Silverthorn (Riftwar Cycle: The Riftwar Saga)

It is outrageous that these books are not being made available in the US. This was my favorite series, but I lost all my books in a fire, and since then I will only buy ebooks. I would like to be able to reread an old favorite! I won't buy any new Feist books until these are made available. It really shouldn't be that complicated.

While Raymond Feist created interesting world(s) in the first novel of this series, I always felt that the dialogue and characters were extremely flat in the previous installment. Luckily, I felt that Feist greatly improved these two aspects in Silverthorn. While some of the plot is predictable and the conclusion feels somewhat rushed (this seems to be a recurring theme in Feist books) the intrigue and suspense were enough to grade this novel as being better than Magician. Silverthorn focuses more on the side characters of the previous book and the dialogue between each character is greatly improved and I felt that I had more emotions invested into them this time around. Overall, I would suggest Silverthorn to anyone interested in continuing Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga.

Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist is the third book in the Riftwar Saga and together with A Darkness at Sethanon forms a kind of duology within the series. This first part tells the story of Prince Arutha’s search for the magical silverthorn plant to cure his beloved Anita from magical poisoning and of the growing threat of Murmandamus,

I consider Feist to be one of the master storytellers of his generation. Let me tell you a story to prove it. I studied language and literature at university and after four years of deep literary analysis sucking all the enjoyment out of reading I refused to read anything more complex than a Cosmopolitan for many, many years after graduation. Not until, that is, a colleague loaned me Feist’s Shadow of a Dark Queen, the first in his Serpentwar saga. I completely DEVOURED it and the rest of the series. I was immediately drawn into Feist’s world of Midkemia and it reignited my love of reading that I’d all but forgotten. When I bought my first Kindle and made the switch to ebooks, a book by Feist was also the first book I bought to ease my transition to the new format.

So, onto Silverthorn.

What I liked

Worldbuilding. Feist has been writing in his world of Midkemia for over 30 years and knows it inside out. Each of the nations in his world has its own distinct character, flora and fauna and customs. The world feels real. The magic system is what Brandon Sanderson would call a soft magic system in that it’s not always fully explained to the reader. Feist is good at avoid using magic to create a deus ex machina which can be a strong temptation of a less well defined magic system.

Characters. The characters, too, feel real. While Arutha is the hero of Silverthorn and displays many heroic qualities he can be a really moody son of a gun which keeps him real. The young Jimmy the Hand too, could be annoying, but his occasional moments of real vulnerability keep him endearing to the reader. Admittedly, in Silverthorn his female characters aren’t my favourite. Carline comes across as shrewish and Anita is your stereotypical damsel in distress. We don’t have a kickass Brienne of Tarth or Egwene al Vere. Still, Silverthorn is one of Feist’s earlier works, and his female characters are better written later on.

Pacing. Feist knows how keep a story moving along at a brisk pace and to keep narrative tension. In Feist’s books there is always something going on; always an obstacle to overcome or an enemy about to try to kill our protagonists.

The humour. I adore Feist’s writing still with its not infrequent humour. it is a rather dry, understated humour which is often expressed in quips by the characters and really appeals to my British sense of humour.

What I didn’t like

Not available in ebook format. Here I have to have a rant. It seems that the publisher for the English version of Raymond E. Feist’s Silverthorn in North America doesn’t have the rights to produce an ebook version. The only ebook version available to us Canadians is the French version. I see that the UK publishers to have an ebook version available, but can we Canadians buy it? Nope. We can easily buy hard copy books from the store.co.uk, but not ebooks. Grrrr. I look forward to the day when digital rights are less restrictive. I started reading Silverthorn in French as ebook, but in the end I found I was missing too much of Feist’s nuance and humour so switched to the paperback version. (Note, the links above are to the French ebooks.)

Few female characters. See above.

All in all I loved Silverthorn and gave it four stars out of five.

Although not as magnificent as Magician, neither in volume nor in plotline or character development, Silverthorn does stand its own in fantasy literature, maybe not when considered on its own, but definately when reviewed as part of the Riftwar Saga. By switching his perspective from the previous main characters Thomas and Pug, to former supportive characters Arutha, Laurie and Jimmy the Hand; Feist made an excellent choice that benefits the story massively. Gone are our over-powered leaders (although they do appear occassionally for brief appearance, and Pug even has en entire side-story going on) and welcome our normal, human characters!

WARNING! The following may include spoilers for those who have not read Magician by Raymond E. Feist.

