Raymond E Feist...

[Tenalpia]

"The Empire books sound rubbish, does anybody want to tell me what they're about." Lacedaemonian

I read the Empire books about six years ago so the details are a bit fuzzy but I do know that I really enjoyed them. Obviously they are different characters in a different world and they are told from a female POV. The main character is clever and there are lots of assassins/ intrigue. The society is reminiscent of old oriental, think Samurai and you're along the right lines. Lots of honour and intricate political manoeuverings (sp?).

Hope that helps!

 

[Teir]

The Empire books sound rubbish

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Empire series is told in the POV of Mara, a young girl forced to enter the political arena after inheriting the titles to her family’s ancestral land. The culture created in this world is heavily ‘honour’ orientated, beautifully described and is, as mentioned; very ‘reminiscent of old oriental’ (thanks Tenalpia ). The plot hinges on - political intrigue, forging alliances, social and cultural structure, seduction, assassination, racism, battle etc…. Throw in master spies, warriors, emperors, magicians, mages, lovers- characters all created with fantastic detail. If that doesn’t sell it to you, Mara’s world in case you didn’t know, is the other side of the rift, so you do get Pug making appearances as well as a few others and you receive more information as to the ‘enemy’ present in Magician and the world Pug visited. The Empire series provides the other half to Magician’s Plot, the 'Mirror' if you will and it is well worth reading.

 

[Rosemary]

The Empire books sound rubbish, does anybody want to tell me what they're about.

I have enjoyed all of Mr Feist's books except The Empire books, Lace. It seemed as if they were written by a completely different author! Naturally everybody's taste in books differ. Perhaps borrow the first book from the Library, you can always return it if you don't like it.

 

[Teir]

... It seemed as if they were written by a completely different author! Naturally everybody's taste in books differ. Perhaps borrow the first book from the Library, you can always return it if you don't like it.

... because it was co-written with Janny Wurts. Just thought i'd point that out

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

I think you'd like the Empire books given the chance, Lace.
I know you're a sucker for oriental setting novels

The thing I like about the Empire series is the political structure and it's treatment of the main characters. Fiest & Janny Wurts make these characters suffer a lot more than the ones in Riftwar. Also, it's kind of cool to get "the other side's view" of the major Riftwar events.

 

[cornelius]

reading Magician, loving it, almoust finished it... Planning trip to library to get some more of Feist's work...

 

[Fortuna]

Having read all of his work so far (and in order) I am very envious of you indeed. Enjoy!

 

[Rosemary]

Have just finished re-reading Magician. I enjoyed it so much when it was first published. This time around I found it rather difficult to enjoy and immerse myself in the story. I have also read most of his other books as they were published and found most of them to be marvellous stories. Unfortunately, I am not sure why I now dislike Magician, considering I always thought this was his best book ever!

 

[Culhwch]

I found the same, Rosemary. I think most of it is to do with what you've read since you first read Feist. For me, I discovered dozens of great new writers inbetween, and when I went back to Feist, I found he just wasn't in their league....

 

[Rosemary]

I am sure you are correct there Culhwch. What with Eddings, Irvine, GRRM and of course I have been reading Erikson, which is so different from Feist.

 

[kyektulu]

I am in the middle of a Feist phase at the minute, im reading SilverThorn and nearly on A Darkness At Sethanon...
I have purchased a few of his other books for when the RiftWar trilogy is finished!
Long may Feist continue writing!

 

[Werthead]

Feist's best book remains Magician, which stands up well today compared to Martin and co. His later books vary in quality, from the enjoyable The King's Buccaneer and Rise of a Merchant Prince to the utterly unreadable Krondor: The Betrayal. The only Midkemia books he has (co-) written which come close to the quality of Magician are indeed The Empire Trilogy (with Janny Wurts) and Honoured Enemy (with William Forstchen). I read Talon of the Silver Hawk and found it to have many interesting new ideas, locales and characters, but the writing was somewhat flat and lifeless. I have not yet mustered the enthusiasm to carry on with the series.

I would recommend Feist primarily to teenage readers who have moved beyond the juvenile books of Brooks and Eddings, but are perhaps not yet ready for Martin, Erikson or Bakker.

 

[jof]

I started Magician for like the...fith time today(yesterday?) and ive gotta disagree about Krondor:The Betrayl/assasins/tear of the Gods. I had trouble at first especially with the quick change of character in the beggining which i was peeved about but overall found it to be a very enjoyable book. I personally cant get into any of the tales of the riftwar. Ive not particularly got an interset in them because i got all i wanted from magician and its affiliates.

Though a stuepndous author.

 

[Smurf]

I agree, he is a wonderful author,
although I think that there is definately a distinct difference in perhaps not the actual writing itself, but the maturity of the overall story. I think that after a few books the ultimate direction in the books was established and the real books started coming out. Not to say that Magician, Silverthorn or DaS were bad books of course.