Magician

I call this a "typical" epic fantasy because it didn't knock my socks off with any kind of originality as far as races, magic, plot, etc.
It was somewhat refreshing at first to find that the "bad guys" of the book were another race of humans rather than some omnipotent unknown evil menace with hideous henchmen as its disposal. Oh, wait, then you read books 2 - 4 of the series and find out it's actually the same old thing.
You have the usual elves, dwarves, giants, trolls, goblins, etc. Nothing new there. Magic is mysterious for a time in the series but it eventually becomes a constant focus which makes me lose interest in it. He tries to be unique by creating the 'Rift' between worlds which allows the Tsurani (bad guys) to come through from a different dimension, but I didn't fall for it. Though I did like his reasoning for their assault on the kingdom. I won't give that away.
One thing I did appreciate is the size of the world. Although, most of it takes place in "The Kingdom" there are other kingdoms that are mentioned or passed through briefly that make you realize that "The Kingdom" is not alone on the world. There is a lot of unexplored territory by people of "The Kingdom," and other civilizations that are about that they are not even aware of. I only wish he had explored this a bit more.
Speaking of "The Kingdom," how unique is that? That is actually the name of the place. "The Kingdom" Who named that? Probably "The King." The other major civilization is "The Empire." A little boring...
Having all of that said, I enjoyed Magician: Apprentice the most in the series. Magician: Master was a close second. These two complete a whole story. Books 3 & 4 are more like a follow up rather than a continuation. They tell different stories about the same people, though all are related.
The characterizations are reasonably good. He doesn't get too deep into them but you learn to care for Pug. The other hero Tomas never really grew on me. It took until book 3 before I really had a good understanding about what these people were about though. I wish that could have been done a bit quicker.
There is a certain predictable nature about everything that happens. Most of the time, you'll know the outcome of a certain event before you read it. Sometimes you'll figure something out long before it ever occurs in print.
The author really keeps a quick pace to everything. At times, he'll skip years to get to the next important event. Personally I like this but I know some like to follow the characters progression at least a little over the years. He makes big jumps occasionally.
Overall, this is one of the better typical epic fantasies I've read even after all the negative things it seems I've said. There are no outstanding innovations but it's worth reading if you don't have any other recommended books on your plate. One good thing is that you really don't have to commit to the 4 book series if you don't enjoy it. Finish the first 2 and you're done with the most interesting storyline in my opinion.

I read this book, and Magician: Master for the first time 5 or so years ago. I remember it being interesting and fast paced. This time when I read it I was interested for the first 50-100 pages, but once Pug goes off on his trip to Krondor, it gets boring. From there until about 100 pages from the end there is nothing but traveling from area to area with a few skirmishes to break up the monotony. I think this series has the potential to be interesting, as the last part of this book was good, but I was let down overall. I hope the second book in the series doesn't lag as much as this one did, or I will never get past book two.

Feist is a world class author, I've been enjoying his works for years now. Just reread this after so many years and can see how he's evolved over the years. This is a good, solid read, for anyone who enjoys Magic, War and the underdog coming out ahead. I would also reccommend The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. Just read that one too and it's an outstanding beginning from a new author.

To someone who's new to Feist, all I can say is, start here and don't stop until you get to the end. Each should be read in it's proper order or you'll be scratching your head at some of the things the characters say that is assumed you know in later books.

It is good to see something new in the genre of fantasy every once in a while. I found this book good, a solid start to the Riftwar Saga. This book shows influence from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, but it is diffrent. Feist made up a few of his own creatures to replace some of the more mainstream ones that are seen in fantasy. A few reason's to read Feist are that you like mainstream fantasy and you don't mind something close and influenced by Tolkien's work, though it does have some originality with the different worlds. But if you find people writing series relatively like the Lord of the Rings then stay away this may anger you. It also has some unexpected conflicts that differ it from other fantasy novls and series. When the author is writing about the moredhel and goblins I thought they would e the main enemy in the book and that there would be some evil wizard or some dark king arising that would use them as their armies, I was wrong. The book had some unexpected enemies arise- from another world.

If you like fantasy novels then read this, its good and it will satisfy most fantasy readers. Good job by Feist on this one.

This book was originally published in 1982. The version I have in my hands is the "New Revised Edition" published in 1992 which "incorporates over 15,000 words of text omitted from the previous editions".

I guess its my own fault for going for the New Revised Edition, but I thought this was way too long. I'm sure Raymond Feist is in love with every word he put down on paper, but in my opinion this book could have done with being a lot shorter. Several whole plot lines could have been easily removed from this book without harming the story in anyway. I've worked my way through Russian epics in less time than it took me to read this book, and to be honest, now that's its finished, I'm not sure what I got out of it.

In the forward to the revised edition, Raymond Feist writes, "I hesitate to admit this publicly, but the truth is that part of the success of this book was my ignorance of what makes a commercially successful novel. My willingness to plunge blindly forward into a tale spanning two dissimilar worlds, covering twelve years in the lives of several major and dozens of minor characters, breaking numerous rules of plotting along the way, seemed to find kindred souls among readers the world over."

Which raises the question: after he's already admitted the book's major faults, is it still fair for me to go after him on these points?

Well, let's start at the beginning. This book is set in the standard fantasy genre setting. Some of Feist's fans (and publisher's reviews) have compared him to Tolkien. He's not in Tolkien's league, but, like most modern fantasy writers, he should probably consider paying royalties to Tolkien's estate, because most of the elements in Feist's fantasy world come straight out of Tolkien: the elves as tall mystical forest druids instead of small little mischievous creatures in a shoemakers shop, the dwarfs as a race of underground miners, the anachronism of having characters based on ancient Norse mythology smoke tobacco, and even going so far as to steal the idea of the Elves and the orcs (or "Dark Brotherhood" as Feist calls them) being related races.

As Feist admits, he has probably far too many characters and plotlines going on in this world of his. Just as your beginning to get a handle on who everyone is, and where all the different races is, and what the relationship between the Dark Brotherhood and the Elves are and all that stuff, the entire world is invaded by beings from another planet. Kind of almost like a sci-fi Alien invasion, I guess, except instead of technology and spaceships they use magical powers to travel back and forth between worlds.

At first the aliens are just an invading host, but then eventually one of the main characters gets captured, and goes back to the aliens world, and then we have to learn all about the history, politics, and culture of that planet.

Now all this can be part of the charm of the book if you let yourself go along with it, but at the end of the day for me personally it was too many characters and plotlines to keep track of, and too little pay off. I guess I don't really expect any big life changing sociological or political messages from a book like this, but even in terms of plot, once everything was said and done, there was nothing extraordinarily special about this book which would cause me to recommend someone to wade through all 700 pages of it.

The descriptive passages are actually pretty good in this book, but the dialogue is terrible. It's somewhat a cross between the formal epic style of Tolkien and a more colloquial modern style, and it just comes off very stilted sounding. Everyone sounds like a character in a book instead of real people. (I'm told by one of my co-workers that even among Feist's fans his dialogue skills are often criticized.) The dialogue attribution is also overloaded with either adverbs or adverbial phrases, given the old "Tom Swifty" effect.

I have purchased all of the Riftwar Saga Series and have enjoyed the story immensely. I first got turned on to the books due to a random pc game selection. It intriqued me enough to want to read the stories. There is ONE MAJOR disappointment with ALL the books and that is the publishing house evidently doesn't consider proofing their products important. For those of us who spend a lot of money on hardcover books, this is a major point of contention. It is equally frustrating at the current price of paperbacks as well. In most of the books there are minor mistakes like mis-spelled words, some of them quite short and in common everyday useage, and a great many punctuation errors which leave you having to reread sentences to understand the dialogue. In one later book in the series, there is a section where the character's names are reversed and it throws you into total confusion until you figure out that the names have been substituted for another character's. I contacted the publishing house and they aren't concerned at all that the books they publish are barely literate. A real shame for the author's contracted out with them. This may be a minor point to some people but for me it is a sore point of contention. If the people who publish the books can't spell and produce a quality product, illiteracy in this country can only increase. If you can get past the p*** poor publishing mistakes, the story is a great read. Sadly enough, the pc games aren't much better in the literacy department, but still a good time to be had overall. It is to be hoped that Mr. Feist will have more say in his books final printing before release frome here on out.