With Magician finishing with end of the Riftwar between the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, it appeared that finally peace would arise. However, as Silverthorn picks up the tale shortly afterwards, we find that the rifts may have introduced a far greater threat to Midkemia, as a new evil begins gathering Moredhel (dark elves), goblins and vigilantes under his banner – this entity, known as Murmandamus, has the ability to resurrect his dead followers and use destructive magic unlike anything even the most powerful of magicians had ever witnessed. The plotline is way darker than Magician (walking corpses always tend to shed some angsty darkness) and the switch of main cast proves to be beneficial, especially when as a reader you suddenly realise you’ve stopped seeing Arutha as a silent, somewhat cold man, but finally view him as the leader he truely is. On his nearly hopeless quest to find the Silverthorn, Arutha displays all sorts of emotions we can expect from a normal man that carries such a burden: anger, loss of faith, but also an extreme amount of determination and courage, qualities that promptly made him go five spots up on my list of favourite Feist characters.

But the reason this book is impressive, is not because of Arutha or his quest, nor because of the rise of the evil Murmandamus and the walking corpses. There is one single thing that makes this book unlike any other fantasy novel: Jimmy the Hand. Not once, in any other book I have ever read before or after, have I come across a character as intriguing as Jimmy the Hand. The enigmatic fifteen year-old thief is interesting not only because of his remarkable stealth, observational powers and street savviness, but also because he is blessed with some of the wittiest and amusing dialogue you’ll ever come across in a fantasy novel. Just as you think he’s taking a backseat, he’ll drop a remarkable anecdote about his past to remind you that there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s effortlessly likable, and there’s a great deal of depth to his persona, meaning whether it’s action, intrigue or back-story you’re reading about, chances are if Jimmy’s involved, it will be good. From all the books written by Feist that I have read so far (all up until the Demon Wars Saga), Jimmy the Hand is my favourite character. The only pity in this novel is that as a reader, you sadly realise one day Jimmy might grow up and become a more relaxed, responsible person, which would be terrible.

Overall, Silverthorn is quite an enjoyable novel. It lacks the epicness of Magician, but it does have its own vibe, an amazing set of characters with their own flaws and strength, an original, fast-paced plot and of course, Jimmy the Hand, thief extraordinaire and just about the best character ever written down on paper.

Silverthorn is a horrible book. Okay, horrible may be too strong of a word, but it was quite a challenge to get through it. It struck me as nothing more than a forced sequel to something that didn't need one. Basically, we want to see these characters again, so figure out a story for them. Whether that came from the publisher or the author not knowing what to write next, I have no idea. Whatever the cause, it was completely formulaic but without any of the charm of, say, The Belgariad, to make it worth reading. A quest for an item while being chased by an all powerful enemy that the heroes manage to continually defeat without anyone ever getting killed.

Horrible.

That bit about being chased was the worst part of it. The bad guys always knew where the good guys were, always overtaking them and hounding them endlessly. Plus, there were zombies. Oh, yeah, the book has zombies, but it was written way before the whole zombie thing became big. The only way they can be killed is by fire, so, even when they hack them to bits, the pieces keep coming. The book has magic, but it's that kind of magic that conveniently only works when the author wants it to. The whole thing was rather infuriating.

Feist also suffered from "then-syndrome" while writing this one. "He did this, then he did this, then he did that, then he did this again, and then he did this and that." Then then then. Oh my gosh. He also suffered from "again-syndrome," because, after the characters did something, they almost always did it again. "Again he picked his nose." "Again he turned around." "Again he drove me crazy!" But the worst...

The worst was "suddenly-syndrome." At one point, during a two page battle scene, Feist uses the word "suddenly" more than a dozen times. In two pages! I think I never want to use that word again after reading Feist's book.

I kept expecting, "then, suddenly, he again...," or something of the sort. It didn't happen, but it wouldn't have surprised me.

The worst part of having read this book, though, is that it's kind of ruined the other books (Magician and Faerie Tale) for me. I'm left with this lingering question as to whether the other books are better than this one or if they were this bad, too, but I was just young enough when I read those not to be bothered by any of it. And I want to know! I want to go back and read Magician again just so I can see if they were better, but I know that I won't, so it's just going to bug me for who knows how long. Maybe, I'll re-read Faerie Tale and see how that one is; I've kind of wanted to re-read it for a while anyway.

