The cast of characters is large and each one adds their own voice and relevance to the stories that unfold. For starters, the plot covers the events of a decade’s worth of adventure, learning, and warfare. It is this element that truly surprised me about the novel and distanced it completely from Tolkein’s works in my mind.Īs I have said, this novel is ambitious, and the previous paragraph is a synopsis at its most basic level. This is the first novel I’ve read which I believe I could actually categorise as science fantasy. These rifts are difficult to understand and seem to open at random but to the citizens of Midkemia they introduce an alien threat beyond their wildest imaginings. This novel covers the interactions of, and eventual war between, the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan two separate planets that are connected by rifts in the fabric of space.
The series title ( Riftwar Saga) is the initial indication of difference here. All of this is typical fantasy/D&D fare but it’s what Feist makes of his own universe that really makes this novel shine. It includes elves, dark elves, and dwarves there’s a dark, dangerous, and hidden foe, as well as benevolent dragons, wizards, and ridiculously powerful artefacts that turn their wearers into gods. Indeed, it does bear a lot of the same tropes as expected in a pre- Game of Thrones market. I went into it believing it to be another member of the overly large Lord of the Rings clone club.
From this list alone one can garner the amount of impact this novel has made on today’s readership and it is rightfully heralded as an icon amongst its peers today. In the BBC’s 2003 list of the top 100 books to read, this was one of the few fantasies included. Feist is, without a doubt, one of the core foundational novels of the fantasy genre. For one thing, FF has reviewed it once before. Now, I must say that I am approaching this review with a certain amount of trepidation.
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