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kenlaan's review against another edition
3.0
And so I finish book 31 of The Chaoswar Saga. This review is largely going to be about the series as a whole (though the rating is for the book itself). Overall, the book was 'good' and managed to be both satisfying and a little disappointing at the same time. I think I wanted more from the ending novel to a series that ran for 30 years, but I couldn't tell you precisely what was lacking.
I first read Magician: Apprentice maybe nearly 25 years ago as a kid and didn't continue the series past that until July 2021, when I decided to restart it. It's quite remarkable how much the series evolved over its 30 years. It began with, by today's standards (unfair, as it was undoubtedly very influential in forming those tropes), a pretty by-the-numbers Bildungsroman style story about an orphaned castle boy becoming the castle magician's apprentice. And if you reach the end, you'll have read metatextual descriptions of the base elements of matter (the manipulation of them being 'magic', which doesn't actually exist), investigations of how gods are created by people (not vice versa), entire worlds being destroyed, rifts between galaxies, time manipulation, and much more. Characters are born and die of old age, their children join the cast, and likewise exit the stage. It's quite a remarkable series.
Once the series was established, by and large, Feist concerned himself with two classes of characters (with some notable exceptions). The first is Pug, the titular Magician, and those like him - his family, and other members of Stardock and the Enclave of Shadows, which are mostly a collection of magicians who work to safeguard the world of Midkemia. The second are the non-magical nobles of the Kingdom of the Isles, largely members of the conDoin family from Crydee, where the first book begins. Without exception, I enjoyed the time spent with the second class of characters quite a bit more than the first. The stories featured interesting (if somewhat simplistic) political maneuvering with lots of swordplay, espionage, and other exciting elements. Characters like Arutha, Jimmy the Hand, Eric von Darkmoor, and Talwin Hawkins fall into this collection.
By contrast, I didn't have an especially strong affinity for Pug, the lynchpin of the entire series. My favorite books were those in which he didn't even appear ([b:Daughter of the Empire|589979|Daughter of the Empire (The Empire Trilogy, #1)|Raymond E. Feist|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1672516954l/589979._SY75_.jpg|2960453], [b:Rise of a Merchant Prince|43917|Rise of a Merchant Prince (The Serpentwar Saga, #2)|Raymond E. Feist|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360282060l/43917._SY75_.jpg|1844901], etc). I didn't have any problems with him, I just didn't find him all that interesting beyond what he did in Kelewan during his training as a Great One. He's a very consistent character without many interesting flaws or especially notable character traits, which is fair - people like that exist, I suppose, but they aren't that fun to read about, even if they do have all-powerful magician abilities. Feist is rather academic about his descriptions concerning the mechanics of magic, and while that works for some authors (Sanderson has made a career out of it), in Feist's case I mostly felt it just managed to make it less interesting as time went on.
Ultimately I'm very happy that I've read this series and I would recommend it to fans of adventure fantasy, but I wouldn't stress any importance on finishing the last 5 or so entries into it. Feist is to be commended for creating a compelling and interesting universe that undoubtedly influenced works that have come over - I just wish the ending didn't feel like just another iteration of the same framework I'd seen before.
I first read Magician: Apprentice maybe nearly 25 years ago as a kid and didn't continue the series past that until July 2021, when I decided to restart it. It's quite remarkable how much the series evolved over its 30 years. It began with, by today's standards (unfair, as it was undoubtedly very influential in forming those tropes), a pretty by-the-numbers Bildungsroman style story about an orphaned castle boy becoming the castle magician's apprentice. And if you reach the end, you'll have read metatextual descriptions of the base elements of matter (the manipulation of them being 'magic', which doesn't actually exist), investigations of how gods are created by people (not vice versa), entire worlds being destroyed, rifts between galaxies, time manipulation, and much more. Characters are born and die of old age, their children join the cast, and likewise exit the stage. It's quite a remarkable series.
Once the series was established, by and large, Feist concerned himself with two classes of characters (with some notable exceptions). The first is Pug, the titular Magician, and those like him - his family, and other members of Stardock and the Enclave of Shadows, which are mostly a collection of magicians who work to safeguard the world of Midkemia. The second are the non-magical nobles of the Kingdom of the Isles, largely members of the conDoin family from Crydee, where the first book begins. Without exception, I enjoyed the time spent with the second class of characters quite a bit more than the first. The stories featured interesting (if somewhat simplistic) political maneuvering with lots of swordplay, espionage, and other exciting elements. Characters like Arutha, Jimmy the Hand, Eric von Darkmoor, and Talwin Hawkins fall into this collection.
By contrast, I didn't have an especially strong affinity for Pug, the lynchpin of the entire series. My favorite books were those in which he didn't even appear ([b:Daughter of the Empire|589979|Daughter of the Empire (The Empire Trilogy, #1)|Raymond E. Feist|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1672516954l/589979._SY75_.jpg|2960453], [b:Rise of a Merchant Prince|43917|Rise of a Merchant Prince (The Serpentwar Saga, #2)|Raymond E. Feist|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360282060l/43917._SY75_.jpg|1844901], etc). I didn't have any problems with him, I just didn't find him all that interesting beyond what he did in Kelewan during his training as a Great One. He's a very consistent character without many interesting flaws or especially notable character traits, which is fair - people like that exist, I suppose, but they aren't that fun to read about, even if they do have all-powerful magician abilities. Feist is rather academic about his descriptions concerning the mechanics of magic, and while that works for some authors (Sanderson has made a career out of it), in Feist's case I mostly felt it just managed to make it less interesting as time went on.
