Product Description

Ten years after the terrible Darkwar finally ended, catastrophe once again threatens to engulf Midkemia and Kelewan, as the demon hordes continue their relentless quest to infiltrate this realm of magic and wonder. . . .

At the Gates of Darkness
Book Two of the Demonwar Saga

Customer Reviews (27)

Feisty Demons Entertain
Another great story in the humans/elves/dwarves vs demon saga.such a quick read and good battle ending it satisfies without leaving you hanging for the next installment. Looking forward to see what happens with the star elves and Tomas next. Go Raymond!

I can do better then this!
I'm no expert at writing, but I can tell you that this is just shoddy work at best. There is wayyy wayyy wayyy wayy wayyy wayyy to much repetion in the dialoague and plot lines. Nothing is advanced as far as plot line. The book could have been reduced to a few pages after cutting out the repetition. The climax is a bit contrived. Dahun didn't seem to be much of an oppenent in this. Very anticlimatic. All this writing and scribbling and circles within circles all of a sudden dispatched in a few pages? How many times did they need to break into libraries and get info there. I mean even the author fiest pointed out how pointless was most of the characters actions. There is no real thought about putting forth plot elements that would make me read the next one. Everything was cut and finished in this one. Many of the characters have evolved and changed outside of this book and there was even a very large lull where a lot has happened. Sandrea a magic user? A knight too? I guess that works but I never read her using magic. She also seemed one dimensional as they come. Nothing she did was a surprise or out of the ordinary. She was dull. I don't think I saw her fight scenes were eventful-nothing 'knight' like about them. Just a big mace swinger. I couldn't get the ending of the last book (people were just killed off) and here we see a simple killing off of a supposedly strong demon prince. So did he get stuck in the gate or did he die down below? I was confused and annoyed. Also now where do we go? There is a civil war among demons? What? Why? And how is that dangerous? Demons using magic and illusions? Well, in my own mind demons are good at illusions but to fool each other??? What for? None of it makes any sense to me. The star elves are largely left alone. Hardly any time did we visit them. If demons were snatching people, someone would have noticed and said something. Is stardock ruined or used? What about the castle? A new outpost? Feist better breathe some new life into his writing and think about his next book or otherwise he too will be lost.

Not Feist's finest
While this book was a bit more satisfying than the last, the ending was quite open, leaving much to be desired, especially since I believe the projected conclusion to the series as a whole is set for only three years from now.
As a whole, i have enjoyed this month-long project of re-reading all of Feist's epic fantasy, but I must admit that part of me is more than a little relieved, too. I first read these books (up until what was published) over a decade ago and I fondly recalled them being one of my favorite series. Now, I don't know that I would say that is the case. Overall, there are a lot of repetitive plot structures (not to mention the chapter names!) and the characters peaked early in the series, to never become as unique or interesting by the end. I am sure that I will finish this series, more out of curiosity, but I doubt that I will ever re-read the books in this fashion again.

Watching the wheels go round and round
While I'm not as... angry as some of the other reviewers, I do agree that this is certainly one of Feist's lesser works.Let's face it, this ain't Shakespeare.Feist is not the greatest writer.What he is good at doing, however, is crafting page-turners.His concepts are usually pretty solid, even if the quality of writing is only so-so.Despite having created such a massive universe in his Midkemia series, he usually doesn't falter when it comes to continuity or just basic structure.In "At the Gates of Darkness" however, Feist seems to have lost his grip on Midkemia just a little bit.The book almost completely ignores several components of the first book in The Demonwar Saga, making me wonder why Feist even introduced them in the first place.

There is something comforting about revisiting popular characters.It's one of the reasons I enjoy epic fantasy as much as I do.It was nice to see Tomas become something a bit more than the Deus Ex Machina he's become over the course of the saga.Feist even introduces one or two new characters that I wouldn't mind seeing again.It's just not enough.

What frustrated me most about this book was how often Feist repeats himself.What frustrated me most about this book was how often Feist repeats himself.Seriously though, does he think his audience is so dim that he has to repeat the same idea twice in the same paragraph?Perhaps it is a question of editing.Feist thanks no less than four editors in the acknowledgements yet the book was rife with repetition and even spelling errors.

The whole experience felt rushed and poorly executed.While it's not enough to make me give up on Feist (everyone has bad days), it did leave me disappointed and eager for him to finally finish his tale of Midkemia.I mean, how many universe-shattering wars can one planet take in a century?

A fine novel of fantasy and confrontation evolves
Book 2 of Raymond Feist's 'Demonwar Saga' is out, and it's a top pick for any collection enjoying popularity from Book One. It begins where RIDES A DREAD LEGION left off, a decade after the conclusion of events in his three-volume Darkwar Saga. An uneasy magical alliance to protect the kingdom hasn't stopped the demonic onslaught, and the Demon Legion is taking a tool on magician Pug, who has lost nearly all he loves. A fine novel of fantasy and confrontation evolves.
... Read more

Product Description

The remnants of the Clan of the Seven Stars are returning to their long abandoned homeworld . . . but not as friends. The elves, led by the conjurer Laromendis, flee the relentless demon hordes sweeping through their galaxy—and the conquest of war-weary Midkemia is the Clan's sole hope for survival . . . if the Dread Legion does not pursue them through the rift.

Customer Reviews (37)

Awesome reading -can't wait for book two
This is awesome reading -i canNOT wait for book two (on order and waiting for delivery). My Brother's Keeper Ray has such a way with introducing characters that it's not even funny. And i LOVE (spoiler!!!) the Dash angle. I only wish Nakor was still around :-)

An interesting new direction
Though I had reservations about the continuation of this series after so many shocking events of the past book, in typical Feist-fashion, new likable characters and an infections plot were immediately introduced. This became an exciting read - despite its tendency toward redundancy - with yet another re-working of the entire plot structure (how many times can we "really" be told the truth about the agency creating all of the mayhem on Midkemia?!), this remains an exciting books, with some of the series regulars playing important roles. Though some favorites are sorely missed, particularly Nakor, and the shocking events of the tragic ending, Feist still needs to resurrect some of his earlier heroes if he is going to continue in the same way to make his books enjoyable.

Decent story telling
Some of the material was very repetive and hang up the story. I like the fact that hardly any of the new characters are 'goodie two shoes'. Armiantha is quiet interesting. The story finally encounters the threat that has been plauging every other world. The ending was a bit sudden and much but I can see how the author would add that as a punch line. NOt sure how all these humans lived so long.. Oh well. I do like the new elves here. Dangerous and prideful!

Great if you can't fall asleep
I love this kind of books when they are well-written.I finished the Deed of Paskenarion, which was absolutely amazing.

Rides a Dread Legion could have been written by a 12-year old, as far as I know.It uses all the old cliches, not even attempting to hide names from the Tolkien lore.There is no originality in it.

If you have read Feist before, you will like this book.
I have read all of Feist's works going back to 1983 in order as they came out, so I am old now ;-).As many of these reviews will show, there are those who get ticked that there is not more closure to the story and it does not stand on its own.Well, folks, it is a SAGA and those tend to be very long stories in mnay volumes.Feist is not the only author in fantasy doing that now - everyone is.I think the writers are being pushed in this direction more than they want to, but I digress.This is actaully one of Ray's strongest books in quite some time.The two orignal trilogies from back in the 1980s starting with Magician and Daughter of the Empire are the best and most essential to read before getting into these later stories of Ray's because he uses the same fantasy world and old characters, and also much of what happens in later sagas is reflective of past sagas/trilogies.Pug, Tomas and the old crew from the past books are like old friends and I'm always glad to see them again.However, be warned Ray has started knocking off some of the old gang in the last couple of series so there are some unexpected things out there.I found this to be a fun book, not overly complicated, and look forward to the next couple in the saga.Anyone who likes Feist will to. ... Read more

Product Description

A dread darkness is descending upon a great land called Midkemia -- a powerful and malevolent race of monsters that has slipped through a hole in the dimensions. And two unlikely young heroes -- a bastard heir denied his birthright and an irrepressible scoundrel with a penchant for thievery -- must take up arms in the struggle to protect their besieged world...two friends chosen by Destiny to stand at the fore of the battle that is to come against the gargantuan reptile army of the terrible Emerald Queen.

Customer Reviews (68)

New Section in a Solid Epic Series
Though a bit slow to start, this turned out to be a very exciting book. And while Erik and Roo are not quite as likable as some of Feist's other characters, there were other new characters, like Miranda, that made up for the lack. And the reappearance of some old favorites, like Nakor, helped the book along as well. Starting a new saga with some fresh mysteries and plots, the strands are begging to be tied up in the next books, and it is very tempting to stay up even later and keep reading this series.
It is a bit difficult to review an epic series like this, because even if you don't love a single book, you know how necessary they are for later books...

Replacement copy
This book is the second copy of "Dark Queen."I wore the first one out.This is a captivating story, reuniting many of Feist's characters from previous stories, all in the ever-expanding Midkemia.Great Book!!

