A Darkness At Sethanon

A Darkness at Sethanon is the concluding installment of the Riftwar Saga, which is the first subseries within Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar Cycle.

Similar to the previous books in the series, this one offered a captivating story that maintained my interest throughout. However, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as its predecessors. There seemed to be a reduction in the enjoyable banter that I had relished in the earlier books, although there were still several excellent moments. Additionally, while the book wrapped up the story fairly well, I had some reservations about the way it was done.

I'll now expand on my previous comments:

I felt that the Pug and Tomas storyline was a bit excessive. These were the only parts where my attention waned. Fortunately, they constituted only a small fraction of the book. It appeared as if one "grand event" was being piled on top of another. Yes, it was indeed high time an oracle was introduced. And what great fantasy tale doesn't include a visit to the Halls of the Dead? Oh, and a long hallway with portals to numerous different worlds would be a neat addition. I'm omitting a few details here. Each place they visited was purportedly more incredibly challenging to reach than the last. Tomas and Pug also seemed to possess or acquire overly powerful abilities. Tomas' powers, in particular, seemed to emerge out of nowhere, with a rather nebulous explanation that the existence of the Valheru granted him additional powers that he no longer had at the end of the book once they were defeated.

I was far more engaged in the more down-to-earth aspects - the near-assassination of Arutha, faking his death, the search for Murmandamus, the massive battle at Armengar, the race to Sethanon, and so on. This made it all the more frustrating for me that many of these actions didn't amount to much or, in some cases, actually aided the enemy in the end. For instance, the battle at Armengar, where they managed to kill a large number of invaders, only served to strengthen Murmandamus as he fed off the deaths of both friends and foes. Arutha's battle with Murmandamus didn't truly achieve anything, and even Pug's and Kulgan's efforts to keep the rifts closed and Tomas' fight with the Valheru only postponed the destruction. The real "hero" was the lifestone, or perhaps the gods, which somehow destroyed the Valheru in an inexplicable manner. We don't even know if Tomas' sword in the lifestone had any impact or if it was merely a coincidence. After spending so much time reading about the actions and sufferings of my heroes, I simply wanted to see their efforts amount to more.

Despite my sarcastic remarks, I truly did enjoy most of the story, and I have a great affection for the characters. However, I also have to admit that there are some issues. Nevertheless, the aspects that I do love make up for it, and I'm certain that the nostalgia factor is playing a role.

From the very beginning until the end of the Riftwar Saga, Feist has masterfully crafted a web of expectations for the captivating world of Midkemia. Indeed, in "A Darkness at Sethanon", the fourth and final installment, he not only meets but exceeds these expectations in the most remarkable way. He presents a story that is strong, complex, and rich, delving deeper into both the characters and the world-building itself. This takes us on an incredible fantasy adventure that spans across space and time.

A year has elapsed since the events of the mysterious Silverthorn. Now, as the people of the Kingdom of the Isles gear up for the Festival of Presentation, those previous adventures seem like distant memories. However, lurking in the shadows, the ancient Enemy is meticulously formulating his plans for the domination of Midkemia. One day, young Jimmy receives an unexpected message from an old fellow-thief, and he discovers that the evil plots to destroy Prince Arutha and the Kingdom of the Isles are perilously close. This brings great turmoil to the heart of Krondor, thrusting them into new challenges and even greater adventures.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Pug, having unearthed some of the secrets of the forgotten elf race, commences his own adventure along with Tomas - the Prince-Consort and Warleader of Elvandar. They embark on a quest to find an ancient sorcerer who was believed to have passed away at the end of the Riftwar with the Tsurani. This sorcerer, with the help of Pug and Tomas, holds the key to restoring the hope they so desperately need and saving the world of Midkemia before it's too late. But with the army of the ancient Enemy on the verge of striking, their adventures this time will be far more arduous than ever. Failure could mean not only the destruction of Midkemia but also of the entire multiverse.

When I first embarked on this series, I must admit, my expectations were not overly high. At the time of its publication, the Fantasy genre was still in its nascent stages, seeking its footing. However, as I progressed from one book to the next, this gradually changed, and the story became something far more exciting than I had anticipated. Feist not only managed to raise those expectations to a high level but also won me over through his engaging characters, making me fall in love with them.

Now, finally reaching the end of this first leg of the "huge" series, Feist has delivered a powerful and epic story in this book. His writing has ascended to another, higher plane than in the previous two installments. He immerses us in a great war, where the heroes must confront new challenges and difficulties, while also creating an incredibly wonderful multiverse that leaves us in awe of his imaginative ideas.

To be sure, I cannot claim that Feist's writing is flawless. Nevertheless, he manages to maintain the story's interest and entertainment value throughout the book, which, in my opinion, is the most crucial element. In conclusion, I would like to state that the last book of this series, in my belief, meets every expectation. Although Feist initially appears to be adhering to the common standards of the Fantasy genre, he manages to break free and bring his own unique style, breathing life into the characters, constructing a beautiful world, and presenting an even more thrilling story.

