Ok, like most reviewers I really enjoyed the two Magician books. While not the most original fantasy novels, the Magician books were solidly entertaining with some awe inspiring moments. Sadly this book is very disappointing and predictable. I'm not going to get into all the issues with the plot, enough of that has been said already. What really bothered me was all the scenes in Silverthorn that were completely stolen from Star Wars.

The most obvious being when the characters are riding through the woods and then are suddenly attacked by litte furry, cute creatures, throwing rocks and twigs at them! Ring a bell? Sounds a lot like Ewoks to me. Or how about the scene where one of the villains chokes another character from a great distance using his magic? Pretty sure Vader used this force choke maneuver more than once. Then we get a character towards the end of the book that talks exactly like Yoda! "Go into the mountain, you will." "Face the enemy, you must." OK, those aren't exact words from the book, but you get my point. There are tons of other little moments that made me cringe just like these and kept repeatedly taking me out of the book.

One more thing, the characters in this book are all completely the same with the exception of Jimmy. Arutha, Lyam, Martin and whatever that other guy's name have nothing in their characters that distinguish them from each other. Good writing establishes a character through their actions. Not only do all the characters act the same, but they all talk the same as well.

Anyway, I hear the book that follows Silverthorn is much better so I will be giving Feist one more chance.

I like the "Magician" better, but this sequel is also ok. It is taking a different path from the Magician story, only merging again at the end. It is a story of a Prince who is trying to save his Princes. Pretty intense, almost scary many times.
Not as good as the previous book, a little bit more classic story.

As I wrote in my review of 'Magician,' the first book in this Riftwar trilogy, I first read this series when I was a teen. Having gotten the urge to revisit it now twenty years later, I am enjoying it even more. Plot, character development, and world-creation are all excellent. I sped through this book in a few hours, and couldn't wait to start 'A Darkness at Sethanon,' the final book. If you are a fan of Tolkein-style story telling, and/or medeival-style fantasy in general that incorporates sword-and-sorcery themes, you will LOVE this book, and this series.

"magician: apprentice" and "magician: master" were great. epic plot, large battles, loveable chercters.In short, all you need in good fantasy (the large battles are a bounus, of course, and a very well done one in those two).
Nevertheless Silverthorn is bad. really bad.
Fiest's first mistake was adding the ultimate evil to the plot. don't wait for a grand war, or for any battle larger then a skirmish. don't hope to have a good plot, for the story is idiotic, ilogical and predictable. Also, there are elemnts that clearly appeard on the previos books.

Don't read. Don't even consider reading.

This was a fine read. I enjoyed it. After it was over and I started on the next book in the series I realized that not that much happened in the big scheme of things. Its setting up bigger things to come but really the story focuses on a Arutha and Jimmy side quest that I don't think will be important in later books (thats an assumption, I haven't read the other books). Well, if you are anything like me, and liked the first two books you'll buy this one too, enjoy it, go on to the next book and never re-read this one again.