A Darkness at Sethanon (The Riftwar Saga, #4)

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A Darkness at Sethanon (The Riftwar Saga #4)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 24,178 ratings · 237 reviews

An evil wind blows through Midkemia. Dark legions have risen up to crush the Kingdom of the Isles and enslave it to dire magics. The final battle between Order and Chaos is abotu to begin in the ruins of the city called Sethanon.

Now Pug, the master magician sometimes known as Milamber, must undertake an awesome and perilous quest to the dawn of time to grapple with an anci...more

Mass Market Paperback, 430 pages

Published January 1st 1987 by Bantam (first published 1986)

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Jul 10, 2007 Jeremy Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mycollection

I personally felt that A Darkness at Sethanon is a very good book and a fitting end to a very good fantasy series. The author stepped up the action quite a bit and the battle of Armengar is just amazing. If there is one thing about The Riftwar Saga that I will always remember, it is the battle of Armengar. The rest of the action is very well written and the author's use of the character Guy was superbly done. While I really enjoyed the battle scenes in the novel, I was really confused by some of...more

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Aug 22, 2008 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: series fantasy addicts

Recommended to Heather by: Chip

Shelves: audiobooks, sci-fi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 13, 2011 Peter added it · review of another edition

Feist at his very best: A Darkness At Sethanon is the concluding book in the Riftwar trilogy and brings the saga, kicked off by Magician and continued by Silverthorn to a brilliant and stunning conclusion. This book is from an author at the height of his storytelling powers, and once started, simply cannot be put down. The plot is stunning in its execution and is totally gripping and fast moving. Add superb characterisation to this and you have a mix that is an out and out winner.

The story sees...more Feist at his very best: A Darkness At Sethanon is the concluding book in the Riftwar trilogy and brings the saga, kicked off by Magician and continued by Silverthorn to a brilliant and stunning conclusion. This book is from an author at the height of his storytelling powers, and once started, simply cannot be put down. The plot is stunning in its execution and is totally gripping and fast moving. Add superb characterisation to this and you have a mix that is an out and out winner.

The story sees Pug and Tomas scouring the universe for signs of Macros The Black, the great sorcerer who they hope will be able to give them information on the true nature of 'The Enemy.' It is becoming clearer by the day that this would appear to be power behind the Morehdrel Murmandamus and his armies, and their threat to The Kingdom of The Isles. In the meantime the war against Murmandamus is being fought by characters such as Arutha, Guy, and Jimmy The Hand.
Pug and Tomas do eventually find Macros, and learn to their horror the true nature of 'The Enemy.' They also learn that not just Midkemia is under threat but the very existence of all living things....

The Riftwar trilogy features some of the best characters that Ray Feist has ever created. It established his 'eternal' characters of Pug, Macros, and Tomas and indeed these all appear to varying degrees in the following books and series concerning Midkemia. If anything though, the lesser characterisation in later books, has not been quite up to the strength of the likes of Jimmy and Arutha, and these characters have been sorely missed in these later volumes. It is of no surprise, therefore, that Feist has returned to these characters to write extra volumes about them... Enjoy then A Darkness At Sethanon, a superbly realised tale, featuring all of Ray Feist's best characters.

As a footnote, readers who look forward to seeing Feist return to this kind of superlative form are advised to pick up a copy of his latest Darkwar volume 'Into A Dark Realm.' Having read this I can only conclude that it is a return to the kind of form that Feist enjoyed during the Riftwar novels and sets the reader up for what promises to be a superb third installment. If you cannot wait for this book to be released in the US then order it now from Amazon UK, the delivery charge is worth it because you will not be disappointed.(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Nina Schmitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Now Pug, the master magician sometimes known as Milamber, must undertake an awesome and perilous quest to the dawn of time to grapple with an ancient and terrible Enemy for the fate of a thousand worlds.

