Raymond E Feist

Favourite Characters: Calis, Talon, Jimmy the Hand, Erik and Nakor

Note: The Timeline is a little complicated but this is how it goes: Riftwar Saga and parallel to some of it is the empire trilogy, Honoured Enemy and Murder in LaMut is during Magician, The Riftwar Legacy is next, then Prince of the Blood, King's Buccaneer and finally the Serpent War Saga. They all inter link and the middle is still being padded out so the timeline might get a bit more complicated, that's what you get when you have two worlds running side by side.

The Riftwar Saga

Magician - Having just read this revised version I discovered that I really liked it and can't wait until I can get my hands on the next two. It tells of how Pug became a Magician (he learnt from the Tsurani Great Ones!!) and get to learn all about Tomas and Arutha (before Princedom) and many other characters, it is fun, interesting and gets you hocked as it moves from character to character when things start to get interesting. Read the revised version if you, like me, are a new reader.

Silverthorn -This is a truly amazing sort of continuation of the Riftwar Saga. Arutha marries Anita (big surprise there) and Jimmy the Hand becomes a part of the court (he is soooo funny). But the only problem is that assassins are after Arutha and Anita gets poisoned and he must travel North to find a cure. Rivelting stuff!

Darkness at Sethanon - Continues on from Silverthorn as Pug spends a year with the eldar eleves in Kelewan and the court of Krondor is blessed with two new arrivals. I won't spoil it at all because it has some twists and turns, but if you have read any of the others you learn where Locklear gets his lust from (blame Jimmy)! I enjoyed this very much and recommend it to all (they even ride a dragon!!)

Prince of the Blood - I laughed when I found out that Locklear was Knight-Marshal, he just doesn't seem the part, but I guess that he is. Arthur's sons adventures, Erland and Borric, and Nakor makes his first appearance. Fasted paced and interesting, although brief and it goes over the books a little that I missed.

The King's Buccaneer -  Following Prince of the Blood, this tells of Nicholas's story and it introduces many of the characters seen in the Serpent war Saga. You also get to find out exactly where Nakor gets all of his oranges from, use the maps they make understanding the traveling much easier.

Riftwar Legacy

Krondor: The Betrayal - If you have ever read the book check out the game (being a non-gaming person I found it interesting) and vice versa. Gorath is heaps interesting, whilst I like Owyn the best (I hope he comes back into the novels again.) I like Platrus's "evil laughs" and the: "We should block the road..."
"With boulders?"
The story is in many different places and runs like a game (which is what the book was based upon.)

Krondor: The Assassins - I with Locklear was in this one, I liked him as well, but it is an interesting story in Krondor with the mysterious 'Crawler.' Nightcrawlers, magicians and black beasts fill this novel making it full of intrigue and suspense. The best character exchange:

[Will] "I'm to be commissioned next week!"
"Congratulations," said Locklear, "I'm to be exiled." 

Krondor: Tear of the Gods - James leads an expedition with Wil, Jazhara (new court mage), Kendaric (a guild master who can surface ships) and a monk Solon, to reclaim the stolen Tear of the Gods. You get  vampires, dark forces, goblins and a dead goddess all standing before them. It's fun, interesting and the vampires are kewl, although bad for the characters of course.  

Legends of Riftwar

The Honoured Enemy by Feist and William Forstechen - I loved it, it is really kewl and is set during the actual Riftwar on the Midkemian side. It is about an elf and his brother, a monk who isn't a monk, a young boy with a lot on his shoulders, a Natalese ranger and oh yeah Kingdom soldiers and Tsuarani troops fighting together against the moredherel. Friends and bonds form and it is a stand alone book which is nice for a change, I liked it and I hope you do too.

Murder in Lamut by Feist and William Forstechen -  This book is really kewl, Pirojil, Durine and Kethol (my personal favourite) are great and really likeable characters. It is set in LaMut and if you were ever wondering why LaMut didn't have a Baron at the end of the Riftwar? Well find out how this happened. The three characters are mercenary soldiers that find them selves knee deep in snow and in politics when all they want to do is travel south and start up a tavern. It is funny and Kethol is the best and Fantus even makes his appearance known.

Jimmy the Hand by Feist and Steven Stirling - I loved it though it does help that Jimmy is one of my most favourite of characters and all. It is set just after the "rescue" in Magician when Jimmy has to leave Krondor because of circumstances and lands himself in Land's End (BAD joke I know). He then finds himself embroiled in a plot and must save a bunch of youths and resist the temptation to steal. It is good natured and a really fun read as Jimmy battles his "heroic" side.

Serpent War Saga

Shadow of a Dark Queen - Follows a young blacksmith's apprentice, Erik, who as the reader you get to feel so much empathy for him. Nakor and Sho-Pi are so funny, especially Nakor and his endless bag of oranges. The Emerald Queen is a very intriguing concept and this is the great beginning of a new series. The beginnings of the chapters are all Erik this and Erik that, it's funny.

