Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tctippens 's review for:
To Ride Hell's Chasm
by Janny Wurts
This book hits the ground sprinting, with the princess going missing within the first couple of pages. It never lets up, partly because the entire story takes place over a mere five and a half days. Taskin, the formidably competent commander of the royal guard, and Mykkael, the scarred veteran with a deadly past, are tasked with recovering the princess before it is too late.
The first half of the story follows Taskin’s handling of court intrigue and Mykkael’s investigation into the princess’s disappearance. Throughout this part of the book, everyone is wondering about Mykkael’s true motives. Is he the kingdom’s best chance to save the princess or was he behind her disappearance? It’s sort of like a fantasy Sherlock Holmes where Sherlock is scary good at killing. The second half of the story catapults into classic sword swinging, demon fighting, breakneck adventure. I’d say more but I don’t want to give anything away.
The kingdom of Sessalie is small and isolated from the surrounding nations by mountains. While this might offer some measure of protection, it also serves to foster prejudice and closed-mindedness towards other cultures. As a result, most characters are fairly hostile towards Mykkael, refusing to even pronounce his name correctly.
There is also a host of totally awesome fantastical elements to this book. Shapeshifting demon sorcerers? Check. Ferocious dragon/bird hybrids? You betcha.
The main character, Mykkael, has somewhat of a tragically brutal back story, which is slowly revealed throughout the book. His skin color keeps people constantly mistrustful of him since people from the desert are often associated with sorcery or savagery. As if it wasn’t hard enough to unravel the mystery of the disappearing princess, Mykkael also has to overcome the suspicions (and sometimes outright racism) from higher society.
There are some truly incredible side characters in this story. Taskin is competent and just, but bound by duty. The missing princess, Anja, really puts the “strong” in strong female characters. And of course, there are the horses. Janny Wurts has a passion for horses in real life, and it really shines in this book. The horses feel like real characters, not just a convenient way to get from point A to point B.
This book is packed with tension, with the entire plot taking place in less than a week. You’ll be kept at the edge of your seat.
And the prose, well, beautiful almost doesn’t do it justice. Each word is chosen with care. This can take some getting used to (I think it took me about 50 pages to really adjust), but once you do it really enriches the experience.
Read this book if you like tales of intrigue, adventure, and complex morality.
Read this book if you want great characters and tight plotting.
If you dislike dense prose or need a 100% happy ending, this might not be for you.
The first half of the story follows Taskin’s handling of court intrigue and Mykkael’s investigation into the princess’s disappearance. Throughout this part of the book, everyone is wondering about Mykkael’s true motives. Is he the kingdom’s best chance to save the princess or was he behind her disappearance? It’s sort of like a fantasy Sherlock Holmes where Sherlock is scary good at killing. The second half of the story catapults into classic sword swinging, demon fighting, breakneck adventure. I’d say more but I don’t want to give anything away.
The kingdom of Sessalie is small and isolated from the surrounding nations by mountains. While this might offer some measure of protection, it also serves to foster prejudice and closed-mindedness towards other cultures. As a result, most characters are fairly hostile towards Mykkael, refusing to even pronounce his name correctly.
There is also a host of totally awesome fantastical elements to this book. Shapeshifting demon sorcerers? Check. Ferocious dragon/bird hybrids? You betcha.
The main character, Mykkael, has somewhat of a tragically brutal back story, which is slowly revealed throughout the book. His skin color keeps people constantly mistrustful of him since people from the desert are often associated with sorcery or savagery. As if it wasn’t hard enough to unravel the mystery of the disappearing princess, Mykkael also has to overcome the suspicions (and sometimes outright racism) from higher society.
There are some truly incredible side characters in this story. Taskin is competent and just, but bound by duty. The missing princess, Anja, really puts the “strong” in strong female characters. And of course, there are the horses. Janny Wurts has a passion for horses in real life, and it really shines in this book. The horses feel like real characters, not just a convenient way to get from point A to point B.
This book is packed with tension, with the entire plot taking place in less than a week. You’ll be kept at the edge of your seat.
And the prose, well, beautiful almost doesn’t do it justice. Each word is chosen with care. This can take some getting used to (I think it took me about 50 pages to really adjust), but once you do it really enriches the experience.
Read this book if you like tales of intrigue, adventure, and complex morality.
Read this book if you want great characters and tight plotting.
If you dislike dense prose or need a 100% happy ending, this might not be for you.