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The Serpentwar Saga #1
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Feist, author of the Riftwar Saga, embarks on a new series, returning to the magical twin worlds of Kelewan and Midkemia to begin the story of the Serpent War Saga. Two unlikely heroes are destined to oppose the malign forces that threaten their lives and the survival of their world.
497 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Raymond E. Feist
344 books8,673 followersRaymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
February 15, 2019
Weirdly, this might be my least favorite fantasy by Feist. I'm usually quite happy with them. Interesting characters, great locations, solid adventures, great plots. And generally, the worldbuilding is something quite good.
So what happened here? A confluence of factors that may not bother other people but firmly set me down into a camp of 'I don't care'. Maybe I was kinda disappointed with Erik. It started out fairly interesting and I kinda hoped it would go the standard direction of a hidden prince, but after the rape, murder, run and capture, I think I just started wondering where the rest of the tale could go.
Mercenaries. Secret missions. ... Well, it could have been pretty cool.
Unfortunately, I just wasn't all that interested. The amassing army, the somewhat inconsequential cameos of characters I did love, and the primary action did little to spark my interest. Much. I wanted to like it more than I did. I mean, after the previous two novels, I was pretty much riding high. To jump forward in time this much to the point where the king dies, however? I guess I got pretty bummed.
This won't be stopping me from continuing the series, but I will be hoping for more, later.
So what happened here? A confluence of factors that may not bother other people but firmly set me down into a camp of 'I don't care'. Maybe I was kinda disappointed with Erik. It started out fairly interesting and I kinda hoped it would go the standard direction of a hidden prince, but after the rape, murder, run and capture, I think I just started wondering where the rest of the tale could go.
Mercenaries. Secret missions. ... Well, it could have been pretty cool.
Unfortunately, I just wasn't all that interested. The amassing army, the somewhat inconsequential cameos of characters I did love, and the primary action did little to spark my interest. Much. I wanted to like it more than I did. I mean, after the previous two novels, I was pretty much riding high. To jump forward in time this much to the point where the king dies, however? I guess I got pretty bummed.
This won't be stopping me from continuing the series, but I will be hoping for more, later.
April 4, 2016
Maybe even 4.5 stars
You like fantasy. You have never read Raymond Feist. You are seriously missing out.
While you are waiting the next 10 years for George R. R. Martin to finish the Game of Thrones series, you should check this one out. And, this one is already finished (you can read all 30 in the series, or just a segment of the saga, it's up to you)
Shadow of a Dark Queen starts a new saga with several old enemies. People who have read the entire series up to this point will be able to enjoy this book with nostalia. But, if you are reading this book without the benefit of all the series leading up to this, I think you can still enjoy without too much confusion.
You like fantasy. You have never read Raymond Feist. You are seriously missing out.
While you are waiting the next 10 years for George R. R. Martin to finish the Game of Thrones series, you should check this one out. And, this one is already finished (you can read all 30 in the series, or just a segment of the saga, it's up to you)
Shadow of a Dark Queen starts a new saga with several old enemies. People who have read the entire series up to this point will be able to enjoy this book with nostalia. But, if you are reading this book without the benefit of all the series leading up to this, I think you can still enjoy without too much confusion.
June 17, 2013
(This is a review of the whole series. No spoilers other than what can be inferred from the existence of four books and their titles.)
The Serpentwar Saga is a series of four books set in Feist's Riftwar Universe. I warn you now: if you haven't read The Riftwar Saga, then I strongly suggest that you go read that before you even consider this series (a lesson I learned the hard way). That said, The Serpentwar Saga is a complete epic in its own right. It tells the story of the Kingdom and its war with an invading army led by the serpent-like Pantathians. None of the books really work as standalones, so once you start you're in for a four-book commitment, which is pretty much how I got sucked into reading all four books.
The series begins with Shadow of a Dark Queen . This is the tale of Erik and Roo, two boyhood friends who flee their village after committing a crime and end up becoming part of a band of “desperate men”. Good-hearted, hard-working Erik is a likeable protagonist, with his sneaky friend Roo providing a nice foil. If you read this book simply as Erik's story, then you'll be in for a tale of action and adventure. However, if you're reading it for the epic war story, then you're in for a slow start. It takes a long while before we get to the bit about the titular Queen and her army and when you do get there, you know it's only the beginning. Shockingly, there are non-white human characters in this medieval European fantasy, and despite the fact they’re minor characters and despite the fact they’re somewhat stereotyped (positively at least, I guess), I was pleasantly surprised they existed at all. Thankfully, there is no cliffhanger at the end of the book. If anything, Shadow of a Dark Queen is a prologue or Volume I of a greater work, and should be read as such (if only for your own sake).
Next comes Rise of a Merchant Prince and it's exactly what it says on the tin. For that reason, Book #2 is the most boring of the lot as you know exactly how it ends before you even begin. It's Roo's rag-to-riches story and the blurb makes it sound more exciting than it is (the bit about the seductress ruining his world doesn't even happen and Roo’s character doesn’t really change). One thing I will say is that the book’s subject matter is original. It’s a rare fantasy novel that focuses on commerce, and I enjoyed reading about everyday life in the city of Krondor. The book is entertaining on a scene-by-scene level, if not on an overall-plot level. If you're hoping to use this as inspiration for your own rags-to-riches journey, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Roo benefits largely from his opportunism, connections, luck, fighting ability and being the smartest guy around in his particular set of circumstances. The commerce jargon, strangely, is only sometimes explained. The Serpentwar plot is reduced to almost nothing, which is unfortunate as it was the most interesting part of the book. The book can be summed up in one sentence, half of which you know already (ie. “Roo gets rich and [Serpentwar plot]”). It also introduces a bunch of new characters who become important in later books.
Things come to a head in the third book, Rage of a Demon King . The Queen's armies reach the Kingdom and all hell breaks loose. There are two main plot lines: the first is about the actual invasion and the military tactics employed by each side; the second deals with the nature of the Queen herself and concerns magic and the fate of the universe (of course). In the case of the latter, there's a lot of discussion on the mythos and metaphysics of the Riftwar Universe, which while interesting, can also be a little confusing. Given the different story lines, the point of view shifts quite often, from Erik to Roo to the magicians Pug and Miranda and various others. That said, this was the best book by far. It was an exciting, gripping read with a satisfying conclusion.
