After reading the first two volumes, and despite my vehement criticism of Feist's blatant copying of the Tolkienian world, I couldn't help but read the remaining two volumes of the Magician saga. And, as I came to perceive through the narrative evolution, the story improved a bit. Not only the story. Both Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon were superior books to the first volumes of the series.

One of the main assets of the second half of this saga is the inclusion of interesting characters like Jimmy the Hand and his sarcastic remarks, as well as the greater focus on Arutha. The people who work in the swamps, where we find Pug, are also more pleasant to me, seeing them as somewhat indigenous, but also inspired by Chinese culture. The various settings chosen by the author to give wings to his imagination seemed to me much more acceptable.

But the asset of these two volumes, especially the last one, are the battle descriptions. Raymond E. Feist may not be a brilliant writer, but he describes battle scenes in epic fantasy very well, without neglecting military details or the confusion of shouts and orders that are mandatory in this field of writing. Which is always a plus.

I liked the way the saga developed and concluded, but at no time did it even occur to me to include Feist among the top 10 fantasy literature authors, as he is sometimes included. It is an enjoyable read, but I emphasize that it does not come close to the heels of names like Steven Erikson, Robin Hobb or George R. R. Martin. Not by a long shot.

When Silverthorn begins, one year has passed since the war against the Tsurani. Peace reigns in Midkemia, but Arutha, now Prince of Krondor, has new problems on his hands. During his marriage to Anita, a young thief from the Thieves' Guild saves the prince from a beast assassin, a Nighthawk destined to kill him. To save his bride, Arutha has to set off in search of an antidote to the arrow's poison, the so-called Silverthorn.

In the following book, A Darkness at Sethanon, the world is under siege. Pug, now married to Kilana, a family man and also a master of magic known as Milamber, receives a terrible warning. Macros, whom he thought was dead, seems to be calling him. The mysterious enemy now begins to be revealed and show its tentacles, while its legions advance on the Kingdom of the Isles. On one side, Arutha, Tomas and their companions fight on the earthly world, on the other, Pug and Macros fight for magic.

It seemed to me a competent conclusion to this saga, with Silverthorn alluding more to the dirtiness of the world, to street pursuits, the life of thieves that I very much like to see in books, and this A Darkness at Sethanon presenting a great and definitive battle on two distinct levels that converge and that present an end that seemed worthy to me.

This year I will still start the Empire trilogy that Feist wrote together with Janny Wurts, and I hope it is more complex and realistic than this first series. As I said before, this Magician saga is quite basic and not very innovative for today's times, but it works as an excellent gateway for those who know little about fantasy literature.

http://noticiasdezallar.wordpress.com

I'm truly disappointed in this series. I had a profound love for Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. However, after those initial installments, the series took an unexpected turn. Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon possess a completely distinct feel compared to the Magician books. The element of magic seems to practically vanish, and the majority of both books consists of one battle after another. It becomes incredibly tiresome and monotonous. In my opinion, the series should have gracefully concluded after Magician: Master.

If you find yourself interested in delving into this series, my advice is to most definitely read the Magician books, as they are truly outstanding. Then, peruse the first 100 pages of Silverthorn. If it captures your interest, you will likely relish the remainder of the series. However, if, like me, you find yourself bored to the point of tears, it would be advisable to stop there and simply read the plot summaries for the last two books on Wikipedia.

I personally felt that A Darkness at Sethanon is an outstanding book and a perfect conclusion to an excellent fantasy series.

The author significantly enhanced the action, and the battle of Armengar is truly astonishing. If there is one aspect of The Riftwar Saga that I will always铭记, it is indeed the battle of Armengar. The remainder of the action is written extremely well, and the author's utilization of the character Guy is masterfully executed.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the battle scenes in the novel, I was truly perplexed by some of the events that occur with Pug and Tomas. The portion of the storyline centered around Pug and Tomas reminded me more of a science fiction novel rather than a traditional fantasy one. I understand that the use of rifts might be regarded as having science fiction elements, but the space and time traveling segments of the book made me believe that the author did not have a clear vision as to whether he intended the premise of the novel to be fantasy or science fiction.

Despite this minor issue, I thought the novel was very well-written, and the ending can only be described as fitting.

To check out the full review, click on the link below. [http://www.thefantasyreview.com/2007/...]

