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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of Feist's better novels in some time, May 9, 2005
With "Magician" Raymond Feist introduced readers to the world of Midkemia and a young boy named Pug who, not by design, became the most powerful magic user on several worlds. Feist introduced the idea of rifts between the worlds and the dangers that was inherent in these rifts. He introduced, through the Riftwar trilogy, how the gods worked and who some other ancient, legendary beings were. "Exile's Return" is the third book of Raymond Feist's latest trilogy "The Conclave of Shadows". It is set some hundred years after the events of "Magician" and while there had been a drop in the quality in Feist's writing in recent years, this series and this volume in particular has been a return to form for Raymond Feist. "Exile's Return" begins immediately after the conclusion of "King of Foxes" with the former Duke of Olasko spared his life, but exiled to some unknown land on Midkemia. Kaspar of Olasko was the primary villain of the previous two volumes: "Talon of the Silver Hawk" and "King of Foxes". This book marks the first time in Feist's work that a villain would end up as the protagonist of a novel. Kaspar, for those who may need a refresher, was the man who ordered the Orosoni tribe to be slaughtered (Tal Hawkins, the hero of the first two books was the surviving Orosoni), and attempting to instigate a war between the kingdoms of Roldem, Kesh, and the Kingdom of the Isles. In short, he was a bad man. But he was also a man who ended up being in the control of the evil magician Varen. Varen had been an adversary of Pug's for years. With Kaspar exiled, his first need is to simply survive. He doesn't speak the language nor does he initially know where he is. He wishes to return to Olasko, reclaim his Duchy, and seek revenge against Tal Hawkins. But as the days and weeks and months pass he has time to realize how much of a dupe he was of Varen and how many of his actions were actually not his own idea, though he thought they were at the time. He is shamed, but wants to get home. Feist gives the reader a realistic transformation of Kaspar all the while building the threat that is facing Midkemia. In his attempt to return to his homeland, Kaspar discovers something which will threaten all life on Midkemia. This is nothing new for readers of the series, but Feist is able to spin a good enough story that the constant threat doesn't ring false. Feist also manages to raise the stakes enough that we can believe that the incredibly powerful Pug and his company of magicians are not able to simply wave their hands and make it go away. This is essential, for as long as Pug is alive it is difficult to believe that any threat has any chance of succeeding. After a disappointing middling trilogy based on video games (the "Krondor" series), Feist has hit his stride with "The Conclave of Shadows" and is building a storyline which is actually going to move into this next trilogy "The Darkwar Saga". "Exile's Return" is a very good Midkemia (or Riftwar) novel, and should be thoroughly enjoyed by any fan of Raymond Feist's work. While I do recommend this book, I would also suggest that any new readers would at least start with "Talon of the Silver Hawk", if not "Magician: Apprentice" as an introduction to Feist's work. There is simply a lot of story and background to get through. But this book here features some of the better writing and characterization (of Kaspar anyway, the rest of the characters are given short shrift) that Feist has produced in recent memory. It is enough to please most readers of this style of fantasy. While "Exile's Return" works as a conclusion to a trilogy, it is also an introduction to a new story because it is very clear that this is only the beginning of something bigger. It only managed to whet my appetite and the wait for the next Riftwar novel will be tough. -Joe Sherry
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery in the Rift War, July 28, 2005
This book was definately of a very different flavour than the rest of Feist's novels, however I believe it definately worked. If you are looking for an epic volume in the grand scheme of the Riftwars then this book is not for you. However, if you have fallen in love with Midkemia and Kelewan and you want to explore nooks and crannies of these worlds then Murder in LaMut is excellent. Rosenberg successfully exports Kethol, Piroji, and Durine from his Guardians of the Flame series and they are unlike any of Feist's normal characters. Most of the original Riftwar cast consists of nobles, Elves, and honourable folk. These three however, are only in it for the money. It is refreshing to realize that there are more than just despicable villians and honourable hereoes in Midkemia--we get a close view into the life of three commoners (albeit well traveled mercenary commoners ;-)). Now that I think about it I believe I would have been disappointed if this novel had followed the usual Feist fantasy "formula" (not that his writing is truly formulaic) and been some sort of a grand quest. This novel was meant to be a divergent view into Midkemia and it succeeds admirably in my view. It isn't just the books that I enjoy, it is the worlds Feist has shown us and Murder in LaMut exposes an entirely new dimension of Midkemia. One last point, the murder mystery proper doesn't show up until the end of the book--however I believe this is a mistake on the publisher's part when they wrote the description for the back of the book. Really this book is about Kethol, Pirojil, and Durine more than just the murder. Furthermore, the mystery may not be polished--but this isn't a world of precise police procedure, or modern investigative methods, and the three mercenaries aren't professional detectives. :-) I would also reccomend The Empire Trilogy written with Janny Wurts for a similarly expansive and different view of Feist's world.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Raymond Feist's return to grand Fantasy!, August 5, 2005
Kaspar, formerly Duke of Olasko, now finds himself exiled to the continent of Novindus, but he plans to survive and wreck his vengeance. But, life has some hard lessons for him to learn. To make matters worse, when he takes a job as a guard, he is brought face-to-face with some cursed armor. This is going to be a long journey for Kaspar, and it is going to take him down some roads he would not wish to travel. I must admit that I have been a fan of Raymond Feist for many years now, and I looked forward to this book's release with bated breath. In this book, Mr. Feist turns a corner, making the last book's villain this book's hero! And, I must say that he does a masterful job of making you care about Kaspar and his quest. And that brings me to another thing about this book; it marks Mr. Feist's return to grand Fantasy! The suit of armor is more than it appears, and before you know it you begin bumping into some old friends from the world of Midkemia! Yep, this is a great book; one that ranks up there with Raymond Feist's other masterpieces. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to everyone!
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