The last book is Shards of a Broken Crown , which essentially deals with the aftermath of the Serpentwar – namely, how the Kingdom must handle remaining enemies and how it must rebuild. The focus shifts to Dash and Jimmy, grandsons of the Duke of Krondor, though of course the magicians also play a large part. After the high of Book #3, the series now feels a bit fatigued. While it has its moments, Book #4 is less polished than the others. The scenes in this book are noticeably shorter than in previous books and they feel choppy and abrupt. You can almost see the scaffolding of the plot poking through the scenes and the book itself seems to draw out the series unnecessarily. While the major plotlines are resolved, Book #4 still ends with sequel bait. Sequel bait! At the end of four five hundred page books! Also, I'm not sure if it was just the edition I read, but I found a lot of errors in Shards - “insure” used instead of “ensure”, over-frequent and possibly inappropriate use of the word “ironic”, character names being swapped or misspelled and various typos. Normally I wouldn't mention this sort of thing, but in this case the sheer number of errors proved distracting. Tut, tut, Shards copy editor and/or proofreader!
Overall, The Serpentwar Saga is a fun read, but I did have a number of problems with it, first and foremost being the fact that much of the world was already established in previous series. Had the world been explored further in this series, it would have been fine. Some places are explored thoroughly, and I suspect this is because they are “new”. Otherwise, we get a lot of name-dropping of places and events, and only sometimes with a perfunctory description for context. This was particularly irritating given the fact that other things were repeated again and again, things like how Calis is a half-elf and how Miranda says things drily. There are also so many levelled-up badasses in this world – literal living legends – that even without knowing about Feist's body of work you just know that there were books about these people before this series. As a newcomer to the Riftwar Cycle, it felt as if I had come late to some party where everyone had already made friends and developed their own in-jokes. As such, I didn't find their company nearly as riveting as they did and I found my eyes glazing over in some parts of the book. To his credit, Feist always manages to slip in a quick bit of summary or context at the start of each book (in case you'd forgotten things between books) or before some extended discussion of a past event. This allows new readers to follow what's happening, even if you're not having as much fun as everyone else is. To take the party latecomer analogy further, it's like you're at a party where among the guests is a kind soul who tries to include you by explaining all the jokes. So yeah. Thanks.
I gather that each series in the Riftwar Cycle deals with successive generations of characters. For those who have read about Pug, Tomas, Jimmy the Hand and so on, their presence in this series may well be delightful. However, the events of The Serpentwar Saga spell the end of some of them, making you wonder whether the characters introduced in this series will meet their end in another (I'm guessing yes). The fact that a character's life is told through different series annoys me as a reader, since I don't fancy having to read through all of Feist's works to get my closure. I'm sure this is a personal preference thing though, since others may think this fact is awesome.
You can totally tell that The Serpentwar Saga is written by a dude. The vast majority of characters are men and the books are big on fighting and killing and military strategy. The way the characters are all powered up in different classes (like magician, thief, soldier, etc) also reads like a roster of teenage male fantasies (not that there's anything wrong with that). When female characters are described, there's usually some mention of their level of attractiveness. When someone “admires” something in a woman, that's usually a euphemism for “ogle”. Though I guess it's appropriate for the setting, visiting prostitutes is also seen as an ordinary pastime for unmarried men. Also, two of the female characters experience rape, though the incidents are not described in detail and the effect on the victims seems to be glossed over. While this is a minor part of the books, I thought it worth a mention as I know that some of you would rather not encounter such material at all.
The writing is far from beautiful; it just serves the plot, nothing more, nothing less. That’s beside the point though; you basically read this for the plot and setting. Feist does this very well. He evokes environments well and his world feels lived-in and thought out. Things somehow always manage to get worse for our heroes and the Saga is an exciting read. It was also interesting to see how different characters worked with or against each other. It's not so much personality that distinguishes the characters, but position (being rich, being poor, being a Prince, being a soldier). Most of the characters fall into some sort of cliché, but there are a few bright sparks here and there (such as Nakor) to keep things interesting.
There are quite a number of plot holes and character inconsistencies in this series and these may irritate the discerning reader. For me, the worst ones are first: how there’s always some justification as to why the legendary heroes aren’t doing more than they can; and second: Prince Patrick's transformation from “blank slate” in Books #1-#3 to “angry idiot man-child” in Book #4. Rather than hating Patrick for it, I became annoyed at the author for treating the character so unfairly. Otherwise, I found the other “mistakes” to be forgivable.
I know I've complained a lot in this review, but I did enjoy the series. While newcomers to Feist's work will be able to follow the plot, the amount of back-referencing is frustrating, and I really wish I'd read The Riftwar Saga instead. Sure there are flaws in The Serpentwar Saga, but the plot is really riveting and you always want to know what happens next. It’s a bit clichéd, but still fun. Feist is good at maintaining a high level of tension and the world of Midkemia feels very rich and well-developed. But yes, if you're interested at all, start with Magician.
The Serpentwar Saga is a series of four books set in Feist's Riftwar Universe. I warn you now: if you haven't read The Riftwar Saga, then I strongly suggest that you go read that before you even consider this series (a lesson I learned the hard way). That said, The Serpentwar Saga is a complete epic in its own right. It tells the story of the Kingdom and its war with an invading army led by the serpent-like Pantathians. None of the books really work as standalones, so once you start you're in for a four-book commitment, which is pretty much how I got sucked into reading all four books.
The series begins with Shadow of a Dark Queen . This is the tale of Erik and Roo, two boyhood friends who flee their village after committing a crime and end up becoming part of a band of “desperate men”. Good-hearted, hard-working Erik is a likeable protagonist, with his sneaky friend Roo providing a nice foil. If you read this book simply as Erik's story, then you'll be in for a tale of action and adventure. However, if you're reading it for the epic war story, then you're in for a slow start. It takes a long while before we get to the bit about the titular Queen and her army and when you do get there, you know it's only the beginning. Shockingly, there are non-white human characters in this medieval European fantasy, and despite the fact they’re minor characters and despite the fact they’re somewhat stereotyped (positively at least, I guess), I was pleasantly surprised they existed at all. Thankfully, there is no cliffhanger at the end of the book. If anything, Shadow of a Dark Queen is a prologue or Volume I of a greater work, and should be read as such (if only for your own sake).
Next comes Rise of a Merchant Prince and it's exactly what it says on the tin. For that reason, Book #2 is the most boring of the lot as you know exactly how it ends before you even begin. It's Roo's rag-to-riches story and the blurb makes it sound more exciting than it is (the bit about the seductress ruining his world doesn't even happen and Roo’s character doesn’t really change). One thing I will say is that the book’s subject matter is original. It’s a rare fantasy novel that focuses on commerce, and I enjoyed reading about everyday life in the city of Krondor. The book is entertaining on a scene-by-scene level, if not on an overall-plot level. If you're hoping to use this as inspiration for your own rags-to-riches journey, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Roo benefits largely from his opportunism, connections, luck, fighting ability and being the smartest guy around in his particular set of circumstances. The commerce jargon, strangely, is only sometimes explained. The Serpentwar plot is reduced to almost nothing, which is unfortunate as it was the most interesting part of the book. The book can be summed up in one sentence, half of which you know already (ie. “Roo gets rich and [Serpentwar plot]”). It also introduces a bunch of new characters who become important in later books.
Things come to a head in the third book, Rage of a Demon King . The Queen's armies reach the Kingdom and all hell breaks loose. There are two main plot lines: the first is about the actual invasion and the military tactics employed by each side; the second deals with the nature of the Queen herself and concerns magic and the fate of the universe (of course). In the case of the latter, there's a lot of discussion on the mythos and metaphysics of the Riftwar Universe, which while interesting, can also be a little confusing. Given the different story lines, the point of view shifts quite often, from Erik to Roo to the magicians Pug and Miranda and various others. That said, this was the best book by far. It was an exciting, gripping read with a satisfying conclusion.
The last book is Shards of a Broken Crown , which essentially deals with the aftermath of the Serpentwar – namely, how the Kingdom must handle remaining enemies and how it must rebuild. The focus shifts to Dash and Jimmy, grandsons of the Duke of Krondor, though of course the magicians also play a large part. After the high of Book #3, the series now feels a bit fatigued. While it has its moments, Book #4 is less polished than the others. The scenes in this book are noticeably shorter than in previous books and they feel choppy and abrupt. You can almost see the scaffolding of the plot poking through the scenes and the book itself seems to draw out the series unnecessarily. While the major plotlines are resolved, Book #4 still ends with sequel bait. Sequel bait! At the end of four five hundred page books! Also, I'm not sure if it was just the edition I read, but I found a lot of errors in Shards - “insure” used instead of “ensure”, over-frequent and possibly inappropriate use of the word “ironic”, character names being swapped or misspelled and various typos. Normally I wouldn't mention this sort of thing, but in this case the sheer number of errors proved distracting. Tut, tut, Shards copy editor and/or proofreader!
Overall, The Serpentwar Saga is a fun read, but I did have a number of problems with it, first and foremost being the fact that much of the world was already established in previous series. Had the world been explored further in this series, it would have been fine. Some places are explored thoroughly, and I suspect this is because they are “new”. Otherwise, we get a lot of name-dropping of places and events, and only sometimes with a perfunctory description for context. This was particularly irritating given the fact that other things were repeated again and again, things like how Calis is a half-elf and how Miranda says things drily. There are also so many levelled-up badasses in this world – literal living legends – that even without knowing about Feist's body of work you just know that there were books about these people before this series. As a newcomer to the Riftwar Cycle, it felt as if I had come late to some party where everyone had already made friends and developed their own in-jokes. As such, I didn't find their company nearly as riveting as they did and I found my eyes glazing over in some parts of the book. To his credit, Feist always manages to slip in a quick bit of summary or context at the start of each book (in case you'd forgotten things between books) or before some extended discussion of a past event. This allows new readers to follow what's happening, even if you're not having as much fun as everyone else is. To take the party latecomer analogy further, it's like you're at a party where among the guests is a kind soul who tries to include you by explaining all the jokes. So yeah. Thanks.
I gather that each series in the Riftwar Cycle deals with successive generations of characters. For those who have read about Pug, Tomas, Jimmy the Hand and so on, their presence in this series may well be delightful. However, the events of The Serpentwar Saga spell the end of some of them, making you wonder whether the characters introduced in this series will meet their end in another (I'm guessing yes). The fact that a character's life is told through different series annoys me as a reader, since I don't fancy having to read through all of Feist's works to get my closure. I'm sure this is a personal preference thing though, since others may think this fact is awesome.
You can totally tell that The Serpentwar Saga is written by a dude. The vast majority of characters are men and the books are big on fighting and killing and military strategy. The way the characters are all powered up in different classes (like magician, thief, soldier, etc) also reads like a roster of teenage male fantasies (not that there's anything wrong with that). When female characters are described, there's usually some mention of their level of attractiveness. When someone “admires” something in a woman, that's usually a euphemism for “ogle”. Though I guess it's appropriate for the setting, visiting prostitutes is also seen as an ordinary pastime for unmarried men. Also, two of the female characters experience rape, though the incidents are not described in detail and the effect on the victims seems to be glossed over. While this is a minor part of the books, I thought it worth a mention as I know that some of you would rather not encounter such material at all.
The writing is far from beautiful; it just serves the plot, nothing more, nothing less. That’s beside the point though; you basically read this for the plot and setting. Feist does this very well. He evokes environments well and his world feels lived-in and thought out. Things somehow always manage to get worse for our heroes and the Saga is an exciting read. It was also interesting to see how different characters worked with or against each other. It's not so much personality that distinguishes the characters, but position (being rich, being poor, being a Prince, being a soldier). Most of the characters fall into some sort of cliché, but there are a few bright sparks here and there (such as Nakor) to keep things interesting.
There are quite a number of plot holes and character inconsistencies in this series and these may irritate the discerning reader. For me, the worst ones are first: how there’s always some justification as to why the legendary heroes aren’t doing more than they can; and second: Prince Patrick's transformation from “blank slate” in Books #1-#3 to “angry idiot man-child” in Book #4. Rather than hating Patrick for it, I became annoyed at the author for treating the character so unfairly. Otherwise, I found the other “mistakes” to be forgivable.
I know I've complained a lot in this review, but I did enjoy the series. While newcomers to Feist's work will be able to follow the plot, the amount of back-referencing is frustrating, and I really wish I'd read The Riftwar Saga instead. Sure there are flaws in The Serpentwar Saga, but the plot is really riveting and you always want to know what happens next. It’s a bit clichéd, but still fun. Feist is good at maintaining a high level of tension and the world of Midkemia feels very rich and well-developed. But yes, if you're interested at all, start with Magician.
August 14, 2022
Retko ko tako skolski gradi pricu i karaktere kao Rejmond Fajst, valjda je zato i bio u mogucnosti da napise veliki broj knjiga u Riftwar serijalu. Nijedna od tih knjiga nije losa, sta vise neke su vanserijske! Medjutim malo po malo Fajst gubi adute, deluje kao da samo stanca stranice po vec dobro oprobanom recptu i da nam prca neku svoju novu pricu nastalu od recikliranih ideja stare. Bez obzira na to odlucan sam da procitam celu Riftwar sagu i da vidim kuda je putovanje odvelo sve one karaktere i njihove potomke koje sam toliko voleo u svom detinjstvu.