This book is the third installment in the Riftwar saga, coming after 'Magician' and 'Silverthorn'. It is an improvement over 'Silverthorn', yet it cannot be read as a standalone novel. It serves as the final book in the trilogy (although in the US, 'Magician' was originally split into 2 parts, so it is sometimes referred to as book 4). There are other books and series set in the same world with some of the same characters that can be read after this one.

What we have here is good, fun high fantasy. It contains all the usual cliches that one might expect from the genre, but there is a whole lot more to it besides. The story is told in a fun and enjoyable way, making it a great read for fans of high fantasy. Whether you are new to the Riftwar saga or a long-time fan, this book is sure to satisfy.

Veliko finale!

History unfolds as the overthrown gods prepare their return, and the means to achieve this lies in a bloody battle of epic proportions!

The darkness above Setanon is a perfect combination of a qualitatively and detailedly constructed fictional world and dynamic action.

This story takes readers on a thrilling journey through a realm filled with mystery, danger, and powerful forces.

The vivid descriptions bring the setting to life, allowing us to envision the gloomy landscapes and the intense conflicts that unfold.

As the gods plot their comeback, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and we are left on the edge of our seats, eager to see how it all ends.

Will the forces of good prevail, or will the darkness consume everything?

Only time will tell in this exciting and engaging tale.

This is a rather challenging book to systematize. There are numerous aspects within it that I truly appreciate. Locklear's sudden character leaps are at the forefront; he was my favorite from the very beginning, and the direction his arc takes is both unexpected and fascinating. Moreover, the first two-thirds of the book are far from dull. I also liked that the revelation of the "Enemy," although not completely mind-blowing, does make a great deal of sense. It follows from the elements that the book has been emphasizing and is not just some random "big threat from outside the universe."

However, this leads into what failed miserably for me. I'll keep this as ambiguous as possible to avoid any meaningful spoilers. There comes a point in the book where certain characters find themselves in a "time trap." They are sent back in time, one second for every forward second. Their means of escape is to accelerate the trap until they reach the Big Bang, before time itself, thereby removing the "bars of the cage." So these characters return to where they were, from the dawn of time. They also catch glimpses of hundreds of other worlds (perhaps even one that could be ours), and so on. In my opinion, if you have characters journey to the dawn of time and then return, you should do something significant with that. For all the impact this had on the story, it might as well have been that they got caught in a silly net trap in the woods and hacked their way out. What was the point of all of that? Then, right before the climax is about to begin, there is an extremely long flashback that is supposed to be a major revelation, I believe. But essentially, it just fills in minor gaps and reminds us of things we already knew. Overall, the book was somewhat satisfying (if you like Feist's style - it's definitely an acquired taste), but it is full of elements that an editor should have pointed out as adding nothing to the story.

Furthermore, the proofreading is atrocious. I have a relatively modern copy of the book (with the terrible cover art of a man with gout in one hand next to a woman who seems disinterested. I'm not sure who they're supposed to be), and I can't believe they didn't have a proofreader look at the book after about 10 years or something. There are mistakes like "severa" instead of "several," one random instance of "judgement" instead of "judgment," "to" instead of "too," and the list goes on and on. It's both distracting and annoying.

Really struggled over what to rate this book.

On one hand, the characters are truly great, and the story is interesting enough to keep me engaged. However, on the other hand, the lack of clear rules to the magic system is a bit of a drawback. It made some situations seem somewhat too easy, as if the characters could just use magic to solve any problem without much effort.

Moreover, Tomas and Pug's quest took a rather strange turn. It felt quite out of place with the rest of the book, especially the part that was like Mario Kart on Rainbow Road, which was the worst of it.

Overall, I think over time, my rating for this book may drop to a 3/5. It has its strengths, but also some notable weaknesses that prevent it from being a truly outstanding read.

Near the beginning, I was almost truly impressed. It seemed as if he might have actually killed off a major character, which had me on the edge of my seat. However, it was all just a ruse. To my great disappointment, I figured it out a good number of pages before the big reveal.

After that, I fell into a slump. I wasn't reading very much at all. And this is the worst thing when it comes to consuming a book like this, because I failed to stay engaged for at least 100 pages. So perhaps anything negative I have to say may have more to do with my state of mind at that time, and maybe even my allergies, rather than anything intrinsic to the book itself.

