Magician: Master (Riftwar Saga, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Raymond E. Feist (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Totally gripping... A fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination." -- The Washington Post Book World -- Review

Review
"Totally gripping... A fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination." -- The Washington Post Book World

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 499 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (December 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553564935
• ISBN-13: 978-0553564938
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,950 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Midkemia, then the universe!, April 3, 2000

By	"judithb" (Adelaide, South Australia) - See all my reviews

I bought a copy of the original Magician (with no embellishments) for $2 on a bargain table more than 15 years ago, simply for the magnificent representation of a jewelled dragon on the cover (I've never seen that edition again). It sat on the shelf, unread for months. After all, I was far to logical and practical to want to get involved in reading fantasy (even though I could appreciate an elegantly designed dragon). But all impulse book buyers suffer those times of "all these books and nothing to read", so I eventually picked it up. I must admit for the first few pages I wondered if I could really be bothered, but before I realised, I was 30+ pages beyond the 20 page barrier (... if I can't get involved within 20 pages, it gets tossed...) and realised I'd been transported - I was there, in Crydee. Then began the marathon reading sessions, including about several Midkemia and Kelewan sequels. Within a short time, I progressed from fantasy to SF fantasy, straight on to "hard core" sci-fi. Me, who had previously never seen a purpose to speculative fiction! Suddenly I found I could open my mind to absorb all these wonderful, imagined realms. Even though I can take my sci-fi straight now, I always remember I came to it via fantasy, and to a very large degree, I have Feist to thank for that.

I lent the Magician out several times, but it didn't return from the last lending. So, when I was fortunate enough to attend a book signing by Raymond E Feist in Melbourne many years ago, along with the book he was flogging, I purchased another copy, personally dedicated to me. It has never been lent, and never will be. For me, it is one of "those" books; one that helped shape my reading habits.

I don't know if the book signing was badly publicised or Melbourne only contained about 10 Feist fans, but after our books were signed, along with the other 9 or so who turned up, I was treated to a wonderful little Q&A time with this storyteller. Those we admire often take on larger-than-life proportions, and the generousity this quite ordinary bear of a man showed his (disappointingly) small group of fans revealed a man of impressive stature.

My reading tastes changed and I didn't read any Feist for years, until a recent binge when I read from the Prince's Buccaneer (which I'd owned, unread, for about six years!) up to date (from the library) in about a month. (I was a bit sick of the endless highly detailed battle scenes, but that was a small criticism - after all, most of it was the SerpentWAR series!) I slipped back into Midkemia (and the other worlds - it doesn't stop at Kelwan!) like I'd never been away and picked up with all my old friends and met new; grieving at Arutha's death and falling in love with Calis along the way.

After browsing the reviews posted here, it seems people either love the Magician or hate it. Like a lot of other books, you can easily pick it full of holes if you have particular areas of expertise, or if you refuse to give yourself over to the fantasy (fantasy, remember, is where anything can happen). In the end, it's a just a story, fortunately for us entertainingly told by an enthusiastic storyteller, leaving you wanting more from the characters who somehow endear themselves.

With all the thousands of books out there, I rarely reread, and even with 15,000 extra words, haven't been compelled to read the embellished version. However, for the hours spent frantically turning pages (sometimes all night), for introducing me to the realms of fantasy via Midkemia and Kelewan, and through it, the infinite realms of sci-fi, I can only rate this a 5-star book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling second chapter in the Riftwar saga, September 14, 2002

By	bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In Magician: Master, Raymond Feist continues the story begun in Apprentice. The so-called "Riftwar" continues, and we find both Pug and Tomas (the two main characters from Apprentice) drastically changed. Both gain great powers in this book, and both began to develop into powerful forces to be reckoned with.
The intrigue in this book lies in that the story is told in both worlds, and from both sides. Being a slave of the Tsurani, Pug learns their ways, and makes many friends among them. True to Feist's style, there are so many prominent characters that it's hard to keep track of them all, yet each character is well-developed.
This is definitely a page-turner, with the story taking so many curves that it is impossible to anticipate. This is far from your normal, run-of-the-mill fantasy, this is a truly enthralling story.
When I began reading this book, I became so involved in the story that I couldn't put it down, and finished the book in less than two days. This is a great fantasy novel, and a thrilling conclusion to Apprentice. The story, of course, continues for two more books, Silverthorn and Darkness at Sethanon, but the war effectively ends here. Feist is a very able storyteller, one that will keep you involved from cover to cover.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better!, August 17, 2003

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In this sequel to Magician: Apprentice, we begin to see the effects that the great war between worlds is having. Pug, now a slave on Kelewan, has his talent recognized, and he begins his training in the art of magic. Thomas, wearing the armor of the long dead Velheru, Ashen-Shugar, becomes one of the greatest warriors of his age, but at what cost? Both the Tsurani Empire and the Kingdom are cracking under the strain, and it is up to someone to end the war.

This book is a great sequel to Magician: Apprentice, and is even better than that book! This book is sprinkled with high sorcery, fantastic creatures, and exciting battles. If you liked the first book of this series, then you will absolutely love this book! I highly recommend these books to any (and every!) fan of fantasy literature.