This review covers the entire five books in the series. I'll try to avoid spoilers.
Like many fantasy stories, this one starts out simply, and contains some very familiar elements. Dwarves, elves, and their more or less standard relationship to humans are all present. Don't let this decieve you. This is one of the most imaginative stories to hit the shelves in a very long time.
One of the most noteable aspects of this series is its seemingly endless tiers of powerful beings. Many times we're introduced to a spectacularly powerful creature, yet pages later we learn that compared to something else, that creature's power is miniscule, while a few chapters later we meet something that could crush either of the first two creatures like proverbial bugs.
The characters are likeable and well developed without being stereotypical and cheesey. The plot is fast paced without skimping on detail and exposition. The action is powerful without being predictable.
What really pushed the entire series over the top was the siege of the mountain fortress in the last book. Saying anything else would spoil it, but suffice to say that it was the single most incredible sequence in any book I've ever read.

"Magician: Apprentice" is a good book for the first three hundred or so pages. After that, though, it starts on a downward spiral. The story centers around two young boys, Pug and Tomas, who live in a castle on the western edge of civilization. Pug is training to be a magician, but he struggles with even the simplest spells. Tomas is a young soldier. When Pug's mentor Kulgan infers that there will soon be an invasion by powerful wizards from a parallel universe, a group of people from the castle heads off on a journey to warn the King. Pug and Tomas go along and end up getting caught up in a series of wild adventures.
So far, so good. But the problem is that Feist can't stay focused on his two main characters. This should be a fairly simple story, right? We have two young men and we see an epic conflict unfolding as they get caught up in it. But instead the two of them just sort of disappear after a certain point of the book, while we instead get to see a different battle take place from the perspective of a set of different, and less interesting, characters. While this book was never going to be a masterpiece, it did have the potential to be a quick and amusing read, perhaps on the same order as David Eddings' books. The problem is that Feist let the story get away from him. Also, though there are a few smiles here and there, Feist never really pokes fun at himself quite as mercilessly as Eddings does. Finally, the blatant way in which "Magician: Apprentice" borrows from Tolkien and other authors becomes harder and harder to ignore as the book goes along.
All of which is a shame, because the author really does show some promise. His dialogue is well written, he includes some good fight scenes and chase sequences, and he has a gift for pacing and springing surprises on you. Nevertheless, thought it allowed me to waste a few hours of my spare time, I can't honestly recommend this to anybody.

"Magician" was the first fantasy book I've ever read in English and I found it quite a page-turner the first time around. The world of Midkemia may not be terribly original, but I enjoyed the way Feist describes it's races, politics, cultures in many great details to make the place "real" for the reader, and the very complex plot kept me interested throughout. Unfortunately, once finished the book and the series didn't make me want to go back for a repeat reading and I doubt they ever will. Much of it has to do with Feist's rather flat and mundane prose, and his characters which, with few exceptions, are just not very engaging or interesting. Thus the books are lacking certain something; an extra pinch of "oomph" or a sparkle to make them great. As they are, they are merely good and certainly worth a visit, just don't expect something extraordinary.

This is my first fantasy book in say 7 years or so. To summarize the plot line of the first book, you could say that the tried and true formula of fantasy story telling are extremely evident. To give Mr. Feist some credit, he did write it back in the 80s, and was probably a pioneer back then.

Book one follows the story of Pug the magician's apprentice, and to a certain degree, Tomas his buddy friend come big brother. Like all good fantasy book, you should always have a dwarf (which may or may not be phobic to water or horses) and secondly, a vast army of unknown origin threatening the world. Which so happens, Pug and Tomas discovers when they board an alien ship ran aground.

The characters by default will have to take the dangerous route through an old dwarven mines (lead by the dwarf, naturally) because the obvious route is blocked by the foul demons/monsters/and what not. And yes there's a dragon in there somewhere, magical weapons and spells.

Kicking off book 2 now and checking out how the story enfolds.

All in all, a tried and true formula with fair pacing. Not too much originality I'm afraid. 3 stars for compressing book 1 and 2 of Lord of the Rings into Part 1 of the Riftwar Saga.

This is hands down my favorite book of all time. I have read the book and its companion, Magician: Master, at least ten times. I still laugh and cry every time I read it and my love of the story has not dimmed. The characters are wonderful, from Pug the unassuming orphan of the keep and Tomas the son of a cook to the brooding Prince Aruthra. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat and never bogs down and the ending will have you cheering. Feist is a master at making the reader feel like you are there in the story. You see friendships develop and dreams come true as fate takes a hand in the land of Midkemia. You cannot go wrong with this book!

Since reading this book, my first fantasy novel, about 7 years ago, I was litterally hooked to Fantasy. I read every book Raymond brought out after that and collected them. This particular book has all the elements of a great Fantasy story, its fast, funny at times, serious at times, it has romance and compassion. There is this time, though, where Pug disappears and nobody knows what has happened to him. It felt like forever before we eventually found out.
I am a great Feist fan and even though I am not fond of the "enemy" (the demons) in his recent books, I do love his stories and the world of Midkemia.

This "author's preferred" edition of "Magician" includes a preface by the author which gives the lie to the breathless, over-the-top reviews that accompany this book. "On the throne next to Tolkien", forsooth! Feist makes no such claims himself, describing "Magician" simply as a "ripping yarn". That it most certainly is. A page-turning, neatly-written, exciting fantasy tale that is not exactly bursting with the most original and challenging ideas (Dragons guarding underground treasure vaults; dwarven miners and fey elves) nonetheless includes enough that's new and intriguing to keep it going.

This may not be for the technically minded. It is however for the reader who longs for a sense of magic once felt while young. The magic lost in real life. This book made me want to look for more interesting biology and science books. It is a great leap ahead of his book "the lives of a cell". Many people will equate this with Tolkien. There are many hints at great back story lines and quite a few events that will become legend in this universe. The scene with the dying dragon will stick with me throughout the series and after.

The best part for me was the exclusion of ultra realistic descriptions of every horse, castle, cart, tree etc. as some of the other fantasy writers tend to do. All in all this is great read full of promise.

I must say that this book is the first fantasy genre novel I have ever read.Its language structures and words are simple to understand.The story is awesome and I totally hooked to it for weeks as the story of the characters were so lively and real....Pug ,Tomas and Carline many more.I salute Raymond E. feist for his creativity and I am going to be his fan for a long time and going to collect all the Ritfwar novels. Is there any big difference between the two part series of Magician and the single one? The one I just finished reading was the reviewed edition published in 1997 and some 16000 words were ommited. :)

This book is great. At the time I bought "Magician: Apprentice" I was very busy at work, and yet I read both books in two weeks! I would get home by 10 and keep reading past midnight. Sometimes I look at the reader's comments on some other books I like to look for my next reading, so I got a reference to this book in one of Peter Hamilton's books, and I'm glad I did.
This book kept me in suspense, and I could not wait to find out what was happening to the characters. Sometimes I get interested in a subplot and don't care for the rest of the story, but every subplot in these two books is interesting.

OK, I can't comment on complicated "English Lit Major" type stuff, but I can say that I enjoyed the book very much. In fact I enjoyed the entire series and the follow up series as well. Some of the later books seem to be too hack and slash centric, but the first two series (Riftwar and Serpentwar) were very engaging. I also lent the books to a friend who loved them too. If you want a good read, then I highly suggest these books. If you are looking for something deeper and more meaningful (blah blah blah) then go read some non-fiction, non-fantasy. I've read ALOT of fantasy and sci-fi and I really enjoyed these books (the "Magician" books in particular).

I won't go into the plot, since that is in other reviews, this is just my opinion on the enjoyability of the book.

This being my first experience of Feist, I should be rather interested to read more. The book is not exceptional, but it has all the makings of good fantasy entertainment: a fast-paced plot (so rare in these days), quite likable characters and a certain sense of originality. Feist's main strength, however, seems to be the world of Midkemia. I'm expecting to see more politics and other low-fantasy elements in the following books.
A rather strange decision was to leave Pug's fate completely open in the end of this book; but if it's true what one reviewer said (that this is only the first half of the original vol. 1), it's understandable. I'll return to Feist after I've read the rest of this series.

