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Raymond E. Feist

1945-

Reviewed by Mark Pawlyszyn,
John Hulet, John Ottinger

Raymond E. Feist is a Southern Californian by birth and a San Diegan by choice. He was educated at the University of California, San Diego, where he received his B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977. His hobbies include collecting movies on DVD, fine wine, books on the history of Professional Football, and the works of American Illustrators. Learn more at Raymond E. Feist's website.

Click covers for publication dates & formats including audio & Kindle).

The Riftwar Saga — (1982-1986) Graphic novels of The Riftwar Saga are now being produced. Publisher: At Crydee, a frontier outpost in the tranquil Kingdom of the Isles, an orphan boy, Pug, is apprenticed to a master magician — and the destinies of two worlds are changed forever. Suddenly the peace of a Kingdom is destroyed as mysterious alien invaders swarm through the land. Pug is swept up into the conflict but for him and his warrior friend, Tomas, an odyssey into the unknown has only just begun. Tomas will inherit a legacy of savage power from an ancient civilization. Pug's destiny is to lead him through a rift in the fabric of space and time to the mastery of the unimaginable powers of a strange new magic.

The Riftwar Saga: Magician: Apprentice, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon

raymond e feist Magician master riftwar saga

book review Raymond E. Feist Magician Apprentice Magician Master Magician

As a teenager, Magician by Raymond E Feist was one of my favourite books. I have recently re-read this book in order to write a review and, though I didn’t find it as good as I remembered it to be, it’s still a great story. When I first read it, way back in the 80s, the story was contained in just one book, Magician, but it has now been divided into two: Magician: Apprentice; and Magician: Master. I’m just going to review them as one entity, since the two books together form one cohesive story that they don’t form on their own.

Feist has also added back in the 50,000 words that he was forced to edit out of the first version. Such is the privilege and folly of a successful author. :) I found that, while some areas of the story were clarified by this new content, many new sections were fairly trite vignettes and the story flowed better without them. Feist comments in his introduction as to why this is such a popular novel:

[The] appeal of this book is based upon its being what was once known as a ‘ripping yarn’.

And that about sums it up. Magician is really not the best-written novel I’ve ever read, but it’s a great tale. It’s engrossing and full of imaginative ideas. It is truly epic in scope, spanning two worlds, several races of humanity, and a whole generation in time. It’s so much more than a basic quest story. There is a fair bit of derivation in the worlds he’s created, though. The elves and dwarves are rather heavily drawn from Middle Earth, while the second world in the novel is rather obviously based on ancient Japan. But the story itself is clever enough that these things are ultimately not of much consequence to me.

The main characters are reasonably well developed, though the supporting characters are a little bland and can be stereotypical, though not painfully so. The writing itself is a strange mix of good language use and occasional lazy descriptions. Here’s one of the opening sentences:

The afternoon sun sent sparkles through the sea spray swirling around him, as the west wind blew his sun-streaked brown hair about.

Perhaps a tad too heavy on the sibilance, but for a fantasy novel this is quite rich language. The scenes are often described very well, but there are enough instances where the same old phrases get trotted out and some poor character is yet again depicted as a “stout magician” who “laughs heartily,” or whatever. It occurs frequently enough for me to notice, but not enough to bother me.

One interesting aspect to Magician is the way it revolves so much around families. Very few fantasy novels make much mention of family groups other than to note that the hero’s family has died tragically sometime (an event precipitated by the bad guy, of course). However, in Magician, nearly everyone has strong family ties that come into play during the course of the novel. To me this adds to the realism since family groups really do play a large part in most peoples’ lives.

The dialogue is interesting, too. I think the Feist was aiming for a sort of archaic quality without the thees and thous. Instead, he’s ended up with phrasing that is more reminiscent of an old-fashioned aunt. Still, I prefer this to when fantasy characters speak with modern colloquialisms (shudder).