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October 12, 2010
This book seems to occur towards the tail-end of Feist's "rape-fantasy period" (a name my friends and I gave to those of his books written between 1988 and 1995 which all seemed to involve graphic rape and abuse of female characters) as the actual rape of the female character is not narrated and only the after-effects are described. Instead he seems to replace it with a consensual encounter between the male protagnoist and a middle-aged prostitute, which I suppose is something to be grateful for given the books which preceded it... The narrative was otherwise quite interesting and the characters were fairly engaging; even the whoring made a certain amount of sense, given that the character was a grunt in the army during war-time. However the inclusion of yet another rape, even an "off-camera" one, meant that I could no longer stomach Feist's works. I threw this and all the other Feist "rape-fantasy period" books I had in the garbage. I'm told he stopped with the steady stream of rapes after this book, but I haven't been willing to check those claims.
November 5, 2019
Shadow of a Dark Queen is the first book in yet another subseries of Raymond E. Feist’s very long Riftwar Cycle. This is one of the two remaining subseries that I had previously read, and it’s the one I remembered least favorably, but I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit this time around. I remembered very little from the story, but I did remember some of the things I didn’t like about it the first time, and I think having different expectations helped.
This is the first book where the main characters aren’t related to the royal family, although we do see some traces of them on rare occasions. A lot of time passes between the various subseries, introducing us to new generations each time as our old favorites become older and sometimes die, and I had some frustrations with that the first time I read these books. I enjoyed the newer characters the first time too, but I was very attached to the characters from the first subseries and I missed them. Knowing that was coming, I think I’ve been less bothered by it this time around. Feist continues to do a great job of writing characters the reader can care about, and I do think his writing has improved and become more polished as compared to those earlier books.
Some comments for the spoiler tags. One of these contains a spoiler for later in this subseries, not just this book.
This is the first book where the main characters aren’t related to the royal family, although we do see some traces of them on rare occasions. A lot of time passes between the various subseries, introducing us to new generations each time as our old favorites become older and sometimes die, and I had some frustrations with that the first time I read these books. I enjoyed the newer characters the first time too, but I was very attached to the characters from the first subseries and I missed them. Knowing that was coming, I think I’ve been less bothered by it this time around. Feist continues to do a great job of writing characters the reader can care about, and I do think his writing has improved and become more polished as compared to those earlier books.
Some comments for the spoiler tags. One of these contains a spoiler for later in this subseries, not just this book.
March 5, 2019
Feist has done it again, another brilliant book centred around calis son of tomas and erik von darkmoor. Really interesting story of infiltration and stealth with plenty of action and some funny moments aswell. Also for me my favourite character pug is back and it made me smile.
November 15, 2021
A very solid 4 stars!
At the start of this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was a little worried it would be slow and I would lose interest, but I was wrong! There definitely were slow parts but I think the new characters allowed me to enjoy those parts and stay engaged.
I will say the last scenes with the shipyard were great! Feist really excels at those types of scenes. I think that’s why I am able to push through the slower parts because he really redeems himself by creating tension and great battle scenes.
We got to see our old friend Pug in this book! There are a few things about that part of the story I won’t go into because it could spoil things. I just hope that the relationship that seems to be building between Pug and another character is done right. In the earlier books, Feist seemed to struggle with the writing revolving around relationships. If done well I think it could add a lot to the story to come!
As usual I am happy with the overall cast of characters in this book and can’t wait to see how they develop and where the story goes!
At the start of this book I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was a little worried it would be slow and I would lose interest, but I was wrong! There definitely were slow parts but I think the new characters allowed me to enjoy those parts and stay engaged.
I will say the last scenes with the shipyard were great! Feist really excels at those types of scenes. I think that’s why I am able to push through the slower parts because he really redeems himself by creating tension and great battle scenes.
We got to see our old friend Pug in this book! There are a few things about that part of the story I won’t go into because it could spoil things. I just hope that the relationship that seems to be building between Pug and another character is done right. In the earlier books, Feist seemed to struggle with the writing revolving around relationships. If done well I think it could add a lot to the story to come!
As usual I am happy with the overall cast of characters in this book and can’t wait to see how they develop and where the story goes!
September 28, 2024
A solid start to this book series. Feist plays to his strengths in telling coming of age story (albeit one with an older protagonist in a less-than-typical situation) wrapped up in a great adventure tale with high stakes. I continue to enjoy this Riftwar world, and like how each of these different series, while wholly their own, play upon past series. The narrative did bog down a few times with some passages with heavy-handed bits of metaphysics and universe-building, but overall the book was a great fast-paced read.
July 18, 2018
4.5 STARS
August 4, 2019
Another really good read. So far the whole series has been really worthwhile.
November 16, 2021
Shadow of a Dark Queen was quite a bit better than I was expecting, I'm happy to report!
My journey with reading Raymond E. Feist - a familiar name among fantasy readers in the 90s - has been quite interesting. Starting with Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master, and the two following novels, Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon, I found them enjoyable fun adventure fantasy, but definitely products of their time. The characterization was a little simplistic, female characters appeared on the sidelines, mostly as princesses fretting about their lovers as the men went on heroic adventures, and while the world-building was impressive and there were a lot of plot threads laid out (some surprisingly only just now beginning to bare fruit in Shadow of a Dark Queen), the initial story was a pretty by-the-numbers coming-of-age fantasy tale meets sword and sorcery, akin to A Wizard of Earthsea or The Dragonbone Chair, and paling somewhat in comparison to both.
And then I read The Empire Trilogy, starting with Daughter of the Empire which Feist co-wrote with Janny Wurts, and was astounded by how good it was, and how modern it felt, given that the first entry was published in 1987. It reminded me a lot of the best of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives series: extensive world-building featuring an interesting and non-Western culture, interwoven within a compelling story following a fantastic female lead, with believable progression of her belief structure and the political shifts within her society.
And then, I read the Krondor's Sons duology, which continued the original series with Feist writing by himself again. I was pretty disappointed with the first volume, and enjoyed the latter. So a mixed bag.
Shadow of a Dark Queen continues the main story, and I'm happy with the start of this new series. Every one of the previous books featured a noble of some kind as the lead, and that's refreshingly not the case with Erik, who is raised in a small village as the apprentice to a drunken blacksmith, and very much reminded me of Perrin from Wheel of Time starting out. Due to being a part of the rather justified murder of a noble, he gets pulled into serving in a false mercenary company that is actually essentially a special operations group commissioned by the Prince to investigate the stirrings of an immense foreign army across the ocean from his homeland, a la The Dirty Dozen.
I noted pretty early on that it seemed like the quality of Feist's prose had improved in some indescribable ways, and there's been a tonal shift too. Whereas the earlier books had lots of harrowing battles and whatnot, things still felt pretty "clean". This book surprisingly reminded me of Deadhouse Gates at times, given the desert setting and the structure of a large army brutally engulfing scattered cities.