Ultimately I'm very happy that I've read this series and I would recommend it to fans of adventure fantasy, but I wouldn't stress any importance on finishing the last 5 or so entries into it. Feist is to be commended for creating a compelling and interesting universe that undoubtedly influenced works that have come over - I just wish the ending didn't feel like just another iteration of the same framework I'd seen before.
jgarnettau's review against another edition
5.0
A fitting end to a saga spanning generations.
I am at a loss to describe the impact Pug and Midkemia has had on me over the years, both in the sense of an appreciation for the story and for the development of the writing, itself. I fell in love with the world and with its people long since, and was ever intrigued by the metaphysical and/or theological theory of this universe. In Magician's End, Feist blows the mind, gathers up the pieces and bundles them up in your arms, then quietly shows you the exit. I have never been so happy to be filled with heartfelt sorrow.
Yet, in the midst of the deepest darkness, there is always hope. Such I have been taught by the forces that move Midkemia into the bright yet unseen future.
I am at a loss to describe the impact Pug and Midkemia has had on me over the years, both in the sense of an appreciation for the story and for the development of the writing, itself. I fell in love with the world and with its people long since, and was ever intrigued by the metaphysical and/or theological theory of this universe. In Magician's End, Feist blows the mind, gathers up the pieces and bundles them up in your arms, then quietly shows you the exit. I have never been so happy to be filled with heartfelt sorrow.
Yet, in the midst of the deepest darkness, there is always hope. Such I have been taught by the forces that move Midkemia into the bright yet unseen future.
ayla_derammelaere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ingrido's review against another edition
4.0
A good ending to an epic series. All the different threads are twisted and turned into an ending it would be difficult to improve.
peter_xxx's review against another edition
4.0
So this is the end of this great series. I remember reading the first book back when I was still in high school. And now I'm done with the last book in the series. The whole series tells an approximately 200 year span of history of Midkemia.
In the last three books Puc (the main character of the entire series) finds out that there is a common enemy after all the happenings in the previous book, and in this book he together with lots of help from everybody who has some magic ability take the fight to that enemy.
Since this is the last book there is some reminiscing on older stories but there is also the story arc of young capable men who raise to great highs.
If you liked the other books, you will also like this one. If the first books were not your cup of tea; then this book will not change your opinion
In the last three books Puc (the main character of the entire series) finds out that there is a common enemy after all the happenings in the previous book, and in this book he together with lots of help from everybody who has some magic ability take the fight to that enemy.
Since this is the last book there is some reminiscing on older stories but there is also the story arc of young capable men who raise to great highs.
If you liked the other books, you will also like this one. If the first books were not your cup of tea; then this book will not change your opinion
sylectra's review against another edition
5.0
Although it took me a while to get into the story line, I absolutely bought into the characters and plot after awhile. The story unfolded at its own pace but was highly satisfying. Would love to see this series as a movie.
paul_arzooman's review against another edition
4.0
I'm writing this before I read any of the other reviews to avoid any cross-pollination of ideas as possible.
All-in-all, I liked it very much. Was it the greatest thing I'd ever read? No. Was it the best ending possible? Probably not. I do think that it was probably the best ending that Feist could right and still satisfy the readers who had stuck with him and this series all these years.
Technically, it was fine. The storytelling was gripping but nothing really different than most of the books in this series. In other words, it fit nicely into the style and substance that the reader grew accustomed to. There were certain moments that I felt were filler but I've felt that about a good number of the latter-day Midkemia books. For example, the near constant reminder about Jim Dasher's famous ancestor, Jimmy the Hand. Once stated, I don't think the reader needed to be told again and again about this fact. I thought the political/military side of the novel was handled quite well. I think Feist has always been able to do this effortlessly. My issue came with the last third of the book and the magic/gods/universe side of things.
I understand what Feist was trying to do, interpreting cosmology and quantum theory into the language of a magical realm filled with gods. This was clever in concept but I think, ultimately, too difficult to present to the reader in a way that was entirely understandable on first reading. For my part, I had to go back and read entire chapters over again to wrap my head around what Feist was trying to convey. Having to do this breaks up the flow of reading for me. Rather than let the story carry me forward, I was forced to look behind the curtain and see the inner workings of the writing. This is fine if the craft of writing is what I'm trying to pay attention to but in a book like this, it isn't.
Yes, I liked it and was not disappointed at the way it wrapped up the story. I do suspect that this isn't the last we've heard of Midkemia, the finality of the series notwithstanding.
All-in-all, I liked it very much. Was it the greatest thing I'd ever read? No. Was it the best ending possible? Probably not. I do think that it was probably the best ending that Feist could right and still satisfy the readers who had stuck with him and this series all these years.