For those of you who have read the two interlocking series from Magician to Shards of a Broken Crown and all the side stories inbetween, you will understand the title of this review. For the others of you out there, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy what I would argue till my own death by gunfire is the beginning of the greatest series of books ever written on the planet Earth. Of course that is a tall claim, but it is also just an opinion of someone who has read every fantasy and science fiction book he could possibly get his hands on. This same person, myself, has only ever read one other book which made him cry real tears and laugh real laughs(Other then books written to be comedic, like Dave Barry or somesuch). (...) Magician originally was one giant book and later when it was reprinted it was split into two, Apprentice and Master which were edited into the Author's Preferred Editions. I personally believe that it is best to read both the original giant book and the following two books it was split into. This is mainly because there are subtle and less subtle things that were added and removed from both incarnations of the book and it makes a more complete story to read all of it. The first series which Magician is the beginning of (The Riftwar Saga) revolves mainly around Pug and Tomas, a friendship I wish I could even glimpse in my life here on Earth. Both of which seeming to have simple beginnings in life, and both of which destined for things greater then any other beings on Midkemia.
The story moves on for what was years of reading time for me, all spent captivated totally from beginning to end. I began the books in High School(my grades suffered horribly because of the books, I would read them in class, refusing to put them down despite any threats teachers might have made) and recently finished, 3 years after leaving high school, 'Tear of the Gods' the third book in a series that goes back to the time of the Riftwar Saga... and takes you back to the worlds of Feist just as powerfully is it did the first time you read the series.
Read all the books, and I suggest reading the legacy books as you read the Riftwar Saga. They are more fun when you read them in the right time order I think. They are simply breathtaking in their power and beauty. (...)

After reading the various reccomendations given to this book and the Riftwar series, i decided to give it a try. Being a huge fan of elves and dwarves, this book more than satisfied my hunger for these two races. In addition, Tomas and Pug, an orphan and the son of a cook, are two of the most engaging human characters ever created in fantasy, and they become even more interesting as they gain more powers. Curiously, in the Riftwar saga, although goblins and trolls (albeit a smaller breed) do appear, the main conflicts are between different races of humans and elves. There are the standard fair-complectioned humans and elves, and there are the Moredhel (an unusual spin on the concept of dark elves) and the Tsurani (a race of humans that bear traits of Asian, Maya, and Aztec civilizations with a bit of the Ja'far from Stargate SG-1). I do have one small complaint regarding the newer editions of this series. In addition to steadily increasing prices, the well-drawn cover art from previous editions of the author's preferred edition (notably Darkness at Sethanon) has been replaced by lesser drawings of characters or landscapes.

This book is one of the best fantasy books available in the market. Written in simple layman language makes it easy to identify with the characters, the story is very moving and throughout the whole book, you can't stop but amaze yourself about the wonders this fantasy-epic adventure has to offer. It was also the first fantasy book I read when I was a youngster. I still remember how it broadened my mind's eye scope of the world, the world of fantasy, of course!

Title: Magician

Author: Raymond E. Feist

Rating: 5

Pug is a small orphan boy living in the castle keep of Crydee. One of the most important parts of a boy's life was almost upon him. He would be chosen by one of the craft masters to become an apprentice. On that special day all the boys were called except Pug! Right when all looked dim, Kulgan, the master magician at Crydee, came and called on Pug. That was close. Pug begins as a magician's apprentice. One year later he saves the princess from a pair of trolls and earns her love and her father's favor. Not long after Pug's brave feat an alien ship appears on the shore. There is only one survivor from the wreck. Using magical methods he learns that the ship came from another world. So Pug and Kulgan set out on a journey with the Duke of Crydee to bring word of the aliens to the king. They are almost utterly ignored by the king. But instead of going home, they go to where they believe the aliens may have arrived and fear there may be a war. Even his best friend Tomas is having trouble. Tomas had gotten lost in the mines during the journey to the king. Pug, not knowing if his friend lives, is captured by the aliens during a raid of the alien's camp. What will be the results from a war with the aliens when the fate of Pug and Tomas is unknown, and their entire country has been turned upside-down? Find out in Magician.

Editor of Hoppin Readin Review

This is my favourite science fiction fantasy book of all times. Raymond E. Feist created a masterpiece in this book which he continued over his next set of books.

I loved the excellent character development in this book. Pug and Thomas are amazingly complex characters that you feel like you know after reading the book.

I find it very hard to believe that this amazing book has gotten so many bad reviews here. I don't expect everybody to like science fiction/fantasy but if you do, you will love this book.

In fact if asked to recommend a starting science fiction/fantasy book I will always recommend this book.

Myself I have read it many times and no doubt I will read it again. Although some of his later books were excellent none of them came close to this wonderful book until the daoughter of the empire series which was co-written with Janny Wurts.

I rate this up there with Tolkien, I have not been so engrossed in a book since Lord of the rings. I had a hard time putting the series down, and when done with the series found myself lost in reality again. I need to find another good set of novels.

The first two books of the "Riftwar Saga", Magician: Apprentice and Master are great fast-paced adventure, and the best of Feist's work. While many of the adventures of both Tomas and Pug are fairy typical fastasy plots, the characters are good enough that you will love them anyway. While definitely a stereotypical "unlikely hero" story, it is one of my favorite hero tales.
Typical criticism of Feist is for the quality of his prose, which in later books is admitedly not top quality, while the substance of his stories are, on the other hand, praised. Newer editions of the Magician books give you the best of both. Through several re-edits and new editions the magician books have become very polished and are of high quality all around.
While I would not recommend sticking with the series after these first two, you will love the Magician books.

"Magician: Apprentice" and "Magician: Master" were entertaining, but my impression is that Feist cares more for his characters than he does his story. If you want only virtuous, very likable characters, happy endings and G rated banter between hardened warriors then he's your kind of writer. He's very good at this "safe" epic fantasy genre though (and I don't mean that disparagingly), and he does manage to keep things interesting. I prefer a little more reality and darkness and moral flavor in my fiction, personally. "Magician" was like Star Wars without the Empire. Or rather, Star Wars with a misunderstood Empire that's really good, but just set in its ways and in need of reform. It's the kind of adventure fantasy that I imagine aging, virginal, matronly English professors would enjoy ... if it had a bit more shear literary merit.

Never-the-less, if you like the kind of fiction I've described or you just want a change of pace, it's at the very least entertaining reading. Feist is a good story teller, even if he plays softball with his main characters, protecting them from any real tragedy.

I read half way through the sequel series, the Serpentwar, because of bad publishing in my country. That made me annoyed when I realized that the Rifwar's Magician is the first book on the story. Biggest mistake when you don't check out on the store.com's reviews. I knew quite well how good Feist was and what to expect, but was afraid that I knew too much of what happened in Magician.

Actually Magician: apprentice was full of surprises and better than my expectations. It's most powerful tool is certainly the characters. Most of the characters are loveable like the boys Pug and Tomas and of course the princess Carline. Also most of the characters are one way or the other on the good side, even if they show signs of evil for a while.

In the first chapters I was really annoyed by the main characters acting very childishly, but after a while I got used to it and it became very charming. Not many authors can do what Feist did with the Magician. For example I found myself often smiling for the success of Pug from an orphan kid to a magician and sympathized for him when things wasn't going well. If Feist had written it in firstperson, "I'm Pug" instead of "He's", the outcome would've been extraordinary. I said that cause many times it's amazingly feels like it's written in firstperson when you get into heads of the characters. There is lot of humor here, but you won't fall down laughing.

I think this is where most of the readers put the book aside, expecting blood and violence like in the Serpentwar or other series. The enemy and the monsters, as well as the plot, are anyway very laughable and remind me of D&D (Chinese army, dark elfs and those two famous ugly trolls). I'm too old for reading about dwarfs and elfs for the billionth time. But Feist shouldn't be underestimated, as I said: I've read his other works and they are full of sex and violence, it's nothing I miss in Magician. As the first book in the series, it's forgivable that it's not so dark or original yet. Even if the plot could have been better, Feist's world is great to look at and not too complex. There is no wasted time on explaining Pug's shoes or Arutha's bedroom. Also this is the first time in a while I didn't have to worry about names of places and characters after George Martin and Robert Jordan. In addition to this, Magician is blessingly fastpacing: months and years can go between two chapters so the reader don't have to read what Pug is doing in his cabin during the journey on the ship to a far place.

It's not the best I've read, but I certainly loved it very much. All those negative comments don't stop me from giving it a five. I recommend you this book specially if you are young, mostly as a warm book about friendship and unforgettable characters. You shouldn't forget there are many sequels, still being produced by Feist, and if you like the concept or the author you have the opportunity to read them. And surly it gets more darker and mature later soon in the other books if that's what you want to read.

You should note that this review excludes Magician: Master.

Magician is a very well written book. It characters are well thought out and very believable and the details are exquisite. You half expect to see the Tsranni home land the next time you step out side. It has cultures that are elaborate and understandable. It is fiction. It has too many plots that take away from the story, but not much. Even if you understand what is happening to Pug, Thomas, and the Dukes son, the protagonists you will be confused by the political element that comes into play.

I like that the book has no clearly defined good or evil and that the characters are all fighting for many different and changing factions. You don't know who the real enemy is until the end. You don't even know who is on what side. It comes together and ends nicely though. This tale of worlds is incredible and satisfying, but if you don't like reading long books don't even think about touching this one.Here is the general overview.