Another history lesson on Midkemia
I purchased this book on its original release date, dying to return to Midkemia and old friends there, and to make new ones. And was glad I did. I first read Fiest's Apprentice series at 17, and read it over and over until this novel came out, beginning another chronical of this colorful fantasy world. Sometimes when an author writes more than one series based on the same place, you end up disappointed because the new characters are not the old, because things have changed, or whatever. This did not happen tome with Raymond Fiest. With Shadow, he intoduces you to new characters you love just as much as the old, in a new continent on the familiar world, so you are still feeling like an explorer of Midkemia, not screaming "how can this be! itwould never have happened in the other books!" It was a welcomed new adventure. Must admit I briefly cried at the very brief mention of Prince Arutha's passing.....but loved it, and imagined how the older generation characters would have liked and been proud of those who picked up the crusade to keep theirworld safe. I loved the new twists, the new races and religions created. Colorful, wonderful, exciting. Even had I not already been in love with Midkemia andthe inhabitants, Shadow totally stood on its own feet and left me waiting with much impatience for the second installment.

Not for children or even teenagers
This book is quite well-written. However, after reading the Riftwar Saga I was expecting a more traditional fantasy book, readable by children and teenagers. Imagine my shock when reading quite graphical depictions of sadistic children killings, sadistic and gang rapes, ritual killings, and when the main character is starting his sex life by buying a hooker and feeling good afterwards. At some point, I was saying to myself that this is good reading for young military guys. :)

GREAT BOOK
This serious was especially good. It was hard trying to guess how or where the twists and turns would occur. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

A loyal soldier and a wealthy merchant have served bravely in the flames of an enduring war that is ravaging their land. But swords, bows, wits and courage will no longer be enough to defeat the scourge that is descending upon their home. For a foul and terrible thing has escaped from a world already devoured to feed on one consumed by chaos -- an insatiable nightmare creature of dark and murderous nature which seeks to own and corrupt the very source of life itself

The final conflict is joined, pitting serpent against man and magician against demon. For those who battle in the cause of good, there will be victory...or there will be doom for all.

There can be no other outcome.

Customer Reviews (109)

One of Feist's Finest!
This has been one of the most exciting - and saddest - books so far in the series! A thrilling adventure of war brought to Midkemia. Though there were some objections that I had along the way to some of the rather cold-hearted tactics, Feist justified his military decisions. The characters continued to grow and became more likable, even rat-faced Roo Avery turns a leaf! And once again, the book ends rather ominously, so I am looking forward to reading the last part of the series!

Not Free SF Reader
Invasion preparation.


Things are a bit worse than they seem as the Dark Queen is really a demon in disguise, and a large army is heading Erik's way as he desperately tries to train enough men to do something about it.

Roo is involved in high level economic issues, and even more importantly on the magic front, Pug and Tomas have to find Macros the Black if they are going to have any hope of stopping what is coming to Sethanon and the Lifestone.

Dramatic continuation of the Serpentwar Saga
I hadn't read the book in a while, but re-reading the entire saga has lent
me a greater appreciation of this brilliant series.

This book picks up from the end of Rise Of A Merchant Prince. Time is
running out, as reports indicate that the army of the Emerald Queen from
the continent of Novindus will reach the Kingdom in a matter of months.
Erik von Darkmoor, formerly on "death row" for the murder of his half
brother and now a Sergeant of Calis' Crimson Eagles, a special divison of
the Kingdom's armies, works hard to train soldiers and prepare for the
coming war.

Before long, 250,000 mercenaries arrive in Krondor, determined to destroy
everything in their path in their quest to reach Sethanon. Unbeknownst to
them, their leader known as the Emerald Queen had been killed months
before, and all are now under the influence of a mighty demon, who wishes
to take posession of the Lifestone. In the background, we see a short
return of Macros, to aid Pug, Miranda and Nakor in unravelling the mystery
behind the reason for the invasion, and the role of the demon.

Feist goes into some lengthy discussions on the structure of the deities
and the nature of both magic and the universe. Clearly he has put a lot
of thought into the logical structure of things. While it can be
somewhat confusing at times to follow, he uses Nakor's impish humour to
lighten the load, so we are not completely wallowing in academic
discussion.

As always, Feist does an outstanding job in the area of character
development, and his battle scenes are second to none. Further, he brings
vividly to life the ravages, destruction and heartache caused by such a
massive invasion. In short, he brilliantly draws the reader into the
horrific nature of medieval warfare, and makes you want to keep reading
without stop (I had difficulty putting the book down).

A brilliant book which I highly recommend, but would urge you to read
the first two books beforehand (Shadow of a Dark Queen, and Rise of a
Merchant Prince) for it to make more sense.

Great
Exciting books. I have not reread this one yet, but I remember it from about 5 years ago. RF is a great writer. If you like a good story that keeps you turning the page,choose him. Love the series aspect.

The death of all life or salvation for all
By: Trent Volkman

An army from across the sea, a demon king, a war of massive perportions.

This is Fiests third installment of the serpent war saga a 4 book series. It tells the story of Erick Von Darkmoor and his life training the many raw recruits for the special fighting force the crimson eagles. The story of Rupert Avery as he clashes with the mighty merchant Jacob Esterbrook and his seductive daughter Silvia for control over trade to Kesh. This also speaks about the magician Pugs part in this he is combating the mysterious third player Nalar the mad god of evil. My favorite part in this book is when the Marcos the black, magician, fights the demon king Maarg.

The theme of this book could be considered protect your heart don't give it away to anyone unless you know they are the right one for you. As far as I'm concerned this was a good book it had suspense, action, mystery, even a little romance everything a good novel needs.
... Read more

Product Description

The Darkwar rages, bringing bleak days of destruction and despair to Midkemia and Kelewan. To save both worlds, the powerful sorcerer Pug and select members of the mysterious Conclave of Shadows must journey deep into the dangerous realm of the bloodthirsty Dasati on an audacious mission that has little, if any, chance to succeed. In Midkemia, young warriors Tad and Zane and their fellow soldiers must protect the Kingdom from raiders. And Pug's beloved wife, Miranda, finds herself a prisoner of the Dasati and, even more ominously, of Pug's nemesis, the evil sorcerer Leso Varen.

Customer Reviews (42)

Wow! A lot happened in one book!
In many ways, strands of the plot started all the way back in _Magician: Apprentice_ were tied up - so much so that I am very curious to where the future of this series will head. But, really, in other ways, this was my least favorite book... while I was relieved to FINALLY have questions about my favorite character, Nakor, answered, this book involved some real tragedies...
Mostly, I am nervous about the characters in the next books... Pug has never been one of my favorite characters, and while I initially liked Miranda (more out of relief that there was finally a strong female main character), she has become trite and stereotypical (and WHY does her eye color change so often?) and to be honest, I can't stand Magnus (I can't exactly put my finger on it, but there is something just... off about him). Truly, the only character from the beginning on that I still like is Tomas, and even he is beginning to show some serious flaws. His ever-so-convenient Valheru flashbacks have become an over-used plot device to validate information. Also, his powers have been so strong in previous books, his absence in other books makes little sense.
Mostly, what upset me about this book was that it was rife with errors. More so than Miranda's fluctuating eye color, Kaspar claimed to have never met elves before, and Tomas only once in passing, when in _Exile's Return_ he was in Elvandar... and even shared an ale with Tomas... So, his whole experience with the Sun-Elves really frustrated me!
Also, it is mentioned in passing that Erik never married... but he DID get married! In secret, to the ex-thief! In fact, I had been wondering about her ever since Erik was brought back into the series. I realize that series construction and continuity is difficult, but even if the author did not catch these errors, it is the job of the editors to do so... Really, all in all off-putting.
So much so, that unless something terrifically exciting happens in the next two books, I think it will be another decade or more until I re-visit Feist's epic series again.

Sad to say it, but...
With this book, Feist has finally lost me as a reader.I've been reading his Midkemia books for years; Kings Buccaneer was really my introduction to the fantasy genre when I was a kid, and still one of my all time favorites.My Riftwar Saga books are practically falling apart because I've read them so many times.But when I finished this book, I set it down and said to myself "what the hell was that?!?"When you have to force yourself to finish a book by one of your favorite authors, it's time to leave that author behind.
The plot made next to no sense, the pacing was disjointed and dull, and as for the characters...let's just say that he's finally completely abandoned everyone but Pug, who's reduced to whining and brooding more than anything else.To be fair, Pug was always the central character, but several of the characters in earlier books were just as well developed: Jimmy and Arutha, for instance.With this book it's more clear than ever to me that Feist has been discarding characters left and right in increasingly implausible ways so he can introduce new ones in an effort to capture the original chemistry.Even within the Darkwar trilogy itself, he gave up on several characters that figured highly early on, but barely get a footnote here.
And now he has a new "saga" where Midkemia is threatened worse than ever by the forces of yet another deep dark level of hell and an all new cast of lackeys to kill off or relegate to some background role when they display the slightest sign of being interesting.Thanks, but I'll pass.

good book, love all his work.
great finish to the new trilogy, and lays the groundwork for his next. can't wait.

Descent into madness
In this thrilling conclusion to the Darkwar Saga, we find Pug, Magnus and Nakor still in the Dasati realm, seeking a way to prevent the Dasati invasion of their realm, which would affect both Midkemia and Kelewan. At the same time, Miranda escapes the clutches of two Dasati deathpriests in Kelewan, tries to track down the fiendish necromancer Leso Varen, and prepare Kelewan for the Dasati invasion which seems increasingly likely.

