Silverthorn

Rating:
Summary: Truly Great!
Review: Prince Arutha and Princess Anita are to be wed. Dark plots and ancient prophecies conspire against the Prince and his beloved Anita is terribly wounded during an attempt on the Prince's life. A magical poison courses through her veins and Arutha must discover it's nature and where/how to obtain a cure. With aid of friends and family and some new characters we have not yet met, he sets off on his quest for Silverthorn.

The story of Prince Arutha's quest to save his beloved is a powerful one. You're drawn into his quest and feel the pain, anguish, and hope. The foundation is laid for the stuggle between good and evil in the next book and we get to meet a few new characters in Feist's world: Baru the Serpentslayer and Laurie's friend, Roald. Jimmy the Hand emerges and takes his place as a major player in Feist's works. We are given more insight into the Mockers, the thieves guild of Krondor, and to the temples and theology of Midkemia. Pugs abilities as a magician are further explored as are the problems he left behind on Kelewan.

This is the second book in Feist's Riftwar Saga. The first being 'Magician' and the final being 'A Darkness at Sethanon'. Actually, 'Magician' was split into two paperback books, 'Magician: Apprentice' and 'Magician: Master', so this is actually the third of four books in the paperback saga.

Be sure to read the conclusion: A Darkness at Sethanon!

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy at its Best!
Review: Buy, rent, steal, whatever you have to do to get a copy of this book, do it! The third installment of Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga, Silverthorn is by far the best. If you like a fast-paced, finely constructed plot with excellent characterizations, this is your book! Usually I don't recommend reading novels in a series out of sequence, but I'll make an exception in this case. I bought Silvertorn used and was so impressed that I hunted down the other three books ( 1. Magician: Apprentice; 2. Magician: Master and 4. A Darkness at Sethanon-all that were out at the time) and devoured them as well. The concept of this series revolves around a Medieval European-type kingdom known as the Kingdom of Isles, on a world known as Midkemia, that is invaded by armies from a distant world known as Kelewan ( sort of a cross between Medieval Japan and the Aztec Empire ), through a magical rift created by magicians on Kelewan. The series centers around the adventures of the young lads Pug and Thomas, of Castle Crydee and their adventures during the Riftwar and their subsequent fortunes. ( The mysterious wizard Macros the Black, featured throughout the series is an interesting character ). Books three and four are set at the close of the Riftwar and involve a sort of sub-plot Feist keeps running throughout the series involving the Elves and their lost cousins, the dark elven Moredhel. The main character in Silverthorn is Prince Arutha of the Kingdom city of Krondor, whose lovely wife Anita is struck down by the posion arrow of assassins; the novel involves Arutha's quest for the mystical herb, Silverthorn, that can heal his bride. Joining the Prince on his quest are some very well-written characters (who recur in most of the later books ). On the journey we meet the young Jimmy the Hand, a thief in Krondor's thieves guild, The Mockers, their secretive, mysterious leader the Upright man, the evil undead assassins, the Black Slayers, pirate captain Amos Trask, Baru, the Hadati Hillman, and others. Feist gives us some masterful characterizations, paricularly the thief Jimmy the Hand. Not only the characters but the worlds themselves are finely crafted; the thieve's guild of Krondor is superbly crafted; this is what a thieves guild should look like! You could roleplay a great campaign out of Krondor itself. I was literally not able to put down this book! If they ever make a roleplaying game based on Midkemia I'd buy it in two seconds! Hint, Hint, know what I mean, nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more, wink, wink. So, get the Riftwar books, particularly this one. And while the second series, set several decades after the end of the Riftwar in the original books is very good, it is not quite as good as the first series. But basically, get anything you can by Raymond Feist. Don't REALLY steal it....

Rating:
Summary: No where
Review: Near the level of Magician Apprentice and Magician Master, now those were awesome!

Rating:
Summary: evil force growing [no spoilers]
Review: "Silverthorn" is the gripping third volume in the Riftwar Saga. A new tale unfolds in the realm explored from the first two novels with first-rate characters Prince Arutha and Pug, aka Milamber. While Prince Arutha and his band seek out the mystic herb of Silverthorn to save a loved one, Pug and his party search for the answers to the menace behind the deed. New and exciting characters arise and extra races are developed while minor loose threads from the previous novels are tied up nicely. The author conveys the magic invoked brilliantly, placing the reader in the middle of the conflicts creating a definite classic. Some of the battles are absolutely spooky.

