Honoured Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar 1) [Paperback]

Raymond E Feist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2002 | Series: Legends of the Riftwar 1

The first of a major new Feist acquisition, returning to his best-loved series. Written with Bill Forstchen, acclaimed writer of great military fantasy novels in the US. FREEDOM AT ANY PRICE? Hartraft's Marauders, a crack band of Kingdom raiders, are a special unit designed to infiltrate and fight behind enemy lines. They are currently heading for a frontier garrison, after a disastrous encounter with the Tsurani. Meanwhile, a Tsurani patrol is sent to support an assault on the same garrison. Both sides arrive at the same time and discover the garrison has been overrun by a migrating horde of moredhel (dark elves) and they are forced by circumstances to band together and fight as one unit to survive. The only problem is, who do they hate the most -- their mutual enemy, or each other? As they make their way across the unknown Northlands to freedom, they have to struggle not only with the elements and their enemies, but also their conscience. For what is more important -- one's life or one's honour?

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] compelling and profoundly moving tale… an invaluable addition to a beloved canon.” (barnesandnoble.com ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Feist is now firmly established as one of the world's leading fantasy writers. His Riftwar and Serpentwar Sagas have been global bestsellers for years. Raymond E. Feist was born and raised in Southern California. He was educated at the University of California, San Diego, where he graduated with honours in Communication Arts. He is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Riftwar Saga (Magician, Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon), Prince of the Blood, Faerie Tale and The King's Buccaneer. He is co-author (with Janny Wurts) of Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire. The Serpent War Saga (Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown) has continued his phenomenal success, and his epic new Riftwar series includes bestsellers Krondor: The Betrayal, Krondor: The Assassins and Krondor: Tear of the Gods.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Voyager; New Ed edition (May 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006483887
• ISBN-13: 978-0006483885
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,304,505 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.