Grand Conspiracy (Wars of Light & Shadow #5; Arc 3 – Alliance of Light, #2)

Janny Wurts's justifiably skilful and lovingly composed Wars of Light and Shadow series joins the ranks of Robert Jordan's protracted Wheel of Time series, et al., as either--depending on which camp you hail from--the height of high fantasy or the deeply frustrating (yet persistent) problem with the genre. All that said, Wurts has wooed many fans to her series with compelling characters, a tremendously complex (and painstakingly developed) web of plot lines, and distinctively lush…