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Magician (Riftwar Cycle)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 21,618 ratings · 469 reviews

At Crydee, a frontier outpost in the tranquil Kingdom of the Isles, an orphan boy, Pug, is apprenticed to a master magician—and the destinies of two worlds are changed forever.

Suddenly the peace of the Kingdom is destroyed as mysterious alien invaders swarm the land. Pug is swept up into the conflict but for him and his warrior friend, Tomas, an odyssey into the unknown ha...more

Paperback, Revised edition, 694 pages

Published 2009 by HarperCollins (first published October 1982)

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Magician
by Raymond E. Feist

Release date: Apr 25, 2013

War is coming from another world...

My name is Pug. I was once an orphaned kitchen boy, with no family and no prospects, but I am destined to become a…more

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Jan 24, 2013 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-friend-told-me-to, npr-told-me-to

Lord of the Rings written for Middle Schoolers, but with aliens.

I was looking for something easy to pick up and put down, something story driven that wouldn't be too much of a mental commitment; in that way, this book was perfect.

However it felt very... done. I suppose all fantasy books have the misfortune of being compared to Lord of the Rings (the only fantasy series I've ever devoted myself to), and this one is no different. The elves, the dwarves, and goblins. There's a bit of political dra...more

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May 28, 2012 Star rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

There is one book on my bookshelf that truly stands out from the rest, in my eyes. My dog-eared, torn and dirtied copy of Magician opens to the first page with a scrawl of faded pencil, written in the cursive writing I had tried to adopt at age 13, "Magician will forever hold a place in my heart that no other book manages to puncture."

To this day, I hold to that scrawl, it still has a place in my heart and remains free of punctures. I grew up with Magician by my bedside. My father would read it...more

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May 10, 2012 Ben Richardson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Raymond Feist brings together a world so alive, so compelling, and with such depth that the reader feels that they are there joining the well developed characters. In "Magician", the first novel written of the world of Midkemia, Feist first introduces the reader to Pug of Crydee, then follows him through his journey (spanning two worlds) of becoming a great magician. Then to Tomas of Crydee, the keep cooks son who rises to become a great warrior posessed by the spirit of the long since dead Drag...more Raymond Feist brings together a world so alive, so compelling, and with such depth that the reader feels that they are there joining the well developed characters. In "Magician", the first novel written of the world of Midkemia, Feist first introduces the reader to Pug of Crydee, then follows him through his journey (spanning two worlds) of becoming a great magician. Then to Tomas of Crydee, the keep cooks son who rises to become a great warrior posessed by the spirit of the long since dead Dragon Lord Ashen Shugar, and to become the war leader of Elvander and marry the elf Queen. The reader is also introduced to the brothers Lyam and Arutha, sons of Prince Borric, Duke of Crydee, of the royal blood. These brothers rise to the to thrones of the Kingdom of Isles. These and many other characters are introduced to the reader in a way that keeps you in suspense of what they will do, but in the end are shown to be completely developed characters with whom the reader can identify with and come to know as though they had grown up with them. The reader is able to identify many feelings toward these characters, such as the feelings of happyness and sorrow both when Pug (an orphan boy) is informed, apon Borric's death bed, that Borric had given Pug the name conDoin, adopting him into the royal family. The world it self is equally well developed. The reader is given a glimps of a richly developed history. The cities and country side seem equally real due to Feist's discriptive detail which describes a rich tapestry of vistas, sounds, smells, and feeling, as well as Midkemia's many races.
This is a great work of high fantasy,author Raymond E Feist succeeds in this story in bringing to fascinating life not one, but two worlds. I loved the world of Midkemia with its forgotten history of potent magic, and the world of Kelewan with its oriental flavor. Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and highly entertaining read. If you are interested in fantasy literature, then I must say that you have to read this book!(less)

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Dec 26, 2007 Shivesh rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy readers

Shelves: fantastical

Good story, but filled with fantasy cliches. Feist wrote this back in the early 80's so he should know better - Tolkien, Norton, Moorcock and others tread this ground before.

Admittedly though, it is a hell of a pageturner even though the characters are badly drawn and the narrative is wacky as it speeds through years of development in a single paragraph. The love and romance is painful to read, skip over them.

Considering that Feist stumbled upon a unique and admirable new fantasy conceit in thes...more

13 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2011 Kerry marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I enjoyed rereading this at first; it's a very easy read and a nice story. Unfortunately, I got around half way through and just stopped being interested. I've got so many other things to read that I decided to consider it DNF.

Fantasy Book Club Series is reading this in two halves over February and March. I don't really need to start something else, but I'd kind of like to reread this, so I've pulled it off the shelf downstairs and we'll see if I can fit it in. At least I only have to manage hal...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favourites

Pug and Tomas are apprentices, with dreams of glory, imagining themselves heroes, but they are just boys of the keep with only modest prospects. But then one day a mysterious and alien ship is shipwrecked off the coast of Crydee. This is the first sign of an invading army from another world seeking to conquer the Kingdom of Isles, and suddenly the world will never be the same again. Pug and Tomas find that they are propelled by fate towards greater things, all they have to do is survive& [re...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Maurizio Vicedomini rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Da: http://www.mauriziovicedomini.helioho...

Dopo la recente rilettura di questo libro, mi sono accorto di come il mio parere su questo volume sia cambiato. Nel 2003, quando comprai il Signore della Magia, feci quasi fatica a finirlo, trovandolo pesante sia dal punto di vista stilistico che per quanto riguarda la trama.
A otto anni di distanza tuttavia, mi trovo a ricredermi del tutto su questo libro in ogni suo aspetto.

Premetto che questo è il primo volume di una trilogia, la Riftwar (la guerra d...more

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May 13, 2013 Colin Yeung rated it 5 of 5 stars

Original Release: Magician

New Release:
Magician – Apprentice
Magician – Master

Why split the 2 books?

I’m intrigued. I’ve recently purchased the revised 10th anniversary edition of this masterpiece, Magician one of the original books that got me interested in the whole genre of Sci-Fi Fantasy and Adventure. Splitting the 2 books may make it easier to tote around, but also increases the coffers of the publisher. I’m not convinced.

Getting to the books themselves, (Apprentice & Master) they have a...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 2 of 5 stars

Magician, no original e colocado na 89ª posição na lista da BBC (Big Read Top 100), é uma obra editada em 1982 e tida, pelos entendidos do género, uma obra-prima, considerado por muitos como o melhor livro de sempre do género fantástico, melhor até que o famoso “Senhor dos Anéis”.

Pertencente à Saga “Riftwar” (no original), a editora Saída de Emergência publica agora, conforme edição norte-americana, o primeiro volume desta saga dividindo-o em dois volumes. Após o “Aprendiz”, a sua continuação se...more Magician, no original e colocado na 89ª posição na lista da BBC (Big Read Top 100), é uma obra editada em 1982 e tida, pelos entendidos do género, uma obra-prima, considerado por muitos como o melhor livro de sempre do género fantástico, melhor até que o famoso “Senhor dos Anéis”.

Pertencente à Saga “Riftwar” (no original), a editora Saída de Emergência publica agora, conforme edição norte-americana, o primeiro volume desta saga dividindo-o em dois volumes. Após o “Aprendiz”, a sua continuação será o “Mestre”.

Mas vamos à sinopse:

Em Crydee, uma cidade fronteiriça do reino das Ilhas, Pug, um rapaz franzino, órfão, é escolhido para aprendiz do misterioso Mago Kulkan. Desta aprendizagem, Pug acaba por tirar alguns dividendos que lhe permitem uma aproximação da Casa do Duque e à sua família. Estranhos acontecimentos vêm abalar a tranquilidade da cidade e Pug vê a sua pacata vida alterada quando empreende, com o seu amigo Tomas, o Mago Kulgan e outros personagens, uma viagem pelo reino ficando então sujeito às mais variadas magias e aos mais variados perigos.

De todo não é um género que aprecie, no entanto ao ler que se tratava de “um épico de intriga e acção” e “a obra-prima da Fantasia”, confesso que fiquei com curiosidade acerca do livro e tentado a efectuar uma leitura atenta do mesmo.

Em rigor não posso afirmar que adorei ou que me apaixonou, porém e embora possua alguns aspectos que não me agradaram, houve também outros que me proporcionaram momentos de puro deleite literário e que estou em crer agradará sobremaneira aos amantes do género fantástico.

Agradou-me a qualidade de escrita (aproveito para realçar a excelente tradução de Cristina Correia) e a forma quase poética com que o escritor nos brinda. Denotando por vezes alguma ingenuidade nos diálogos, as descrições dos cenários assim como o mundo criado são muito bem arquitectados e coerentes. Pese embora os acontecimentos de pura orgia mágica, o que sublinho são os pormenores que nos transportam para um Romance Histórico, levando-nos a cenários que poderíamos localizar em plena época medieval num qualquer país europeu. Os principais personagens são humanos perfeitamente normais, com virtudes e defeitos, que sonham, amam, sofrem, enfim, que têm sentimentos e medos como qualquer comum mortal.

E sendo isso algo que me agradou, admito que é precisamente esse factor que pode aborrecer os amantes do género que de certo esperam mais magia. Ou seja, o autor ao criar um mundo semelhante ao nosso, colocando humanos nos principais papéis, faz com que a magia e o que a ela é inerente tenham um papel mais de excepção e não de regra. O livro tem Elfos, Anões, Dragões e Duendes assim como outros estranhos seres, tudo envolto em boas doses de magia, contudo por si só não é suficiente para impedir um ritmo fraco, com poucos motivos de interesse, embora o ritmo aumente consideravelmente a partir de metade.

Algo que não gostei foi a enorme semelhança com alguns pormenores do “Senhor dos Anéis”. Obviamente que Tolkien deve ter servido de inspiração para Feist (como sucede com 99% dos escritores do género), mas achei a viagem muito forçada e até alguns elementos que a compõem são perfeitamente identificáveis com alguns personagens do Senhor dos Anéis, inclusivamente nem falta a presença do Anão na comitiva.

Em todo o caso deixo para os apreciadores do género uma melhor opinião e uma análise mais entendida de um género que, de facto, não me convence.(less)

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Dec 25, 2012 Farbijan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, epic-fantasy

For me, this is an epic fantasy classic. I first read it when I was about 15 and recently picked up the newest edition (with some small extended parts which didn't "make the cut" in the original version, especially concerning the theoretical aspects of magic) as an ebook. I was a little afraid it wouldn't hold up as well to re-reading, but I shouldn't have worried.

Yeah, lots of it has been done before in some form or way, be it the coming-of-age story of two boys that starts the main storyline o...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the books which starts with the classic case of 2 peasant boys who experience their own respective adventures to ultimately become something. However, each of these story lines is sufficiently complicated and creative that under no circumstances do you understand where the story is going. When events get concluded, it happens so abruptly that one is taken completely off guard, and yet, given that the ending makes sense, it is quite satisfactory to read.

While the story of Pug and T...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Now this is what fantasy is made of. It has many of the usual fantasy elements and then some twists to give it a unique - I might even say Michael Moorcock like quality. There's soap-like drama thrown in for good measure too. It's the first book in a series of 3 novels and in my opinion it is the best of them and can be read as a standalone novel. The series consists of:
Magician
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon

Plot ***Spoilers***
Magician
In the twelfth year of the reign of Rodric the Fourth, an o...more

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May 28, 2011 Jessamay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I loved the whole idea - the clash of two fantasy worlds. And I LOVED Tsuranuanni, it's just a fascinating place - no metal, Ancient Chinese culture, giant ants...anyway, it's all good stuff.

But what I loved most, was watching something happen to Feist that it seems like he didn't entirely plan. I dunno, I could be totally wrong. Maybe he planned from the start to have Arutha kind of monopolise the story and make his other two main characters look...fairly boring. Okay, Pug wasn't boring, but he...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Aidan Walters rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

One of the best novels ever to be released? In a word yes.

Magician remains the greatest stand alone fantasy novel ever to be published despite being a quarter of a century old. Truly epic in scale the novels main focus is the story of Pug, from his humble beginnings as orphaned kitchen boy, to his apprentice and mastery of the magic arts. So far so normal, as far as fantasy novels go. What sets this novel apart is the sheer scale of the thing, it is set over 25 years for a start. Also it is set...more One of the best novels ever to be released? In a word yes.

Magician remains the greatest stand alone fantasy novel ever to be published despite being a quarter of a century old. Truly epic in scale the novels main focus is the story of Pug, from his humble beginnings as orphaned kitchen boy, to his apprentice and mastery of the magic arts. So far so normal, as far as fantasy novels go. What sets this novel apart is the sheer scale of the thing, it is set over 25 years for a start. Also it is set over two worlds, Midkemia; your typical western medieval based fantasy world, and Kelewan: An eastern based world.

The sheer volume of side stories that enrich the novel and in no way detract from the main stories of the Riftwar and Pug's journey make this work special. Some of them of the top of my head; Tomas' metamorphosis into a dragon lord, the seige of Crydee, the madness of the King, possible civil war approaching, the treachery of Black Guy, martial law in Krondor, Arutha's trip to Krondor, Princess Anita and the Mockers, the romance between Princess Carline and Pug, the romance between Princess Carline and Roland, the romance between Anita and Arutha, the migration north of the Dark Elves, the effect of the invasion on the dwarven peoples, the effect of the invasion on the Elven people, Kesh taking advantage of a weak Kingdom, the great game of the Tsurani, the introduction of cavalry to the Tsurani, the Assemblies politics, the Emperor of Tsurani and his policies, the parentage of Martin and more.

The characters stand out as well. From Macros the Black, surely the most iconic mysterious magician since Merlin. To Father Tully, the priest who teaches Pug to read and write the secondary characters are both memorable and fully fleshed. The plot is also fantastic, although it spans years and multiple worlds it never feels rushed and all of the various side plots add to the main story, the invasion of the Kingdom of the Isles.

Any review should touch on the negatives of a novels as well. Feist is not the best technical writer in the world, his prose can be a little flat and he overuses some words. Frankly however this is one of the best novels ever published, its a pity that Feist has never written another book even half as good.(less)

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

Shelves: 2011, fantasy

Love it! I've been waiting a long time to revisit Midkemia and Kelewan because there are just so many books in this series, and once you start, you just have to read them all.

Magician really is sweeping in its scope, both in years and distance as well as sheer inventiveness. The characters are not deeply drawn and the dialogue can sometimes be a bit cheesy, but the story is always gripping, there are no bits where you skip or go "bored now".

I first read the Riftwar Saga in 1987 as a 16 year old...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Majanka rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy

There is not much that can be said about Magician. It is, in all fairness, a masterpiece, a work of high-standing literature that casts a new light on fantasy novels in general. If there was ever a worthy successor of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, than it is without a doubt Feist’s Riftwar Series. Magician was the very first adult fantasy novel I ever bought, approximately eight years ago, and I was hooked right away. No matter how many times I reread this amazing adventure, it can still keep me...more There is not much that can be said about Magician. It is, in all fairness, a masterpiece, a work of high-standing literature that casts a new light on fantasy novels in general. If there was ever a worthy successor of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, than it is without a doubt Feist’s Riftwar Series. Magician was the very first adult fantasy novel I ever bought, approximately eight years ago, and I was hooked right away. No matter how many times I reread this amazing adventure, it can still keep me glued to my seat. The characters have bright, sparkling personalities; the plot is imaginative, fresh and innovating; the battles are epic both in proportions (so we have the normal country fights country stuff, but this book has planet fights planet!) as in outcome. For anyone who wants to start reading fantasy novels, this book is your best bet. If you don’t love the genre after this, you will never love it.

Feist provides us with a large cast of characters, each with their own personality treats and issues. Pug, one of the two main characters, starts of by being a real “nobody” until he earns a spot as apprentice for the local magician, Kulgan, and even then he’s not much of a somebody yet. The other main character, Tomas, who happens to be Pug’s best friend, is nothing more than a swordsman apprentice either. The growth of these characters, from young boys with girl troubles who occasionally get into a fight, to young adults with the future of the world on their shoulders, is amazing. But not only are the main characters well-developed, you can really see how much an author loves his novels, when he also has nicely developed supporting characters, in this case, the beautiful but egocentric and stubborn princess Carlina, the silent but intelligent and trustworthy prince Arutha, the mysterious but friendly and courageous hunter Martin, and many, many more. When you find yourself suddenly not only liking Pug and Tomas, but actually feeling for all these supporting characters too, you know Feist has got you hooked and coming back from more.

Although the plot has enough twists and turns to keep you occupied for a while, it comes clear throughout the novel that Feist is setting up the stage for something more. He is continuously introducing his readers to new places, ranging from the marvellous Elven city, to the greatness that is the empire of Kelewan, places that return occasisionally in the other novels in these series, as is he introducing new characters, who will often return later on too. Once you no longer see Magician as a stand-alone novel, but as a part in a larger series, you can truelly appreciate it for the masterpiece it is. When reading it though, keep in mind that Magician was originally written more than twenty years ago, and some things that may seem unoriginal now (like, for instance, Feist uses the generic fantasy races dwarves, elves, gnomes, etc.) were actually quite innovative in the day. And even if it has already been done about a hundred times by now, take it from me: there is something about Feist’s dwarves and elves that makes them very appealing, and makes you come back for more.

The only small critique I have on what is still one of my favourite fantasy novels up to date, is the lack of female characters. We have princess Carlina, and a brief appearance of princess Anita later on the novel, but that’s it. It’s like Midkemia’s population exists out of 90% males and only 10% females. That, or a more logical interpretation is that Feist simply does not like to write about women, or develop fitting personalities for them, or that he just finds it easier writing about male characters. Whatever the reason may be, it does get a bit annoying, not especially in this book, but more so in the later parts of the series. Also, the few women characters that Feist does include, tend to have largely the same personality, which is even more annoying. That aside, Magician is still one of the best fantasy novels ever written, and if you haven’t read this novel, you simply cannot call yourself a true fantasy fan. Personally, it wasn’t Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings that hooked me to the genre, but it was Feist’s well-crafted, imaginative, enthralling novel Magician.(less)

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Sep 18, 2010 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars

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

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May 14, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was one of those must read fantasy books from my youth, and there was a really good reason for this, it was a rollicking good adventure story that was self contained. It was also the first book in the Riftwar Saga, a trilogy then went on to spawn a lot more books set in the same multiverse. Now, it is a very long time since I read this book so the exact details are still quite vague, and despite the fact that it was a must read book, it is still unlikely to return to my list of books that...more This was one of those must read fantasy books from my youth, and there was a really good reason for this, it was a rollicking good adventure story that was self contained. It was also the first book in the Riftwar Saga, a trilogy then went on to spawn a lot more books set in the same multiverse. Now, it is a very long time since I read this book so the exact details are still quite vague, and despite the fact that it was a must read book, it is still unlikely to return to my list of books that I seek to reread. The main reason for this is because despite it being a good story, it is not strictly literature.
Look, the reason I shift it away from the category of literature is because it is more or less a duplicate of Lord of the Rings. Okay, it is not like Lord of the Rings, but it is a book that really doesn't take any new direction that had been set by Lord of the Rings. Back in my youth I really enjoyed fantasy novels, however I must admit that I never actually read any fantasy novels that I could get my hands on, but rather books that were generally recommended to my by others (which is probably why a certain friend seems to think that he has the right to simply force any book he likes onto me, and to be honest with you, the fact that he shoves books into my bag behind my back I find a little, not so much offensive, but pushy). Look, granted he likes the writings of Feist, and Gemmel, and other fantasy writers, but as I have said and will continue to say, it is not literature.
I have recently started reading Troilus and Crysede by Chaucer, and while it is not the easiest book to read, reading it gives me a joy that not many other books do. In a way many of the modern books that are forced upon me I have a lot of doubt that they will really last. Granted, Magician is still in print and still available in a lot of book stores, and as I said, it is not a bad book, but it is only thirty years old. Frankenstein is over 200 years old, and Gulliver's Travels is over 300 years old. Truth be told, not every book that was written and published in those days have remained. Many of them are out of print. To me, a 30 year lifespan is nothing compare to other works out there.
Consider this aspect of the book, it is about a young man from a town at the far edge of civilisation who stumbles upon an alien ship that has washed up on the shores of the village. After investigating the ship they discover that it is unlike anything ever seen in this world previously. As such they decide that the best thing to do is to travel to the capital city to warn the king of this invasion force. Thus they set out on an ambitious journey to the heart of the kingdom. In the end that is all that I can remember of the book, but that is probably a good thing because it encourages you, if you haven't read it, to pick it up and give it a go.
Once again I have written a review without actually looking at any of the other reviews, or the description of the book, and in a way have only relied on my memory of a book that was read almost twenty-five years ago. While I will not necessarily knock my memory since there is still a lot of things in there that I can remember, in many other cases I do need a little prodding. Actually my layman's belief on memory is that we actually remember everything we see and do though we generally cannot readily pull it out at will (as I have discovered at quiz nights). As for evidence I will simply point to the saying 'it is just like riding a bike' which suggests that once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget it, even if you haven't ridden a bike (like me) for over fifteen years.
Anyway, I should get onto Magician. There is a comment that was made that Feist introduced a radical change in the style of writing fantasy by introducing two interconnected but distinct worlds, one being a Tolkeinesque fantasy world, and the other being an oriental world. While it may be true that Feist used two distinct worlds in his novel, I would hardly call it new or unique. Firstly other writers had already done this, and I vaguely remember something in Michael Moorcock's novels. Further, it is something that is very evident in our own world. While we do not have a Tolkeinesque fantasy world, we do live in a world with many different and distinct cultures. For instance, trade with China had existed for a very long time, and there are rumours of a Roman legion actually having made the trek (though it was only one way). We also have evidence (though the authenticity of it is debatable) of the Egyptians reaching the east coast of Australia. To me, bringing two distinct fantasy worlds does not necessarily mean that it is a new style of writing, or a new way of writing fantasy literature, but simply just a new direction of a well used formula.
Magician begins on the outer edges of the kingdom in a Duchy of Crydee. In fact a lot of the action occurs here, and it is not until you are a third of the way into the book that their quest actually begins. The story evolves around two boys, Pug, who goes on to became the magician of the title, and Thomas who goes on to become the incarnation of a dragon warrior. Pug and Thomas stumble upon the ship previously mentioned, and then soon discover that their world is being invaded. So, after rescuing the duke's daughter, they all decide that they must travel to the King to warn him of the invasion. In the journey they are attacked by dark elves, and are also forced to flee under the mountains and make their way through a dwarven mine (gee, does that sound familiar?). The second part of the book occurs after they have reached the king, but a lot takes place on the second world, after Pug is captured and taken back as a slave. However, being the hero of the story, it is soon discovered that his is a magician, but being on this alternate world, he learns their magic, and thus when he returns, he far more knowledgeable than many of the other magicians on his world.
I have noticed that with many of the fantasy novels that I have read, they all seem to begin in a small village with the main characters being peasants, who end up becoming powerful movers and shakers of the world, or simply being the key to a prophecy. The other method that is regularly used is an Earthling who is taken by magic to a fantasy world where the Earthling must learn about this new world and then fulfil the destiny set aside for the Earthling. The first method was pretty much how Tolkien introduced his readers to his fantasy world, and it is probably a very useful method of helping readers understand and experience the world that the writer has created. This is probably a necessary method for modern fantasy as most readers will not be familiar with the world that has been created by the writer, and in a way, how could they. Unlike the ancient epic poems, or plays, where the background and the plot were well known to the audience, modern fantasy has to assume that the reader knows nothing, and must proceed upon that base. While it is a well worn method, it is difficult to see how any other method could be successful.(less)

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Apr 01, 2013 Joaquin Garza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, llegué a este libro por recomendación de la lista de lecturas de 'El Libro Peligroso para los Chicos' de Conn Iggulden. Aquí el autor calificaba a Magician como 'una de las mejores novelas de fantasía que se han escrito'.

Es increíblemente fácil decir eso de cualquier novela del género que nos guste. Y decir 'una de las mejores' es una afirmación que para mí, es insostenible, pero eso no quita al final que nos estemos enfrentando a una novela bastante por arriba del promedio. De hecho, mi ca...more Wow, llegué a este libro por recomendación de la lista de lecturas de 'El Libro Peligroso para los Chicos' de Conn Iggulden. Aquí el autor calificaba a Magician como 'una de las mejores novelas de fantasía que se han escrito'.

Es increíblemente fácil decir eso de cualquier novela del género que nos guste. Y decir 'una de las mejores' es una afirmación que para mí, es insostenible, pero eso no quita al final que nos estemos enfrentando a una novela bastante por arriba del promedio. De hecho, mi calificación final podría ser entre: 'competente muy por encima del promedio' y 'a punto de ser considerada verdaderamente maravillosa'.

No es una novela que empiece bien. Al principio la trama parece color de rosa. Todo es miel sobre hojuelas para Pug, nuestro ubicuo y bucólico protagonista destinado a una vida de hazañas y grandeza. A veces parece que la corte del Duque Borric está sacada de un cuento de Disney. Todo es alegría, todo sale bien. Hay un romance adolescente y peleas de muchachos que se resuelven con una noche de farra. Todo muy bonito.

La historia despega mucho cuando comienzan los indicios de la [spoilers] invasión de los Tsurani. Y aquí nos encontramos con un conflicto de proporciones épicas entre el mundo medievalesco, Tolkieniano, y el mundo exótico y oriental. Más de una decena de novelas de Feist han explorado estos mundos apenas esbozados en Magician pero de potente evocación. Las guerras del Caos, el misterioso Enemigo, la historia de Kelewan, el papel de Macros, las intrigas en el Consejo de Lords, todos son elementos expansivos y grandes que prometen muchos libros de qué hablar.

De lo mejor del libro son las grandes batallas y los hechos de armas, y el crecimiento de Pug a través de su [spoiler] cautiverio y educación en Kelewan están bien trabajados.

Ahora los puntos menos:
- El pacing de la trama es bastante atropellado. Hay capítulos que brincan años en tres oraciones y otros donde se cuentan hechos de unos cuantos días al detalle extremo.
- El final es anticlimático. Hubiera esperado un cliffhanger que llevara a las siguientes novelas de la trilogía, pero me entero de que éstas tratan de una historia aparte y uno puede leer Magician y ya.
- El pasaje de [spoilers] atravesar una mina y encontrarse un wraith es imperdonable. Es una falla inconcebible para esta novela.
- Entre un tercio y 40% del libro es desde la perspectiva de Arutha. ¿Por qué no llamar entonces a las dos partes 'Pug, Tomas y Arutha' y 'Milamber, el Valheru y el Príncipe'? Creo que se habla mucho más de las hazañas de Arutha que de las del a veces molesto Tomas.

¿Con qué nos quedamos de esta novela?
Aunque no es, ni de lejos, una de las 'mejores novelas de fantasía jamás escritas', sí es un esfuerzo considerable y una historia que se disfruta y que mantiene al lector enganchado durante sus aproximadamente 800 páginas. La relevancia de Magician para el género quizá se ha visto empañada porque la década siguiente a su publicación nos dio novelas como Harry Potter y Juego de Tronos. Si uno va a leer Magician, que sea antes de estos dos.(less)

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Feb 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the author's edition of this classic work of Sci-Fi. But I should say up front that I have not read the edited version of this work, and that it may actually lack some of the indulgence that this one does contain from time to time. That said, this is an amazing work, a real epic saga covering two worlds and countless characters, and, for me, maintaining my interest with a sense of awe at the ambition of it all as I read. I wonder if I would have been so gob-smacked by the scope of this n...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Judith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This book was one of my favourites seven years ago. I recently re-read it in english instead of dutch, and I was again immediately swept away to the two worlds that Feist describes in Magician. To this day it is still one of the most enjoyable fantasy novels I've read.
My fascination for samurai-like cultures was satisfied by the war-loving Tsuranni, and the charming, somewhat medieval world of Midkemia reminded me of the many online post-by-post RPGs I used to partake in when I was 14.
This boo...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Sarah Sammis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: released, read-in-2004

Reading Magician took a lot out of me. I could only read it in 50 page bursts. There are so many threads to the plot that are woven, unraveled and rewoven together. For all of its details, descriptions, characters and plot developments, many of the most interesting threads I fear are left dangling. Book 1 held my attention better than Book 2. By about page 400 I was ready for the book to be over but I felt I had enough invested in it to finish.

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Jan 22, 2013 JL Torres rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, fantasy

A swashbuckling fantasy romp that refuses to meander and be boring and seems to be in a constant hurry leaving this reader breathless in the end :) It is, as the author promised in his introduction (I read the 10th anniversary Author's Preferred Edition), definitely a 'ripping yarn'.

*SPOILER ALERT*

What initially piqued my interest and led me to read this book is the novel idea (well, novel for me) that 2 different worlds are about to undergo a 12 year war via a wormhole-like magically induced po...more A swashbuckling fantasy romp that refuses to meander and be boring and seems to be in a constant hurry leaving this reader breathless in the end :) It is, as the author promised in his introduction (I read the 10th anniversary Author's Preferred Edition), definitely a 'ripping yarn'.

*SPOILER ALERT*

What initially piqued my interest and led me to read this book is the novel idea (well, novel for me) that 2 different worlds are about to undergo a 12 year war via a wormhole-like magically induced portal between worlds, in a traditional fantasy setting, coupled with the coming of age stories of a magician and a warrior. Pug and Tomas are likeable characters, good natured and noble to a fault. This goes as well to the other colorful characters in the book, the memorable ones include Lyam, Arutha, Macros and Kasumi. The world building was light though you can feel an intriguing history of Midkemia spanning aeons in the conversations of characters and the magical system was not that well developed. There were some plot twists that surprised me, like Macros the Black's plan to close the rift, but like the novel's fast paced sotrytelling, the issues and tensions that developed (like Martin's claim of the throne or Kasumi's integration into the Kingdom) were resolved too easily for my taste. I also find some of the scenes meant to advance the story too forced and too obvious: like Kulgan's discovery of Pug, or the solitary picnic between Pug and Princess Caroline and the expected attack by a band of trolls and the much more expected rescue and revelation of Pug's powers, or the sudden turn about of the mad King Rodric moments before his heroic death.

Despite these flaws, its an excellent respite (for me) from the nitty gritty realism of some fantasy epics currently in the market, with its noble and likeable protagonists, it doesn't fail to be consistent and gives the story a fairy tale good feel ending. The book does raise a lot of questions for me including what other adventures Pug and Tomas will find themselves in, questions I'm raring and hoping to be answered by reading the rest of the books of the Riftwar Saga :)(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bbc-100-greatest-books

3.5*, but I've rounded up.

This is a long book. Now, I've read long books before, but with this one I was very aware of the fact that it was a long book. Sometimes I'd sit and read for an hour and not really seem to make any headway. But at the same time, every piece of this quite intricate story with its many interweaving threads and characters is absolutely necessary. Losing any one part would have had a serious impact on the story as a whole.

The impact of this can also be seen in the ending of...more

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May 20, 2013 Jenelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

This book is an epic story of two boys really. Pug and Tomas, as they grow into men in the midst of a terrible war with another world. There are about a zillion characters, aside from the main two boys, there are princesses and princes, pirates, dwarfs, and an assortment of others. At some points in there story, I felt a little lost as there were SO many characters and the plot would move away from the main two boys. While I REALLY liked some of the side characters--Jimmy the Hand and Amos Trask...more This book is an epic story of two boys really. Pug and Tomas, as they grow into men in the midst of a terrible war with another world. There are about a zillion characters, aside from the main two boys, there are princesses and princes, pirates, dwarfs, and an assortment of others. At some points in there story, I felt a little lost as there were SO many characters and the plot would move away from the main two boys. While I REALLY liked some of the side characters--Jimmy the Hand and Amos Trask especially, Tomas and Pug were the focus and I found myself annoyed at the book for taking so long to get back to them!
(view spoiler)

All in all, it was a good read and I enjoyed it. I shall certainly read more in the series. (less)

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May 24, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Magician's the first book of the three Riftwar Saga books, which the first in a number of series set in the same fantasy world. I remember friends reading the Riftwar Saga when I was in High School, but for some reason I never got around to it. In recent years, I've noticed Magician in a few "top 100" lists, so I decided to give it a go now.

I enjoyed it, and will probably read the rest of the trilogy at some stage, though Magician is a complete story in its own right so I won't be rushing out th...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Martin by: James Croucher, my Australian house mate.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Magician is the first book in Raymond E. Feist's epic story about the natives of Midkemia and the continents mysterious surroundings. It was written as Feist's first attempt to put into words the story of a young magician growing up, "breaking numerous rules of plotting along the way" and in the process creating a beloved and equally massive fantasy story spanning over several years, involving numerous characters and several continents.

I enjoyed the Magician throughout most of the book. Feis...more The Magician is the first book in Raymond E. Feist's epic story about the natives of Midkemia and the continents mysterious surroundings. It was written as Feist's first attempt to put into words the story of a young magician growing up, "breaking numerous rules of plotting along the way" and in the process creating a beloved and equally massive fantasy story spanning over several years, involving numerous characters and several continents.

I enjoyed the Magician throughout most of the book. Feist's strength is in his amazing ability to juggle the many sub-plotlines, sub-characters and background details that makes the Riftwar Saga universe what it is, all while the main, gruesome story progress straight towards an end not clear but never doubtful. I felt that I as a reader had to adapt to the Magicians broad time frame (twelve years pass through the story from beginning until end) which at first felt slightly alien but, when combined with detailed descriptions of medival logistics and the vast distances covered, soon enough felt very natural. It seems logical that tales of noble families, kingdom intrigues and epic warfare should be portrayed to a fair extent.

Where the Magicians timeline is well suited for the set age of the story, it is less so for the characters development. All of the major characters change in major ways when looking at traits in terms of rank and title, subjective understanding of their position in the world/kingdom/home, but seem to stay with their essential outline as portrayed early in the book. I felt that this caused the characters to feel very predictable and at times, a bit boring. Something one might think would be avoided with so much time spent describing their lives. And as much as I could learn to like wars fought on harsh frontiers being covered in a paragraph or two, it just is not as easy to grasp a five year gap in a main characters life with the blanks being filled in later, or even assumed.

The Magician is an extensive piece of fantasy work, complex in its progressive development yet very characteristic as would be expected of a epic fantasy story. I deem it a very good novel, well worthy of the epithet "epic"!(less)

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May 14, 2010 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: feist, recommended-reading, fantasy

Quite possibly the best fantasy book I have ever read to date. The world that Feist creates is absolutely perfect for this story (and the countless following). I was easily able to feel that Pug and Thomas were real characters and found myself anticipating each new plot turn as I was reading.
Characters aside, Magician sets up the fantasy world of Midkemia, a land of magic, warriors, peasants and kingdoms. Its been a few years since I have actually read this book so a few details a fuzzy, but I...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Michael Cairns rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-to-fantasy-read-these

This wondrous book begins as a classic tale of one boys’ ascent from average Joe, to magician extraordinaire. The entire book is underpinned by his journey and the various trials he goes through. However, where it stands head and shoulders above so many others is in the scope and depth that Feist brings to it. From the humble beginnings the world soon becomes much bigger as a raft of characters are introduced, war begins and aliens invade. The world is beautifully realised, the characters thorou...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

Oof, this was huge. Not content with a single world, Feist gave us two, Midkemia and Kelewan. Midkemia is sort of medieval European-ish, while Kelewan seems more Japanese, with a bit of Incan/Mayan thrown in. The story follows Pug and (to a lesser extent) his friend Tomas over the course of nearly a decade, as they grow up from teenagers to adulthood. A rift has opened between the two worlds, and war erupts, dragging Midkemia into a fight it really doesn't want when Kelewan invades. In the midst...more

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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)

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

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

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“Some loves come unbidden like winds from the sea, and others grow from the seeds of friendship.” — 17 people liked it

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