Rides a Dread Legion: Book One of the Demonwar Saga

The awkwardly-titled Rides a Dread Legion is a more promising beginning than Feist's last several series have started with. Although new characters, even a newly discovered people, play an important part in the story, old favorites Pug and Tomas again assume important roles in the story.

Most readers who have stuck with Feist since the 1980s have become accepting of his style, reminiscent of the space opera of Doc Smith, of following up a universe-saving battle in one book with a far more vital multi-universe struggle ten years later in the next series. That's been the Feist pattern so long that it can't be regarded as a bug, it's simply a feature.

We're back to the threat to Midkemia and other worlds coming from the various demon circles, and this book makes use of several new demon raising characters to more systematically explore what these beings are and what they want. There's a fair amount of conferencing between the various principals and experts, but action is not neglected either. The book does bog down in such scenes at times when Feist suddenly jumps to a fight between obscure characters or peoples who were only briefly introduced in prior series.

Really this book's strengths lie in the interplay between the various characters - especially Tomas, Pug and his family, and new additions Amirantha and Gulamendis, a being with a very different background than most of Midkemia's races, despite his people's connection to the world. Tomas again gets to flex his Valheru muscles on the side of good.

If you have no idea what that last sentence means, this would NOT be a good place to start reading Feist. He's written over 25 books set in or based on the Midkemia world, and although not all are vital to understanding this story, at the very least the first series, known as the Riftwar Saga, should be the starting point for anyone attempting Feist. It kicks off with Magician, which you may find split into two parts beginning with Magician: Apprentice. The Riftwar Saga, and the Empire Trilogy co-written with Janny Wurts, are classic fantasy series, even if not every Midkemia sequel has been up to those standards. But a new reader who does like Riftwar could do worse than to follow up by reading this book and its forthcoming continuation as well.

I might have given Dread Legion another star if it had more resolution. It's become (too) typical in fantasy for the individual books in multi-volume series to simply be long chapters, with the end of each book prior to the final one not particularly resolving anything. And because it's now the standard, if Feist were a 26 year-old newcomer I'd accept the 2009 style without comment. However, Feist is not that newcomer, and this what I consider lazy and sloppy new trend represents a backward step for writers of his generation. Magician had a point as a novel, despite being part of a series. So did Silverthorn, and Daughter of the Empire. I'm judging Feist by Feist standards rather than Brandon Sanderson standards, which I don't think is unfair. Feist is still published at all simply because he is grandfathered in as an established fantasy stalwart. If he had never been published and he walked into a publisher's office cold today with a Midkemia manuscript, he'd get it tossed back with a scornful comment about this not being 1983 and DelRey Books. Now I don't have a problem with my old favorite authors still writing sequels to those 1983 classics - obviously or I wouldn't still be reading them - but they can't have it both ways. If you're going to still live off 1983 fantasy, then give us self-contained 1983-style novels, not 2009 installments.

As is apparent, I regard 3 stars as an above-average rating. I have no quarrel with those who seldom give anything below a 4, but for my purposes I find it works best to save more room at the top while crowding all the average and poor stuff into the 1-2 range.

Time to retire. I have long been a fan of Raymond Feist, but when a series is dead. It is dead. This series lives on its characters now, not on any plot device, or story, or interaction between plot lines, for all basic plots are now the same.

The last series the characters defeat the worst evil imaginable that threatens them in the worst horrific way, and then a new series starts linking the characters together again. This time the evil is worse than the previous evil and it will result in the same total eradication of all life.

That device is now done to death again. (SPOILER)

But this time he at least kills some primary characters. The problem I have here is the is main hero has become virtually immortal because Pug, the magician, remains in all the books. That takes us away from something that Feist is good at, developing new characters. But what he also needs to do is develop a new world.

Then he runs into the problem of having all characters together at once. Ever have a party in your living room? Does everyone stop talking and just listen to one speak? Usually it is small groups of conversation, but for Feist he does not really capture how to relate this, often bringing all the characters together and then we have the repetition of information since characters he has arrive at different times. Soon we have hear the characters tale so many times that we jump ahead since why waste the effort to read it again.

Then should other characters arrive just after that one has told his tale, well a case in point, Pug has some of the new good guys together when his old friends Tomas shows up. We already know why he is showing up, and Pug and others have eaten lunch, but we waste a few moments as Pug offers Tomas and his companion a meal. Did we need that? Does it add to the book or again slow us up.

Feist may be well sold in the field after all these years, assigned to an editor that just rubber stamps his work. But this is really getting sad.

When will the next generation take over? When will we have just a regular evil that is hard enough to deal with like a war between nations, rather than something that is going to once again eradicate all life on Midkemia unless the Superheroes of the Planet (His Conclave of Shadows) rides forth once more.

Unless you are a dies hard fan of all things Midkemia, read a snyopsis. There is less than 100 pages of entertaining material here, the rest is just a rehash of his warm fuzzy friendships that a reread of Magician will be much better use of your time.

