What do you think?
Rate this book
The Riftwar Legacy #2
Krondor: The Assassins: Book Two of the Riftwar Legacy
A plague of murder has overrun Krondor, the glorious center of the kingdom of Midkemia. Prince Arutha--newly returned from battle with the Morehdel chieftain Delekhan and the renegade magician Makala--is concerned about the rash of unexplained assassinations in his capital city. And so he dispatches his most trusted agent, Squire James--formerly the thief known as Jimmy the Hand--to discover the source of the deadly epidemic. James' hunt will lead him to the dank depths of Krondor, through subterranean tunnel and sewer system to a terrible war that is raging in secret far beneath the streets. For here rival criminal gangs are locked in a death struggle for control of a city's vice--dangerous gangsters who go by the name Mockers...and others in the thrall of a mysterious being known as The Crawler. But the deeper he delves, the closer Squire James gets to the true nature of the horror that has already left untold dead in its wake, a nightmare of corruption and deceit that threatens to destroy his liege and reduce Krondor to ruins. Ensnared by dark, intricate plots and dastardly magics, James must now race to prevent one last murder, the one craven, unthinkable slaying that will plunge Krondor into the all-consuming flames of war without quarter.
Audio CD
First published November 1, 1999
166 people are currently reading
3716 people want to read
About the author
Raymond E. Feist
275 books9,329 followersRaymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
October 1, 2017
Middle of a three book series right in the middle of a 30 book series. While I love Feist, I keep getting nervous that I am going to hit a bump in the series and I will encounter some material I don't like quite as much. Luckily, that did not happen here.
Honestly, this is the first part of the series where the books are starting off a little slow and the story is not sticking with me quite as much. That is likely a result of the first book in this trilogy being based on a video game and the fact that this is the first series within the bigger storyline that is not quite as "tight" in its continuity. The point of this mini-series seems to be to tell some other side stories focused around post-Riftwar Krondor. While they may have a connection, especially through the characters, they have a lot of stand alone to them as well.
When I started Assassins, it didn't grab me right away and I was worried that I found the bump in the road. But, the last one hundred pages or so made up for it and the climax is fantastic. Some really great magic in this one and some additional back stories for characters that readers of the Riftwar series will be familiar with.
There is no way I recommend this book to people who have not at least read the Riftwar series. But, if you did read the Riftwar and enjoyed it, you really cannot go wrong here.
Honestly, this is the first part of the series where the books are starting off a little slow and the story is not sticking with me quite as much. That is likely a result of the first book in this trilogy being based on a video game and the fact that this is the first series within the bigger storyline that is not quite as "tight" in its continuity. The point of this mini-series seems to be to tell some other side stories focused around post-Riftwar Krondor. While they may have a connection, especially through the characters, they have a lot of stand alone to them as well.
When I started Assassins, it didn't grab me right away and I was worried that I found the bump in the road. But, the last one hundred pages or so made up for it and the climax is fantastic. Some really great magic in this one and some additional back stories for characters that readers of the Riftwar series will be familiar with.
There is no way I recommend this book to people who have not at least read the Riftwar series. But, if you did read the Riftwar and enjoyed it, you really cannot go wrong here.
April 28, 2019
For those fans of Jimmy the Hand wanting all the hints of adventure he must have had as a Squire in Arutha's court, becoming a spymaster, hunting down assassins, then this is the book for you.
It's weird going back in time to the days after the original Riftwar like this but I'll admit the story potentials are rather rich. If small, focused, and detailed. :)
In some ways, the end of this novel feels like a slightly more awesome ending to Silverthorn. No complaints. At all. Lots of action, character development, skullduggery, infiltration, and all-around fun fantasy thievery. :)
It's weird going back in time to the days after the original Riftwar like this but I'll admit the story potentials are rather rich. If small, focused, and detailed. :)
In some ways, the end of this novel feels like a slightly more awesome ending to Silverthorn. No complaints. At all. Lots of action, character development, skullduggery, infiltration, and all-around fun fantasy thievery. :)
December 25, 2019
This is the second book in the Riftwar Legacy, part of the much larger Riftwar Cycle. Theoretically I had read this book before, but I remembered absolutely nothing about it. While my memories of most of these books have been very faint after 20 years, I usually remember something, however minor or vague.
