498 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1,1998
An interesting premise that unfortunately missed the mark a little. The main battle has been won, but the Kingdom now faces the arduous task of picking up the pieces of its ravaged western realm. To make matters worse, there is still a hostile army lingering on its lands. Although greatly reduced in size, it remains a significant threat. As I've noted in other reviews of this series, this book has always been rather peculiar. The climax of the series actually occurred in the previous installment. Essentially, this means that this book is primarily focused on dealing with the aftermath of a massive invasion. This is a great premise that is all too rarely explored in the fantasy genre. What adds an extra layer of excitement is that the enemy army, despite having failed in its main objective, still numbers in the thousands and controls a substantial area. Meanwhile, the Kingdom has suffered heavy losses in battle and must also contend with its neighbors, who sense its vulnerability. Describing it in this way makes it sound truly captivating, and it was indeed interesting for the first half or so. However, I believe it then lost its focus.
Feist just can't resist raising the stakes with dark magic and evil gods. What begins as a story firmly grounded in battles and politics quickly escalates into yet another end-of-the-world scenario. While this has its merits and I do enjoy that sort of thing, here it felt forced and out of place. Even the main story seemed to lose its way. (Although I really liked the conflict between Pug and the Crown and the question of where his loyalties lie.) I found the entire Dash and Jimmy storyline rather underwhelming. And the ending was a total cop-out, leaving you wondering why it wasn't done sooner. Of course, if it had been, the book would have been much shorter! Overall, this series was good, with some very interesting and original elements. However, it was also let down by some weak characterizations and plotting. Nevertheless, in general, it has held up quite well.
Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/.