Pug is the apprentice to Kuglan, a magician. He can't seem to learn magic spells despite being good with magical devices. One day, however he is taking a walk with the Dukes daughter and they are attacked by trolls. Suddenly PUg castes a spell. His master is astonished by this because magicians normally have to read the spell off the scrolls.

Later in the story a shipwreck occures. In the ship they find a man and weapons. They discover that he was from a different world, and that the aliens are planning to invade. Pug is soon captured, and when taken as a slave into the Tsranni world in found to be a Great One. He tries to conform and become Tsranni-like.

Meanwhile, Thomas, Pug's friend is going with the Duke to get the Kingdoms aid. After the Dark Brotherhood attacks them they find refuge with the Dwarfs who try to giude them throught the mines. However, a wraith attacks them as they go into the mines. Thomas gets separated from the group. While Thomas is wandering in this hopeless labyrinth he finds a golden dragon. The dragon dies but gives him a gift of golden armor, with a sword. Thomas doesn't, however, know who originally owned the armor, and he is slowly being transformed into a lesser god who once wore the armor. Another conflict in this overloaded story.

To make a long story short(to late) a war ensues. Thomas quickly becomes a skilled warrior and is defending himself against both the influence that is in the armor, and the Tsranni armies. Pug is trying to adapt to the Tsranni way of life. The Dukes son is on a political mission to get the Kingdoms aid. This is easier said then done as the nation is nearly in civil war, and another war with Kesh, a notion to the South of them is also imminent. Everyone, is confused by the actions of Marcos the Black who seems to be orcastrating everything.

The story is complex but a joy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to pass time or just read a good story.

This was really the first fantasy book I ever read. I read it in junior high and couldn't put it down. However, I've recently re-read it, and compared with the Dragonlance and Salvatore's FR stuff, unfortunately it just doesn't hold up.
For one thing, the story is light and wasn't entirely gripping. THe characters are okay, but not spectacular. I enjoyed Feist's writing style, descriptive but not too wordy. I think overall the story could have used more action.
I haven't read the subsequent riftwar books, and I'm not sure if I'm going to.

This is the BEST book I have ever read. The characters have been cleverly designed and the storyline has been thought out to perfection. When reading the opening chapters, you get a full sense of comfort and are drawn in by the ingenious plot. Having read the Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings, and can truly say that this is better. For months, I was reading all of the Raymond E Feist books, and for months I was ignoring my homework and hobbies. It really changed my life around. Anyone out there who hasn't read this book must, and anyone who has read it must read it again. Your sense of mystery increases and you can't put the book down for a second-literally. Once you've read this book,you've got to read the rest as this book grabs your attention so drastically and draws you into the world of Midkemia. It's like being at home in a foreign. The plot has been established perfectly,and you receive many different storylines which all come together towards the end. You feel so satisfied at the end of the book when the characters are rewarded so thoroughly, and justice is done, a truly miraculous book.

I enjoyed this book for what it is, an entertaining light read. It is not complicated and I was able to read it within two days. I will most probably read the next book of the series, I am happy for the people that rated this book so highly, however to I would like qualify why I rated it as 3 stars. I have several criteria for what makes a good book:
Enjoyable - You have to enjoy it. I enjoyed it as entertainment not as a classic.
Originality - I did not find a great deal of originality within the book. Dwarfs, Elves, Dragons have all been used before. Even the concept of Dark Elves and Golden Dragons has been used. Once again we have a low born, young orphan boy with some sort of special power no one else has. The concept of one universe invading another maybe original I can't be sure (given the date of first release of this book). The clash of worlds could be likened to the Roman Empire meeting the Medieval Knights of Europe.
Unpredictable - If a book is predictable, I feel comfortable or unchallenged. This book made me feel comfortable because in the main it was predictable. For example, during the great siege of Crydee it was obvious that the frontal attack was a diversion for some other angle of attack. I immediately thought of using the sewage or forgotten underground tunnel system they may have found.
Characters - Characters must be engaging and have depth/history or intrigue about them. Some of the better characters in this book are not the main characters. Macros the Magician, the Master woodsman and towards the end we have Thomas his special armour. Some of the more boring characters are Pug, Kulgan, the Princess and the Duke.
Intrigue - There should be a number of sub-plots to keep interest. This was introduced late in the book but could have been more expanded upon and made more powerful. The issue around the King, or perhaps an alliance with a person or race in the Kingdom could have been used. Things just seemed to happen and things worked out for the best.
Believable/ Realistic - I don't mean realistic from a real world point of view but what would really happen if someone were waging a war. The example I use here is related to a Tsurani slave that was captured. All through the book the Kingdom people kept saying how little they know about the invaders and that all soldiers they tried to capture fought to the death or committed suicide. Finally they capture a slave and find out he is a ex-Tsurani officer who was put into slavery. This Tsurani offers to join the Kingdom. Do they interrogate him, do they ask about the magicians from the other world, do they ask about the other world war tactics, do they ask about the head Warlord etc?? No they don't. That is the first thing any Army commander would do. If they did it interrogate him, the book did not elaborate on the outcome.
Not Boring - Some books go into intricate detail about the most uninteresting things that do not add value. Some books explain at length (page after page) about the state of a hotel room. This book is not boring and does not go into long-winded descriptions that do not add value.
Well Written - This depends on the target audience. This appears to be aimed at a junior audience and as such it is well written.
When I go to the movies sometimes I come out and think about that movie for days. Other movies I come out and feel that I was entertained, I could see it again but ten minutes later I don't think about it. Magician Apprentice is the later. To sum up, I like a book that makes me think about what if, who or what is that person, what will happen next or how did it ever arrive at this situation.

Oh, it's been a long time since I read this series - ten years at least, I think! I do recall bits and pieces of the story, but for the most part, this is like reading a whole new series of books! Very well-written and peopled with interesting and likable characters, I am really looking forward to reading this entire series and catching up on the books that have been published since I last read these. All in all this was a wonderful and intriguing start to the series, set in a detailed new world.

If the world of Midkemia feels familiar--possibly even cliched--that's because it is. Ray Feist is writing from a D&D game that he had in college, so the fantasy is not original in setting. D&D itself is a rather clumsily thrown-together goulash of all kinds of fantasy stereotypes and cliches itself.

Despite that, Magician (and the rest of the Riftwar Saga) succeed where so many other novels in the genre do not, due to compelling characters, interesting and intriguing plot, drama, tensions, romance, and a very skilled writer.

So many other "high fantasy" writers leave me disappointed; Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, David Eddings, R. A. Salvatore... the list goes on and on.

Raymond Feist is one heck of a writer, and that's the secret of his success.

David Gemmell, in an authors interview, once stated that he felt his fans deserved something more than the traditional elves and goblins. Whilst I make no attempt to disparage Gemmell's work, (he is without question one of my top ten favorite authors) occasionally one feels the need for such stories. Indeed, many authors seem to think as Gemmell does, that elves and goblins are the rule and books of the more realistic type are the exeption. In trying to prevent a stereotype of fantasy work, these authors have over compensated, leaving genuine, simple, Tolkeinesque fantasy in a minority. The key to Feist's success is that he manages to create a realistic world in the style of this stereo type. As he says himself in the Foreword to the revised edition, all he set out to do with Magician (published in America as "Magician - Apprentive" and "Magician - Master") was to create a 'ripping good yarn', and this he does.
The story itself is both simple and complex. On one level the town of Crydee, on the edge of the Kingdom of Isles, is deemed an ideal spot for invasion by aliens who can move from planet to planet by virtue of magical rifts. Because this is a frontier town it is near settlements of elves and dwarves, thus bringing those into the fray. However, this book, as indeed the entire series, seems to pan out more like a soap opera, as we become familiar with the lives of a whole range of major and minor characters. Like a good soap opera (if that's not a dichotomy) Feist is not afraid to kill off major characters, no matter how popular. Like 'The Godfather' the pace of Magician is "Legato rather than Staccato" (Francic Ford-Coppolla, dir.) and this give Feist the luxury of demonstrating his characters rather than having to explain them. Indeed, many fantasy novels become so obsessed with a 'higher purpose' that often they loose a sense of the personalities involved, whereas Fiest gives views ranging from the lowliest peasant to the King.
In many ways this novel is a microcosm of the series that was to follow it. The convoluted plot, the importance attached to characters, even if they are engaged elsewhere, away from the main plotline.
But the novel is not perfect. Feist can be heavy handed, making explicit that which should be implicit. For instance, characters frequently call on 'Ruthia', and on each occasion Feist feels the need to identify here as the goddess of luck, when this is quite clear from the context.
Nonetheless this is without doubt an excellent book, and one which I would heartily recomend.
T.F.

