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veraann's review
4.0
The beginning of the final trilogy of the series. What a journey this series has been so far. This book had a mix of feeling like a brand new story and journey with the nods to previous characters and stories in this world.
One could probably pick this book up, having not read previous in this long series, and still enjoy and understand, but why would you want to miss out on the previous adventures. I also think then much of the book would feel more like a telling instead of seeing type of thing.
One could probably pick this book up, having not read previous in this long series, and still enjoy and understand, but why would you want to miss out on the previous adventures. I also think then much of the book would feel more like a telling instead of seeing type of thing.
eroviana's review against another edition
2.0
To be fair, I did not pay too much attention to this. Maybe it was the narrator, I'm not sure. But I really wasn't interested in what was happening. I don't think I'll continue with the series.
Be advised, I am talking about the audiobook, not the book. Tastes may differ.
Be advised, I am talking about the audiobook, not the book. Tastes may differ.
ellyrarg's review
2.0
Thank goodness that’s over. The first two thirds were painful to read. If I hadn’t been so determined to FINALLY be done with this series (without the unanswered questions) this book definitely would have been DNF.
Honestly, the bulk of the book is very blah. The story has gotten so convoluted with explaining the past. So and sos great grandfather had so and so at his side when he had to fight the blah. James Jimmy Dasher Jim Jamison, great great great grandson of Jimmy the hand apparently inherited the OGs character in full, like a reincarnation (there is no way I’m like my great great great grandparents, so why should the present day Jimmy?) It’s awful. The multigenerational stagnation is rubbish. The only one whose grown is Pug, and he is without joy.
The whole being reminded of past characters and how they are related to the current ones is awful. We spend so long looking at the past it takes away from the present.
It’s a very hard going, and confusing, even for someone who has recently read all the previous books.
The last third things pick up considerably. Child was novel (and that’s the thing, the new characters come without baggage/history/children/parents, so we don’t spend anywhere near as long reciting their past/connections). The NH coming to parley was also interesting. The last few pages with the transformation was very exciting. It only took the ENTIRE book to get there. Not exactly worth it, but I’m hoping the next book will be less tedious. Very much looking forward to being done with the series!
Honestly, the bulk of the book is very blah. The story has gotten so convoluted with explaining the past. So and sos great grandfather had so and so at his side when he had to fight the blah. James Jimmy Dasher Jim Jamison, great great great grandson of Jimmy the hand apparently inherited the OGs character in full, like a reincarnation (there is no way I’m like my great great great grandparents, so why should the present day Jimmy?) It’s awful. The multigenerational stagnation is rubbish. The only one whose grown is Pug, and he is without joy.
The whole being reminded of past characters and how they are related to the current ones is awful. We spend so long looking at the past it takes away from the present.
It’s a very hard going, and confusing, even for someone who has recently read all the previous books.
The last third things pick up considerably. Child was novel (and that’s the thing, the new characters come without baggage/history/children/parents, so we don’t spend anywhere near as long reciting their past/connections). The NH coming to parley was also interesting. The last few pages with the transformation was very exciting. It only took the ENTIRE book to get there. Not exactly worth it, but I’m hoping the next book will be less tedious. Very much looking forward to being done with the series!
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
It has been an astounding 30+ years since Raymond E. Feist first introduced us to Pug, Tomas, and the other heroes of Midkemia in Magician (broken into Magician: Apprentice & Magician: Master in North America), the first book of the The Riftwar Saga. I can vividly remember devouring all three books of original trilogy back in high school, and I still count it as one of my favourite series.
I, of course, went on to read the Krondor's Sons duology, along with The Empire Trilogy - which had the added bonus of introducing me to Janny Wurts. I drifted away from Midkemia after that, however, having found that the opening chapters of The Serpentwar Saga were too sparse, too militaristic, too far removed from the core characters, and somehow lacking in the sense of magical epic-ness that made the first saga so compelling.
When I heard Feist was working on the story of the 'final' Riftwar, I knew it was time to catch up, to re-familiarize myself with the world, and see things through to the ominously titled Magician's End.
That brings us to A Kingdom Besieged, the first book of The Chaoswar Saga. Much to my delight (and relief), reading this opening volume was very much like revisiting old friends. The same 'epic' sense of storytelling that I remembered was back, along with myn old friend Pug at the forefront, once again a major force to be reckoned with. Feist does a superb job of casually recapping the prior sagas, bringing up details in conversation, or reflecting on past events in the character's thoughts. He never info-dumps or delays the story, just slowly and naturally brings the world and the reader back together.
There's a lot to like here, not the least of which is the story of Child, the rather unusual demon who grows in both stature and power, all the while approaching a level of sophistication that's almost human. It's not clear what role she will have to play in things, whether she'll offer salvation from the darkness devouring the land, or prove to be a harbinger of the end-times, but she's a compelling character. In fact, she just may be the most chilling character I've encountered in an epic fantasy, a character with the potential to destroy the world . . . along with the intelligence and cunning to know precisely what she's doing and why.