So there you go. I’ve had a difficult time reviewing Magician, if you can’t tell. I think partly this is because it was such a favourite of mine when I was a teenager and, even though I’ve recently re-read it and still enjoyed it, I can’t clearly explain exactly why I liked it so much. My first impressions were long, long ago. Despite not being utterly original in every single way, I still give this novel five stars. It is a book that really draws me in and fires up my imagination like very few others. I like the main characters and I care about what happens to them. This book is proof that you don’t need a huge amount of complexity to create an engrossing tale. And it has one of the best endings for a fantasy novel, ever. —Mark Pawlyszyn

The Empire Trilogy (with Janny Wurts) — (1987-1992) Takes place in Kelewan during the Riftwar. Publisher: Magic and murder engulf the realm of Kelewan. Fierce warlords ignite a bitter blood feud to enslave the empire of Tsuranuanni. While in the opulent courts of Acoma, assassins and spymasters plot cunning and devious intrigues against the rightful heir. Now, Mara, a young, untested Ruling Lady is called upon to lead her people in a heroic struggle for survival. But first she must rally an army of rebel warriors, form a pact with the alien cho-ja and marry the son of a hated enemy. Only then can Mara face her most dangerous foe of all — in his own impregnable stronghold.

Feist and Wurts, Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire

Krondor's Sons — (1989,1992) Takes place 20 years after The Riftwar Saga and before The Serpentwar Saga. Publisher: Set twenty years after the events in The Riftwar Saga, Prince of the Blood follows the intrigues and adventures that erupt when a group of powerful nobles attempts to overthrow the Empress of Kesh, bitterly dividing the court. In the centre of the conflict are the two princes of Krondor, Boric and Erland. When Boric is kidnapped and overhears a plot to assassinate them both, he escapes and makes a desperate journey back to the court to warn of the traitor's plans — which, if they were to succeed, would start a war that would tear the Empire apart.

Feist Krondor's Sons: Prince of the Blood, The King's Buccaneer

The Serpentwar Saga — (1994-1998) Takes place about 50 years after The Riftwar Saga. Publisher: Something dark is moving in distant nations, and ancient powers are readying themselves for a final confrontation. A Dark Queen has raised a standard in remote lands and is gathering armies of unmatched might. Into this battleground of good and evil come a band of desperate men whose only hope for survival is to travel to face this ancient power and discover its true nature. Their quest is at best dangerous and at worst suicidal. And with these men travel the mysterious Miranda upon whom all must wager their lives. She appears to be an ally but knows much more than she is willing to tell. Does she prove ally or even more deadly foe when the final confrontation is at hand?

Feist Serpentwar Saga: Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King, Shards of a Broken Crown

The Riftwar Legacy — (1998-2000) This series takes place about a decade after The Riftwar Saga and is related to the Krondor computer games. Raymond E. Feist has written two more Riftwar Legacy books (Krondor: The Crawler and Krondor: The Dark Mage), but they have not been released due to copyright issues. It is uncertain whether they will be released and, if so, whether they will be combined into one novel. Publisher: It is nine years on from the aftermath of Sethanon and news is feeding through to the people of the Kingdom of the Isles that deadly forces are stirring on the horizon. The bringer of the latest grim tidings is Gorath, a moredhel (dark elf). The bloodletting has started. Nighthawks are murdering again. Politics is a dangerous, cut-throat game once more. At the root of all this unrest lie the mysterious machinations of a group of magicians known as The Six. Meanwhile, renegade Tsurani gem smugglers, a rival criminal gang to the Mockers led by someone known only as The Crawler, and traitors to the crown, are all conspiring to bring the Kingdom of the Isles to its knees.

Raymond E. Feist, The Riftwar Legacy: Krondor the Betrayal, Krondor the Assassins, Krondor Tear of the Gods

Legends of the Riftwar — (2001-2006) With various co-authors. Set during the Riftwar, some of the same characters.

Legends of the Riftwar: Honored Enemy, Murder in LaMut, Jimmy the Hand

fantasy book review Raymond E. Feist Legends of the Riftwar: 1. Honored Enemy 2. Murder in LaMut Honored Enemy
Murder in LaMut

Raymond E. Feist has always been notable for his willingness to share the world of Midkemia. In all his acknowledgments and dedications, Feist notes that from its very inception the world has been a collaborative effort. His Empire trilogy was a collaboration with Janny Wurts, and the computer game Betrayal at Krondor had to be shared, by its very nature. He has returned to the tradition of collaborative effort in his Legends of the Riftwar series.