I suspect judging by the negative reviews that these readers are looking for a book/series based on fantasy to be written with adults in mind. Thankfully this book/series of books were not. I was given this book when I was 11 years old (I'm 38 now) and felt a great accomplishment in reading my first 1000 page book. The hard copy in 1984 combined both Magician Apprentice and Master. Although the book was entitled simply Magician. I still have this book, and have read this book only twice. Why twice? I was swept up into the wonders of the magical world created by Feist when I first read the book. The second time I was a little older and was more interested in the details. I would recommend this book a kid. In fact I handed this book to my 11 year old last night after he had mentioned he was bored with the book he was reading. Some zombie tale he had been reading. We all have opinions on what makes a good read. For me the book is sentimental. I was lost in this book from the moment I picked it up and from a 11 year olds viewpoint the story was rich, and the characters were vivid. This is the book that launched me into the reading world of fantasy. Of Magic, Dragons, elves and trolls. I've since read many other authors. But for me, Magician will always be my favorite fantasy book.

The story is well told and it's about one race invading a fantasy realm full of humans, dwarves, and elves. (War of the Worlds - Fantasy Style)

The characters are likeable, funny at times, and inspiring.
The battle scenes are well written and exciting.
The setting is fairly standard, but good.

I only have one gripe and that some chapters skip months or years ahead. Feist always catches the reader up to speed in the first couple of pages, but you end up saying, "huh?" and checking to see if you skipped a page at times.

Overall, the book is a good one, and I'll be picking up the second book of the series.

I was first introduced to the Riftwar series by a friend, who let me borrow a game, Betryal at Krondor. I had no idea how to play it, so, he showed me the book. I am not an avid reader of fantasy books, but this one just caught my eye from the first chapter. Raymond E. Feist develops his characters fantastically, and with so many human emotions. (Something that, i am sorry to say, has disappeared from many fantasy books lately.) Although it gets kind of slow in the middle, (The reason for the 9) this book shouldn't be passed. I truly recommend this book to anyone, not just fantasy buffs.

Pug, a local boy in the town of Crydee, feels himself very unimportant, that is until the Duke's Magician chooses him as his apprentice. This tale follows Pug as he begins on his path to being a Magician, and perhaps more. Also, the entire Kingdom is being threatened by an invasion, from another world!

This book is a great introduction to two vastly different worlds, joined in what later becomes a common danger to them both. Once you begin reading this story you won't want to put it down, as Fiest throws you one twist after another. I would recomend this book to any Fantasy fan.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Very catchy story, worth to read, 4 Nov 2007

I liked the story as it changes through the book, taking interesting turns and introducing new characters and stories. It is worth reading if you like fantasy books.

I can describe this fantasy book as a typical middle earth story merged with some alien invasion and a touch of magic by magicians.

The reason I did not give five stars is that there are quite some things that are explained about how the magic works, and never or very little used later on, so didn't quite understand why they were mentioned. Maybe in the second or third book it will make sense.

In "Magician: Apprentice", Raymond Feist lays the groundwork for a fascinating series of novels, with broad scope, interesting characters, and a deeper level of detail than many fantasy works. However, particularly in this first and foundational novel, the plot is relatively slow and the characters are as yet undeveloped. If this volume is taken in isolation, I think it must rate fairly low on the scale. It is the knowledge of the rest of the series awaiting which allays this somewhat, since much of the material (especially in the author's Preferred Edition) is necessary for the more enjoyable tales of the next three volumes. Despite the author's claim that the novel itself arises from the desire for "a rollicking...tale", I would not rate this work of fantasy alongside J.R.R Tolkien, Guy Gavriel Kay, or others in my first picks list. As an aside note, it is when I take into account not only the Riftwar saga as such, but also the subsequent books set in Midkemia, and the "Empire" series, co-authored by Feist and Janny Wurts, that the real richness of the Midkemian Universe becomes evident. While the Tsurani culture borrows heavily from oriental culture, and many aspects of the topography and political nature of the Midkemian world are not developed (especially the Empire of Great Kesh, which is given very short shrift in all but one of the books), all in all the descriptions of the Valheru legacy, the world of Kelewan and it's vicious political organization, the interesting discourses on the arts magical, and the later development of characters such as Jimmy the Hand, Arutha, and Tomas give the series a vast sense of the heroic combined with occasional gripping scenes of reality.

Magician Apprentice is the start of one of the best fantasy series of all time. The fact that Feist is still writing books is a credit to his work and his imagination. Some years back, a friend of mine encouraged me to read this book. I had stopped reading books at the time due not being able to find books that interest me. After reading this book, I picked up most of the series and have read and re-read every book in the series. i would give this book 4.5 stars if I could, due to it being only half of the story. Magician: master being the other half. I recommend buying both books together to enjoy the entire read. If you love fantasy, and love reading about political plots, action, and characters that you love to read about, the this is the book you HAVE to buy.

This book is very superbly crafted. You never get bored with the characters or the plot. The wrld building is great. I always hear that in fantasy novel descriptions but I am not just throwing that word out here. This one is great! If you are waiting for some of the other series to finish up read this Riftwar Series. It is not just a filler between great fantasy books but one that you will remember for a long time. May make those other books seem like fillers with Feist's new series coming out. In any case, the bottom line is that if you like fantasy get this book because it will not disappoint

I bought this book paired with Magician Master, the whole Ice and Fire saga and and the last book of the Earthsea saga, maybe it was just the sheer contrast of the quality of the book against the other two but I felt the book felt a little shallow, I believe I was told that this was the author's first novel and the subsequent titles (and specially) series get incresingly better, daring to believe it I got the second title with the first one and also the first of another saga of him. Even so this this doesn't negate the fact that the book is shallow, cliched and almost forgettable, maybe the story is well told but it just doesn't bring enough new things to the table to call it an original production in addition to this there are moments when the story becomes too simplistic and it feels like it's aimed (or written) by an even younger audience than which it should. All in all it's not a bad book, I haven't read the sequel yet and I can't tell if it's worth reading just because of the subsequent books, but as an individual work it's definitely not a masterpiece and I can think of a lot of titles more worthy of recommendation.

Obviously inspired by Tolkiens LOTR, Magician: Apprentice by Raymond.E.Feist, is a fresh idea focusing on many characters and a range of locations, compleate with detailed maps on both the home world, Midkemia and the alien world, Kelewan.

The world of Midkemia, where our main character Pug is from, consists more on the sterotypical races such as Elves, Dwarves, Goblins etc, whereas Kelewan is more of a martial arts focus, reminding me somewhat of a Japanese style.

The book is an excellent masterpiece and those who are interested in Fantasy, magic etc would love this although it is quite a hefty book and requires some deal of concentration on characters and events as a lot takes place.

Initially the book focuses around Pug and his childhood friend with Pug becoming apprentice to the magician Kulgan in the Keep of Crydee. However after a discovery of an alien ship, which Pug and Tomas discovered they soon become an important part of the goings on around them.

The story continues with travels, then Pug and Tomas become seperated leaving Tomas to deal with his destiny as a soldier after the discovery of some ancient armour. Pug then gets captured by the aliens, now know as the Tsurani and becomes a slave on their homeworld deeper into the book.

The story then shifts and focuses more onto Lord Borric (heir to the throne) and his two sons. This obviously paves the way for later books as Lord Borric dies during the battle along with the King leaving Lyam the elder son heir to the throne and Arutha Prince of Krondor.

Meanwhile Pug becomes a master Magician on the world of Kelewan, has a family and returns to Mikemia just in time for the death of Lord Borric.

There is a suprise end twist but i dont want to give away the ending!

The story goes into depth a great deal of past history (esp on the Tower of Testing in Kelewan) but it soon makes sense.

Many minor characters are involved such as Princess Carline, who has an initial infatuation with Pug after he saved her from some trolls, landing him the position of Squire in the keep and Squire Roland. Also from the world of Kelewan, Kasumi and Laurie the singer also from Midkemia but capured as a slave.

I enjoyed this book very much and it has encouraged me to get the remaining books in the saga as well as research into many other titles by Raymond.E.Feist

I dont think I ate for the three days that I read this book! It's probably a good job it wasn't a few thousand pages long or I might have died trying to finish it! I have to say that nothing in the realms of phantasy literature has ever come close to it and I have reade a few books!!

