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Magician: Apprentice
(The Riftwar Saga #1)
by
An alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.
To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at ease with normal wizardry. Yet his strange magic may save two worlds from dark beings who opened spacetime t ...more
To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. His courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, but he was ill at ease with normal wizardry. Yet his strange magic may save two worlds from dark beings who opened spacetime t ...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 485 pages
Published
January 1st 1994
by Bantam Spectra
(first published October 1st 1982)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga, #1)

FANTASY FANS PLEASE READ!
Updating this review in June 2016. I was just discussing this series with a friend I recommended this to and we were both saying how shocked we are how few people have read it because it is so good. It can be hard to find Feist's books in stores or at the library - but it shouldn't be!
I am not saying that everyone will end up liking this, but I think there are a lot of people missing out. To give you a statistical analysis of how many people are missing out - I currently ...more
Updating this review in June 2016. I was just discussing this series with a friend I recommended this to and we were both saying how shocked we are how few people have read it because it is so good. It can be hard to find Feist's books in stores or at the library - but it shouldn't be!
I am not saying that everyone will end up liking this, but I think there are a lot of people missing out. To give you a statistical analysis of how many people are missing out - I currently ...more

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo
3.5/5 stars
Magician: Apprentice is a familiar and enjoyable start to a beloved classic fantasy series.
I’ve heard a lot of great things about Riftwar Saga and Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist; it is one of the series that I know has sparked a lot of reader’s passion for reading fantasy. And that’s always a good thing in my book. Honestly speaking, though, I don't have nostalgia goggles for this series, and the main r ...more
3.5/5 stars
Magician: Apprentice is a familiar and enjoyable start to a beloved classic fantasy series.
I’ve heard a lot of great things about Riftwar Saga and Riftwar Cycle by Raymond E. Feist; it is one of the series that I know has sparked a lot of reader’s passion for reading fantasy. And that’s always a good thing in my book. Honestly speaking, though, I don't have nostalgia goggles for this series, and the main r ...more

Jan 04, 2017
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ by:
Matthew
Reread because I need to get through all 29/30 books I own as paperback in this series and decide which ones I’m going to love enough to keep or switch to kindle. And why I need to mention all of that is beyond me!
********* Old review 4 stars ************

I really enjoyed this book! I love the main character, Pug. I loved his friendship with his best friend Tomas.
Pug got picked to be the magician Kulgan's apprentice while Tomas was to be trained as a soldier. But they found plenty of time to spe ...more
********* Old review 4 stars ************

I really enjoyed this book! I love the main character, Pug. I loved his friendship with his best friend Tomas.
Pug got picked to be the magician Kulgan's apprentice while Tomas was to be trained as a soldier. But they found plenty of time to spe ...more

Earlier this year I got back into the fantasy genre by reading Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. Since then I've been reading backwards; finding the authors Rothfuss was favorably compared to and reading their books.
I was very taken with the author I read next, George R. R. Martin, and would happily have continued the Song of Fire and Ice series, but apparently the next book in that series has been postponed till 2013. So I chose Raymond Feist who was next on my list.
To a total fantasy v ...more
I was very taken with the author I read next, George R. R. Martin, and would happily have continued the Song of Fire and Ice series, but apparently the next book in that series has been postponed till 2013. So I chose Raymond Feist who was next on my list.
To a total fantasy v ...more

*** 4 ***
A buddy read with the Epic Fantasy aficionados at BB&B!
I can't believe I waited so long to read this series! Unfortunately, I am weird and used to start on a series only when the last book of said series was published. Then I came to the understanding that if I stuck with this trend, there would be way too many good books I might never get to enjoy in my lifetime. Too many authors, for one reason or another, take decades to finish up a story... So, instead of starting the series as I wa ...more
A buddy read with the Epic Fantasy aficionados at BB&B!
I can't believe I waited so long to read this series! Unfortunately, I am weird and used to start on a series only when the last book of said series was published. Then I came to the understanding that if I stuck with this trend, there would be way too many good books I might never get to enjoy in my lifetime. Too many authors, for one reason or another, take decades to finish up a story... So, instead of starting the series as I wa ...more