Pug, Nakor and Magnus learn more about the Dasati, and more importantly the true nature of the Dark God of the Dasati. As those on Kelewan find them facing overwhelming numbers and odds, they come to realize the true horror of the Dasati invasion and can only speculate at the madness which seems poised to engulf the world.

Feist amazes us again with a complex story and an intelligent take on the nature of fantasy gods. Familiar characters are with us once more, and a few interesting twists are thrown in. Further, his vivid portrayal of the horror of war helps the reader envision, and pity, those facing the reality in Kelewan.

There are a couple of things that are obvious, and a couple that seem somewhat bizarre. I won't go into them, for fear of spoiling the plot. However, I have faith that Feist has more than a few explanations coming our way in the next series, the Demonwar Saga.

In my eyes, Feist remains the king of fantasy, long known for his creation and depiction of new worlds, vivid and intense descriptions of battle scenes, incorporation of stunning magic (although part of this book's use seems to defy belief/logic), crafting of endearing characters, and helping readers understand more easily the complex nature of deities.

True, he's not perfect...but who is? However, if you're looking for a book which rapidly cranks up the pace till you find yourself flying through the final third of the book, unable to stop until you've reached the dramatic climax...look no further.

I highly recommend this book.

A titanic battle and the answers to some mysteries
This final book in the Darkwar Saga is full of adventure and answers, as the events that began all the way back in Magician come to something of a close. The storyline that includes Tad, Zane, Kaspar, and the other non-superpowered characters continues to be filler, as in previous books, but overall Wrath of a Mad God moves forward at breakneck speed.

Side note: since the "truth" behind all the events occurring on Midkemia, Kelewan, the Dasati worlds, etc. keeps changing with each new trilogy, the human stories in these books are seeming more and more insignificant. Whichever cause the characters believe they are fighting for, the fact remains that no matter what they do, millions are being drawn into, and ground up by, the struggle of characters that are now near god-like in power. Hopefully with the Demonwar trilogy, this trend does not simply continue, but Feist finds a way to bring it back down to a manageable level. Otherwise, I expect to see magicians throwing planets at each other soon. Oh wait, didn't that happen already? ... Read more

Product Description

The demon is no more.
The enemy has been routed. But all is not well...

Winter's icy grasp is loosening on the world. The Emerald Queen's vanquished army has its broken back to the Bitter Sea. And treachery is its only recourse.

A lackey has declared himself Lord of the defeated, amassing the still fearsome remnants of a ruthless fighting force together for one final assault on a weakened, vulnerable realm.

For the warriors who remained steadfast against terrible numbers, for the courageous souls who barely survived a devastating onslaught upon their homeland, the time to rebuild and renew has not yet come. The war is not over in Midkemia. And Jimmy and Dash--two young noble brothers who stand at the center of a gathering storm--are impelled to action that could secure a tenuous peace...or turn triumph into catastrophe.

Customer Reviews (146)

Solid Conclusion!
I enjoyed the conclusion to this saga quite a bit! I was so excited that Dash and Jimmy were the central characters - much like Jimmy the Hand (their grandfather) they share his charm, humour and clever words. This was a sad story, as well, with a lot of loss. Yet, a lot of questions were answered and the end is a clear segway into the next series within this whole epic storyline.

Who killed Raymond E. Feist?
I'm convinced someone murdered Feist after the magician series and then stole his name. If you enjoy going to family reunions and hearing about stories you heard a dozen times, then pick this book up.
If you have trouble sleeping, pick this book up.

A book that starts nowhere, goes nowhere, and ends nowhere...I think this is it for Feist for me.

Shards of a Broken Crown
Another well-written work of fantasy fiction by the author, which concludes the Serpent war saga.I look forward to the next adventures in Midkemia.

Not Free SF Reader
Cleanup opportunities.


After going through a war with a demon, much of Midkemia has serious rebuilding to do. So, great time for an invasion an enterprising Keshian military leader things.

So, with the focus off epic fantasy and magic on the same scale as before we have something a little more similar to the previous novel with Borric and Erland, where a couple of the younger generation are the focus of the novel, and have to grow up fast to deal with a serious situation.

Dramatic conclusion of the Serpentwar Saga
The Serpentwar has ravaged the western realm of the Kingdom of the Isles,
on Midkemia. Patrick, Prince of Krondor finds himself without his city,
although it is mostly rubble and cinder at this stage. Worse, a full
30,000 invaders are annexing off large parts of his realm, the Keshians
are still threatening to invade the south, and there's a small matter
of a considerable number of the powerful race of Saaur trying to stake a
claim in his realm. Thrust into this situation, while tutored in theories,
he is untried and relatively young, and given to outbursts similar to a
child's temper tantrum.

The book largely revolves around James and Dashiel Jamison, grandsons of
the Duke of Krondor (formerly the once notorious Jimmy The Hand), working
either in the roles of soldiers or advisors to those in power. It is in
this book that they really come into their element, and step out from the
shadows cast by their famous and powerful forebears, although the
transition will not be easy.

At the same time, Pug, Nakor, Miranda, and to some extent Tomas, must face
the evil force behind the army of invaders. It is in this novel that Pug
comes to realize that he can no longer concern himself with just the
demands of the crown, but rather the defense of the world of Midkemia
against the forces of evil. In doing so, he severs his ties to the crown,
and initiates the founding of the Conclave of Shadows.

Feist's forte is in making characters seem alive, and he does not
disappoint in this novel. While there is much to be done to clean up and
heal his war-torn nation, he does an admirable job in tying up loose ends.

I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Surviving the wrath of the fearsome Sauur -- a hideous race of invading serpents -- noble Erik and cunning Roo have delivered a timely warning to the rulers of the Midkemian Empire, and are now free to pursue their separate destinies. Erik chooses the army -- and the continuing war against Midkemia's dread enemies. Roo lusts for wealth and power -- rising high and fast in theworld of trade. But with luxury comes carelessness and a vulnerability to the desires of the flesh. And a beautiful seductress with her ruthless machinations threatens to destroy everything Roo has built and become -- summoning catastrophe into his future...and terror into his world.

Customer Reviews (68)

A Different Sort of Focus...
Picking up right where _Shadow of a Dark Queen_ ended, this book shared none of the slow introduction of that book. The action began immediately. It focused on Rupert Avery, or "Roo", though in typical Feist-fashion, the other main players' P.O.V.s were still touched upon through the book. Roo is one of the least likable of Feist's characters and this book's business focus set it apart from the others. It is a unique fantasy book that introduces a stock market and options! Still, the book stayed entertaining and exciting, if in a different fashion than the other books, with deeper intricacies of the plot unfolding.

Complete waste of paper
When I read a fantasy book, I expect there to be elements of fantasy in the book. This thing reads like a business journal. A little action please? A little adventure please? A little excitement please?

If you like reading about people sitting in coffee houses and discussing business propositions, then grab this book right away - This is for you!

However, if you like some fighting, adventuring, and pure escapism, then burn this book as soon as you come in contact with it.

The serpentwar saga is the worst set of fantasy books I have ever read. And to think this same Author wrote the magician series...A pity..

If I could have given this snooze fest negative stars, I would have...

Not Free SF Reader
Cash over swords.


The second book of the Serpentwar series follows Roo Avery as he gets involved in financial machinations, trying to bootstrap himself into the world of Midkemian big business, and all the deviousness and underhandedness that goes along with that. He still prefers this to people trying to separate parts of his body from the rest with weaponry or magic.

The conflict with the Dark Queen won't go away, and even rich businessmen will be needed in the war.

Excellent continuation of the Serpentwar Saga
Feist is well known for his strong characters and excellent battle scenes,
yet in this book, he focusses more on battle in the realm of commerce.

Rupert Avery, or Roo as he's affectionately known, has returned from the
journey to Novindus a changed man. For his service to the crown, along with
the remaining condemned who survived, he receives royal pardon and some gold.
With this gold, he embarks on a bold quest to make himself the wealthiest
man in the Kingdom, believing that trading in fine wine will be just the
ticket. However, a run-in with the thieves guild, known as the Mockers,
dashes his plan. After a stint working as a waiter in a coffee house
where traders meet, luck delivers into his hands some rare and valuable
silk. With this somewhat shady acquisition, he not only re-launches his
career in trading, but also acquires some powerful enemies.

So it is that through cunning, determination and fortune, Roo forms a
powerful trading company, discovering that while being a soldier might be
dangerous, the world of business can be equally deadly, the moreso because
you often cannot see the sword coming.

In the meantime, Erik, Calis and Bobby, who we met in the first book
(Shadow of a Dark Queen) return once more to Novindus, to try to eradicate
the evil serpent priests known as the Pantathians. Little do they realize
that a third, more powerful player is involved, who seems equally
determined to destroy the Pathatians, yet is an even greater threat to
the Kingdom than the serpent priests ever were.

Feist does an excellent job on this book, bringing alive the world of
commerce in a medieval setting, while bringing in enough swords, sorcery
and intrigue to keep those not inclined towards business fully hooked
on this book. Further, many old characters appear in the book, which should
appeal to both newcomers to the series and those who have stuck through
all his books from the beginning.

I highly recommend this book.