I had an excellent time reading the book after all these years and highly recommend the series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: A very good book by a good writer
Review: Silverthorn is the third book in the rift war saga; it immediately enticed me and shocked me for I was expecting another adventure from Pug. Uncommon for most sequels it does not follow the previous main character. Instead it follows that of a Prince rather than an orphaned boy who became a Magician's Apprentice.
The book is immediately filled with changes and mystery. The plot develops quickly as you are reminded of where things were heading from the previous story. The book was quick to capture my interest as well as the interests of critics and corporations that are based on critiquing books such as the "Dragon Magazine."
The way the author wrote this story had played an important part in capturing my attention. Almost everything said by each character begins to more clearly define their personality and nature. The way he created suspense and created problems that are fictional or could happen in real life. He clearly defined the skills of each character in the story and what their ambitions were.
Ultimately this book could be bested by any of the books from the Lord of The Rings trilogy. I enjoyed reading this book and the previous ones and hope to get started on the sequel "Darkness at Sethanon", which appears to follow another character from the first two books.

Rating:
Summary: Good addition to the series....
Review: This is the 3rd book in this most excellent series. First of all I would like to say that this book splits it's time between following Prince Arutha on his quest for Silverhorn and Pug and his search for answers about the danger they face. As with the other books in the series the story grips you and the action is plenty. I would say that Arutha's quest for Silverthorn is almost like a side quest in terms of the whole plot. It does help to introduce new aspects of the plot and it also has young Jimmy the Hand in the spotlight. I like how his character is developing. I also hope that his relationship with the "Upright Man" is further explored in later books. The one main gripe I have is how easy this books' main bad-guy was dispatched. You are made to believe that he is much more powerfull then he turns out to be. Everything is always wrapped up in a neat package at the end. Would not be so bad to see a good guy get his head kicked in (Lyam????)from time to time. Having said that I ordered the 4th book in the series within hours of finishing this.

Rating:
Summary: OVERALL SCORE: (A)
Review: This is one of the best fantasy series, the story is lively and entertaining, the characters are colorful and interesting, and the plot is deep and spellbinding!
This is a great read for all ages, it is a beautiful epic whose true potency lies in the moving details of its characters, richly detailed, woven into a wonderful tapestry.
OVERALL SCORE: (A)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (B+), ACTION/COMBAT: (C+), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (B+), SEX: (N/A), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

Rating:
Summary: Intense!
Review: This book is the second book in Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga, and picks up after the accession of the conDoin family to the throne of the Kingdom of the Isles. When Jimmy the Hand stumbles upon a Nighthawk (member of the guild of assassins), preparing to kill Prince Arutha, it becomes apparent that something strange is going on. But, when the Prince and his men confront the Nighthawks, it soon becomes apparent that a creature of limitless power, and equally limitless evil, is on the march and wants Arutha out of the way. The situation goes from bad to worse, when Arutha's bride is shot with a poisoned arrow during their wedding. The poison is from a plant named Silverthorn, and to effect a cure, Arutha and a band of compatriots must venture into the lair of this evil and snatch one of the plants. But, there is more danger on the path than anyone could ever have expected...

This is a great book. It has a different feeling than the first book of the series, Magician, but includes many of the same characters. The action is intense, even more powerful than in the previous book, with scenes that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up! I loved this book, don't hesitate to recommend it to Fantasy lovers everywhere!

Rating:
Summary: Stunning Sequel to Magician
Review: The long awaited and joyous wedding of Arutha, Prince of Krondor, to the beautiful young Princess Anita, is cruelly cut short when Anita is struck by a poisoned arrow, from the bow of the Nighthawks - an underground cult of death, in league with the darkest and most evil powers.
It is discovered that the nighthawks are being used by the enemy, the dark lord, the enemy, Murmandamus, to assassinate the Lord of the West, Arutha. This in order to fulfill the ancient prophesy, necessary for Murmandamus and his evil minions to take over the world of Midkemia, and cast it into darkness.
Prince Arutha, assisted by his brother, the skilled huntsman Duke Martin of Crydee, the veteran Captain Gardan, the troubadour Laurie of Tyr Sog, the former Tsurani, Earl Kasumi of La Mut and the artful boy thief, Jimmy the Hand, set off on a quest to get hold of the antidote necessary to save Anita from death, and at the same time to learn a thing or two about the terrorist nature of the forces that threaten the Kingdom of the Isles.

This novel is filled with suspense and mystery, as we explore magic, the history of the elves and Valheru, and a deeper understanding of the connection between the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan.
New characters are introduced into the saga, such as Gamina, the child who talks with her mind , and the Hadati Hillman , Baru.
The momentum set by Magician is not lost for a moment and it is difficult to put the book down as we follow the saga of magic and a momentous battle between good and evil.

Rating:
Summary: Going down...
Review: OK, "Magician" (the first book of this series) had something: it was original and fast paced, and had interesting characters. There was more action per page than in most fantasy books, and the plot twists were admirable.

"Silverthorn", tough, is flat and predictable. If I could go back in time I would consider "Magician" a standalone work, and skip reading the rest of the Riftwar saga.