A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist.

On August 31, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy1 Comment

Publisher: Harper Voyager (ebook – 1 August 2024)

Series: Dragonwar Saga – Book One

Length: 480 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Prepare to return to one of the most iconic realms of fantasy as acclaimed author Raymond E. Feist presents the reader with another high fantasy adventure set across multiple worlds with A Darkness Returns.

Raymond E. Feist is one of the most impressive and long-running authors of fantasy fiction in the world today, who has been writing intriguing reads for over 40 years. Feist is best known for his extensive Riftwar Cycle, a connected series of books that follow a variety of threats and conflicts on several fantasy words created by Feist. Starting with Magician in 1982, The Riftwar Cycle initially focused on a war between two different fantasy worlds joined together by a magical rift in space, with the realm of Midkemia, which had a more classic European fantasy vibe, being invaded by armies from the Asian inspired world of Kelewan. Feist would write an interesting array of different storylines as he continued to expand his fantasy series across many years of internal plot, and there ended up being nearly 30 books in the Riftwar Cycle, which ended back in 2013. I have been a huge fan of this series for years, as it was one of the first fantasy series I ever really got into, thanks to various unique sub-series that moved the history of Midkemia and its associated realms along at an intriguing pace. Key highlights for me include the associated Empire trilogy, that Feist co-wrote with fellow fantasy author Janny Wurts, and Talon of the Silver Hawk, which was one of the first big fantasy novels I read as a young teenager.

While Feist apparently ended his Riftwar Cycle books some years ago, it turns out that he couldn’t leave his original world alone for too long. His next trilogy, the Firemane Saga, which started back in 2018 with King of Ashes, initially showed a captivating adventure on the new fantasy world of Garn, following a whole new group of protagonists. However, as the series continued with Queen of Storms and Master of Furies, it became apparent that the Firemane Saga existed in the same dimension as the Riftwar Cycle, with several characters from Feist’s original novels having cameo appearances. The final book, Master of Furies, identified a major threat lying dormant beneath Garn, and the novel ends with the protagonists of the Firemane Saga travelling through a rift to Midkemia to learn how to defeat it. This new novel, A Darkness Returns, is set immediately after the events of Master of Furies and seeks to bring together the worlds of the Riftwar Cycle and the Firemane Saga for one epic adventure, while also introducing Feist’s new The Dragonwar Saga series. Naturally, as a fan of both prior series and Feist’s writing in general, I was very excited, and A Darkness Returns has been one of my most anticipated books of 2024.

A new darkness is rising, one that could destroy two worlds and everything in them.

After finally defeating the nefarious Pride Lords on their home planet of Garn, Hatushaly, last scion of the Firemane dynasty, has agreed to travel to the world of Midkemia to attempt to learn how to harness his unique magic. Accompanied by his wife Hava and their trouble-seeking friend Donte, Hatu finds Midkemia to be a strange world, but one filled with boundless opportunity and magic as he begins to study on the peaceful Sorcerer’s Island, under the tutelage of the great magician Magnus, and Magnus’s reincarnated father, Pug.

As the newcomers settle into Midkemia and attempt to find their place in this new world, word quickly reaches them of the trouble they left behind on Garn. The nefarious Church of One has risen to power and seeks to enslave or destroy everything in front of it. The only independent nation left is the newly formed kingdom of Marquensas, under the rule of the benevolent King Daylon Dumarch. There, Hatu’s friend Declan Smith, a master swordsmith and Daylon’s newly discovered brother, has been declared prince and struggles to accept the new responsibilities thrust upon him.

As Declan leads the newly formed Marquensas army against the invading forces of the Church of One, it becomes apparent that there is something far more sinister behind the fanatical soldiers. A dark presence is guiding them, one the magicians of Midkemia are painfully familiar with: the Dread creatures from the Void. Having waged several destructive wars to hold back the malign influence of the Void, Magnus and Pug are determined to save Garn as well, and it soon becomes apparent that the only thing that can save it is Hatu’s unique magic. As Hatu learns to control his powers, he must work with his friends, both new and old, to find a way to hold back the oncoming darkness before both his home, and the other worlds in his dimension, are destroyed for good.