Taking Feist’s world of Midkemia and using his name and notoriety, as well as that of other noted authors, (William R. Forstchen, Joel Rosenberg, S.M. Stirling), Legends of the Riftwar returns to the time of the first Riftwar, wherein the Tsurani have invaded Midkemia from their own world of Kelewan. Each book is a stand-alone novel.

Honored Enemy is notable for its military descriptions, and for the strange situation two small companies of Tsurani and Kingdom soldiers find themselves in. It almost seems like the story could have been taken from a historical event in any of Earth’s wars. (Which makes sense since the co-author, William R. Forstchen, is a military historian and author of the acclaimed Gettysburg series co-written with Newt Gingrich.) Fans of military history or survival stories might find some appeal in this book, though fantasy fans are the most likely to benefit.

Murder in LaMut takes three of Joel Rosenberg’s characters from his own fantasy series, renames them, and transplants them into Midkemia. Sort of like The Three Musketeers of fantasy, these mercenary soldiers find themselves caught up in a web of political intrigue that they are wholly unprepared for. The murder of the title doesn’t take place until the last 50 pages, but the mystery of the murder begins from page 1. Although not really comparable with genre mystery novels, and probably not appealing to those who read them, Murder in LaMut will appeal to fans of suspense fantasy and to any readers who enjoy a long slow build-up of mystery and don’t mind a rather simple conclusion to it.

The writing in both novels is classic Feist. The story is simple and usually revolves around the growth or change of key characters and the challenging of their preconceptions. Honored Enemy does this more than Murder in LaMut, but both see characters taking on roles they had not expected to, or making life changes that only their circumstances could have forced.

The novels themselves will make little sense to someone not already familiar with the world of Midkemia. There are references to characters from other books, oblique allusions to events described in the original Riftwar series are prevalent, and background on these events is lacking. Still, these novels could be read by someone with only a basic knowledge of Midkemia, and still be enjoyed.

I do recommend Honored Enemy and Murder in LaMut as fun sword and sorcery stories set within the world of Midkemia. The events and plot are not world-shattering, but they were fun to read. Best comparisons would be some of the shared world novels like Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance wherein authors write about localized events and stories within the grand scope of a developed world. Feist fans will love these stories, as it will develop the world of Midkemia further, but those new to it should start with Feist’s first novel, Magician. —John Ottinger
FanLit thanks John Ottinger III from Grasping for the Wind for contributing this guest review.

Conclave of Shadows — (2002-2004) Another series set in Midkemia, but only peripherally related. Takes place a few decades after The Serpentwar Saga. Publisher: Among the Orosini tribe, every boy must undergo the traditional manhood ritual in order to understand his place in the universe and discover his manhood name. Kielianapuna must survive on the remote mountain peak of Shatana Higo until the gods grant him his vision. But Kieli has already waited for four days and nights, and now he is cold, lonely, despairing, and very, very tired… When he is woken by the terrifying sensation of sharp claws piercing his skin, and finds a rare silver hawk upon his arm, it is such a disorientating moment that he is not sure whether it has even happened, or whether it was a vision. Returning to his home, nameless and still a child, Kieli stumbles upon devastation. His village is being burned, his people slaughtered. Although it means certain death, Kieli throws himself into the battle… Against all the odds, he survives, alone of all the Orosini, who have been cut down where they stand: every last man, woman and child. A distant voice echoes in his mind: Rise up and be a talon for your people…The visitation of the bird on Shatana Higo was indeed his naming vision. He is a boy called Kielianapuna no more. Now he is Talon of the Silver Hawk, a man who must avenge the murder of his people, whatever that may take...

