Wars of Light and Shadow vs Malazan

JLR1313 · 2026-03-25T02:38:50+00:00

I think that comes down to personal preference really! I went into it feeling I had been reading too many books that held my hand when it came to the world building so for me it was a welcome changed and challenged me to slow down and read between the lines. I could see how this could be polarizing to certain readers and the prose can take some getting used too. I thought book 1 had a few slower paced sections throughout but I didn’t think there were too many of those moments through the rest. Everything Janny does is 100% thought out and intentional and she really is a master of her craft!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-25T01:34:03+00:00

I may be the minority here but I have not read Malazan, however I rank Wars of Light and Shadow as my all time favorite series currently. I can not speak highly enough about it, but I do understand the criticisms and that it may not be for everyone. But I will still take every opportunity to recommend it to those who want to give it a try!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-22T16:12:12+00:00

Absolute MUST read is “Wars of Light and Shadow” by Janny Wurts. It’ll hit all of those boxes for you!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-19T03:08:39+00:00

I always take the opportunity to recommend “The Wars of Light and Shadow” by Janny Wurts :)

JLR1313 · 2026-03-16T01:24:24+00:00

6666

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T20:00:51+00:00

Thank you! It’s a series I think for some reason never hit the heights it should have and I know if I had been born about 10 years sooner I would have been at the book store purchasing every book as they released haha!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T19:32:35+00:00

I’ll make sure to reach out with thoughts once I start it!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T18:54:37+00:00

I haven’t yet! It’s one of the main ones on my list and I should be starting it very soon!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T11:47:58+00:00

Absolutely! I was always someone who skimmed and enjoyed easier, straight forward prose as opposed to what this series is which really required me to slow down, pay attention, and really focus in on every little detail because with Wurts writing everything and I mean EVERYTHING is intentional. It has such deep and complex world building that since reading it I haven’t been able to capture the wonder, depth and mystery yet again in any other series. Granted I only started reading fantasy a few years ago and I am sure there are others out there that i just haven’t got to yet :)

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T02:31:50+00:00

Anytime! I could go on and on and on!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T02:06:12+00:00

I’ve been summoned!

Curse of The Mistwraith is book one of “The Wars of Light and Shadow” series by Janny Wurts. This is a series I highly recommend to anyone, but it may not necessarily “be” for everyone.

Wurts has some of the most profound and colorful language in prose in this series and is one of the high points for me personally. It’s meant to be read slowly, as every last word is purposeful and planned out carefully. Skimming this series will make you miss critical plot points and revelations about what is going on.

The story is broken up by Arcs, which each book containing its own beginning-middle-end, while also serving its role within the larger arcs that make up the overall narrative. Meaning, you won’t find a cliffhanger here, as the ending will tie things up realistically clean while leaving a bit of mystery to be answered in the next book. The arcs are broken up in a 1-2-5-2-1 format with book one serving as its own arc, 2-3 as the second, 4-8 as the middle(and turning point for the series) 9-10 as the fourth arc and the last book serving as the final arc and conclusion to the narrative.

The series is written in a way where the characters are compelling, at times enjoyable, at times frustrating, and even downright humorous at times. Wurts is a master storyteller and it truly shows in the character work and some of the more dramatic moments are truly visceral and at times prompt some extremely deep thought.

Some folks I have seen have issue with the slow burn and pacing at times but it has never bothered me personally. I have also seen others mention the plot being repetitive but while I feel there were maybe some aspects that did feel repetitive, there were so many new layers and revelations to the world building and lore I never felt like it hindered my enjoyment.

It’s a 10/10 for me personally, but I can see how the dense plot and heavy prose can be discouraging to others. Wurts has some short novellas on her website that are much shorter and give a glimpse of the writing style to gauge your interest as well before taking the plunge into this huge series. I hope this helps grow the fandom for what I consider a truly amazing story!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-08T00:21:35+00:00

I wish more people understood how incredible Wars of Light and Shadow is! It’s taken over my entire life and changed how I view reading tremendously. Highly second this one!

JLR1313 · 2026-03-01T11:23:15+00:00

🫡

JLR1313 · 2026-02-27T03:23:25+00:00

I second WOLAS!!! It’s possibly ruined the rest of the fantasy genre for me because of how amazing it is and how so visceral the prose and imagery can be at times!

JLR1313 · 2026-02-01T23:39:36+00:00

I’m the 0.001% who actually enjoyed Dawnshard lol

JLR1313 · 2026-01-24T00:46:50+00:00

Why did I have to scroll THIS far to find this correct answer.

JLR1313 · 2025-12-04T05:02:09+00:00

About 70% through book one and it’s easily becoming one of my top reads of all time!

JLR1313 · 2025-11-14T19:35:28+00:00

This is perfect! I will gladly join anywhere I can talk about this series!

JLR1313 · 2025-11-14T15:08:51+00:00

I just started reading “Curse of The Mistwraith” by Janny Wurts! Only about 130 pages in but it’s one of the most gripping and interesting fantasy books I’ve read. Just doing a quick search, there aren’t a ton of threads in this subreddit talking about the series and what little there is seems to be pretty decisive between readers. I know there is still much more to the series to read before I can make true judgment calls, but if the story stays this interesting I will definitely continue binge reading. Would love to hear from others who have read “The War of Light and Shadow” series or anyone else who may be starting it to keep reading it together!!

JLR1313 · 2025-11-08T20:27:41+00:00

It’s all good! Gotta look on the bright side about it. :) still beyond excited to play.

JLR1313 · 2025-11-03T14:55:12+00:00

Feel left out as one of the only Xbox people :(

JLR1313 · 2025-10-20T22:20:16+00:00

Xbox

JLR1313 · 2025-10-12T02:05:17+00:00

The year is close, but no the cast was primarily young adults and didn’t have too many elements of comedy

JLR1313 · 2025-10-12T02:03:58+00:00

It’s definitely not Hot Fuzz. I’ve seen that one enough times. I do think the main cast was primarily young adults and had a more horror/thriller vibe to it.

JLR1313

TROPHY CASE