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Talon Of The Silver Hawk
(Conclave of Shadows #1)
by
Brand new epic fantasy from the master of the genre. A POWERFUL NEW EPIC FANTASY SERIES FROM ONE OF THE GREAT MASTERS OF THE GENRE Among the Orosini tribe, every boy must undergo the traditional manhood ritual in order to understand his place in the universe and discover his manhood name. Kielianapuna must survive on the remote mountain peak of Shatana Higo until the gods
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Mass Market Paperback, 390 pages
Published
2003
by Voyager
(first published 2002)
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Showing 1-30
Aug 12, 2018
Sotiris Karaiskos
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
high-fantasy
This is the Raymond E. Feist that I like, the author who narrates an epic story without hurrying, taking his time to put us in the right mood. This is certainly true at the beginning of the story where we meet a young man, a member of a tribe with a distinct culture, who, in the midst of a maturation ritual, is confronted with tragic events and thus devotes his life to revenge. To reach that point, however, he has to go through many stages and meet people who will make him a powerful and brillia
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I hedged between 3-4 stars for this book and it could easily been a 4.
First, I typically like stories, like here, where you have a youngling driven to accomplish some great deed whether driven by revenge, noble ideals, pursuit of power, etc. Here we deal with revenge on a grand scale (main character Talon's family and country are murdered). I like watching the development of the character as the mature both in age and abilities. Talon is adopted by members of the powerful Conclave of Shadows an ...more
First, I typically like stories, like here, where you have a youngling driven to accomplish some great deed whether driven by revenge, noble ideals, pursuit of power, etc. Here we deal with revenge on a grand scale (main character Talon's family and country are murdered). I like watching the development of the character as the mature both in age and abilities. Talon is adopted by members of the powerful Conclave of Shadows an ...more
So I was a bit disappointed in this book. It was VERY slow starting. Now, this is somewhat to be expected with the first book in a trilogy, but by VERY slow… I mean a good 85% of the book was all character development. Not even exciting character development. Nope, the protagonist was getting trained, getting laid, and having pretty much no adventures along the way. And in all of that character development, the author never managed to make me identify with or really like his protagonist. I don’t
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I wanted to like this book. Earlier this year I picked up Magician by Feist and did really enjoy reading it. This one though…
There is no characterization. Every person in this story is exactly the same, apart from their name and set of skills. The one can hunt, the other is good with a sword and then there is one that can cook. That’s it. None of them have personality whatsoever. Our main character, having lived till his 16th in a group of people with a very different culture should therefore be ...more
There is no characterization. Every person in this story is exactly the same, apart from their name and set of skills. The one can hunt, the other is good with a sword and then there is one that can cook. That’s it. None of them have personality whatsoever. Our main character, having lived till his 16th in a group of people with a very different culture should therefore be ...more
I was a fan of 'Magician' in my teens and subsequently read the remainder of 'The Riftwar Saga', but I eventually lost interest somewhere near the end of 'The Serpent War Saga' and thus ended my Feist frenzy. I don't recall exactly why I stopped reading these fantasy novels, but I think it was a combination of Fantasy fatigue combined with the ever-evolving complexity of the series, especially the political aspects which generally bore me. It simply all got too elaborate and complicated for my t
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Really 2 1/2 stars. Granted, I read this way too soon after the Kingkiller books which set a crazy high standard...but this book really under delivered.
It started off promising. None of the poetry of Rothfuss, but definitely some interesting concepts. Talon's culture, a pretty obvious analogue to Native American culture, sets up an interesting character and premise. A revenge story? I'm in. Even when Talon starts to become "trained" with logic games etc. etc., I was still pretty interested. I li ...more
It started off promising. None of the poetry of Rothfuss, but definitely some interesting concepts. Talon's culture, a pretty obvious analogue to Native American culture, sets up an interesting character and premise. A revenge story? I'm in. Even when Talon starts to become "trained" with logic games etc. etc., I was still pretty interested. I li ...more
Actual rating: 2,5
Mostly, this book just served to remind me of why I prefer modern fantasy. In my experience, older fantasy tend to focus significantly less on the individual and his/her feelings and development, instead leaning heavily on honor and often some kind of epic quest. This was the case here, and I definitely did not like it. I like my characters human and complex and, most importantly, I want to be by their side every step of the way and feel with them as they grow and change.
"Talo ...more
Mostly, this book just served to remind me of why I prefer modern fantasy. In my experience, older fantasy tend to focus significantly less on the individual and his/her feelings and development, instead leaning heavily on honor and often some kind of epic quest. This was the case here, and I definitely did not like it. I like my characters human and complex and, most importantly, I want to be by their side every step of the way and feel with them as they grow and change.