Similarly, the reintroduction of Pug into world affairs is a welcome addition to the story, acknowledging the tragedies that have come before and gently, politely, respectfully resolving them. His relationship with his sole surviving son is an interesting one, especially given the dark pact he made with the future in the original saga, but you can't help but hope Feist will find away around demanding the ultimate sacrifice. More importantly, Pug seems ready to take a role in world affairs once again, which promises to set up some interesting confrontations, but also ensures the possibility of survival for Midkemia.
What I appreciated most about the story, however, is the novelty of Kesh's plans for conquest. Feist has done conquering armies before, both human and inhuman, and done a solid job of directing battles and armies in ways that make logical sense, but which still manage to surprise. Here he takes things in an entirely new direction, introducing us to armies that are designed solely to make landfall and send the residents scurrying for cover. Rather the press the advantage and invest themselves in siege, however, the armies simply hold their ground while the refugees they've collected are set loose to colonize the land. This is not a conquest by swords, pole-arms, pikes, and magic spells, but one by spades, hoes, shovels, and farming. This is not a war of attrition, but a simple matter of displacement.
It's not year clear how all these events will converge, what role the elves will deign to play, or just how much the Pantathians (surprise!) are responsible for, but it's clear that change is in the air. It's a next-generation Riftwar, with grandsons and great-nephews stepping up to take the place of their heroic forefathers, guided by the continuity of Pug. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am glad I decided to revisit Feist's world. On to At the Gates of Darkness next.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
I, of course, went on to read the Krondor's Sons duology, along with The Empire Trilogy - which had the added bonus of introducing me to Janny Wurts. I drifted away from Midkemia after that, however, having found that the opening chapters of The Serpentwar Saga were too sparse, too militaristic, too far removed from the core characters, and somehow lacking in the sense of magical epic-ness that made the first saga so compelling.
When I heard Feist was working on the story of the 'final' Riftwar, I knew it was time to catch up, to re-familiarize myself with the world, and see things through to the ominously titled Magician's End.
That brings us to A Kingdom Besieged, the first book of The Chaoswar Saga. Much to my delight (and relief), reading this opening volume was very much like revisiting old friends. The same 'epic' sense of storytelling that I remembered was back, along with myn old friend Pug at the forefront, once again a major force to be reckoned with. Feist does a superb job of casually recapping the prior sagas, bringing up details in conversation, or reflecting on past events in the character's thoughts. He never info-dumps or delays the story, just slowly and naturally brings the world and the reader back together.
There's a lot to like here, not the least of which is the story of Child, the rather unusual demon who grows in both stature and power, all the while approaching a level of sophistication that's almost human. It's not clear what role she will have to play in things, whether she'll offer salvation from the darkness devouring the land, or prove to be a harbinger of the end-times, but she's a compelling character. In fact, she just may be the most chilling character I've encountered in an epic fantasy, a character with the potential to destroy the world . . . along with the intelligence and cunning to know precisely what she's doing and why.
Similarly, the reintroduction of Pug into world affairs is a welcome addition to the story, acknowledging the tragedies that have come before and gently, politely, respectfully resolving them. His relationship with his sole surviving son is an interesting one, especially given the dark pact he made with the future in the original saga, but you can't help but hope Feist will find away around demanding the ultimate sacrifice. More importantly, Pug seems ready to take a role in world affairs once again, which promises to set up some interesting confrontations, but also ensures the possibility of survival for Midkemia.
What I appreciated most about the story, however, is the novelty of Kesh's plans for conquest. Feist has done conquering armies before, both human and inhuman, and done a solid job of directing battles and armies in ways that make logical sense, but which still manage to surprise. Here he takes things in an entirely new direction, introducing us to armies that are designed solely to make landfall and send the residents scurrying for cover. Rather the press the advantage and invest themselves in siege, however, the armies simply hold their ground while the refugees they've collected are set loose to colonize the land. This is not a conquest by swords, pole-arms, pikes, and magic spells, but one by spades, hoes, shovels, and farming. This is not a war of attrition, but a simple matter of displacement.
It's not year clear how all these events will converge, what role the elves will deign to play, or just how much the Pantathians (surprise!) are responsible for, but it's clear that change is in the air. It's a next-generation Riftwar, with grandsons and great-nephews stepping up to take the place of their heroic forefathers, guided by the continuity of Pug. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and am glad I decided to revisit Feist's world. On to At the Gates of Darkness next.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
blodeuedd's review
3.0
The fifth riftwar is about to start. Pug and the Conclave have been searching for demons for a few years and have not noticed that something is happening. And since I love Pug I am always happy to see him, and I hope there will be a lot of him. But he is also very sad since he lost his wife and son, and because of all the others he has seen die since he has lived so long.
