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A review by zaelle
Shadow of a Dark Queen by Raymond E. Feist
3.0
Again, I had read this before, but I'm rereading it for a Feist reread.
I liked this book much better on a reread than when I first read it. The Kingdom is a very different place without Arutha, and following non-noble protagonists for the first time brings a completely different, less fantastical feel to things. It's somehow grittier and real. Erik and Roo are more flawed than any of the previous protagonists we meet (except maybe the twins) and we see them grow a lot in this story. It is important to note that the feel is completely different from the 5 books that came before though. If you aren't expecting that change in tone, it can be jarring.
I wish Miranda was fleshed out as a character more, but part of her allure I guess was how mysterious she is. We get to know all the other new characters fairly well, but for how big Miranda will eventually be in the series, I feel like I never really got to know her very well at all. It's a pleasure to see James as the Duke of Krondor, and seeing how as an adult, he is influenced by so many of the people he had met/known as a boy.
I liked this book much better on a reread than when I first read it. The Kingdom is a very different place without Arutha, and following non-noble protagonists for the first time brings a completely different, less fantastical feel to things. It's somehow grittier and real. Erik and Roo are more flawed than any of the previous protagonists we meet (except maybe the twins) and we see them grow a lot in this story. It is important to note that the feel is completely different from the 5 books that came before though. If you aren't expecting that change in tone, it can be jarring.
I wish Miranda was fleshed out as a character more, but part of her allure I guess was how mysterious she is. We get to know all the other new characters fairly well, but for how big Miranda will eventually be in the series, I feel like I never really got to know her very well at all. It's a pleasure to see James as the Duke of Krondor, and seeing how as an adult, he is influenced by so many of the people he had met/known as a boy.