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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
worth every penny, April 5, 2010
This review is from: Rides a Dread Legion Free with Bonus Material: Book One of the Demonwar Saga (Kindle Edition)
I've been reading Raymond Feist's Midkemia novels since I was twelve, and I've been disappointed by the latest entries in the series. Feist is a master novelist who knows all the tricks that make readers turn pages, but the payoffs have diminished as his works have progressed. I'll be oblique to avoid spoilers, but the absence of a character who has appeared in most of Feist's Midkemia novels since "Prince of the Blood" is sorely felt here, where any degree of comic relief or philosophical dialogue would have been a welcome respite from the headlong trudge of the narrative. Certainly this book has a lot of plot, but most of it comes across as transparent (and shoddy) exposition, recapping the last dozen or so novels while setting the (ho-hum) even-higher stakes at issue in this new series. At times, this incessant, febrile stakes-raising reminded of an adolescent dungeon master trying to impress his jaded troupe: "remember the kobolds you had so much trouble with on level three? Well here on level five they're on fire and have spikes!" Similarly, the new characters introduced here lack the nuance and emotional resonance of Feist's earlier creations. Without going into specifics, the introduction of heretofore unknown good and evil brothers of one of the series' earlier villains left me rolling my eyes, and some promising hints of character development seemed to be deliberately minimized in the interest of keeping the overarching juggernaut of a plot pondering along. Other new characters are either walking cliches or mere spear carriers, and the death of another series regular lacked any real emotional impact. I have to admit, I still enjoy reading Feist's novels, but it's becoming a trashy indulgence like eating fried chicken or watching VH1. I sincerely hope that Feist will step up his game in the books to come, but I'm sadly skeptical.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for a freebie, April 10, 2010
This review is from: Rides a Dread Legion Free with Bonus Material: Book One of the Demonwar Saga (Kindle Edition)
This book has no shortage of faults, to be sure. Many of the characters are uncompelling. The author also appears to have a habit of adding unnecessary fights in the background of dialogue, especially when characters are introducing themselves to one another or the reader. There is a random sprinkling of extreme cliche, although the writing overall is pretty strong. There is also a minor mismatch between the dark, epic setting of the book and the positive attitudes and friendly interactions between characters. Nonetheless, the plot moves along at a good pace and the setting is interesting. There are a handful of genuine surprises tucked away in the storyline. The author also showcases a very detailed and fairly consistent scheme for the the workings of magic, demons, etc., something that is missing from other sword and sorcery universes. This is one of the better free offerings for the kindle, and I'll definitely be watching to see if the library gets ahold of the sequel. The book is worth a solid 3 stars, but I rounded it up one on account of the $0 price tag. It's not the sort of book one gets extremely enthusiastic about, but it's an absolutely perfect fit if you're looking for a way to spend an afternoon.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Pug rocks!, November 23, 2011
This review is from: Rides a Dread Legion Free with Bonus Material: Book One of the Demonwar Saga (Kindle Edition)
I always prefer to read books that have atleast 12 in a series. This book continues to keep us all captivated by the fantastic world Robert Feist has created. I won't spoil any of the story line, but I will say that if you've ever read any of his books. You'll want to continue the saga !
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