I devoured this book and the next four back in the late eighties.

I seriously desired more. And yet, I never did get around to picking up all the subsequent books until now.

Of course, I needed to re-read an old love and see if it stands up to the test of time. And you know what I found?

Fantastical fantasy goodness! I love it! And you know what's better? The author did a bang-up job of re-editing this "author-preferred" text. There are an extra 50k words, side plots, characters, and more rounding of the world. The old story was not touched, just enhanced. What can I say?

I like this novel better this time. :)

The great elements remain. And now, through my YA-jaded eyes, what could have been a cringe-worthy love triangle was nothing of the sort. Becoming an apprentice, solidifying life-long friendships, going on an adventure full of pathos and seeming tragedy ends with lots of valor, gorgeous descriptions, and a vast, sweeping war.

Alien invaders in the literal sense, if not in an SF sense. Alternate world, rifts, magics, slavery, and SO MUCH VALOR! :)

I'm SO glad I'm revisiting this. I fully plan to read all the way through this next year. :) Yay! What a treat!

This is a part of a personal challenge to read older fantasy.

After reading the first half of this book, I was almost certain that it was just a three-star read for me. However, in the second part of the story, the author really stepped up his game and completely blew me away.

This is the typical tale of a young boy, a kingdom in danger, and magic. The issue I had with the first half was that there was an overwhelming amount of information being presented, and there seemed to be so many different races of people moving around. I thought to myself, "What on earth does this guy think he is, Tolkien? He can't create another Middle Earth!" But in the second half of the book, everything came together perfectly for me and it all made sense. I apologize to Raymond E. Feist - yes, you can, yes, you did, and I absolutely loved it.

This was Feist's first publication, but the edition I read was a re-issue, the "Author's preferred edition". In the forward to this book, he states that he changed nothing and only added a few small things that had been originally cut due to the length. I'm glad about that, as this was my first experience with Feist.

I am definitely going to continue this series and watch as his writing and world-building skills develop.

Do I recommend this? Honestly, this is an old-school Good VS Evil story - but Feist had a great story to tell and it's a really good one. If you love good epic fantasy, then yes, I recommend this 100%.

I. I find myself in a rather frustrated state as I can't take the words in this book anymore.

Well, to be fair, it's not entirely the book's fault. At the moment, everything seems to be driving me to want to take a shot of hard liquor, and unfortunately, this book didn't manage to divert my mind from that inclination.

I guess it's clear that I'm not suited for retro high fantasy. I didn't grow up reading SFF or playing RPG, and I only started reading Tolkien when the movies came out. As a result, I have no memories associated with these genre classics, and I have absolutely no appreciation for the chosen farm boys with extravagant destinies to fulfill and/or empires to save.

However, in a sense, I did finish this book. What I mean by that is I skimmed about 80% of it, read the middle until it lost my interest, and then read the ending to see if I should proceed to Part II. The answer is a resounding no as it is clearly not for me.

During all that skimming, though, I did come across something interesting around the halfway point. There's a rift in the space-time continuum - a RIFTwar, as I see. A horde of something from an alien world comes through the portal to invade the world of Midkemia (which is like a fantasy Dark Ages Western Europe). This was interesting for about a dozen pages, as most wars in secondary worlds are, but I couldn't get fully engaged because the prose started to drag again. So instead of going back a few chapters to catch what I had missed leading up to the rift and the war, I simply skimmed right on to the end.

I think the basic framework of this story is good, and the story itself could have been a lot more interesting if the pacing had been faster and the prose - perhaps better, tighter, or shaved down to the bare minimum - had more focus on the immediate scene. I understand that you have to show characterization and a character's inner life, but there are just so many characters to deal with, and high fantasy in general has a tendency to drag these things out, even for minor characters. I'm not sure if there's a way around this. I'm just not a fan of overly explain-y prose styles and uninspired narration.

* * * * *

This edition was not the one I actually read.

Apparently, this book was divided into two halves when it was first released, Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. It wasn't until relatively recently that the two halves were re-released as one book, as Raymond Feist had originally intended.

I read/power-skimmed through the re-released edition, but I'm too lazy to update this write-up to the correct edition.