While there are still few female characters to be found, a few chapters are devoted to the mysterious Miranda who is seeking out Pug, the powerful sorcerer and main character of the original series. I bet she'll focus more in the later books, and I liked their interplay.
Overall, this was a good high fantasy adventure book, and I'm excited to see where things go in the next entries. I started reading Magician for a bit of nostalgia and for a bit of wanting to read simpler things, but I'm finding myself pleasantly surprised by the increasing quality of the Riftwar Cycle as I go.
My journey with reading Raymond E. Feist - a familiar name among fantasy readers in the 90s - has been quite interesting. Starting with Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master, and the two following novels, Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon, I found them enjoyable fun adventure fantasy, but definitely products of their time. The characterization was a little simplistic, female characters appeared on the sidelines, mostly as princesses fretting about their lovers as the men went on heroic adventures, and while the world-building was impressive and there were a lot of plot threads laid out (some surprisingly only just now beginning to bare fruit in Shadow of a Dark Queen), the initial story was a pretty by-the-numbers coming-of-age fantasy tale meets sword and sorcery, akin to A Wizard of Earthsea or The Dragonbone Chair, and paling somewhat in comparison to both.
And then I read The Empire Trilogy, starting with Daughter of the Empire which Feist co-wrote with Janny Wurts, and was astounded by how good it was, and how modern it felt, given that the first entry was published in 1987. It reminded me a lot of the best of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives series: extensive world-building featuring an interesting and non-Western culture, interwoven within a compelling story following a fantastic female lead, with believable progression of her belief structure and the political shifts within her society.
And then, I read the Krondor's Sons duology, which continued the original series with Feist writing by himself again. I was pretty disappointed with the first volume, and enjoyed the latter. So a mixed bag.
Shadow of a Dark Queen continues the main story, and I'm happy with the start of this new series. Every one of the previous books featured a noble of some kind as the lead, and that's refreshingly not the case with Erik, who is raised in a small village as the apprentice to a drunken blacksmith, and very much reminded me of Perrin from Wheel of Time starting out. Due to being a part of the rather justified murder of a noble, he gets pulled into serving in a false mercenary company that is actually essentially a special operations group commissioned by the Prince to investigate the stirrings of an immense foreign army across the ocean from his homeland, a la The Dirty Dozen.
I noted pretty early on that it seemed like the quality of Feist's prose had improved in some indescribable ways, and there's been a tonal shift too. Whereas the earlier books had lots of harrowing battles and whatnot, things still felt pretty "clean". This book surprisingly reminded me of Deadhouse Gates at times, given the desert setting and the structure of a large army brutally engulfing scattered cities.
While there are still few female characters to be found, a few chapters are devoted to the mysterious Miranda who is seeking out Pug, the powerful sorcerer and main character of the original series. I bet she'll focus more in the later books, and I liked their interplay.
Overall, this was a good high fantasy adventure book, and I'm excited to see where things go in the next entries. I started reading Magician for a bit of nostalgia and for a bit of wanting to read simpler things, but I'm finding myself pleasantly surprised by the increasing quality of the Riftwar Cycle as I go.
November 28, 2021
The next book/series in Feists Rift War Universe and I have to say his writing and storytelling just keep getting better. I am reading Feist's entire library with a fantasy buddy and it is great to see an author grow and tighten up his style.
The main protagonists, Roo and Erik, get into a heap of trouble and end up prisoners of the kingdom, accused of murder. However, the prison camp appears to be more a training base then a prison and whatever the future holds does not look good. There is a war brewing on the other side of the known world, There are strange coming and goings in the camp, and the prisoners are kept in the dark, as to what is in their future.
As I said above, Feists writing has improved, and the story moved quickly and kept me entertained. It appears that in the coming books, in this series, there will be some male/female relationships for Feist to tackle. I hope he learned a few things from Jenny Wurts when he co-wrote with her. His previous solo attempts at these types of relationship did not cut it for me. Moving on to book 2 to see what happens with that and the folks caught up in brewing troubles.
The main protagonists, Roo and Erik, get into a heap of trouble and end up prisoners of the kingdom, accused of murder. However, the prison camp appears to be more a training base then a prison and whatever the future holds does not look good. There is a war brewing on the other side of the known world, There are strange coming and goings in the camp, and the prisoners are kept in the dark, as to what is in their future.
As I said above, Feists writing has improved, and the story moved quickly and kept me entertained. It appears that in the coming books, in this series, there will be some male/female relationships for Feist to tackle. I hope he learned a few things from Jenny Wurts when he co-wrote with her. His previous solo attempts at these types of relationship did not cut it for me. Moving on to book 2 to see what happens with that and the folks caught up in brewing troubles.
January 8, 2010
The more of Raymonds's Books I read the less I like them, to may mistakes, in this saga the first book he says the blacksmith was the first dead person Eric has every seen and then as the story continues Raymond writes that it was someone else. There are many little mistakes like these in most of his books I dont understand why he nor his editors are picking them up I'm deslexic an i can pick them out. Also the characters always have the same personallities he kills off a few main characters then creates more main characters that may as well be the same but for the change of name. The only characters that really evolve throughout the books is pug and thomas. I will continue to read his books because I enjoy the storyline and the amazing world he has created, but for how much longer I'm not sure.
July 9, 2022
I fear I'm becoming a bit of a skipping record, but once again Feist demonstrates his inability to write female characters, something that was only fixed during his collaboration with Janny Wurts for the outstanding Empire Trilogy. He almost manages to get it right with Miranda, but then flubs it when he has her appear in a transparent negligee in front of Pug and then hooks them up later. His books would be substantially better if he just avoided anything involving sexuality, cause his attempts are mostly just embarrasing. I also hated the introduction of reiki into this world, because it felt like he was implying that it might be a real thing in the real world, which it isn't. It's stupid in the story, it's stupid in the real world.
Despite all that, I do like the epic and fantastic elements that he has in his world building. The Emerald Queen has some potential as a villain, as do the Pantathians.
There does seem to be a pattern forming with my enjoyment of the Riftwar Cycle Series in that the initial books of each arc are generally my least favorite with improvements in the later books. There is something about the way Feist establishes his story arcs that feels somewhat formulaic, that formula being represented by Eric in this 4-boook run. I am curious to see if this pattern holds up. For better or worse, I've kind of commited myself to the entire cycle, and I'm nearly 1/3 of the way through. For this book my indifference was reflected by the fact that I would read one chapter and then feel like putting the book down instead of reading another chapter, a stark contrast to the aformentioned Empire trilogy.
Despite all that, I do like the epic and fantastic elements that he has in his world building. The Emerald Queen has some potential as a villain, as do the Pantathians.