Oh, and the editing is horrible, especially considering these were edited by a major publisher. The book was full of comma errors, for one thing, but errors that don't make any sense. For instance, there would be a sentence like "I went to the store, to buy some milk." Why is that comma there? There's never a reason for a comma in a sentence like that, yet the book was full of that type of error, like the editor just tossed them on the page and let them stay where they landed. And, then, there were the misspellings. Like the adventurers kept going up the trial. Not the trail, the trial. They did this more than once. They did it more than twice. Personally, I kind of want to see a story, now, about someone going up and down the trial or racing down the trial on his horse. That was not the only misspelling just the only one that happened again and suddenly again.

So I don't really know what to say about Feist, now. There was a time I would have suggested, at least, Faerie Tale to people that like that kind of thing, but Silverthorn leaves me more than reluctant to suggest anything by Feist to anyone.

Silverthorn is either the second book in a trilogy or the third book of a tetralogy, depending on how you count (the first book, Magician, was split into two volumes to make room for previously cut world-building). Magician was so epic, though, and the final books such a dramatic departure in their own right, that the Riftwar Saga is perhaps best understood as two series closely tied together.

With Silverthorn, Feist returns to standard fantasy fare. The Riftwar is over, the Rift between the worlds closed, and the Tsurani and Kelewan are largely out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Prince Arutha's bride-to-be is struck with a poisoned crossbow bolt on their wedding day, and he and the other heroes must race to the only place (conveniently located in enemy territory) the magic herb, Silverthorn, that can save her grows.

The character focus also shifts from Pug and Tomas, who turn into bit players, to Arutha and Jimmy the Hand. Arutha remains dull, and the reader is left wondering the reason for the increased attention. Jimmy, a member of the thief's guild (bleh), is much more interesting, but as raconteurs go, he is no Matrim Cauthon.

The Tsurani are missed, but with Feist at the helm at least it is traditional fantasy well done. Laurie, the bard; Roald, the mercenary; and Baru, the Hadati hillsman, serve as able companions, both within the story and as characters in a book. The race into the north is appropriately tense and filled with danger. The moredhel, or dark elves, serve as reasonable stand-in enemies, and the big bad is a moredhel prophesied to lead them to greatness.

Kelewan (and Pug) are not entirely absent. Pug travels there in an attempt to learn more about the dark power behind the moredhel hero.

In many respects, Magician (now sold as two books) was a saga unto itself - the time span, events, war, political intrigue, and heck even the physical length of the book. Coming out with a next installment worthy of the first, must truly have been daunting for Feist.

However, with Silverthorn I think he did well. He built upon some fine, solid characters, while introducing a few more. The pace is a little more frenetic, owing to the shorter time period which the book covers. Feist, as usual, laces his work with enough to intrigue us to keep us turning the pages (and wishing to skip pages too, so we can find out what happened next).

The novel centers around Arutha, Prince of Krondor, whose wife, in a failed attempt upon his life, falls to a poisoned crossbow bolt. The cure for the toxin is from a rare flower found only in the north, in the heart of moredhel country - these are the elves of the Dark Path who hate all others with a passion. The mastermind behind the attack is a mysterious and terrifying moredhel named Murmandamus. When Pug, the sole Greater Path magician of Midkemia, learns of this creature and the powerful force, the seat of true power, behind Murmandamus, he sets out for Kelewan to seek answers. This is a bold move, considering the trouble he caused in the Tsurani empire before he fled back to his homeworld of Midkemia.

So the story unfolds on two tangents - one following Arutha in his quest to find the Silverthorn flower (and in doing so, gauging to some degree the army being assembled in the north) and Pug to uncover the truth of this new and powerful foe out to destroy his world.

Against all of this arises the possibility of the existence of the eldar, and the question of whether the powerful sorcerer Macros the Black is truly dead...

I highly recommend this book, but would urge you to read the Magician novels first to understand the events in this one a little better.

Silverthorn by Raymond Feist in the 3rd (or 2nd depending on how you read Magician) book in the Riftwar saga. With this installment Feist picks up where he left off. The best thing about books like this is the author doesn't need to invest as much time and energy setting up the players, as we already know who they are and what they stand for.

On to the book.

Characters first. I love how Feist writes his characters. To me not one of his characters are all powerful,w ith the exception of Pug. They all have doubts and flaws that effectively make them 'normal'. Jimmy the Hand easily steals almost every scene he is in (at least for me anyway) I really enjoy reading about that character. The other characters in this book all serve a purpose and are well written. Feist has a knack for writing his characters in seemingly simplistic terms, but yet complex outcomes.