On the Russian Mountains

The conclusive act of Riftwar is fun and enjoyable, even though it includes in the package some trinkets that serve as a runway for narrative resolutions that it would be a compliment to call abhorrent (the final duel, but also the entire initial part dedicated to the seer or the ubiquity of Guy the Dark).
Conversely, it is striking to note how some objectively interesting intuitions - the identity of the Enemy, the time trap with Pug and Macros - seem almost to be confined within the dimension traced by the novel. After taking into account the highs and lows of the work, the entire conclusion of the trilogy is nothing more than the classic deployment of the forces at play, in view of a conclusive battle that, perhaps, turns out to be more one-sided than expected.

The Riftwar trilogy is an excellent compromise for those who would like to read a well-crafted fantasy, especially in terms of character characterization and worldbuilding construction, without sacrificing a rather classic framework for this.
It is still necessary to underline, however, that we are far from the deep ambitions pursued by modern sagas such as A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wheel of Time or The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

**A Review of “A Darkness at Sethanon”**

“A Darkness at Sethanon” concludes “The Riftwar Saga” trilogy. It offers a climactic ending with some truly epic moments. However, it also has its flaws. The story picks up a year after “Silverthorn” and focuses on the battle against Murmandamus. While the premise is exciting and the battles are well-written, the book suffers from a lack of focus on the characters that the reader has come to love.

Pug and Tomas, who were the main characters in the first book, are sidelined for much of the story. Instead, we are given large segments on Arutha and Jimmy. While their story is important, it feels like a missed opportunity to not explore more of Pug and Tomas’s powers and their role in the final conflict. The predictability of the storyline also detracts from the overall experience.

Despite these flaws, “A Darkness at Sethanon” is still a good book. The battle sequences are intense and the final confrontation at Sethanon is truly epic. The book ends the series on a satisfying note and leaves the reader with a sense of closure. Overall, “The Riftwar Saga” is a classic fantasy series that is worth reading. While “A Darkness at Sethanon” may not be the strongest book in the trilogy, it still offers an exciting and engaging story that will appeal to fans of the genre.

Kaboom! Puff.

Koniec.

Murmandamus is once again gathering his dark forces to strike at the Kingdom. What mystery draws him to Sethanon? Pug and Thomas, two once inseparable friends, are once again standing side by side to find a solution and save their homeland. Are they able to defeat the unknown power that they will have to measure up against?

I don't like the last volumes. One gets attached to the characters throughout the whole cycle, gets used to them, and then it's the end and that's it. "Mrok w Sethanon" doesn't deviate from the other parts, although I must admit that at times it contained a bit too much philosophizing for my taste (especially when we were wandering with Pug). In my case, the most important thing is the action, not the musings about the essence of things (I guess I should fight against that).

7/10

The final book of the Riftwar series truly brings all the previous elements to a crescendo. It is a captivating and fast-paced action story that brims with even more excitement than its predecessors. To be quite honest, I had completely forgotten everything from my initial reading of this book, so it felt entirely new to me. :)

I was truly delighted by the way the story reached its conclusion. However, what truly left a lasting impression on me was the remarkable expansion of the world-building within this book. The way the history is meticulously pieced together spans across an entire multiverse of space and time. At one point, some of the main characters embark on a journey back to just after the big bang. This not only presents a plethora of possibilities but also elucidates a great deal about how Feist managed to pen 30 or more books set in the same worlds.

This time around, I am inclined to award it 4 stars rather than 5. Over the past 30 years, I have delved into a vast amount of epic fantasy, and this particular offering just doesn't quite measure up to the 5-star standard anymore.

I have just finished reading this saga and I can only be satisfied with what I have read.

It is not George Martin or Robert Jordan. It is not a saga that brings something new. In essence, it is all about the struggle between good and evil. When this happens with greater or lesser difficulty, one knows which side the balance will tilt towards, which makes the ending somewhat predictable. However, this does not prevent one from saying that we are facing a very good saga, with surprises after surprises, very interesting characters and a very coherent plot. And to all this, we must also add a very fluent writing, which helps us not to have great breaks in the reading rhythm, making it consistent, always pleasant and full of action and revelations.

I really liked the first two volumes (in the original, one volume) which had several interesting factors and which in essence closed a cycle, but it had not been something that had captivated me as much as the following two volumes.

When we move on to "The Silverthorn", the main arc of the plot is changed. I think that on the one hand, the inclusion of a new villain, mysterious and always leaving us sighing to know more, the inclusion of a secondary character, Jimmy, a street urchin to whom no one will be indifferent, the demand that the group has to go through and of course, already preparing for the end of the story, I think it has ultimately brought an enormous added value to the plot.

But when we move on to this volume (for me, the best of all), where we finally start to be given a lot of information that we were lacking to understand all the motivations of the above-mentioned villain, what moves him, what is at stake, then I think the writer did very well. It was original, it surprised me with some revelations and it prepared everything for a well-developed end, where the loose ends were properly tied up and everything was well explained.

Of course, I am not going to make great revelations here, but I loved the idea that Arutha had for Jimmy, leaving me with enormous curiosity to read the following sagas, which fortunately will be possible and already this year, as the publisher has already confirmed that it will continue to publish Feist ;)

Obviously, there was a lot to discuss about the saga/book, but I also don't want to spoil anyone and to be honest, I'm not very good at criticism either :P

This will surely be one of the best books I have read this year and a serious candidate for the best book of 2012. So, I can only recommend its reading.

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