* * * * *

Cross-posted at https://covers2covers.wordpress.com/2...

From page one to the last page of this book, you simply cannot put it down.

Raymond Feist is a master storyteller who has crafted an absolute masterpiece in "Magician". In this remarkable novel, he creates not one, but two incredible and exquisitely well-described worlds.

The story follows the lives of two boys as they embark on their journey of growing up. Their paths diverge in the most fascinating way, leading them towards two very different destinies of glory.

Feist's vivid descriptions bring these worlds to life, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in the adventure. The characters are complex and relatable, and their struggles and triumphs will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

"Magician" is a must-read for any fan of fantasy literature. It is a captivating and unforgettable tale that will transport you to a world of magic, adventure, and wonder.

3.5 Stars

I have truly relished this story. For years, I have been aware of this series by Raymond E. Feist, yet I never got around to picking it up (to my detriment until now).

This was an extremely enjoyable story. I read the revised version, and I'm grateful for that. Everything that was added was necessary. Thank you.

Pug is an outstanding character, and his companionship with everyone he encounters is remarkable. He seems to effortlessly make friends with all.

Princess Carline is a highly amusing character. Of course, there is a love triangle, but unfortunately, this has led to problems...towards the end of the book. Ugh. There will surely be issues in the next book.

When these characters were not present in the current scenes, I eagerly hoped that they would return soon.

I love how this series is influenced by Tolkien. It features a variety of races within this world and also adds a few for its own purposes. It worked well for me.

There are all sorts of situations in this book. I really appreciate how the author presents different viewpoints within the overall story.

I will be reading the next book next month (September), unless I have the urge to binge-read this series.

I'm glad that I have finally read Raymond E. Feist.

**Magician Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist: A Captivating Fantasy Adventure**

I am on a mission to reread all 29/30 books in this paperback series. I need to decide which ones I'll love enough to keep or switch to Kindle. Why I'm mentioning all this, I don't know!

I really enjoyed this book! The main character, Pug, is endearing. His friendship with Tomas is heartwarming. Pug becomes the apprentice of the magician Kulgan, while Tomas trains as a soldier. They still manage to find time for each other and get into various adventures. One day, a wrecked ship reveals people from another time. A rift in the world makes Pug and others call them aliens.

Pug is asked to take Princess Carline for a ride in the forest. While having a picnic, they are attacked by trolls. Pug, whose magic wasn't working, manages to use special magic and is accepted into the Duke's court. Now, he's no longer an orphan but a part of the court and a magician's apprentice. He also has a crush on the princess, like many others.

They set out to talk to other princes and dukes about the aliens. The Elf Queen visits, and they all decide to work together. The duke allows Tomas to come along because of Pug. They have a good time until they are attacked, and people and animals start dying. They meet some dwarves, and I loved Chieftan Dolgan. They have to go through underground tunnels and are attacked again. Tomas gets separated, and Dolgan goes back to find him. This is the best part of the book for me as Dolgan finds Tomas with a dragon. The dragon gives them gifts, and something amazing happens. I even cried!

Tomas has to stay with Dolgan, and I'm curious about what will happen next and how they'll reunite with the group. There are many other things that happened, like more separations and attacks. I think the author is setting up something cool for the next book. I just wish Kulgan used his magic more. I also want to know more about the really strong magician who has a tie to the dragon. This book made me think of my childhood, like certain high fantasy books do. I enjoyed it a lot and can't wait to see what happens next.

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

I first read this book shortly after it came out in the early 80's while I was in my 20's.

It's truly remarkable that it's every bit as enjoyable on the 4th read almost 30 years later.

In many ways, it is a very typical fantasy. However, the characters come to life extremely well and the world has enough new elements to make it quite intriguing.

The quick pace hides a complexity that becomes increasingly apparent as the story progresses and we are led deeper into the world.

Since I have a towering TBR pile, I re-read sparingly. But I'm so happy I did this again.

Now, I'm on to Magician: Master. In the hardback and UK editions, these are published as one volume. I prefer paperbacks and am glad the two were split.

Unlike the Jordan bricks, these paperbacks have withstood the test of time due to their reasonable size.

This is one of the first fantasy series that I have read.

