Fugitive Prince: First Book of The Alliance of Light (The Wars of Light and Shadow) (Book 4)

the Schism Began With Two Halfbrothers Empowered To Subdue A Mistwraith. In Revenge It Cursed Them To A Life Of Perpetual Conflict: Each Believes Absolutely In His Cause, And Loathes The Other For Opposing It. Lysaer, Prince Of The Light—a Charismatic Leader Sworn To Set Humanity Free From Sorcerous Oppression—claims Divine Power To Safeguard His People From An Enemy He Is Convinced Will Destroy Them. Arithon, Master Of Shadow—a Trained Mage—wishes For Nothing But To Defuse War And Search Out The Vanished Old Races Who Hold The Key To Restore The World's Shattered Peace. When Koriani Enchantresses Join Forces With Lysaer, New Intrigues Upset Arithon's Hard-won Autonomy. Faction Is Set Against Faction, Heart Against Heart, And The Scene Is Set For An Explosive Recurrence Of War. The Curse Of The Mistwraith Echoes Eternal!

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.