The Curse of the Misrraith is a concept that stems from an ancient tale, passed down through generations. It has been both feared and dismissed as mere folklore. According to the legend, the Misrraith is a supernatural force that brings misfortune upon those who have wronged others or committed heinous acts. It is said to seek justice and balance in a world plagued by cruelty. The Misrraith is believed to be a soulless entity, detached from the mortal realm, but with the power to influence and manipulate the lives of individuals. It is said that once someone becomes the target of the Misrraith's curse, they will be plagued with a series of unfortunate events and outcomes that gradually consume their lives.
The Curse of the Mistwraith is about as epic as epic can be, with an introduction promising a continent-spanning war drawn out over five centuries and an 800-page opener that just scratches the surface of the story that will come over the next ten books. If you don’t like epic fantasy, don’t pick it up. But if you do, there’s plenty to hook you in from the literal first page, in which the prologue tells of the epic wars of light and shadow, how they may not have really gone as popularly believed, and how expert seers have been employed to capture the real story, as it happened. And so kicks off the story of Arithon and Lysaer, half-brothers from another world, destined to be at the center of conflict that will shape the land of Athera for centuries.
There are two intertwined main plots the struggle to banish the titular mistwraith, and two half-brothers Lysaer and his inborn power over light, Arithon and his power over shadow growing into the figures that will stand at the heart of the conflict for an entire continent. The struggle against the mistwraith itself has world-level stakes, and while Lysaer and Arithon may have plenty more story to come, both characters develop significantly over the course of one book.
It is said that once someone becomes the target of the Misrraith's curse, they will be plagued with a series of unfortunate events and outcomes that gradually consume their lives. The specifics of the curse vary depending on the interpretation of the legend. Some say that the Misrraith curses its victims with a lifetime of bad luck, causing them to experience financial ruin, broken relationships, and general misery.
[Review] Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, Volume 1 of 11)
The Wars of Light and Shadow is my all-time favourite fantasy series. It’s hard for me to avoid gushing about it and coming off as a shill, but maybe the distinction between a shill and a diehard advocate is harder to gauge than it seems! I first discovered this series in the early 90s as a Raymond E. Feist fan. I was impressed by the depth that Janny Wurts added to Feist’s work as co-author of the Empire series, and gave Curse of the Mistwraith a chance after discovering it in an airport bookstore. I liked some of it, didn’t understand a lot of it, and would have given it a solid C+ after my first, fast, teenage readthrough. I didn’t have access to a lot of fantasy books back then, so I read it again and liked it a little more, then again and again…
I’ve now reread Curse of the Mistwraith at least 12 times in the past 30 years and my appreciation for the series continues to grow. The real-life wait for new books to be published was sometimes unbearable, and I admit that there were times when I worried that the author wouldn’t be able to stick the landing. As a lucky beta reader of the unpublished Final Volume (Song of the Mysteries), I'm thankful to say that Janny Wurts unequivocally gives the series the ending it deserves while taking the story in directions that are unpredictable (yet still clearly telegraphed from Volume 1 for the most observant of readers).
Getting In the Right Mindset
The Wars of Light and Shadow is a challenging read that rewards your patience. It can’t be skimmed or read in short spurts. It isn’t a purely sequential plot that recaps important information every fifth paragraph. It requires space and focus to savor. The prose is dense, poetic, and uniquely structured, intentionally asking you to slow down and linger over each sentence. This is truly literature that I would have been much more excited to read in my English classes than yet another Shakespeare play.
The series always deepens instead of sprawling. Hundreds of years pass, allowing you to see the long-term impacts of the characters’ choices as true facts fade into myth and hearsay. However, there are just a few key characters to follow, all of whom make mistakes but learn from them and grow past them. The author explores weighty, relevant themes, like how we tend to assign the labels of “Good” and “Evil” without exploring each side’s motivations, and how history tends to be whitewashed in favor of those that stay in power.
The 11 Volumes in the series are grouped into 5 Story Arcs (in the pattern 1-2-5-2-1). The shape of each Story Arc is like a roller coaster with a slow burn chug up to the peak around the halfway point, then an exhilarating sprint to the end where you can’t put the book down. Each Story Arc widens the aperture of the world to reveal different facets and character perspectives that force you to adjust your assessment of what you previously read and your expectations of what’s to come. Rereads are amazingly gratifying – think of the early Volumes as a set of black and white photos enjoyed at surface value, with each later Volume overlaying a colorful transparency that draws your eyes towards hidden surprises in plain sight.