Before this, I remember reading the trilogy of Terry Brooks (The Sword of Shannara, The Elfstones of Shannara, The Wishsong of Shannara).

Fist greatly contributed with this series to my continued reading of only fantasy in the following years. I read the first three books of this series in one day! And then came The Tower of the Druids! How insatiable for fantasy I was at that time. Now I enjoy it a little more :D

This series opened up a whole new world of imagination for me. The vivid descriptions and unique characters made me completely immersed in the story. It was like I was transported to a different realm every time I turned the page.

Even though I have read many other fantasy series since then, this one still holds a special place in my heart. It was the beginning of my love for this genre and will always be remembered as a classic.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. It will surely take you on a thrilling journey that you will never forget.

I wanted to like this book. I really did.

First, a major caveat: The Magician: Apprentice is only one part of a two-volume novel. The second volume, The Magician: Master, completes the tale. Given this, it isn’t really fair to judge the first volume on many points, so keep in mind that my review applies almost exclusively to this first volume.

The Magician: Apprentice is a story centered on a magician’s apprentice named Pug who finds himself an unlikely hero when the world of Midkemia is invaded by the Tsurani from another dimension. Unfortunately, the whole thing sounds more exciting than it really is.

First of all, I found myself perpetually annoyed that our hero was named “Pug”. It kept conjuring images of a dog-faced boy with bug-eyes. The name is “cute” in a way that distracted me from believing that he could ever become anything more than a pubescent putz. Furthermore, Pug’s character is thin and cliche. Fiest provides plenty of narration, but Pug performs so few character-defining actions and has so few lines of dialogue that he remains a mystery. Rather than being a participant, I often felt as though the story were happening to him.

Sadly, Kulgan, the magician to whom Pug is apprenticed, is your stereotypical fantasy magician: he is temperamental, wears long robes and a funny hat, sports a long white beard and puffs away on a pipe. That isn’t to say that a fantasy magician shouldn’t appear this way, it’s just that this is all I know of Kulgan. He too is flat and boring.

I really liked the concept of the apprentice magician. It reminds me of Luke Skywalker apprenticing with Obi Wan and Yoda. But we never really see Pug do any apprenticing. He becomes an apprentice, reads a lot, and that’s pretty much it. In fact, we don’t see him doing much other than being conflicted over the Duke’s daughter which, frankly, I thought was lame. I picked up a book called The Magician, not An Average Awkward Fourteen Year Old Boy Discovers Girls.

We also never get to see a scene like the one in which Skywalker observes the master at work: such as Obi Wan’s Jedi mind tricks — “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” — or Yoda lifting the X-Wing from the swamp on Dagobah. We never see Kulgan do anything interesting with magic, so we really don’t have any idea what Pug is shooting for.

There are also problems with the plot itself. First, I have read some of it before in a little tale called The Lord of the Rings. You may have heard of it. Feist’s world is so Tolkienesque that it gives me heartburn. Take, for example, the trek through the mines. You know, the mines dug out by the dwarves who dared to delve deeper than was safe? So deep, in fact, that there are unnamed evils lurking there? No, I’m not talking about the mines of Moria, I’m talking about the mines of Mac Mordian Cadal. Yeah, even the name is somewhat familiar. This is a setting too associated with the The Lord of the Rings to work well anywhere else. Moria is a place that truly scared me, but the mines of Mac Mordian Cadal make me feel like an adult walking through a Disneyland version of Moria. To be fair, the first three quarters of The Magician: Apprentice are almost an unnecessary part of the story. These chapters serve to introduce a variety of characters and place them in position for the inevitable Tsurani invasion. After the invasion, however, the story finally loses its Tolkiensque flavor and begins to take on a life of its own.

Feist fails to consistently pace his story: we jump from “We have been invaded!” to “The war has been going on now for a year and now we’re tired.” You’re telling me that all the excitement surrounding an invasion from another dimension is going to be frittered away like Adam Sandler’s life was fast-forwarded in Click? WTF? I want to be where the fighting is, not in some drawing room talking about strategy a whole year after the war has started.

