MAGICIAN: APPRENTICE (in the U.S. market) is the first book of Feist's THE RIFTWAR SAGA. The tales revolve around a young magician named Pug who comes of age during the first novel. Much like countless other fantasy stories, the protagonist came from very humble beginnings, but later became the most powerful magician of the realm. Pug went from mere kitchen boy to an apprentice magician in this book.

After a heroic act (saving the life of the beautiful Princess Carline), Pug gets awarded with the position of squire in the Duke's court. As Pug's life shifts into the world of politics, so did the story. Conquerers from another world invade the kingdom via a rift in space, and the Duke must set out with a small band to enlist the aid of his brother, the king. The mad king leaves the duke hanging, and war erupts between the Midkemians (the good guys) and the Tsurani (the bad/invader guys).

The storytelling in THE RIFTWAR SAGA is darker and more fast-paced when compared to its more popular predecessors (THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA by C.S. Lewis), which makes it suited for adult readers. There's a lot of story to tell in just the four short books of the saga, so some character development does get sacrificed along the way. Despite that, this saga is still an entertaining read, and I highly recommend it to any fantasy lover. The first book ends with a chilling cliffhanger, reminscent of the movie, STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. If you get all the way to the end, chances are you'll quickly go pick up the sequel, MAGICIAN: MASTER (both books published together as MAGICIAN in the U.K.).