The other characters in this book are Martin and Hal conDoin, sons of the Duke of Crydee, and they will play a big part in things to come. They are young men, ready for adventure, but at the same time not ready for all the responsibilities. We also meet James Dasher, or Jimmythehand as he wanted to be called when younger because of his famous relative. A spy that tries to figure out why Kesh is attacking the kingdom. All these characters just bring me back to the first Riftwar and it's a great feeling.
There is another character, Child, who wanders the demon realm and kills and grows. And then at the end there is such a twist and I never saw it coming. She sure is an interesting character.
This book has the beginning of a war that is going to be devastating for the West. There are also some politics and a lot of spying going on. And the question about how Kesh put it all together without anyone knowing. Then we have the question about why the demons are fleeing their realms and what the Darkness is. Something bad is coming and it will not stop. And at the end of the book something big happens that had me stop reading and smile. It's not something good, actually it's really bad, but it's a great plot, and I can't wait to see what happens.
Conclusion:
Ok, so I have not read all the books. It seems I missed the 4th Riftwar, but did it matter? Not really, I could jump in and was soon up to speed about things going on. It's a new series and sure it builds on the other books but it can stand alone. Though there are all these little things and if you really want to know then you should at least read the first Riftwar saga. Fans will not be disappointed, as always, great fantasy.
Rating:
I had fun :D
The other characters in this book are Martin and Hal conDoin, sons of the Duke of Crydee, and they will play a big part in things to come. They are young men, ready for adventure, but at the same time not ready for all the responsibilities. We also meet James Dasher, or Jimmythehand as he wanted to be called when younger because of his famous relative. A spy that tries to figure out why Kesh is attacking the kingdom. All these characters just bring me back to the first Riftwar and it's a great feeling.
There is another character, Child, who wanders the demon realm and kills and grows. And then at the end there is such a twist and I never saw it coming. She sure is an interesting character.
This book has the beginning of a war that is going to be devastating for the West. There are also some politics and a lot of spying going on. And the question about how Kesh put it all together without anyone knowing. Then we have the question about why the demons are fleeing their realms and what the Darkness is. Something bad is coming and it will not stop. And at the end of the book something big happens that had me stop reading and smile. It's not something good, actually it's really bad, but it's a great plot, and I can't wait to see what happens.
Conclusion:
Ok, so I have not read all the books. It seems I missed the 4th Riftwar, but did it matter? Not really, I could jump in and was soon up to speed about things going on. It's a new series and sure it builds on the other books but it can stand alone. Though there are all these little things and if you really want to know then you should at least read the first Riftwar saga. Fans will not be disappointed, as always, great fantasy.
Rating:
I had fun :D
shaun11's review
2.0
Hmmmm ... so much happens, and yet nothing happens. This book read like a prequel to me. We see where a number of presumably powerful characters come from, and then ... they are powerful. But no one really interacts with anyone else and suddenly the story is over. Not sure I'll dive into this series any deeper, but I am somewhat intrigued.
kenlaan's review
3.0
All-in-all, this was a completely serviceable entry in Feist's Riftwar Cycle - treading some familiar ground with new characters that are compared to previous protagonists (Arutha, Jimmy the Hand, etc.) and similar plot structures. Saying this is "more of the same" sounds like a backhanded complement, and maybe it is, because I liked this but I didn't love it. And I'm not thrilled to have that reaction to the first entry of the concluding trilogy for this very long series, but so it goes. I did like it more than the previous two books, so I'll mark that as a positive.
jjcopper's review
3.0
It is faster paced than some of his more recent work. After the death of Jimmy the Hand, the story has lost its magic. The Conclave of Shadows trilogy was the last series, within the larger body of work, that fully fleshed out the characters within the story being told. Feist is constantly revealing a deeper truth about who is responsible for the evils all the way back to the Riftwar with the Tsurani. I hope the revelations contained toward the end of this novel are the final answer to what has been plaguing Midkemia, since before Pug dawned the black robe of a Great One and Tomas became the being of power the Dragon Lord armor made him. Only two more novels await the conclusion of this story begun with a keep boy caught out in a storm.
thebernie's review
5.0
It has been over 2 years since I last read a book by Feist but the world of Midkemia is so instilled in my memory that it was like coming home. This story set once again in the duchy of Crydee is a great place to start the final trilogy of the riftwar series. Set over a hundred years after the initial story it harkens back to those stories of Arutha and Martin when the rifts first opened and Pug was merely an apprentice. So much may have changed since but so much will be revealed by the end that shows that so much has stayed the same. I just might re-read the first trilogy before book two so I can refresh my memory of all that's transpired.
mpaulwhite's review
2.0
This book badly needed more editing. Also used a style of 3rd person omniscient where the narrator switches viewpoints mid-scene. I know we all used to do this, but it feels really jarring after reading so many great epic fantasies where each chapter has a viewpoint chapter and the reader has to figure out what other characters are thinking in those scenes without the narrator's help.