Once again, another occupation. The book is not badly written, but

1. I don't know what it aims for.

2. The characters are kind of mediocre. There are supposed to be two of them, but I can't distinguish them by character. They are the same person. In fact, it could have been one person, one character, and not an unnecessary pair!

Nevertheless, it promised well, but it turned out to be so... average...

The original article: The hunt continues.

Expanded article:

The hunt continues. It is a thrilling and intense pursuit that shows no sign of stopping. The hunters are determined, their eyes fixed on their prey. They move stealthily through the forest, their senses on high alert. Every sound, every movement catches their attention. The excitement in the air is palpable as they close in on their target. With each step, they get closer to achieving their goal. The hunt is not just about capturing the prey; it is a test of skill, patience, and perseverance. And so, the hunt continues...

Caleb, the son of Puc, assumes a prominent position in the initial installment of the Darkwar Saga. I am truly captivated by the way his character develops.

The relationships between him, Mary, and the two boys continue to unfold in a fascinating manner. Moreover, Kaspar and Talwin make their comebacks, and a mysterious new boy named Bek makes his debut appearance.

The story becomes even more enticing with the introduction of Bek, as his presence adds an element of mystery and intrigue.

Caleb's journey throughout the book is filled with challenges and growth, which keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

The interactions between the characters are well-written and add depth to the overall narrative.

I look forward to seeing how Caleb's character further evolves in the subsequent books of the Darkwar Saga.

The first thing I understood by reading the first part of this trilogy is that the author, when penning this book, didn't have an abundance of fresh ideas to kickstart it.

The beginning of the story transports us to a peaceful locale where two young men, having nothing particular to do, ultimately depart to engage in an espionage case, precisely when it is determined that a great evil menaces the universe.

Of course, all of this reminds us of something, but it's better to move forward as things become more interesting there.

Then we return to our well-known heroes from the previous books, and from that point on, they guide the plot.

However, things don't improve remarkably as the lack of originality persists in tormenting us, with theological discussions recycling the same issues, the pitfalls they encounter in a spectacular manner, and the magical end that holds promises for the sequel.

To be fair, of course, all of this implies that there are numerous elements that make this entire series special, with humor, debates about good and evil, the small dose of emotion where it's appropriate, and the action that escalates at the end.

I simply awaited some surprise that would lead the story down different paths, but I didn't find it.

The honour of my first 1 star review goes to this book. It's something about Nighthawks, but I'm still not really sure who they are.

1.5 stars really. Blimey! 400 pages and 250 pages of pointless nothingness at the front end. It introduces 500 characters and half explains nothing. Then there are 90 pages hinting that something might happen. 50 pages of action before the end followed by 10 pages setting up the sequel. Why bother? I'm certainly not going to read it.

Every fantasy cliche and the most obvious plot twist to boot. I have enjoyed fantasy in the past but never read Feist before. I didn't mind the writing style and description, but seriously, there was no character development for all that wordiness and nothing happening. I'm not a quitter otherwise I would have ditched it.

Seriously, it's not the worst book I've ever read but it's not far off and possibly the most boring. It got an upgrade to 1.5 off the back of 50 pages that was actually good.

All the books set in the world of Midkemia have been extremely engaging and a pleasure to read, and this one is no different.

The beginning of this novel made me double-check if I had opened the correct book. It was a wonderful nod to the origin of this entire series.

The characters are mostly those previously encountered in other novels, so their personalities and behaviors are familiar. Meanwhile, the new characters are introduced in a very seamless manner.

The storyline has numerous threads, which form a rather intricate plot with intertwined connections among the various threads. However, these connections can be very subtle and thus may not be noticed until much later.

This is a rich and detailed world filled with plenty of fascinating characters and a story that will keep you eagerly turning the pages to discover what happens next. The epilogue, too, sets the stage for the next book, leaving you eager for more.

It was one of the first times that I read a political fantasy story. I find it interesting to read, but I don't need to read the second part of this book. There are too many characters and it is sometimes just a bit too artificial. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it.

The story took me on a journey through a fictional world filled with political intrigues and power struggles. The author did a good job of creating a complex and detailed setting. However, the large number of characters made it a bit difficult for me to keep track of everyone. At times, it felt like the story was trying too hard to be clever and ended up being a bit contrived.

Despite these flaws, I still found the book engaging. The political themes were thought-provoking and the action scenes were exciting. I also liked the way the author explored the relationships between the characters. Overall, it was a worthwhile read, but I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second part.

Flight of the Nighthawks is the opening installment of the Darkwar Saga, which is the third-to-last subseries within the expansive Riftwar Cycle.