Different and good.
Mr Feist departs from his prior action/fantasy to deliver political and commercial intrigue in a fantasy setting. Quite good. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

Strongest Book in the Conclave!
Though considered to be the third volume of this trilogy, it read more like a first volume of a whole new segment of Feist's epic series. Character and point of view shift from Tal Hawkins who no longer serves as central focus. Instead, this is the story of Kaspar, the villain of the two previous books and his journey to redemption. And I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the others. The new twists to the plot were surprising and unpredictable. And the cliffhanger of an ending makes me so excited to keep reading! I doubt Kaspar will continue on as a main character, but I hope he continues to play a large role. The series-staple characters play a stronger part in this book and I hope this trend continues!

An exploration of a complex and difficult idea
I actually liked this book quite a bit more than I thought I would... at first it was hard to swallow Kaspar's redemption but it worked out after all.It's a worthy addition to the beloved and cherished books of Midkemia and a must-read for any fan of Feist's books.After all, the book explores a very basic and important humanist question: can someone who has embraced and reveled in the basest and cruelest aspects of human nature be redeemed and truly become opposite to what he/she was?Is redemption through action possible?The posing of these questions is one reason why we read fantasy fiction.Fantasy and SciFi are the last bastions of the BIG IDEA and of the unabashed trumpeting of the idea of basic and fundamental moral virtue.Contemporary literature (of the academically sanctioned kind) avoids this like the plague for the most part and yet it's what so many of us yearn for.Feist gives it to us in what some might say is a formulaic way (contrasted to the more layered complexities of fantasy writers such as Guy Gavriel Kay in his exquisite fantasy alt-history books) but I think there is still much depth here and I wish more people would drop their prejudice against the genre and read these works.

A good mystery-adventure that sets up the next trilogy.
The third book in the Conclave of Shadows trilogy begins immediately after the ending of King of Foxes, but instead of following Talon as we did in the first two novels, we switch to (former) Duke Kaspar.Kaspar was under the sway of evil magician Leso Varen for the past few years, it turns out, so instead of killing him outright, the Conclave banished him to Novindus, a war-ravaged continent half a world away from his former homeland.His goal at first is to get back and seek revenge against those who wronged him (at least, that is the version of events he tells himself), but he quickly gets drawn into events that tie into the greater fight of good vs. evil.

This is another fast-paced adventure and it contains information that kicks the larger story back into high gear.

GREAT BOOK
I am a big fan of Feist novels and this book did not change my opinion at all. Very good reading and kept my interest.

Feist is one of the best
Raymond E. Feist is simply one of the best authors writing today, I heartly recomend anything he has pened, no exceptions. ... Read more

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews (88)

Not the place to start the series, but a good continuation!
This new series had a strong opening and focuses on a new and quite likable character. The geographic focus has shifted as well - and since I am reading this on the Kindle, I do wish that the maps from previous books showed this area in a bit more detail. And though series staple characters like Pug, Nakor and Miranda made cameo appearances (and Rupert Avery even has a book written about him... though the exact timing of this seems a little skewed...).
Still, this was an interesting continuation of the series, but as a starting point, I think that the shadowy, evil enemy would not be enough to keep me reading, since a lot of this is buildup from previous novels. Faithful readers know more than the main character, which would be off-putting to start the series here.
Though entertaining, the plot was less complex than some of the other books, and I remain curious to see where this trilogy goes.

He reviewed.(Get it?)
Rather than focusing on the broad sweep of the fight against the Mad God, Feist chooses instead to focus on one young man, the eponymous Talon of the Silver Hawk, who, it is hinted, has a larger role to play in the world-spanning fight of good vs evil.This is the story of Talon's growth from a barbarian boy to a James Bond-esque fantasy-world secret agent.It moves along pretty well even though at times it feels more like an orientation training for the reader than for Talon, such as when we get to read about him serving tables, learning to cook, learning to paint, etc.Much of that information could probably have been covered in a few paragraphs but instead it makes up the first two thirds of the book.The amazing thing is that it still flows smoothly and it does not take long at all to get to the meatier, action-oriented final third of the novel.

Like many Feist protagonists, Talon is a bit too perfect, and when he does fail, someone is always there to save him.My suggestion (to myself): don't think so much, just enjoy the novel like the super-spy vengeance romp it is.

A little too predictable after a strong start
I imagine it's hard for a well-regarded author to launch a new series: it has to be a balance of what drew in his fans to begin with, be new enough to not be derivative from his earlier stories, and ideally not be so obscurely referential to past books as to exclude newcomers.

In this lead volume of a new series, Feist manages to largely hit those targets, by exploring a new corner of his world of Midkemia, viewing it through the eyes of a "outsider" character, and keeping with the long running plot/conflict of the previous series.A few characters from the previous series make brief appearances or are referenced, though this sometimes feels forced.The story starts strongly, exploring new rituals through the eyes of a young, new character.

But after that strong start, the plot weakens.While the ultimate events remain veiled, our hero has an oddly easy time of it.Despite grievous wounds on multiple occasions, he is always healed to full ability. Whatever his challenge, he conquers it briskly, with minimal effort, leaving the reader with little doubt of his final success.It's just a little too easy, a little too smooth sailing.This makes for good mind-candy (and enjoyable read) but lacks the gritty struggle and frequent setbacks of the previous series.It was those struggles and nuanced conflicts that made earlier Feist such a captivating read.

I enjoyed this volume and read the rest of the series as well, but I don't think a reader new to Feist would be all that impressed with the tale set forth here; since it's the allusions to the struggles of the past series that draw in the Feist fan.

Recommended for Feist fans for an enjoyable if predictable read.If you liked his earlier works, this will be pleasantly familiar.New to Feist? Start with one of the more intense earlier series (Riftwar or Serpentwar).

Feist's Brass Age (He's got a lot of brass putting his name on it)
Feist has written some excellent books, creative, complex, and interesting. "Faerie" and the "Magician" duology come to mind.This isn't one of them.This is a shallow, cartoonish coming-of-age/revenge plot that exhibits the worst excesses of fantasy today.Feist got comfortable here in Midkemia and hasn't done much that's worthwhile since then. If you want to learn about fantasy, find something that is original rather than a pastiche of every easy cliche the author has run into.BTW, 1 star for this was high.There should be a rating that says "Give me my money back."

A Silver Age for Feist!
It has been years since I've read this author's first 5 books in the original series of Midkemia. Those were great also!

But after many years, we can see that Raymond Feist still can write fantasy with the best of them. Great characters and magical settings abound. Solid stuff this. ... Read more

Product Description

The dread plot to destroy the Empire of Great Kesh has failed. The Conclave of Shadows has ended the murderous Nighthawk brotherhood's horrific reign of terror and death. But the mad sorcerer, Leso Varen, has fled, taking refuge among the most powerful men and women on Kelewan—a world now threatened, along with Midkemia, by hordes of the most vicious warriors in the known universe. The great sorcerer Pug knows of no power that will vanquish these invaders. And now he, brave Magnus and Nakor, and a disturbing young stranger named Bek must venture into the poisonous heart of the Dasati realm—the most terrible place they have ever encountered—in a valiant, impossible attempt to turn the tides against the encroaching doom that would swallow their world.

Customer Reviews (41)

Wow! The plot has really thickened...
This addition the series provided a lot of answers and information! The Second Circle is fascinating and though overall rather horrific, the new characters make for an interesting change of pace. Enough old characters balance out the new, making them more of the focus. Unfortunately, some of the plot devices were a bit predictable. Still the overall sense of buildup is rising and the absolute cliffhanger of an ending makes it nearly impossible to stop reading. I can't imagine being one of the readers who waited a whole year for the next installment! I wouldn't have the patience!

GREAT BOOK
This author's books are well written and each part of multiple volumes is riveting. This work was no exception either.

Into a Dark Realm
I greatly enjoyed this book. I've like Raymond's writing style sinse He did his 1st series of books - The rift war.

Set Aside Some Time Cause You're Not Putting This One Down
This is a spell-binding book, pun intended, that had me wrapped up in it's pages for a week.I couldn't put the book down or keep myself away.Even when I wanted to go to sleep, if I picked this book up I would stay up an extra hour or two.

It's another masterpiece by Raymond Feist.He has an excellent ability to describe worlds in such detail, it's as though you are there, living, breathing, experiencing everything he's sharing.

Great book and I recommend Raymond Feist to all readers.

Set Up
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the trilogy.Still it is basically a set up for the grand finale third book.The story does add a little growth to the 3 boys Tad, Zane and Jommy.More importantly it really delves into the world of the Dasanti.This is a completely unique culture Feist has created, and a really interesting world.With some of his realms, you can see the obvious influences from the European Kingdom, the Middle Eastern Kesh or even the Asian Kelewan.The Dasanti are not like anything you would ever find on earth.I found myself enthralled by their culture.A good book overall. ... Read more

Product Description
A poisoned bolt has struck down the PrincessAnita on the day of her wedding to Prince Arutha ofKrondor.

To save his beloved,Arutha sets out in search of the mytics herb calledSilverthorn that only grows in the dark andforbidding land of theSpellweavers.