I enjoyed this one a lot. It features Jimmy heavily, which definitely contributed to that enjoyment. There’s also quite a lot of Arutha, at least compared to the last several books, and lots of fun dialogue. The story itself was quite suspenseful at times. There were some overly-convenient things, a fairly common occurrence in these books really, so I might have rolled my eyes a few times, but the story held my attention well. We also spend quite a bit of time with William, , a character who showed up quite a bit in the previous subseries which is set many years later but whom we never really got to know.
Unlike the first book in this subseries, this one is not based on a video game. However, it bridges the gap between that book and the third book which was also based on a video game. Although the most immediate problems are wrapped up by the end, there are still quite a few open questions. Much of what is introduced in this book is actually setup for the events in the next book.
I’m probably being overly generous with my 4.5 star rating. There’s nothing earthshattering or groundbreaking here, and it’s not even one of Feist’s best books if I were being completely objective about it. I just really had a lot of fun reading it and my ratings are almost completely based on my enjoyment level. I’m rounding down to 4 on Goodreads since I can’t justify 5 stars.
The comments in my spoiler tags will explain one other silly reason why this book made me so happy. Although it's a somewhat minor spoiler, it also spoils things in some of the previous subseries that are set chronologically after this one.
I enjoyed this one a lot. It features Jimmy heavily, which definitely contributed to that enjoyment. There’s also quite a lot of Arutha, at least compared to the last several books, and lots of fun dialogue. The story itself was quite suspenseful at times. There were some overly-convenient things, a fairly common occurrence in these books really, so I might have rolled my eyes a few times, but the story held my attention well. We also spend quite a bit of time with William, , a character who showed up quite a bit in the previous subseries which is set many years later but whom we never really got to know.
Unlike the first book in this subseries, this one is not based on a video game. However, it bridges the gap between that book and the third book which was also based on a video game. Although the most immediate problems are wrapped up by the end, there are still quite a few open questions. Much of what is introduced in this book is actually setup for the events in the next book.
I’m probably being overly generous with my 4.5 star rating. There’s nothing earthshattering or groundbreaking here, and it’s not even one of Feist’s best books if I were being completely objective about it. I just really had a lot of fun reading it and my ratings are almost completely based on my enjoyment level. I’m rounding down to 4 on Goodreads since I can’t justify 5 stars.
The comments in my spoiler tags will explain one other silly reason why this book made me so happy. Although it's a somewhat minor spoiler, it also spoils things in some of the previous subseries that are set chronologically after this one.
May 2, 2023
The 2nd book in this sub-series of Feists Riftwar saga. This entire series is a great example of Epic Fantasy.
Back in 2019 I started a personal challenge to read older fantasy . Raymond E. Feist was one of the first authors I picked up. I was thrilled to find a great buddy in my fantasy group (shout out to you Aaron 😉) who wanted to read Feist. This completed book takes us on to book # 15. We are at the half point!
The great thing about this sub-series is that it takes us back in time, to when the characters were young. We get the back story of characters we have loved and hated. Relationship with characters and world building are very important to me, especially in fantasy. Also, having started at the beginning of Feists career, experiencing his growth has been wonderful.
Here is a paragraph my first review of Feist, in 2019
The problem I had with the first half of the book was that too much information was being poured out. It seemed there were just so many different races of people moving around. I thought, "what the hell-does this guy thinks he is Tolkien, he can't create another Middle Earth!" In the second half of the book everything came together for me and it all worked. I apologize Raymond E. Feist-yes you can, yes you did, and I loved it.
That comment still stands true. If you are a newbie to fantasy, and you want a great story, or a hard core fan of magic and battle, I highly recommend this series. Get through book 1 and I promise you hours of great reading.
Back in 2019 I started a personal challenge to read older fantasy . Raymond E. Feist was one of the first authors I picked up. I was thrilled to find a great buddy in my fantasy group (shout out to you Aaron 😉) who wanted to read Feist. This completed book takes us on to book # 15. We are at the half point!
The great thing about this sub-series is that it takes us back in time, to when the characters were young. We get the back story of characters we have loved and hated. Relationship with characters and world building are very important to me, especially in fantasy. Also, having started at the beginning of Feists career, experiencing his growth has been wonderful.
Here is a paragraph my first review of Feist, in 2019
The problem I had with the first half of the book was that too much information was being poured out. It seemed there were just so many different races of people moving around. I thought, "what the hell-does this guy thinks he is Tolkien, he can't create another Middle Earth!" In the second half of the book everything came together for me and it all worked. I apologize Raymond E. Feist-yes you can, yes you did, and I loved it.