Considering the appalling dross that Feist has attempted to pass off as fiction in the last decade I approached this, his latest work, with a massive amounts of skepticism and resignation: let's note for the record that I continue to purchase (and read) Feist's works because I am 'complete-ist' - a less kindly inclined individual would probably label me a masochist but that's neither here nor there.

I'm not going to waste people's time with a brief precis of the plot for Feist has relied on his usual tropes and stylistic elements to guide us through yet another Midkemian saga - he's found more elves though, we can only guess at how many books into the future we will go before he runs out of nouns ending in 'dhel'?

Let's be frank, people - at least those who've grown up with Feist's world - have continued to follow the story out of a dogged loyalty to a beloved set of characters and a world that helped establish a benchmark for fantasy writing. At least that's my reasoning. I'm not entirely sure what else could explain the massive sales Feist continues to enjoy as he has, over the years, continued to peddle erratically constructed narratives with no focus, less plot and about as much resonance as the latest HBO 'disease of the month' special.

You can forgive much if the story make some semblance of sense - I can't say I retained much in the way of forgiveness when approaching 'Rides a Dread Legion'. But, lo (and these are the major, salient points of note I could list other more minor elements):

- Feist has rediscovered the art of plotting inasmuch as we have cause and effect instead of the ILM school of 'isn't that whizzy' of writing.

- Feist has rediscovered internal consistency: characters not only do things for a reason but that reason makes sense in the present and into the future; further, future actions referencing past actions are logically consistent with those actions/ decisions.

- The virtual obliteration of the throwaway/ one-dimensional/ pointless characters that so marred his previous trilogy: it's so much easier to to care about what the characters are doing if the author has actually taken the time to invest something, other than apathy, in their development/ creation.

Of course, this being Feist, there is some incredibly trite dialogue, some ridiculously obvious foreshadowing and a reliance on a bucketload of cliches, however, given past efforts this is a worthy return to (something that could be considered to be) form and well worth long-time fans taking the time to return to the nest.

3.5 stars [It's better than a 3 but not a 4]

I realise this might get Feist fans' ire to rise but the last series have come across as footnotes to the grandiosity of Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon. Not that I am complaining. If I could write a fraction as well as the master of fantasy I would depart this life extremely happy.
The opener in his latest series follows swiftly on from Wrath of a Mad God. About ten years have passed, the same protagonists appearing in a supporting role in a manner that has become prevalent in Feist's decision to take Midkemia into the universe of demons. Kaspar, Magnus, Miranda et al serve good purpose in introducing us to a story that promises a greater evil than the preceding novels hinted at. There is a darkness now, but it is shadowy to the point of nebulous. As we are taken on this new voyage we are learning much about the demon realms. Learning, I suspect, as Feist himself is learning.
The premise is simple. The demons are no longer a mindless horde, but one which appears to be structured. Without wishing to give overly much of the story away, Feist opens with the somewhat charlatan, Amirantha and Brandos, meandering their way around Kaspar's current demesne charming their way out of gullible township gold. An unexpectedly difficult encounter leads us to realise the former is one of a set of three brothers - one being Nalnar who has made a previous appearance as Leso Varen, the other the imminently more dangerous Belasco - who are somewhat responsible for (or agents for) a darker power of the Demon Legion.
Mixed in with this is Sandreena, Knight-Adamant who provides a new feisty (excuse the pun) heroine sent to investigate the dark summoning and wholesale slaughter of villagers around Akrakon. Inevitably, she finds herself mixed up in more than she can readily handle but as the novel grows, so does she into her role.
Meanwhile, a rift away, we meet the Elven Laromendis and Gulamendis, demon masters of the elven taredhel, the branch that had fled Midkemia (The Home) before the last of the Valheru, Ashen-Shugar had given them freedom. Fled to Andcardia where now their millions have become thousands under the onslaught of the Dread Legion.
The return of the taredhel to Midkemia brings Aglaranna and Tomas into the mix before a very lengthy meeting on the Sorceror's Isle of all concerned parties leads to a rapid denouement with startling consequences for all concerned.
Rides a Dread Legion actually reads like a prologue to a new chapter in Medkemia's history. The narrative is as taut as ever, the plot extremely tightly focused on a few places, a few people. There is no sense of a wider world or universe in here but you get the feeling that as this series is published we are about to be subjected to a power well beyond those that we ever dreamed Pug and Tomas (all those years ago in Crydee) would ever know about, let alone be instrumental in.
It is simple. It is Feist.
Buy it.

Pug is an old friend. I saw him grow to manhood, as so many of you did, in Magician, and then enter the realms of power. He has grown puissant and wise over the years, and he is, ultimately, the cornerstone of Feist's neverending Midkemia series. But I think I'm reaching my limit. This review is for the fans, newcomers beware -- this is not the place to start.

Guess what, we're fighting Demons again (or are we?). As you may have already gleaned, the first reviewer has most of the facts wrong, so that's not going to be much of help.

Power-hungry elves...oh, we've seen those already.

Sidi is back, well not really, but the next best (worst?) thing.