Review

Further praise for the Riftwar saga:

"Most exciting...a very

...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Tempo de Ler rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Finalmente…a conclusão da Saga O Mago…
A imaginação de Raymond E. Feist é, de facto, algo a aplaudir pelos mundos imaginários que criou, as personagens fantásticas que nos apresentou e também graças à inserção constante de novos conceitos e novas personagens alternando, a cada capítulo, entre conjuntos de personagens nas suas contendas. Contudo, creio que este livro padece do mesmo mal que os três volumes...more

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May 22, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is the third and the last of the Riftwar saga books that I have read, though I have noticed that Feist has continued to write books set in this world. After this book he goes to the otherside of the rift with Daughter of the Empire, and I think I did start reading it, but didn't really bother to continue. However, with regards to these books, it is quite clear that they are still quite popular and that they are still being reprinted. Hey, I quite enjoyed this book, and in many ways it was...more This is the third and the last of the Riftwar saga books that I have read, though I have noticed that Feist has continued to write books set in this world. After this book he goes to the otherside of the rift with Daughter of the Empire, and I think I did start reading it, but didn't really bother to continue. However, with regards to these books, it is quite clear that they are still quite popular and that they are still being reprinted. Hey, I quite enjoyed this book, and in many ways it was a step back to the style of Magician which in many ways was missing from Silverthorn. In the second book the story simply seemed to be a side quest that takes place halfway during the major quest that begins with Magician and ends with this book. Oh, Thomas and Pug both come back to the front in this story.
The plot is similar to Magician in that a powerful sorcerer, Murmandamus, is laying siege to a city in the far north. The king, Arutha, knows of this, but due to his kingly duties, is unable to travel there to help. However, he uses a failed assassination attempt to lead an army to the city, where he encounters one of his father's former enemy's, Guy du Bas-Tyra. Both of them are unable to stop Murmandamus, so they ignite the naptha mines beneath the city destroying it and escaping. Meanwhile, Thomas and Pug are travelling the world, and then the multiverse, to locate Pug's former master, Macros the Black, to assist them in defeating Murmandamus.
In a way I feel that one can easily skip Silverthorn and go from Magician to this book. Even rereading the plot summary makes me realise how gripping this story was, and the breadth of the action. What I remember is Pug and Thomas travelling across many worlds and encountering many strange and wonder sights and creatures, and I also remember the setting of the city of Sethanon located near a large forest. Basically that was about it.
These stories once again follow the basic quest narrative in that the main characters begin as boyhood friends in a small village, and as they travel across the kingdoms, and the world, they not only move forward in their quest, but that also grow themselves as adults, coming to understand their powers and abilities. In a way, our quest narrative never truly ends, and while we may complete one stage of our life, or complete one quest, there is always the next quest to enable us to develop and grow further. I many ways I look at myself and ask why I did not realise what I have realised now earlier to take advantage of it. I think of the young people out of university with their first job, and they have forty years in which to build their life savings, whereas I have only twenty-five, with a small sum to my name (but no debt of consequence).
However, I guess many of those fifteen years younger than me also have the experience of one fifteen years younger than me. This is not necessarily a flaw, because the amazing thing about humanity is that not only do we learn from our mistakes, but we can also teach the lessons that we have learnt onto those younger then us. Whether they listen to our advice or not is up to them. It does not necessarily mean that everybody of equal age is of equal experience or intelligence, and as such, those of us who have stepped elsewhere in our experience can then teach those who haven't. Once again, it is up to the other to decide whether to listen to our suggestions or not.
The reason that I went down this side track is because through the two books (ignoring Silverthorn) we see Thomas and Pug grow from young boys to middle-aged men, both coming in on their own. Pug ends as a magician, but he does not start as one. Thomas ends as a dragonlord, but does not start as one. It is the same in our lives. We finish as men, but we do not start off as such. Thus it is up to us to learn from those around us, to ask questions of those who have an answer, and then put their advice into practice. Sometimes though, the answer we want is not always the answer that we get, and the advice that we give others can quite easily be the sort of advice that if followed, means that we lose a friend. (less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last in the initial Riftwar Saga (though it still continues today), this one was wonderful again, though at the same time my least favourite. Whilst the first (Magician which in the version I read contains both Master and Apprentice) was very character driven, and the second was a quest novel, and both of them contained plenty of fighting, this one is much more pre-occupied with the techniques, strategy and equipment of war with the truly frightening Murmandamus.
It would be unfair, in my vi...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Majanka rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wheras Silverthorn, this novel’s predecessor, fails to grasp both the magnificence and originality of the first novel in these series, Magician, A Darkness at Sethanon does manage to meet the expectations. It is a trully wonderful adventure, and not only does it rise up to the challenge, it goes beyond that. Powerful characters, a land on the verge of war, creatures that only appear in your darkest nightmares and the faith of the world resting on the shoulders of a few heroes. It sounds like the...more Wheras Silverthorn, this novel’s predecessor, fails to grasp both the magnificence and originality of the first novel in these series, Magician, A Darkness at Sethanon does manage to meet the expectations. It is a trully wonderful adventure, and not only does it rise up to the challenge, it goes beyond that. Powerful characters, a land on the verge of war, creatures that only appear in your darkest nightmares and the faith of the world resting on the shoulders of a few heroes. It sounds like the classic fantasy formula, but Raymond E. Feist twists it around and turns it into something new, fresh an exciting.

Warning: The content below may contain spoilers for Magician and Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist!

Arutha conDoin, Prince of Krondor, is once again called upon to travel with his unlikely band of followers, who include a couple of bards; a Duke who is also his brother; a thief; a squire and a tribesman, as they learn that the evil demon Murmandamus has been amassing a gigantic army in the North lands. They must try to stop this from happening ofcourse, and upon doing so, they need the help of old allies – which asks for the reappareance of the protagonists of the first book in the series, Tomas and Pug – and new friends, whom they find in the unlikely form of former enemy Guy de Bas-Tyra.

It does take a bit for the book to get back to the level established by Magician, but when it finally does, it is in a most grand fashion, with the defence of fortress-town Armengar making for a frantic and exciting affair in which 7,000 or so town soldiers attempt to keep tens of thousands of Murmandamus’s invaders at bay. The battle for Armengar is one of the best-told, most thrilling battles in fantasy literature, and even those among us who are not exactly jumping up and down in their seats when they imagine an alliance of heroes clashing with a horde of demons, I am certain will still enjoy the way Feist writes this heroic battle, with a focus on human emotions, sacrifices and all those things that turn ordinary people into heroes.

Once again, after his remarkable appereance in Silverthorn, Jimmy the Hand comes back to steal the show. As witty, sarcastic and clever as ever, he thwarts plots to kill Arutha, secudes many and more teenage girls, and provides more wisdom than an entire king’s council. Arutha conDoin, by nature quiet, thoughtful and serious, shows more leadership qualities than you would give him credit for, and Amus Task, the retired pirate with a a rather enjoyable sense of humor, turns out to be valuable sidekick in the war against Murmandamus. Feist’s characters grow into their roles, a growth which is shown especially in this book, as they each stand up to take the part they were supposed to play. Not only does he offer outstanding characters, but Feist also produces believable, well thought through character development, and a plotline with more suspense and originality than any other fantasy novel in the last decade. With A Darkness at Sethanon, Raymond E. Feist proves he is trully a master of the genre.

The story has, except for the great characters which I already mentioned, a fast-paced, thrilling plot that will keep you glued to your seat. As he gathers all the cast members for the final showdown, and ends with an epic fight even Tolkien would be jealous of, Feist delivers the last part of one of the best fantasy series ever, with style and grandeur. It can’t possibly get any better than this.(less)

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Dec 07, 2010 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this book, Raymond E. Feist (the author) concluded the Riftwar Saga (the name of the series). As a continuation to a series, the novel was a fantastic read from start to the end while following Arutha and company throughout the storyline. The initial build-up to the story is slow before the pace picks up after Arutha (main protagonist) and company leaves Krondor.

The most compelling battle of the Riftwar Saga was the battle of Armengar and this was proven again when the same battle was mention...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book completes the saga (though it's been revisited in other books since) in a very satisfying way - the big final blowout is nicely staged and multilayered and i was pleased overall. I might have given these books more than 3 stars, but for the last thing that really bothered me - the sexism. It isn't blatant, but i was terribly disappointed to find no strong females in this world. All of the heroic figures are men. Ok - in the last book there is a strong female warrior-type who comes from...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Duffy Pratt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Mostly, I liked this book and thought it was a pretty good conclusion to the series. I did have a small problem with the pacing. The action was relentless, and I think this took away somewhat from having a real feel for the characters and their relationships. Overall, I enjoyed this series and will come back to Feist at some point. But I didn't rush out and pick up another book right away. So I can't say I have the big enthusiasm that I've had for some other authors.

The main problems I have are...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Following all the build-up from Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon is where all the events finally unfold. Hence from start to finish it is pretty much non stop action with little else. True, the events of a certain side story does bring adventure and mystery to the plot, but in general, this book is about ..... battles!

Again, this does not approach Magician in quality, however it does make the overall experience of Silverthorn far more positive as it resolves everything which Silverthorn opene...more

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Mar 15, 2012 fiacha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bem terminei a leitura desta saga e só posso estar satisfeito com o que li. Não é George Martin ou Robert Jordan, não é uma saga que traga algo de novo, no fundo tudo se trata da luta entre o bem e o mal e quando isso acontece com maior ou menor dificuldade sabe-se para que lado a balança se inclina, o que tornou o final algo previsível, mas isso não impede de poder dizer que estamos perante uma saga muito boa, com surpresas atrâs de surpresas, personagens muito interessantes e um enredo muito c...more Bem terminei a leitura desta saga e só posso estar satisfeito com o que li. Não é George Martin ou Robert Jordan, não é uma saga que traga algo de novo, no fundo tudo se trata da luta entre o bem e o mal e quando isso acontece com maior ou menor dificuldade sabe-se para que lado a balança se inclina, o que tornou o final algo previsível, mas isso não impede de poder dizer que estamos perante uma saga muito boa, com surpresas atrâs de surpresas, personagens muito interessantes e um enredo muito coerente e que a tudo isto ainda temos que acrescentar uma escrita muito fluída o que ajuda a que não tenhamos grandes quebras no ritmo de leitura, tornando-o consistente, sempre agradável e cheio de acção e revelações.

Gostei bastante dos dois primeiros volumes (no original um volume) que teve vários factores de interesse e que no fundo encerrou um ciclo, mas não tinha sido algo que me tive-se cativado como os dois volumes seguintes.

Quando passamos para O Espinho de Prata, é mudado o arco principal do enredo e penso que a inclusão por um lado de um novo vilão, misterioso e que nos deixa sempre a suspirar por saber mais, a inclusão de uma personagem secundária Jimmy, um larápio ao qual ninguém ficará indiferente, a demanda que o grupo tem que passar e claro já o preparar para o final da história, penso que acabou por trazer uma enorme mais valia ao enredo.

Mas quando passamos para este volume (para mim o melhor de todos) onde vamos finalmente começa-nos a ser dada muita informação que nos faltava para perceber todas as motivações do vilão acima indicado, do que o move, do que está em jogo, então penso que o escritor esteve muito bem, foi original, surpreendeu-me com algumas revelações e preparou tudo para um final bem engendrado,onde as pontas ficaram devidamente atadas e tudo bem explicado.

Claro que não vou aqui fazer grandes revelações mas adorei a ideia que Arutha teve para Jimmy, deixando-me com imensa curiosidade para ler as sagas seguintes o que felizmente vai ser possível e já este ano pois a Editora já confirmou que ira continuar a publicar Feist ;)

Óbvio que havia muito para debater sobre a saga / livro, mas também não quero spoliar ninguém e verdade seja dita também não tenho muito jeito para criticas :P

Este será seguramente um dos melhores livros que li este ano e serio candidato a melhor livro de 2012, logo só posso recomendar a sua leitura(less)

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Jul 06, 2011 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last 2 books of Feist's Riftwar Saga. Now that I've read them while a little older, I'm seeing them a little less rosily. The stories are still very compelling and exciting, and I still love the characters, but knowing what I know now about writing, I see how clunky he is. Feist writes in a loose 3rd person omniscient POV, and switches back and forth between POV characters willy nilly, even within the same paragraph. I still love the series. A Darkness at Sethanon - the siege of Armengar spe...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Bala Kolluru rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In the this 4th and final book "A Darkness At Sethanon", Raymond Feist delivers a resounding and satisfying ending to the Riftwar Saga. Loose ends are neatly tied up, questions are answered and I loved the big twist at the end, where the Valheru collective win but are rejected by the force of all that is good. Simple and effective! The battle at Armengar is spectacular and in some ways is even better than the finale at Sethanon. Macros, Pug and Tomas's journey backward through time at an ever in...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Trish rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the kind of series that you can carry around in your bag with you for weeks and only crack it open when you find yourself waiting at the doctor's office. This being the last of the saga, I found it very predictable, almost formulaic... legions of big bad guys vs. small band of good guys with a rescue of sorts coming right at the last possible moment. Take a breath, rinse, and repeat. I even found myself reading the same turn of phrase repeatedly. It was probably less annoying to me since...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy

This has always been my favourite Riftwar Saga novel. It has an exciting plot with some fantastic twists. The battle for Armengar is innovative and still exciting even though I know what happens.

Feist's characterisation has improved immensely in this novel compared to Magician, and it's wonderful to return to the company of Amos Trask and his inventive insults ("his high bastardness" has been in regular use for a couple of weeks since this rereading!)

I still find the lack of decent lead female...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Phleghm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If, by the end of the series, you want everything to come together and resolve well, you are bound to stumble onto difficulties. And, the easiest way to deal with them is to adjust the flow forcefully. Imagine following a stream from the beginning, watching it grow, become powerful, deep and shallow in places.. Even wild. And imagine further on, when civilized beings get its fangs into it, build it dams, concrete shores, bridges.. It loses some of its identity. It's spark. What made it so specia...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Joshua rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: quarter-1, favorites

A Darkness at Sethanon, by Raymond E. Feist, is the fourth and last book in the Rift War Saga. This series tells multiple interlocking stories about two enemy worlds who must become a team to destroy a horrid enemy.
The book tells many stories of war, love, slavery, magic, elves, dragons, dwarves, gods, hate, redemption, and power. In this epic conclusion, human princes, alien magicians, clerics, elves, and pirates must join together to fight “The Enemy,” an unknown but infinitely powerful force...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Brenton rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meh.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but when I read Magician I thought Feist's writing was pretty decent, if heavy on fantasy tropes (some of which I'm sure he helped create). So I don't know if his writing got worse or my tolerance of it went down since then, but I just found this book a trifle tedious. The dialogue is trite, there's far too much overblown exposition, everything "seems" to do something or does something "as though" doing something else, and by god could you not change POV without war...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012, fantasy-aficionados-top-100

So here we are at the end of the Riftwar Saga, and it was a good finale. If the first (two, though they were combined into one edition that I have) in the series covered world building, and the second was a quest, this one was the war story. Aside from the battle at Sethanon itself, there was the assault on Armengar, which was actually much longer and more detailed than the final fight. Descriptively excellent, but I think perhaps the characterisation was sacrificed a little because there was so...more

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May 31, 2010 [ A ] rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, book-inventory, fantasy

A fitting end to the action begun in Silverthorn. I still consider the two Magician novels to be more of a separate but related storyline.

There were a few unexpected twists and turns in this novel, especially one near the beginning that I think would take most readers unaware!

I was rather perplexed at the name of this novel, until I hit the last 100 pages or so. What/where is Sethanon?! No mention of it in previous books, and yet it is the title of this novel. This made absolutely no sense to m...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's always sad when a trilogy of books comes to an end but this one didn't disappoint. The main protagonists came of age so to speak, we saw Arutha happy, and even Martin findly found peace and love.
What fascinates me more (making me grateful for the continuation of the world) is the development of the character Squire James (Jimmy the Hand). From a thief in the mockers guild in the first book he's risen to minor nobility and he's matured, from the looks he is a character to be watching through...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Monique rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was a fantastic end to the riftwar saga. Feist used beautiful descriptions of the chaos and the drama of the battle at Sethanon, so much that lines of his were definitely 'quotable' material. The story was full of intrigue and action.

However, there were some things in the book which annoyed me.It irritated me that every person had a fairytale ending, Feist didn't kill anyone off (much like Magician), apart from Roald, which was really not a great loss. The only thing he was unafraid of doi...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Glitterfairy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

A friend described this book to me as "epic". Agree! Great? Don't know.

Again, if you liked the previous books you'll like this one. My main critique about the series as a whole is that I don't think they were planned out well. Eddings, for all his light-fantasy-ness, does a way better job of plotting out what is going to happen when and which parts of the story are going to be revealed at strategic points. Feist threw all his ball up into the air with 'Magician' and not only fell short, but fel...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Joshua Reitano rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Joshua by: fans of fantasy fiction

The last book in the much heralded Rift War saga.

What works: Bringing back Pug and Tomas as main characters. These were the two principals in the first two books in the series (by far the two best books in the series). In book 3 they both faded to the background and the story suffered because of it. Kudos to Feist for bringing them back to the forefront.

Feist also does a nice job of tying the storyline of the last two books to the drama of the first two novels. In book 3 it seemed like two compl...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2012, 5-stars, adventure, own, portuguese-books

Foi com muito entusiasmo que comecei este livro, o quarto e último da saga do Mago.
A história continua com a luta de Arutha contra Murmundamos, que no livro anterior tinha ficado em aberto. Todo o enredo desta batalha é surpreendente, detalhado e com muitas surpresas à mistura. Arutha continua com um papel importantíssimo e destacado ao longo do livro, o que faz com que seja impossível não gostar dele.
Mas para mim, o grande destaque neste livro são três personagens extraordinárias, Pug, Tomas...more Foi com muito entusiasmo que comecei este livro, o quarto e último da saga do Mago.
A história continua com a luta de Arutha contra Murmundamos, que no livro anterior tinha ficado em aberto. Todo o enredo desta batalha é surpreendente, detalhado e com muitas surpresas à mistura. Arutha continua com um papel importantíssimo e destacado ao longo do livro, o que faz com que seja impossível não gostar dele.
Mas para mim, o grande destaque neste livro são três personagens extraordinárias, Pug, Tomas e Macros. É finalmente neste livro que desvendamos a verdade sobre o grande Feiticeiro Macros, o seu papel na guerra contra os Tsurani, a história por detrás da sua misteriosa ilha, e o porquê das manipulações que fez a algumas personagens. Tomas ganha também muita importância, e ao longo do livro conseguimos ver o quão forte ele é, e tendo ele lutado contra a sua natureza, anteriormente, é esta que se revela tão decisiva para grandes acontecimentos. Pug mais uma vez consegue superar-se enquanto mago, continuando a aprender, adquirir novos conhecimentos e poderes que ele próprio desconhecia.
As passagens com estas três personagens estão verdadeiramente boas e são talvez umas das minhas partes favoritas de toda a saga.
Esperava, no entanto, um papel mais activo por parte de Jimmy uma vez que ganhou tanto relevo no livro anterior. Contudo Feist deixa-nos, em aberto, uma surpresa no final relacionada com esta personagem, e que fico com curiosidade de ver qual o seu resultado.
Desde o primeiro livro que ficaram diversas questões no ar e que o autor nunca nos desvendou, mas neste encontramos as suas respostas, ou quase todas que foram surgindo ao longo dos 4 livros. A escrita de Feist é extremamente agradável e faz-nos querer continuar a ler. O mundo que criou é magnifico e mesmo sendo este livro o final desta saga, existe muito “pano para mangas” para se poder desenvolver. “As Trevas de Sethanon” consegue-nos agarrar do principio ao fim, surpreendendo-nos pelas mais diversas razões com muitos pormenores ao longo da história, que o autor deixou para o fim. O livro conseguiu superar totalmente as minhas expectativas.
Resumidamente, “O Mago” é uma óptima saga do género fantástico que recomendo a toda a gente que seja fã deste tipo de literatura. O primeiro livro é o mais fraco mas igualmente bom, a partir desse a história torna-se cada vez mais interessante e merece uma excelente classificação. (less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Hayley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My least favourite out of the trilogy. I felt that it took me a long time to get into and didn't grip me in the same way that the previous two did. I liked the plot twist of Arutha not actually dying but at the same time thought that it was very obvious and did not like having to wait for the characters to work out something that was clear to me straight away. I was really glad that Pug and Tomas played a more important part and these were probably my favourite parts of the novel. I also liked t...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Melissa Bennett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved the first 3 books in the series and was looking forward to see how it all ended. I was not too impressed. This book wasn't a bad book but it wasn't a great book either. Maybe I expected too much from it. The part that bothered me the most was the parts with Pug & Tomas in them. I usually loved reading about these two characters but in this book it seemed too forced. Any time anything serious happened either Pug or Tomas could just magically fix it. There was no explaining and not a l...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-a-series, fantasy-science-fiction

I enjoyed this conclusion quite a bit! All of my favorite characters from the series were present and the plot took one exciting turn after another! Truly wonderful! It was a lot of fun to read, but I must admit that there was a plethora of minor editing errors, typos mainly. I was quite shocked. I know that new editions have been released since this 1994 edition of mine, so I do hope that they were corrected! Other than that, a fun read - I hope these wonderful characters continue to appear in...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-fathers surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 19...more

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Books by Raymond E. Feist

Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga, #1)

Daughter of the Empire (The Empire Trilogy, #1)

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“I know you'll think this odd, but I find it strangely exhilarating not knowing what's coming next.” — 6 people liked it

“Your destiny is now your own to forge as best as you may.” — 3 people liked it

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A Darkness at Sethanon (The Riftwar Saga #4)

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