A Darkness Returns sees Feist back in fine form as he combines two of his iconic worlds into one impressive and exciting story. Following several excellent protagonists across a series of compelling adventures, A Darkness Returns was the classic high fantasy story I had really been craving, and I had such an amazing time with this book.

I deeply enjoyed the story contained with A Darkness Returns, and Feist produced a fantastic read that strongly harkens back to his original stories. Set shortly after the events of Master of Furies, A Darkness Returns’ plot follows key protagonists from both the more recent Firemane Saga trilogy and Feist’s classic Riftwar Cycle as they complete a series of connected adventures across the worlds of Garn and Midkemia. Feist focuses on several different character arcs and storylines simultaneously, which presents a rich and complex narrative with a bit of something for everyone. The main protagonist of the Firemane books, Hatu, finds his story strongly enmeshed with that of key Riftwar Cycle characters Magnus and Pug, who attempt to uncover the secrets of Hatu’s magic as well as the dangers hiding in Garn. At the same time, we have a more classic fantasy war story back in Garn as Declan and his brothers prepare for battle against the encroaching Church of One, with his arc feature several small-scale battles. There are also some intriguing storylines around Hava’s attempts to get back to life on the sea, no matter which world she’s on, the ever-unpredictable Nakor, begins to explore certain multi-dimensional areas to quantify the threat coming for both worlds, while Donte goes rogue and starts his own criminal organisation in Midkemia.

I found myself getting really stuck into the various storylines that Feist came up with for A Darkness Returns, and this proved to be a very fun story. Each character arc went in some interesting directions, and they all proved entertaining in their own way. I personally found myself getting more drawn towards the parts of the books focusing on Declan and his brothers’ military actions in Garn and Donte’s burgeoning criminal enterprise in Midkemia, which prove to be an excellent contrast to the more magical theory laden storylines of Hatu, Magnus and Pug. As the book progresses, Feist works to bring the various storylines together, usually done by having the magical characters using rifts to transport between worlds and working with the other relevant protagonists. I think this helped to create an overall compelling narrative, as the various characters work together to discover the full extent of the threats facing them.

I did feel that A Darkness Return’s narrative did get a little overcomplicated towards the end the book, especially as Feist, through his characters, started diving into all the magical theory and knowledge that the author has been building up for 40 years. This made parts of the last half of the book a little hard to get through, especially for the more casual reader, as there were a lot of elaborate concepts to digest. The story also suffers a little from being the first book in a new series, with Feist having to spend a lot of time setting stuff up and revisiting old storylines, and as a result A Darkness Return’s conclusion is a little less epic or memorable than it could have been. However, those who weather through some of the more problematic aspects of this narrative through it are in for a lot of fun with A Darkness Returns, as Feist produces some outstanding and exciting moments while also setting up a lot of future adventures. I ended up really enjoying where each of the separate storylines went, and readers are in for a fun mixture of magic, military action, and criminal adventure. These separated storylines come together extremely well as the book continues, and it proves hard not to get addicted to the overall story. I think that A Darkness Returns proved to be a strong start to this new series, and I am confident it will only get better from here.

One of the things that might possibly impact a person’s ability to enjoy A Darkness Returns is their prior experiences with reading Feist’s books. As I mentioned above, A Darkness Returns is heavily related to both the author’s more recent Firemane Saga, and his long-running Riftwar Cycle, which started back in the 1980s. As a continuation of both series, the plot of A Darkness Returns is heavily enmeshed with the events that occurred in the prior books, and there are constant references back to them. While Feist does do a pretty good job of recapping these events, especially those featured in the Riftwar Cycle, I could see a reader who is unfamiliar with the past 40 years of Feist fiction getting lost as A Darkness Returns continues. While dedicated fantasy lovers can probably get away with starting their Feist experience with A Darkness Returns, I would probably recommend reading the Firemane Saga first at a minimum to understand the history around several of the main characters and the world of Garn. As such, this book might not be for everyone, especially those looking for a new series to start off with. However, fans who have read a lot of Feist’s work in the past are in for a real treat, as you once again get to visit two of Feist’s epic worlds and see figures from both interact for the first time. I especially enjoyed the long-awaited return to the world of Midkemia, which was such a vital part of my early fantasy experiences, and it was fascinating to see how it has changed since the previous books. I appreciated seeing Midkemia through the eyes of the fresh characters from Garn, which ensured some extra recapping that will help returning readers. It proved quite entertaining to see these newer characters find out all the magical and interdimensional craziness that occurred during the many Riftwar Cycle books, and I deeply enjoyed getting back to Feist’s most iconic setting.