Accompanied by a mercenary, a minstrel, and a cleveryoung thief, he wil confront an ancient evil and dobattle with the dark powers that threaten theenchanted realm of Midkemia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (69)

What a fun continuation of the series!
Jimmy the Hand is simply one of my favorite characters! And I must say, that in re-reading this one, I had remembered much more of it than either _Magician: Apprentice_ or _Magician: Master_, but it still was quite an exciting and altogether fun read! I am just really excited to be re-reading this series, since so many books have been published since I last read them! I remember Amos Trask so well, so I suspect that the next book will involve more of him, which will be a lot of fun!

I really got into this book!
I think this book is the best in the series so far. It is the 3rd book of the series and in my opinion the fastest moving. Don't get me wrong, I loved the first two books as well. In those books there were parts that I felt that they were drawn out when talking on politics, war strategies, etc. That just happens to not be my thing. In this book not so much.
All in the kingdom is well. Lyam and his brothers just finished making rounds to visit other cities, Arutha is in love and everything seems to be going great when evil starts to enter Krondor. The book is filled with love, magic, creatures, fighting, etc. All which makes it a fast read and very enjoyable.
If you've read the first two books, I highly recommend this one.

Will always be compared to MAGICIAN, but deserves praise on its own merits
Picking up a few years after the close of Magician, this book is best described as the first part of the second half of the Riftwar Saga.Together with A Darkness at Sethanon, this book presents a semi-autonomous epic in Feist's popular fantasy realm that he has taken so far.With so many people loving MAGICIAN so much, to the point of considering it as some of the all-time best fantasy, SILVERTHORN has always attracted highly-critical scrutiny, and has mostly been praised as a worthy follow-up.I remember being somewhat disappointed in this book the first time I read it as a kid (probably because I had expected it to have more of my favorite character, Tomas), but was happy to find that I really enjoyed it very much this time around.

SILVERTHORN is different from MAGICIAN in quite a few ways.Covering a much smaller time span, this book is shorter and less epic in feel.The characters and the setting are for the most part already fairly well-developed, so you don't get the excitement of being introduced to a whole new thing, but you do get the advantage of more story telling and less descriptive writing.Where MAGICIAN was so focused on the development and growth of the two young heroes Pug and Tomas, SILVERTHORN is really more of a classic fantasy quest where the characters are essentially the same at the end as they were at the beginning.Also, the nature of the conflict was much more clear in MAGICIAN than it is here, where the sense of coming danger is certainly real, but remains a real mystery throughout the book.And finally, this is the book where Feist starts to drag out smaller tales into whole books, as the storyline of Arutha's quest to find the Silverthorn is really a self-contained story that doesn't in itself lend much progression to the overall story-arc.

Regardless of the inevitable comparison, judged by its own merits, this book is excellent.Very highly recommended to any fan of fantasy!

GREAT BOOK
Feist's novels are so well written and this one is no exception. It was extremely hard to put down - highly recommended.

Anyone notice all the Star Wars ripoffs?
Ok, like most reviewers I really enjoyed the two Magician books. While not the most original fantasy novels, the Magician books were solidly entertaining with some awe inspiring moments.Sadly this book is very disappointing and predictable.I'm not going to get into all the issues with the plot, enough of that has been said already.What really bothered me was all the scenes in Silverthorn that were completely stolen from Star Wars.

The most obvious being when the characters are riding through the woods and then are suddenly attacked by litte furry, cute creatures, throwing rocks and twigs at them!Ring a bell?Sounds a lot like Ewoks to me.Or how about the scene where one of the villains chokes another character from a great distance using his magic?Pretty sure Vader used this force choke maneuver more than once.Then we get a character towards the end of the book that talks exactly like Yoda!"Go into the mountain, you will.""Face the enemy, you must."OK, those aren't exact words from the book, but you get my point.There are tons of other little moments that made me cringe just like these and kept repeatedly taking me out of the book.

One more thing, the characters in this book are all completely the same with the exception of Jimmy.Arutha, Lyam, Martin and whatever that other guy's name have nothing in their characters that distinguish them from each other.Good writing establishes a character through their actions.Not only do all the characters act the same, but they all talk the same as well.

Anyway, I hear the book that follows Silverthorn is much better so I will be giving Feist one more chance. ... Read more

Product Description

A portent of annihilation awakens the powerful sorcerer Pug in the dead of night—a dread vision warning of a vast and terrible army descending upon the exposed heart of Midkemia. Even the formidable might of the Tsurani Empire will not beat back the alien invaders. And in far Stardock town, two boys—untrained, unready, and barely come of age—will be called upon by the mysterious Conclave of Shadows to confront a sinister plot that implicates even the highest-ranking nobles in the land. For a nightmare of treason, intrigue, and murder is brewing among an ancient Brotherhood of Death—a clan of merciless assassins whose name is spoken only in fearful whispers . . .

Customer Reviews (45)

An exciting start!
Well, after the cliffhanger ending of the last book, I stayed up way too late to finish reading this one! What a fun book! Full of action, with many familiar faces playing larger roles than before, and the introduction of some likable new faces, too! Jommy, Tad and Zane make for a nice new trio!
Despite the limitations of the digital format, I am really enjoying these books! And this book also ends on a cliffhanger, making it nearly impossible to stop reading!

Great!!!
It was a great book, riveting as is so often the case with Feist. Can't wait to (save some $, buy, and then) read the rest of the series.

The real battle finally begins.
This book mixes the core characters from the Conclave of Shadows with a few new (but very familiar) ones, such as Tad and Zane (think Erik and Roo from the Serpentwar saga).Thankfully, Tad and Zane's training only takes up one or two chapters and is not the main focus of this book, as it was with Talon of the Silver Hawk in his eponymous book.

If I seem to be comparing this book to earlier books in the grander Riftwar saga, it is because many of them share a common story: ordinary person actually has magical or superhuman powers and is trained to be a super-weapon against evil.Flight of the Nighthawks is a nice break because we finally get to see a bunch of these superhumans start to battle it out against the super bad guy, Leso Varen.The story keeps you moving along to a grand ending that makes you want to pick up the next book, Into a Dark Realm, right away.

GREAT BOOK
The start of a new series, but probably one of the books he has written.

A great first book, Feist brings back some of our old favourites.
his is the first of Feist's new trilogy, and as with all of his previous works this is a brilliant work of Fantasy Fiction, now for a bit of the story.

In the first novel of this trilogy we see Pug and his usual allies with a few new faces battling the evil forces of the fallen God and his mage Varen and the deadly NightHawk assassins as they try to bring the Empire Of Great Kesh to the bring of civil war, and all that stand in there way are a few brave souls, Pugs two sons and their friends, we also see faces from the past, Eric Von Darkmoor, Talwin Hawkins and and the former Duke Of Olasko Kaspar doing battle to save the world from dangers of the dark God and his minions.

As always Feist's work is brilliant, the only down side for me was that my favourite character Eric Von Darkmoor was only included in a few pages , I hope in the following books he will make more of an appearance, other than that an amazing new story from what promises to be an amazing new trilogy, I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.
... Read more

Product Description
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.

Feist's fans are legion. Longtime readers will be delighted at the return of popular characters Pug the Wizard, Squire Locklear, and others, as they face the menace of a marauding elf war-chieftain and a mysterious cabal of wizards. But first-time Feist readers may find Krondor the Betrayal baffling and tiresome--without the momentum of the larger series, much of the story's effect is diminished. The video game influence in this book is unmistakable--as evidenced by an encumbrance of sword fights, multilevel conspiracy, and two-dimensional characters. Anyone who enjoys reading about Midkemia will be thrilled to play the demonstration version of the CD-ROM game (included with the book). --Brendan J. LaSalle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (119)

Not quite as exciting as the others, but very solid nonetheless!
Though I read this book before, I did not remember any of it! I am not quite sure why the other books in the series stuck with me more than this one, but this re-reading was more like reading it for the very first time. It was very exciting and involved some of my favorite characters from _The Riftwar Saga_. I must admit that for a first book in a trilogy, everything was neatly tied up in the end, so I must admit I am wondering what the next two books will be about! But this was well-plotted and definitely a fast read. Feist is a wonderful storyteller and his characters remain as likable as ever.

Weak for Feist, only worth reading for fans and gamers
Although I was first drawn into Feist's work through the Betrayal at Krondor video game in the mid-90s, I now recognize that the Riftwar Legacy is a very weak series by Feist's normal standards. If you were a fan of the game or if you are just a Riftwar junkie, you will enjoy seeing familiar places and characters. You will not get much in the way of character development or depth, but it's fun. That's about it.

Krondor the Betrayal lacks the quality and epic nature of the Riftwar series itself. Do yourself a favor and read the Magician books, Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon before you read Krondor the Betrayal. If you fall in love with Midkemia, then consider this book a fun little romp that is worth reading.

Still, it's near bottom of the barrel by Feist's normally high standards. Betrayal is poor, Assassins is slightly less poor, and Tear of the Gods is just awful. Don't judge Feist by this book or this series. He's one of the best fantasy authors out there and he writes better books both before and after this odd period in his work.

So. Bad.
First, let me say I am a BIG Feist fan. The riftwar and empire series are among my all-time favorites, and most of his other work is pretty good too, give or take a hiccup here and there.

As far as this one goes though, I not only quit in the middle, which is extremely rare for me, but actually got in my car, drove across town, walked back into the bookstore, and returned it.