That comment still stands true. If you are a newbie to fantasy, and you want a great story, or a hard core fan of magic and battle, I highly recommend this series. Get through book 1 and I promise you hours of great reading.
February 28, 2022
Ova druga knjiga "Riftwar Legacy" serijala je za pola ocene bolja od prethodne.
Umesto Loklia i Gorata na scenu stupa Viliam, Pagov sin. Squire Dzimi (the hand) Viliam i jos po neki vise nego simpatican karakter, uz princa Arutu, morace da nadju odgovor na seriju u prvi mah nepovezanih ubistava u Krondoru. Neizvesnost, dosta sunjanja i krvavi obracun mogu donetu pobedu ali kraj knjige nam nagovestava da borba epskih razmera tek predstoji. Takodje sa nestrpljenjem mozete iscekivati pojavljivanje jednog vrlo zanimljivog zenskog kraktera, ona na preporuku carobnjaka Paga dolazi u Krondor kako bi stupila u sluzbu princa Arute.
Umesto Loklia i Gorata na scenu stupa Viliam, Pagov sin. Squire Dzimi (the hand) Viliam i jos po neki vise nego simpatican karakter, uz princa Arutu, morace da nadju odgovor na seriju u prvi mah nepovezanih ubistava u Krondoru. Neizvesnost, dosta sunjanja i krvavi obracun mogu donetu pobedu ali kraj knjige nam nagovestava da borba epskih razmera tek predstoji. Takodje sa nestrpljenjem mozete iscekivati pojavljivanje jednog vrlo zanimljivog zenskog kraktera, ona na preporuku carobnjaka Paga dolazi u Krondor kako bi stupila u sluzbu princa Arute.
January 21, 2023
This book is much better than the first in the trilogy, with tighter plotting and more cohesion to the events within the narrative; this book has better focus, and it is a lot more fun. Maybe the editor had more input, since it seemed to me that Feist's writing tics were toned down. There are still the usual problems with Feist's writing in general, for example his character have a limited repertoire of facial expressions, and there are no real female characters to speak of outside of William's love interest, but beyond that the book functions well as low-brow fantasy adventure with intrigue and danger to spare.
3.5
3.5
August 23, 2019
Another enjoyable read.
April 23, 2023
Another great read from the author. This book had one of my favorite characters as the main plot and I loved it! It also set up the next book to revolve around him too, so I’m jumping right in!
August 11, 2012
Much better than Kronder: The Betrayal (which was more like a direct and lazy novelization of the game), Kronder: The Assassins gets back into interesting subplots and intrigue.
March 16, 2019
Beter dan het vorige deel Het verraad, dat een bewerking was van een computerspel.
Interessante sub-plots en intrige's. Het boek had een goede vaart en problemen werden opgelost door menselijk vernuft en moed, in plaats van te vertrouwen op Puc's magische krachten. Eindelijk zien we wat er in de jeugd van William gebeurde.
Goede karakterontwikkeling, een verhaal dat je lokt en je niet los laat voor je het helemaal gelezen heb.
Interessante sub-plots en intrige's. Het boek had een goede vaart en problemen werden opgelost door menselijk vernuft en moed, in plaats van te vertrouwen op Puc's magische krachten. Eindelijk zien we wat er in de jeugd van William gebeurde.
Goede karakterontwikkeling, een verhaal dat je lokt en je niet los laat voor je het helemaal gelezen heb.
June 1, 2022
4 stars - Dutch hardcover
Feist is one of the very best world builders and story tellers. Definitely my favourite huge series I own or intend to own every single one in hardcover books. The adventure goes on and I will keep reading.
The middle book of the three in the series. I found this to be the least interesting of the Midkemia series stories. However, the book is fast paced as usual. I read it very quickly. I have yet to read one of Feist's books that wasn't good entertainment. I would still recommend this one, even if I don't think it one of his best.
Feist is one of the very best world builders and story tellers. Definitely my favourite huge series I own or intend to own every single one in hardcover books. The adventure goes on and I will keep reading.
The middle book of the three in the series. I found this to be the least interesting of the Midkemia series stories. However, the book is fast paced as usual. I read it very quickly. I have yet to read one of Feist's books that wasn't good entertainment. I would still recommend this one, even if I don't think it one of his best.
