Honored Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar, Book 1) [Paperback]

Raymond E. Feist (Author), William R. Forstchen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Legends of the Riftwar, Book 1 | Publication Date: June 27, 2006

As the Riftwar tears Midkemia apart, enemies trapped in the frozen Northlands must trust each other to stay alive. . . .

In the sprawling, embattled land of Midkemia, fate can form strange alliances. Nine years into the bloody and ongoing Riftwar, Dennis Hartraft's Marauders are cold, hungry, and exhausted. Having only just survived a disastrous encounter with their sworn enemy, the Tsurani, the soldiers are headed for a frontier garrison, where they will be able to rest and recover. But Hartraft's company arrives at the same time as a Tsurani patrol, and both sides discover the stronghold overrun by a migrating horde of dark elves called moredhel, a foe so deadly and vicious the bitter enemies must band together and fight as one.

But can their hatred for their mutual enemy overcome their distrust of each other? As the two groups, bound to each other by their common foe, make their way across the unknown Northlands to freedom, they have to struggle with not only the elements and the enemy, but also their consciences. For, with both sides carrying painful scars from past wars, each man must ask himself what is more important: one's life or one's honor?

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] compelling and profoundly moving tale… an invaluable addition to a beloved canon.” (barnesandnoble.com )

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist's previous novels include the Chaoswar Saga (A Kingdom Besieged), the Demonwar Saga (Rides a Dread Legion and At the Gates of Darkness), the Darkwar Saga (Flight of the Nighthawks, Into a Dark Realm, and Wrath of a Mad God); the Conclave of Shadows (Talon of the Silver Hawk, King of Foxes, and Exile's Return); the Riftwar Legacy (Krondor: The Betrayal, Krondor: The Assassins, and Krondor: Tear of the Gods); the Serpentwar Saga (Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King, and Shards of a Broken Crown); the Riftwar Saga (Magician, Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon); Faerie Tale; The Prince of the Blood; and The King's Buccaneer. He lives in San Diego, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060792833
• ISBN-13: 978-0060792831
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #715,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST of the Legends of the Riftwar Series By Far!!!, March 24, 2006

By 

The Mump "M W Miller" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Honored Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar, Book 1) (Paperback)

I first read Feist's Magician upon receiving it thru the Science Fiction Book Club back in the 70's. I have anxiously awaited each and every book in the Riftwar series ever since! I was skeptical of the quality of this book in the Legends series as it is co-authored by another-William Forstchen. While not familiar with Forstchen's work, I have become completely comfortable with the quality of Feist's writing and assumed that co-authoring would impact the quality of the book. My fears were unfounded though, as this book is phemonimal-I could not put it down! The character development of both the Dennis Hartraft, the head of Hartraft's Marauders, and the opposing leader of the Tsurani patrol, Asayaga, is amazing. The comparison between these two leaders and the worlds that they come from provides valuable insight into the different cultures of both the Kingdom and the world of the Tsurani. This is a MUST READ by all Riftwar fans and fantasy readers alike!!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a solid offering that was a long time coming to these shores, December 26, 2006

By 

Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Honored Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar, Book 1) (Paperback)

Honored Enemy was originally only released outside the United States as part of the Legends of the Riftwar series that took place during and around the time of the Riftwar series. Feist was not able to come to a deal with his US publisher for more than 5 years until finally, the series is coming to the United States. First up is Honored Enemy.

Set 9 years into the Riftwar it features no characters we would know from the main series but instead tells of Hartraft's Marauders, a band of soldiers tied to Yabon, but with autonomy to operate behind the lines of the enemy and do as much damage as possible. The Kingdom men are fighting the Tsurani from Kelewan, but when a band of Moredhel (Dark Elves) pin down both the Marauders as well as a platoon of Tsurani under Asayaga, the enemies must join together in temporary truce or fall to the Dark Brotherhood.

I didn't expect much from this book. Feist's Riftwar Legacy, based on computer games, was rather bad and if it took five years to get published in the US how good could this one be?

Apparently, very. Honored Enemy is a strong story of two enemies working together through mutual distrust and cultural differences to stay alive. The story is told through the viewpoints of Dennis Hartraft, Asayaga, and occasionally from Borvai, a moredhel chief pursuing the humans.

Feist does well with collaborations as his Empire trilogy with Janny Wurts was very strong and this book with William Forstchen is also strong. There is good characterization and development of Dennis and Asayaga and the pace of the story is swift enough that we get past the fact that this is only a small episode in the scale of the Riftwar and features no major player. But it's a good story, perhaps even a ripping yarn which Feist so proudly told early in his career.

-Joe Sherry

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Enemy of my Enemy is My __________?, August 2, 2005

By 

Matt Graubner "blackwolff" (Kentucky, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Honoured Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar 1) (Paperback)

Again Feist has returned to the time of the Rift War, this time to nine years after its bloody beginning. Honoured Enemy is the story of two companies of fighters, both Kingdom and Tsurani that come together in the face of moredhel attack.

The books switches perspective frequently, for entire chapters at first, between the Kingdom commander (Dennis Hartraft) and the Tsurani Force Commander (Asayaga). However, this isn't distracting, but highly enlightening as we get to see both sides of the "conflict" and its evolution. I especially enjoyed the many allusions made to Tsurani society that could only come after the publication of the Empire Trilogy. Asayaga even muses over the murder of Mara of the Acoma's father and brother at one point, but believes that she is doing well, ;-).

Furthermore, as this book was written after the Riftwar Saga, but set during the beginning of it (before Silverthorn and Sethanon) it was possible for Feist and Forstchen to allude to future events, especially as we saw into the councils of the moredhel pursuing the humans. Enough is revealed incidentally that you have to read this book after the Riftwar Saga, not in the middle.

Even after they both flee the moredhel the Kingdom and Tsurani troops are constantly on edge, not sure if the enemy of their enemy is their friend, or merely their very temporary ally. As was Murder in LaMut, Honoured Enemy is a unique look onto the world of the Kingdom of the Isles. However, it was a most welcome divergent viewpoint, revealing much that Feist didn't have room to explore in the Riftwar Saga.