You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
An immensely long book that has been split into two is a good thing imo. For something that started as a D&D campaign it is so nice to see a world so fully fleshed out. Love a well defined magic system and love explanations for why crazy magic things happen, even if the explanation doesn’t come until later in the book. Shame about the scenes of intimacy though, almost made me cringe in parts.
It is not inherently an insult to point out that someone is riffing on Tolkien. Tolkien was riffing on older material, too. Star Wars was riffing on Kurosawa and other influences. The question is always how well are you riffing, how interestingly, how effectively. For the same reason, it can be, and should be, enjoyable to read the kind of 70s and 80s fantasy that is essentially taking up Tolkien like chess pieces and playing different lines with those pieces.
And in so doing in Magician: Apprentice, Raymond Feist landed on some additional interesting concepts. It is interesting to combine Tolkiena with portal fantasy, and for that portal fantasy to be linking not our mundane world to the secondary one, but two secondary worlds to one another. There is potential here. It is also interesting to explore the logistics of large-scale conflict between a society advanced in some areas but lacking horses (an essential technology), and another behind in areas but playing defense with cavalry. There is potential here, as well.
Magician: Apprentice is held back, however, by simplistic characterization and dialogue, and very scattered plotting. I am reading this book primarily as a prerequisite to Daughter of the Empire, and I understand that Feist's own writing improves through his experience working with Wurts (and just his experience having written more than one novel). So I am looking forward to that, but it’s a shame that this first outing is so flat, when the material hints at more.
And in so doing in Magician: Apprentice, Raymond Feist landed on some additional interesting concepts. It is interesting to combine Tolkiena with portal fantasy, and for that portal fantasy to be linking not our mundane world to the secondary one, but two secondary worlds to one another. There is potential here. It is also interesting to explore the logistics of large-scale conflict between a society advanced in some areas but lacking horses (an essential technology), and another behind in areas but playing defense with cavalry. There is potential here, as well.
Magician: Apprentice is held back, however, by simplistic characterization and dialogue, and very scattered plotting. I am reading this book primarily as a prerequisite to Daughter of the Empire, and I understand that Feist's own writing improves through his experience working with Wurts (and just his experience having written more than one novel). So I am looking forward to that, but it’s a shame that this first outing is so flat, when the material hints at more.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
This is a very traditional epic fantasy. I see why people love it but either I’m not in the right frame of mind for it or it’s just not for me. I’d rather read LotR
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
Didn't like, didn't finish. I guess there are just too many other orphaned boy turned hero stories I like better.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-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
Feels good to be back in Midkemia again. I love this series so much.
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I enjoyed this overall but the third act seemed to drag a little for me and I later found out it’s because it’s only half of what was originally a single book. The ending isn’t particularly satisfying because it’s not really an ending at all. I’ll be checking out the next book for sure but I would’ve preferred a single volume.