There does seem to be a pattern forming with my enjoyment of the Riftwar Cycle Series in that the initial books of each arc are generally my least favorite with improvements in the later books. There is something about the way Feist establishes his story arcs that feels somewhat formulaic, that formula being represented by Eric in this 4-boook run. I am curious to see if this pattern holds up. For better or worse, I've kind of commited myself to the entire cycle, and I'm nearly 1/3 of the way through. For this book my indifference was reflected by the fact that I would read one chapter and then feel like putting the book down instead of reading another chapter, a stark contrast to the aformentioned Empire trilogy.
January 17, 2014
Shadow of a Dark Queen is the first book in the Serpentwar Saga and takes place decades after the events described in the previous books of the Riftwar Cycle. It features an all new cast – and some returning heroes, but with the exception of two of them, they only have limited page time – and an all new conflict, even if it has its roots in the same foe as the previous one. Shadow of a Dark Queen introduces two of my favourite characters of the entire Riftwar Cycle and also features a third, so I was looking forward to reading it again. And this reread didn't disappoint, even if I had iissues with the (lack of) representation of women in this book. It’s still an exciting story exploring new ground on the world of Midkemia and setting up for an epic conflict.
As I've mentioned before in reviews I'm a sucker for the Dirty Dozen trope, or to give it its TV Tropes name: Ragtag Bunch of Misfits. Ever since watching The Dirty Dozen as a teen and then, shortly after, reading Shadow of a Dark Queen for the first time, I've had a soft spot for this sort of story. However, it does mean that the broad strokes of the plot and characters are somewhat predictable and it’s the details that have to set it apart. And Feist manages to do that even though he sticks closely to the standard progression for the trope. Our band of desperate heroes is larger than usual and the way they are brought into the fold is very dramatic. I liked the different stages of training – not just the standard boot camp, but later on a ship during transport and on the fly as the mission starts – and the sneaky cloak and dagger nature of the band's mission on Novindus.
The Ragtag Bunch of Misfits only works by grace of the characters that it is comprised of and Feist creates a wonderful set of them. Our main protagonists are Erik and Roo are two of my favourite ever Feist characters. Erik's steady and lovable character combined with Roo's quick wit and just-south-of-decent morals are just irresistible. Their fellow misfits are not beyond redemption, while their officers are beyond reproach. Their captain, Calis, is an old acquaintance and I loved him and his sergeant De Loungville, they are the perfect combination to on the one hand inspire and on the other frighten the men in line. And as a cherry on top of the pie, along the way they are joined by Nakor, who is hands down my favourite Feist character. Together these men make for a compelling band and when, inevitable, some a lot of them die during the mission, it is a sad affair and not just a deserved end. Not all of them die a heroic death either; Feist shows that in war death can be meaningless, accidental, and unexpected despite being in a combat situation. I also felt sadness at the passing of Prince Arutha, since he's so much at the core of the first Midkemia books. I was a bit confused at Nicholas becoming Prince of Krondor instead of Erland. It felt as if there was a distinct lack of explanation for the choice, especially as even several of the characters speculate about the why of it and I can't remember whether we get one later on.
My one gripe with Shadow of a Dark Queen is its disappointing representation of women. There's Gamina, who's only identified as Duke James' wife, not even named. Rosalyn and Embrisa only seem to be there as victims to spur Erik to action, while Erik's mum is just as much a victim, although in a somewhat different way than Rosalyn and Embrisa. The elven queen, Aglaranna, makes an appearance as the beneficent ruler in a cameo. We hear about and see from afar the awful, bitter daughter of the Duke of Ran who had to marry Erik's father. And the Oracle of Aal is female, but incidental to the story. And of course, the Dark Queen, whose identity I won't spoil, but again she's a distant character. The rest are just nameless, or as good as nameless, background filler. So our only speaking parts are victims, shrews, whores, or aloof figures of power. The only really large, rounded-out female role is that of Miranda and while her role is pivotal, her page time is limited. Hopefully, in the next book, which will have a more urban setting there will be more room for well-developed female points-of-view and roles.
Still, despite that big disappointment, I loved Shadow of a Dark Queen, if only for the presence of Erik, Roo and Nakor. Also, the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits trope will get me every time. Feist succeeds very well at painting the camaraderie between the men, having them come to care for each other and in their wake the reader does so as well. I really liked this jump forward in time and this new set of characters. It also allows for readers to jump into the Midkemia world without having read the previous books. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, Rise of a Merchant Prince, especially as Roo is the titular merchant prince.
This review is part of my Midkemia Reread, in which I read all the books Raymond E. Feist wrote, set in the world of Midkemia. For more on the why and how of this series of reviews, check out Midkemia Reread: An Introduction.
As I've mentioned before in reviews I'm a sucker for the Dirty Dozen trope, or to give it its TV Tropes name: Ragtag Bunch of Misfits. Ever since watching The Dirty Dozen as a teen and then, shortly after, reading Shadow of a Dark Queen for the first time, I've had a soft spot for this sort of story. However, it does mean that the broad strokes of the plot and characters are somewhat predictable and it’s the details that have to set it apart. And Feist manages to do that even though he sticks closely to the standard progression for the trope. Our band of desperate heroes is larger than usual and the way they are brought into the fold is very dramatic. I liked the different stages of training – not just the standard boot camp, but later on a ship during transport and on the fly as the mission starts – and the sneaky cloak and dagger nature of the band's mission on Novindus.
The Ragtag Bunch of Misfits only works by grace of the characters that it is comprised of and Feist creates a wonderful set of them. Our main protagonists are Erik and Roo are two of my favourite ever Feist characters. Erik's steady and lovable character combined with Roo's quick wit and just-south-of-decent morals are just irresistible. Their fellow misfits are not beyond redemption, while their officers are beyond reproach. Their captain, Calis, is an old acquaintance and I loved him and his sergeant De Loungville, they are the perfect combination to on the one hand inspire and on the other frighten the men in line. And as a cherry on top of the pie, along the way they are joined by Nakor, who is hands down my favourite Feist character. Together these men make for a compelling band and when, inevitable, some a lot of them die during the mission, it is a sad affair and not just a deserved end. Not all of them die a heroic death either; Feist shows that in war death can be meaningless, accidental, and unexpected despite being in a combat situation. I also felt sadness at the passing of Prince Arutha, since he's so much at the core of the first Midkemia books. I was a bit confused at Nicholas becoming Prince of Krondor instead of Erland. It felt as if there was a distinct lack of explanation for the choice, especially as even several of the characters speculate about the why of it and I can't remember whether we get one later on.