I think if I had to be one character from all the books I have ever read it would have to be Tomas... He's one one mean mother and he gets the girl at the end of the day(even if she is a few hundred years old!)

reymond e.feist originally wrote the book called magician and it was split in 2 me personnaly i had no problem it being just one book in fact i prefered it.magicianis well written imaginative and fun in fact thats a good way to describe magician fun.feist has a very good talent for story telling and describe his work and god is that important to describe your book.character development happens with pretty much all his characters {especially pug,carline and thomas}. the story wasnt really cliched it was pretty original and feist has a good talent for putting in things that you wouldnt expect to happen {like pug getting captured and becoming milamber didnt see that one coming}.magician is good fun to read if you like fantsy buy it it's a great read and a lot of fun highly recommended.

My favorite series of all time. That includes the Hobbit and Dune series which I loved. Now I mostly listen to books from Audible.com and would really love to get the whole series in that format. I have all of the books, but my eyes get tired fast now.

Raymond Feist is one of the best authors when it comes to Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The Riftwar books were excellent books that kept me riveted. I am not one to read books more than once, but I have actually read this series twice.

If you are looking for a fun series with a great story Magician Apprentice/Master, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon are a must read. The books that came after: Prince of the Blood and The King's Buccaneer were also a great read.

If you are a fantasy fan you would be missing out if you did not read these books from Raymond Feist.

If you're interested in reading the whole saga that starts in this book, I think you're looking at 5 stars. However, as a BOOK, Magician: Apprentice is, frankly, lacking. There is no resolution to ANY plotline, and the back-of-cover blurb, which describes a book about the possible rise to power of a young apprentice, is incredibly misleading. Perhaps the SAGA is about that, but this book itself abandons all development of the main character after about 100 pages. Very disappointing.
On the good side, the next book, Magician: Master, picks up right where it should. It's almost as if this series started out as one large book and then got arbitrarily chopped into multiple pieces for publishing.

This book is what got me started reading fantasy when I was a freshman in high school. Actually, it's what got me started reading novels of any kind. I discovered Feist accidentally through an excerpt in a magazine. I was amazed by what he made me see in my mind, so I bought Magician: Apprentice.

And Magician: Apprentice did not disappoint. The story was compelling. I appreciated how much thought Feist put into world-building. It was obvious that he didn't just sit down and start writing, hoping things would fall into place. He created a world - two, in fact - with an interesting history and memorable characters.

Remember that this was my first experience with fantasy. I wasn't aware of all the clichés that the cynics claim the genre falls prey to. Of course elements of fantasy are going to appear in a fantasy novel; we can't fault Feist for that. But, even all these years later, thinking back on this book, it wasn't some cookie cutter story. It's a genuine good read, and one that I recommend to anyone, especially those who are trying fantasy for the first time.

I'm going to leave a simple review in this space on The Riftwar Saga and all the subsequent series began in the book originally published as 'Magician' then later republished in two different books 'Magician: Apprentice' and 'Magician: Master'.

Anyway, in any form the books are masterfully written. Even with all the books in the series, there is no problem with continuity. I've followed not only the lives of Pug and Tomas from childhood to adulthood, but I've seen a world grow as well. I've been there, watching from the sky and from inside the minds of the people that live there. I've battled demons and ridden atop the backs of dragons as well. I've feared Tomas in his valheru rage and I've feared for Milamber as he seemed in danger of losing his identity.

In this world, people prevail and people die. It is startlingly realistic for a fantasy setting. Sometimes it is hard to read because, similar to real life, things do not always go the way you want them to. But in the end, you realise that it was the way it had to be. It was preordained by a powerful force that set events in motion long ago. Or... well, Feist.

I've read the entire series through over from the beginning every time a new book has been realized and eagerly await the next book with open arms and empassioned eyes.

A friend gave me this as a Christmas gift over 25 years ago and I still think it's one of the best books I've ever read. I'm reading it over again and planning to read the other books in the Rift Wars Saga. Go Raymond Feist!

Many books describe other worlds, but Magician attempts to somehow explain the art of magic, almost scientifically, allowing us to transported into another world that has been most enjoyable to read about. The book isn't long-winded (such as Game of Thrones), and yet Im convinced GOT borrowed quite a bit from Magician. Characters are clearly distinguished between on another - each with unique mannerisms that brings them to absolute life. I personally, would like sexual interaction between main characters to become just a drop more involved, but I also understand that Raymond has kept it light on purpose. Lastly, I would've liked to see more twists or treachery involved, as one was left able to predict at times. All in all, a fantastic read worth the escapism into another world, old world creatures and superb magic.

This is a truly fun book and a great fantasy read. Bearing in mind that it is the start of a series, and only the first half of this particular section, it tells an exciting start to a war across two worlds. Interesting characters, magic, elves, and dwarves. All good things.

Well as the story goes: I wasn't a really big reader. I read the occasional book in school, you know the ones your teachers force you to read, but I never found anything that struck me as being brilliant. Well one day I was at my girlfriends house and saw a book on her book shelf, and thought that looks interesting. I'd never read any fantasy books before so this was my first, and I tell you I couldn't put it down. It was brilliant, in fact it was better than brilliant. The chacters are so well thought out and the plot is intreaging. Feist is truly a "Magician" when it comes to telling a good story.
Since reading Magician (I call it Magician because here in little ol' Aussie we have both Magician: Apprentice, and Magician: Master in the one book) Ive read all Feist's other books and they were just as good as this one. Well actually, I tell a lie Im currently waiting to pick up Shards of a Broken Crown (The final book in the Srpent War Saga), so I havn't read them all. Also, since reading Magician I have read a whole variety of other fantasy books, and none of the ones I read even compare to Feist's writing. I definetly recomend this book, and all his others.

This book has been sitting in my collection since about 1988 and I just decided to pick it up for some historical reading. I know that Feist with this series in particular was much lauded as one of the great epic fantasy writers of the day, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. In comparison to modern fantasy this is analgous to watching an episode of Leave It to Beaver in that your first reaction will be "boy, this is really quaint and outdated." Every character is a simple, do-good or do-bad fantasy cliche. There is very poor representation of true human motivations, as one has come to expect from more modern works. As such the characters all come off as extremely shallow and one dimensional. For this reason alone I found it very difficult to get engaged in the reading. I think that all of this is forgiveable given its age and this interpretation may simply be anachronistic. However, what is less easily overlooked is the pure lack of original thought.

To make this point, consider the following summary of the story line: Two small people who have a wizard friend somehow get involved in some evil plot on their home. They meet elves, a party is formed to confront the evil and they are whisked away. On their way they pass through - you guessed it - Dwarven mines. And in those mines they meet - you guessed it - some horrible evil thing that removes one member of the party. There is the stereotypical wizard/mentor, princess/wanna-be fighter, ranger, hammer wielding dwarf, and the beautiful elven queen. All portrayed exactly as Tolkien meant them to in his books. The only variation here is that the enemy is an alien invader Japanese stereotype rather than Sauron and orcs.

Even for it's time I can't see how this work wasn't considered unoriginal. In all, I would say that this is a quaint, simplistic, but shallow, cliche fantasy work suitable for a teenager newly introduced to the genre. By today's standards it seems immature, uncompelling and derivative. I intend to stop reading this series with this book. I felt that it was essentially a waste of time.

I loved this book, well written and a delight to read. I was trying to make it last I'm pleased it had another 2 books to complete the Rift war trilogy. This should be a movie - I hope Peter Jackson or Stephen Spielberg will pick it up soon. The CGI would be wonderful if done right
This is definately one of my favourites, there is alot of action and adventure and thankyou very very much Raymond please keep writing you are wonderful. This review is written by the Author of It's Your Life, Make the Most of it, Here's How

feist builds his characters nicely. a lot from the character's everyday life. the enemies come suddenly. the plot lacks something, something that would make it really interesting. we are not told enough about them, and there is not enough suspence here. nor are the moments of suspence well enough written. i don't know, but feist has never really convinced me. he makes everything seem like stereotypes. it's probably the way he describes people's reactions.

This is a good solid read. I don't want to bother going into who barrowed ideas from whom. I'm sure some authors I've read have gotten ideas from Fiest and possibly vice versus. Tolkien clearly was an influence on this author.

I saw one complaint about there not being a 2nd part to this book, which made me scratch my head since there is indeed a 2nd, and 3rd part.

If you like an easier classic fantasy read than this is for you!

As said in the title, this book is amazing! I found this book to be absolutely enjoyable, more than you can probably imagine. I have read thousands of books, and this one is in my top ten.

This book makes characters who don't seem like print on paper, who instead seem like people. This book has characters who think, who make mistakes, and who do things right. This book makes characters who aren't perfect, which is really enjoyable and wonderful.