Rise of a Merchant Prince - This one focuses more on Roo creating a merchant empire in Krondor rather than Erik like the first. This time the chapter beginnings are Roo this and Roo that! : ) Roo is annoying and a manipulative scoundrel, I feel sorry for Karli, but it makes the story more realistic.

Rage of a Demon King - Ends on an interesting note that makes you lunge for the last novel in the saga. Be warned some favourites die and it is sad, but Erik gets the girl which makes the sadness less. the philosophy of Nakor's god was interesting (I really like that guy! : ) And Roo is such a pig!! I like the poem in the beginning:

We are the music makers,
We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;-
World-loser and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
We are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems. By W.E. O'Shaughessy

Shards of a Broken Crown - It ends the saga, but be warned, people die at the end and this makes it sad, but Jimmy's children follow the family trade, both of them. I love how Nakor is searching to know everything, wouldn't it be funny if that the last thing that he leant was that he was the God of Knowledge? The quote on the inside cover I like: "Duty cannot exist without faith."

Empire Trilogy co-written with Janny Wurts

Daughter of the Empire - Daughter of the Empire was interesting concept in that it tells you about the elusive Tsurani and their Games of Houses. Meet Mara as she battles to keep her family honour and her lands from dangerous foes (be warned it dwells on this concept a fair bit) and it is a little slow going, but still interesting. 

Servant of the Empire - Continues Mara's tale as she battles with the Minwanbi (the leader is so ruthless and the cousin is just dumb - in a sense read it and see why.) Mara learns to love again (it's not that soppy) with a Midkemian, Kevin and she learns to trust his judgment and tries to change her way of thinking, the Tsuarani honour idea is jeopardized greatly because of. Bit slow at first but it picks up towards the middle. 

Mistress of the Empire - Concludes Mara's tale. She battles an old foe and some very powerful new foes and has to seek help from the cho-ja magicians in a distant land. She has Kevin's child and has Hokanu's child as well, with attempts on her life more frequent she loses Aykai (very sad) and her ability to have more children. But it all ends well and Kevin comes back and finds out he has a son. 

The Conclave of Shadows

Talon of the Silver Hawk - I was soooo addicted to this book. When I started reading it I couldn't stop and I loved it so much. A must for any Feist fan (I even got my copy signed!) Talon is the last of the Orosini people, his tribe and family were annihilated but the schemings of a man. Tal is rescued by a man and introduced to a host of characters (some we all know and love (aka Nakor :) and some new ones - Caleb is really kewl). Full of intrigue and fun readers get to watch as Tal becomes "A Talon for your people." Read it you know you'll love it.

King of Foxes - In one word and one word only – BRILLIANT! My gosh it is so good. It continues the story of Talon a few years after the events in Talon of the Silver Hawk. To get into Duke Kaspar of Olasko court Talon stages an embarrassment to one of the Rodem prince's and leaves the island in disgrace. Within weeks Kaspar sends Talon on a mission to kill a member of his opposition and talon must obey if he is to bring his enemy down. But when things go bad, Talon finds himself in dire straights and the Conclave of Shadows cannot help him, he must get out of it himself. I was hooked and one part absolutely shocked me, I was floored. The story flows in such a way that you are either caught up in the river for the ride or standing on the shore watching it go by, my advice – jump into the river – it is a really good ride.

Exile's Return -The third in the Conclave of Shadows follows Duke Kasper. At the end of the last book he was sent to a distant land (Novindus actually) and here he finds himself on the run from the locals. He quickly learns to adapt and finds himself with a bunch of Kingdom men guarding a large 'thing' that he can't leave alone. In his travels he finds that the 'thing' is something more than it seems, something far more destructive than orginally thought, something that should not even exist in this realm. Is Kasper now a good guy? Can he possibly have something to contribute to the Conclave? It is exiciting and thrilling like all of Feist's books, as well as expanding further on the mythology of Midkemia and the universes beyond. Every Feist fan will love it.

Flight of the Nighthawks - The Darkwar 1 - With the discovery of the Talnoy 'army' things seem to be getting worse and the Conclave have no idea how to stop it. Not only that but the invasion of the Dasati is coming, only thing is can they stop it in time or deal with it when it arrives? Not only that but pieces of the Gods are turning up in places unexpected. In Kesh Kaspar, Talwin and Amafi uncover the new nest of Nighthawks who are up to a plot of some kind - if only they figure it out before it is too late. Typical Fiest - drawing us in yet again, eagerly turning the page for more and more and when the book ends, flipping the covers to see if there is a hidden chapter that we might have missed (hint read page 67 upside down.... just kidding). I'm enjoying the new series already and yay for the return of Tal - I like Tal!

Non-Riftwar related novel - Faerie Tale - This book is actually really kewl a bit slow at first but it gets really interesting towards the end. It is with the Hastings family who buy a property in Phil's hometown and meet some interesting people like Jack, Martin and Gary, but something is wrong. As Gabby encounters a strange being twice but seems to forget about it and the two twins start seeing the "Bad Thing", the cat is gutted and more strange things occur when Patrick becomes quite mad, it is up to his brother, Sean to save him from the faeries, before the move on. Intrigue, adventure and a splash of horror make this book highly interesting!

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