New Feist Riftwar book almost out
Raymond E. Feist fans are only a short time away from stepping back into the fantasy world of Midkemia, with the author’s new book At the Gates of Darkness due out in some areas in early January 2010.
The book continues the epic Riftwar Cycle, which now spans several dozen volumes. Feist has a strong track record of publishing a new book in the series almost every year, stretching back to the fan favourite Magician in 1982.
At the Gates of Darkness is the second book in the Demonwar Saga arc, after 2009’s Rides a Dread Legion. Its blurb is as follows:
“Recent events have shocked and devastated the Conclave of Shadows; the discovery of the Demon horde that is following the elven invaders of Midkemia; the rise of the mad magician Belasco, and the personal cost paid by Pug and his family.
But grieving for lost loved-ones must wait. The followers of the Demon prince have almost succeeded in bringing him through the dimensions. The Conclave must regroup and find a way to meet the approaching evil, whilst trying to stop civil war from destroying Triagia before the demon horde even arrives.”
The book was first announced in February 2008, and Amazon has it shipping in April 2010, but Feist’s official Crydee site has recently updated the UK/AU/NZ cover art for the book and listed the Australia and New Zealand dates, at least, to New Year’s Day (January 1), 2010.
Commentary
Oh god. Is Feist STILL writing this thing?
Like many fantasy fans, I hopped off the Feist train many moons ago, in fact as far back as 1998’s Shards of a Broken Crown. I can’t exactly remember what precisely was happening in the seires at that point, so I really can’t situate At the Gates of Darkness in terms of current plot or what’s happening with the characters.
It’s not that Feist is a bad writer. In fact, quite the opposite: he’s arguably one of the fantasy greats. However, I couldn’t continue to read his books, because it seemed to me that the same character archetypes and plot points kept on coming up again and again. It got boring after a while.
This seems to be a recurring problem with writers who pump out a book every year. Sure, the books might have a steady following of fans, and bring in the dollars, but are they really that good? Normally not. Normally it takes a bit longer than a year to put together a really interesting work of art in the genre. Witness how long it takes the likes of Janny Wurts or George R. R. Martin to put out their books. And they are considered amongst the grand masters.
I would be interested, however, to hear from any Feist fans out there who are still reading the Riftwar Cycle. Is it worth persevering through? Does Feist return to his form later on?
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Just in time for my Feist luvin’ boyfriend’s birthday. Look it is easy-to-read stuff, and the depth isn’t there as much as it was, but I still enjoy the go-round.
I just read the “Empire” series to get that “other side” story to round out the main story (better late than never!), and I can always go back to what was.
I guess it’s like my old love of Stephen King or Stephen Donaldson et al., at a certain age it’s just “right” and though the books from that era still sit on my shelves, I haven’t picked them up in a decade at least. I wonder if they will be old friends when I visit them again.
The Empire series is probably my favourite of Feist’s, and that’s probably becos I love Janny Wurts :)
I agree with you about the old love, that’s kind of how I feel about David Eddings as well!
I have read all of his, but this series has brought me back to the beginning again, I enjoyed it that much.
I enjoy how well threaded his characters are throughout the different series, and how now new twists pop up.
I enjoyed Rides a Dread Legion so much I re-read Magaician. 10 years later than the first time I possibly enjoyed it even more.
Now speaking of Eddings.. .ah I will have to finish my new found enjoyment fo Sara Douglas first
High praise! Maybe I should get back into Feist!
Agree, his best work was with Wurts on Empire.
What really irks me is his need to have a broad ‘epic’ scope to his sagas. Each time, it’s been a rehash of the same old invasion idea:
Riftwar = Invading Tsurani
Serpentwar = Invading Sauur, Novindus and demons
Darkwar = Invading Dasati
Demonwar = Invading Star Elves and demons
Besides being very tiresome, does Mr Feist not realize his strongest work was character driven? eg. Magician, focusing on Pug and Tomas, Rise of a Merchant Prince (Erik and Roo). Heck, even his rehashed Talon stories were more interesting than the epic scope stories he wrote.
Also, I was a bit disappointed in his latest episodes where Feist killed off some long recurring characters with very unheroic, almost pedestrian passages.
He does like the invasion story :)
loved every single book. Picked up magician back in 07, have read the series 4 times all ready. You guy`s need to look deeper into each saga and see what`s really hidden.
As for empire, great read, but goes to far into personal feelings eg,Arakasi`s feelings for Kamlio, 2 page`s please, he loved her & was confused, like a teenager in love for the first time. They could have cut the book in half.
Can`t wait for A.T.G.O.D in jan, keep it up Ray
I agree with d.k.l. People you need to look further into it other than “constant invasions” and “character driven”. Do you realize that the main characters of the entire series are Pug and Thomas. They are basically the whole story, Pug basically manipulates events to work in his favor, in which is more than just midkemia. He is involved in the entire universe which just so happens to open up midkemia to invasions from these new forces he is discovering. Also he moves from 1 plane of Hell to another, thus the dasati, which in turn found him face to face with one of his main adversaries the dreadlords, which are the enemies of the gods, and if you know enough you would know that Pug has actually a fragment of a god in him. There is much more to this series than is actually written, read between the lines.
I read books for entertainment mainly and don’t really try to “look between the lines” or analyze their form. I’ve enjoyed all of the books I’ve read authored or co-authored by Raymond Feist. Isn’t the idea to get caught up in the adventure?
Lighten up and enjoy the ride.
I loved the rift war and serpent war sagas, but have finished ‘At the gates of darkness’. It is awful, worst one yet, I have been reading his books loyally for years. But since talon of the silver hawk, I think he has given up trying, just churning out the same old rubbish. I frequently return to the three rift war books and to his excellent collaborations with janny wurts but I have finally have had enough I will never waste my hard earned cash on Feist books again..
Brian, looking between the lines is not as hard as it seems. And yes the idea is to get caught up in the adventure, but the adventure is really with, as I said before, Pug and Tomas. All other characters in the series merely compliment them. Raymond Feist is a brilliant writer second only (in my opinion =P) to Robert Jordans Wheel of Time series. Looking between the lines in his books are part of the entertainment. Me and my brother both read this series and constantly philosophise about “What will happen next?”, “What that REALLY meant?”, “Who he REALLY is?”, “Where is that headed?”. The same as the Wheel of Time series, a lot of the story is tied up in what is not said or what has only just been touched on. I’m not trying to dampen the mood at all just saying that Feist’s series is not only all about what is written. And it is also a book outlying the history of the characters. There is more to the series than just reading the books, reading is all about your imagination, so try putting that to use =).
feist touches on so meny subjects in his books, i really believe he has an underlieing message to his writings its all just so vague i cant seem to put the puzzle together, and its very frustrating but there is definatly something there between the lines
something about us as people and how it should be, and how its been manuplitaded into what it is today
but its so hard to desipher! but i think im guaging on the edges of it all, its so damn frustrating
but he never says it directly, you have to kind of scry his meaning damn him!
he tells amasing storys in his books, which skirt around the true meaning with amasing writing style, i think it all kind of points towards being controlled over a vast amount of time and forgetting what was, i will suss it out, its just so damn frustrating, its all fractured in my mind! ohhh yeah… Feist rocks!