It has been years since I've read this author's first 5 books in the original series of Midkemia. Those were great also!

But after many years, we can see that Raymond Feist still can write fantasy with the best of them. Great characters and magical settings abound. Solid stuff this.

Unlike most reviewers here, I approached this book having never even heard of Feist; a blank slate. The world and setting were a bit vague in a vacuum, but that lack made sense to me once I realized there were books preceding this one. The setting is a pretty standard medieval society. There is magic but it is incidental; nice, but immaterial. There were hints at an overriding external struggle between good and evil but it had little effect on the story. In other words, it read little like fantasy, more like good fiction.

Other than that I found it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Talon was an likable character and his development was interesting and not too slow. The main characters were very black and white good/bad which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The writing was good and the pace satisfying.

In short, the book was nothing earth shattering but worth a read or two.

Not the greatest book, but it was entertaining if contrived and forced at parts. If you have issues with heavy handed uses of Fate and such, don't bother. If you like to see a character be almost too smart and too good, but not completely over done then you'll enjoy it.

Tribal boy recruit.


We have one of those young boy grows up fantasy stories here. However, this one it appears is being recruited and trained as an agent that the wise and powerful can use in what is at the moment, a secret war.

When a young boy's tribe is killed while he is undergoing his vision quest he falls in with a man who offers him place a a local settlement, where he can learn to fit into Midkemian society, and other more dangerous skills he has a natural aptitude for.

Great new series for Feist fans with great characters and secrets that are slowly told throughout the series.