Books in series
#1
Magician
Apprentice
1982
An alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.
To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at ease with normal wizardry. Yet his strange magic may save two worlds from dark beings who opened spacetime to renew the age-old battle between Order and Chaos.
#2
Magician
Master
1982
He held the fate of two worlds in his hands...
Once he was an orphan called Pug, apprenticed to a sorcerer of the enchanted land of Midkemia.. Then he was captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, a strange, warlike race of invaders from another world.
There, in the exotic Empire of Kelewan, he earned a new name—Milamber. He learned to tame the unnimagined powers that lay withing him. And he took his place in an ancient struggle against an evil Enemy older than time itself.
#3
Silverthorn
1985
A poisoned bolt has struck down the Princess Anita on the day of her wedding to Prince Arutha of Krondor.
To save his beloved, Arutha sets out in search of the mystic herb called Silverthorn that only grows in the dark and forbidding land of the Spellweavers.
Accompanied by a mercenary, a minstrel, and a clever young thief, he will confront an ancient evil and do battle with the dark powers that threaten the enchanted realm of Midkemia.
#4
A Darkness At Sethanon
1986
A Darkness at Sethanon is the stunning climax to Raymond E. Feist's brilliant epic fantasy trilogy, the Riftwar Saga.
Here be dragons and sorcery, swordplay, quests, pursuits, intrigues, stratagems, journeys to the darkest realms of the dead and titanic battles between the forces of good and darkest evil.
Here is the final dramatic confrontation between Arutha and Murmandamus - and the perilous quest of Pug the magician and Tomas the warrior for Macros the Black. A Darkness at Sethanon is heroic fantasy of the highest excitement and on the grandest scale, a magnificent conclusion to one of the great fantasy sagas of our time.
#5
Daughter of the Empire
1987
Magic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan. Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni. While in the opulent Imperial courts, assassins and spy-master plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir. Now Mara, a young, untested Ruling lady, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival. But first she must rally an army of rebel warriors, form a pact with the alien cho-ja, and marry the son of a hated enemy. Only then can Mara face her most dangerous foe of all—in his own impregnable stronghold. An epic tale of adventure and intrigue. Daughter of the Empire is fantasy of the highest order by two of the most talented writers in the field today.
#6
Servant of the Empire
1990
In the world of Kelewan, Mara of the Acoma has now become an expert player in the Game of the Council through bloody political maneuvering. After buying a group of Midkemian prisoners-of-war, she finds one of them—Kevin of Zūn—to be a great asset in her ongoing struggle for survival and power.
#7
Mistress of the Empire
1992
The world on the other side of the rift: Kelewan, a land seething with political intrigue and deadly conspiracies. Following the opulent panoply of Daughter Of The Empire and the dazzling pageantry of Servant Of The Empire comes the resounding conclusion to the Empire trilogy.
Besieged by spies and rival houses, stalked by a secret and merciless brotherhood of assassins, the brilliant Lady Mara of the Acoma faces the most deadly challenge she has ever known. The fearsome Black Robes see Mara as the ultimate threat to their ancient power. In search of allies who will join her against them, Mara must travel beyond civilization's borders and even into the hives of the alien cho-ja. As those near and dear to her fall victim to many enemies, Mara cries out for vengeance. Drawing on all of her courage and guile she prepares to fight her greatest battle of all—for her life, her home, and the Empire itself.
#8
Prince of the Blood
1989
Prince of the Blood is a work that explores strength and weakness, hope and fear, and what it means to be a man—in a kingdom where peace is the most precious commodity of all.
If there were two more impetuous and carefree men in the Kingdom of the Isles, they had yet to be found. Twins Borric and Erland wore that mantle proudly, much to the chagrin of their father, Prince Arutha of Krondor. But their blissful youth has come to an end. Their uncle, the King, has produced no male children. Bypassing himself, Arutha names Borric, the eldest twin by seconds, the Royal Heir. As his brother, Erland will have his own great responsibilities to shoulder. To drive home their future roles, Arutha sends them as ambassadors to Kesh, the most feared nation in the world. Borric and Erland will be presented to the Queen of Kesh—the single most powerful ruler in the known world—at her Seventy-fifth Jubilee Anniversary.