"Talo ...more
Recommended to me Dave as "possibly the best Feist ever". Starts out with a tribal kid out on his day of naming, basically where he becomes a man. He thinks about all his loving family members, great life growing up, and he's up on a mountain all alone. By page 3, I knew his village was going to be wiped out by murdering, cruel thugs of some kind, and hey! page 8 he sees smoke and circling carrion birds in the distance. Of course, you don't read Feist if you want an original Fantasy story, and h
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DNF at 45%. Just impossible to get through. Incredibly dull.
Raymond Feist hayli zamandır tanışmak istediğim bir yazardı, bu kitabını alalı uzun zaman olmuştu ve nihayet okuyabildim.
Kitap okumak bir yerden sonra bağışıklığa sebep oluyor, özellikle de aynı türden kitaplar okuyorsanız, bir süre sonra şaşırmıyorsunuz ve hiçbir şey size farklı gelmiyor. Polisiyede de böyle olunca pek okumaz olmuştum, aynı şey fantastik kurgu için de geçerli olacak diye korkuyorum. Gümüş Şahinin Pençesi fena bir roman olmasa da beni şaşırtan ya da ilgimi çeken bir tarafı olm ...more
Kitap okumak bir yerden sonra bağışıklığa sebep oluyor, özellikle de aynı türden kitaplar okuyorsanız, bir süre sonra şaşırmıyorsunuz ve hiçbir şey size farklı gelmiyor. Polisiyede de böyle olunca pek okumaz olmuştum, aynı şey fantastik kurgu için de geçerli olacak diye korkuyorum. Gümüş Şahinin Pençesi fena bir roman olmasa da beni şaşırtan ya da ilgimi çeken bir tarafı olm ...more
I'm a Feist fan. I have been for a long time. Not because I think he is a brilliant writer, or because his stories are particularly original. He isn't and they aren't. I'm a fan because he has a laundry list of publications, all in the same world, all interconnected. I've only had to deal with completely unfamiliar territory once or twice in what - fifteen books? And there is something to be said for familiarity. Sometimes I just want to read a generic fantasy novel, and Feist scratches that itc
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As an establishing book for a trilogy I couldn't help but feel a little short changed by the end.
For those who enjoy reading fantasy novels, you may become a little irritated by the protagonist's long list of convenient talents:
- Fluent in six (or more?) languages
- Amazing eyesight
- Philosophical mind
- Painter
- Wine appreciator
- Military strategist
- Lean, fit body
- Culinary chef
- Super swordsman
- Impeccable manners (yes, in my world this is a super power)
- Sexy-as lady-killer
- Fashionable
Not too ...more
For those who enjoy reading fantasy novels, you may become a little irritated by the protagonist's long list of convenient talents:
- Fluent in six (or more?) languages
- Amazing eyesight
- Philosophical mind
- Painter
- Wine appreciator
- Military strategist
- Lean, fit body
- Culinary chef
- Super swordsman
- Impeccable manners (yes, in my world this is a super power)
- Sexy-as lady-killer
- Fashionable
Not too ...more
Note - First book in Conclave of Shadows, a 3 book series.[return][return]Talon returns to his home after completing his manhood ritual, to find his family and all of the Orosini mountain tribe, the only people he s ever known, being attacked by ruthless mercenaries. He tries to help them, but is knocked unconscious and left for dead. He is saved by a mysterious man named Robert and put to work in a tavern that Robert is staying at. This however is just a test, and once he is considered worthy,
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This was quite a page turner for me. There was very little magic or fantasy in the book, it is basically a medieval tale of intrigue, deception and battle. The characters were believable and kept me interested in the outcome. I highly recommend it for people who like things like Game of Thrones or the like. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and will probably go back and read some of the other series that are also set in the same world of Midkemia. I read the The Riftwar Saga and Magi
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A friend loaned me this once--he had just read it and LOVED it. I couldn't get through even the first half. 100 pages in and I was already skimming. I just wasn't interested in the world or the characters or the plot at ALL--everything felt so one-dimensional to me. Actually, no. It's not even that I just wasn't interested in any of it, it's more that I actively DISLIKED it. Maybe I'm just not crazy about Feist's style of writing, or maybe the setting just didn't work for me, I don't know. In an
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I don't really know how to feel about this book, it just isnt interesting in any way, it was so flat that I dont feel strongly either way.
It wasn't bad in the sense that I would feel compelled to warn people about it, it's just a "meh" experience.
I do not feel compelled in the slightest to read book 2 and 3 but I probably will anyway just to see what else he is amazing at and what other ways Feist could make him perfect in every imaginable circumstance.
It wasn't bad in the sense that I would feel compelled to warn people about it, it's just a "meh" experience.
I do not feel compelled in the slightest to read book 2 and 3 but I probably will anyway just to see what else he is amazing at and what other ways Feist could make him perfect in every imaginable circumstance.
