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A review by blepard
A Darkness At Sethanon by Raymond E. Feist
2.0
I said in my initial review of Silverthorn that it felt like a filler novel, and I one thousand percent stand by that after reading this one. The sequence feels forced! And it puts a damper on my reading experience because of it. If Magician had been a standalone novel, complete (as it were) in itself, why not combine Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon into one novel and release it as a companion novel, or a seperate standalone in the same world, as the later novels in the sequence? Calling this novel the fourth in a sequence brings with it expectations and desires that just weren't met.
A lot of my issues with this book stem from this weird publishing and marketing decision, and while I didn't want it to taint my reading of this book, it truly did. As always, Feist's writing blew my mind, and most of my annotations were praise on the writing. But writing can't be everything, and a number of other things took me out of the novel and made me roll my eyes in defeat!
The Women
I already talked about this in my Magician review but come ON, Feist, what's your problem with women? Before we even reach page 100 the women are conveniently removed from the drama
Then, LO AND BEHOLD, I nearly died of shock. Finally we meet a woman with strength and determination, one who can't be tamed by any man , a real Eowyn type. No matter how strong you make a woman character, her role is undermined when her existence is only to benefit another, and Briana's existence is thus.
The Struggle
A friend told me that Feist writes his novels with no plan for their direction, creating the world and the struggle as he goes. I don't know how reputable my source is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Too often essential information was conveniently stumbled upon, or conveyed to the characters by a seemingly 'all-knowing' being. It feels like cheating. But it also feels like poor storytelling, and at every twist of the plot that came out of the blue I fell out of the novel. It felt to me like having the characters stumble upon information was a convenient way to tidy up the loose ends of a messy, unplanned novel. Whether this is true, I don't know.
I wouldn't not recommend this saga, and the next few books are still definitely on my TBR. I want to know! I want to know what happens! I want to know if they get better. I want to know if Feist learns how to write women. I want to know what happens to Jimmy and Pug and Tomas and Arutha. But I don't want to suffer through any more wet cheeks on all the ladies or any more omniscient knowledge seemingly bestowed upon the protagonist. So my fingers are very hesitantly crossed.
A lot of my issues with this book stem from this weird publishing and marketing decision, and while I didn't want it to taint my reading of this book, it truly did. As always, Feist's writing blew my mind, and most of my annotations were praise on the writing. But writing can't be everything, and a number of other things took me out of the novel and made me roll my eyes in defeat!
The Women
I already talked about this in my Magician review but come ON, Feist, what's your problem with women? Before we even reach page 100 the women are conveniently removed from the drama
Spoiler
when Arutha sends his wife away 'for safety'. Not to mention the subservient attitude of Anita herself when Arutha commands "You leave tomorrow" and she says she'll "make ready". No challenge to her husband, no questions asked, no backbone? Apparently not.Then, LO AND BEHOLD, I nearly died of shock. Finally we meet a woman with strength and determination, one who can't be tamed by any man , a real Eowyn type.
Spoiler
She calls Martin into her room with a power and agency we haven't seen in any woman before now, save maybe Carline, but that's neither here nor there. But Briana's only role in the novel is to propel Martin's character arc! Without exaggeration, she exists in this world to take him to her bed, catalyse his newfound desire to survive and fill his boots as a political agent in the kingdom, and cry when he leaves for battle (as all hardened commanders do, Im SO sure).The Struggle
A friend told me that Feist writes his novels with no plan for their direction, creating the world and the struggle as he goes. I don't know how reputable my source is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. Too often essential information was conveniently stumbled upon, or conveyed to the characters by a seemingly 'all-knowing' being. It feels like cheating. But it also feels like poor storytelling, and at every twist of the plot that came out of the blue I fell out of the novel.
Spoiler
Especially at the conclusion when Macros returns and relays countless pieces of information to Pug and Tomas. No explanation is given as to how Macros knows these essential things, or as to how they actually work within the universe.I wouldn't not recommend this saga, and the next few books are still definitely on my TBR. I want to know! I want to know what happens! I want to know if they get better. I want to know if Feist learns how to write women. I want to know what happens to Jimmy and Pug and Tomas and Arutha. But I don't want to suffer through any more wet cheeks on all the ladies or any more omniscient knowledge seemingly bestowed upon the protagonist. So my fingers are very hesitantly crossed.