But they have not even left Krondor when an assassination attempt on Borric is thwarted. Aware that he is being provoked into war, Arutha does not rise to the bait. His sons’ journey will not be deterred, for nothing less than peace is riding on it. Yet there is to be no peace for the young princes. When their traveling party is ambushed, Borric disappears and is presumed dead—sending Erland into spirals of rage and grief as he is forced to navigate alone the court intrigues at Kesh. But unbeknownst to anyone, Borric lives and has escaped his captors. In a strange land, with a price on his head, Borric must use all his wits and stamina to find his way back to his brother.
On separate paths, the two men—one a fugitive and one a future king—make their journey toward maturity, honor, and duty. For every step they take could sway the fragile peace of the land, as those who crave war rally against them—and become ever more daring.
#9
The King's Buccaneer
1992
Long recovered from the ravages of the Riftwar, the land and people of the kingdom of the Isles thrive. Nicholas, the youngest son of Prince Arutha, is intelligent and gifted but vastly inexperienced. In hopes of hardening him, his father sends him and his irreverent squire, Harry, to live at Rustic Castle Crydee to learn of life beyond the halls of privilege. But within weeks of Nicholas and Harry's arrival, Crydee is viciously attacked by unknown assailants, resulting in murder, massive destruction, and the abduction of two young noblewomen. The raiders have come from a pirate haven and are no ordinary foe ... but an enemy connected to dark magical forces that threaten the lands Nicholas will someday rule—if he survives.
#10
Shadow of a Dark Queen
1994
Feist, author of the Riftwar Saga, embarks on a new series, returning to the magical twin worlds of Kelewan and Midkemia to begin the story of the Serpent War Saga. Two unlikely heroes are destined to oppose the malign forces that threaten their lives and the survival of their world.
#11
Rise of a Merchant Prince
1995
A TALE OF WEALTH AND AMBITION IN A WORLD OF MURDER, MAGIC AND INTRIGUE.
Roo Avery, recently returned from a harrowing brush with the armies of the Emerald Queen, is now free to choose his own destiny and his ultimate ambition is to become one of the richest and most powerful merchants in Midkemia.
But nothing can prepare him for the dangers of the new life he has chosen where the repayment of a debt can be as deadly as a knife in the shadows. Even those closest to him are suspect and as Roo struggles to build his financial empire, betrayal is always close at hand. His instinctive cunning will serve him well, but he will soon realise that the road to success is far from smooth.
And while Roo works towards achieving his goal, the memory of the distant forces of darkness are never far away. For the war with the Emerald Queen is far from over and the inevitable confrontation will pose the biggest threat yet to his new found wealth and power.
#12
Rage of a Demon King
1997
When the evil Emerald Queen sets sail for Krondor, a terrible land-and-sea battle ensues, causing a brave trio of magicians to undertake a harrowing journey into the demon world to seal off the Rift that allows evil to enter Midkemia.
#13
Shards of a Broken Crown
1998
The terrible Emerald Queen is vanquished…but the war in Midkemia is not yet won, as the remarkable Raymond E. Feist concludes his magnificent Serpentwar Saga with Shards of a Broken Crown—a spellbinding tale of magic, conflict, and treachery that sees the rise of a new threat from the ashes of defeat, an evil poised to strike mercilessly at realm triumphant but weakened by war.
#14
Krondor
The Betrayal
1998
The RiftWar is done. But a fearsome army of trolls and renegade humans, emboldened by the drug of destruction, has risen in strength from the ashes of defeat. There is one, however, who defies the call to battle... New York Times bestselling fantasist Raymond E. Feist returns to a beleaguered realm of wonders and magic-where war is an enduring legacy; where blood swells the rivers and nourishes the land. Attend to this hitherto untold chapter in the violent history of Midkemia—a towering saga of great conflicts, brave acts and insidious intrigues. It is the story of a traitor who rejects the brutality of his warlike kind and casts his lot with the human targets of their fierce aggression. It tells of mysterious deaths and sinister machinations—and signs of a time when the fate of many civilizations rested in the able, unfaltering hands of RiftWar veterans Squire Locklear and cunning their-turned-squire Jimmy the Hand. It chronicles the powerful awakening of Owyn—apprentice magician of untried strengths—and celebrates the selfless achievements of Pug, the great sorcerer of two worlds. Welcome now to astonishing new corners of a world you have not yet fully explored-and prepare to experience true excitement, blood chilling terror...and the triumph born from the doom aimed at the beating heart of a kingdom.
