Rating: 
Summary: action/adventure/fantasy
Review: This book is a great read from beginning to end. The characters are people you like and admire. The magic is fun but the action and adventure really take the lead. Not all of the main characters are human and they are likeable too even if horses aren't your favorite critter! This is one story that should be checked out for a possible film. What an original it would be!! Read this story!! you will sit on the edge of your seat from the first page.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: This book is a great starting point for anyone not familiar with Janny's writing style. Her attention to detail and ploting of the story are in my opinion second to none.Her characters are all three dimensional and well thought out and not the carbon copy heroes, princesses and villians we see in most fantasy books out there. She writes the way she wants to write and her use of vocabulary will make you realize she has a story to tell and she is telling it to you in her way and not like she is writing to appease the masses. She really will make you think.
Rating: 
Summary: Why did she rush the ending?
Review: This is a quality book for the reasons given amply by other reviewers. However it lost a star from me for two reasons: the ending is rushed, and I got sick of how the main character, crippled almost to immobility early in the book, suffers a continual unrelenting onslaught for most of the rest of the book, without ceasing to be an amazing killing machine. It was just too much! As the cliche goes, sometimes less is more. Having said that, it's still a better fantasy book than many so buy it, read it and enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: Why did she rush the ending?
Review: This is a quality book for the reasons given amply by other reviewers. However it lost a star from me for two reasons: the ending is rushed, and I got sick of how the main character, crippled almost to immobility early in the book, suffers a continual unrelenting onslaught for most of the rest of the book, without ceasing to be an amazing killing machine. It was just too much! As the cliche goes, sometimes less is more. Having said that, it's still a better fantasy book than many so buy it, read it and enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but failed, experiment
Review: This seemed to me like a book trying to cross genres, combining an Austen-like novel of manners with swords and sorcery. Though I always admire an author who tries to bring new things into the fantasy genre, I'm afraid this approach didn't work for me.
My first major problem was the point of view, an omnicient third person which slipped all over the place, from person to person, without warning. By its nature, this POV keeps readers at a distance, and I found it really hampered me trying to connect with the characters.
Often, the omniscient third person is used to keep important information from the readers -- in this case, the identity of a traitor. Sad to say, I figured it out anyhow.
I found that the Austen-like narrative voice only amplified the POV's distancing effect. It seemed remote in itself, a good example of why authors are always being told to "show, not tell." In addition, every verb had an adverb and every noun had an adjective (sometimes more than one). This word buildup slowed the sentences down, blunting the impact of even the most exciting and dramatic passages.
I was also disappointed with the plot. Some of the characters came off as deliberately obtuse, perhaps because the plot required everyone to gang up on Mykkael. Although the first half of the novel focused on the rivalry/friendship of Taskin and Mykkael, Taskin pretty much disappeared in the second half. To me this was disappointing, as I did like Taskin in his anal way.
Again, I enjoy it when an author tries something new. Wurtz is good enough to keep trying, perhaps teamed with a more demanding editor. I'll look for more of her work in the future.
Deby Fredericks
Author of "The Magister's Mask"
Rating:
Summary: A rollicking yarn, Wurts at full steam - a must read
Review: To refresh herself after the emotional toll of sending Arithon through Kewar Tunnel in Peril's Gate, Janny Wurts has written this stand alone story of honour, integrity and redemption as Mykkael, the coloured mercenary charged with securing and protecting the safety of the Anja, crown princess of Sessalie, through the physical and metaphorical trial of Hell's Chasm. The story is deceptively simple - on the day the High Prince of Devall arrives in Sessalie to formalize his betrothal to Anja, Anja disappears and sorcery is suspected. Her intended fiance and her brother both want her found, the King of Sessalie orders Mykkael to find her and protect her. Has she been abducted or has she run? Mykkael is an outsider in both colour and origin and suspicion quickly falls on him, the populace of Sessalie easily led to this conclusion. With sorcery afoot in Sessalie, Mykkael is forced to re-live his previous failure to protect a princess from sorcerous pursuit. With Sessalie turned against him, Mykkael must master both the real demons in Sessalie and the demons from his past. This book is as much a study of a principled character of robust integrity set under immense pressure as any "simple" chase story. The world of Sessalie pulsates with the hallmarks of Janny Wurts' writing - self-serving nobility, the seething masses of the general populace, the populace easily swayed by rumour and innuendo and a fear of foreigners. As a standalone novel, this is a good read and well worth following the trials of Mykkael to the emotional ending. As a tempter for the writing style of Wurts for those who have yet to read the massive Wars of Light and Shadow series, this is an essential starting point for the magic that is the writing of Janny Wurts