I know it was based on the video game, and people have said Feist must have been bored or in a hurry or something, but I don't think he actually wrote it. Seriously, take any paragraph in this book, and compare it to any paragraph in any other Feist book, and ask if they really could have come from the same author.

Pretty sure the publisher or the game people hired a ghost writer, but the least they could have done was hire a decent on who had actually read the previous books.

Feist should stick to books, not games
I've been a long-time fan of Feist's work, and I've recently been
re-reading his books again. About a week ago I finished the towering epic
Serpentwar Saga. Perhaps it is because I go from such a brilliant, well
written saga to this lame excuse for a book that I gave it just two stars.

Contrary to what some believe, the game was not written by Feist - it was
written by Neal Hallford and John Cutter of Dynamix, Inc., based upon
ideas by Feist, turning it into an award-winning, best-selling game.
Feist then took the basic premise of the game and tried to turn it into a
novel.

Tried being the operative word. The first half of the book reads exactly
as it is thinly disguised as - a computer game. Spin-off quests, random
encounters, characters with little depth, and a somewhat ambiguous plot.
The only reason I gave it two stars, and not one, is that it appears
Feist suddenly sat up and thought he'd better do something he is better
known for - writing books. He comes up with a decent seige scene, and
explains a few loose ends.

However, for all that, there are still many questions left open - who is
The Crawler? Or Patrus the magician, for that matter? And what happens to
this potentially powerful new magician Owyn, who we don't see in future
books?

Worse, the main villains are so poorly disguised it's laughable.

Try Magician, or Shadow of a Dark Queen, or the newer Flight of the
Nighthawks. All of these are brilliant. But please, if you are new to
Feist, do yourself a favour and avoid this one. I would hate to see
someone miss the brilliance of Feist based on this mistaken attempt to
turn a game into a book.

I do not recommend this book.

Not Free SF Reader
Dark elves and bad men.


Related to a computer game this book said when I read it, can't say how much, though. Those not so nice moredhel are returning, some years later, and the criminal guild has an exceedingly nasty new ruler.

It is up to the usual band of stalwarts, some new characters, and even a dark elf that helps the Kingdom side out to try and do something about it.

Another ok Midkemia adventure, pretty much what you would expect.
... Read more

Product Description
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.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Feist does epic right
When I first read magician 13 years ago I was blown away.Here was a story with the epicness and character depth of Lord of Rings, but as accessible as a reenn reader.

Not meaning that the writing is aimed low and everything is simplistic, oh no, but Feist has this quality that just keeps you turning page after page, and before you know it it's 3am.

If I have a criticism it's that the story isn't original, but what he did was take a standard fantasy plot and bend it to his sown will and style.

If anyone loves fantasy and hasn't read this book (which I'd duobt, but hey it happens) than you should read this now.If you're new to fantsay and want somewhere to start, I'd recommend Magician over any other book, yes even Lord of the Rings.If Tom Bombadil showed his face in Midkemia he'd have it torn off by a Saur before he could sing his first verse.

Mediocre Fantasy
As the author states in the introduction, this book is not as good as people made it :-)
the story may be compelling, but there are many faults in this book that make the reading boring and exhausting:
Despite the fact that the story walks with the main character from childhood to adulthood the book fails to portray it as a real person, which results in lack of proper complexity that each one of us have. This goes for all characters of the book. The author touches each one briefly and unsatisfactory.
The dialogs are short and sometimes childish.
There is an irritating inconsistency in point-of-view where one sentence starts with one character point of view and 2 sentences afterwards you see it through another's character point of view.
The story is slow and when I was half way through the book I was wondering when will the autor ever get to the point.
I am sure this book at the time was considered better and maybe even innovative, but today after reading many good fantasy books, it just doesn't cut it.

Fantasy Lite (but entertaining)
"Magician" (Apprentice and Master) was entertaining, but my impression is that Feist cares more for his characters than he does his story. If you want only virtuous, very likable characters, happy endings and G rated banter between hardened warriors then he's your kind of writer. He's very good at this "safe" epic fantasy genre though (and I don't mean that disparagingly), and he does manage to keep things interesting. I prefer a little more reality and darkness and moral flavor in my fiction, personally. "Magician" was like Star Wars without the Empire. Or rather, Star Wars with a misunderstood Empire that's really good, but just set in its ways and in need of reform. It's the kind of adventure fantasy that I imagine aging, virginal, matronly English professors would enjoy ... if it had a bit more shear literary merit.

Never-the-less, if you like the kind of fiction I've described or you just want a change of pace, it's at the very least entertaining reading. Feist is a good story teller, even if he plays softball with his main characters, protecting them from any real tragedy.

Not Free SF Reader
Grow up to fight the dark lord with your best mate, but gotta stop that alien invasion first.


Feist takes a fantasy epic that it seems grew out of his own fantasy roleplaying games, and gives the standard plot a pit of a tweak.While there is your evil dark lord figure to deal with, there is also an alien invasion (but of humans from a different culture, technology and type of magic).

One boy ends up in the other world with a touch of Shogun, learning magic, while the other ens up in a situation a lot more like Michael Moorcock's Corum.

An extremely well done fantasy adventure story that even appealed to my dad, of all people, being a bit of the old fashioned type of tale.

Too long and too little pay-off
This book was originally published in 1982. The version I have in my hands is the "New Revised Edition" published in 1992 which "incorporates over 15,000 words of text omitted from the previous editions".

I guess its my own fault for going for the New Revised Edition, but I thought this was way too long. I'm sure Raymond Feist is in love with every word he put down on paper, but in my opinion this book could have done with being a lot shorter. Several whole plot lines could have been easily removed from this book without harming the story in anyway. I've worked my way through Russian epics in less time than it took me to read this book, and to be honest, now that's its finished, I'm not sure what I got out of it.

In the forward to the revised edition, Raymond Feist writes, "I hesitate to admit this publicly, but the truth is that part of the success of this book was my ignorance of what makes a commercially successful novel. My willingness to plunge blindly forward into a tale spanning two dissimilar worlds, covering twelve years in the lives of several major and dozens of minor characters, breaking numerous rules of plotting along the way, seemed to find kindred souls among readers the world over."

Which raises the question: after he's already admitted the book's major faults, is it still fair for me to go after him on these points?

Well, let's start at the beginning. This book is set in the standard fantasy genre setting. Some of Feist's fans (and publisher's reviews) have compared him to Tolkien. He's not in Tolkien's league, but, like most modern fantasy writers, he should probably consider paying royalties to Tolkien's estate, because most of the elements in Feist's fantasy world come straight out of Tolkien: the elves as tall mystical forest druids instead of small little mischievous creatures in a shoemakers shop, the dwarfs as a race of underground miners, the anachronism of having characters based on ancient Norse mythology smoke tobacco, and even going so far as to steal the idea of the Elves and the orcs (or "Dark Brotherhood" as Feist calls them) being related races.

As Feist admits, he has probably far too many characters and plotlines going on in this world of his. Just as your beginning to get a handle on who everyone is, and where all the different races is, and what the relationship between the Dark Brotherhood and the Elves are and all that stuff, the entire world is invaded by beings from another planet. Kind of almost like a sci-fi Alien invasion, I guess, except instead of technology and spaceships they use magical powers to travel back and forth between worlds.

At first the aliens are just an invading host, but then eventually one of the main characters gets captured, and goes back to the aliens world, and then we have to learn all about the history, politics, and culture of that planet.

Now all this can be part of the charm of the book if you let yourself go along with it, but at the end of the day for me personally it was too many characters and plotlines to keep track of, and too little pay off. I guess I don't really expect any big life changing sociological or political messages from a book like this, but even in terms of plot, once everything was said and done, there was nothing extraordinarily special about this book which would cause me to recommend someone to wade through all 700 pages of it.

The descriptive passages are actually pretty good in this book, but the dialogue is terrible. It's somewhat a cross between the formal epic style of Tolkien and a more colloquial modern style, and it just comes off very stilted sounding. Everyone sounds like a character in a book instead of real people. (I'm told by one of my co-workers that even among Feist's fans his dialogue skills are often criticized.) The dialogue attribution is also overloaded with either adverbs or adverbial phrases, given the old "Tom Swifty" effect. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (135)

Magician:Master
Similar in setting to Lord of the Rings, different story. Full of action and adventure. Easy to follow and well written. Second book in Rift War Series. Usually read Adventure/Sci-Fi, really enjoying this Adventure/Fantasy! Always looking for my next good book, these came highly recommended. Will definitely finish series! Don't miss it!!!

Definitely more exciting than the first book!
This one is much better than the first novel simply due to the shear amount of action and new locations introduced. A definite must read if you've finished the first book as that novel leaves you hanging at the end without much resolution.

Similar to the first book much of this book's shortcomings deal with the royalty of Crydee, where another 100 or so pages is uselessly wasted on their adventures early on. I found myself wanting more of Pug and more of Thomas, rather than the Crydee princes. However, feist does bring the princes story line out of the murky depths by book's end and gives a genuinely exciting ride. So it becomes quickly obvious why this third storyline was created in the first novel, but I still can't help but to feel that it was lacking at the beginning.