#15
Krondor
The Assassins
1999
New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist returns us now to a place of unparalleled wonders: a sprawling kingdom coveted by enemies on all sides, a bustling center of commerce and magic, vibrantly alive and eternally in conflict. This is Midkemia, where great heroes are bred, and its glorious center. In Krondor, Prince Arutha, newly returned from battle, is concerned about a rash of unexplained assassinations that plagues his capital city. And so he commissions his most trusted agent, Squire James, formerly the thief known as "Jimmy the Hand," to discover the source of the deadly epidemic. The answers seem to lie far beneath the streets in the dank depths of Krondor, where a terrible war rages in secret between two rival criminal gangs: those who call themselves "Mockers," and others in the thrall of a mysterious being known as "The Crawler." But the deeper the Squire delves, the closer he gets to the true nature of the horror that has left untold dead in its wake. And unless James can prevent one last, unthinkable slaying, the nightmare forces of corruption and deceit will destroy his liege and reduce his beloved Krondor to ruins.
#16
Krondor
Tear of the Gods
2000
A DROP IN THE OCEAN?
A raid upon the high seas signals an attack of unprecedented magnitude by the forces of darkness.
But the daring assault upon the Temple of Ishap goes dramatically wrong and the prize, the Tear of the Gods, sinks beneath the waves of the Bitter Sea. The most powerful artifact known to the Temples of Midkemia, this colossal gem allows the priests to speak with their gods. Without it they are lost for a decade, until another is formed in the distant mountains.
Squire James, William, and Jazhara must seek out the location of the gem, with Brother Solon, a warrior priest of Ishap, and Kendaric, the sole member of the Wreckers' Guild with the power to raise the ship. But they are opposed by the minions of the Dark God, who seeks to possess the Tear for his own ends.
A breathless race for a priceless treasure, against time, myriad sinister and competing evil forces, and ultimately against the fundamentals of nature, which in Midkemia can be as formidable as the Gods themselves...
#17
Jimmy and the Crawler
2013
A fantastic new novella from the master of magic and adventure. Best selling author Raymond E. Feist returns to the city of Krondor and one of his most loved characters, Jimmy the Hand.
The Crawler: a name whispered in fear…
In the crime-ridden back alleys of Krondor a rival gang has sprung up to threaten the Upright Man’s Mockers. Does the Crawler control the rival gang? Where does his power come from? And does it threaten the peace of the Kingdom?
James, personal squire to Prince Arutha of Krondor, but in the underworld known as the thief and trickster Jimmy the Hand, must travel to Kesh in disguise. There, working with William, lieutenant of the prince’s household guard and son of the magician Pug, and Jazhara, niece to the Keshian lord Hazara-Khan, he must attempt to unmask the mysterious Crawler and rid Krondor of his influence.
#18
Honored Enemy
2001
New York Times Bestselling Author In the frozen Northlands of Midkemia, Captain Dennis Hartraft’s Marauders have just had a disastrous encounter with their sworn enemy, the Tsurani. Wounded and disheartened, the Mauraders set out for the shelter of a frontier garrison. They don’t know that a Tsurani patrol is sent to support an assault on that same garrison. Arriving simultaneously, the Marauders and Tsurani find the outpost already overrun by a dark enemy whose ferocity is legendary in Midkemia. In order to survive, the foes must band together and fight as one. As they make their way across the inhospitable climate, the two batallions struggle not only with the elements and their enemy, but also their consciences. Can their hatred for their mutual enemy overcome their distrust of each other? And, with both sides carrying painful scars from past wars, what is more one’s life or one’s honor?