Curse of the Mistwraith
The back-cover premise of Volume 1 is that two half-brother princes, one charismatic and one enigmatic, must work together to save an unfamiliar world from centuries of smothering fog (the titular Mistwraith) while rising above a generations-long feud between their families. The author immediately jams an unseemly number of classic tropes into the mix: an all-powerful band of wizards, mysterious prophecies told by drunk apprentices, magic swords, persecuted bards, conflict between the sophisticated townsfolk and the nature-loving clansmen, portal fantasy, and even a fountain that “rewards” any drinker with a five-hundred-year lifespan.
The first half of Volume 1 has always been the most difficult section for me to get through, but the payoff is well worth it. There are a lot of worldbuilding seeds to plant, but without knowing what’s to come this section can sometimes feel like an awkward road trip through seemingly unrelated scenarios. There are odd beats to the storytelling, with key scenes happening off the page and emphasis given to other scenes that might feel irrelevant. You’re often left to “fill in the blanks” in a scene, and you might not realize that you’re making assumptions until those assumptions are upended later on.
I liken this stage-setting to one of those whirlpool coin donation contraptions found in old mall atriums: I’m very interested in the final destination (the hole in the middle), but I feel like my coin is just rolling around and around without getting any closer for far too long. You may feel frustrated if you want a simple book that just goes from Point A to Point B directly, but you can trust that every single scene here will come back later as primary motivation for the main characters.
Once I reach Chapter XII (specifically, the subchapter “Insurrection”), it’s like a switch is flipped – the game pieces are all in place, my brain is accustomed to the writing style, and there is a madcap dash to the end during which I can’t put the book down. I start to see the brush strokes of the author’s long-term plan for the next 10 Volumes and realize that the tropey story I expected to read is wholly inferior to the story the author actually put in front of me. The climactic conflict is a brutal whirlwind of violence made more unsettling by the clinical detachment the author uses to describe the events. This is one of the techniques that Janny Wurts uses to great effect throughout the series: instead of persuading the reader that these folks are good and those folks are bad, she demands that we see the nuance in every situation and draw our own conclusions.
Curse of the Mistwraith is a beautiful, yet challenging, introduction to the Wars of Light and Shadow. Each seemingly shallow set piece from Volume 1 is actually a tightly-packed box of hidden complexity that gets unpacked and explored in the next Volumes. Even the Final Volume (not yet published) returns to these foundational events in ways that surprised me while remaining completely consistent with the world that Janny Wurts has built.
Reference
- Wars of Light and Shadow - Series Overview
- Wars of Light and Shadow - Wiki
- Interactive Map of Paravia
- /r/Fantasy Readalong
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.
Others believe that the curse is more sinister, leading to physical ailments, mental torment, and ultimately, a tragic demise. It is said that the Misrraith selects its victims based on their actions and intentions. Those who have intentionally caused harm or shown a lack of remorse are believed to be at a higher risk of invoking the curse. The Misrraith's curse is seen as a form of cosmic justice, a force designed to restore balance by punishing those who have done wrong. Despite its presence in folklore, the Curse of the Misrraith remains a subject of debates and skepticism. Some believe that the curse is merely a psychological phenomenon, a projection of guilt that torments the conscience of those who believe they deserve punishment. Others dismiss it as a superstitious notion, attributing misfortune to coincidence and natural causes. Nevertheless, the legend of the Curse of the Misrraith persists, fueling fear and caution in those who dare to disrespect the laws of morality. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of our actions and the importance of treating others with kindness and compassion. Whether the curse is real or not, it has embedded itself in the collective consciousness, forever instilling a sense of unease and trepidation in those who hear its tale..
Reviews for "Cursed by the Misrraith: Surviving the Darkness"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with Curse of the Misrraith. The plot was confusing and hard to follow, and I found it hard to connect with any of the characters. The writing style was also quite dull and uninspiring, which made it difficult for me to stay interested in the story. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable and engaging read.
2. Emily - 1 star - I couldn't get through Curse of the Misrraith. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story lacked any real excitement or suspense. The characters felt one-dimensional and uninteresting, making it hard for me to care about what happened to them. Additionally, the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, further detracting from my overall reading experience. I regret wasting my time on this book.
3. Alex - 2 stars - Curse of the Misrraith had so much potential, but it fell flat for me. The world-building was confusing and vague, leaving me with more questions than answers. The writing style was also quite dense and overly descriptive, making it hard to focus on the actual story. I found myself becoming bored and disconnected from the narrative, which made it difficult for me to finish the book. In the end, I didn't find the payoff worth the effort.
4. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for Curse of the Misrraith, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver. The characters were poorly developed, and their motivations felt forced and unrealistic. The plot had potential, but the execution was messy and confusing. The constant shifting perspectives made it difficult for me to keep track of who was who, and I often found myself having to reread sections to make sense of what was happening. Overall, this book was a disappointment, and I wouldn't recommend it.