The Curse of the Mistwraith (Wars of Light and Shadow #1)[August 1, 2023]

[Andrew]

Hello everyone! I just read Curse of of the Mistwraith last month, and did a play by play reaction over on Twitter. I'm rearing and ready to talk about this amazing book!
Rather than dump all my spoilerific reactions here you can find and read by Beat by Beat reactions (again, please note, with spoilers!) here!:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

I wrote my reactions from the POV of an Author (which I am) and can't wait to chat with all of you about the series! I'm diving into book 2 soon!

--Andrew D Meredith

[chibipoe]

Andrew wrote: "Hello everyone! I just read Curse of of the Mistwraith last month, and did a play by play reaction over on Twitter. I'm rearing and ready to talk about this amazing book!
Rather than dump all my sp..."

Welcome, Andrew! Glad to see you join us! Book 2 is a riot! (Also, as I say, the more, the Merior. :P ) I enjoyed your thoughts on twitter, so looking forward to this too! :)

[EllenaReads]

Hi everyone, I'm also joining a bit late. I never used groups on Goodreads so navigating all of the threads to find this one was a journey...

A bit of my background with the CotM - this is gonna be my 3rd attempt at reading it. I found the story incredibly interesting and the main reason why I keep coming back to it. But I personally found that in this book I need a few pages to really sink into the story and actually retain what I'm reading. I kept putting off reading it regularly to read it in larger chunks but then the pages just kept piling up and I couldn't keep up with the readalongs I tried to follow, so I would eventually just end up setting it aside for another time. Hopefully, this one is the charm.

This time around it was a lot easier for me to follow all of the perspectives and location changes and what was actually happening rather than spending that whole section trying to figure out how these new characters connected to the previously given information.

I still found Arithon a lot more interesting and I would agree with everyone's descriptions of the differences between the two brothers. The scene with Lysaer from Chapter 1 sticks out, with 2 descriptions of Arithons expressions as guarded to his true feelings which in turn made me interested to find out more about him.
'In silence, the crown prince regarded a face whose humanity lay sealed behind ungoverned viciousness.'
'..his control slipped, to reveal tearing grief and shocking desperation. Then, his mask of indifference restored,...'

The flashback when the King said that the children were a dowry was very interesting. I wonder how we came to that, and why did the grandfather choose it that way? Maybe he already knew what lay ahead considering he also warned Arithon where his talents lay when he was offered to be his father's heir.

[chibipoe]

EllenaReads wrote: "The flashback when the King said that the children were a dowry was very interesting. I wonder how we came to that, and why did the grandfather choose it that way? Maybe he already knew what lay ahead considering he also warned Arithon where his talents lay when he was offered to be his father's heir.."

Hi, Ellena! Hope this time works out as well! :)

Regarding the question about the flashback. Not entirely a spoiler as it predates the opening, but I'll include here.

(view spoiler)[Amroth's King actually played things on the downlow and it wasn't until/around the scene Arithon forced Lysaer to recall where that came out. His entire plan was to acquire Talented children for use as weapons in the feud against Karthan. This came out to Lady Talera and the argument ensued that we saw. Talera retaliated by balancing the scales, as it were, and took up with Avar s'Ffalenn. This ended up becoming a love match, but she withdrew to Rauven rather than be the cause for exacerbating the feud further(or at least trying to minimize it). Karthan's not the most hospitable of climates though and after birthing Arithon, she passed away, leaving Arithon to be raised by his grandfather, and he was trained to an initiate mastery as a Sorcerer from a young age, which was harsh and demanding. (hide spoiler)]

Also, if you check out the books section for Wars of Light and Shadow and look in the FAQ on Janny's website for the Athera and Splinter Worlds section for "How did the blood feud between s'Ilessid and s'Ffalenn originate?" and see the far distant details about how this began. :)

[EllenaReads]

chibipoe wrote: "Also, if you check out the books section for Wars of Light and Shadow and look in the FAQ on Janny's website for the Athera and Splinter Worlds section for "How did the blood feud between s'Ilessid and s'Ffalenn originate?" and see the far distant details about how this began. :)"

Thank you for the explanation.
I looked at the website before for the artwork but I'm always a bit cautious when reading authors websites if I don't know how spoiler safe they are. Thank you for referencing it, I totally forgot about it.