The plot lie(s) in this book are fairly straight forward. Aurtha is on a quest to save his beloved all the time dogged by a power that he doesn't know. This journey makes for some interesting scenes as well as some harrowing times. I really like how Feist doesn't have his characters just run into a place and start swinging a sword to kill everything, some times stealth serves a better purpose and Feist does this perfectly. The other major plot line is that this rising power in the north and a prophecy the centers around the young prince. The prophecy is hinted at and we are given bits and pieces, but I think it will all come to fruition in the last book. While the plot is straightforward, there is still enough varation to make you want to read and find out what's going on.

I try to end the most of my reviews with either recommending the book or not. This book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy. While these books aren't difficult reading they are still a blast to read. I would be willing to bet most people will enjoy this series. Give it a shot, it's worth it.

The long awaited and joyous wedding of Arutha, Prince of Krondor, to the beautiful young Princess Anita, is cruelly cut short when Anita is struck by a poisoned arrow, from the bow of the Nighthawks - an underground cult of death, in league with the darkest and most evil powers.
It is discovered that the nighthawks are being used by the enemy, the dark lord, the enemy, Murmandamus, to assassinate the Lord of the West, Arutha. This in order to fulfill the ancient prophesy, necessary for Murmandamus and his evil minions to take over the world of Midkemia, and cast it into darkness.
Prince Arutha, assisted by his brother, the skilled huntsman Duke Martin of Crydee, the veteran Captain Gardan, the troubadour Laurie of Tyr Sog, the former Tsurani, Earl Kasumi of La Mut and the artful boy thief, Jimmy the Hand, set off on a quest to get hold of the antidote necessary to save Anita from death, and at the same time to learn a thing or two about the terrorist nature of the forces that threaten the Kingdom of the Isles.
This novel is filled with suspense and mystery, as we explore magic, the history of the elves and Valheru, and a deeper understanding of the connection between the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan.
New characters are introduced into the saga, such as Gamina, the child who talks with her mind , and the Hadati Hillman , Baru.
The momentum set by Magician is not lost for a moment and it is difficult to put the book down as we follow the saga of magic and a momentous battle between good and evil.

Silverthorn is the 'second' book in the Riftwar Trilogy ( I say second because it can be considered the third since Magician is broken into two books ) This book is more a segway into the third - not much happens in the way of plot for the trilogy until near the end, but when it does it does it well.

I did enjoy this book, but seriously missed Pug and Tomas through the beginning as it began in the courts of Prince Atrhur (sp.) and Jimmy the Hand, though the part that included Jimmy were great. This story really told itself very well and was quite straightforward. That is, until we ran into Pug again ( later on ).

This was a story of love and the drive to save it at all costs. The prince's fiance' has been poisoned and the cure must be found for her to be saved. The drive that pushes him on verges on the edge of sanity and he comes close to losing himself in madness, but because of the control that he can take of the situation, and his love for his madien he pushes through even seeing what is ahead.

If you enjoyed Magician or any other Feist work then pick this one up. The story is a bit bland and done over, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.. ;)

A well-paced book with lots of characters, each adding to the narrative. I cut one star because the book has a loosely-edited feel, with sudden jumps and logic holes. For example: you are hunting a highly toxic plant in a dark place and feel for it until spiked by a thorn? Possibly the thorns are not the toxic part but the hero needs to know that. Also there is a stage when the main characters need to return to their starting point, and all of a sudden they are on an uneventful ocean trip, no detail reported. All in all a good read, but you are left feeling it is a filler to get the next in the series off to a start.

Despite being part of a series, it stands alone to some extent because there is enough background to make sense of the story, but you will want to read the rest of the series because this one leaves too many loose ends.

I confess I disliked "Magician". There were just parts of the story that did not appeal to me. So when after swearing to myslef never to touch Feist`s books again, I bought Silverthorn (out of complete bordom, if you must know) I was pleasantly surprised. It is certainly much shorter, and while Magician was (even to my disgusted eye) quite complete, it does present other parts of the story. The book is very well written, the story is extremely gripping, and the characters are well formed. While I disliked my first venture into this land of Midkemia, I loved the second; enough to buy the third part of the trilogy, "A Darkness at Sethanon" which was equally good, if not better.