My one gripe with Shadow of a Dark Queen is its disappointing representation of women. There's Gamina, who's only identified as Duke James' wife, not even named. Rosalyn and Embrisa only seem to be there as victims to spur Erik to action, while Erik's mum is just as much a victim, although in a somewhat different way than Rosalyn and Embrisa. The elven queen, Aglaranna, makes an appearance as the beneficent ruler in a cameo. We hear about and see from afar the awful, bitter daughter of the Duke of Ran who had to marry Erik's father. And the Oracle of Aal is female, but incidental to the story. And of course, the Dark Queen, whose identity I won't spoil, but again she's a distant character. The rest are just nameless, or as good as nameless, background filler. So our only speaking parts are victims, shrews, whores, or aloof figures of power. The only really large, rounded-out female role is that of Miranda and while her role is pivotal, her page time is limited. Hopefully, in the next book, which will have a more urban setting there will be more room for well-developed female points-of-view and roles.
Still, despite that big disappointment, I loved Shadow of a Dark Queen, if only for the presence of Erik, Roo and Nakor. Also, the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits trope will get me every time. Feist succeeds very well at painting the camaraderie between the men, having them come to care for each other and in their wake the reader does so as well. I really liked this jump forward in time and this new set of characters. It also allows for readers to jump into the Midkemia world without having read the previous books. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, Rise of a Merchant Prince, especially as Roo is the titular merchant prince.
***
This review is part of my Midkemia Reread, in which I read all the books Raymond E. Feist wrote, set in the world of Midkemia. For more on the why and how of this series of reviews, check out Midkemia Reread: An Introduction.
August 20, 2009
A sub-par fantasy book by my standards. The plot was relatively boring as long as it concerned the main characters (who were also boring), and the more interesting parts of the book involved minor characters with a completely different plot thread. It's sad that I didn't have much interest in the main point of the book, but I just don't think it worked. It felt a little forced together in some parts. The "climax" at the ending wasn't even that compelling either.
Apparently, I lot of people like this author/series, but for me, its like eating an undercooked hamburger patty from Walmart after eating a nice juicy steak. The people who enjoy this author, may be referring to his other series and not this one, I'm not sure.
So why am I going to read the next one? Good question. I want to give the author a chance to redeem himself before locking him away in a dark closet. I think the main storyline will continue, but I also am hopeful that it will be more interesting, and that there will be different characters than in the last. Probably so, because the characters in this one seemed to get knocked off in succession like they were in a cheesy horror movie, until not many were left standing.
Apparently, I lot of people like this author/series, but for me, its like eating an undercooked hamburger patty from Walmart after eating a nice juicy steak. The people who enjoy this author, may be referring to his other series and not this one, I'm not sure.
So why am I going to read the next one? Good question. I want to give the author a chance to redeem himself before locking him away in a dark closet. I think the main storyline will continue, but I also am hopeful that it will be more interesting, and that there will be different characters than in the last. Probably so, because the characters in this one seemed to get knocked off in succession like they were in a cheesy horror movie, until not many were left standing.
November 27, 2020
В ранните си студентски години, в ония смътни костови времена, когато държавата ни едва що беше почнала да започва да прилича на държава, а икономиката ни – на икономика, нямах възможност да си купувам всички книги, които искам. Затова прочетох сагата за Крондор на Реймънд Фийст взета назаем и от тогава останах с благоговейни впечатления от автора. За съжаление Кралица на Мрака не отговаря точно на тия ми впечатления… Всъщност, книгата не е лоша и ако бях по-малък със сигурност щеше да ми хареса, макар да няма почти никакви кървища.
Но историйката е леко елементарна, езикът също, а огромната важност на великите неразбираеми сили които Реймънд Фийст се опитва само да загатва, е непонятна и откровено дразнеща: тип сега тука едни неизмеримо велики и могъщи хора играят едни ама неизмеримо велики и могъщи и неизмеримо тайнствени игри в третото измерение и магическите вселени, от които аз ви подхвърлям само трохи и вие ме гледате като телета, ама трайте сичко ше ви се изясни в седемнайсти том на поредицата Войната на студенокръвните (от която Кралица на мрака е #1).
Но историйката е леко елементарна, езикът също, а огромната важност на великите неразбираеми сили които Реймънд Фийст се опитва само да загатва, е непонятна и откровено дразнеща: тип сега тука едни неизмеримо велики и могъщи хора играят едни ама неизмеримо велики и могъщи и неизмеримо тайнствени игри в третото измерение и магическите вселени, от които аз ви подхвърлям само трохи и вие ме гледате като телета, ама трайте сичко ше ви се изясни в седемнайсти том на поредицата Войната на студенокръвните (от която Кралица на мрака е #1).
May 27, 2016
A breath of fresh air.
I can never tire of this type of fantasy, the fantasy without multiple POVs, grey characters, and multiple subplots.
It's always refreshing to read fantasy with over the top world building. These days, with the rise of the Grimdark subgenre, most fantasy works tend to be character driven. We're left to figure out the world on our own.
But not with this book! The world building is top class! The world of Midkemia is vast, both in geography, and in the range of cultures. Staring at the map of Midkemia is enough to get me daydreaming about dangerous and exotic lands, unique cultures and strange peoples. It's a really sweet feeling.
The storyline is linear, rather than broken up into multiple subplots that follow many different threads to a climax. It makes for easy and quick reading.
The author also does a good job of building up each character, even while moving the plot along at a rather fast pace.
It's not the most remarkable of stories. It's basic at best, as it's quite predictable. But the world building makes it more than worth it.
I can never tire of this type of fantasy, the fantasy without multiple POVs, grey characters, and multiple subplots.
It's always refreshing to read fantasy with over the top world building. These days, with the rise of the Grimdark subgenre, most fantasy works tend to be character driven. We're left to figure out the world on our own.
But not with this book! The world building is top class! The world of Midkemia is vast, both in geography, and in the range of cultures. Staring at the map of Midkemia is enough to get me daydreaming about dangerous and exotic lands, unique cultures and strange peoples. It's a really sweet feeling.
The storyline is linear, rather than broken up into multiple subplots that follow many different threads to a climax. It makes for easy and quick reading.
The author also does a good job of building up each character, even while moving the plot along at a rather fast pace.
It's not the most remarkable of stories. It's basic at best, as it's quite predictable. But the world building makes it more than worth it.
May 6, 2011
This book was better than what I expected to be. This book was really readable that pulled me right in the minute I started reading even thought I figure out what was going to happened from the back cover. Great job, Feist in writing a fun and readable book for my return to the world of Midkemia.
June 8, 2020
Always cute. I like the character Erik von Darkmoon, mostly because he's big and lacks ambition. In this book, he just does the job that is in front of him and earns his place.
The lesson there, and it is a good one, is that taking the responsibility will earn the reward (promotion, in this case). I usually see a lot of people first asking for the reward, and that just seems silly.
