Spoiler alert - Jimmy doesn't die!

This statement comes as a relief to many fans who have been on the edge of their seats, fearing the worst for Jimmy. Throughout the story, there have been numerous tense moments and close calls that have led us to believe that his life was in danger. However, it seems that the writers have decided to spare him for now.

This unexpected turn of events adds an interesting twist to the plot. It makes us wonder what will happen next and how Jimmy's survival will impact the other characters. Will he continue to face challenges and overcome them, or will his newfound lease on life lead him down a different path?

Only time will tell, but for now, we can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Jimmy is still alive and kicking. Let's see what adventures await him in the future.

Enjoyable return!


It has been nearly two decades since I last delved into the captivating world of Raymond Feist's books. Recently, I discovered a particular one that truly fleshed out what was likely my favorite character from those bygone days. This find made my return to Midkemia an even more enjoyable experience. The detailed portrayal of the character added a new layer of depth and intrigue to the already rich and immersive world that Feist has created. If you have had the pleasure of reading the Magician books, then this latest offering is an absolute must-read. It not only revisits the familiar landscapes and characters but also offers fresh perspectives and storylines that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Thank you, Raymond, for once again inviting us into your enchanting literary universe.

Among the three co-authored books, the one I like the least is truly strange. This is because it contains the only recognizable character among all of them. However, despite this, his writing failed to captivate me. Instead of being engaged and drawn into the story, I found myself constantly rushing through the pages just to get it over with. It's quite disappointing as I had initially expected more from this particular book. Maybe it's the style of writing or the way the plot was developed that didn't resonate with me. Nevertheless, it's clear that this book didn't meet my expectations and ended up being my least favorite of the three.

Reading this right after Murder in LaMut likely gave this book a bit of a boost in perception. It's not the pinnacle of the RiftWar Cycle, but it's more than good enough. I was engaged from start to finish. The pace picked up, the characters were decent, and most importantly, the storyline was better. It really highlighted just how disappointing Murder in LaMut was for me.

I've generally liked the detours of the Krondor and Legends of the Riftwar sub-series. Although they have weaker entries compared to the previous books, they still had their merits. Now, I'm eager to get back to the main 'arc' and start the Conclave of Shadows series, beginning with Talon of the Silver Hawk.

4 stars with an average of 7.4/10

My rating system:

1 star: 1.0 - 2.9/10

2 stars: 3.0 - 5.4/10

3 stars: 5.5 - 7.0/10

4 stars: 7.1 - 9.0/10

5 stars: 9.1 - 10/10

Rating based on plot, characters, and writing (2x)

Characters: 7.8/10

Plot: 7.8/10

Writing: 7/10

General enjoyment: 8/10

Review

The reversed damsel in distress trope is nicely executed here. Two girls are striving to save the boy one of them loves. They don't manage it all alone, yet they make an attempt on their own. This aspect is very well done and highly entertaining.

The entire plot leading up to these actions is interesting, intriguing, and quite dark. The unexpected return of necromancers in this book adds a disturbing element but also creates some excellent plot points. The backstory and motivations of the antagonist are crafted very well and directly drive most of the motivation for the actions of our protagonists.

Although some of the characters don't seem to fully think through their actions and sometimes act impulsively, in general, they do consider what and when to do things. It's a good mix of the plot creating situations and the characters reacting to them. So, it's partly character-driven and partly plot-driven, which makes sense as in dangerous situations, one often has to act quickly.

This is likely my favorite of Feist's collaborative works in this series. The Empire Trilogy he wrote with Janny Wurts is still better in my opinion, but it's not really fair to compare an entire trilogy of hefty tomes (500+ pages) with a single book under 400 pages.

I do think the epilogue was unnecessary. I didn't require the details on exactly how his return went. I could have guessed that from the situation he left in. You probably wouldn't read this book if you haven't at least read Magician (and maybe the rest of that trilogy), so you'd know Jimmy returns to Krondor. The timing doesn't matter much as it apparently fits into the rest of the plot. I did wonder what Jimmy had done between the events in which he plays a part in the Riftwar Saga, but not about all the details. He's a thief, and a very good pickpocket and hider, so I just assumed he'd continued living that life.

This book delves into the life of Jimmy the Hand during the midst of the Rift War. It commences with the escape of Arutha and Anita from Krondor. After a series of adventures and misadventures in Krondor, Jimmy is compelled to depart the city and makes his way south to Lands End, where he inadvertently becomes embroiled in the problems of others.

The character development is, as is typical for this series, quite excellent. However, the plotting leaves much to be desired. There is a significant amount of aimless wandering that leads to everyone arriving at the location of the climax almost simultaneously. In this instance, "everyone" includes at least seven viewpoint characters who have not coordinated this meeting. In fact, a large portion of the story consists of various characters coming together and splitting apart in different combinations, often without an obvious rationale.

This book is a collaboration between two authors whose work I highly appreciate. But in some cases of collaboration within an established series, the guest author goes to great lengths to avoid any interference with the main storyline, and that appears to be the situation here. We are introduced to new characters who have no prior or subsequent existence outside of this book, main-series characters who are not affected in any lasting manner, and a rather contrived plot.