This book has a story line which really leads into the next book, having you sitting on the edge of your seat, unable to wait to get the other book. The story of this book is one with suspense, adventure, change, action, friendship, and teamwork. This book has more than you could imagine.

I definatly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy books. It has a start that graduly leads you in, but that doesn't take forever about it.

So this book is absolutely great, and one I would definatly recommend to almost anyone.

This was actually the first fantasy novel i ever read, and now, having sampled much of what the genre has to offer, I can say with confidence that Feist nicely crosses the gap between the deep and complex, and the light and insipid. His world, in any other's hands, would produce trite crap, but he manages to make it not only believable but compelling, with his sympathetic characters, well-developed geopolitical environment and bold writing style. Don't expect something in the same vein as Williams, but it is a pleasant, original read nonetheless, and certainly beats the pants off of Goodkind or even Jordan.

Raymond Feist was not the first author I read a book from when first coming into fantasy, but I wish it had been, he is by far the best in his class next to Tolkien. In the First book magician Pug And Thomas, I gat shivers thinking about it i have never enjoyed another book better then Feist's book's in my 20 years living I would say if you hadn't read this book you missed out on an experience. The transformation that Pug and Thomas go throw both being so unique and so original in thinking that i was blown away.; Arutha by far is the greatest charater in both a book world and someone you might meet on the street. Every character Feist introduces It's hard to explain it's almost like there real just coming out of the page and talking to you face to face he really makes it good and thr depth that the story goes into is almost feels like it could happen. The theres that deep family feeling that comes at you when you read about Duke Borric and Arutha and Lyme and of course Martin WOW!!!!!! Thats something only a Master of words can accomplish.

Magician: Apprentice is a great read; its fast-pace, dynamic characters, and interesting insights make it a true fantasy page turner. Although, as fantasy novels, the Magician series shares certain qualities with The Lord of the Rings, they are extremely different sorts of books. While Magician: Aprentice does not share Tolkien's lyrical prose (my favorite aspect of the LOtR), it also is not written with the same sense of self-consciousness, gravity, and self-importance that seem to pervade Tolkien's work. Pug and Tomas evolve as realistically as is possible in a fantasy novel throughout the Magician series. Feist's portrayal of alternate universes and quantum theory is subtle and believable; after all, everyone knows that "there is no magic" (if you've read the series, you understand this). In short, Magician: Apprentice is a light-hearted novel that successfully explores the classical fantasy ideas of good vs. evil, reality, chaos vs. order, human nature, and foriegn lands. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy.

One word to sum up this book: WOW. Of course, for me, the first half was boring. But, once I got into it, I could not believe I had neglected it! I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to try and finish it . . . I didn't that day, but I did the next! The books holds a mystical power that just made it one of the best books I have ever read.

And the ending? Definantly my favourite ending of all time. I couldn't believe it. I never, ever, ever, ever, ever find books with good endings. I mean, they're alright, but this . . . its was the perfect balance of an opening for a new book, no second book, it was humourous, inviting, perfect and everything about it just screamed, "AWESOME!"

I got it as a birthday present - one which I now hold as one of the best presents ever. It really was a splendid read.

Raymond E. Feist, in my opinion, writes fantasy. that's it. not humourous fantasy like piers anthony, light fantasy like mercedes lackey. he doesn't even add that dash of homour found in eddings. but the thing is, it's good fantasy, solid writing, interesting going-ons. i won't tell u the content yet again, but i will say that i find that there is too little character development, too little background information, so half the time you're just guessing as to what's going on, and no idea at all what's going on with the other side. all you get are the impressions (usually wrong) of the main characters, who at this point in time, are young, innocent, rather stupid people who mean little in the scheme of things in their world. Still, magican, apprentice and master, are the best of the series, as the rest are add-ons, and after your favourite characters die, pug alone is not enough of a draw, especially as the doors/worlds thing is confusing to say the least.
But, the book is a marvelous introduction to my favourite fantasy series of all time, the Empire trilogy, as i call it, written by Feist in collaboration with Wurts, about the Empire people. It's funnier, deeper, with less swords-clashing, and much more development all round. And it shows the point of view of the bad guys too.

"Magician" (Apprentice and Master) was entertaining, but my impression is that Feist cares more for his characters than he does his story. If you want only virtuous, very likable characters, happy endings and G rated banter between hardened warriors then he's your kind of writer. He's very good at this "safe" epic fantasy genre though (and I don't mean that disparagingly), and he does manage to keep things interesting. I prefer a little more reality and darkness and moral flavor in my fiction, personally. "Magician" was like Star Wars without the Empire. Or rather, Star Wars with a misunderstood Empire that's really good, but just set in its ways and in need of reform. It's the kind of adventure fantasy that I imagine aging, virginal, matronly English professors would enjoy ... if it had a bit more shear literary merit.

Never-the-less, if you like the kind of fiction I've described or you just want a change of pace, it's at the very least entertaining reading. Feist is a good story teller, even if he plays softball with his main characters, protecting them from any real tragedy.

No, it's not the most well written book I've ever read but it's a page turner. On the critical side, there were quite a few places where I found myself re-reading sections because the language just wasn't put together well. It also seemed to be lacking a little in the depth of plot. It does make up for that with many good back stories that intertwine. It's just not as deep as I'd like it to be.
I really don't see why people are comparing this to Tolkien. It's not. The writing is different, the worlds are different and the story is different. Before I read this book heard the compairisons and had that in mind when I first started with it. It just didn't materialze.
Even with what I've mentioned above, the book was a good read. Feist is a great story teller, even if the story is lacking a little in depth. I'd personally rather have more depth and less bredth.. or have the book be longer.. or split into two books, but I'd still recomend it to anyone who's a Fantasy reader.

First of all, let me tell you it's a great book. I would greatly recommend this novel, especially young teens. It chronicles the life of a keep boy, Pug, in his journey to become the greatest mage in Midkemia. Magician describes the trials and tribulations of a teenager on their journey to adulthood.

On a lighter note, the plot line and story are great. Feist's description of events and places are absolutely amazing. If you read close enough, you start imagining that you are in the middle of the events that are taking place. After the first couple of chapters, you unknowingly start to get to know some of the characters that you like the most. For me, it was Martin Longbow.

In my opinion, Magician and the subsequent books are like an easier to understand Lord of The Rings. They both are the same type of book (fantasy) with roughly the same creatures (trolls, giants, elves, dwarves, goblins, dragons, etc). Yet, I was able to understand magician much easier because Feist uses a much more modern dialect than Tolkien, since the lord of the rings was written much earlier than magician. While an older audience may say that Tolkien isn't hard to understand, for the younger generations, in general, I believe it is. Therefore, magician should appeal to the teenage audience much more than to an adult audience

As a word of caution, I don't recommend children 10 and under to read Magician. Some of the situations that arise may cause them some confusion

I just finished reading the Wheel of Time for the second time in anticipation of Book 10 in that series. Tolkien and Jordan are the only two fantasy writers I had ever read, before this, and they have proven to be a tough standard to meet. Magician: Apprentice was not bad, but I often found the plot to be predictable. It seemed to be the 'fantasy' of an amateur writer who had played too much Dungeons and Dragons, the sort of story you might expect to be posted on the internet. That being said, I still enjoyed parts of it. Towards the end, the book became interesting. I have started Magician: Master and thus far it is vastly superior, as the plot is more original and does not seem to be derived from Dungeons and Dragons so much. If you have not read the Wheel of Time series, I would recommend it over this Rift War Saga in a heart beat.

This book is the first volume of the Riftwar trilogy (total 4 volumes), an epic tale composed of fast-moving action and vivid imagination.

Pug, an orphan from Crydee becomes an apprentice to the master magician Kulgan. Pug becomes an unlikely hero, thrown into the age-old battle that pits good versus evil, and the forces of Order against Chaos.
Fast paced, with multiple plot lines. Recommended.

The book begins with an orphan named Pug, who was an apprentice to a master sorcerer Kulgan. Pug showed great power in times of stress, which puzzled Kulgan. Pug was then captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, who was invaders from another world. He earned a new name--Milamber, after the sorcerers there learned of his magic! After learning from the sorcerers, Pug soon discovered the hidden powers within him and how to control them. With that he then became the most powerful magician of both worlds. His adventures and feats are unbelieveable. Journey with him back to his world and experience his fight against the alien invaders of his world. Magician::Apprentice & Master are the two best books I have ever bought. I have read them at least a dozen times and each time is better than the last. Thanks to the writing of Raymond E. Feist, he brings the people to life in these books. If you are a person that loves magic, dragons, elves, etc.., AND a great story plot that will keep your attention, then this is the book for you. And you will find it very hard to put down.