While Silverthorn continues Magician with hardly any time in between, the books are linked by ties other than storyline.
If it had been my choice, I would have put Magician as a book on its own and Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon together as a duet. Since most people reading this review will have read Magician, the first part of the trilogy, I`m not going into a tedious description of the world Midkemia, etc.
The story focusses around "The Enemy", who was mentioned in the first book, briefly, but failed to make an appearance. The dark elves, who feature greatly in this trilogy, rally behind a new leader and begin to threaten the Kingdom. Arutha, Prince of Krondor, must figure out the mysterious linkage between this moredhelm leader and the hereditary enemy of every race in existence. He is not alone, as both Pug and Tomas have large roles, both in Silvethorn and in its sequal, A Darkness at Sethanon. The main character, however, is Jimmy the Hand, a young thief whose role was tiny in Magician, but who is nonetheless likeable. As a matter of fact, after reading this trilogy, I went on to read the "Krondor" trilogy, to read more about him.
While Silverthorn follows the overall plot loosely, it`s own focus is nonetheless gripping. Arutha must seek the cure for a poison to save the life of his Princess, Anita. His quest carries him into the untamed North, along with a few trusted companions.
This is most certainly a good book, which I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who has read Magician. If you liked Magician, you should have little problem with Silverthorn. If you did not like Magician, I suggest you read this anyway. It`s inexpensive, and you may find yourslef surprised. Eitherway, I think you`ll be heading for A Darkness at Sethanon.
Look for my review of it!

Prince Arutha and Princess Anita are to be wed. Dark plots and ancient prophecies conspire against the Prince and his beloved Anita is terribly wounded during an attempt on the Prince's life. A magical poison courses through her veins and Arutha must discover it's nature and where/how to obtain a cure. With aid of friends and family and some new characters we have not yet met, he sets off on his quest for Silverthorn.
The story of Prince Arutha's quest to save his beloved is a powerful one. You're drawn into his quest and feel the pain, anguish, and hope. The foundation is laid for the stuggle between good and evil in the next book and we get to meet a few new characters in Feist's world: Baru the Serpentslayer and Laurie's friend, Roald. Jimmy the Hand emerges and takes his place as a major player in Feist's works. We are given more insight into the Mockers, the thieves guild of Krondor, and to the temples and theology of Midkemia. Pugs abilities as a magician are further explored as are the problems he left behind on Kelewan.
This is the second book in Feist's Riftwar Saga. The first being 'Magician' and the final being 'A Darkness at Sethanon'. Actually, 'Magician' was split into two paperback books, 'Magician: Apprentice' and 'Magician: Master', so this is actually the third of four books in the paperback saga.
Be sure to read the conclusion: A Darkness at Sethanon!

Raymond E. Feist returns to Midkemia and his engrossing Riftwar saga in Silverthorn, the third (second, if you count Magician as one) book on the tale of the struggle between the Kingdom of the Isles and the Empire of Tsurananni. A short while after the conclusion of Magician: Master, Prince Arutha is to be married to Princess Anita, a relationship hinted at earlier in the series. On their wedding day, an assassin's poisoned arrow strikes Anita and the only cure to the poison is silverthorn, an elusive herb found far away.
With his entourage of fantasy staples, some of which are introduced for the first time into the Riftwar books, including Jimmy the Hand, master thief, and Amos Trask, sailor extraordinaire, Arutha sets off on a quest to determine both the nature of the assassination attempt and to find the magical herb. On the way, Pug/Milamber and Tomas discover more information about the origins of the elves and the causes of the Riftwar, leading up to events in the next book.
Although Silverthorn is far more traditional fantasy than Magician - a typical Dungeons and Dragons party of adventurers sets off on a typical D&D-style quest - Feist manages to maintain the epic feel of his work by establishing enough new characters, relationships, and overall Riftwar plots (the poison is merely a MacGuffin for the other events in the book) to keep readers interested. Pug/Milamber is much more of a mystical or magical figure in this book, as he is no longer the main character and is instead a powerful force working upon the world in much the same way that wizards were portrayed in the Arthurian or Carolingian legends of medieval Europe.
Silverthorn makes for a compelling read, especially to those interested in continuing the setup in Magician. The book is best read with "A Darkness at Sethanon" as the immediate sequel (some argue that the two books are really another full book, divided into two). While not the absolute best in the saga - that honor will remain Magician's - Silverthorn is still a great "what comes next" book, and Feist has refined his writing style to make it a flowing, enjoyable read. As fantasy goes, Silverthorn is a cut above the rest, but as it fits into the overall story, it is a must-read.
Final Grade: B

Silverthorn picks up Feist's Riftwar storyline several years after the end of the Tsuranni-Mikemia war detailed in his previous two books.

