Wednesday 8 July 2009

FANTASY REVIEW: Rides a Dread Legion - Raymond E Feist


BOOK BLURB:

The first book in a brand new series by the master of epic fantasy, Raymond E. Feist. Ten years after the cataclysmic events of Wrath of a Mad God took place, Midkemia now faces a new danger thought buried in myth and antiquity. A lost race of elves, the taredhel or 'people of the stars', have found a way across the universe to reach Midkemia. On their current home world, these elves are hard pressed by a ravaging demon horde, and what was once a huge empire has been reduced to a handful of survivors. The cornerstone of taredhel lore is the tale of their lost origins in the world they call simply 'Home', a place lost in the mists of time. Now they are convinced that Midkemia is that place, and they are coming to reclaim it. Ruthless and arrogant, the taredhel intend to let nothing stand in their way; but before long, Pug and the Conclave realise that it's not necessarily the elves, but the demon horde pursuing them where the true danger lies. And hanging over Pug always is the prophecy that he will be doomed to watch everyone he loves die before him!


REVIEW:

Having been a tad upset with the last series by Raymond, I really did not get round to this novel as quickly as perhaps I should have. For a few weeks, it sat there on my TBR pile just gathering dust and cat hair as they rubbed themselves up against it trying to give it the love that I obviously was not lavishing upon the novel. Much to my chagrin, I eventually got started and pretty much enjoyed the novel from the first page. Whereas with the last series he seemed a little lost as to what was happening, this time the Demonwar Saga is set to light the world of Midkemia in an inferno that will leave the reader wondering who will survive, who will fall and what the hell is going to happen. There are plenty of twists and turns with the final surprise going to be a GOT’CHA for most readers. However, this did feel a little rushed towards the final few chapters and it is starting to feel that I have read this book before as outlines feel like they are getting recycled. Still good fun and a must for all fans of Feist, yet for a new reader go for Magician, if you like that work your way through the series although this can be picked up as a first read you’ll have lost a lot of the history that made Feist a name to contend with.

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