#19
Murder in LaMut
2002
The second novel of a major new Feist acquisition, returning to his best-loved series. Written with Joel Rosenberg. The second Riftwar collaboration, Murder in LaMut, written by masters of fantasy Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenburg. The heavy action was supposedly at Crydee these days which meant that the one place they could be sure the three of them were not going was Crydee. Come spring, the privateer Melanie was due in Ylith, and its captain could be counted on for a swift conveyance away for sure, and likely not to murder them in their sleep. That would be bad for business. But away where? That wasn't Durine's worry. Kethol would surely be able to find the three of them somebody who needed men who knew which part of the sword you used to cut with and which part you used to butter your bread, and Pirojil would be able to negotiate a price at least half again what the employer was ready to pay. All Durine would have to do was kill people. That was fine with him. Durine, Kethol and Pirojil are three mercenaries who have spent twenty years fighting other people's against the Tsurani and the Bugs and the goblins, and now it seems they've run out of Tsurani, Bugs and goblins to kill. The prospect of a few months of garrison duty offers a welcome respite; but then they are given an assignment that seems, on the surface, like cushy work—to protect a lady and her husband and deliver them safely to the city of Lamut. It should all have been so simple! Raymond E. Feist is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Riftwar Saga, the Serpentwar Saga and the epic Krondor series. Joel Rosenberg is best-known for The Guardian of the Flame sequence. His other fantasy work includes D'Shai novels and the Keeper of the Hidden Ways series.
#20
Jimmy the Hand
2003
The third novel of Feist's successful collaborative series. From the endlessly inventive mind of one of fantasy's all time greats, comes a spellbinding new adventure of high magic, treachery and bloody war. This time in conjunction with master of alternative US history, Steve Stirling, Feist returns to tell the full tale of one of his fans' favourite most colourful Riftwar characters, pickpocket, montebank and confidence trickster Jimmy the Hand. Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, lived in the shadows of the city. The sewers were his byways and a flea-ridden, rat infested cellar his home. Gifted beyond his peers, he was still but a nimble street urchin, a pickpocket with potential. Until the day he met Prince Arutha. Aiding the Prince in his rescue of Princess Anita from imprisonment by Duke Guy du Bas-Tyra, Jimmy ran afoul of Black Guy's secret police. Fearing reprisal and seeking an opportunity to advance his place in life, Jimmy fled the city and ventured north to the relatively safe haven of Sarth. Suspecting the rural villagers had never encountered a lad with his talent and nose for finding wealth - other people's wealth, Jimmy was unprepared for what greeted him. For Sarth was home to others who trod the dodgy path, and more, to a darker secret, a dangerous presence unknown to even the local thieves and smugglers. Jimmy's youthful bravado and courage plunge him deep into the maw of chaos and death.
#21
Talon of the Silver Hawk
2002
Evil has come to a distant land high among the snow-capped mountains of Midkemia, as an exterminating army wearing the colors of the Duke of Olasko razes village after village, slaughtering men, women, and children without mercy. And when the carnage is done, only one survivor remains: a young boy named Kieli. A youth no longer, there is now but one road for him to travel: the path of vengeance. And he will not be alone. Under the tutelage of the rescuers who discovered him, Kieli will be molded into a sure and pitiless weapon. And he will accept the destiny that has been chosen for him ... as Talon of the Silver Hawk.
But the prey he so earnestly stalks is hunting him as well. And Talon must swear allegiance to a shadowy cause that already binds his mysterious benefactors—or his mission, his honor,and his life will be lost forever.
#22
King of Foxes
2003
The second enthralling installment in the highly praised Conclave of Shadows series—an epic saga of adventure, danger, magic, and intrigue from the New York Times bestselling master
Rescued, recruited, and trained by the mysterious Conclave of Shadows, Tal Hawkins, hero of Talon of the Silver Hawk has become one of their most effective operatives. But to destroy the nemesis who annihilated his people, the evil Duke of Olasko, Tad must sell his soul. Masquerading as a noble from the far western territory of the Kingdom of the Isles, he must insinuate himself into the duke’s confidence and carry out his most heinous and dangerous commands—even though it means betraying his own moral code.
Driven to the brink, Tal eventually defies the duke—and is imprisoned and left to die in the Fortress of Despair. But the determined young man will not be beaten. Alone, armed only with his courage and wits, Tal makes a daring escape. Returning to Olasko, he will finally brings revenge on his hated enemy.
#23
Exile's Return
2004
Saved by a mage's intervention from certain death, Kaspar, the evil Duke of Olasko, is lord no more—reduced to an exile's existence and forced to wander the harshest realms of the world he once enslaved.