Also the finale was somewhat contrived. The breaking of the truce was not only absurd, but poorly explained away. I felt like Feist needed some final excitement thrown into the mix just to fill space. Instead of adding that final push of renewed interest it ended up making the reader feel cheated and duped. Even after their trip to the Sorcerer's Island and the explicit vagueness of Macros' explanation I was left feeling unsatisfied.

Overall though I was happy with the second book and felt that it improved upon the initial offering of Feist. I will definitely be finishing up the rest of the series in due time.

Terrific!
I really enjoyed this conclusion! Although, I must admit, that for the sake of convenience, I am much relieved that _Apprentice_ and _Master_ are broken up into their own volumes. Two characters that I recalled quite fondly from the first time reading this series, Amos Trask and Jimmy the Hand, play larger roles here, and I am quite excited to continue reading this series. And while this is a conclusion, of sorts, by the end there are still many questions raised and issues left unresolved at the end. Which is why this makes a great start to a terrific series! Feist's characters, however, more so even than his exciting plotting, are what drives his novels. After all, it has been over a decade and perhaps a thousand books between the first time reading them and now, and when Jimmy the Hand swooped in, or Amos arrived, I broke out into a huge grin, fondly remembering them and delighted to hear about them again.

Better than the first book
This is the 2nd book of 4 in the Riftwar series. I liked the first book a lot and like this one a little bit better. It starts off where Apprentice leaves off. Pug is now a slave in another world and Tomas is struggling with a power that can overtake him. The war continues and no one sees it ending anytime soon.
If you liked the first in this series, you'll definetly like this book. I gave it 4 stars only because when it got to the parts on the war strategies, politics, etc., it tended to bore me a bit. That's just me though. I would still highly recommend the book.

Magician Master is a Masterpiece!
Magician: Master is a Cornerstone book in all of fantasy, let alone in Raymond Feist's series.This coupled with Magician: Apprentence are MUST READS for all readers who love a great story! ... Read more

Product Description

The vile sorcerer Sidi plans to strike the kingdom a fatal blow, setting the murderous pirate Bear upon the high seas in pursuit of the vessel that is transporting Midkemia's most holy object; the Tear of the Gods. From this miraculous stone all magic power is believed to flow. And if the Tear becomes the mage's trinket, the future will hold only terror, death and unending night. For Squire James, Lieutenant William, and the able magician Jazhara, the race is on to rescue the remarkable artifact. For all manner of dark creatures are gathering with one unspeakable purpose: to breed the chaos that will hasten the destruction of Squire James and his brave companions...and bring about the total corruption of the Tear of the Gods.

Customer Reviews (62)

Far from his best work...
This one, I must admit, was my least favorite of the trilogy. I think, because for a trilogy based on a computer game, this one felt the most like reading the transcript of someone playing a game. The inclusion of monsters, vampires and animated skeletons was just a bit too over-the-top for me. Though exciting, it just did not fit in with the the trilogy, or the overarching series as a whole. If the main character had not been one of my favorites, Jimmy the Hand, then I would have certainly hated it. I am enjoying reading all of Feist's work, but after finishing this one, I am really looking forward to re-reading the books that I remember fondly from reading the first time around.

Weak series for Feist and the worst of the three
Although I was first drawn into Feist's work through the Betrayal at Krondor video game in the mid-90s, I now recognize that the Riftwar Legacy is a very weak series by Feist's normal standards. If you were a fan of the game Return to Krondor or if you are just a Riftwar junkie, you might enjoy revisiting some familiar characters. Tear of the Gods is just plain awful. Unlike Krondor the Betrayal which was based on a great video game, Tear is an awful book based on a lackluster video game.

This is not representative of Raymond Feist's work. Do yourself a favor and read the Magician books, Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon before you start the Krondor Riftwar Legacy series. If you fall in love with Midkemia, then read every other book that Feist has written before stooping to this. Only the most devoted fans will appreciate it and even then it will be hard to tolerate the flaws. As a die-hard Feist fan, it's almost hard to believe that the same man wrote this book.

Blows big time
This book, like all of the Riftwar Legacy novels, is a painful read of scripted, wooden characters that have absolutely no life to them.The plots are more like children's books, and everything is extremely predictable.The hero's are heroic, the bad guys are overtly evil, and the action is just as cartoon-like and predictable as anything being shown on Saturday mornings...

It is best to skip this book, and the rest of the Riftwar Legacy along with it, and pretend it doesn't exist when you read the rest of Feist's Midkemia novels.

Here we go with computer games again....
I said it before, for Kronder: The Betrayal - Feist should stick with
what he knows best, namely writing excellent books, rather than trying to
emulate computer games.

Rather than the well-structured sagas we are used to with Feist (I'm a
long-time fan, having started reading his work in the 80's), this book...
and indeed most of this trilogy...reads exactly as what it is pretending
not to be - a computer game with one ultimate quest, riddled with a
number of smaller side quests...open the magic box in the right sequence,
destroy x-creatures before returning to npc character, etc., etc.

In a nutshell, the priests of Ishap transport a magical gem once every
ten years from a secret location to its mother temple in Rillanon, the
capital of the Kingdom of the Isles in Midkemia. The gem is called the
Tear of the Gods, and is said to allow the gods to hear the prayers of
everyone on Midkemia. Without the Tear, the world would become godless
(considering how many religious wars we have here on Earth, having a
world become godless doesn't seem such a bad thing) and magic might even
fade. Worse, if it fell into the wrong hands, it could be used as a
weapon of unmatched power wielded for unspeakable evil...or some nonsense
like that. Anyway, the ship transporting the gem is attacked and sinks.
The race is then on between James, Jazhara, a monk of Ishap named Solon,
and a guildsman who can raise the ship, named Kendaric, against the evil
necromancer Sidi and his henchman Bear, to recover the Tear. The outcome
will determine whether Midkemia will be plunged into eternal darkness or
continue on its merry way. Given that James appears later in the
Serpentwar saga (as does William) and the Kingdom is still intact, at
least at the start of the Serpentwar saga, it isn't giving much away
telling you that James and William survive this venture, and the Tear is
safely recovered. The how in all of that is the key, then, but I'll leave
you to decide for yourself whether dragging yourself through at least
2 terribly planned and executed books is worth it.

When I first read the book I was very disappointed and genuinely put off
by Feist's work. It took an effort of some will-power to start reading
Talon of the Silver Hawk (first book in the Conclave of Shadows series).
I'm glad I did continue on to Talon, as Feist returns to form. However, I
cannot in good conscience recommend this book or the Riftwar Legacy, as
much as it pains me to say, being a big fan of Feist's work :(

krondor the betrayal
i have all 3 books of the riftwar legacy and am still on the first book. I really enjoy this book as well as other books by feist. This wirter is very gifted. I love Pug, prince arutha,Locklear and the famous jimmy the had. thank you so much for these jems. ... Read more

Product Description
In this thrilling sequel to Daughter of the Empire, Lady Mara faces a vengeful blood enemy who doesn't know Mara has a strategic secret weapon--a rakish Midkemian slave whose real identity will change the rimworld forever. "A tale of love, hate, and sacrifice against the panorama of an alien yet familiar society."--Publishers Weekly. HC: Doubleday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

excellent
I recently fell in love with Feist's books and was somewhat skeptical of what this collaboration with Janny Wurts would bring.It is excellent.A totally different feel from the books on the other side of the riftwar, but filled with all of the details and intrigue that I've come to appreciate from Feist.I've already started reading the sequel Mistress of the Empire (Empire Trilogy, Bk. 3).

An epic and entertaining sequel!
Though a rather lengthy novel, I greatly enjoyed it! An epic sequel, truly wonderful, with rich details and a terrifically exciting plot, I am thrilled to read the third part of this trilogy. This volume focused more on Mara's personal relationships, both between Hokanu, a key figure in _The Riftwar Saga_, a Midkemian slave, Kevin of Zun. I hope that they both will play key roles in _Mistress of the Empire_! Mostly, though, I am curious over who will play the villain in the third volume, because this book neatly tied up the majority of the loose ends.
The electronic version that I read had some errors, but overall, they were easy to overlook, and I doubt that the print version shared these typos.

Shogun II. This is an incredible series
In his Rift Wars novels, Feist included a world based on medival Japan, right out of Shogun.

In this series, we have a marvellous Shogun-like story of adventure and political intrigue, that's absolutely breath-taking.

If you liked the Original Shogun, then you'll find this series to be just as fascinating a read. That it's placed in a science-fantasy setting is but an insignificant detail. The authors could just as well have set this very same story in 17th century historical Japan!

Superb
This entire series is truly a 'ripping yarn', written in the style that Feist has mastered.

A great work of fiction
Now that she has saved the Acoma family name from extinction, Mara might have hoped that it was time to relax. But, her very success has generated new enemies, enemies who are determined to end her life and the Acoma name, no matter what steps they have to take. And, to make matter worse, the Emperor has begun meddling in the Game of the Council. If she is to protect her life, and the lives of those she loves, then she must play the Game of the Council with more skill than any can home.

I have been a big fan of Raymond Feist for many years now, and still remember when this book first came out. Unlike many of Mr. Feist's and Ms. Wurts' other books, magic does not play a large part in this story, only appearing somewhat late in the book. What this book is, is a fascinating story, set in a wonderfully different milieu, having intrigue and suspense at the very heart of it. So, if you are expecting powerful wizards, and dwarven armies, you will be disappointed.