The character's have had a chance to catch their breath, adjust to their new lives, the positions they have been pressed into, and the relationships that developed over the years covered in Magician: Apprentice and :Master.

Silverthorn begins with a heart-wrenching attack, and then drags our heroes about Midkemia and beyond as they begin what I see as the second part of the Riftwar.

Feist excells in his character development: seeing the established characters continue to grow is a treasure, but the gem in this book is the addition of previous-bit player, Jimmy the Hand as a major character. The addition of a viewpoint that is not 100% in line with the rest of the cast provides a refreshing change of pace.

Silverthorn introduces the story that Feist really wanted to tell us, a story he began the moment you met Tomas and Pug. Looking back over the books as they are read will provide a great deal of appreciation for the care to detail that Feist put into his series. Enjoy!

Here Feist continues his Riftwar romp with a new quest as lighthearted as his earlier works. Though a bit more focused in plot than "Magician," Feist follows the formulas used in the earlier books, devoting most of his energy to action narrative in which the characters remain caricatured stereotypes all too familiar to fans of the genre. His cast of characters neglects none of the usual inhabitants of the fantasy realm, ranging from elves and goblins to dragons and pirates, as well as the inclusion of samurai (The Tsurani), Moslem warriors from the era of Saladin (The Empire of Kesh), and here ewoks thinly disguised as "gwali." The princes of the realm are handsome and heroic, their princesses beautiful and spirited. The good guys, even when rascally criminals, are brave and true and, after much hardship, their defeat of evil is assured. All in all, a storyline that could have been lifted from a D&D script. I continue to find a lack of weight or substance to the tales, and harbor some doubts that the "Riftwar Saga" will eventually devolve into a series of repetitive, banal quests. Nonetheless I will admit that so far Feist's stories do offer facile moments of unadorned diversion and amusement.

"Silverthorn" is the gripping third volume in the Riftwar Saga. A new tale unfolds in the realm explored from the first two novels with first-rate characters Prince Arutha and Pug, aka Milamber. While Prince Arutha and his band seek out the mystic herb of Silverthorn to save a loved one, Pug and his party search for the answers to the menace behind the deed. New and exciting characters arise and extra races are developed while minor loose threads from the previous novels are tied up nicely. The author conveys the magic invoked brilliantly, placing the reader in the middle of the conflicts creating a definite classic. Some of the battles are absolutely spooky.
I had an excellent time reading the book after all these years and highly recommend the series to any fan of the fantasy genre.
Thank you.

This is the 3rd book in this most excellent series. First of all I would like to say that this book splits it's time between following Prince Arutha on his quest for Silverhorn and Pug and his search for answers about the danger they face. As with the other books in the series the story grips you and the action is plenty. I would say that Arutha's quest for Silverthorn is almost like a side quest in terms of the whole plot. It does help to introduce new aspects of the plot and it also has young Jimmy the Hand in the spotlight. I like how his character is developing. I also hope that his relationship with the "Upright Man" is further explored in later books. The one main gripe I have is how easy this books' main bad-guy was dispatched. You are made to believe that he is much more powerfull then he turns out to be. Everything is always wrapped up in a neat package at the end. Would not be so bad to see a good guy get his head kicked in (Lyam????)from time to time. Having said that I ordered the 4th book in the series within hours of finishing this.

Silverthorn doesn't particularly advance the greater storyline
of the Riftwar struggle, but it brings new characters to life even
as it maintains the fullness of existing ones.

In Silverthorn, Prince Arutha's fiancee is poisoned, and the quest, among
good friends and new friends, is to find the cure to the poison and in the process
discover a few more tidbits regarding the greater evils involved in the overarching
Riftwar saga plotline.

Silverthorn is sometimes too "travelly" as Tolkien was wont to get
upon occasion, but the story continues to move along and there are no
boring parts. Of course, there's no need to mention Feist's ability
to write a gripping tale. -=- The BilFish

It was because of this magnificent book that I forgot my study for one day. This was unfortunately fatal for a test I had the next week. But the book was worth the sacrifice, although it is quite clear that Feist has read Tolkien. It is not quite original to describe a company with a mission in a hostile country. However, Feist is great in describing normal personal life, something in which Tolkien wasn't that good. Especially the passages about parties and unallowed drinking of beer are great. This more personal lifesketches is something which mustn't be underestimated in this book. They create a contrast with the overwhelmingly great things that happen in this well-witten epos.