Feb 23, 2013
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
my-library-catalogue
Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com
When customers approach me for a fantasy recommend, I always ask: have you read Feist? As the long-time favorite of my family, "Magician: Apprentice" is the book that first inspired my love of the genre. I've gone through hundreds of books since then, and it is still one of the best novels I've ever read. It's got all of the elements I loved about the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it is written in a much more vibrant and story-driven manner. ...more
When customers approach me for a fantasy recommend, I always ask: have you read Feist? As the long-time favorite of my family, "Magician: Apprentice" is the book that first inspired my love of the genre. I've gone through hundreds of books since then, and it is still one of the best novels I've ever read. It's got all of the elements I loved about the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it is written in a much more vibrant and story-driven manner. ...more

Re-read.
I devoured this book and the next four back in the late eighties and SERIOUSLY desired more... and yet, I never did get around to picking up all the subsequent books... until now.
Of course, I needed to re-read an old love and see if it stands up to the test of time, and you know what I found?
Fantastical fantasy goodness! I love it! And you know what's better? The author did a bang-up job of re-editing this "author-preferred" text. An extra 50k words, side plots, characters, and more roun ...more
I devoured this book and the next four back in the late eighties and SERIOUSLY desired more... and yet, I never did get around to picking up all the subsequent books... until now.
Of course, I needed to re-read an old love and see if it stands up to the test of time, and you know what I found?
Fantastical fantasy goodness! I love it! And you know what's better? The author did a bang-up job of re-editing this "author-preferred" text. An extra 50k words, side plots, characters, and more roun ...more

I wanted to like this book. I really did. First, a major caveat: The Magician: Apprentice is only one part of a two-volume novel. The second volume, The Magician: Master, completes the tale. Given this, it isn’t really fair to judge the first volume on many points, so keep in mind that my review applies almost exclusively to this first volume.
The Magician: Apprentice is a story centered on — you guessed it — a magician’s apprentice named Pug who finds himself an unlikely hero when the world of M ...more
The Magician: Apprentice is a story centered on — you guessed it — a magician’s apprentice named Pug who finds himself an unlikely hero when the world of M ...more

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

Feb 10, 2009
Danielle The Book Huntress
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
epic fantasy readers
Magician: Apprentice is an appealing introduction into an epic fantasy series that a newbie can enjoy. It offers a young hero who is just at the beginning of his journey to find his purpose in life. Feist offers a fantasy world on the brink of war from a threat that has the capacity to bring great change to Midkemia as they know it.
While the world has a typical medieval-type feel, the variety of races presented give the world an incredible texture. I loved the descriptions of the elves and thei ...more
While the world has a typical medieval-type feel, the variety of races presented give the world an incredible texture. I loved the descriptions of the elves and thei ...more

I. . . can't take the words in this book anymore.

Well, it's not entirely the book's fault. Everything makes me want to take a shot of hard liquor at the moment, and this book didn't do a good job of taking my mind off that.
I guess I'm just not cut out for retro high fantasy. Didn't grow up reading SFF or playing RPG and didn't start reading Tolkien until the movies came out. So I have zero memories connected to these genre classics and absolutely no appreciation for chosen farm boys with extra ...more

Well, it's not entirely the book's fault. Everything makes me want to take a shot of hard liquor at the moment, and this book didn't do a good job of taking my mind off that.
I guess I'm just not cut out for retro high fantasy. Didn't grow up reading SFF or playing RPG and didn't start reading Tolkien until the movies came out. So I have zero memories connected to these genre classics and absolutely no appreciation for chosen farm boys with extra ...more