July 13, 2024
Beetje hetzelfde probleem als het eerste boek van de Krondor Trilogie. Niet heel bijzonder, maar ook zeker geen teleurstelling.
April 29, 2013
As per usual, you get a better feeling with the first book of a series than with the second. I don't know exactly why, but the most controversial book or books in a series are the middle ones.
The beginning can always be three things: amazing, meh and worst ever. Based on that, you decide whether you're going to read it. Amazing usually indicates you are going to love the other books also. If you like it enough to start it, you're probably going to invest a lot of yourself in that installment. The first book predicts how you're going to feel about the characters, what imagery you like best and how much you love the action.
The last book in series, you're lucky if it closes right. If there's a bad end, kicking and screaming and whimpering will be your first options, then you're going to consider burning the book at a public bonfire. If it's an amazing end to an amazing series, you will have the same first three options: kicking and screaming and whimpering, then you're going to get in a fetal position and hug the book until you fall asleep. Yep, that's how it works.
But when it comes to the middle works, that's tricky. The author has to constantly remember what the story line is and how to keep it intersting, while at the same time be conscious that he has to leave some of the action for future installments. Now, that's a tough job.
In Krondor: The Assasins , Feist remembers. Feist did his job and kept it thrilling, amazingly accurate from the point of view of fantasy and pretty much in connection with everything.
What I really like about his writing, now that I read the second installment (and am currently reading the third and last): he mimics the language of that "time" really well and he follows the characters really well.
For that, I'm going to read the third book and see how he ends this little piece of his puzzle.
The beginning can always be three things: amazing, meh and worst ever. Based on that, you decide whether you're going to read it. Amazing usually indicates you are going to love the other books also. If you like it enough to start it, you're probably going to invest a lot of yourself in that installment. The first book predicts how you're going to feel about the characters, what imagery you like best and how much you love the action.
The last book in series, you're lucky if it closes right. If there's a bad end, kicking and screaming and whimpering will be your first options, then you're going to consider burning the book at a public bonfire. If it's an amazing end to an amazing series, you will have the same first three options: kicking and screaming and whimpering, then you're going to get in a fetal position and hug the book until you fall asleep. Yep, that's how it works.
But when it comes to the middle works, that's tricky. The author has to constantly remember what the story line is and how to keep it intersting, while at the same time be conscious that he has to leave some of the action for future installments. Now, that's a tough job.
In Krondor: The Assasins , Feist remembers. Feist did his job and kept it thrilling, amazingly accurate from the point of view of fantasy and pretty much in connection with everything.
What I really like about his writing, now that I read the second installment (and am currently reading the third and last): he mimics the language of that "time" really well and he follows the characters really well.
For that, I'm going to read the third book and see how he ends this little piece of his puzzle.
July 19, 2017
- review kan spoilers bevatten-
Na de strijd om de Levenssteen en het offer van een magier genaamd Patrus waardoor een scheuring kan worden gesloten keert Prins Arutha terug naar de hoofdstad om deze in "puin"terug te vinden. Er zijn vele brute moorden geweest onder leiding van ene kruiper en de snaken missen hun leider de Oprechte man, zou hij zijn vermoord? En golf van meer geweld wordt gevreesd.
Nog steeds zijn de boeken van Feist volgepakt met actie, avontuur en humor. Vooral het laatste maakt dat ik een enorme fan van zijn boeken. Naast Prins Arutha zijn er meerdere bekende namen als Robbie de Hand en Prinses Anita. Ook William, de zoon van magier Puc speelt een leidende rol in dit boek.
Enkele fragmenten uit het boek:
- Wijdbeens schommelend liep Limm verder, met zijn voeten op de zijkanten van de ronde doorgang, aangezien er over nog geen tien voet een lelijke uitstoom kwam naar een enorm kanaal dat zo'n zes el lager liep.-
- "Als de Oprechte Man dood is, is de prijs vervallen."-
- Onder die drie die ons aanvielen, bevond zich minstens één, en naar alle waarschijnlijkheid twee zee machtige magiers van het Mindere Pad.-
-"Waarom komen keshishe beroepsmoordenaars een Olakese prins vermoorden?"-
- Nog geen uur later waren ze aan boord en vertrokken de drie schepen met volle zeilen op het avondtij.... Tegen de tijd dat Robert had uitgepakt, kondigde een klop op de deur de komst aan van de admiraal.-
Na de strijd om de Levenssteen en het offer van een magier genaamd Patrus waardoor een scheuring kan worden gesloten keert Prins Arutha terug naar de hoofdstad om deze in "puin"terug te vinden. Er zijn vele brute moorden geweest onder leiding van ene kruiper en de snaken missen hun leider de Oprechte man, zou hij zijn vermoord? En golf van meer geweld wordt gevreesd.