Fundamentally, Midkemia is again at risk of extinction (how is this worse, as proclaimed in the book jacket, then each time before?) and it's up to Pug, the ever ready for battle, Tomas, and a few others to again save it.

Prior revieweers have been generous, but I empathize. You see, this latest installment in the Midkemia world IS in fact better than several prior. The characters seem (only seem, mind you) to have some depth, the storyline is sufficiently intriguing to turn the pages, and the pace moves quick enough to avoid being painful (albeit not by much).

Unfortunately, the return to an earlier, more exciting form, is limited in scope as this novel merely "sets up" the underlying conflicts that one can only hope will be expanded in future books.

I'll finish reading this saga, but I may start waiting for paperback.

I have read all of Feist's works going back to 1983 in order as they came out, so I am old now ;-). As many of these reviews will show, there are those who get ticked that there is not more closure to the story and it does not stand on its own. Well, folks, it is a SAGA and those tend to be very long stories in mnay volumes. Feist is not the only author in fantasy doing that now - everyone is. I think the writers are being pushed in this direction more than they want to, but I digress. This is actaully one of Ray's strongest books in quite some time. The two orignal trilogies from back in the 1980s starting with Magician and Daughter of the Empire are the best and most essential to read before getting into these later stories of Ray's because he uses the same fantasy world and old characters, and also much of what happens in later sagas is reflective of past sagas/trilogies. Pug, Tomas and the old crew from the past books are like old friends and I'm always glad to see them again. However, be warned Ray has started knocking off some of the old gang in the last couple of series so there are some unexpected things out there. I found this to be a fun book, not overly complicated, and look forward to the next couple in the saga. Anyone who likes Feist will to.

I am only part way through the book and am amazed at the number of typos and outright errors (e.g. at the beginning of Chapter 3 (I think) it mentions spring coming to Novindus, when the scene takes place somewhere near the Free Cities).

How does his happen so often in these books? Even a cursory proof reading would catch most of these.

Rides A Dread Legion is the first book in The Demonwar Saga. And I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to find that is quite a good novel with a great many mind blowing SUPRISES. However when I look back to Magician or the Serpent War Saga the quality just isn't there, that being said so far the beginning to this series has much better promise than that of the Wrath Of A Mad God. So maybe there is hope for The Demonwar Saga.

On an unknown world far from Midkemia there is a terrible war being waged between an Elf race (the Tarendhel) and the armies of the the Demon King. Over three worlds the Elves have fought with the death of of millions of their people, finally the Elves make their last stand. Behind the scene the Lord of the Tarendhel's chief mage opened a rift to their legendary home world of Midkemia to evacuate the remains of their race. How will the people of Midkemia except the refuges or will the refuges simply take what they want.

I've read all of feist's books (except for Wrath of a Mad God because I think that series went downhill - but now I have to read it because there were so many references to what happened in it) and I loved the Riftwar, Serpent war and the two in-between books which I thought were excellent. I would give all of them 5 stars. Then it started to go downhill. I saw this book at the store and decided to give him another try.

I think he's getting back into form but not quite there yet. He's started fleshing out the characters better than in the last series but I felt there was something missing. Having said that, I'm intrigued enough to read the next book coming out (but the story is getting very convoluted). I did finish the book in one day and I only do that with good reads. However, I will say that I was extremely, extremely dissapointed with the ending. I won't spoil it but something happens at the end that really just takes down the tone of the story and actually made me sad. That's good and bad because a writer who can emotionally affect you with the written word is good - but I don't like how he did it.

One can always hope that Lims-Kragma puts this character back for another turn of the wheel.

After reading some of Mr. Feist's more recent works, I always wondered if J.R.R. Tolkien had continued writing up on about Middle Earth, would I have reached a point where I would have cried, "NO MORE!"?

It is a testament to Feist (and brilliant coauthor Janny Wurts) that I still read his Kelewan series on occasion to this day. Mistress of the Empire is my current book for my commute to and from work. The state of my much abused tattered book is a poignant reminder of just how great and talented Mr. Feist once was.

The Wrath of a Mad God was the last book I purchased and I had been steadily losing interest in the world of Midkemia long before that, starting with Shards of a Broken Crown. I recently came across Rides a Dread Legion in my local library and decided to give it a shot to see if there were any sparks left.

As the above rating goes the book was ok. Color the lost tribes of 7 foot elves blue and you get Avatar's Navi. The same males characters are back, under a different name and progeny, but essentially the same. Mr. Feist's female characters still fit under the Madonna Whore complex, and remain emotionally stunted characters unable to match the complexity reached by the women of his Empire Series. After 2 dozen books of recycled characters, this glaring weakness of the author becomes too obvious.

Coupled with another Mandred von Darkmoor style send off for the one female character who had shown some potential in the Wrath of a Mad God, this book resealed the rift that had resoundlingly closed back when Mr. Feist destroyed the world of Kelewan.

All good things comes to an end. And this series remains better off not started for fans of his earlier works.