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literary_han's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 3.75 stars
Surprisingly I really really enjoyed this one
Surprisingly I really really enjoyed this one
hann_readsbooks's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
3.0
stijn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Boy, oh boy, how do I review this? On one hand, this is a single novel, but on the other hand, it finishes a trilogy. So let's do this review in two: first as a single novel, second as part of a trilogy.
The novel itself
Exile's Return follows Kaspar, the former Duke of Olasko, as he is stranded at the other side of the planet. As his journey back progresses, he finds something from another dimension, and is forced to deal with it, delaying his return home.
I liked Kaspar as a protagonist: he is reasonably skilled, and uses those skills in places he wouldn't have thought he could use them. I especially liked how he recognized and dealt with despair in one of his companions.
I didn't like how, in the last part of this novel, Kaspar became a spectator and Pug became the new protagonist. The former duke lost agency, he couldn't use his skills anymore, and was merely driven by this thing from the other dimension. As such, I didn't find him fully redeemed, which was obviously the goal of this novel. This isn't helped by the fact that Leso Varen controlled the duke in the event before this novel, and since the wizard was killed in the previous novel, this control is gone. We, the readers, have not seen the duke before he had been controlled, and as such, there isn't much to redeem him for.
Its place in the trilogy
As for its place in the trilogy, that is a real mess. Talon Of The Silver Hawk was pure setup for the second novel, with no story thread which spanned more than a chapter for most of the novel. King of Foxes then followed Tal on his quest for revenge, which he succeeds in. That is strange for the middle book of the trilogy, but whatever. The author could have said that Leso Varen was not truly killed, so the last novel could focus on killing this wizard once and for all.
But no, the third installment of this trilogy focusses on a new protagonist and introduces elements that are (hopefully) resolved outside this trilogy. It gives me the feeling Conclave of Shadows is just a bridge between two other trilogies, which isn't helped by the obvious references throughout this novel to events that happened prior in this world.
However, besides the nagging feeling that Conclave of Shadows wasn't meant to introduce you to this immense book series, I somehow enjoyed reading this book. It however failed as a conclusion to a trilogy.
The novel itself
Exile's Return follows Kaspar, the former Duke of Olasko, as he is stranded at the other side of the planet. As his journey back progresses, he finds something from another dimension, and is forced to deal with it, delaying his return home.
I liked Kaspar as a protagonist: he is reasonably skilled, and uses those skills in places he wouldn't have thought he could use them. I especially liked how he recognized and dealt with despair in one of his companions.
I didn't like how, in the last part of this novel, Kaspar became a spectator and Pug became the new protagonist. The former duke lost agency, he couldn't use his skills anymore, and was merely driven by this thing from the other dimension. As such, I didn't find him fully redeemed, which was obviously the goal of this novel. This isn't helped by the fact that Leso Varen controlled the duke in the event before this novel, and since the wizard was killed in the previous novel, this control is gone. We, the readers, have not seen the duke before he had been controlled, and as such, there isn't much to redeem him for.
Its place in the trilogy
As for its place in the trilogy, that is a real mess. Talon Of The Silver Hawk was pure setup for the second novel, with no story thread which spanned more than a chapter for most of the novel. King of Foxes then followed Tal on his quest for revenge, which he succeeds in. That is strange for the middle book of the trilogy, but whatever. The author could have said that Leso Varen was not truly killed, so the last novel could focus on killing this wizard once and for all.
But no, the third installment of this trilogy focusses on a new protagonist and introduces elements that are (hopefully) resolved outside this trilogy. It gives me the feeling Conclave of Shadows is just a bridge between two other trilogies, which isn't helped by the obvious references throughout this novel to events that happened prior in this world.
However, besides the nagging feeling that Conclave of Shadows wasn't meant to introduce you to this immense book series, I somehow enjoyed reading this book. It however failed as a conclusion to a trilogy.
angelahayes's review
5.0
I have been Buddy-Reading this series over the last couple of months with a ‘book-club’ friend who had not read Raymond E. Feist’s work before. As I have been a long-time fan of his work, I have compared it to The Lord of the Rings books but have actually enjoyed this series more. When I mentioned this to my friend, she immediately wanted to read the series, and convinced me to read them with her- not that it was a big ask 😊.
It is an epic fantasy saga- with wonderful world building and scene setting, and dynamic, vivid and detailed descriptions that will transport you right into the story.
Take some time to explore Mr. Feist’s work, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed- and the best part is that all the books are available now to read- no waiting for books to be released! #WINNING
candiecane333's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
One of the most exciting books from beginning to end, but I'm also a fan of sympathetic antagonist stories where the enemy learns the error of their ways & emerges a hero
bleadof's review
4.0
Another surprisingly interesting continuation of the saga through the eyes of a mostly new character.
ineffablebob's review against another edition
4.0
Good finish to the Conclave of Shadows trilogy. Best arc since the Empire books. Moving the viewpoint from Talon to Kaspar was an interesting change that I didn't like at first, but by the time the book had finished, I appreciated it. This doesn't feel so much like a closing book of an arc as the middle one of a longer set, with the Darkwar Saga trilogy coming right after it.
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