Technically, it was fine. The storytelling was gripping but nothing really different than most of the books in this series. In other words, it fit nicely into the style and substance that the reader grew accustomed to. There were certain moments that I felt were filler but I've felt that about a good number of the latter-day Midkemia books. For example, the near constant reminder about Jim Dasher's famous ancestor, Jimmy the Hand. Once stated, I don't think the reader needed to be told again and again about this fact. I thought the political/military side of the novel was handled quite well. I think Feist has always been able to do this effortlessly. My issue came with the last third of the book and the magic/gods/universe side of things.
I understand what Feist was trying to do, interpreting cosmology and quantum theory into the language of a magical realm filled with gods. This was clever in concept but I think, ultimately, too difficult to present to the reader in a way that was entirely understandable on first reading. For my part, I had to go back and read entire chapters over again to wrap my head around what Feist was trying to convey. Having to do this breaks up the flow of reading for me. Rather than let the story carry me forward, I was forced to look behind the curtain and see the inner workings of the writing. This is fine if the craft of writing is what I'm trying to pay attention to but in a book like this, it isn't.
Yes, I liked it and was not disappointed at the way it wrapped up the story. I do suspect that this isn't the last we've heard of Midkemia, the finality of the series notwithstanding.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
3.0
I was 13 when Magician came out (I'm 44 now) so I have history with this series and I've read almost all the books (21 of them) so there are mixed feelings at reading and finishing the last book in the series.
Feist writes some of the best political fantasy out there and he didn't disappoint in this book but the problem was - the things that were interesting in this book were the politics and the non-magical characters. Everything magic related (and that includes that pages upon pages of philosophical ramblings) made me want to toss the book across the room because it was so boring. I just couldn't get myself excited about yet another world ending crisis from another dimension. Demons - been there, done that. Pug trying to save everyone - been there, done that.
The characters are great but they've been great for 30 years, there really wasn't much added in this trilogy.
At the end of the day I was being generous and rounding up when I gave this book 3 stars.
Feist hasn't really written a "great" book in about 15 years and this one won't change that opinion. He should have left this world behind years and years ago and just created a new series.
But it is the last book so if you've read this long in the series then you should probably finish it.
Feist writes some of the best political fantasy out there and he didn't disappoint in this book but the problem was - the things that were interesting in this book were the politics and the non-magical characters. Everything magic related (and that includes that pages upon pages of philosophical ramblings) made me want to toss the book across the room because it was so boring. I just couldn't get myself excited about yet another world ending crisis from another dimension. Demons - been there, done that. Pug trying to save everyone - been there, done that.
The characters are great but they've been great for 30 years, there really wasn't much added in this trilogy.
At the end of the day I was being generous and rounding up when I gave this book 3 stars.
Feist hasn't really written a "great" book in about 15 years and this one won't change that opinion. He should have left this world behind years and years ago and just created a new series.
But it is the last book so if you've read this long in the series then you should probably finish it.
dominish_books's review against another edition
3.0
Magician’s End is billed as our last visit to Raymond E Feist’s Midkemia – a series of series that began with the Riftwar and Magician, and quickly became one of my favourite reads even if the quality did drop off some towards the end. With over twenty titles of a decent size though, there would always be some that didn't hit the marker left by others. Sadly, I found Magician’s End to be one of those. It was by no means my least favourite of the Feist works, but there were hefty chunks of the book that I didn't like as much as I could have done.
For the large part this involved various chapters titled “Journey”, which I felt could have been handled a bit better, and instead ended up largely as a precursor to tying up loose ends. I also felt a little cheated at a twist in the tail where it seemed that convenience would allow the scrapping of a rule that we'd known about since the first couple of Midkemia books. It’s nice to have closure on a collection like this, but for me Midkemia went out with a bit of a fizzle rather than a bang.
For the large part this involved various chapters titled “Journey”, which I felt could have been handled a bit better, and instead ended up largely as a precursor to tying up loose ends. I also felt a little cheated at a twist in the tail where it seemed that convenience would allow the scrapping of a rule that we'd known about since the first couple of Midkemia books. It’s nice to have closure on a collection like this, but for me Midkemia went out with a bit of a fizzle rather than a bang.
arthurbdd's review against another edition
1.0
There was no goddamn way the end of the Riftwar series was ever going to be worth the dozens of novels cranked out in the process of getting here (of which some 20 can be regarded as "core" novels which deal with main plot stuff, rather than optional side stories), but wow, does this end destination suck.
There's something to be said for the idea that "it's about the journey, not the destination", of course - but the journey to get here was formulaic, repetitive, often kind of sexist, and generally rather bland and unoriginal. The destination itself is much the same. Feist could have just knocked this one out after the Serpentwar Saga and saved us all a lot of time. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/fuck-off-feist/
There's something to be said for the idea that "it's about the journey, not the destination", of course - but the journey to get here was formulaic, repetitive, often kind of sexist, and generally rather bland and unoriginal. The destination itself is much the same. Feist could have just knocked this one out after the Serpentwar Saga and saved us all a lot of time. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/fuck-off-feist/