To Ride Hell's Chasm

Rating:
Summary: Ms. Wurts is the true peak of Fantasy envisaged by Tolkien
Review: 'To Ride Hell's Chasm' is a unique gem of a novel - Reading it is a vivid experience that challenges, entertains and enriches and I find it very hard to put the book down each time I read it.
Ms. Wurt's characterisation is phenomenal. She draws us into a deep relationship with each of her characters, and captures their spirit, will and intent in a beautiful, crisp, multi-layered prose comparable to Austen.
Her research and attention to detail gives her settings a believable, grounded reality. Her plots twist and turn without pause, driving her characters to make constant difficult, ethical choices that push the reader to constantly rethink assumptions.
Woven throughout the story is her unique vision of magic - no-one renders it into writing quite like Ms. Wurts does and with such depth, subtlety and spiritual richness- one could almost imagine it possible.
I heartily agree with the comment: "Wurts is a true Bard."
Get all her books! They are richly, vividly imaginative and captivating, and very intelligently written.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling story
Review: The author is adept at creating incredible worlds of fantasy. She creates characters that are real and vivid. The plots are excellent, convoluted and compelling.

This book's hero is exactly like Prince Arithon in her other books, most recently Peril's Gate, and the Princess Anja of Sessalie is almost identical to Arithon's girlfriend,such that I found myself confusing the characters at times.
The following objective comments detail a few problems that I have with this book:

1. Unrealistic, overblown prose. All the characters dialog is in a backward type of stilted high style language. This is true of the hero, the princess, the pig farmer turned soldier, the king, courtiers, drunken trappers and shamans of desert tribes of other lands.
2. Metaphors such as this on p. 198 "smooth as butter left on a plate, the seneschal found himself cooling his heels on the carpet in the front hall". Say What?
3. The use of past tense verbs in front of adjectives or nouns that overstate and/or stall ongoing action, impact and meaning. Ex: p.510 "..He's still acting on Mykkael's left orders?" Is this vs right orders?
4. Through the entire book the term "desert-bred" is used on nearly every page to describe Mykkael.
5. The hero, like Prince Arithon is weepy, tormented, abused, hated and reviled.
6. The story's tone is negative in extremis. Speaking only for myself, it presents a bit of a trial to read. The ending was the only ray of light for the salvation of Mykkael.

What is excellent is the high magic of the shamans and the mystical elements that this author weaves throughout her stories. Overall the book is very engaging despite the excessively ornate, stilted prose. The beautifully spirited horses in the story were the champions. I felt them most
deeply of all.

Rating:
Summary: To Ride Hell's Chasm Review
Review: To Ride Hell's Chasm is a wonderful book a real page turner and an up all night read. I read the book so fast and I normally take awhile to read a book this thick. Janny Wurts captured me in this book. I was so caught up in the story. The magic is spellbinding and as for action it's a thrill ride. The shapechanging demons are the most interesting I've read about in awhile. Characters are believable and you immediately sympathize with the hero from the first chapter. A great read and a must read for all fantasy readers.