Jimmy the Hand is simply one of my favorite characters! And I must say, that in re-reading this one, I had remembered much more of it than either _Magician: Apprentice_ or _Magician: Master_, but it still was quite an exciting and altogether fun read! I am just really excited to be re-reading this series, since so many books have been published since I last read them! I remember Amos Trask so well, so I suspect that the next book will involve more of him, which will be a lot of fun!

I'll never claim the Riftwar series to be complex or profound, but I believe it is a magical story. Thanks to the fantastic setting of Midkemia, this simple story takes on an aura of mystique and romance unrivaled in the genre.
The second book in the series, however, is not up to par with either Magician or A Darkness at Sethanon. Still, it is at once enthralling and rapturous.
There is no doubt that more sophisticated fantasy abounds, but the Riftwar Saga is still a good place to begin your journey.

As in the first novel of the series "Magician: Apprentice" this is a wonderful story on it's own, but is only fully realized by reading the next volume ("A Darkness at Sethanon"). In other words, the Magician books (1&2) should be one novel and Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon (3&4) should be book 2.
The plot is stated pretty well on the back cover, so I won't repeat it here. What I will say is, following Arutha, Jimmy and the others through there trials to find the Silverthorn is a wonderful ride.
Enjoy the ride.

As a fantasy fan, I look for numerous qualities in a fantasy story. Perhaps the most important quality in a work of fantasy fiction is characterization. A fantasy novel should contain believable characters who in some way or another remind the reader of him or herself, or of someone he or she may know. These characters must also have emotions, and cannot be completely stoical all the time. I have found these two qualities consistantly in Feist's works and congratulate him for it.

This book was good, almost as good as Magician, I'd have given it 4,25 stars if it was possible, not a fiver, because the plot is a tiny bit strange, whoever has heard of a plant which lives in only ONE place? Mr. Feist is a fantastic writer (pun), and he certainly knows where to write in detail and where to not. The characters are very, very, alive. The Riftwar books are some of the best books I've ever read, though they occasionally have a dull bit here and there.

This is one of the best fantasy series, the story is lively and entertaining, the characters are colorful and interesting, and the plot is deep and spellbinding!
This is a great read for all ages, it is a beautiful epic whose true potency lies in the moving details of its characters, richly detailed, woven into a wonderful tapestry.
OVERALL SCORE: (A)
READABILITY: (A-), PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A+), DIALOGUE: (B-), SETTING: (B+), ACTION/COMBAT: (C+), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (B+), ROMANCE: (B+), SEX: (N/A), AGE LEVEL: (PG)

As the story continues we find ourselves seeking a remedy for Arutha's love. One of the most amazing and endearing details of the saga is how the characters develop throughout time's passing. It is this detail than entraps you within the entrails of this fantasy adventure. The political crisis explored in this book is also a thing to note.

Silverthorn is Feist at his best, before his original characters started collecting social security and certainly well before the mediocre Serpentwar novels.
Silverthorn is where all the action is in the Riftwar series; it's the Empire Strikes Back of Feist's original trilogy. This is one of the most compelling fantasy novel's I've ever read, and it's definitely worth buying.

Silverthorn was very well written. It's very easy to understand. If I was to just pick it up, (not knowing that it was part of a saga) I would still be able to enjoy it. It's interesting to me that Mr. Feist brings out the best in his characters. For instance, in the begining of Silverthorn you get to know a young boy named Jimmy. All at once you know that Jimmy is more than he seems to be. The Novel Silverthorn isn't lacking much of anything. You get that little touch of romance and that aching feeling in your heart for Arutha, who is momentarily denied his true love. Then, it jumps right into the action of going into enemy territory. This novel is excellent. As are all of Mr. Feist's other novels. To anyone who is interested in a good adventure... here it is!

I started this book directly after finishing Magician: Master, and I must say I was disappointed at first when I felt that it was going to stray too far away from the Pug/Thomas/Magician plot line, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Because of this book and the next book in the series, Pug and Thomas were joined by Arutha and Jimmy (as well as others) as my favorite characters. Basically all of the main characters in these two books are brought to life, and I began to really like all of them. It's a great book.