Feist also has trouble with perspective. At first, we think we’re in third person limited, but Feist frequently hops into third person omniscient. On more than one occasion he switches perspective mid-scene with no line breaks or visual cues. This drives me up the wall. There is nothing more annoying than being in Pug’s head one moment and then hopping over to Kulgan and then back to Pug. It is enough to make a reader go cross-eyed. Furthermore, when we’re supposed to be in Pug’s perspective, Feist insists on telling us things that he can’t possibly know. The narrator’s voice creeps into the story and I find myself wanting to slam the door in his face and tell him to get the hell out.

Overall, I found myself trudging through this book. Although I think the concept of the rift is genius, Feist failed to bring it to fruition. I can’t help but think that Feist’s editor should have rapped him on the knuckles with this manuscript. It never should have left the editor’s desk looking like this. Once I hit a point when I realized that the story had jumped two years ahead in time, I nearly gave up. Massive temporal shifts like that are tough to pull off, but they are made even more difficult when the reader doesn’t give a damn about the characters.

Having started reading the second volume, I can say that much is improved. Feist has finally managed to bring Pug into focus and —- despite its flaws -— I am honestly looking forward to continuing the story.

Started out well.

I really liked the main character at the beginning. It seemed as if the story might turn out to be quite interesting.

Then they walked into the mines of Moria and visited Galadriel in Lothlorien. (He even renamed them all, thinking he was so smart.)

But unfortunately, the main character disappeared halfway through the narrative.

The characters were as flat as cardboard, especially the females. He spent most of his time telling the story rather than showing it.

Eventually, the main character shows up in the second half of this book, which was published as Magician:Master. By that time, he's completely useless except as a plot device. He's boring, self-important, and overall, I really wished he had just stayed kidnapped.

Basically, it was a whole bunch of derivative and almost unmitigated crap. I can't believe I actually read the sequel to this. What on earth was I thinking?

I was so disappointed with this book. It had so much potential at the start, but it just went downhill from there.

The lack of character development and the poor storytelling really made it a chore to read.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

The original novel, which was published in 1982, has been divided into two volumes. Chances are you won't be able to simply read the first one as there are numerous cliffhangers. Nevertheless, I'm going to review this single volume.

It is the first book of the Riftwar Saga, set in the world of Midkemia. It's a coming-of-age story of magician Pug and warrior Tomas as they face otherworldly invaders.

I'm aware that many people have fond memories of reading this book, and it was even a New York Times bestseller.

Indeed, it employs many fantasy tropes - there's the orphan coming-of-age narrative, an old, bearded, pipe-smoking magician, a first love with a princess, magical sword and armor, elves, dwarves, dark elves, trolls, and even a friendly dragon.

This is great stuff for fantasy beginners and I believe it's very suitable as a YA read. It's a light, entertaining page-turner that allows you to relax in your reading chair without straining your brain.

Perhaps I would have loved it 30 years ago as a fantasy newbie.

The problem is that I don't fit into that category. Citing Tolkien, it feels "sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread". I prefer moral twists, tough decisions, and for things to really go wrong without a savior conveniently nearby. I love characters that break free from being archetypes. The world-building seems to have its roots in a roleplaying campaign in some parts, and the pantheon is underdeveloped. I noticed a few story holes (for example, the transition from invasion to full war in one paragraph), and the later changes in POV weren't very logical.

It was okay for me, and in some parts I even liked it - I'd place it in the same category as The Swords of Shannara, some of Salvatore's books, or the World of Warcraft novels. I'll probably regret reading the second half of the novel, Magician: Master, but maybe there's something in it that works better.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

It was the perfect fantasy for me to read as a follow-up to Erickson's "Gardens of the Moon".

I loved the first Malazan book, but it is very dark, chaotic, and harsh.

"Magician: Apprentice", on the other hand, is more what I think you could call cozy sweater fantasy.

This type of fantasy is probably even more enjoyable for me than the grimdarkish stuff.

The story in "Magician: Apprentice" has a certain charm and warmth to it that makes it a pleasure to read.

The characters are well-developed and engaging, and the world-building is detailed and immersive.

I found myself easily getting lost in the story and looking forward to seeing what would happen next.

Overall, I would highly recommend "Magician: Apprentice" to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels, especially those who are looking for something a little different from the typical grimdark fare.