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Magician (Riftwar saga)
 
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Magician (Riftwar saga) (Paperback)

by Raymond E. Feist (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with A Darkness at Sethanon (Riftwar Saga 3) by Raymond E. Feist

Magician (Riftwar saga) + A Darkness at Sethanon (Riftwar Saga 3)
Price For Both: £11.74

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Product details

  • Paperback: 704 pages
  • Publisher: Collins; 2nd Revised edition edition (28 Jun 1993)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0586217835
  • ISBN-13: 978-0586217832
  • Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11.2 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,136 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #3 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > F > Feist, Raymond E.
    #7 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Magic & Wizards

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Like a venerable patriarch, Magician stands at the head of a great tribe of fantasy writing. When Raymond Feist's enormous novel was published, critics called it "the best new fantasy concept in years", and Feist has refined and explored that concept over a dozen novels. His "concept" was to bring together two (and later, more) whole, intricately realised fantasy worlds. Midkemia is a Tolkienian realm, a European- Medieval series of kingdoms in which magic is prominent, and where men share the earth with dwarves and elves. Feist's genius was inventing another sword and sorcercy realm based more closely on eastern models, the Empire of Tsuranuanni, as vast as Ancient China, as formalised and devoted to the arts of war as a samurai Japan. A magical rift in time-space brings these two worlds clashing together, and the young boy Pug and his soldier friend Tomas are thrown into the ensuing maelstrom of invasion and epic battle, before embarking on a more fundamental magical journey towards the very roots of evil itself. Feist's two sequels to Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon complete the richly conceived Riftwar Saga, and Feist has gone on to chronicle other aspects of his invented worlds. With Janny Wurts he wrote the Empire trilogy, which charts the rise, through the rigid patriarchy of the Empire of Tsuranuanni, of a remarkable female heroine, a woman who eventually reaches the heights of the imperial throne itself Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of Empire. More recently he has returned to the world of Medkemia, and to his hero Pug, with the Serpentwar saga, beginning with Shadow of a Dark Queen and continuing with Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King and Shards of a Broken Crown. Heroic Fantasy is a crowded-enough field, but Feist stands out in it for his sheer inventive power, the scope and range of his narratives, the diversity of his characters and his thundering battle sequences. Start reading here, and you may find yourself unable to stop until you have followed the saga right up to date. --Adam Roberts

Review
'Epic scope! fast moving action!vivid imagination' WASHINGTON POST 'tons of intrigue and action' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Customer Reviews

156 Reviews
5 star:
 (121)
4 star:
 (16)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (8)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (156 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The benchmark for fantasy, 6 Oct 2005
By J "chasingshadows" (Liverpool, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Fantasy stories tend to rely on stock characters, as well as some pretty standard clichés. Characters such as the naïve but uniquely gifted young boy and his powerful yet mysterious instructor, and clichés such as the seemingly undefeatable foe and journeys across great distances that function as the backdrop to passages into adulthood. Depending on your point of view these can either be negative or positive aspects of the genre. But considering this is my absolute favourite genre of all- obviously these are characters and clichés I just can't get enough of, even if I must occasionally trudge through those plainly unimaginative and painfully formulaic examples.

'Magician' however, whilst containing all these characters and clichés and more common themes besides, is an exceptionally original and absolutely gripping novel. At first Pug is the uninspired hero, who aspires to the service of the Duke of Crydee and in companionship with his boyhood friend Thomas begins his unrelenting pursuit of that goal. But the twists and turns in Pug's story are unlike those in most fantasy stories- his ascendance into adulthood and the form his service to his country takes are completely different from that of his fellow apprentices and indeed his fellow heroes in fantasy.

Concepts of space and time, as well as the mastery of magic are areas terrifically brought to life by Feist and it's in the education of Pug in these arts that this book really comes into its own and where all competition is completely blown away. Clearly Feist has done a lot of research into this area, particularly in regards to some unequivocally harsh teaching techniques that seem to take their inspiration from Eastern philosophies, as do the 'undefeatable' foes and their far-off land. And it's in the culture-clash and the repercussions of such differences between these two peoples that makes this story truly compelling and makes this finely printed, but effortlessly readable book...totally gripping, ground-breaking fantasy. If you love fantasy, you'll LOVE 'Magician' and to add one more cliché into the mix...it's magic!
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding story., 27 Dec 2007
By John Nunn (Coventry, U.K.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Magician (Hardcover)
This is the book that started my passion for reading, I found a copy in a second hand shop over twenty years ago, and since then I have read this story at least once a year. The story arc spans two worlds and many years following a two primary characters Pug and Thomas along with a number of secondary characters that have enough depth as to be used as the primary characters in future books.
The plot twists and sometimes fantasy clichés work well and are crafted in to an outstanding story that is engaging and entertaining.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good book - shame about the "special edition", 23 Sep 2002
By S. Gelder "Stfe (Short tame fluffy elephant)" (Leicesteshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Magician (Hardcover)
The book itself is great.

IRaymond Feists first and best book, I love this book and the first series of books that follow it as well are not bad.

My only gripe with this "20th Edition" copy is the actual quality of the book itself, being an anniversary edition, with a higher price tag I did expect the book itself to look and feel a bit better quality then it does.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Magician - Hold on, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Magician, i was advised by a friend to read this book as i enjoy Tolkien and his works. WOW, once you start to read the first few pages you wonder to yourself, "where is this... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Mr. K. R. Northmore

2.0 out of 5 stars Unoriginal and cheezy
Don't expect a complex and realistic world. Don't expect interesting characters and original systems.
This book is nothing but a big cliché of Fantasy. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Fabienne Ericher

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
This is one of the best books I have ever read. The way the whole book flows is spectacular. Through the whole book, I never felt like putting the book down.
Published 1 month ago by Tik

5.0 out of 5 stars Magician
Brilliant. A well written book that is easy to follow, despite the many and varied characters.
Published 1 month ago by Iffy

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great read
This is the first book in a great trilogy. I loved it, it kept me up reading during the night, I have huge bags under my eyes but hey I'm 60 so what!! Read more
Published 4 months ago by I. Shirlaw

4.0 out of 5 stars fun with elves and dwarves
Where to go after Tolkien and Lord of the Rings? Here's not a bad place to start.

Epic fantast is overloaded with authors these days, each offering what could be... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Vp Campbell

5.0 out of 5 stars Unashamedly on the bandwagon
As with many other reviewers, I read this book on a fairly regular basis, and perhaps the simplest and best recommendation I can make is that it hooks me and surprises me every... Read more
Published 7 months ago by griff1974

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Epic
Where to begin? Having only recently been introduced to the works of Feist, I now count myself a fan of sorts. Read more
Published 12 months ago by J. Ewing

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic!
This is the best fantasy book I have ever read - I think it is a LOTR beater! It would make a fantastic movie, however I don't think anything would come close to the text... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. Andrej Dethlefsen

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior fantasy
Feist first staked his claim to a hefty section of the fantasy shelves of the world's bookstores here. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ray Blake

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