Nog steeds zijn de boeken van Feist volgepakt met actie, avontuur en humor. Vooral het laatste maakt dat ik een enorme fan van zijn boeken. Naast Prins Arutha zijn er meerdere bekende namen als Robbie de Hand en Prinses Anita. Ook William, de zoon van magier Puc speelt een leidende rol in dit boek.
Enkele fragmenten uit het boek:
- Wijdbeens schommelend liep Limm verder, met zijn voeten op de zijkanten van de ronde doorgang, aangezien er over nog geen tien voet een lelijke uitstoom kwam naar een enorm kanaal dat zo'n zes el lager liep.-
- "Als de Oprechte Man dood is, is de prijs vervallen."-
- Onder die drie die ons aanvielen, bevond zich minstens één, en naar alle waarschijnlijkheid twee zee machtige magiers van het Mindere Pad.-
-"Waarom komen keshishe beroepsmoordenaars een Olakese prins vermoorden?"-
- Nog geen uur later waren ze aan boord en vertrokken de drie schepen met volle zeilen op het avondtij.... Tegen de tijd dat Robert had uitgepakt, kondigde een klop op de deur de komst aan van de admiraal.-
January 23, 2016
I've been going back to series that I love and reading some of the books that I missed (for whatever reason) when they were first released.
We have Prince Arutha and very briefly Pug, Pug's son William and the true star of the book Squire James (formerly Jimmy the Hand) who just happens to be my favorite character in the 30+ book series.
It's a stand alone novel - the plot centers around a war that rages in the underworld - the Mockers are being challenged by someone known as the Crawler. So we've pretty much got a mafia war set in a fantasy land. But why? What's the motives? What the endgame they're playing for? Answer those questions and now you've got a really nice adventure story.
This was much much better than the previous book (Krondor: The Betrayal) and I would recommend it. It might be good to have read the books that came before it but not 100% necessary.
Action, adventure, magic, assassins, great characters, fast moving plot - nuff said.
We have Prince Arutha and very briefly Pug, Pug's son William and the true star of the book Squire James (formerly Jimmy the Hand) who just happens to be my favorite character in the 30+ book series.
It's a stand alone novel - the plot centers around a war that rages in the underworld - the Mockers are being challenged by someone known as the Crawler. So we've pretty much got a mafia war set in a fantasy land. But why? What's the motives? What the endgame they're playing for? Answer those questions and now you've got a really nice adventure story.
This was much much better than the previous book (Krondor: The Betrayal) and I would recommend it. It might be good to have read the books that came before it but not 100% necessary.
Action, adventure, magic, assassins, great characters, fast moving plot - nuff said.
January 10, 2021
Krondor the Assassins, written by Raymond E. Feist.
ISBN 0-00-648335–6 and published by Voyager (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) in 1999.
Cover illustration by Geoff Taylor
The second book of the Riftwar Legacy series and I enjoyed this book much more than the previous book. The first book of the series, Krondor the Betrayal, is based on a game and reading that story gave me the feeling of a steel ball inside a pinball machine. Don’t get me wrong, I did not dislike the first book but this one is much better for me. The story is about my favorite characters and progresses with a lot less speed than the previous book.
Below I’ve listed the main characters.
Krondor:
Arutha, Prince of Krondor.
Anita, Princess of Krondor and Arutha’s wife.
Erland and Borric, their nine-year-old twins.
Elena, four-year-old daughter.
James, senior squire.
Locklear, squire.
Amos Trask, Admiral of the Western Fleet.
Pug conDoin, magician.
William conDoin, cadet in service of the Royal Household Guards and Pug’s son.
Lord Radswil Of Olaska, younger brother of the Grand Duke of Vaclac.
Vladic, son of the Archduke of Vaclac.
Kazimir, son of Radswil.
Paulina, daughter of Radswil.
Swordmaster McWirth.