Another great highlight of A Darkness Returns was the large and varied cast of characters that Feist focussed the story around. Most of these characters were established figures from previous books, and it was great to get a continuation of many of their storylines, especially as Feist left many character arcs open from their last appearances. It was fun to see many of these characters interact throughout A Darkness Returns, especially as a major feature of this book was figures from separate series coming together for the first time. This includes the intriguing returning cast of the Firemane Saga, who were a key part of this book. These younger figures (young in the sense that they are all in their early 20s and because Feist only created them recently), serve in great contrast to the older wizard from the Riftwar Cycle, especially with their more energetic adventures. My favourite of these characters was either the dependable and brave Declan or the brash wildcard character Donte, both of whom had the best segments in A Darkness Returns. The primary protagonist of the book, Hatu, while interesting, did have too much of a chosen-one vibe around him, and I think Feist decreases his enjoyability by making him too powerful and all-knowing. Still, it was great to see all these Firemane Saga characters again, and Feist set up some interesting storylines and interactions around them.

However, the characters that Feist fans are probably most excited to see again where Magnus, Pug and Nakor all of whom are major established figures in the Riftwar Cycle. All three characters are quite fascinating in their own ways and have long histories in Feists books. Magnus has long been one of the main wizards of the series, and it was great to see him return here as the elder statesman guiding the various younger characters. Nakor is an entertaining trickster who is the reincarnation of long-running figure of the same name. While the details of his reappearance in this series does get a little technical, he was still a lot of fun, and it was great to once again see his more unusual approach to magic.

However, the most interesting figure was the returning Pug. Pug has been Feist’s main character since the very first Riftwar Cycle book, Magician, with many of the subsequent plots revolving around his magical adventures, and he is probably one of fantasy fiction’s most iconic protagonists. Pug was killed off in the final Riftwar Cycle novel, although the last scene saw his son, Magnus, finding him resurrected as a young man without any memory of his past life. However, this reincarnation story element is at an end as with his return in A Darkness Returns, Feist utilises the strange magics of Hatu to bring back Pug’s old personality. While you could argue that Feist might be better off stepping away from this long-running character, I personally loved seeing Pug again, and it gave me a major nostalgia hit. Between these great figures and more, I really loved the cast of A Darkness Returns, and it was so much fun to see the figures from both series come together for one massive adventure. I look forward to seeing how their storylines further advance through the rest of The Dragonwar Saga, and I have no doubt that Feist will provide them with exciting stories and massive tragedy.

I had an amazing time getting through A Darkness Returns, and it was so much fun to have another high fantasy adventure from Raymond E. Feist. Between the nostalgia, the exciting action, fantastic characters, and the ambitious way in which Feist brought together two of his major series, A Darkness Returns has a lot going for it, and it proves hard not to get caught up in the resulting story. While there are a few issues that may turn off newer readers, I personally had an outstanding time, and all established Feist fans are guaranteed to love A Darkness Returns. An overall awesome and impressive read from one of fantasy fiction’s most enduring authors.

Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday – A Darkness Returns by Raymond E. Feist

On March 21, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the next intriguing upcoming books from legendary fantasy author Raymond E. Feist, with A Darkness Returns, the first book in The Dragonwar Saga.

A Darkness Returns Cover

Amazon

Few fantasy authors have had the impact Raymond E. Feist has had over the years. Best known for his epic Riftwar Cycle that spanned an impressive 30 books, Feist has been dominating the fantasy genre since his 1982 debut, Magician. I have been a massive fan of Feist and the Riftwar Cycle for years, and indeed one of the first major fantasy novels I read was the 2002 entry, Talon of the Silver Hawk. I have had a wonderful time reading every book in this series, especially the Empire trilogy which Feist co-wrote with Janny Wurts in the same universe, and I really enjoy the elaborate narratives of magic, dragons, political intrigue, and multi-dimensional threats, that was such a huge feature of the entire interconnected series.

