funkyfest 's review for:

Grand Conspiracy by Janny Wurts
5.0
Feels like the first delicious course in a huge meal about to come out, with Fugitive Prince as the appetizer.

While I found the pacing of Fugitive Prince more to my liking, Janny Wurts continually manages to surprise me with the way every book is different.

We know from Fugitive Prince that
SpoilerLirenda's next plan to capture Arithon will take 15 years to come to fruition, meanwhile Arithon is determined to step foot on Paravia as little as possible
. That gives us a lot of space, but in the meantime the wheels do not stop turning on other designs in the world. We see a lot of the Fellowship which gives us more insight into the distinct character of each one, as well as
Spoilerour first glimpse of Davien, the Betrayer
. If you don't stop to really think about these sections - and I almost didn't - you'd probably come away not understanding how the Koriani and Lysaer could be seen as the good ones.

SpoilerI mean, they're all-powerful wizards who WILL destroy all of humanity on Athera if that's what it takes to enforce the Compact. Kind of hard to side with that, except for the fact that we understand what else is at stake if said wizards WEREN'T here. I doubt a townborn knows though. Or Lysaer, who wasn't even born on Athera.


It's all easy to gloss over if you just want to hate Lysaer and his hypocritical/perverted means of Justice, or the Koriani and the lengths they'll go to in order to achieve their means. I couldn't blame you if you do, because I do too! I find that the true discussion of good and bad goes far between the lines, where you really have to put yourself in the shoes of another because it's too easy to lean one way.

Greatly looking forward to see where the situation as it stands at the end of the book leads in Peril's Gate.