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Summary: New Quest Begins in Ongoing Feist Sword & Sorcery Fest
Review: Here Feist continues his Riftwar romp with a new quest as lighthearted as his earlier works. Though a bit more focused in plot than "Magician," Feist follows the formulas used in the earlier books, devoting most of his energy to action narrative in which the characters remain caricatured stereotypes all too familiar to fans of the genre. His cast of characters neglects none of the usual inhabitants of the fantasy realm, ranging from elves and goblins to dragons and pirates, as well as the inclusion of samurai (The Tsurani), Moslem warriors from the era of Saladin (The Empire of Kesh), and here ewoks thinly disguised as "gwali." The princes of the realm are handsome and heroic, their princesses beautiful and spirited. The good guys, even when rascally criminals, are brave and true and, after much hardship, their defeat of evil is assured. All in all, a storyline that could have been lifted from a D&D script. I continue to find a lack of weight or substance to the tales, and harbor some doubts that the "Riftwar Saga" will eventually devolve into a series of repetitive, banal quests. Nonetheless I will admit that so far Feist's stories do offer facile moments of unadorned diversion and amusement.
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Summary: feist rules baby
Review: this book is one of my favorite books of all time
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Summary: Feist is the best fantasy author ever.
Review: Feist is the best fantasy author ever
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Summary: Silverthorn furthers the Riftwar saga in its own unique way
Review: During Prince Arutha and Princess Anita's wedding, a hired assassin attempts to kill Arutha, but instead hit the Princess with an arrow marked with a rare poison called Silverthorn. Now Arutha and his companions rush to find a cure for the princess, before the posion sets in, and its too late. Silverthorn, I think is one of the best books in the entire "Krondor Series" From the introduction of the Nighthawks, and the attempeted assasination of Prince Arutha, to the Black Slayers, Silverthorn was exciting all the way. Featuring such characters created by Feist as King Lyam, his brother Martin, Prince Arutha, Laurie of Tyr-Sog, Pug, Kulgan, Jimmy the Hand (Squire James) and last but not least the evil Moredhel leader Murmandamas. Overall, I give Silverthorn a 5, for its intense excitement
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Summary: An almost worthy sequel to Magician
Review: If I was someone intent on focusing on Feist's unorthodox style or his logical flaws, I would probably not have enjoyed this book as much. As can be seen from the five stars posted next to this entry, that was certainly not the case. Yes, Feist has an odd habit of beginning each chapter with a simple sentence, but that is only one of the unique traits of this highly imaginative and skilled writer. Yes, there are even flaws in the logic...but it must be kept in mind that one cannot be an expert in everything, nor is this some sort of detective story or nonfiction where everything has to be precise and sensible. Lastly, why should this not be written in the style of a movie? Many books are made into movies, and by using movie-making techniques, Feist merely facilitates the transition into a movie, which I would love to see become a reality. These techniques need not be confined to movies, and when used in books, I think, produce a very interesting and dramatic effect.That having been said, I think that Silverthorn is a marvelous book, and as stated before, an almost worthy sequel to Magician. The plot was skillfully and originally developed, and the vivid descriptions provide a very clear view of the action. This continuation of the Riftwar leaves much that can be developed and yet provides an appropriate conclusion to the series if that be necessary. Silverthorn, along with Magician, was highly absorbing, and the reader could easily transcend from reality into the reality of the book, all thanks to the lucid descriptions provided by the author. Feist introduces tension, excitement, fear, and other feelings skillfully, and the reader feels throughout the book to be firmly in the character's boots. As to recommendations, I would definitely recommend this to anyone in search of a good fantasy story. However, I also recommend that Magician be read before this, and that A Darkness At Sethanon be read after. Enjoy the book, and don't pay too much attention to insignificant things.
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Summary: Tolkein comparison is quite valid
Review: This is a wonderful tale from a superb saga. I have traditionally thought that Tolkein was the King of Fantasy; I still do, but now he has a Crown Prince.
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Summary: Not a Sci-fi reader
Review: I have read all of his riftwar saga and I love how he keeps the same charecters goin on in the rest of them. I have never read a sci-fi book before and I couldn't put these books down.
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Summary: A quiz: what are the following?
Review: The rain fell. Arutha cried out. The pavillion collapsed. A shower of walnut shells fell ominously against the purple robes of Klaxon the wizard. That's right: they're Raymond E. Feist opening paragraphs! I can't remember if these particular sentences appear in "Sliverthorn" or anywhere else; but no matter; EVERY SINGLE Feist chapter begins with a single-sentence, subject-predicate, third person, past tense opening paragraph, devoid of internal punctuation. I've checked. Formula, formula, formula. Good evidence that Feist doesn't know how to write. As further evidence let me draw your attention to the fact that "Silverthorn" has a Fantasy Novel Prologue. The Fantasy Novel Prologue invariably consists of a small scene, a vignette, not immediately related to what follows ... a little episode before the opening credits roll. It's a director's device. It's the tool of a writer who should be writing a book but thinks he's shooting a movie. Look, I really want to get stuck into "Silverthorn". It had almost every idiocy. (Maybe it had every single idiocy - I never made it to the end.) "Magician" had some freshness, if not originality, so a full-throated roar of disapproval has to be directed at its sequel. Is it okay if I continue? Thanks. That prologue again. Competent seers do NOT give tautological advice like, "Be that whch you are," unless their cold reading techniques have come up utterly blank. What is the point of devoting space to this inane conversation between the baddie and the mysterious old woman? And later on in the book: there is no such thing as a polytonal melody. "Polytonal" music is music that's in more than one key at once: polytonal counterpoint is possible; polytonal melody is not. And what is it with Feist's names? Arutha, Anita, Carline, Jimmy ... do these people come from England, or don't they? And the battles invloving magicians have to be read to be believed: bolts of "blue power" (or green power, I can't remember the precise colour) shoot out from one fellow's hands to counter the shafts of "orange magic" (or whatever) from another ... this isn't a fight, it's a light show. An Industrial Light and Magic show, to be precise. Feist still think's he's making a movie. You think these are isolated flaws? Hah! Feist has a million of 'em. No, no, no. This sort of thing won't do at all. Strangely fascinating, perhaps, in the way that all truly bad things are, but let us have no illusions: it's tripe.
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Summary: A very well-written epos
Review: It was because of this magnificent book that I forgot my study for one day. This was unfortunately fatal for a test I had the next week. But the book was worth the sacrifice, although it is quite clear that Feist has read Tolkien. It is not quite original to describe a company with a mission in a hostile country. However, Feist is great in describing normal personal life, something in which Tolkien wasn't that good. Especially the passages about parties and unallowed drinking of beer are great. This more personal lifesketches is something which mustn't be underestimated in this book. They create a contrast with the overwhelmingly great things that happen in this well-witten epos.
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Summary: Almost as good as Magician
Review: This book was good, almost as good as Magician, I'd have given it 4,25 stars if it was possible, not a fiver, because the plot is a tiny bit strange, whoever has heard of a plant which lives in only ONE place? Mr. Feist is a fantastic writer (pun), and he certainly knows where to write in detail and where to not. The characters are very, very, alive. The Riftwar books are some of the best books I've ever read, though they occasionally have a dull bit here and there.
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