However, if you interesting in a great work of fiction, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is the book for you. I loved this book - I have read it a number of times, and it still gets better. I can't recommend this book enough. ... Read more

Product Description

In the frozen northlands of the embattled realm of Midkemia, fate can form strange alliances.

Customer Reviews (33)

Can'g we all just get along?
This was a fun read, but it is also a story of how bitter enemies can join together when both are faced with an enemy common to both of them.Of course, I don't know that this would actually happen in real life - but??I do recall a story of the 1st World War where both German and Allied troops facing each other spontaneously ceased fighting on Christmas Eve, stood up in their trenches and all sang "Silent Night".I do believe that was a true story.Sadly, next day they were again shooting at each other.

However, this is a different story, Japanese type invaders come through a "rift" to the world of Midkemia and attack the inhabitants.This is a world similar to medevial Earth, with Earls, Dukes, Barons, etc., all at odds with each other.The Tsurani are the invaders from another earthlike world which has a very stratified society.Both the Tsurani and the Midkemia forces are human, but both are hunted and must do battle with "the Dark Ones", elves who hate all humans and whose goal in life is to eradicate them.A force of Tsurani and one from the Midkemia forces, both in desperate straights from the cold weather and worn from a previous battle, find themselves reluctantly joining together when they are attacked by the Dark Elves, purely a matter of the survival of both the Tsurani and Midkemians.The story goes on from there to a happy ending.

This book was quite enjoyable, had a nice plot and gives one something to think about concerning wars.

A great pairing
This is certainly the best book in the Legends of the Riftwar series.The story could easily stand on its own without any knowledge of Feist's work - though obviously it would be more enjoyable to those familiar with the Riftwar.The saving of Hartraft's soul may have seemed a bit contrived, but in the lessons of tolerance and learning from would-be enemies could be fantastic for young-adult readers.

Honored Enemy, Legends of the Riftwar, book 1 by Raymond Feist
A great tale of the Riftwars. If you're a fan of Raymond Feist you won't be disappointed.

Meanwhile, Within the Northwestern Woods
Honored Enemy (2001) is the first fantasy novel in the Legends of the Riftwar series.This story is set in the northwestern woods of the Kingdom of the Isles after nine years of war against the Tsurani.

In this novel, Dennis Hartraft -- commander of the Marauders -- is looking over the site of their last ambush and mourning the death of his men.The Tsurani are all dead, but they may have sent a runner back before entering the killzone.The ambush would have been more successful if Richard Kevinsson hadn't exposed himself to the fleeing Sung priest.Then he had caused the death of Jurgen, an old friend and the last survivor of his estates other than himself.

Sung Father Corwin had actually betrayed the ambush.Fleeing from the Tsurani, he had noticed Richard and recoiled from his presence.His reaction had alerted the Tsurani, who then attacked the ambush.Now Father Corwin is conducting the funeral of eighteen Marauders.

Gregory -- a Natalese Ranger -- is the chief scout for the Marauders.His friend and partner Tinuva is an eledhel elf and is not really a Marauder. Yet he is probably the best scout in the Islander forces and Dennis doesn't want to lose him.

Force Commander Asayaga commands the reinforcements for the Tsurani besieging Brendan's Stockade.He receives his order late in the day and leads this men on a forced march to the fort.He wonders why his troops are being sent there, but figures that it is just another round in the Great Game.

Bovai is a moredhel elf and commander of the Clan Raven band of Dark Brothers.He has overrun Brenden's Stockade and killed both the Islander inhabitants and the Tsurani besiegers.Now he has set an elaborate ambush for anyone who shows up at the fort.

In this story, the Marauders approach Brenden's Stockade first and quickly learn that the Dark Brothers were responsible for the final slaughter.The Tsurani troops under Asayaga show up soon thereafter.Given the circumstances, they form a temporary alliance against the Dark Brothers and flee the vicinity of the fort.

Dennis leads the combined forces to the north.That way would take them to the moredhel lands, but it is the only way not covered by the superior numbers of Dark Brothers.The Islanders and Tsurani bypass a wall closing the pass and overwhelm the moredhel defenders.

The joint forces successfully resists the first attempt to take back the position and then rest overnight in the barracks behind the wall.Gregory takes Richard on a raid of the Dark Brothers forces and they kill a few trolls and a moredhel before returning to the barracks.Later, Gregory and Tinuva ambush some human mercenaries and capture two horses.

This tale provides backstory for the Riftwar.The characters in Magician play only a slight part in this volume.While the actions in this book are outside the purview of the main story, they are even more exciting.

This story is complete in itself.Other volumes in this subseries relate various aspects of the Riftwar.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Feist & Forstchen fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of small unit tactics, close combat and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This is what Fantasy should be about!
I really don't think this is a 5 star but it is better than a 4!Feist is writing at the level here of his original trilogy and the Serpent War Trilogy!I want to warn you, although this does take place on Midkemia, it isn't about his characters in his previous books!The story flows very smoothly with tons of action and it is a great war novel!That is what it is, it a a story of the Rift War and it was way overdue!There are some items that are trademark Feist, you find in a lot of his stories but if you are a fan of his, you don't mind them.He does good character development and has you taking sides quickly and then understanding the other side before you know it and cheering for them!I strongly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Phil Hastings was a lucky man-he had money, a growing reputation as a screenwriter, a happy, loving family with three kids, and he'd just moved into the house of his dreams in rural of magic-and about to be altered irrevocably by a magic more real than any he dared imagine. For with the Magic came the Bad Thing, and the Faerie, and then the cool. . .and the resurrection of a primordial war with a forgotten people-a war that not only the Hastings but the whole human race could lose.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (80)

Started out good but...
I couldn't finish this book. The first half was great. I felt like it was building up to something important with the secret societies, treasures, The Bad Thing, and the like.Then the abduction comes and the second half starts. After 50 pages of parents and doctors saying they don't know what is wrong with the child I got bored. The reader knows what is wrong, so we don't need to read on and on about how it is mysterious. From there I started skimming through pages and pages of descriptions and I just couldn't take it any more. This book suffers from the same thing the Riftwar books do-it's too wordy and boring.The first half of this book was 200 pages of mundane daily activities, with about 50 pages of interesting fae/treasure/secret societies thrown in.If there weren't so many pointless details I might have read this through to the end, but I didn't really care what happened to the family, they were all dull and flat characters.I'll add this to my list of faerie books I didn't like. Please someone write a good exciting book about faeries! Just because you place people in an urban setting doesn't mean you have to write a boring book. Another let down for me from this author.

A great Story
I have read this book several times.
Some might think it isn't a kinda sexy book. But it is very!
Buy it read it you'll love it.

Not Free SF Reader
A wonderfully creepy 'urban' fantasy.Probably his best book after Magician.A family moves to a house near a strange location.They get in out of their depth and need expert help when something that should not be real comes calling, and injures one them.An example of this sort of tale handled expertly.

From Ghoulies and Ghosties and Things that go bump in the night, Good Lord Protect Us.
First Sentence:Barney Doyle sat at his cluttered workbench, attempting to fix Olaf Andersen's ancient power mower for the fourth time in seven years.

Phil Hastings, his wife Gloria, his daughter Gabbie and their twin boys Patrick and Sean move from Sunny California to an old farmhouse in upstate New York whose land includes virgin forest.They soon find they have more to contend with than they expected.Unexpected, and unexplainable, encounters with strange creatures, the boy's acknowledgement of "the Bad Thing" living under a bridge and Gabbie's almost sexual encounter with a farrier who died over a hundred years ago are only some of the strange goings on which threaten the family.

I love this book and read it every year or so on Midsummer's Day (June 24th).However, this is not your child's faerie tale even though it involves brotherly love and courage.It is fantasy; it is horror. It is creepy, dark, at times violent, at times sexual and always a page-turner.Those who love Celtic myth and Shakespeare will recognize magical elements of The Fool, elf-shot, Trooping Faeires, and more.It is one of those rare books that makes you feel as though it "could" be possible and causes even non-Catholics to wish for a vial of holy water, a silver sword and a true faerie stone..Each time I read it, I find myself researching the legends and faerie folk involved, looking for erl-king hills and avoiding faeire rings at midnight on Midsummer's Night and All-Hallow's Eve.Next year, I'll remember to start earlier in the day so I'm not up until midnight finishing it.At least I wasn't in the woods.It's the blending of fantasy in contemporary life which, to me, makes this book so compelling, frightening and memorable.

Thank you Mrs. Lyle
This book was given to me by my high school biology teacher (and mother to one of my best friends) in the early '90's. I had zero interest in fairy or fantasy tales at the time, but I found this book to be very engaging. There are certain books that I can pick up at any time and instantly be transported. This is one of those books. The setting is quaint. The characters are realistic. The story is suspenseful.

It's hard to pinpoint what it is that is so attractive about a book like this. You know how a certain smell will sometimes trigger a memory that is very pleasant, and for a few moments you are suspended in that time and place? That's what this book does for me. I wish MR. Feist would try his hand at something like this again. I have not been able to get into any of his "High Fantasy" stories.

Pick it up sometime. You won't be moved to tears, and you're life won't change because of some profound metaphorical meaning buried inside. You will be entertained, though. This is a great one to read around Halloween! ... Read more