Magician - Raymond E. Feist

Advantages: Good Read, Developed Characters, Some Original Ideas, Well Written
Disadvantages: Very Typical Storyline

Magician is Feist's first book, in a long series set in the richly detailed world of Midkemia. It works as a standalone book, or as part of the series. Feist's writing style is well, feisty to say the least, and it'll have you gripping the book in anticipation of every next page. American copies of this book are split into two volumes Magician : Apprentice, and Magician : Master, I don't know why, it's not that long a book. Unfortunately, whilst ...
...gets rescued by the Master Magician Kulgan whilst out in a storm, who sees great potential in him. When the apprentice day comes, no one wants to take on young Pug, and embarrassed and ashamed, he sees he's not wanted… but Kulgan offers to take him on. Pug of course, falls in love with the Princess, but he has to leave her to go on a journey. On this journey some close people to him die, and I'm not going to tell you how or what happens to ... Read review

Advantages: gripping work with lots of fine detail.
Disadvantages: takes over your life.

...and then trained as a magician under their system (hence the title.) Tomas finds that his magical armour is not entirely benevolent, and both young men must grapple with ancient forces for the good of their worlds. There is no battle between good and evil, only men and women caught up in war and politics. At first, the invading army seems like the evil bad guy cliche, but as the plot evolves, you start to see them as people, as flawed as anyone else, ...
...moments of redemption. This book has a massive pace - in 680 pages, Feist covers nine years of war, politics, love, training, magic and two civilizations. The writing is amazingly dense, containing huge amounts of detail, vast swathes of action and still managing to get in some characterisation for all of the major and a good few of the minor characters. The attention to detail is what really makes the book work - the number of fantasy books I've ... Read review

Advantages: A classic of the genre, easy to read, good characters
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...that I have ever read, Magician is probably the only one that I read every year. It is such a great story (and I read so many books) that i re-read it just to refresh my memory and so that I can escape this often mundane world of ours. I first started reading fantasy novels after reading Stephen King's 'Eyes of the Dragon' which he wrote for his children. (I was a big horror fan in my teens.) Then I read the first three Dragonlance novels and it ...
...me Magician by Raymond E. Feist. Such is Feist's narrative and style that I didn't put the book down for three days (I was on holiday), except to eat etc. It is an epic tale, mainly about an orphaned boy, Pug, taken in by his home castle's cook. The cook has a son, called Tomas, of the same age and the first couple of chapters deal with their friendship, the trials of youth and the upcoming Choosing, when the various youths are apprenticed by the ... Read review

Advantages: A good book that is hard to put down
Disadvantages: Can be a little slow at times

...to their dramatic futures as Magician and Prince of the Elves. How those futures are achieved however is a long and twisted tale that is well worth sitting down and getting into. Pug and Thomas live in a castle at Crydee – A minor province in the principle realm of Midkema. At a time when all the boys are having their apprenticeships sorted out Pug is forgotten and finds no Master to serve until the Castle Magician takes him on. He feels that Pug ...
...from planet earth. The Magician is of the same genre as Lord of the Rings but is good enough to be a classic in it’s own right. As the first book in the Riftwar series it’s a wonderful introduction to the people and places that will occupy your minds as long as you are reading the books. The storyline is so exciting that when Feist takes the time to expand his descriptive skills and get you into the picture you’ll find yourself wanting to skip ... Read review

Advantages: good if you want to get into fantasy books
Disadvantages: got to buy the other books to see what happens

...an apprenticeship, until the Dukes Magician steps forward and announces that he will take Pug. Grudgingly Pug accepts. Unknown to himself, his journey of power and danger has just begun. Although quick with his learning Pugs attempts at magic continuously leaves him frustrated as the most simple tasks go wrong, but with the magicians encouragement he slowly masters the powers within him. The story broadens and soon the kingdom is thrown into turmoil ...
...and Pug and Thomas are taken on a long journey of adventure fraught with danger. Over time their chosen paths separate them. Thomas becomes a great swordsman achieving amazing feats, whilst Pug is taken to the strangers world not knowing what his future holds for him as he struggles to come to terms that he might forever be a slave to these strange people who regard the dark cloaked figures as the “Great Ones”. What happens next can ... Read review

Advantages: A nice easy read.
Disadvantages: None

...As a fantasy reader when you pick up the first book in an established series like the 'Riftwar Saga' by Raymond E. Feist, you know you will be getting a good read. At least seven books make up this series. So a book like Magician: Apprentice is probably a fair bet for when you're in the mood to commit to a new series. Magician: Apprentice probably won't be the best book you've ever read, but will likely keep you curious enough to read through the next book, and the next...Magician: Apprentice starts the Riftwar Saga, a collection about the war that rages between two worlds linked only by a magical rift through space and time. The story is set on two planets at war with one another and chronicles the life and times of two characters, Pug and his foster brother Tomas. The story starts in the sleepy little town of crydee, an outpost in... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A good continuation of Feist's first novel
Disadvantages: Need to get the third book to finish the plot off!

...Silverthorn is the second book in the Riftwar trilogy by Raymond E. Feist, (published by Grafton, ISBN 0-586-06417-6), and follows on from his first work, Magician. The characters from the first fantasy saga are developed even more, with the likes of Jimmy the Hand and Arutha Prince of Krondor battling against the Mockers and trying to save Midkemia from dark powers. The same plotlines are continued, the idea of the Enemy is introduced and developed further, and the book is well written as is its predecessor. As a fan, I would recommend that you read Magician first, so that you learn about all the ways of this fantastic world before taking up the thread of plot in Silverthorn. The second book is shorter than its prequel, only 432 pages this time, but the ending leaves you hanging, you expect another chapter or two, but... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: If you've read the first two books, this is a must
Disadvantages: None

...This is the final installment in the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist (Grafton ISBN 0-586-06688-8). The first two installments, Magician and Silverthorn, really only set the scene compared to this work, which spans the final years of the war between the Tsurani and Midkemia and the battle of Pug and Macros the Black against the old Enemy. This work rounds the plot threads off very ingeniously indeed, and still you want to read more when you get to the 527th page! The characters are all developed to the fullest, the scenes are well scripted, and once again Feist's creative literary talents make the battles depicted seem to come alive with colour and sound and intensity as you read them. Not just for fantasy lovers this one, but anyone who enjoys good plots, thrillers, cliffhangers, battle strategies, warfare....the list... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful