Raymond E Feist

[Dragon]

What are your opinions of Raymond E Feist?
Magician, A Darkness at Sethanon, and The Kings Buccaneer are by far the best of his books in my opinion. The second series involving Erik and Roo was lacking somehow. The Krondor series as it's becoming known (Assassins, The Betrayal etc) is really luke warm in my opinion. I'd like to see him start a completely new idea, either a completely new world or another series far removed from the Krondor stuff.

[Jean]

I agree with you, the first books were great. The ones about Roo and Erik were ok, but there wasn't enough of my favorite character, Jimmy. :) His Empire series with Janny Wurts is good too.

I read Krondor: The Betrayal and didn't like it much at all. I think he's taken this world as far as he can and it's time to move on. Maybe he could focus on the Tsurani world again.

[Ulk]

Yeah i read Magician and the other couple, and i read the prelude to his next series in the last book, and i could tell it was gonna be crappy. if you're not dealing with.. shit what was his name? damnit, thats frustrating. the main character dude, friends with Laurie. bah, you know who i mean! :confused:

[Dragon]

Friends with Laurie, you mean the magician Pug. Unfortunately in the second series, all the characters from the first series were either old (Jimmy) or dead (Arutha). That put a dampener on the series for me.

The Krondor books are indeed flogging a dead horse. They are both about the Dark Brothers (Moredhel) and how they can rise when killed etc etc.... You read it before. I was dissappointed that Raymond went this way, basically the two books are the same story.

He has now written another book. I saw it in the store the other day but I just coulden't bring myself to get it. It goes back to the time of the Tsurani invasion (the time of the first 3 books) and is something about the Tsurani and Kingdom soldiers having to pit their wits together to survive...... The book IS written with someone ELSE I noticed, though I didn't recognise the neme.

Personally I think he needs a completely new word, or, a completely new area on the same world. Say another continent. Perhaps another series focussing on Pug as the main character, with other completely new characters built in. We seem to be in agreeance that the current line of books are nothing too special, what a shame, we know he can write VERY well.

[magatsu17]

I read Magician Apprictace and Magicain Master. But my favorite character in the Series was Tomas. He was turning in to some kinda Badass half-Elf half mand who is the strongest fighter in the world. But then the whol focus of the series changed to Arutha. I tried to read Silverthron but the I just didn't care what happen to Arutha or his woman so I stoped and haven't picked up one since.

[Jean]

I'd forgotten about Laurie! He was the minstral Pug met on Kelewan! Gosh it's been a long time since I read those books. This almost makes me want to pick them up and read them again. I've forgotten so much about them.


I read Magician Apprictace and Magicain Master. But my favorite character in the Series was Tomas. He was turning in to some kinda Badass half-Elf half mand who is the strongest fighter in the world. But then the whol focus of the series changed to Arutha. I tried to read Silverthron but the I just didn't care what happen to Arutha or his woman so I stoped and haven't picked up one since.

You missed out by doing that A Darkness at Sethanon was a pretty good book. And I liked Arutha! :p

[Litefoot]

The book 'Magician' was the first novel the author ever wrote, and he did not expect he would be writing a sequel, let alone a whole series.

Consequently, the other books following on from Magician had to be 'tacked on' to the original (and the best) story. I lost interest after the 3rd book, and haven't bothered with them since. But I loved the first book.

Dragon - you sound like someone I know??? :D

[Dragon]

Silverthorn. Good, but riding on the success of the characters from Magician. The storyline was somewhat shallow. Princess Anita is poisoned. Arutha must save her. Unfortunately the antidote only grows in this one small wierd looking area, aeons from anywhere. I really think it was the character popularity that made this book. My favourite chracter has to be Amos the pirate, or perhaps Nakor the Islani in the second series. "Want an orange?"


A Darkness at Sethanon is a brilliant book. So much feeling, so much action. I still rate it as onwe of the best books of any series I have ever read. It captures some of the magic of Magician (heh).

Litefoot- you must be dreeeeeeemin

[Litefoot]

I'm SURE I know you from somewhere.

C'mon, fess-up. Who are you Dragon??? :confused:

[Buckweet]

Originally posted by Dragon
My favourite chracter has to be Amos the pirate,



I almost forgot about that scene in the Magician Master book ...where Amos stole the boat when the prince was ready to give it to him,....LOL

Amos is the best!

Buckweet Gaidin

[Dragon]

Ahhhh Arutha..... You take all the fun out of life.

=================================

Litefoot: Iam the great golden dragon that taught Macros the black all he knew about magic. I have been, but still endure. My spirit soars free now over mountains gold, and valleys lush. I am a great golden dragon. Majestic yet fierce. Tame yet barbaric. I am simply........ Dragon.

[Jacob]

<i>Magician</i>, Feist first book (I THINK it is?), was certainly very good. The story was great, even though his writing skills weren't as well honned as in latter books. Feists best work (so far?) is <i>the Empire Trilogy</i> that he wrote together with Janny Wurst. The empire trillogy, unlike most of the other books that Feist wrote after <i>Magician</i> we get the fresh aproach and "true" new characters.

While Feist has developed hid writing skills continously, there has been a great lack of new characters and development with those that he has. Or the development has been plain bad. There are of course a few exceptions. Nakor is a great sidkick with hidden dephs in the character. Roo and Erik were good additions and their lives and "the world according to Roo and Erik" added alot to the writing. But then there is the Movie Sequal Syndrome: Lack of innovation and lacking inspiration is substituted with more explotions, more blood and deaths, badder bad guy's, more powerfull and wise good guys....Blah!

I read the Serpent War Saga, but I have not read any of the latter books by Feist. Making books based on computer games, what the heck is wrong with the guy?? (Lack of inspiration, I know...).

[Litefoot]

Well,

I read Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist, and that was good.
He should write more books like that - a fantasy writer doesn't always have to write huge series of books. Single novels are good too. And 3 book series can be just right in some cases.

[Jacob]

Oh, I've not thought of that novel in quite a long time, but maybe I should try and get a hold of it and read it. I'd have to buy it though, it's not translated to Swedish and not among the English books that my library atleast have bought in:( I've heard alot of good things about Fairy tale though. It is quite different from his other books, I believe? I think I remember being told that it is kind of dark?

I think that you are right, Litefoot, but there is a kind of trend right now with making LOOONG fantasy series. And I think we'll have to give RJ the "blame" for this:) I doubt e.g. that The Song of Ice and Fire would have been made - or atleast in this format, had it not been for The Wheel of Time series - and the success of the wheel of time series. But I don't think that RJ is to blame for Feists current trend of trying to squeeze as many books out of the Midkemia success as possible- Even WAY past where his inspiration had run out. Maybe we could instead blame the Eddings for this because they have surely squeezed their Magic Blue Stone and Same Characters With Different Names idea to the limit. Since I'm on that subject though; Have you read the Eddings latest book? That is a standalone novel, I believe. AND a completely different story. I've been abit tempted to buy it actually, but my previous experiences with the Eddings have made me a Brnt Child concerning Eddings.

[Litefoot]

I used to love the Eddings, but haven't picked up one of their books in ages. Will check out the latest book, though now you mention it, Jacob.

Regarding long series, could it also be blamed on marketing?
I mean, an author comes up with a successful storyline and group of characters, and the publishing house says 'great, let's get as much profit as we can from this.' People will buy the book simply because it is the next book in the series.

Also, as fantasy readers, have we come to expect long fantasy series? I know I like to have a story spread out over several books.

[Jean]

Oh yeah, it's to make money. Like this re-release of The Eye of the World as 2 books. Maybe it IS to bring in new readers, but why not just re-release it as one book? NOW you get to go out and pay for 2 paper back books that are in reality the SAME book. I think authors milk a series for all it's worth before it's over, or drag the series out unitil the books become un-readable.

[Jacob]

I DO think that the Eye of the World is released as two novels to bring in new readers. I know when I first saw the Eye of the World and the other WOT books, I decided against buying the first one because the books were so darn thick. There is something mentally straining (for me) to pick up and start reading a book that is really thick if I don't really think that it's really good. I guess that I want to know that if it's bad, atleast I'll get through it really quickly :) Back then, before series started to getting this long and thick (the Belgariand was many books, but each one thin), that kept me off it too since I figured that I would HAVE to read all of them after I started. But the other thing with there being many books was that I figured eventually that if there were so many books in the series released, it had to be fairly good for people to keep reading so that new books were released:) I suspect that many others think like me here, think that if a series has alot of books in it, the author must be doing something right and other people must like it :-)

[Dragon]

Hrmmm what happened to my Post on the Tolkein Elves??? It was here last night??? I swear it was! Do I gotta write the WHOLE thing again??? Bah.....

[Jean]

It's still here! Jacob was playing with admin toys and liked your post so much, he moved it to it's own thread. lol He didn't want it to get lost in this thread. :)

[Litefoot]

If the thread is waaay off target, can it be re-named?

[Dragon]

Good ole Admins created a new thread out of it!! I wasn't going to bother but it was deemed worthy. Woohoo!

[balefire]

Originally posted by Jacob
I DO think that the Eye of the World is released as two novels to bring in new readers. I know when I first saw the Eye of the World and the other WOT books, I decided against buying the first one because the books were so darn thick. There is something mentally straining (for me) to pick up and start reading a book that is really thick if I don't really think that it's really good. I guess that I want to know that if it's bad, atleast I'll get through it really quickly :) Back then, before series started to getting this long and thick (the Belgariand was many books, but each one thin), that kept me off it too since I figured that I would HAVE to read all of them after I started. But the other thing with there being many books was that I figured eventually that if there were so many books in the series released, it had to be fairly good for people to keep reading so that new books were released:) I suspect that many others think like me here, think that if a series has alot of books in it, the author must be doing something right and other people must like it :-)

I actually got started on WOT something like back in '96 when a friend of my aunt got to know I like fantasy & lent me TEOTW. I was put off by the thickness of the book (& my usual procrastinating nature) & didn't get round to touching it for months. Then I flipped to the last few chapters because that's usually where things get exciting & I saw the sort of things happening in the Blight. That got me started but I got to say the beginning & the middle were really boring, nothing was happening except for all that running & hiding & being scared of your dreams & Darkfriends at every turn. The thing that added some spice to the story was (you guessed it) Moiraine's use of the Power. Although I don't know why she didn't solve all their problems by simply channeling lightning, since she obviously knows how to do it. When they started elaborating on the One Power & especially Dreaming & Tel'aran'rhiod I was well & truly bound to the Wheel.

I think Eddings was good, if a bit repetitive of that same name & blue vs red thing. The dialogue was humourous & at least things were happening, although like TEOTW, the 1st book in the Belgariad & Malloreon series was boringly mundane.

[Jacob]

Originally posted by Litefoot
If the thread is waaay off target, can it be re-named?

Yea....

Any thread in particular in mind? We'll be rather restrictive with these kind of requests though.

[Elin]

Then I flipped to the last few chapters because that's usually where things get exciting & I saw the sort of things happening in the Blight.

You read the end first?
*shudders*
That's almost a crime...
;)

[balefire]

Originally posted by Elin
You read the end first?
*shudders*
That's almost a crime...
;)

Well I didn't exactly go straight to the end. I read the 1st few chapters & then got bored because nothing was happening, then skipped to the end, & realized things could get exciting later down the series. So it wasn't such a bad habit after all. And if you didn't see some of my other posts, I don't mind spoilers.

[KevBrinks]

Hey guys if you are big readers and love alternative fantasy series, check out Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga . It begins with Magician: Apprentice which sets the stage for an amazing series. I've read the first 4 books of his and have become horribly addicted. Check it out! :toussel:

[rikkkup]

Oh oh, I saw those at Barnes & Noble and was wondering if they were good or not. Another series to add to the list :confused: They just keep stacking up!

[Enariom]

Feist rules!
Personally I liked the riftwar-series better than the serpentwar-saga. :)
My fav character is Nakor :D

[Jean]

Feist rules!
Personally I liked the riftwar-series better than the serpentwar-saga. :)
My fav character is Nakor :D

Ditto. :) I liked Pug and Jimmy. :cheers: I also read The Empire series that he wrote with Janny Wurts, and I thought it was very good. :)

[Jaric Mondoran]

Feist was one of the first fantasy authors I read, way back when I was still a kid.

The Riftwar saga was certainly entertaining.

His books have a heavy roleplaying feel to them.

However, I must say that his later books have been pale imitations of the original trilogy.

Serpentwar was still good, but these latest books, Talon, Foxes etc. are quite lame.

One thing I don't quite understand is how he keeps shifting the benchmark for the most powerful magicians.

First Pug was godlike in his strength, with the whole Pantathian nation unable to overcome him. Then we suddenly find out that this new mage is super powerful, plus, Pug's son Magnus or whatever, will be the most powerful mage ever.

That kind of demeans the original books, in my opinion.

I think he has fallen into the sad old trap of trying to stretch a story too far. He should have stopped after the Serpentwar saga.

Also, as much as his books were enjoyable light entertainment, he has never displayed the literary skill of Martin, Tolkien or Hobb.

To me his books can be summarized as being good fun, but not great by any means.

[Jaric Mondoran]

Looking at my previous post, it seems as if I was pretty harsh on poor Feist.

He introduced me to fantasy, so I will always have a soft spot for him.

The Riftwar saga was great, and I love that version of Pug. But the new Pug is not the same person he was then, and the work in general is now much poorer than the original books.

I read somewhere that Feist had some personal problems, a divorce or something, and that this affected his work.

I can believe it.

I think he had just one good story in him, one trilogy that he had to put on paper. It was great. But after that, his books feel contrived, like he is forcing it, without putting real emotion into the characters.

I feel that he is first and foremost a roleplaying DM, a worldbuilder and gamecreator, rather than a genuine author and literary master.
In the same leaque as Joe Dever of Lone Wolf fame, or Livingstone and Jackson of the Fighting Fantasy books.

After all, Midkemia was originally created as a gaming world, in which roleplaying campaigns could take place.

So the magic, the dragons, the empires and kingdoms are all great, but the stories are somewhat flat.


I think a lot of Feist's success came because of timing. His books came out just as the Dungeons and Dragons phenomenon was sweepig the world in the eighties.

The Riftwar saga fit in wonderfully with that. That made him famous, and after that he has been living of that fame.

The tale of the 2 boys, Pug and Thomas was superb and spellbinding, but as I said, that's where it should have stopped.

[Enariom]

Ditto. :) I liked Pug and Jimmy. :cheers: I also read The Empire series that he wrote with Janny Wurts, and I thought it was very good. :)
Ah, yes! Jimmy the Hand! Who can not like that little devil? ;) :cheers:
And Pug! I think that he's one of the best magician-characters I've ever bumped into. The way Feist describes his rise to be a migthy magician is simply magnificent :D His struggle to master the lower as well as higher magic.... Now I feel a sudden urge to re-read the series :p

[Jaric Mondoran]

Just finished Neverwinter Nights.

Has anyone noticed the similarity in plotlines between this game and Feist's Serpentwar Saga?

Both have an ancient Reptilian Queen from a Master race that tries to return to rule the world.

Feist has a Lifestone buried under a city, which is the source of unimaginable power.

The game has the Sourcestone that fulfills this role.

Both stones are key to bringing back the ancient race.

Creator lizard race in Neverwinter Nights.

Valheru in Feist's books.

Both races predated humanity.

Both races enslaved the elves, dwarves humans etc.

In Neverwinter nights, the Ancient race was a bunch of lizardfolk.

In Feists books, it was the emerald serpentqueen and she was served by Pantathian snake men and Saaur lizardmen.

If I was Feist, I would sue them for plagiarism.

Unless they bought the plotline from him in the first place.

[KevBrinks]

NWN...such...a...GREAT...GAME

*leaves to fiddle around with his Wheel of Time mod....a work in progress*

[baxts]

i do fourth year fantasy literature at otago university (new zealands biggest uni), my LEDGEND of a lecturer set up an interview for us with ReF the other week. Twas cool.

[Tenaka]

Wooo, go Otago!!! :D

(sorry, i just had too. :p)

[Eolyn]

Feist introduced me to fantasy also and I go cold all over when I think about what would of happened if I hadn't picked the book out of a friends bag.I have read all his books but I cant get into his new series the conclave of shadow.The first book was good but I abandoned the second one to read other authors.

[logan]

Feist is great. I'm just waiting for his new book in the Conclave of Shadows, Exiles Return.