One of the first fantasy novels I read as a teenager. Feist remains one of my favorite authors to this day. Pug is a struggling magician's apprentice when a ship from another world washes up to shore. Most of this first book is an entryway to the world of Midkemia, building up the world and relationships between the races. I love Pug's (and Tomas's) journey through the Riftwar Saga.
I would recommend this to anyone who has read other fantasy adventure series like A Song of Ice and Fire , T ...more
I would recommend this to anyone who has read other fantasy adventure series like A Song of Ice and Fire , T ...more

I first read this book shortly after it came out in the early 80's while in my 20's. It's every bit as enjoyable on the 4th read almost 30 years later. In many ways, it is a very typical fantasy, but the character's pop very well & the world has enough new elements to make it quite intriguing. The quick pace hides a complexity that becomes apparent as the story progresses & we're led deeper into the world.
Since I have a towering TBR pile, I re-read sparingly. I'm so happy I did this again.
On to ...more
Since I have a towering TBR pile, I re-read sparingly. I'm so happy I did this again.
On to ...more

This is the story of how Raymond Feist had a very good Dungeon Master.
I recently read this book for the first time since sixth grade. I adored it in sixth grade. I find I still have some affection for it now.
Like many young nerds, Raymond loved to play Dungeons & Dragons. His Dungeon Master who ran the game was a fan of the two preeminent world builders of his day: JRR Tolkien who had created a now familiar fantasy world of elves and dwarves that celebrated Western myth called Middle Earth, and ...more
I recently read this book for the first time since sixth grade. I adored it in sixth grade. I find I still have some affection for it now.
Like many young nerds, Raymond loved to play Dungeons & Dragons. His Dungeon Master who ran the game was a fan of the two preeminent world builders of his day: JRR Tolkien who had created a now familiar fantasy world of elves and dwarves that celebrated Western myth called Middle Earth, and ...more

4 STARS ★★★★✩
⤐ Preface.
I got really nostalgic reading this book. I first started the Riftwar Saga almost exactly two years ago, when I was on a research trip in Bolivia. There, on a tiny shelf in a tiny hostel on a beautiful isle called I ...more
This book is for you if… you ever wondered what the mash up of classic science fiction and high fantasy would birth, being heavy on the HF portion. Welcome to the Riftwar. Pro: extremely engaging, not at all like Cowboys vs. Aliens Con: high death rate.
⤐ Preface.
I got really nostalgic reading this book. I first started the Riftwar Saga almost exactly two years ago, when I was on a research trip in Bolivia. There, on a tiny shelf in a tiny hostel on a beautiful isle called I ...more

This was a really hard book for me to rate. It went from amazing 5 stars to disappointing 2, so after giving it a thought I decided to go with solid 3 stars.
I’m still not sure how to write this review, because my feelings towards the book are mixed (to say the least), so I’m gonna go with the old way: things I liked and things I didn’t like.
Let’s start off with the things I liked:
-Amazing world Feist created. I think the world building was my favorite part of the book
-Interesting characters, es ...more
I’m still not sure how to write this review, because my feelings towards the book are mixed (to say the least), so I’m gonna go with the old way: things I liked and things I didn’t like.
Let’s start off with the things I liked:
-Amazing world Feist created. I think the world building was my favorite part of the book
-Interesting characters, es ...more

This book gave me all that I look for in a good fantasy. People, races, cities, battles, and characters that I can like and appreciate. While lacking a certain level of complexity, it was at all points entertaining, with the story beginning from a point and then branching out to several story-lines, and I can't point out which one I like better than the other. Though Pug's story-line ends in a manner that makes me anxious, I liked best Arutha's development and the going-ons at Crydee. I can't se
...more

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. This was the perfect fantasy for me to read as a follow up to Erickson's "Gardens of the Moon". I loved the first Malazan book but it is very dark, chaotic, and harsh. "Magician: Apprentice" is more what I think you could call cozy sweater fantasy. Which I enjoy probably even more than the grimdarkish stuff.
...more

