Favorite fantasy authors: Raymond Feist

I'm not a compulsive fantasy reader. I judge fantasy by the same criteria I use for any writing, and I think a lot of it is pretty shoddy.

So it takes something pretty special to get me to read that sword and sorcery stuff. For me, Feist's work is as visceral, compelling, and creative as a lot of straight literature. His characters are believable, they grow (or rot) in realistic ways, and his plots surprise me.

• The Midkemia series starts with a tightly coupled four-volume series: Magician: Apprentice; Magician: Master (the first two volumes are combined in some editions as just Magician); Silverthorn; and A darkness at Sethanon. Great literature, don't be put off by its presence in the SF racks.
• There are two sequels in the Midkemia series that could be read on their own: Prince of the Blood and The King's Buccaneer. The latter is a transition to a new series, starting with Shadow of a Dark Queen, but I'm waiting for the rest of these to come out before I start them.
• The Kelewan series sort of branches off the Midkemia series; Feist co-wrote these wonderful books with Janny Wurts. So far they include Daughter of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire, and Servant of the Empire. There is a moment in the middle of the first book that I'd say compares with Aeschylus for intensity and pathos. Thus does great literature grow from humble roots: I heard a rumor that this series grew out of Feist's roleplaying campaign in the Empires of the Petal Throne gaming system.
• Faerie Tale is a grim but fascinating take on the faerie folk of Europe. As creepy and atmospheric as Bradbury's immortal Something wicked this way comes.

Last updated: 1996/01/21 20:13:37
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/reading/feist.html