A few years ago, I also was also lucky enough to get my hands on the various books in Feist’s new The Firemane Saga. An awesome trilogy of compelling, character-driven fantasy reads, The Firemane Saga was Feist’s first series set outside of the Riftwar Cycle. I deeply enjoyed the amazing narrative of the Firemane Saga books, made up of King of Ashes, Queen of Storms, and Master of Furies, which followed some impressive storylines and character arcs, while also telling a classic fantasy adventure. My appreciation for this series only increased when it was revealed in Master of Furies that The Firemane Saga was set in was set in the same multiverse as the Riftwar books, with several key characters from Feist’s original works making an appearance. In hindsight this shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise, especially as Feist has been including alternate worlds and universes in his books since day one, and I felt it gave the Firemane books a bit more impact. Master of Furies, ended on an intriguing note, with several of the protagonists of the Firemane books travelling to the main world of the Riftwar books, Midkemia, to prepare themselves for a great evil that has infected their world.

Due to this fantastic conclusion, I have been waiting since 2022 to see how Feist was going to continue the Firemane Saga’s story, and it doesn’t look like we have too much longer to wait. That is because in August this year, Feist is releasing his new book A Darkness Returns. The first book in a new series, the Dragonwar Saga, A Darkness Returns promises to be quite an impressive read and I love the intriguing storylines that are apparently going to be included.

Plot Synopsis:

From legendary author Raymond E. Feist, the first installment in an epic new series that will join his acclaimed Firemane Saga with his signature Riftwar Cycle in a riveting, conclusive adventure.

As worlds collide . . .

Hatushaly, last scion of the Firemane dynasty; his beloved Hava, and their dubious friend Donte have been transported across space and time from their war-torn world of Garn to the relative peace of Midkemia.

There, on Sorcerer’s Isle, under the guidance of the great magician Magnus and his reincarnated father Pug, Hatu will explore and expand his unique magical abilities: for if Garn is to be saved, they will be needed.

With the evil Pride Lords defeated, the Church of the One has risen to bring death and destruction to Hatu’s home world. The kingdom of Ilcomen has fallen, and now the Church is sending forces to Marquensas, where Daylon Dumarch has declared himself king, and master swordsmith Declan Smith finds himself suddenly raised to the status of prince and war commander.

But there are even greater menaces than the Church of the One waiting in the wings, beings from the Void, creatures born of Darkness. . .

I love the sound of this epic plot, especially as A Darkness Returns will more effectively bring together the two separate series and feature storylines in both universes. This will include one storyline focusing on intriguing characters Hatushaly, Hava and Donte, interacting and learning from Feist’s established protagonists on his original fantasy world of Midkemia. At the same time, another key storyline will be set in the world of The Firemane Saga, Garn, and follow other major protagonist Declan Smith, as he attempts to save his people from an insidious invasion.

Both storylines sound awesome in their own way, as we are kind of getting the best of both worlds here. I know I will deeply enjoy seeing The Firemane Saga protagonists interacting with Magnus and Pug, and it will frankly be great to see the major Riftwar characters be the focus of a book again. At the same time, the storyline set back in Garn sounds awesome as well. The storyline surrounding the insidious Church of the One has been bubbling since the very first book and Declan Smith has been one of my favourite protagonists during the first three books. It will be interesting to see how that storyline develops, and I cannot wait to see what happens to Declan next.

Honestly, I am too much of a Raymond E. Feist fan not to grab A Darkness Returns when it came out this year and I have very little doubt that I am going to have an amazing time with this novel. It is going to be so cool to see how Feist brings these two intriguing universes together, and I cannot wait to find out what happens to all these well-established characters. This will probably end up being one of my favourite fantasy novels of the year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on A Darkness Returns.

Throwback Thursday: The Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts

On August 30, 2018February 13, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Throwback Thursday26 Comments

The Empire Trilogy Cover.jpg

Publishers: Doubleday, HarperCollins

Publication Dates:

Daughter of the Empire – 1987 Amazon

Servant of the Empire – 1990 Amazon

Mistress of the Empire – 1992 Amazon

Collected Volume – Amazon

Reviewed as part of my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.