Rating:
Summary: Protecting the Princess
Review: To Ride Hell's Chasm is a singleton fantasy novel. The Kingdom of Sessalie is a quiet highland realm that longs for an outlet to the sea. The King and Chancellors have arranged a marriage for Princess Anja with the High Prince of Devall to gain treaty access to their seaport and the two royals have fallen deeply in love. The High Prince has returned to Sessalie for the upcoming betrothal ceremony and the town has become a madhouse of wild and drunken celebration. In this novel, Captain Mykkael and his Garrison troopers have had busy days and busier nights. Mykkael hasn't slept in twenty hours and barely has the energy to tend to his lame knee. His sword shows use and needs a good cleaning if he can find time. The rumors have been varied and fantastic, including a new one that Princess Anja has disappeared. Then he is summoned to appear before the King. The rumor doesn't have the half of it. The princess has apparently fled on her own and is no longer anywhere in the castle, town or environs. The Seneshal is frantically worried that the betrothal will be rejected by the High Prince, but the prince seems only to be deeply concerned for the princess, urging all possible measures to find her. Commander Taskin of the Palace Guard has men searching all of the princess's old childhood hiding places within the castle, but soon has to agree with Mykkael that the princess is no longer there. A sorcerer's mark has been found in the castle cellars, but Mykkael knows that it is false, having had experience with the real thing. In fact, Mykkael is almost the only man in Sessalie who knows anything about sorcery and demons, having fought against them on several occasions, and is one of the few survivors of the futile defense of Efandi before it was overwhelmed by sorcery. Another sorcerer's mark is only too real, killing one of the few other men in the kingdom with the knowledge to defend against sorcery. Other deaths also seem to have been caused by sorcery, even though some of the nobles blame Mykkael and try to force his trial for these deaths. However, the King is well aware of the captain's history and charges him with responsibility for finding and protecting the princess. This story is a study of a man with heavy responsibilities, horrific experiences, and sorrowful memories. It is also a tale of the love that can develop between a man and woman enduring exhausting and terrible tests of stamina and perseverance. Underlying it all is the threat of demons, bound sorcerers, and their minions. Highly recommended for Wurts fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of loyalty, persistence, and competence in the midst of great trials.
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.
Rating:
Summary: Splendid Fantasy! If only this has been a trilogy!
Review: To ride Hell's Chasm is simply spellbinding. The plot is there and definitely the novelty, the magic and the excitement. The myriad characters of humans, sorcerers, demons and of course the horses and the world they live in are brilliantly conceived. My salute to Wurts for her vivid imagination. However for me, it is the protagonist, the warrior Mykkael who truly shines. I find myself engrossed with his purpose, his sorrows, his die-hard loyalty, his dignity, his courage and finally his emotional triumph.
My only regret is that this splendid fantasy has not been crafted into a trilogy. The references to Mykkael's past life definitely justify this approach. The first of the trilogy could have been about Mykkael's birth, youth, ostracism from his tribe, the second concerning his life as a mercenary tormented by the horror of fighting sorcery culminating to his loss and finally the third, the story "To ride Hell's Chasm" itself. However with the ending Wurts has weaved I guess I have to say goodbye to Mykkael. I will definitely miss this amazingly intriguing and enigmatic character and the world he lives in. Still the conclusion is satisfying as Mykkael finally gets his just rewards. Truly an amazing read.
Rating:
Summary: A great book to keep and reread
Review: When I opened To Ride Hell's Chasm, I was enthralled with characters that deepened with every page, unexpected emotion, and a wonderfully detailed plot. Each character is masterfully created, with an attention to detail that makes them leap from the page and into your mind. Even the animals within the plot take on personality and emotion as they become a focus point for both the action and the drama of the storyline. From a deceptively gentle start, the pace of the action increases until you are left breathless at the climax. The plot weaves a complex world into a wonderfully varied whole that adds to the richness of the reading. This book is an original, avoiding standard fantasy cliches which are so often encountered. It tells a human story that has echoes within our own world. It gets better with each reread. In case you can't tell - I loved it!
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