Silverthorn is absolutley amazing. It's wonderfully written, and has an amazing plot. Raymond E. Feist is a greatly talented writer, and I love every book he's put out so far. The characters in the Riftwar are colourful, and imaginative, that's one of the reasons the books are so great. If you like fantasy, you'll love Silverthorn.

Honestly, this is one of the greatest books ever written. The characters develop from the first book (best book ever-MAGICIAN) and the storyline is quite amazing with masses of tension and excitement on a specifically testing mission. The reader won't be able to put the book down once they've started because it is so enthralling. All the key elements of life are focused on:Love, mystery, conquest, journeys, friendships, death-murder and war. This book would appeal to anyone, whatever their tastes. JOHN

I like the "Magician" better, but this sequel is also ok. It is taking a different path from the Magician story, only merging again at the end. It is a story of a Prince who is trying to save his Princes. Pretty intense, almost scary many times.
Not as good as the previous book, a little bit more classic story.

For those who love fantasy and the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, this novel will not disapoint. However, I feel it lacked the character depth and plot intensity of Magician, as well as the shear awesome power of the previous novel (or two novels, if you've just been introduced to the series). It is a good read, though, and totally worth the price. I hope A Darkness at Sethanon will be as stunning a conclusion as the Riftwar Saga needs...

After the cannot-put-down Magician, Silverthorn is just as amazing. The characters are well-written you'll feel like they're your friends! Have you ever feel in love with a character in a book before? Well, here you will!

This book surpased any fantasy book I have ever read in my life except Dragons of Summer Flame But this book is deffenately worth reading it was better than Magician and All the others. The End you guys suck

I cannot express enough on how good this book is. The characters are so real its as if you the reader & the character are as one..Just love James, Arutha & Pug... Cant wait for Darkness at Sethanon..

Silverthorn was the first Riftwar Saga book I read. I didn't really know what had previously happened, but thank you Raymond E Feist for "So far...". This proves that Raymond is an excellent writer, because I picked it up because of Jimmy the Hand on the front cover, and understood the thing. Unfortunately, a friend borrowed my copy and has refuse to give it back, due to Jimmy's picture on the cover. The cover of the book being sold makes Arutha look like a beast of some sort.

Continuing the story that started with Magician:Apprentice and Magician:Master. The Riftwar saga isn't just about a war between two worlds anymore. Previous enemies have a truce and a peace but a new enemy emerges. The moredhel army, nighthawks, and their prophecied leader heralds the return of an ancient race. This book drew me in even deeper into the world of Midkemia and have influenced my interest in fantasy literature. Very highly recommended!

When I was halfway through the first volume (The Magician) I could not wait to order TWOF last volume and so I also ordered Silverthorn and the next volume of the Riftwar Saga. If I had waited till the end of The Magician I wouldn't have bought the next 2. So I have tried to read Silverthorn but it is even worse than The Magician and it got to the point where instead of enjoying my time reading I was just reading very fast trying to finish it asap, so I quit. This must be the first time I do not finish a book to at least give it a chance. I bought them based on the good reviews and I have to think that the are all teenagers because the story lacks depth, it is not engaging, the characters and relationships are shallow. If you want good fantasy try TWOFT, Song of Fire and Ice, The Name of the Wind or Way of Kings.

I purchased this for a friend who wanted a hardcover edition of Silverthorn and is very happy with it because it is hardcover. However, the cover is a plain brown textbook and does not look like the book I saw online. I did go back and check it and it does say textbook only. Check the fine print before purchasing.

"magician: apprentice" and "magician: master" were great. epic plot, large battles, loveable chercters.In short, all you need in good fantasy (the large battles are a bounus, of course, and a very well done one in those two).
Nevertheless Silverthorn is bad. really bad.
Fiest's first mistake was adding the ultimate evil to the plot. don't wait for a grand war, or for any battle larger then a skirmish. don't hope to have a good plot, for the story is idiotic, ilogical and predictable. Also, there are elemnts that clearly appeard on the previos books.

Don't read. Don't even consider reading.

We have been waiting for this book to be released on Kindle for quite some time. What is the problem? Please solve it...so I can give the store my money and read this book on my Kindle.

1 star for the Kindle Edition, since it is not available.

I really had low expectations of this book going in. It felt like an after story with my favorite characters being left in the background. I am so happy I was proven wrong. The book was fast paced, very dynamic, and exceeded all expectations. Definitely diving straight away into the next part.