Raymond Feist is to fantasy literature what Greg Rucka is to crime/espionage literature. He presents stories in a workmanlike fashion, neither embracing literary elegance or dwelling overlong on that which does not forward the story itself, and yet he offers a rollicking good time. His characters are all interesting and his narrative twists retain reader interest. He is not a great author, but he is certainly a good author.
And sometimes, good is just what the doctor ordered.
Both halves of Magic ...more
And sometimes, good is just what the doctor ordered.
Both halves of Magic ...more

You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
Raymond E. Feist is known for creating the Riftwar Cycle and with Magician: Apprentice, he sets the foundation to one of the most popular universes ever created in fantasy. It is hard to go around today not knowing what he has accomplished by writing up the story of a boy who became a magician. Having finally the opportunity to read this classic, I have to say: I am a fan.
In Magician: Apprentice, the orphan Pug is taken under the wings of the on ...more
Raymond E. Feist is known for creating the Riftwar Cycle and with Magician: Apprentice, he sets the foundation to one of the most popular universes ever created in fantasy. It is hard to go around today not knowing what he has accomplished by writing up the story of a boy who became a magician. Having finally the opportunity to read this classic, I have to say: I am a fan.
In Magician: Apprentice, the orphan Pug is taken under the wings of the on ...more

By chance, a rift across the universe connects two worlds. Humans, elves, dwarfs, trolls, and goblins populate one planet. Fierce warmongers populate the other. Both worlds sport powerful magicians.
Magician Apprentice is a rip-roaring fantasy epic of war and politics that I thoroughly enjoyed. At well over 500 pages, it's a large book, but still only half that of Lord of the Rings.
Since I've mentioned LotR, there's a good chance that if you enjoyed that book, you will also enjoy MA. However, whe ...more
Magician Apprentice is a rip-roaring fantasy epic of war and politics that I thoroughly enjoyed. At well over 500 pages, it's a large book, but still only half that of Lord of the Rings.
Since I've mentioned LotR, there's a good chance that if you enjoyed that book, you will also enjoy MA. However, whe ...more

I must admit, when I was really young, I did not read that much. I was a sports kid, Soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, baseball in spring and summer. Many years straight through, and if I wasn't practicing or playing, I was playing sports with the neighborhood kids.
It was not until I was 10 or so that I started actually reading the books that the teachers told us to, rather than skimming them over or getting the notes from the dilligent kid in the neighborhood to pass a quiz or test. ...more
It was not until I was 10 or so that I started actually reading the books that the teachers told us to, rather than skimming them over or getting the notes from the dilligent kid in the neighborhood to pass a quiz or test. ...more

Why hello old school fantasy! Long time no see. I see that you still have dwarves of Moria, beautiful elves living in trees, farm boys turns great warriors, plucky princess and overwhelmingly likable characters. Oh and a cute dragon pet.
Not that I mind them much in this book. The writing and the pacing are good (I didn't yawn when reading this book) and the main characters, at least Pug and Tomas, make you want to hug them and muss their hair. Pug reminds me of Fitzchivalry Farseer, albeit with ...more
Not that I mind them much in this book. The writing and the pacing are good (I didn't yawn when reading this book) and the main characters, at least Pug and Tomas, make you want to hug them and muss their hair. Pug reminds me of Fitzchivalry Farseer, albeit with ...more

Sorry, but how is this plainly described, one dimensional book so well rated? I'm 200 pages in and bored rigid and utterly fed up of the random lucky events the characters go thru.
The line that sticks out is: Dragons were the hereditary enemy of dwarves.
Sorry it's just poorly written, based in a second hand middle earth and I've seen better characters in the mr men books.
I paid 95p for it from a a charity shop and I feel robbed. ...more
The line that sticks out is: Dragons were the hereditary enemy of dwarves.
Sorry it's just poorly written, based in a second hand middle earth and I've seen better characters in the mr men books.
I paid 95p for it from a a charity shop and I feel robbed. ...more

2.5 stars. It has been a while since I read this but I remember thinking it was decent but not great. Given the number of really positive reviews, I have put this on my list of books to re-read in case I missed something the first time around.

