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ar2chn30713's review against another edition
2.0
I read this series after hearing so much about it. This was a pretty run of the mill fantasy series, owing a lot to that mid 80s fantasy sensibilities. It lacks the personalization and grit that is evidenced in fantasy from the 90s and early 2000s. Sexism is rampant here but it is borne more out of the time period the books were written. I am looking forward to the Empire series but as a whole, the Riftwar saga is very dated.
oofuss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
hannahmaycowie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kyle_j_durrant's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Feist writes such outstanding stories, and there's a reason he counts amongst my favourite authors of all time.
High stakes, great characters, and the constant risk of sacrifice make this a joy to read.
Every revelation meant something major for the story, and it never felt guaranteed that our heroes would come out on top.
My only issue is the length of chapters, but that's just a product of Feist's influences and writing style, and is something I can easily overlook in recognition of the outstanding story.
Very much looking forward to continuing my Feist read-through.
High stakes, great characters, and the constant risk of sacrifice make this a joy to read.
Every revelation meant something major for the story, and it never felt guaranteed that our heroes would come out on top.
My only issue is the length of chapters, but that's just a product of Feist's influences and writing style, and is something I can easily overlook in recognition of the outstanding story.
Very much looking forward to continuing my Feist read-through.
jamesv11235's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mudder17's review against another edition
4.0
4-4.5 stars
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Riftwar Saga, especially the end. There were times when the constant battles got to be a bit much (I'm not a huge fan of battles), but overall, I liked how all the pieces moved around. The major plot lines are resolved well, but of course, there is plenty of room for more intrigue, political maneuverings, personal growth, and the battle between good vs. evil. And there was a dragon! Without revealing any spoilers, I love what ends up happening with her. After reading this, I will very likely read the trilogy with Janny Wurts, but I'm not sure if I'll get to all the other books. IIRC, there are something like 30+ books, lol! This series feels like the beginning of the Epic Fantasy genre and anyone who is a fan should at least give this trilogy (now 4-books) a chance!
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Riftwar Saga, especially the end. There were times when the constant battles got to be a bit much (I'm not a huge fan of battles), but overall, I liked how all the pieces moved around. The major plot lines are resolved well, but of course, there is plenty of room for more intrigue, political maneuverings, personal growth, and the battle between good vs. evil. And there was a dragon! Without revealing any spoilers, I love what ends up happening with her. After reading this, I will very likely read the trilogy with Janny Wurts, but I'm not sure if I'll get to all the other books. IIRC, there are something like 30+ books, lol! This series feels like the beginning of the Epic Fantasy genre and anyone who is a fan should at least give this trilogy (now 4-books) a chance!
youraveragedave's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A solid ending to this first arc of the Riftwar stories. I really enjoyed re-reading these books, since I haven't in almost 30 years.
Yes there are tropes and characters that feel "80's" or old style fantasy, but as these were some of my earliest fantasy books I can still appreciate what Fiest is doing here.
Loved having Pug and Tomas back together again. Jimmy the Hand continues his growth as a character, bridging the worlds of the nobility and the criminal underworld. The siege and battle of Armengar was epic, right up there with some of my favorite fantasy battles ever. Also getting the world building of the gods before man came to Midkemia sets us up for the future of this world.
I initially only planned to re-read this first series, but now I want to revisit the trilogy with Janny Wurts as well as the Serpent War Saga!
Yes there are tropes and characters that feel "80's" or old style fantasy, but as these were some of my earliest fantasy books I can still appreciate what Fiest is doing here.
Loved having Pug and Tomas back together again. Jimmy the Hand continues his growth as a character, bridging the worlds of the nobility and the criminal underworld. The siege and battle of Armengar was epic, right up there with some of my favorite fantasy battles ever. Also getting the world building of the gods before man came to Midkemia sets us up for the future of this world.
I initially only planned to re-read this first series, but now I want to revisit the trilogy with Janny Wurts as well as the Serpent War Saga!
sahcloudy's review against another edition
4.0
There were some fantastic things in this conclusion to the riftwar saga, some of which I'm on the fence about.
Whilst it was lovely to be reunited with the Pug and Tomas, the original duo of this series, something felt a little off. Their individual paths had gone so diversely to the other it was hard seeing them as close as they had once been. Though that uncomfortable feeling comes more from nostalgia to what actually felt off. Both boys have grown into men possessing unfathomable power, with no equals save the gods. I'm thankful that Raymond didn't 'god-mod' them heavily by inserting tonnes of beautiful, galactic descriptions and also including world building mysteries to deter one from feeling Pug and Tomas too over powered.
This book felt truer to the riftwar saga than Silverthorn, as it contained more of the original cast. In saying that Arutha and Jimmy the Hand were some of my favorites and it hurt not seeing them again as much.
The female/feminine inequality was more prominent in this book. If only for the fact that it tried including woman for the first time. It's not a case that the characters and their personalities were terrible but felt wrong. As though Raymond could've done without giving them all this bravado in an attempt to hide the fact that the majority of the woman involved where just love interests - 'A rose by any other name'.
The story itself was slow paced and were I not already in love with the characters I would've been slightly annoyed at the lack of action/movement. This book has a lot of description, which - thankful to my already attained attention via Magician and Silverthorn - didn't bother me. I loved the complete obliteration of this worlds limits and boundaries in the second half. Finding out how big and wide this world truly is excites me to read the rest of the books based in it.
All in all a good read, nice finish, just a few things I found personally off.
Whilst it was lovely to be reunited with the Pug and Tomas, the original duo of this series, something felt a little off. Their individual paths had gone so diversely to the other it was hard seeing them as close as they had once been. Though that uncomfortable feeling comes more from nostalgia to what actually felt off. Both boys have grown into men possessing unfathomable power, with no equals save the gods. I'm thankful that Raymond didn't 'god-mod' them heavily by inserting tonnes of beautiful, galactic descriptions and also including world building mysteries to deter one from feeling Pug and Tomas too over powered.
This book felt truer to the riftwar saga than Silverthorn, as it contained more of the original cast. In saying that Arutha and Jimmy the Hand were some of my favorites and it hurt not seeing them again as much.
The female/feminine inequality was more prominent in this book. If only for the fact that it tried including woman for the first time. It's not a case that the characters and their personalities were terrible but felt wrong. As though Raymond could've done without giving them all this bravado in an attempt to hide the fact that the majority of the woman involved where just love interests - 'A rose by any other name'.
The story itself was slow paced and were I not already in love with the characters I would've been slightly annoyed at the lack of action/movement. This book has a lot of description, which - thankful to my already attained attention via Magician and Silverthorn - didn't bother me. I loved the complete obliteration of this worlds limits and boundaries in the second half. Finding out how big and wide this world truly is excites me to read the rest of the books based in it.
All in all a good read, nice finish, just a few things I found personally off.
ermckane's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
andrew1987clarke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? No
4.25