I've been a fan of Feist for over 10 years, when I first found the complete Riftwar Series at a book sale.  Since then I've been hooked.

After the reading the two Conclave of Shadows books, I was a bit disappointed.  After the Serpentwar Saga, this latest series just didn't do it for me.  Its sort of like driving a nice mustang (Serpentwar) and then switching to a Mazda 626 (Conclave).

I felt that most of the characters were cliched and at time two dimensional.  Tal, the hero of the story, just wasn't on par with some of Feist's other heros.  The story was also a bit cliched and many times predictable.

Not all was bad, there was some very memorable and deep scenes.  One where the characters' personas came forth and were very vivid.  Also, in a very Feist fashion, some of the strategies employed, were very clever and refreshing surprising.

In conclusion, a definite must have for the a true Feist afficionado, but if this is going to be your first attempt at his work, I highly recommend his early stuff.
I've been a fan of Feist for over 10 years, when I first found the complete Riftwar Series at a book sale. Since then I've been hooked. After the reading the two Conclave of Shadows books, I was a bit disappointed. After the Serpentwar Saga, this latest series just didn't do it for me. Its sort of like driving a nice mustang (Serpentwar) and then switching to a Mazda 626 (Conclave). I felt that most of the characters were cliched and at time two dimensional. Tal, the hero of the story, just wasn't on par with some of Feist's other heros. The story was also a bit cliched and many times predictable. Not all was bad, there was some very memorable and deep scenes. One where the characters' personas came forth and were very vivid. Also, in a very Feist fashion, some of the strategies employed, were very clever and refreshing surprising. In conclusion, a definite must have for the a true Feist afficionado, but if this is going to be your first attempt at his work, I highly recommend his early stuff.