wit. It's a joy to watch her decimate her opponents using only her brain. More of this, please.

The entire cast of characters is well developed. The villains are intriguing and relatable. On one page you want to punch them, on the next they break your heart! There was one scene especially which was a punch in the gut, and only a few pages prior I thought I'd be throwing a party.

I recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy with a lot of politics and intrigue. If several houses attempting to outwit each other in a bid to rule appeals to you, then this is for you. If you're at all interested in Feist's work and the rest of the Riftwar Cycle, start with the Riftwar Saga Trilogy before you dive into the Empire Trilogy.