Executive Summary: Traditional fantasy that while enjoyable for me, isn't as good as the fantasy being released today.
Full Review
Last month I was visited Borderlands and wanted to pick up something to read on the flight home. Yes I have a ton of unread ebooks, but I still prefer paper, especially when on a plane. Also, I have a book buying problem.
I've been meaning to check out Raymond Feist for awhile, so this seemed like a good time to finally do so. I read about half of the book during my ...more
Full Review
Last month I was visited Borderlands and wanted to pick up something to read on the flight home. Yes I have a ton of unread ebooks, but I still prefer paper, especially when on a plane. Also, I have a book buying problem.
I've been meaning to check out Raymond Feist for awhile, so this seemed like a good time to finally do so. I read about half of the book during my ...more

Oct 11, 2009
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
epic-fantasy,
fantasy
Haven't liked every Feist book since...but this one sucked me in and I ran the next two down as soon as I could get my hands on them.
Since I've remembered this one fondly and just recently replaced my long lost (or worn out) copy. I remember thinking what an odd name Pug was to hang on a main character. This story builds the characters, the world and the story so that I was quickly hooked and stayed that way for several volumes. While Mr. Feist can run hot and cold and at times be almost infuria ...more
Since I've remembered this one fondly and just recently replaced my long lost (or worn out) copy. I remember thinking what an odd name Pug was to hang on a main character. This story builds the characters, the world and the story so that I was quickly hooked and stayed that way for several volumes. While Mr. Feist can run hot and cold and at times be almost infuria ...more

Aug 24, 2019
YouKneeK
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
completed-series,
fantasy
Magician: Apprentice is the first book in the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist, the first subseries in the very long Riftwar Cycle series. About 20 years ago, when I was a little over 20 years old, this book began my addiction to the fantasy genre. I had of course read some fantasy throughout my childhood, but I wasn’t really conscious of it as a genre, especially not a genre for adult readers, and I had never read anything like this book. I was immediately hooked and devoured the first 16 books
...more

I was going to give this 4 stars until 60-70% through. The last part of the book was pretty boring. The main character exits the book around this point, and then the 2nd main character exits shortly after and then it just feels like filler until the end. I liked many of the characters and wasn't as bothered as some reviewers by the "fantasy cliche" of it all. I am on the fence about this and I guess I need to read the next book to figure out if I want to keep going or not.
...more

Buddy read with the Fantasy Freaks from BB&B.
Choko did it once again! I used to avoid high fantasy because of the specifics of the genre. Mainly that it takes a hell of a long time to get to the point. But my dearest sister-wife got me to read another one and it was great. So thank you, Choko!
This was a surprisingly easy to read book. After the first chapter or two it gets it's claws into you and refuses to let go. As with most Fantasy books we get an orphan with magical potential and mysterious ...more
Choko did it once again! I used to avoid high fantasy because of the specifics of the genre. Mainly that it takes a hell of a long time to get to the point. But my dearest sister-wife got me to read another one and it was great. So thank you, Choko!
This was a surprisingly easy to read book. After the first chapter or two it gets it's claws into you and refuses to let go. As with most Fantasy books we get an orphan with magical potential and mysterious ...more
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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
...more
Other books in the series
The Riftwar Saga
(4 books)
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Dragons, demons, kings, queens, and the occasional farm boy (with a special destiny, of course): Fantasy literature has it all! To celebrate...
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2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Dolgan: ’Tis a wise thing to know what is wanted, and wiser still to know when ‘tis achieved.
Rhuagh: True. And still wiser to know when it is unachievable, for then striving is folly.”
—
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Rhuagh: True. And still wiser to know when it is unachievable, for then striving is folly.”
“Some love comes like the wind off the sea, while others grow slowly from the seeds of friendship and kindness." - Carline”
—
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