A review by naes
Magician by Raymond E. Feist

adventurous emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

When two young boys find a ship crashed against the shore of their home they have no idea they’ve just changed the course of not only their lives but the lives of the entire Kingdom. 

I first read Magician 8 years ago and rated it a 5 star. On this occasion I have dropped the rating slightly to 4.75. It is hands down still one of my favourite books but I read it with more knowledge and understanding and with more experience as a reader.

The world building and lore, in my opinion, is excellent. There is great thought and attention to detail in almost every facet of the book. Whether it is the landscape of the world(s), the religion, or the lore, everything seems to be done to a high degree and is well thought out. Characters have decent development and good story lines. There are no real stagnant parts to the tale.

There were a couple things that struck me with this read through that I didn't pick up the first time I read it. The major one is the age gaps between two couples. They are LARGE. The other (and this is a spoiler) is the elves, who are touted as being so powerful and such great warriors don't really do anything. In their big fight scene the birds do more than the elves. It fell really flat for me and I feel like they were robbed of showing their true worth. 

Like I said earlier, this is still one of my favourite books which I will definitely read again. I am planning on continuing and reading every book in the Riftwar Cycle which I believe is 30 books. Wish me luck!

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