If you are a fan of Raymond E. Feist’s books, check out my review of his latest work, King of Ashes: https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/05/30/king-of-ashes-by-raymond-e-feist/

Set in the same universe as fantasy author Raymond E. Feist’s legendary Riftwar Cycle is The Empire Trilogy, which serves as a fantastic companion series to his main body of work. This trilogy, made up of Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire was written in collaboration with fellow fantasy author Janny Wurst and represents an intriguing piece of literature that shines not only as a side series to Feist’s first two books but also as a substantial and powerful standalone series.

I first came across this series during my school days, when I had to read Daughter of the Empire for a fantasy literature course (great book, terrible teacher). I was already very familiar with Feist’s massive fantasy universe, having read all the other books available in the series at that point, though in a somewhat eclectic order. I had not previously attempted to read The Empire Trilogy before this point, but I eagerly dived into Daughter of the Empire when I got my copy from the school library. I was immediately entranced by the story and read it several times in that semester, especially during the more boring classes. Upon completing the first book, I also sought out the second and third books in the series in order to see how the fantastic storylines continued. In recent years, I was lucky enough to find audiobook copies of the entire trilogy, and have since re-listened to it several times. These more recent perusals only confirmed my enjoyment of this series, as well as my love of Feist’s massive fantasy world.

The first book of The Empire Trilogy, Daughter of the Empire, was published in 1987, one year after the final book in The Riftwar Saga, the first trilogy in Feist’s massive Riftwar Cycle. In many ways, Daughter of the Empire and the second book, Servant of the Empire, serve as accompaniments to Feist’s original series, as both plots are set at the same time and events that occur in Magician and Silverthorn have significant impacts within The Empire Trilogy.

Daughter of the Empire Cover.jpg

The Empire Trilogy follows Mara of the Acoma, a young woman who becomes the Ruling Lady of her house after the sudden death of her male relatives. Through the course of this series, Mara must become a strong ruler to maintain the honour of her family and ensure the survival of all the people pledged to her house. Mara must use all of her cunning to overcome powerful opponents while adapting new methods and viewpoints that are uncommon in her regimented culture in order to survive.

This series is set in the world of Kelewan, a vast planet inhabited by several strange alien species, and mainly focuses on the inhabitants of the massive Empire of Tsuranuanni. The Tsurani were introduced in Feist’s first book, Magician, where they travel through a magical rift to the world of Midkemia and clash with the inhabitants of this new planet in an event known as the Rift War. The Tsurani are a race of humans based on a combination of real world cultures, such as the Japanese, Koreans and the Aztecs. For example, the overriding Tsurani ideal of honour, an exceedingly important concept in the books that strongly influences their culture and way of life, is very strongly based on feudal Japanese ideals of the samurai and bushido. Kelewan is explored within Magician through the eyes of Feist’s main protagonist, Pug. Midkemia is the main setting for the books in the Riftwar Cycle. While Kelewan is visited in later books of the Riftwar Cycle, most notably in Silverthorn, it becomes a more underutilised setting as Feist’s overall series continues, before eventually being destroyed in Wrath of a Mad God.

Each of the books in this trilogy contains epic and captivating stories that not only highlight life in these alien planets but also show a tale of survival and victory against all odds as the protagonist, Mara, faces and overcomes the superior forces arrayed against her. The first book in the trilogy is Daughter of the Empire, which introduces many of the series’ main characters and storylines. The protagonist and main point-of-view character is Mara of the Acoma, who is dramatically pulled from her peaceful life as a novice priestess into the deadly and treacherous world of Tsurani politics. Mara’s father and brother were killed during a battle on Midkemia because of treachery from the most powerful house in the Empire, the Minwanabi. As a result, Mara is forced to take on the role of Ruling Lady to save her house from being destroyed and her retainers taken as slaves or forced to become honourless bandits. With the vast majority of her soldiers killed in Midkemia, Mara must find creative ways to stop the Minwanabi and other rival houses from wiping her out.