[chibipoe]

EllenaReads wrote: "chibipoe wrote: "Also, if you check out the books section for Wars of Light and Shadow and look in the FAQ on Janny's website for the Athera and Splinter Worlds section for "How did the blood feud ..."

Understandable! The sections in the FAQ are all 'click on them to see' I would link, but cannot in here. It's pretty wordy too so not sure if it fits in the character limits, lol). Hence the specifically mentioning which section it was to avoid anything spoilery. (the section is all info prior to opening and just focuses on the reasons for the feud solely)

[Laura]

Hi everyone. It's awesome to see you all reading already. 😍

I've also started today and just like Choko, I had forgotten how rough the start is.

Johanna - we'll be here whenever you get the book and start reading.

Just like Olivia, I immediately liked Arithon. But then, I also found Lysaer a bit faulty. Very intelligent and charismatic, something that's pretty clear from his interaction with the nobles, but faulty at his core. There was that little something I couldn't quite put my finger on even at first read that made Lysaer feel untrustworthy.
Now, after several rereads, I get where that feeling is coming from and why but still...

I am curious how everyone feels about both Lysaer and Arithon in the beginning.

Chibipoe - THANK YOU for being here and reading with us. Your insight is wonderful and it does raise a lot of great questions.

I agree with you on the prologue and reason for the lack of mention of Lysaer's name. And I also feel that nudges readers in favour of Arithon.

[chibipoe]

I feel, thinking on it some more, that Lysaer has, whether from upbringing or other reasons(details we will learn later in this book), a tendency to perceive situations in absolutes/black and white and doesn't step beyond that.

[chibipoe]

Chapter II - Sentence

(view spoiler)[This kicks off with Arithon's arrival at Port Royal, and the first bit makes it quite clear that he is not in for a good time and that the King's got a massive rage condition where the name s'Ffalenn is concerned.

This also gives us our our first insight into Arithon himself as he finds that Lysaer's act from the previous chapter has left him in a horrible state due to the addictive properties of the drug. This experience gives us insight into his initiate training as a sorcerer, as he's clearly able to assess the condition of his own body and his self-control is pressed to its limit and beyond, accosted by nightmares and memories, showcasing an optimism that was cruelly crushed by the conditions of Karthan and the events that lead to the book's opening.

Things do not improve from there, as word of his condition reaches the King, who only adds fuel to the fire, determined to see Arithon suffer through a forced withdrawal to break his addiction to the drug that had been used to keep him insensate.

What follows is a harrowing experience that breaks the heart, a forced withdrawal that leaves Arithon whole, but debilitated and weak from the affects on his body, and a healer moved to sympathy.

And then we have the trial, little more than a farce for the King to indulge his need for vengeance and Arithon playing on that to avoid further torture... when everything goes awry as Rauven intervenes in spectacular fashion, upending seven generations of hatred in an instant and prompting the exile of Arithon through the Worldsend Gate to an unknown fate, with Lysaer's own destiny possibly entwined.

Elsewhere, one sorcerer spies upon another across incomprehensibly vast distances, fueled by such power as could shatter mountains wielded with utmost care. Another Sorcerer and his apprentice venture forth, chasing the fulfillment of a centuries-old Prophecy and our snippets to close three worlds, offering glimpses of what is to come. (hide spoiler)]

[chibipoe]

Also, please don't forget this thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We have a Q&A and I was speaking with Janny just now, so if you ask questions, she'll see and will answer if she can!(spoilers permitting). There's loads of neat tidbits that she can share, so don't be shy!

