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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Easy to listen to with interesting characters. The king's nephew sails to the rescue.
This was a good read. It's well written, but fairly standard stuff. I thought it was a significant step above Prince of the Blood. It follows Nicholas, the youngest son of Arutha of Krondor. He has a deformed foot from birth, and has always felt inadequate as a result. His father sends him to his uncle in the rougher backwater of Crydee for some seasoning. After some brief hardship as his uncle's squire, the town is raided and two of the royal women are kidnapped. They go on a quest across the world to rescue the girls, and along the way Nicholas learns to assert himself. As I said, pretty standard, but Nicholas is a well-drawn, likable character. And some of the supporting characters have their moments as well.
To my tastes, the villainous forces here are too abstract. There is no believable face of evil in this book (nor in the last). Its also marred by a Pug ex machina, which is telegraphed from almost the very beginning, and still manages to be annoying and a trifle anti-climactic when it occurs. But there is a lot to like in this book, including several women in the book who manage to have personalities and not merely be objects for rescue or romantic interests (though they do fill those roles as well).
As with the first series, I have liked the last two books, but still find myself doubting whether I want to continue. I guess someday I will go on to one of the early series. It looks like there are three groups of books to choose from for a next step. But I don't feel in any rush to do so.
To my tastes, the villainous forces here are too abstract. There is no believable face of evil in this book (nor in the last). Its also marred by a Pug ex machina, which is telegraphed from almost the very beginning, and still manages to be annoying and a trifle anti-climactic when it occurs. But there is a lot to like in this book, including several women in the book who manage to have personalities and not merely be objects for rescue or romantic interests (though they do fill those roles as well).
As with the first series, I have liked the last two books, but still find myself doubting whether I want to continue. I guess someday I will go on to one of the early series. It looks like there are three groups of books to choose from for a next step. But I don't feel in any rush to do so.
A book that was hard to put down. Good plot. Makes me want to read Raymond E. Feist’s other books of Krondor.
3 stars: a good story but it drags on too long.
The storyline: the story was good, and quite a logical structure. Of course, tragedy strikes again for Crydee, and our characters try to put things right. There's a great journey to unknown lands and a nice heist-like rescue action. But the book does drag on a bit too much, for my taste. I realise that the journey takes long, but the book made it drag a bit too much to be really enjoyable.
The characters: I really like Nicky as a character! From unsure boy to pirate captain in a believable character development. Henry, Amos and Brisa are great supporting characters. I especially liked Nakor's parts, very funny without being slapstick. Margaret and Abigail were okay to read about, not too special.
The worldbuilding: what I like about Feist's Krondor books is that they have such different settings. We've had a 'typical' medieval high fantasy setting, a more urban setting and a more outlandish setting in the Riftwar books, and this book is very much a pirate book. Nice to get to know a part of Midkemia we haven't seen yet.
The atmosphere: the atmosphere is hard to determine. It was mostly about waiting, I think? Waiting till they reach a certain place, so they can do something instead of waiting.
Best part: the final battle. It's where everyone's character development comes together.
The storyline: the story was good, and quite a logical structure. Of course, tragedy strikes again for Crydee, and our characters try to put things right. There's a great journey to unknown lands and a nice heist-like rescue action. But the book does drag on a bit too much, for my taste. I realise that the journey takes long, but the book made it drag a bit too much to be really enjoyable.
The characters: I really like Nicky as a character! From unsure boy to pirate captain in a believable character development. Henry, Amos and Brisa are great supporting characters. I especially liked Nakor's parts, very funny without being slapstick. Margaret and Abigail were okay to read about, not too special.
Spoiler
What I really liked was that this whole mission was started because of Nicky and Henry's infatuation with Abigail and Margaret, but in the end, the boys realised that it was just a crush, which they were over. It did not downplay the mission they were on, but gave a good realistic twist.The worldbuilding: what I like about Feist's Krondor books is that they have such different settings. We've had a 'typical' medieval high fantasy setting, a more urban setting and a more outlandish setting in the Riftwar books, and this book is very much a pirate book. Nice to get to know a part of Midkemia we haven't seen yet.
The atmosphere: the atmosphere is hard to determine. It was mostly about waiting, I think? Waiting till they reach a certain place, so they can do something instead of waiting.
Best part: the final battle. It's where everyone's character development comes together.
Exists solely to set up the next series, and turns what is contextually supposed to be a tense, frightening kidnapping sequence into an incongruously horny bondage scene. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/the-reading-canary-riftwar-the-next-generation/
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I actually read this book as a teenager but I've been taking part in a Feist reread so I finished it again. This is one of my favorite post-original trilogy books. I had forgotten just HOW MUCH happened in the King's Buccaneer - there's enough material here for several books in its own right. It's also the only book in the series that deals with a pandemic plotline haha.
Nicki has to be my favorite of Arutha's children, probably because he's the most like him. It was important to read about his ordeal again as an adult, to take in lessons about how we choose to live. I don't know how well this plot would go down in our society today, as Nicki's challenge could be read as highly ableist. I especially loved the return of Nakor and Ghuda, and meeting Calis. He was so confident and sure in this book, I remember what happened to him by the Serpentwar. Originally there was supposed to be a sequel to this book called Return of the Buccaneer. I loved this group, they were original and new, but part of the same world. I'm a little sad that there wasn't a Return of the Buccaneer, but it would have been a story about things falling apart.
Also this is a necessary prequel to the Serpentwar Saga, and is a fitting send off of Amos Trask.
Nicki has to be my favorite of Arutha's children, probably because he's the most like him. It was important to read about his ordeal again as an adult, to take in lessons about how we choose to live. I don't know how well this plot would go down in our society today, as Nicki's challenge could be read as highly ableist. I especially loved the return of Nakor and Ghuda, and meeting Calis. He was so confident and sure in this book, I remember what happened to him by the Serpentwar. Originally there was supposed to be a sequel to this book called Return of the Buccaneer. I loved this group, they were original and new, but part of the same world. I'm a little sad that there wasn't a Return of the Buccaneer, but it would have been a story about things falling apart.
Also this is a necessary prequel to the Serpentwar Saga, and is a fitting send off of Amos Trask.