Mara proves to be an effective leader, bending Tsurani traditions to her favour, recruiting talented followers and forming new alliances. Her machinations result in a political marriage to a brutal husband whom Mara must endure until the moment is right to remove him. Watching the protagonist rebuild her house through any means necessary is a fantastic focus of this book which really allows the reader to get a strong idea of Tsurani politics, ideals and culture, as well as Mara’s determination as the central protagonist. The climax of the book is set within the Minwanabi stronghold, which Mara has been forced to visit in order to attend a celebration for the Warlord (the Tsurani equivalent of a feudal Japanese Shogun). This final part of the book is filled with significant tension and fear, as everyone is well aware that the Minwanabi will murder Mara before she leaves the party. Mara must find a way to use the Tsurani honour system to prevent her own assassination while also striking a blow against her opponent. Daughter of the Empire is an exceptional introduction to this fantastic series, and is a spectacular novel in its own right.

Feist and Wurst followed up their first entry in this series with another sensational novel that doubles down on the action and intrigue and contains some of the best sequences in the entire series. Servant of the Empire directly follows on from the events of the first book and sees Mara and her house still in great peril. Mara may have overcome the previous ruling lord of the Minwanabi, but her enemies are still the most powerful house in the Empire. While the new lord is nowhere near as competent as his father was, he has called up the family’s most devious and destructive member, Tasaio, the man who organised the death of Mara’s father and brother. As the Minwanabi plot against the Acoma, Mara is distracted by her acquisition of a group of Midkemian slaves, especially the charismatic Kevin of Zūn. As Mara and Kevin fall in love, the Acoma are drawn into a series of battles on many different fronts, but Kevin’s alien way of thinking offers Mara a distinct advantage. But events completely outside Mara’s control may have the greatest impact on the future of her house. Both the magician Pug and the chaotic event of the Riftwar bring significant change to the Empire, and Mara and her enemies must seek new ways to turn these events to their advantage. While Mara’s relationship with Kevin provides her with strength, it also represents her greatest weakness.

Servant of the Empire Cover.jpg

There is a lot going on within this book, including a number of large-scale battle sequences, as well several scenes focusing on the Empire’s political intrigue. The standout scenes for me have to be either the extended sequence in the arena which features a different point of view to the chaotic magic unleased by Pug in Magician, or the sequences where the biggest houses in the Empire stage a night-time battle of assassins in the halls of the Imperial Palace. While this might be my favourite book in the series, I am not the biggest fan of the way the romance angle between Mara and Kevin is portrayed. Kevin, however, is a fantastic addition for this book, and it is intriguing to have a character that has a similar viewpoint as the reader to observe and comment on Tsurani honour, politics and culture.

The third book in the series, Mistress of the Empire, is set some years after Servant of the Empire and sees Mara and the Acoma once again up against a superior enemy. After their victories in the second book, the Acoma are now the most powerful house in the Empire, but Mara’s sins have come back to haunt her. When the Hamoi Tong assassins initiate a devastating strike at the Acoma, the Assembly of Magicians forestalls Mara’s vengeance against the house she holds responsible. The magicians, known throughout the Empire as “Great Ones” are determined to limit the Acoma’s influence, and Mara soon finds herself in a hidden war against the most destructive force in all of Kelewan. At the same time, her former brother-in-law, Jiro of the Anasati, seeks retribution against Mara, while her loyal Spy Master Arakasi seeks to find a way to finally destroy the Hamoi Tong. Travelling outside the Empire, Mara uncovers dark secrets about the Assembly, and her actions will have major impacts on the future of Tsurani life.

Mistress of the Empire is an excellent conclusion to this trilogy that not only provides a compelling story with exciting new additions but also neatly wraps up storylines from the previous two books. While this book probably has the least connections to the events of Feist’s main series, it dives deeper into the history and hidden lore of Kelewan and the Empire, including the Assembly of Magicians, a sinister and powerful group in Feist’s universe. Many of the main characters get satisfying endings to their storylines, and we get to see several chapters told from the point of view of the Spy Master Arakasi. Arakasi is one of the series’ best characters; however, due to the nature of his work, the readers usually do not get to see him in action, instead only hearing second-hand accounts of his missions. Readers get to enjoy scenes that focus on Arakasi’s investigations into both the Assembly of Magicians and the Hamoi Tong, which also serve to expand on Arakasi as a character. Readers will also enjoy the fact that, after two books in which the antagonists need to keep up the appearance that they are obeying the Tsurani code of honour in their battles with the Acoma, Mara is now forced to go up against an opponent outside the typical laws and practices of the Empire.