Merciless deserts, forbidding mountains, and vast oceans now separate the once powerful despot from his former seat of power—his dark dreams of vengeance overwhelmed by the daily struggle for survival. But there is a larger drama that will entangle the broken dictator. An evil devastating and deadly seeks entrance to the land—the mystical tool of a dark empire hungry for conquest and destruction—and Kaspar has inadvertently discovered the key. Suddenly, Midkemia's last hope is a disgraced and exiled duke whose history is written in blood, and who now must wield his sword as her champion . . . if he so chooses..
#24
Flight of the Nighthawks
2004
Sorcerer Pug wakes from a nightmare that portends destruction for all of Midkemia, and his son Magnus learns the reason: a beacon draws an army of alien invaders, and nemesis Sidi, now Leso Varen. In Stardock town, two boys come of age and go deep into the Empire of Great Kesh. A dark plot implicates the highest-ranking nobles, and the Nighthawks clan of Assassins.
#25
Into a Dark Realm
2006
The Conclave of Shadows has smashed the Nighthawks' dread plot to destroy the Empire of Great Kesh, but the mad sorcerer Leso Varen hides on the world of Kelewan, and vicious Dasati warriors mass to invade. Sorcerer Pug, Magnus, Nokor, and disturbing Bek, full of bloodlust and uncanny strength, seek the solution in the heart of the Dasati Empire.
#26
Wrath of a Mad God
2008
Fantastik kurgunun ustalarından Raymond E. Feist, Karanlık Savaş Efsanesi’nin üçüncü ve son kitabıyla karşımızda…
“Hepiniz Gedik Savaşı’nın neden patlak verdiğini biliyorsunuz. Dolayısıyla, zaten bildiğiniz bir şey hakkında size vaaz vermeyeceğim. Politik kazanç için, ganimetten gelecek zenginlik için, zafer imtiyazları için gerçekleştirilecek bir istila değil bu. Bildiğimiz türde bir savaştan da bahsetmiyoruz. Sıradan bir istila değil, bu dünyadaki her bir hayat formunu büsbütün yok edecek bir sömürge sürecinin başlangıcı söz konusu.”
Gece Şahinlerinin Uçuşu ile başlayan, Karanlık Bir Diyara Doğru ile devam eden efsanenin son perdesi bu kitapta!
#27
Rides a Dread Legion
2009
“Feist is without question one of the very best writers of fantasy adventure practicing today.”
— Science Fiction Chronicle The DemonWar Saga begins with Rides a Dread Legion! Raymond E. Feist—the revered, New York Times bestselling fantasist who has been captivating readers for decades with his epic tales of courage and conflict set on besieged Midkemia—plunges his noble heroes and their world into almost unimaginable peril, as demon hordes approach from a different dimension. Replete with intrigue, mystery, betrayal, and conflict, Rides a Dread Legion is a must read for fans of Terry Goodkind, George R. R. Martin, and Terry Brooks.
#28
At the Gates of Darkness
2009
“Feist has a natural talent for keeping the reader turning pages.”
Chicago Sun-Times New York Times bestselling master fantasist Raymond E. Feist returns to beleaguered Midkemia and its capital, Krondor, in At the Gates of Darkness, the second volume in his enthralling DemonWar Saga of magic, war, and peril. An author the Science Fiction Chronicle proclaims, “Without question one of the very best writers of fantasy adventure practicing today,” Feist graces eager readers with his most astonishing adventure yet. Feist fans, readers of Terry Goodkind, George R. R. Martin, and Terry Brooks, and everyone, in fact, who loves superior epic fantasy will not want to miss At the Gates of Darkness .
#29
A Kingdom Besieged
2011
Plagued by rumour and instability. the Kingdom is losing spies in Kesh, disappearing - either murdered, or turned to the enemy side. Information has become scant and unreliable; but dark forces are coming. The Keshian Confederacy is assembling under an old enemy in new guise., and powerful magician Pug's youngest son brings new apprentices into the family. As the men of the West answer the King's call to muster, Martin conDoin - left as caretaker of Crydee Keep - is left with old men and young boys
#30
A Crown Imperiled
2011
The penultimate volume of the mighty Riftwar Cycle
War rages in Midkemia but behind the chaos there is disquieting evidence of dark forces at work.