So far, with my brief summary of Chapter II, what are everyone's thoughts so far? Has bits in Chapter II changed any thoughts from I? Anything interesting you've noticed so far? :)

[Laura]

I'm going to start opening spoilers and leaving some comments in the weekend. I need to wrap up my current reads so I can properly start concentrating on this.

[Andrew]

I absolutely love how quickly Wurts made us care for both Arithon and Lysaer. You can see right through to their personalities as “better than their predecessors” and it made me so excited to continue.

[chibipoe]

Andrew wrote: "I absolutely love how quickly Wurts made us care for both Arithon and Lysaer. You can see right through to their personalities as “better than their predecessors” and it made me so excited to conti..."

Interesting thought! I would wonder about that assessment, but given what we see of Lysaer's father, the King of Amroth, we can reasonably conclude that as true, Though a bit harder to tell with Avar, Arithon's father. There's the adultery, sure, but not a great deal else to draw on there.

[Laura]

All right ladies and gents!



I just finished chapter 1 and will probably try and continue with one chapter a day. Fingers crossed. But I have 3 other BRs this month so I might need to juggle a bit.

At what chapter are you all?
Do I have a lot to catch up with?

Also - hi Andrew. Welcome to our BR. It's nice to have you here. :)

[chibipoe]

Hi, Laura!

From what I have seen, we've got some all over the place. I think everyone is still fairly early but that is based on the last batch of updates I saw, so everyone may have sped up since! I'm up through II with summaries myself though. :) Was going to give a bit before III to let things percolate. :)

[Laura]

Chapter 1

I felt for Arithon from the beginning because of the treatment the sailors were giving him and because of his clear(view spoiler)[ wish to be killed. I have a soft spot for the underdogs and Arithon seemed like the perfect one. (hide spoiler)]

The first officer notices; (view spoiler)[ 'Only once had he seen such a look on a man's face, and that was the time he had witnessed a felon hanged for the rape of his own daughter.' So Arithon feels guilty? (hide spoiler)] Why?

Is it because (view spoiler)[he had destroyed those ships? Because his father died during the fight? (hide spoiler)] Or something else?

His words to the healer were horrible. Taking into account the fact that Arithon was a known and feared (view spoiler)[sorcerer, and seeing how everyone seemed to fear him, those curses would have made anyone want to drop everything and run, after possibly shoving a scalpel straight into Arithon's heart.
But the healer had only daughters and held fast. (hide spoiler)]

So I do wonder. Would Arithon's curses have really come true? Did he say them intent on harming or just like that, hoping to scare but not harm? What do you all think?

Lysaer - ''dependably, exactingly fair' is what people call him. How do you like him?
I've been on the fence about him from the very first moment. Because (view spoiler)[ he cheated to give his man the honour. (hide spoiler)]
He intentionally made a disgusting remark (view spoiler)[just to make the courier relax: 'My pathetic cripple of an auntie hasn't fallen from her bed and died, now has she?' (hide spoiler)]
That made me want to straight out give him the stink eye.

And then he felt the need, when sending for his captain, to say: (view spoiler)['If he curses the rush, tell him directly that I'll pour him another beer.'
And in my book that means he is neither a very good ruler nor a very good person. His comment about his aunt was too rude to come from a truly kindhearted person and his way of leading and assuring allegiance by enticing people to follow seems more like buying allegiance than earning it.
He seems very smart, he's had a hard childhood, he does have a certain amount of compassion towards Arithon and he seems intent on protecting his people from the possible fury of his father, but there's a little something that makes me instinctively dislike him.
(hide spoiler)]
How do you all find Lysaer?

Did you notice at the end the High Mage of Rauven, desperately waiting (view spoiler)[ for news of his grandson's fate and vowing to repay every cruelty done to Arithon, in kind, on the mind and body of Lysaer, who is ALSO his grandchild?
Why do you think he'd do that? Why not love both grandchildren the same way? (hide spoiler)]I found this particular note very intriguing. Did you wonder about the same?