The lesson there, and it is a good one, is that taking the responsibility will earn the reward (promotion, in this case). I usually see a lot of people first asking for the reward, and that just seems silly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2021
Unlike the Riftwar books, I'd only gone adventuring with Erik and Roo once before, about 20 years ago. Despite that, I remembered everything quite clearly, except for the fact that while the story is enjoyable, the pacing is terribly uneven in this one. Not that that it all that unusual for Feist - the otherwise fantastic Magician also sags a bit in the middle - but it was enough to make this a lot less fun to read than most of his other books.
November 10, 2022
An immensely enjoyable book with characters that are both fascinating and believable both human and not. The world built in this story feels immense. Feist has a way of moving the story along from one place to the other with fluidity and grace inspiring the imagination.
The book feels like it’s continually building the main characters of Eric, Roo and Miranda, as well as the other characters in the book, who are equally rich in their own right, as they navigate their way through each trial they face. My personal favourites are Calis and Nakor. I find their characters full of surprises and I hope their stories are developed more.
The story is geared towards a battle but does not overwhelm the book too much. It’s fascinating to read how all the different parts people play will eventually lead to a conclusion.
A beautifully written book with rich characters, world-building and a cleverly thought out plot. Packed with magic, creatures and action. A must for all fantasy fans. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
The book feels like it’s continually building the main characters of Eric, Roo and Miranda, as well as the other characters in the book, who are equally rich in their own right, as they navigate their way through each trial they face. My personal favourites are Calis and Nakor. I find their characters full of surprises and I hope their stories are developed more.
The story is geared towards a battle but does not overwhelm the book too much. It’s fascinating to read how all the different parts people play will eventually lead to a conclusion.
A beautifully written book with rich characters, world-building and a cleverly thought out plot. Packed with magic, creatures and action. A must for all fantasy fans. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
October 27, 2015
This is man's book, with wars, fighting, battles, soldiers and so on.
It features, Goodess of Death (lesser know as Khalisi, but this name is mentioned in passing), birth companions, Saaurs who reminds of Dothraki, bastards sons of nobles, dragons, magic, morbid jokes, rape, sailing, hanging, and lots, lots of camping and camp rutine.
I gave this story 3 star review because endless camp rutine, which was time consuming. I will try next installment, I usually love boring stories.
It features, Goodess of Death (lesser know as Khalisi, but this name is mentioned in passing), birth companions, Saaurs who reminds of Dothraki, bastards sons of nobles, dragons, magic, morbid jokes, rape, sailing, hanging, and lots, lots of camping and camp rutine.
I gave this story 3 star review because endless camp rutine, which was time consuming. I will try next installment, I usually love boring stories.
August 25, 2023
This book starts out just a little slow, and I thought it would be a 3 or 4 star read. Boy I was wrong! Around Chapter 6, it takes off and never slows down. Definitely a 5 star book, would recommend.
June 5, 2016
DNF
I don't appreciate stories that are driven by rape. Especially when the rape doesn't allow the woman to grow and overcome, but propels two men to become heroes. Meh. Not my thing.
I don't appreciate stories that are driven by rape. Especially when the rape doesn't allow the woman to grow and overcome, but propels two men to become heroes. Meh. Not my thing.
September 12, 2019
This is a military book with some fantasy and magic sprinkled here and there. A lot of the book is spent on an army unit and their quest travelling across the land to complete a mission. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the biggest fan of that.
It’s well written for the most part. What is given is enjoyable writing and descriptions with a few weak spots here and there (a rape scene within 20 pages of the protagonist losing their virginity? Okay then) and plot points that are incredibly specific that would only work in the situations provided by Feist (The big camp gathering about 60% into the book). There was some hint towards moral ambiguity near the end but it didn’t reeeally deliver like I was hoping.
A number of characters feel incredibly weak in the story, so much so that I found I could likely swap them out with each other and not have much change in the narrative or story. Nakor came into his own a bit later, becoming a Sho Pi 2.0. Better in basically every way. Hatonis, Jadow, Praji and Luis could all be removed from the story and I doubt I would remember any of them - I only know their names because I wrote them down. Having more depth in these side characters other than a different name would have been a welcome addition.
When the military stuff took a pause for the magic stuff to happen, that’s when I enjoyed it most. Hell, even then I was still waiting for something cool to happen and was only rewarded in the last 100 or so pages.
With this said, there are some glowingly fantastic moments throughout: the gallows walk, the execution of the climax, the giant demon during the prologue (sans lore drop)? All master class moments of tension and keeping the reader interested throughout the section.
It’s just a shame it’s so military based because I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I was hoping. Let’s see how book 2 turns out.
It’s well written for the most part. What is given is enjoyable writing and descriptions with a few weak spots here and there (a rape scene within 20 pages of the protagonist losing their virginity? Okay then) and plot points that are incredibly specific that would only work in the situations provided by Feist (The big camp gathering about 60% into the book). There was some hint towards moral ambiguity near the end but it didn’t reeeally deliver like I was hoping.
A number of characters feel incredibly weak in the story, so much so that I found I could likely swap them out with each other and not have much change in the narrative or story. Nakor came into his own a bit later, becoming a Sho Pi 2.0. Better in basically every way. Hatonis, Jadow, Praji and Luis could all be removed from the story and I doubt I would remember any of them - I only know their names because I wrote them down. Having more depth in these side characters other than a different name would have been a welcome addition.
When the military stuff took a pause for the magic stuff to happen, that’s when I enjoyed it most. Hell, even then I was still waiting for something cool to happen and was only rewarded in the last 100 or so pages.
With this said, there are some glowingly fantastic moments throughout: the gallows walk, the execution of the climax, the giant demon during the prologue (sans lore drop)? All master class moments of tension and keeping the reader interested throughout the section.
It’s just a shame it’s so military based because I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I was hoping. Let’s see how book 2 turns out.
March 6, 2019
I just finished the audiobook and man did I enjoy it!
Again, Raymond E. Feist proves why he is my new fave author.
However, this book isn't my usual read so I'm pretty sure that had I not listened to it, i wouldn't have enjoyed it as much just because it was quite heavy on the war and there was less magic than before.
Anyway, I loved it and that's it :D
Again, Raymond E. Feist proves why he is my new fave author.
However, this book isn't my usual read so I'm pretty sure that had I not listened to it, i wouldn't have enjoyed it as much just because it was quite heavy on the war and there was less magic than before.
Anyway, I loved it and that's it :D
June 21, 2024
3.5 stars. Not my favorite of the reread’s from this author. But it’s still cozy to see how some of these characters develop and continue on with the world. The plot is not all that unique, but it is paced quite well and the pages do fly by.
August 29, 2019
ignoring the really disgustingly sexist parts that exist in almost every old fantasy series I guess it was all right.
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