My feelings towards this book were rather mixed. At times, it managed to grip my attention firmly, but there were also moments when I struggled to stay focused. While external distractions could potentially be a factor, I don't think they were any worse this week compared to recent weeks. All the books in this series have had recaps to some degree, but in this one, they seemed particularly tiresome. Whenever I found myself zoning out and thinking about something else instead of reading, I would almost always return to the book only to discover that I was reading a recap. I can imagine that those who had a longer interval between reading the books, especially those who read this series over many years as it was originally released, might have appreciated these recaps more. However, I have read the first 24 books within the past 6 months, so the details are still quite vivid in my mind.

Apart from the recaps, which were especially prominent in the tiresome scenes involving the magicians, most of the story managed to hold my attention reasonably well. Feist employed a number of familiar plot devices and character types that I generally enjoy, but there wasn't really anything truly novel here. I didn't sense that any significant progress was made in the overarching plot, and the ending was somewhat of an "ugh, not again" moment. However, perhaps my perspective will change by the conclusion of this trilogy.

I'm inclined to rate this book at 3.5 stars since I was entertained for the majority of it. Nevertheless, I'm rounding down to 3 on Goodreads due to the frequent sensations of repetitiveness and sameness.

I’ve been reading all of Feist’s books back to back, and this is number 23 (or perhaps 24?).

Just like all box sets, after going through so much similar work, you start to notice some real repetition and certain verbal or written ticks.

This particular book is one of his okay ones. While some of his books have been truly great, the majority are mediocre, and a few are just awful.

Generally speaking, his best books seem to feature all the main long-lived magical characters. In this book, it was nice to return to some magic and also the great Kesh. However, if I have to read about one more throat being cut and “fountaining blood” one more time, I might just fall asleep!

It seems that Feist has a bit of a pattern in his writing, and while this book has its redeeming qualities, it also has its flaws.

Nonetheless, I’ll probably continue reading his books to see if he can break out of this pattern and produce something truly outstanding again.

The Riftwar continues.

I absolutely loved that this story had such a wonderful blend of old and new characters. Some of them made personal appearances, while others were just mentioned, but each one added depth and richness to the narrative.

It was great to see the return of familiar faces, as they brought with them a sense of nostalgia and continuity. At the same time, the introduction of new characters added an element of新鲜感 and excitement.

The way the author wove these characters together, both in person and through mentions, created a vivid and engaging world that I couldn't help but get lost in.

Overall, the inclusion of these characters, both old and new, was one of the many highlights of this story and made it a truly enjoyable read.

Good read.

This simple phrase holds a world of meaning. When we come across a good read, it has the power to transport us to different places, introduce us to new ideas, and evoke a wide range of emotions.

A good read can be a thrilling adventure story that keeps us on the edge of our seats, a thought-provoking non-fiction book that expands our knowledge, or a heartwarming novel that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

It can be a classic that has stood the test of time or a new release that takes the literary world by storm.

Regardless of what it is, a good read is a precious thing that we can cherish and share with others.

So the next time you pick up a book and find yourself completely engrossed, remember that you are experiencing the magic of a good read.

An inauspicious start to this trilogy indeed.

Feist seems to have reduced this to a formula, with strict ingredients and instructions. It's a standard trilogy starter, featuring cardboard characters and a generic plot. Pug, Miranda, Nakor, and Tomas take their turns as usual in this fantasy, but without much to remind us of why we liked them in the first place. Leso Varen, the mad mage from the previous trilogy, is back and even madder. He's a guy who just won't die!

Some cheap theatrics and poorly written intrigue in the court of Kesh lead to giant plot holes and inconsistencies that will carry us through the rest of this muddled mess.

Unlike some of his earlier novels, this one is a fast-paced and fast-moving tale, full of excitement. But where is our love for the characters? It's simply not there. How many times can Nakor grin after every sentence? How many times can characters shrug nonchalantly? It gets irritating.

Pug is completely lost and confused in this book. Given that he's the leader of the Conclave and supposedly the most important, knowledgeable, and powerful magician in the universe, Feist doesn't give him much to do and makes him seem like an idiot compared to the Pug of the Riftwar. It's a travesty to see a major fantasy figure like Pug reduced to this. Magnus, Jommy, and the rest of the "kids" are poor imitations of Jimmy the Hand and others. Pity that Erik von Darkmoor of the Serpentwar Saga actually seems like a complex and interesting figure compared to these people.

However, the story does move along quite rapidly, and Leso Varen is entertaining in a silly sort of way. As the most powerful necromancer in the world, all he could produce was some black flame and a scary voice. Sheesh. The Dasati are appropriately frightening, but they don't measure up to the dread we felt at the entrance of the Tsuaranni so long ago. More's the pity.

Two stars for the story and a decent start to what could potentially be an interesting saga.