One of the most interesting aspects of this series is how the authors have tied the books into the events of Feist’s original trilogy. There are actually a few pre-emptive mentions of characters and events that become an important part The Empire Trilogy in Feist’s first book, Magician. For example, the Shinzawai, a major house, whose members become key characters in The Empire Trilogy, are first introduced in this book as friends of Pug. During Pug’s adventures in Kelewan, there is mention of a visit to the Lady of the Acoma, an event that subsequently occurs in Servant of the Empire. The Minwanabi betrayal of the Acoma forces is also described to the Midkemian protagonists of Magician by a former Tsurani slave in an attempt to highlight the Tsurani system of honour and politics. The first book in The Empire Trilogy, Daughter of the Empire is actually set in the time gap between the two halves of Magician, and takes a closer look at the impact that the Riftwar has had in Kelewan.

A more direct connection to the series is established in Servant of the Empire. As mentioned above, long-running Riftwar Cycle protagonist, Pug, makes several appearances in this book, mirroring events that occur in second half of Magician. Events that occur in Feist’s original trilogy have severe impacts on the plans of Mara and her enemies, such as the destruction of a huge number of Tsurani lords in the final battle of Magician and the death of the new Warlord in Silverthorn. All of these become significant plot points in Servant of the Empire, and it is absolutely fascinating to see the impacts of events in other books.

Mistress of the Empire Cover.jpg

The most spectacular crossover event comes about halfway through Servant of the Empire, which shows some of the cataclysmic events from Magician from a whole new perspective. In the second half of Magician, the powerful magician Pug unleashes his full fury on an arena full of Tsurani, sending wave after wave of magical attacks and disasters on the arena’s audience. The scene is very intense when told from Pug’s point of view; however, readers of the second book in The Empire Trilogy are shown the absolute terror and destruction that a member of this crowd experienced during these events. Mara, Kevin and a few Acoma retainers are present when the magical attack occurs and must flee through the panicking mob while also avoiding enemy assassins. The sheer chaos and dread experienced by these characters and the surrounding crowd is astounding, and turns an incredible scene from Magician into one of the most intense and memorable sequences Feist has ever written.

Throughout the series, the Mara and her house are engaged in significant conflict with other factions in the Tsuranuanni Empire. In the first two books, their opponents are primarily the most powerful house in the Empire, the Minwanabi, while the third book sees Mara in conflict with another influential house, as well as the Assembly of Magicians and the Hamoi Tong assassins. As a result, the main focus of these books is usually the battles for supremacy between the Acoma and their opponents. However, what sets these stories apart from other fantasy novels is the way that these battles are fought. While an all-out war would probably ensure a quicker conclusion to this struggle, the Acoma and their enemies are forced to fight within their nation’s rules of conflict and honour. As a result, the participants are forced to fight in a far more shadowy conflict. While there are battles between armies, often with one side in disguise, the participants also fight using economics, espionage and politics. Throughout the book, the protagonist makes alliances, build up her resources and use her influence to mould the politics of the realm to her advantage. The reliance on honour is a fascinating part of this battle, and the reader will enjoy seeing the protagonist use this concept of honour to manipulate her opponents. The real fun comes when the various participants are no longer bound by the rules and are able to unleash much more devastating and direct attacks on each other, such as the massive battle in the imperial palace that takes place in Servant of the Empire. The battles for survival and control of the Tsuranuanni Empire represent an absolutely captivating and exciting part of this series, especially when the Acoma spymaster Arakasi gets involved.

