This book had a very slow start.

Although I found it interesting to get to know the three main characters, there were actually an almost excessive number of details written about them. Unfortunately, this came at the expense of the actual plot.

I had initially assumed that this was going to be a whodunit type of book. However, instead, I was bombarded with far too many details about what it was like to be a sword for hire (essentially despised by everyone else), and the rather mundane hopes and dreams of these three men (primarily, to retire and run an inn together).

It wasn't until nearly the end of the book that the murder finally took place. Then, against all expectations, this same trio was asked to investigate it.

The result was brought about far too quickly for my liking. There was no real sense of suspense left, and it didn't allow me to suspend reality for a while.

The person I suspected, once the murder occurred, did turn out to be the killer, despite evidence to the contrary. This was a great disappointment for me, as I love a plot where I can't guess who did it until the reveal.

This wasn't a terrible book per se, but it was too drawn out for the most part and then unfortunately rushed at the end. So, while I will keep it on my shelves as part of this Riftwar Legends series, it's not one that I'll be eager to read again anytime soon.

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

What a waste of my time! I cannot believe how much time I spent on this, only to be left with such a disappointing result.

From the very beginning, things did not seem to be going well. The initial setup was complicated and took far longer than it should have.

As I delved deeper into the process, I encountered numerous glitches and errors. It felt like I was constantly fighting against the system.

Even when I thought I had finally overcome the obstacles, the end result was lackluster at best. There was nothing special or remarkable about it.

I am truly frustrated and feel that I could have spent my time much more productively on something else. This has been a complete waste of my valuable time and energy.

I would not recommend this to anyone, as it is simply not worth the effort.

I've read every single book of this series in proper order up to this particular one.

However, this is the very first book in the series that I haven't awarded 5 stars.

This installment leans more towards the murder/mystery genre, which is quite different from what I've grown to love in the previous books.

The previous ones had a certain charm and style that this one seems to lack.

And even when considering it as a murder/mystery, as other people have also pointed out, I would have expected the murder to occur much earlier on in the story.

This delay in the main event makes the pacing feel a bit off and it doesn't grip my attention as tightly as I would have liked.

Overall, while it's not a terrible book, it just doesn't measure up to the standards set by the rest of the series for me.

Alas,

I have now discovered the novel that I least favor in the Feist/Midkemia series. The current part of the series consists of three co-authored books, with the guest author adding a touch of their own style to each book. This approach worked well with the first of the three books, "Honored Enemy" co-written with Forstchen. However, this effort with Rosenberg left me feeling rather indifferent.

The book can be characterized as a combination of fantasy politics and a whodunit. The descriptions of the characters and events failed to engage me, and by the time the heart of the murder mystery arrived, which took an extremely long time, I found myself not really caring. And then, the mystery was resolved very quickly. I suppose not all of them can be outstanding, but it was disappointing to finally encounter one that was so mediocre compared to the other books, especially after getting this far into the series.

If you have enjoyed the Midkemia series up to this point and have a penchant for whodunit stories, you may find this book enjoyable. I have come across some positive reviews. But, you might end up like me, eager to move on and suggesting to others that they skip this one unless they are determined to complete the entire series.

Hopefully, the final collaboration in the trilogy will be an improvement!

I have been engaged in Buddy-Reading this remarkable series over the past couple of months with a dear ‘book-club’ friend. She had never delved into Raymond E. Feist’s work before. As for me, I have been a die-hard fan of his literary creations for a long time. I have often compared his work to The Lord of the Rings books, yet I have to admit that I have actually derived more enjoyment from this series. When I shared this sentiment with my friend, her curiosity was immediately piqued, and she wasted no time in expressing her eagerness to read the series. What’s more, she managed to convince me to embark on this reading journey with her – not that it was a difficult task for her to persuade me

This book is not as much of a murder mystery novel as the title might lead one to believe. However, it still offers a rather enjoyable experience.

The most significant drawback of this book is that the murder in LaMut doesn't occur until well past the halfway mark of the novel. Instead, it leans more towards being a political novel, which I found quite engaging. Nevertheless, I can understand why some readers might become bored with this aspect.

I might be being a bit lenient by awarding it 4 stars, but overall, I did enjoy it. It was pleasant to get a "Slice of Life" story set in the Midkemia universe. This added to the sense that Feist's world is more lived-in and believable.

Despite its flaws, this book has its merits and is worth a read for fans of the Midkemia series or those interested in political intrigue within a fantasy setting.

I read only a few pages and immediately decided that was sufficient. Up until now, I have adored every single book written by Raymond. However, I find myself blaming Joel Rosenberg for my dislike of this particular book. The writing style is drastically different from Raymond's other works.