Jim Dasher's usually infallible intelligence network has been cleverly dismantled; nowhere is safe. He feels that the world is coming apart at the seams and is helpless to protect his nation.
Quiet palace coups are underway in Roldem and Rillanon; and King Gregory of the Isles has yet to produce an heir. In each kingdom a single petty noble has risen from obscurity to threaten the throne.
Lord Hal of Crydee and his great friend Ty Hawkins, champion swordsman of the Masters' Court, are entrusted with the task of smuggling Princess Stephané and her lady-in-waiting, the lovely but mysterious Lady Gabriella, out of Roldem to a place of greater safety. But is there any safe haven to be found?
Meanwhile, Hal's younger brothers Martin and Brendan are attempting to hold the strategic city of Ylith against an onslaught of Keshian Dog Soldiers, and a mysterious force from beneath the sea. The Kingdom might lose Crydee and recover; but if Ylith falls, all is lost.
An unknown player appears to be orchestrating these conflicts. Can Pug and the Conclave of Shadows track down this source before Midkemia is destroyed?
#31
Magician's End
2013
The final volume in the epic Riftwar Cycle.
The dragons are calling...
Civil war is tearing apart the Kingdom of the Isles, for the throne lies empty and rivals are converging. Having spirited his beloved Princess Stephane safely out of Roldem, Hal -now Duke of Crydee- must turn his attention to the defence of the ancient realm so that a king can be anointed by the Congress of Lords, rather than by right of might.
But the greatest threat may well lie out of the hands of men. Somewhere in the Grey Towers Mountains something not of this world is emerging. It will require that alliances be made between mortal enemies if disaster is to be averted.
Elves and men must stand together, ancient heroes must rise again, dragons must fly and Pug, Magnus and the other magic-users of Midkemia must be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if the whole world is to be saved.
Authors
Joel Rosenberg
Author · 24 books
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Note: This is a different person than the political/thriller author, Joel C. Rosenberg Joel Rosenberg was the author of the bestselling Guardians of the Flame books as well as the D'Shai and Keepers of the Hidden Ways series. He made his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Raymond E. Feist
Author · 54 books
Raymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
Janny Wurts
Author · 33 books
Janny Wurts is the author of War of Light and Shadow series, and To Ride Hell's Chasm. Her eighteen published titles include a trilogy in audio, a short story collection, as well as the internationally best selling Empire trilogy, co authored with Raymond E. Feist, with works translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Her latest title in the Wars of Light and Shadow series, Destiny's Conflict, culminates more than thirty years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the US and abroad, are her own paintings, depicting her vision of characters and setting. Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing. The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series occurred, when, in the course of researching tactic and weapons, she viewed a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor. This was the first time she had encountered that historical context of that brutal event, with the embroidery of romance stripped from it. The experience gave rise to an awakening, which became anger, that so often, our education, literature and entertainment slant history in a manner that equates winners and losers with moral right and wrong, and the prevalent attitude, that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented. Her series takes the stance that there are two sides to every question, and follows two characters who are half brothers. One a bard trained as a master of magecraft, and the other a born ruler with a charismatic passion for justice, have become cursed to lifelong enmity. As one sibling raises a devoted mass following, the other tries desperately to stave off defeat through solitary discipline and cleverness. The conflict sweeps across an imaginary world, dividing land and people through an intricate play of politics and the inborn prejudices of polarized factions already set at odds. Readers are led on a journey that embraces both viewpoints. The story explores the ironies of morality which often confound our own human condition - that what appears right and just, by one side, becomes reprehensible when seen from the opposite angle. What is apparently good for the many, too often causes devastating suffering to the nonconformist minority. Through the interactions between the characters themselves, the reader is left to their own discretion to interpret the moral impact of events. Says Janny of her work, "I chose to frame this story against a backdrop of fantasy because I could handle even the most sensitive issues with the gloves off - explore the myriad angles of our troubled times with the least risk of offending anyone's personal sensibilities. The result, I can hope, is an expanding journey of the spirit that explores the grand depths, and rises to the challenge of mapping the ethereal potential of an evolving planetary consciousness... explore free thought and compassionate understanding." Beyond writing, Janny's award winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA's 25th Anniversary; the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planet