Readers of The Empire Trilogy are also gifted with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the people, races and culture of Kelewan. This world and some of its history was explored in Feist’s earlier books, including Magician, where an extended magical vision showed the reader key points in the planet’s history. However, for those readers who wish to have a truly deep understanding of life in Kelewan, and the Tsuranuanni Empire in particular, the books in this trilogy are the best things to read. Through the protagonist’s eyes the reader gets to explore the various pieces of land that make up the Empire, as well as the creatures that inhabit these lands. Feist and Wurst also spend significant amount of time looking at the Cho’ja, the ant-like alien creatures who were first introduced in Magician. Daughter of the Empire takes a very interesting look at the Cho’ja, especially as an early part of the book focuses on the protagonist’s attempts to win a Cho’ja colony for her land. In order to do this, she enters a hive and negotiates with a newly hatched queen in order to provide Mara with additional warriors and access to silk spinners. In order to gain an edge on her competition, Mara attempts to understand the cultural differences between her race and the Cho’ja, and is able to come up with some intriguing conclusions as a result. These initial and interesting observations of this race are then massively expanded upon in Mistress of the Empire when Mara, in an attempt to find out the secrets of the Assembly of Magicians, uncovers the true history of the Cho’ja and the ancient pacts they are bound to. Readers will be absolutely fascinated by the lore of these creatures, and there are some great scenes featuring Cho’ja economy and their skills in battle. In addition to the Cho’ja, Feist and Wurst also explore some of the human nations that exist in Kelewan, including the desert tribes of Dustari and the Thuril. These explorations aren’t as detailed as the authors’ look at the Cho’ja and the Tsurani, but are intriguing in their own right, as the authors create some unique cultural features for them.

While the examination of the Cho’ja and the other human races of Tsurani is an intriguing and detailed part of the books in The Empire Trilogy, it pales in comparison to the massive amount of time spent exploring Kelewan’s main civilisation, the Tsuranuanni Empire. The vast majority of the three books is spent within the Empire, with only a small portion of Mistress of the Empire spent outside. Feist introduced a lot of the elements of the Tsurani in Magician, but this is expanded on substantially in this series. Readers who read through these books will be left with an incredible amount of information about Tsurani politics, religion, culture, societal makeup and various other parts of day-to-day life in the Tsuranuanni Empire. The use and examination of Tsurani politics at many different levels is an extremely compelling part of these books, and the various meetings and manipulations that occur represent a very enjoyable part of the book. The concept of Tsurani honour is also explored in great detail. Honour is a massive and defining part of Tsurani culture, and the various characters risk everything to maintain it. Living or dying without honour is considered the worst thing imaginable as it will impact on the individual’s reincarnation in the next life. The concept of honour is particularly skewed towards the Tsurani nobles, and it often takes an outside perspective, like that of Kevin, to identify how unfair the system is. Mara becomes particularly adept at using this honour system to her own advantage. While absolutely devoted to maintaining her family’s honour, her interactions with Kevin lead her to try and make some substantial changes in Tsurani society. The books in the trilogy also reveal some deeper understandings about Tsurani history and the various secret organisations such as the Assembly of Magicians have been protecting. While physically reading these books allows the reader to absorb a lot of this lore, I would also suggest that people check out the various audiobooks that have been produced, which can help listeners to absorb more of these amazing story elements.

I do have a few minor criticisms about this series, but nothing that is really going to change my high regard for it. There are some unnecessary scenes where Mara is scolded and nagged by her nurse, Nacoya, who quickly becomes one of the series’ more annoying characters. I felt that some of the scenes featuring Nacoya’s constant criticism took away from Mara’s image as a skilful and intelligent leader, and just made her seem like a foolish girl. Luckily Nacoya is easily overshadowed by several of the other supporting characters, such as Keyoke, Arakasi and Lujan. I also found parts of the relationship between Mara and Kevin in Servant of the Empire to be very frustrating, especially as they seemed to keep cycling through the same problems and issues. Luckily, Kevin’s ‘barbarian’ insights and ideas more than make up for this, as he produces some excellent battle and political tactics throughout the book. Overall, these are some fairly minor criticisms from me, and I really love all three of these books.

The Empire Trilogy from Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurst is a spectacular fantasy series set in the same incredible universe as the Riftwar Cycle. This trilogy of books is an amazing series in its own right; however, it’s real strength comes from it being a clever tie-in to Feist’s main series of books. Featuring some incredible story elements, exceptional action-packed scenes and a detailed setting stuffed full of lore, The Empire Trilogy is some of these two talented authors’ best works, which still stand up to this day. The series is required reading for anyone who has read Magician and other books in the Riftwar Cycle, but it also comes highly recommended for those readers looking for that next fantasy series to fall in love with.