Silverthorn

Rating:
Summary: A good series continues
Review: I didn't like the second book in this series nearly as much as the first, and I was afraid the series might continue downhill in this volume. Fortunately, that was not the case.

This book is much more plot-driven than the last book, and the events are exciting and suspenseful. I was eager to find out what was going to happen.

This was much better than the last book and really got me back into the series and looking forward to the conclusion in the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Intoxicating
Review: High Intoxicating. A must read for all Fantasy Fans. The classic struggle of good vs. evil in a well written world of interesting characters and intrigue. Definitely a great sequel to the first two "Magician" books.

Rating:
Summary: Quite good
Review: I confess I disliked "Magician". There were just parts of the story that did not appeal to me. So when after swearing to myslef never to touch Feist`s books again, I bought Silverthorn (out of complete bordom, if you must know) I was pleasantly surprised. It is certainly much shorter, and while Magician was (even to my disgusted eye) quite complete, it does present other parts of the story. The book is very well written, the story is extremely gripping, and the characters are well formed. While I disliked my first venture into this land of Midkemia, I loved the second; enough to buy the third part of the trilogy, "A Darkness at Sethanon" which was equally good, if not better.

While Silverthorn continues Magician with hardly any time in between, the books are linked by ties other than storyline.
If it had been my choice, I would have put Magician as a book on its own and Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon together as a duet. Since most people reading this review will have read Magician, the first part of the trilogy, I`m not going into a tedious description of the world Midkemia, etc.
The story focusses around "The Enemy", who was mentioned in the first book, briefly, but failed to make an appearance. The dark elves, who feature greatly in this trilogy, rally behind a new leader and begin to threaten the Kingdom. Arutha, Prince of Krondor, must figure out the mysterious linkage between this moredhelm leader and the hereditary enemy of every race in existence. He is not alone, as both Pug and Tomas have large roles, both in Silvethorn and in its sequal, A Darkness at Sethanon. The main character, however, is Jimmy the Hand, a young thief whose role was tiny in Magician, but who is nonetheless likeable. As a matter of fact, after reading this trilogy, I went on to read the "Krondor" trilogy, to read more about him.
While Silverthorn follows the overall plot loosely, it`s own focus is nonetheless gripping. Arutha must seek the cure for a poison to save the life of his Princess, Anita. His quest carries him into the untamed North, along with a few trusted companions.
This is most certainly a good book, which I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who has read Magician. If you liked Magician, you should have little problem with Silverthorn. If you did not like Magician, I suggest you read this anyway. It`s inexpensive, and you may find yourslef surprised. Eitherway, I think you`ll be heading for A Darkness at Sethanon.
Look for my review of it!

Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: This book will really keep you glued to the pages. However, you should have read the previous chapters to fully appreciate this one.

Rating:
Summary: The Riftwar Turns to More Traditional Fantasy Fare
Review: Raymond E. Feist returns to Midkemia and his engrossing Riftwar saga in Silverthorn, the third (second, if you count Magician as one) book on the tale of the struggle between the Kingdom of the Isles and the Empire of Tsurananni. A short while after the conclusion of Magician: Master, Prince Arutha is to be married to Princess Anita, a relationship hinted at earlier in the series. On their wedding day, an assassin's poisoned arrow strikes Anita and the only cure to the poison is silverthorn, an elusive herb found far away.

With his entourage of fantasy staples, some of which are introduced for the first time into the Riftwar books, including Jimmy the Hand, master thief, and Amos Trask, sailor extraordinaire, Arutha sets off on a quest to determine both the nature of the assassination attempt and to find the magical herb. On the way, Pug/Milamber and Tomas discover more information about the origins of the elves and the causes of the Riftwar, leading up to events in the next book.

Although Silverthorn is far more traditional fantasy than Magician - a typical Dungeons and Dragons party of adventurers sets off on a typical D&D-style quest - Feist manages to maintain the epic feel of his work by establishing enough new characters, relationships, and overall Riftwar plots (the poison is merely a MacGuffin for the other events in the book) to keep readers interested. Pug/Milamber is much more of a mystical or magical figure in this book, as he is no longer the main character and is instead a powerful force working upon the world in much the same way that wizards were portrayed in the Arthurian or Carolingian legends of medieval Europe.

Silverthorn makes for a compelling read, especially to those interested in continuing the setup in Magician. The book is best read with "A Darkness at Sethanon" as the immediate sequel (some argue that the two books are really another full book, divided into two). While not the absolute best in the saga - that honor will remain Magician's - Silverthorn is still a great "what comes next" book, and Feist has refined his writing style to make it a flowing, enjoyable read. As fantasy goes, Silverthorn is a cut above the rest, but as it fits into the overall story, it is a must-read.

Final Grade: B

Rating:
Summary: Feist's Best
Review: This I would have to say is his best book ever. From the tragedy that almost took Arutha's wife to the plot of the Dark Elves. Feist is a genius of Fantasy. I didn't like to read books much until i started to read Feist.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best REF novel
Review: Silverthorn is Feist at his best, before his original characters started collecting social security and certainly well before the mediocre Serpentwar novels.

Silverthorn is where all the action is in the Riftwar series; it's the Empire Strikes Back of Feist's original trilogy. This is one of the most compelling fantasy novel's I've ever read, and it's definitely worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful Riftwar Saga novel
Review: As in the first novel of the series "Magician: Apprentice" this is a wonderful story on it's own, but is only fully realized by reading the next volume ("A Darkness at Sethanon"). In other words, the Magician books (1&2) should be one novel and Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon (3&4) should be book 2.
The plot is stated pretty well on the back cover, so I won't repeat it here. What I will say is, following Arutha, Jimmy and the others through there trials to find the Silverthorn is a wonderful ride.
Enjoy the ride.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Silverthorn was the first Riftwar Saga book I read. I didn't really know what had previously happened, but thank you Raymond E Feist for "So far...". This proves that Raymond is an excellent writer, because I picked it up because of Jimmy the Hand on the front cover, and understood the thing. Unfortunately, a friend borrowed my copy and has refuse to give it back, due to Jimmy's picture on the cover. The cover of the book being sold makes Arutha look like a beast of some sort.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not as grand as Magician
Review: For those who love fantasy and the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, this novel will not disapoint. However, I feel it lacked the character depth and plot intensity of Magician, as well as the shear awesome power of the previous novel (or two novels, if you've just been introduced to the series). It is a good read, though, and totally worth the price. I hope A Darkness at Sethanon will be as stunning a conclusion as the Riftwar Saga needs...