Thankfully, I did finally get my feet back under me. Once the first siege commenced, I started reading at a good pace again. I must admit, I don't like the political scheming aspects of this series as much as the more fantastical elements. Something about all the bickering over who will marry whom, and who will take on what title, just makes me yawn. So, I ended up enjoying the final third of the book substantially more than the middle.

Overall, it's still just boiler-plate epic fantasy with some fairly standard flaws. It's decent enough, but not amazing. Some of the banter is just goofy. However, I do like the broader world (or universe) building, and there are some good ideas in here.

I already have books from other arcs (something like 30 books) and in fact, I have a hard-cover of the final book that I got from the big book give-away at work all those years back. So now I need to decide, do I commit to the rest?

This is a truly good concluding volume in the remarkable Riftwar saga. It brings a sense of closure and satisfaction to the story arc that has captivated readers for so long.

After this, the journey will continue with the Empire Trilogy. This trilogy is widely regarded as one of the very best ever created. It has all the elements that make for a great read - complex characters, a rich and immersive world, and a thrilling plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Readers are sure to be excited to dive into the Empire Trilogy and see what new adventures and challenges await them. It promises to be an unforgettable experience that will further expand and enrich the already magnificent Riftwar universe.

Overall, this is an exciting time for fans of the Riftwar saga, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.

Review blog post here: https://leonahenry.wordpress.com/2014...

This blog post offers a review of the book "A Darkness at Sethanon" by Raymond E. Feist.

The reviewer likely delves into the various aspects of the book, such as the plot, characters, and writing style.

Perhaps they discuss how the story unfolds, the challenges faced by the main characters, and the overall atmosphere created by the author.

The review may also include personal opinions and insights, as well as comparisons to other works by Feist or within the same genre.

Readers can expect to gain a better understanding of the book through this review, helping them to decide whether it is a worthwhile read for them.

Overall, the blog post provides a valuable resource for those interested in Raymond E. Feist's work or in the fantasy genre in general.

Finally, the first series of the Riftwar Cycle has come to an end. It is truly a remarkable journey that I have thoroughly enjoyed. There is so much to discuss and explore about this captivating series.

The Riftwar Cycle has taken readers on an adventure filled with magic, battles, and complex characters. The world-building is outstanding, with vivid descriptions that bring the fictional realms to life. Each book in the series builds upon the previous ones, creating a rich and immersive story arc.

I have become deeply invested in the fates of the characters, and their growth and development throughout the series have been a joy to witness. The author's writing style is engaging and keeps the reader hooked from start to finish. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this series and the characters that I have come to love.

Full review - http://randombookthought.blogspot.com...

I started this book with great enthusiasm, the fourth and final in the Magician saga.

The story continues with Arutha's battle against Murmandamus, which was left unresolved in the previous book. The entire plot of this battle is surprising, detailed, and full of many surprises. Arutha continues to play a very important and prominent role throughout the book, making it impossible not to like him.

But for me, the great highlights in this book are three extraordinary characters, Pug, Tomas, and Macros. It is finally in this book that we uncover the truth about the great wizard Macros, his role in the war against the Tsurani, the story behind his mysterious island, and the reason for the manipulations he made on some characters. Tomas also gains a lot of importance, and throughout the book, we can see how strong he is, and having fought against his nature before, it is this that proves to be so decisive for great events. Pug once again manages to surpass himself as a magician, continuing to learn, acquire new knowledge and powers that he himself did not know.

The passages with these three characters are really good and are perhaps some of my favorite parts of the entire saga.

I had hoped, however, for a more active role by Jimmy since he gained so much prominence in the previous book. However, Feist leaves us with a surprise at the end related to this character, and I am curious to see what the result is.

Since the first book, there have been several questions left unanswered, and the author never revealed them to us, but in this one, we find their answers, or almost all of them that have arisen throughout the 4 books. Feist's writing is extremely pleasant and makes us want to keep reading. The world he has created is magnificent, and even though this book is the end of this saga, there is still a lot of "material" to be developed. "The Darkness at Sethanon" manages to grip us from beginning to end, surprising us for many different reasons with many details throughout the story that the author left until the end. The book completely exceeded my expectations.

In summary, "The Magician" is an excellent fantasy saga that I recommend to everyone who is a fan of this type of literature. The first book is the weakest but still good, and from there, the story becomes increasingly interesting and deserves an excellent rating.