[Joseph]

Hey everyone! Just joined up after hearing about this buddy read today from chibipoe.

Im currently on chapter 6 and I love how accessible this is as literature. The story has also been very dramatic and engaging! Happy to get to know everyone over the next few months!

[chibipoe]

Joseph wrote: "Hey everyone! Just joined up after hearing about this buddy read today from chibipoe.

Im currently on chapter 6 and I love how accessible this is as literature. The story has also been very dramat..."

Welcome to the party, Joseph!

[Joseph]

Chapter 6 was fantastic and felt like it’s starting to open up the narrative a bit. I dunno how to spoiler comment here but there was a great part that cracked me up really good. 😂

[Felina]

If you click on the little link above the comment box that says (some html is okay) it explains how to add the spoiler tags.

[chibipoe]

< spoiler > and < / spoiler > (remove spaces, put whatever you want between the two. :D

[chibipoe]

Will post some thoughts on chapter III soon! How is everyone doing so far? What are you liking? Anything unclear or finding that you don't like?

[Joseph]

Is there a map anywhere? I’d look myself but don’t want to get spoiled.

[chibipoe]

For Dascen Elur? Not as of yet(though I believe Janny mentioned planning to work on one). For Athera, there is an interactive map accessible from her website. It will include marks for possible spoilers as well, iirc.

[Joseph]

Thanks a lot guys/gals.

[Laura]

chibipoe wrote: "Hi, Laura!

..... I'm up through II with summaries myself though. :) Was going to give a bit before III to let things percolate. :)."

You don't need to do chapter summaries though. We already have those I had made at the previous BR. They are all in a separate thread for an easy access to those who'd like to refer to them.
Here is the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[chibipoe]

Laura wrote: "chibipoe wrote: "Hi, Laura!

..... I'm up through II with summaries myself though. :) Was going to give a bit before III to let things percolate. :)."

You don't need to do chapter summaries though..."

Fair enough! :)

[Laura]

Chapter 2

Am I a bad person for wishing someone would trash the shit out of his royal A-hole ruler of Damroth? The drop dead ASAP kind of royal trashing, pretty please!!

I hate the guy and taking into account Lysaer (view spoiler)[grew up under his care, it's a real wonder he ended up not being just as horrible as his father. (hide spoiler)]

Arithon's suffering was heartbreaking and I had forgotten how much I love Sethvir.

[chibipoe]

Amroth's king does seem on the surface to be pretty reprehensible, I agree. And we know he did some shading of the truth to facilitate his marriage to Talera for using the gifted talents as a weapon against Karthan(a desire that never came to fruition, mind).

We also know that the feud's endured for seven generations and one assumes a fair number of incidents over that time have kept it burning. We see enough to learn that the feud has made its mark on Lysaer via his mother's departure as well as fear of his father's rages. So I wonder what sort of incidents that Lysaer's father has endured throughout his lifetime that have shaped him to be so bitter and hostile?

[Andrew]

It's also very interest to see how the s'Ilessid geas of Justice manifests in Lysaer versus his father during the book. (view spoiler)[That Amroth's king is so reprehensible is a manifestation of how manipulatable the geas is. If Amroth's sees Justice as a god to be worshiped, and not one to be served, then it becomes justice at any cost, so long as HE feel justified. (hide spoiler)]

[chibipoe]

Andrew wrote: "It's also very interest to see how the s'Ilessid geas of Justice manifests in Lysaer versus his father during the book. [spoilers removed]"

Oh. That is a very good point and an angle I had not considered! Well-thought out, Andrew! :D

[chibipoe]

So, we have the Red Desert ahead of us.

(view spoiler)[This trip does serve to highlight some facets of the brothers. Lysaer is immediately set to claim the supplies and then despite Arithon offering aid, retaliates with violence.

