Grand Conspiracy

Starred review from January 3, 2000
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.