A Darkness at Sethanon (Riftwar Saga): 4 - Softcover

Feist, Raymond E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553263285 ISBN 13: 9780553263282

Publisher: Spectra, 1987

Synopsis

An evil wind blows through Midkemia. Dark legions have risen up to crush the Kingdom of the Isles and enslave it to dire magics. The final battle between Order and Chaos is about to begin in the ruins of the city called Sethanon.

About this title

Review:

A Darkness at Sethanon completes the "Riftworld saga" which started with Feist's Magician. When Raymond Feist's enormous novel was published, critics called it "the best new fantasy concept in years", and Feist has refined and explored that concept over a dozen novels. His "concept" was to bring together two (and later, more) whole, intricately realised Fantasy worlds. Midkemia is a Tolkienian realm, a European-Medieval series of kingdoms in which magic is prominent, and where men share the earth with dwarves and elves. Feist's genius was inventing another sword and sorcercy realm based more closely on eastern models, the Empire of Tsuranuanni, as vast as Ancient China, as formalised and devoted to the arts of war as a samurai Japan. A magical rift in time-space brings these two worlds clashing together, and the young boy Pug and his soldier friend Tomas are thrown into the ensuing maelstrom of invasion and epic battle, before embarking on a more fundamental magical journey towards the very roots of evil itself. Feist's two sequels to Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon complete the richly conceived "Riftwar Saga", and Fiest has gone on to chronicle other aspects of his invented worlds. With Janny Wurts he wrote the "Empire" trilogy, which charts the rise, through the rigid patriarchy of the Empire of Tsuranuanni, of a remarkable female heroine, a woman who eventually reaches the heights of the imperial throne itself Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of Empire. More recently he has returned to the world of Medkemia, and to his hero Pug, with the Serpentwar saga, beginning with Shadow of a Dark Queen and continuing with Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown. Heroic Fantasy is a crowded-enough field, but Feist stands out in it for his sheer inventive power, the scope and range of his narratives, the diversity of his characters and his thundering battle sequences. Start reading here, and you may find yourself unable to stop until you have followed the saga right up to date. --Adam Roberts

Review:

Further praise for the Riftwar saga:

"Most exciting...a very worthy and absorbing addition to the fantasy field."
-- Andre Norton on Magician

"As exciting and absorbing as Magician in every way. The excellent characterization wedded to a tight and well-turned plot makes it one of the outstanding fantasy offerings of the season."
-- Andre Norton on Silverthorn

"A lively tale where engaging characters inhabit a well-rounded fantasy land." -- Publishers Weekly on Prince of the Blood
"Has humor and tears and romance...just about everything a fantasy fan could ask for...This is a book to read whether or not you have read the earlier trilogy."
-- UPI on Prince of the Blood

"A superior, rousing adventure."
-- Publishers Weekly on The King's Buccaneer

"An entertaining tale of high-seas adventure and exotic fantasy."
-- Locus on The King's Buccaneer
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About this edition

• Publisher: Spectra
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0553263285
• ISBN 13: 9780553263282
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 448