Despite entreaties, Lysaer returns only hate at Arithon, prompting him to forcing the other's will so they can trek across the desert, forcing them to carefully ration their food until one morning find Arithon's endurance pushed too far and Lysaer inflicts violence on a helpless individual.

Hesitation prompts a change of heart and we are lead to a significant moment, where Lysaer brings an ailing Arithon to a fountain, the same that we had seen in the snippets from a previous chapter... with healing waters that also grant enhanced longevity!

More peril stalks at their heels, though, as they find the ruins of a city... and they are not alone... a peril that fells them both before they pass through Another Gate.

Lysaer attempts suicide here, when cornered and desperate to escape their predicament. A reckless attack that he threw everything into, mitigated only by Arithon's Shadows. (hide spoiler)]

ETA: What are people's thoughts so far? What do you think of the insights we get here as they endure privation and trials?

[chibipoe]

Where's everyone at so far? We're just about halfway through the month(just a few days away), so figured would check to see! Feel free to share if you're further in! (That's great, if so!) For those who're in on first time through, can't wait to see your reactions as we go. There's some great stuff ahead. :D

[Joseph]

I’m currently reading 11 & 12 today. I am a very slow reader. Deeply enjoying this though. Things are moving more quickly than I expected when it comes to the plot.

[chibipoe]

One area that Janny especially excels at is endings. Events may move at a slower pace early on, as everything is set into place but then when it's time, *bam*, it's reaching the top of the roller coaster and then barreling down, full speed ahead. And she never does the same ending twice as the series goes on. :) With where you are, you're about to hit the first peak and then it will build again to the finale. :D

[Tonari no Emily]

Noooo I had a comment and accidentally refreshed the page.. Trying to remember what I had written so far..

I have a hard time with non-audio.. I don't have that much time and I'm a little impatient so eye-reading is a little tough lately, but I'm about half way through III. Exile (right before Transgression ). I have a lot of similar thoughts about what we've seen about the brothers so far (view spoiler)[ I think the prologue does kind of make you favor Arithon a bit, so that even through his actions when he was captured, I was still rooting for him. It did kind of set him up as an underdog like Laura said.. And as far as cursing someone? I mean he basically understood that to be captured would mean his torture... so that's pretty understandable.

Lysear on the other hand is a bit of a shit lol I kind of disliked immediately after that comment about his aunt. He's definitely not his father though and there is room for redemption there depending on his actions..

The journey through the desert I just wanted to kick Lysear for being idiotic. He really does only seem to see things in black and white I'm forgetting who said that. But it does explain his actions a bit.. In his eyes at that point Arithon is Bad so he could only mean harm to Lysear despite literally everything else pointing to Arithon trying to save their lives *eyeroll*. I'm glad he eventually figured it out and went back for him...
I can't imagine a 500 year lifespan, and the fact that the brothers don't really want it (that sort of thing in another story would be a treasure people would search for).. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Reading a tad further, I stopped there last week because we got to different POV when I was just getting used to the first bit of the book... Along with new names

Just visited Laura's linked summaries which helped ground me a bit, so here I go!

[chibipoe]

We should be passing through and meeting(well, we see them briefly prior to this) Asandir and Dakar.

The (view spoiler)[journey through the ruins of Mearth is a harrowing one. Arithon mentions that a Sorcerer's fall is to blame for its ruin as all that stands now is a slowly collapsing ruin.

Also, I love this line and it carries so much weight for what lies ahead:

But wedged like a knot in his heart was a vow to end the life of the sorcerer who had forced his inner will.

Knots can be hard to untangle~. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Running late, but I couldn't resist such a tempting party. Getting a few pages in before bed tonight.

[Paula]

yeah, me too, such a tempting BR

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I've read the first chunk of the book 3x... I just suck at making time for ebooks, the past 5-10 years... 1000x more successful at audiobooks...