Despite all this, the character work does a great deal to propel the story forward, and it contains many small vignettes that are enjoyable to read. However, despite featuring one of my favorite fantasy characters, this is not a particularly strong installment in the Rift War Cycle.

This book was truly the best within the Legends of the Riftwar series.

However, I must admit that I have a bit of a bias as Jimmy is one of my all-time favorite characters.

What made this book stand out was that it felt like I was embarking on a thrilling adventure, rather than trudging through a long and tiresome story about other characters that I didn't really care for in the predecessors.

The chemistry between Fiora and Jimmy was fascinating to read about. It added an extra layer of depth to the story.

Yet, I still wish she had been mentioned in the previous books that occur after these events. It seems as if this is just an internal story, even though it led Jimmy to return to Krondor.

Jimmy himself was an extremely enjoyable character. I loved how the book was set after the events of rescuing Arutha but before he was bestowed with any titles. This展现了 a different side of Jimmy, such as when he contemplates helping Lorrie find Rip.

Despite the fact that it was almost impossible to find a copy of this book where I am located, I managed to get my hands on one in the end and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful read.

The story was okay and it was a good read.

However, I was really looking forward to having an entire book dedicated to one of the best characters in the series (up to this point).

Maybe I hyped it up too much in my mind and had certain expectations about what it was going to be like.

The book was named after Jimmy the Hand, but there was relatively little about him.

I wanted to see more of Jimmy the Hand than what was actually given in the book.

It felt a bit disappointing in that regard.

Overall, it was an okay read, but it didn't quite meet my expectations when it came to the character I was most interested in.

I hope that in future installments, there will be more focus on Jimmy the Hand and we can learn more about his backstory and adventures.

I truly had a great time delving a little deeper into the younger Jimmy the Hand, and this book accomplished that task splendidly.

What I relished the most, however, was the other ensemble of characters incorporated within the story. Each of the younger individuals had a significant role of their own to fulfill. In particular, Lorrie and Flora - both girls were willing to do whatever was requisite, either to lead a life of respectability or to win their respective men.

Jarvis Coe was an enigmatic figure, and it turned out that he was something entirely different from what I had initially presumed him to be. And Bram, despite being the designated heroic type, ultimately found himself captured and then rescued by every character who is typically regarded as the ones in need of rescue themselves! Lol.

All in all, I suppose this book could be regarded as a thrilling and engaging yarn. But, regardless of how one might choose to describe it, I thoroughly relished it.

Magician was my very first foray into the world of paranormal fantasy. From the moment I started reading, I was completely captivated and fell in love instantly. And as they say, the rest is history. I am the proud owner of each and every book in this remarkable series. In fact, they are so old that the pages have turned yellow, but that丝毫 doesn't deter me from rereading them time and time again.

Raymond E Feist is truly an author like no other. His ability to create rich and immersive worlds, filled with complex characters and thrilling adventures, is simply outstanding.

So, do yourself a huge favour and get stuck into this amazing series right now. You will absolutely adore Pug and his extraordinary journey through life, as well as the many other fascinating characters in the spin-off books. Trust me, once you start, you won't be able to put them down.

I really wanted to see more of the boy thief rather than just an adventurer. The idea of a young thief, with his quick wits and nimble fingers, always intrigued me. There was something mysterious and exciting about his actions. I imagined him sneaking through dark alleys, evading the watchful eyes of the guards. His skills as a thief must have been honed over time, making him a master of his trade.

I wondered what kind of treasures he had stolen and what his motives were. Was he stealing to survive, or was there a deeper reason behind his actions? Maybe he was trying to right some wrongs or get revenge. I wanted to know more about his past, his upbringing, and how he became a thief in the first place.

Seeing him as an adventurer was interesting, but I felt that there was so much more to his character. I wanted to explore the darker side of his nature, the side that made him choose a life of crime. I believed that by delving deeper into his story, I could gain a better understanding of the complex world he lived in.

5 Stars - Dutch Hardcover

Robbie de Hand is the third book in the Legends of the Great Rift War series. Robbie is a character that appears in quite a number of books and my absolute favorite protagonist among all these books.

In this book, Robbie has a tough time after what happened in Krondor with Arutha and Anitta. Due to an act of disobedience towards an upright man, Robbie is advised to leave Krondor until things calm down a bit. Together with Flora, Robbie departs for Nes, where, against his will and despite everything, he still ends up in an adventure where he will need all his wits and ingenuity. Together with Jarvis Coe, he goes into battle to bring everything to a good end.

Can he return to Krondor or not after this adventure?

Robbie de Hand is a character who excels in shrewdness and inventiveness to manipulate a situation to his advantage or to obtain the best information.

Although he is sometimes amazed at his own ability or way of acting.

His character is further developed in this book and plays almost the leading role, but the rest of the characters are not forgotten. They too are developed into interesting figures with their own way of thinking and acting. The action is interspersed with some quieter periods. And sometimes there is humor in the conversations, which is actually often found around the character of Robbie who just can't believe who he is. Self-mockery, yes I think that's the best description.

The plot was again well constructed.

Events are told in the beginning for which you only get an answer in the last part of the book. This definitely held my attention and interest.

The magic is not forgotten and plays an important role in certain parts. As always.