I have previously read Joel's "Guardians of the Flame". It began quite promisingly, but unfortunately, it crashed halfway through, causing me to lose all interest in it. After perusing just a few pages of this current book, I knew without a doubt that I was not going to take pleasure in reading it. Therefore, I made the decision to quit.

Perhaps if the writing style had been more in line with Raymond's usual style, I would have had a different opinion. But as it stands, this book just didn't capture my attention or hold my interest. I hope that future works by both Raymond and Joel will be more to my liking.

Murder in LaMut, the second installment in the Legends of the Riftwar subseries, is a collaboration with Joel Rosenberg, an author whose works I haven't delved into before. This trilogy is set within Feist's original Magician.

I truly hope this was the nadir of the larger Riftwar Cycle series, as I found it rather dull. For the majority of the book, not much occurs that piques my interest. Even if I had been engaged with the characters, a lack of action or events wouldn't have bothered me as much, but unfortunately, I didn't have any particular affinity for them either. I didn't dislike them, but there was nothing about them that truly gripped me.

The title led me to believe that this would be a murder mystery or something similar. I anticipated the murder to occur or be uncovered early on, with the remainder of the book dedicated to piecing together clues and dealing with the aftermath. However, that's not at all how the book unfolds. While I often enjoy having my expectations subverted and being surprised, this time it did nothing for me. We begin by learning about a character who has endured a series of unlucky accidents, and some suspect there may be more to it than mere coincidence. Three mercenaries are assigned to guard him, and these are the characters we follow for most of the book. In fact, there isn't actually a "Murder in LaMut" until (spoiler alert for those who don't want to know) 74% into the book! Since the title explicitly states there's a "Murder in LaMut", when it finally happens, it's not a surprise and feels rather anti-climactic.

I'm not even a die-hard fan of murder mysteries, but I was so relieved that something finally occurred and it was time for our characters to solve the mystery that I found the rest of the story more engaging. Nevertheless, I was rather annoyed by the end. An innocent man was wrongly killed for the murder because the investigators failed to verify their facts and overlooked the extremely obvious fact that the victims were drugged. Admittedly, the wrong people were in charge of the murder investigation, so it's no wonder they botched it.

From the author's notes at the end, it seems that the three mercenary characters in the story were based on characters from Rosenberg's own work. Those familiar with his work and those characters might appreciate this aspect more than I did.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible book, but my attention frequently wandered and the ending was a letdown. One aspect I did enjoy was the way the author(s) phrased certain things. I had a few chuckles when a particular turn of phrase struck me as humorous. Based on my low interest in the story, I'm giving this 2.5 stars, but rounding up to 3 on Goodreads for the humor.

Although I am a die-hard fan of Raymond E Feist's writing, unfortunately, I did not find this particular book to be very enjoyable.

I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert when it comes to the setting of Midkemia. However, in this book, there were an abundance of confusing names, and the court dialogue was extremely difficult to follow.

Moreover, a significant portion of the book was dedicated to rising action, but there were no clear action scenes. This lack of clarity became even more pronounced when I had to keep track of the three viewpoints of the mercenary group.

While there were a few humorous and intriguing scenes sprinkled throughout the book, they were few and far between. Overall, I was deeply disappointed in this departure from Feist's otherwise brilliant writing.

This is an okay book.

It doesn't have that captivating quality that makes you unable to put it down.

The build-up to the murder seems to take an eternity.

You find yourself waiting and waiting for that crucial moment to occur.

And then, once the murder finally happens, everything gets resolved way too fast.

It's almost as if the author suddenly decided to wrap things up in a hurry.

There's no real depth or exploration of the consequences or the emotions of the characters involved.

The story just kind of fizzles out at the end.

Overall, it's an average read that could have been much better with a more engaging plot and a more drawn-out resolution.

I truly made an effort to develop an appreciation for this particular work. However, it proved to be an arduous task to make it all the way through.

Had I not perused any of Feist's other literary creations, perhaps my level of disappointment would not have been as profound. But this one, it was just... lacking.

There seemed to be something missing, some crucial element that failed to engage and captivate me. The story didn't flow as smoothly as I had expected, and the characters didn't come to life in a way that made me care about them.

It's a shame really, because I had high hopes for this book. But unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea, but I can't help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction.

The characters in this story were extremely uninteresting. They had no connection whatsoever to the characters from the Riftwar saga, which was quite disappointing.

Moreover, the plot was a slow-paced murder mystery that remained unresolved until the very end.

The abrupt ending came as a surprise and left many loose ends. However, I have to admit that I was somewhat relieved to be finished with the book.

Despite its flaws, it did manage to hold my attention to a certain extent.

Perhaps if the characters had been more engaging and the plot had been better developed, it could have been a more enjoyable read.

As it stands, it's just an average book that I'm unlikely to recommend to others.

Overall, it was a bit of a letdown, but at least it's over.