Another heroic romance, which is one of my favorite types of reading, "Magician-Master" is the one that I reacted to most strongly among the 5-book series. Feist wrote this as his second novel. However, from the very beginning, to me, it seems that he had a good understanding of what makes a story engaging.

Pug and Tomas are two young boys who embark on their journeys to adulthood in quite different ways. Pug, an orphan who was fostered by Tomas' parents, becomes an apprentice magician. On the other hand, Tomas, who is taller and stronger, enters service as a guardsman.

Thus, Feist commences a "coming of age" tale where an attack from another world begins in "Magician: Apprentice" in a duchy on the far western reaches of a kingdom. In the second book, Pug has been captured and transported to the world of Kelewan, where his magical talents are discovered and then refined. The Riftwar continues and intensifies while Pug grows in his mastery of the magic arts. Indeed, it was fortunate for him that he was captured, as it is only in Kelewan that his skills could have been fully developed. The two thirteen-year-olds have now been separated by events, and Tomas has also gained a certain magical power that drives him to become a champion of the world of Elves and ultimately to become the consort of the Elven Queen. Meanwhile, Pug too has been married and become a magician of remarkable power.

This series will always remain one of my favorites, along with "The Lord of the Rings" by Tolkien, "The Chronicles of Narnia" by Lewis, and "The Belgariad" by Eddings. It offers a captivating blend of adventure, magic, and character development that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

I don't think I've ever witnessed a story that has evolved to such an extent as the Riftwar Saga. From the very beginning of Magician: Apprentice all the way to the conclusion of Magician: Master, Raymond E. Feist takes us on an extraordinary journey. He commences by telling a classic Arthurian tale and then transforms it into a sweeping, multidimensional (literally) fantasy epic.

The initial two books in this series were originally published as a single entity, albeit in a much more edited form. This is the author's definitive edition, and it is presented in two volumes in the United States. I quite like the concept of this being one book, although it functions perfectly well as two. When I envision this as one continuous story, I find great pleasure in contemplating its starting point and where it ultimately concludes.

Just like in the previous book, the worldbuilding is extremely enjoyable (or in this case, worldSbuilding). There is an outstanding equilibrium between the familiar and the unknown. Feist makes use of the tried-and-true tropes of elves, dwarves, goblins, and so on, as popularized by Tolkien, while simultaneously narrating a completely original story about a war between different worlds.

If there is one aspect that truly stood out to me in this book, it would无疑 be the characters. There are an abundance of them, but somehow, I found myself caring deeply about each and every one of them. I adored seeing how these once-children in the early chapters of the first book have developed into heroes.

Overall, Magician: Master is an outstanding "part two" of a remarkable story. Feist achieves a brilliant balance between the classic and the creative. If you have a penchant for traditional fantasy epics but are渴望 something more original, look no further than the Riftwar Saga.

Lots of plot, very little characterization. The young men of the first book, Pug and Tomas, grow up and by the second book’s end are reunited. However, several things felt a little off to me. Firstly, it seems rather implausible that both youngsters should have such an easy time becoming very powerful men. Secondly, Macros choosing to instigate treachery rather than negotiate with the Midkemians and Tsurani is also a bit hard to swallow. And finally, the fact that everyone at book’s end would just be so accepting of the whole situation is quite unrealistic. In fact, so many potentially highly charged situations are solved easily through a few questions and answers, which is very unlike the real world of politics and family relations.

I did acquire a fondness for Prince Arutha that I didn’t have in the first book. He is probably the most well-rounded character in the second volume. I suspect that at some point in book three, he will be happily married off to Princess Anita, who is showing herself to be a remarkably sensible young woman. I also look forward to his altered relationship with Martin Longbow.

In many ways, the plot is tied up with a nice bow at the end of book 2 and one wonders if Feist meant to go on writing the series. He has left just enough loose ends to justify a 3rd volume, but it is hardly a cliff-hanger ending that would impel the reader on to the next installment.

Overall, the book is enjoyable in a “what happens next” sense, but it is pretty disappointing if one is interested in complex characters. Praise be to interlibrary loan, which meant that I did not have to pay to read this book!