Master of Ceremonies Brain de Lacey.
Housecarl Jerome, De Lacey’s assistant.
Chief Jailer Morgon of the Krondor Palace.
Father Benson of the temple of Prandur and Arutha’s spiritual advisor.
Knight Lieutenant Gordon O’Donald, youngest son of the Earl of Mallow Haven.
Knight Captain Treggar.
Sergeant Mathews, weather-beaten old veteran.
Edwin, a member of the Royal Pathfinders.
Captain Issacs, commander of the Royal Household Guards.
Krondor underground:
Limm, a young thief.
Ethan Graves, one-time leader of the Bashers.
Kat, Graves’ partner.
Wilfred Means, Sheriff of Krondor.
Walter Mons, one of Mother’s bashers.
Josh and Henry, fellow bashers.
Sophia, trader in spells, charms and magic potions.
Krondor above ground:
Lucas, former soldier and innkeeper in Krondor.
His daughter Talia.
Captain Guruth commander of the City guard.
Sherrif Wilfred Means.
Jonathan Means, his youngest son.
Jaquin Medosa, Magician.
Sidi, companion of Jaquin.
ISBN 0-00-648335–6 and published by Voyager (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) in 1999.
Cover illustration by Geoff Taylor
The second book of the Riftwar Legacy series and I enjoyed this book much more than the previous book. The first book of the series, Krondor the Betrayal, is based on a game and reading that story gave me the feeling of a steel ball inside a pinball machine. Don’t get me wrong, I did not dislike the first book but this one is much better for me. The story is about my favorite characters and progresses with a lot less speed than the previous book.
Below I’ve listed the main characters.
Krondor:
Arutha, Prince of Krondor.
Anita, Princess of Krondor and Arutha’s wife.
Erland and Borric, their nine-year-old twins.
Elena, four-year-old daughter.
James, senior squire.
Locklear, squire.
Amos Trask, Admiral of the Western Fleet.
Pug conDoin, magician.
William conDoin, cadet in service of the Royal Household Guards and Pug’s son.
Lord Radswil Of Olaska, younger brother of the Grand Duke of Vaclac.
Vladic, son of the Archduke of Vaclac.
Kazimir, son of Radswil.
Paulina, daughter of Radswil.
Swordmaster McWirth.
Master of Ceremonies Brain de Lacey.
Housecarl Jerome, De Lacey’s assistant.
Chief Jailer Morgon of the Krondor Palace.
Father Benson of the temple of Prandur and Arutha’s spiritual advisor.
Knight Lieutenant Gordon O’Donald, youngest son of the Earl of Mallow Haven.
Knight Captain Treggar.
Sergeant Mathews, weather-beaten old veteran.
Edwin, a member of the Royal Pathfinders.
Captain Issacs, commander of the Royal Household Guards.
Krondor underground:
Limm, a young thief.
Ethan Graves, one-time leader of the Bashers.
Kat, Graves’ partner.
Wilfred Means, Sheriff of Krondor.
Walter Mons, one of Mother’s bashers.
Josh and Henry, fellow bashers.
Sophia, trader in spells, charms and magic potions.
Krondor above ground:
Lucas, former soldier and innkeeper in Krondor.
His daughter Talia.
Captain Guruth commander of the City guard.
Sherrif Wilfred Means.
Jonathan Means, his youngest son.
Jaquin Medosa, Magician.
Sidi, companion of Jaquin.
August 23, 2019
4 stars with an average of 8.375/10
My rating system:
1 star: 1.0-2.9/10
2 stars: 3.0-5.4/10
3 stars: 5.5-7.0/10
4 stars: 7.1-9.0/10
5 stars: 9.1-10/10
Rating based on plot, characters, and writing (2x)
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8.5/10
Writing: 8/10
General enjoyment: 9.5/10
Review
Wow. I never thought I'd love Jimmy's/James' perspective so much. I did really like his character in the Riftwar saga, but his complexity has been build so much in these Riftwar Legacy books so far and I really enjoy it. There are complex dynamics with the other characters are very well done and do help to also develop them.
I liked the cameo of Amos at the end, you have to love that pirate turned freeloader, he's such a nice character. He feels so honest and is a very competent man.
Jimmy/James was a thief in the Mockers and his street smarts prevail in this book, but we also see a little bit of his slightly brazen personality. He isn't only street smart, he also has a good set of brains in his head and is very good with strategy and thinks quickly.
