World Famous Comics: Flight of the Nighthawks (The Darkwar Saga, Book 1)
Flight of the Nighthawks (The Darkwar Saga, Book 1)
By: Raymond E. Feist Publisher: Eos Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Format: Bargain Price Label: Eos Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 368 Publication Date: April 01, 2006 Release Date: April 11, 2006
A new evil threatens Midkemia, its web stretching from the deepest criminal underworld all the way up to the highest seats of power in ancient Kesh. And the Conclave of Shadows, charged unexpectedly with the training of two apprentices, must also best powerful agents of the darkest magic . . . for the fate of two worlds lies in the balance.
The New York Times bestselling author and master of fantasy Raymond E. Feist returns to his signature world of Midkemia in this first book in a gripping new trilogy that ushers in the third, and most dramatic, Riftwar yet: the Darkwar.
In the middle of the night on Sorcerer's Isle, the powerful sorcerer Pug is awakened from a nightmare that portends destruction for all of Midkemia. Disturbed by the dream, Pug calls for a convening of the Conclave of Shadows. Though Pug does not yet know it, his son Magnus has discovered the cause of Pug's prophetic dream: a beacon has been unleashed, directing a vast army of alien invaders to Midkemia, an army so formidable that even the might of the Tsurani Empire might fall before its fury.
Meanwhile, in far Stardock town, two boys are coming of age. But on the dusty path that leads them from home they are thrust by fate into a life undreamed of, becoming enmeshed in intrigue, murder, and treason. Though untrained and unready, they are called upon by the mysterious Conclave to travel deep into the heart of the Empire of Great Kesh, to confront a plot so dark and twisted it will implicate even the highest-ranking nobles of the Empire, even members of the royal family itself. And behind this plot they discover the ancient Brotherhood of Death, the clan of assassins known as the Nighthawks.
And Pug will find himself once again facing his old nemesis, the evil wizard formerly known as Sidi, now Leso Varen, in a confrontation with everything at stake: his honor, his life, and the future of Midkemia.
A ho-hum story without a real hook to it Bottom Line: Try before you buy Never read any of Feist's book before this one. The cover looked really good, and the it had gotten some pretty decent reviews. So, the first part of the book, with Pug waking from a dream was weird...it didn't make any sense. And then we from that to the two boys, and the guy their mom likes. I had no idea who Pug was, and why did the book start with him? Fast forward a ways, to the explanation of the all Gods..the Lesser Gods, and then there's Greater Gods and we mustn't forget the Controllers. All of that explanation made zero sense, in fact, it gave me a headache trying to track everything they were saying about all the different Gods. I got to about 1/3 of the way through the book, before I finally stopped, and realized that the book never really hooked me. It was ho-hum the whole way (or at least to the point I stopped). Overall, the story needed some major work, and frankly so did the characters. I should pick up the book, get hooked and be sent on some sort of 'journey' or 'adventure', become immersed in this new world I'm being exposed to. This just didn't cut the mustard. I'd recommend Robert Jordan, Lorna Freeman, Winterbirth, or even The Blade Itself.
Next Best Midkemia Trilogy Anyone who has read the Midkemia books to this point will be thrilled to know that the story continues. This book is a great next step in the world that has captured it's fans imaginations from the onset.
Feist is still a great read, but the memories of the Riftwar are fading... I've read and enjoyed nearly all of Raymond Feist's books. Through his sagas, he's created a rich and deep world, with tons of interesting characters, compelling stories, and great interactions.
In a lot of ways, the Darkwar Saga's opening act is no exception. Finally venturing deep into Kesh for an extended story, this tale gives new life to a portion of Midkemia that maybe was not quite as fleshed out in my mind at least. And I actually admire the fact that Feist has been able to introduce yet ANOTHER "greatest threat ever to face the world" for yet ANOTHER trilogy, and do so in a way that actually seems plausible rather than just a tacked on addition to sell more books.
But I find myself in this series more than ever reminded of how Feist's books just don't develop new characters the way they did in the past. The strength of the book is on the interactions of characters that were introduced and fleshed out in what many would call Feist's prime...the Serpentwar and Riftwar Sagas. Pug, Nakor, Miranda, Tomas...these are the characters that got me excited when I got to a section detailing their contributions.
The new characters in this book just don't get the same treatment anymore, and they feel shallower for it. It makes me glad that he made several of my favorite old characters (like Pug and Tomas) effectively immortal so that I can keep enjoying them on and on and on.
All in all, I still find this a solid effort. To say it's not as good as Magician is not a huge insult...that book was fantastic. The story was still a page-turner, and it did contribute to fleshing out the fantastic world of Midkemia. But there was still that part of me that looked back while reading this book moreso than others, and regret that at least some of the magic is fading.
Not Free SF Reader Boys, blackguards and power armour army.
Pug and Nakor have more of a starring role here as they realise that the threat owned by the Talnoy (basically magic robot power armour battle suits) and their masters is bad news indeed. Pug's sons, both magical and non-magical are involved, as are the couple of kids they are mentoring, enabling Feist to bring in yet another pair of young brat identification characters, if you like.
Fans of the magical types specifically may like this one more.
more midkemia goodness Feist does it again with this one. if you liked the rest of his works then definitely get this one. otherwise, this is about 20th in the series and not much would make sence. start with Magician: Apprentice first.
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