Feist Conclave of Shadows: Talon of the Silver Hawk, King of Foxes, Exile's Return

The Darkwar Saga — (2005-2008) Also takes place in Midkemia. Publisher: The Conclave of Shadows faces two challenges, finding and destroying the evil magician Leso Varen, and neutralizing an army of ten thousand magical warriors hidden in a cave on the other side of the world. On the world of Kelewan, Pug's son, Magnus, and the master magicians of Kelewan study one of the warriors, called a Talnoy, and discover that it is acting as a beacon for a vast army of alien invaders, one so formidable that even the might of the Tsurani Empire could fall before its fury. Three other agents of the Conclave — Kaspar, Talwin, and Caleb — are sent deep into the heart of the Empire of Great Kesh charged with uncovering a new nest of Night Hawks who are plotting to overthrow the imperial government; a scheme so dark and twisted it implicates even the highest ranking nobles of the Empire and members of the royal family itself.

Feist: The Darkwar Saga: Flight of the Nighthawks, Into a Dark Realm, Wrath of a Mad God

fantasy book review Raymond E. Feist The Darkwar Saga 1. Flight of the Nighthawks Flight of the Nighthawks

Flight of the Nighthawks is another installment in the seemingly never-ending chronicle of the world of Midkemia. Raymond Feist continues to tell his story of a world that is plagued by repeated incursions of evil forces who seek to conquer the world. It’s standard fantasy and Flight of the Nighthawks is simply another novel in another trilogy that is linked with everything all the way back to Magician, which I read in the early 80s.

Feist continues to use some of the same beloved series characters; Pug and Tomas are still defending their world from constant threats to their civilization. He introduces some new supporting characters, too. Throw in a recurring evil mad sorcerer and you have the basic plot of the book.

In Flight of the Nighthawks, we do get further information about how these threats continue to emerge due to an imbalance in the overall power-sharing of the Gods. It’s also nice to see some of the personal concerns addressed and to see what happens when the weary hero creates a home and family while he’s not trying to save the world. Feist gives us plenty of information to fill in the details and expand the world that he has been working on all these years.

Flight of the Nighthawks is not ground-breaking fantasy. If you are a fan of the series already, then this is a good book and you will enjoy seeing some of the major characters taking a more active role again. It’s not a regurgitation of old storylines, but rather Feist connects things together and brings a certain sense of continuity to the whole epic. Flight of the Nighthawks is a fun read with good characters and it serves as the starting point for the next trilogy. —John Hulet

The Demonwar Saga — (2009-2010) A sequel to The Darkwar Saga. Publisher: Ten years after the cataclysmic events of Wrath of a Mad God took place, Midkemia now faces a new danger thought buried in myth and antiquity. Laromendis is a conjurer from another world — a world inhabited by a race of high elves whose home is being ravaged by the Dread Legion of the Demon King. The elves' only hope lies in finding the lost homeworld — Midkemia — and now they must reclaim it, at any cost! Pug summons the help of a warlock and a holy demon-taming cleric, but in doing so, he has unwittingly reunited two former lovers whose parting was bitter... and who just might have secret agendas of their own.

3/31/2009 Raymond E Feist The Demonwar Saga 1: Rides a Dread Legion 2. At the Gates of Darkness

The Chaoswar Saga — (2011) Publisher: Discover the fate of the original black Magician, Pug, and his motley crew of agents who safeguard the world of Trigia, as prophecy becomes truth in the first book of the last ever Midkemian trilogy. THE KINGDOM BESIEGED The Darkness is coming… The Kingdom is plagued by rumour and instability. Kingdom spies in Kesh have been disappearing — either murdered, or turned to the enemy side. Information has become scant and unreliable; but one thing appears clear. Dark forces are on the move… Since Pug and the Conclave of Shadows enforced peace after the last Keshian invasion, the Empire has offered no threat. But now factions are rising and Jim Dasher reports mobilizations of large forces in the Keshian Confederacy. As the men of the West answer the King's call to muster, Martin conDoin — left as caretaker of Crydee Keep — will suddenly be confronted with the vanguard of an invading army. He reminds himself that he is a year older than his legendary ancestor, Prince Arutha, was when he stood firm against the Tsurani invasion, but Arutha had an army to command, and Martin is left with old men and young boys. Massive events are about to unfold, events which threaten the future of all human life in Midkemia.

Raymond E. Feist The Chaoswar Saga 1. A Kingdom Beseiged

Forthcoming: Book 3: Magicians End (working title)

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