This combination of traits works, but it also causes him to end up in dire situations at times, which makes the stakes in the plot feel more real.
This was written in such an engrossing way I couldn't really stop reading and was easy to follow. It builds the world of the Kingdom more (the rest of the planet gets more expansion in the series Krondor's sons which is chronologically set some 10 years after these books).
I'm happy I decided to go on with the Riftwar Cycle this year. I've enjoyed every book in it so far and hope this trend keeps going for the other 20 books (divided over 7 smaller series) in this massive series of series.
If you are a bit newer to fantasy or want to dive into bigger series/more complex high fantasy I definitely recommend these books, but do start at the beginning. Start with Magician.
My rating system:
1 star: 1.0-2.9/10
2 stars: 3.0-5.4/10
3 stars: 5.5-7.0/10
4 stars: 7.1-9.0/10
5 stars: 9.1-10/10
Rating based on plot, characters, and writing (2x)
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8.5/10
Writing: 8/10
General enjoyment: 9.5/10
Review
Wow. I never thought I'd love Jimmy's/James' perspective so much. I did really like his character in the Riftwar saga, but his complexity has been build so much in these Riftwar Legacy books so far and I really enjoy it. There are complex dynamics with the other characters are very well done and do help to also develop them.
I liked the cameo of Amos at the end, you have to love that pirate turned freeloader, he's such a nice character. He feels so honest and is a very competent man.
Jimmy/James was a thief in the Mockers and his street smarts prevail in this book, but we also see a little bit of his slightly brazen personality. He isn't only street smart, he also has a good set of brains in his head and is very good with strategy and thinks quickly.
This combination of traits works, but it also causes him to end up in dire situations at times, which makes the stakes in the plot feel more real.
This was written in such an engrossing way I couldn't really stop reading and was easy to follow. It builds the world of the Kingdom more (the rest of the planet gets more expansion in the series Krondor's sons which is chronologically set some 10 years after these books).
I'm happy I decided to go on with the Riftwar Cycle this year. I've enjoyed every book in it so far and hope this trend keeps going for the other 20 books (divided over 7 smaller series) in this massive series of series.
If you are a bit newer to fantasy or want to dive into bigger series/more complex high fantasy I definitely recommend these books, but do start at the beginning. Start with Magician.
September 5, 2019
Pretty cool if one must say
July 28, 2020
Gotta love Jimmy!
February 11, 2022
Even though this is just a off-shoot of the riftwar cycle, its great, favourite characters in a new adventure. Loving William, last read of him as a baby in Magician Master.
I read these books 20 odd years ago, I remember soooo little its marvelous
I read these books 20 odd years ago, I remember soooo little its marvelous
June 26, 2025
***3/4
September 15, 2024
a different sort of three star to the last one - there was a lot of good stuff with william, but it was definitely a story of how to bridge betrayal to tear of the gods.
October 4, 2009
Book 2 of the Legacy of the Riftwar. While I still enjoyed reading it, and while it's definitely better than book 1, the plot is actually very short and the sequence of events felt very rigid and scripted - most probably because there's a computer game behind it - causing events and situations to be a bit awkward in fiction. Jimmy is as entertaining and endearing a character as always, but Prince Arutha felt like a shadow. There are some pretty good scenes, but most of the rest of the book are just so-so. Good enough for Feist or Midkemia or Jimmy fans, but others may want to pass.
Read
March 6, 2009It was awesome but of course I think all his books are awesome and for those I haven't read I'm sure they are. My all time favorite author, hands down. The characters are unique and vivid, the story-line entrancing. Can't wait to read the next one. This is a long series of books including several sagas and it is best to read them in order so I have been told though I have yet to do so.
May 5, 2008
This series is a dissapointment so far. I can hardly remember anything that happend in the first book and my memories of this book are slipping with each passing day.
There was little to no climax,and it hardly caught my attention, and character backround was bland at best.
There was little to no climax,and it hardly caught my attention, and character backround was bland at best.
December 16, 2009
Great!!
October 24, 2011
excellent book fast paced exciting, the characters you cant help to love (I have my favourites) now reading Krondor Tear of the gods
September 8, 2012
Warning!!! Extremely addictive!!
April 16, 2019
Finished this about a week ago, but I already can't remember much of it...
September 9, 2021
Another epic adventure & visiting with old characters
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews