This was the first Raymond Feist book I had read and even though I wasn't entirely familiar with the world of Midkemia and some of the secondary characters that were in this novel that were originally in previous series I was very pleased with this novel.

Talon of the Silver Hawk is the first book in the Convlave of Shadows trilogy which fits into the mystical world of Midkemia. The main character, Tal is all that remains of his village after it was razed during his spiritual coming of age. Orphaned and angry Tal vows to avenge his fallen people and begins on his quest.
Along the way he encounters the Conclave of Shadows, a carry-over of characters from the end of the previous series of books, who are magic users and warriors. They train Tal and set him on the right path to getting the retribution he wants.
Throughout the book we see Tal grow up and become a fearless warrior, intelligent and world smart. Feist also uses this story to continue world-building of Midkemia, particularly the western hemisphere topography and politcal structure.
Overall this book is a good starting point for the trilogy, spending just enough time on creating likable and sympathetic characters and creating a well thought out background to base the other two books on. I recommend this book, even if you haven't read other Feist books as it is a strong enough trilogy to stand alone, but it is best to start at the beginning with Feist and read the previous series to fully appreciate how he ties it all together.
4/5 stars for being the book that introduced me to Feist and being so damn good.