New series has quite good start with fresh characters and location. Very good adventure story with fantasy spliced into it. Main hero is very likable character and it is easy to imagine all the trouble he gets into and out again :)
Now that i am hooked on the Raymond E Feist stuff I thought id give this a go since it is in line with what happens after the serpent war saga.
And like the serpent war saga i am finding my self reading very fast, And having a good time reading the book.
And like the serpent war saga i am finding my self reading very fast, And having a good time reading the book.
Again, Feist has done a brilliant intro to a series. He has to do some of my favorite beginning's. I loved watching our main character experience culture clash and learn to adapt to new situations and surroundings.
Youtube Review with more detail:
http://youtu.be/7WP07ibLonw
Youtube Review with more detail:
http://youtu.be/7WP07ibLonw
Keli si trova da quattro giorni sul picco di Shatana Higo in attesa di un segno da parte degli antenati della tribù che sancirà la sua entrata nella vita adulta, deciderà il suo destino e gli conferirà il suo nuovo nome (e se così non fosse, sarebbe libero di sceglierlo per conto proprio, ci viene spiegato): è solo, affamato e infreddolito ma la sua attesa sembra di là da finire fino al momento in cui gli si presenta davanti un falco d’argento che lo inciterà a diventare un artiglio per il suo p
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So this book was okay. But then all of Feist's first books to a series are okay to good. They suck you in just enough to want to continue reading the series. Then usually the series goes down hill with each book. I started reading these books because one of my brothers lent me many of the books of this world. He said it was a great series that I would probably really like. And as I said, in the two mini-series that I had read already, the first books were not bad. So with this next installment t
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This was more enjoyable than the last few books I've read by this author. The main character is Talwin Hawkins, aka Talon of the Silver Hawk, whose entire village is destroyed on his naming day. He becomes involved in the Conclave of Shadows, run by Pug and his family, an organization dedicated to the destruction of evil. I like these origin stories and his character is not the usual royalty or person of power previous stories have focused on. He's just a young man trying to do what is right and
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I have been Buddy-Reading this series over the last couple of months with a ‘book-club’ friend who had not read Raymond E. Feist’s work before. As I have been a long-time fan of his work, I have compared it to The Lord of the Rings books but have actually enjoyed this series more. When I mentioned this to my friend, she immediately wanted to read the series, and convinced me to read them with her- not that it was a big ask 😊.
It is an epic fantasy saga- with wonderful world building and scene se ...more
Rereading this after some years allows me to appreciate it more than previously :) Following on from serpentwar saga, at the time I was hoping for more direct involvement from Pug, Nakor, Miranda and co, and was disappointed when this wasn't the case, but now I appreciate it more, being a change of pace and introducing some interesting new characters. The namesake Talon is an interesting character, quite talented in some respects, but not beyond realms of reason and certainly makes a few mistake
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Feb 10, 2017
Liana
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult,
high-fantasy
My favorite book by Feist yet! ...I think. I couldn't get into it at first, but then it got more interesting later on, especially in part two. (The tournament chapter was the best!) And the last chapter... so much fun. 8)
Tal is a complete Marty-Stu though. Lol. He should have died at least four times... Plus he's a miraculously good fighter. Like, come on... Screw up a little more, Tal. ...And if you're going to die, please actually DO die and stop fake deathing. xD
Tal is a complete Marty-Stu though. Lol. He should have died at least four times... Plus he's a miraculously good fighter. Like, come on... Screw up a little more, Tal. ...And if you're going to die, please actually DO die and stop fake deathing. xD
Aug 12, 2017
Rebecca
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
lost-interest,
give-ups
It is not that I didn't, I wanted to like this book and force my way on through the drudgingly slow character development and undeniably predictable storyline. I simply could not. I gave up a quarter of the way in, perhaps another time.
Feist never disappoints. From the very first with Magician, he has enthralled me. This one is no different.
Nice to be back to the main story.
Akıcı ama vasat. Sözü edilen iyilik ve kötülüğün ne olduğuna dair daha geniş bir perspektife ihtiyacı var gibi kitabın. Güncel akış fena sayılmaz ama nedenlerle ilgili hiç bir derinlik yok.
Bubblegum pop fantasy.
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Raymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's 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 1
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Other books in the series
Conclave of Shadows
(3 books)
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“Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, Talon said, 'It doesn’t matter. They are all dead.' He felt moisture gathering in his eyes and blinked. 'It’s been a while since I’ve felt that.'
Caleb nodded. 'It never goes away, completely. But you’ll discover other things in life.”
—
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Caleb nodded. 'It never goes away, completely. But you’ll discover other things in life.”
“The ways of the heart are complex.” He looked out at the ocean again. “The waves churn and break upon the rocks, Talon. So do human feelings. Passion can be a man’s undoing. With passion must come wisdom; otherwise, your enemies have a weapon to use against you.”
—
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