I think I've made it to the (view spoiler)[tower or someplace, after the brothers end up in the other dimension, after passing through the in-between desert dimension... either way, they get found and taken somewhere, and some oracles know they made it to the new world, and are the subject of prophecy... and that's about the end of my progress... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

chibipoe wrote: "One area that Janny especially excels at is endings. Events may move at a slower pace early on, as everything is set into place but then when it's time, *bam*, it's reaching the top of the roller c..."

Janny's contributions to the Riftwar Cycle, are definitely my favorites, of the 10 or so books I read in that mega-series... the Empire trilogy...

[chibipoe]

Timelord Iain wrote: "chibipoe wrote: "One area that Janny especially excels at is endings. Events may move at a slower pace early on, as everything is set into place but then when it's time, *bam*, it's reaching the to..."

Empire is such a good series, I agree! It is, though, a very different story than Wars. Both are tightly focused, but Empire's... mmm, focus is on Mara and how she impacts and brings change to her world. Wars has a similarly tight focus, but its stakes and scale are grander. That tight focus though, is a constant between both. Keep us right in on the action, witnessing the crucial events.

Timelord Iain wrote: "I've read the first chunk of the book 3x... I just suck at making time for ebooks, the past 5-10 years... 1000x more successful at audiobooks...

I think I've made it to the [spoilers removed]"

The audiobook situation is so weird. Publishers, what're we gonna do?

As to your progress. Ah yes, there's a bit of a lull(it seems) there as the brothers acclimate and learn about this new world, but it's very important. I've seen the complaint that it's a bit like a 'travelogue' in this part, that they're just going from place to place and being told stuff, but I truthfully can't understate its importance. Everything that goes through here is a piece carefully placed. Some of it won't have an immediate payoff as it lays down for future books. (I can think of one moment at Althain Tower in particular). (I think that's where you are, based on your descriptions. :D ) If I am right, the next two chapters should hook you thoroughly.

If I am wrong in my assessment of where you are, then keep going. As I said, there's a gold mine here, all laid down, some for future things, but everything is important and some details get glossed over even when being said outright. If ebook reading is an issue, if you're in the US, I'll happily supply a physical copy if that would work better. I can toss in the mail this afternoon, if you're interested(I have spares). :)

Paula wrote: "yeah, me too, such a tempting BR"

It's a fantastic series and we welcome all!

Nirkatze wrote: "Running late, but I couldn't resist such a tempting party. Getting a few pages in before bed tonight."

Welcome! Glad to see new faces!

[Beena]

I also was planning on joining but missed the starting date as I was mega ill, but since Nirkatze and Paula are starting now, I reckon I'll join too in a bit. :)

[Beena]

I've read the first chunk of the book 3x... I just suck at making time for ebooks, the past 5-10 years... 1000x more successful at audiobooks...

Oh my god, are you PHYSICALLY reading Iain?! :O :O

Never thought I'd see the day! Lol.

[Joseph]

Yay!! More readers!

[chibipoe]

Welcome, welcome! :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Not really... I just popped in to visit and reminisce on the part I've actually read... I've got Tsalmoth and a bunch of October Daye short stories to read in my limited ebook time... I managed Dragonback with text to speech app, and lagged on Illuminations for so long the audiobook was announced, so I'm just waiting for September on that one now... Text-to-speech gets the job done in a pinch, but mostly only works for series with no invented words... And it's never going to be perfect...

[Choko]

I was unable to read my book for a bit, but I am back! Sorry, I am still on Ch. 1... As Iain said, it's hard to be at home and do eye books, particularly since I just finished two big ones I was reading - reading...

[chibipoe]

Choko wrote: "I was unable to read my book for a bit, but I am back! Sorry, I am still on Ch. 1... As Iain said, it's hard to be at home and do eye books, particularly since I just finished two big ones I was re..."

No worries! We still have the rest of the month! and as I have two spares, my offer for a physical copy of Curse of the Mistwraith is open as well!