"Magician: Apprentice" is an interesting piece of fantasy, but Feist doesn't spend nearly enough time developing characters (with the exception of Pug and possibly Thomas). I found Carline with her love troubles belonged more to a daytime soap opera than to a serious fantasy [sic]. And I don't have much of a stomach for the goody-goody characters who fill this book. Having said all that, it is a good read. The story has a nice flow to it, and it is a perfect book to pack along if you are going on long trip, and need something to read while you are in the not-too-critical a mood.

This books a great start. Like most epic series books, this one takes a little time to get into, but he does a good job and getting you into it after pretty quick. You will love all the characters.

Wow, I have read the 1st 7 books. They are so great. I love the character. Pug is a good character a standard reluctant hero, but boy does his story change after the 2nd book.

Raymond Feist is one of my favorite fantasy authors.

In Magician: Apprentice, we watch the main character grow from a boy into a young adult while going through an epic adventure, discovering his magical talents along the way. Early on, we are thrust into the deep characters created by Mr Feist, and his detailed world of Midkemia.

Magician: Apprentice is the first of a great series of books set in the world of Midkemia. I found this book appealing because I seemed to be able to see through the characters eyes, and feel what they were feeling. There are many likeable characters and they grow and evolve throughout the book.

If you like a good fantasy read, Feist has your next book. You will be hooked on the entire series if you read Magician.

I started reading fantasy books back in year 6. I was 11 years old and i was escaping to worlds i had previously only dreamed about. It was only year 7 when i discovered Magican. I was looking for something to read and was going through the bookshelf when mum came through and said to read it. I finished it 2 days later. The next books where finished just as quickly. All the way to The Kings Buccaneer. From then on i have bought the books on the day of their release here in Australia, and finished them in a day. Magican in a fabulous book that i highly recommend to anyone who is after a good read. A great tale of magic and friendship. I have given the book a 5 star rating, and some people won't agree. You can pick holes in the book and find things wrong, BUT only if you want to. Free your mind and make some time and sit down and relax and read. I'm sure you'll enjoy. Open you mind and travel to Midkemia.

In a couple of words; this story is fantastic! Raymond Feist surly knows how to construct a story which is both intriging, moving and intense with action and suspence. Every single character has a life of there own, no character is second hand, all with there own dept and force.
I loved it to the very end and hope to read the rest of the books which follow on from this. It should be magnificant. It is amazing how Feist has created a world with a long and eventful history so unique to all other books written as fantasy.
It is like Lord Of The Rings, but we get much more adventure and less exposition and endless dialogues, but I'm not saying that in LOTR that is bad!
Those who haven't read it, should! for it is a thrill!

Sure, the current rule of fantasy writing seems to be that books must be 800+ pages and be part of a 3 - 10 novel series. That can be great, but it can also be tedious so I'm always on the look out for shorter novels that are well ranked by the store. There are a few out there that I've been impressed by and I was hoping that Magician Apprentice and Master would be the same. Unfortunately, they weren't. Both novels feel rushed and lacking in the detail that makes other fantasy worlds feel real. As a result, the characters ring hollow and while there are interesting ideas, execution is poor. If you want something better read the original Shannara trilogy, the first 4 Malazan novels, the first 3 or so Wheel of Time novels, the first Recluce novel, Friedman, Farlan, Harris. You get the idea. Just don't burn your time here.

I just finished Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. I must say, they really were fantastic novels. The books were well written, filled with quite a few likable characters and, with one exception, very accessible. The exception was that, for unknown reasons, the first few pages of Magician: Apprentice were kind of tough to read. After that, however, it was clear that I had real "page turners" on my hands.
Overall, these were some of the best books I've read in a long while.

OK.. my confession.. i read this book again and again.. but i read the LORD OF THE RINGS long time ago.. i thought this book was great when it first came out... i was intrigued by the characters.. and then i recently read lord of the rings again and saw the movie.. and i felt i had to revise my opinion of the book.. i now realise that all fantasy books of late.. are parodies of lord of the ring..the elves the trolls.. the goblins the magicians and the warrior sword master.. so given that is a staple diet of fantasy how can one transcend it.. apart from adding one or two elements to it.. well feist does manage it in some ways.. by adding the moredhels and the dark elves.. but you get this in lord of the rings.. with the orcs being ex-elves?.. now.. where feist succeeds tolkien is by adding the scienfictional element to it.. the role of the magicians is both powerful and yet they are tools.. the realm of the god universe and the tough discussion of magic with nakor.. and the universe changing nature of the enemy.. the way the power levels are constantly changed.. the ccho-gan magicians and various secrets.. i believe feist's universe is much more complicated than tolkien and the agents involved realise their freewill and yet they are tools.. the role of the cleric.. so having read tolkien.. i feel feist does good.. although i feel his weaknesses are to seperate the magical from the ordinary.. as the books progress along..you could skip to the magic wars and discussions.. when they should have been intertwined.. I'm hoping there is final part where we witness what price pug must pay.. but i was not happy with pug's choices.. when lims-kragma says.. you have been cursed.. also what exactly did macros do to pug to allow him to transcend his destiny.. i would have preferred a meeting of macros and the assembly..

having read many book series from the second or third book I really wanted to read feist in the proper sequence. I have not been able to find a listing of this wonderful story .i have however read much of the books published. I would love to see the many sagas and series listed in a first to last listing? of all the authors I enjoy feist is the only one I cannot seem to find a listing of" first to last sequence'. all in all a very great story! russ w.

I read this book when I was all of 11 years old. Haven't touched it since but I still think fondly of it. It was the first book in the fantasy realm that I still read to this day a couple decades later. I remember relating to the character as I was reading. How it would hold up to an adult reader I couldn't say, however, I will say it was memorable enough that I still remember the characters and story...how often does that happen?

Cheers

I cant belive how wonderfuly Feist wrights. I am not even done with the book yet and I can still tell that this is the best book I have read in.. probly ever. the story is about 2 boys, Pug the magician's Apperentice and Thomas the swords-masters apprentice, who get mixed up in an extremly long journey and a war with the asain/japanise Tussain (sorry if I am spelling these wrong not the best at spelling). the best part of this book is how feist beutifuly decribes the landmarks. he uses vivid words that actualy make you feel like you are in the book. at one point I was reading outside (85+ degree weather) and I was shivering with chills durring the snowy mountain part of the story which occurse as Pug and Thomas go to meet with the Dwarves. Its a Relly good book and I would recomend it to anyone who can get there hands on it to read it. I gaurentee it will be worth your time!
Now on the other hand it can get a tad bit slow at points and the one major problem I have is when I am getting cought up with one characters story line it switched to another character's which just keeps myself from getting into the story. but over all a GREAT book

This is the greatest book ever written. It will change your life and make you wish it would never end...fortunately there are a good few sequels... The original 'trilogy' (Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon) stand head and shoulders above the latter books (Prince of the Blood, The King's Buccaneer, The SerpentWar Saga trilogy (I won't mention the 'Krondor' books cos they were nowhere in the same class))...but you'll read them all just the same-just to re-immerse yourself-because Feist's world is so superior, so epic, so awe-inspiring compared to anything else anyone else has written by way of fantasy. Fortunately for you they are all out there...some of us had to wait years between original publications...And with the newest series (The Conclave of Shadows) Feist returns to (almost) his best again. Read it. Read it all.

Fiest's Series of sci-fi books are the best thing that anyone has ever written. Everytime I go to the bookstore i search for new novels out. Fiest brought to life the characters in his book and made them seem real. The plot dragged you inside and made it seem as if you were really involved in the happenings. You feel the pain, the agony, the excitement, and the rush. You feel like your the main character and you have the power of a magician. Fiest truly is a superior writer. I have been addicted to his works for many years and strive to feel that same feeling flowing inside me when I read and re-read his riftwar saga. I truly felt I was involved in his books for even I have caught myself speaking as if I was Pug myself on top of the stadium preparing to use the magic that I have been taught. A truly excellent most have book to read.

This starts out as an enjoyable Young Adult novel about...well, an apprentice magician. About halfway through the book, he disappears, and is never seen again, and hardly mentioned. The enjoyment disappears with him.

The story disintegrates into a long account of alien invaders, culminating in a long and boring siege. Well, maybe it's not fair to say it's boring because instead of reading the whole thing, I paged through, trying to find out what happened to the apprentice magician.

I found it very distracting that portions of the plot, character and place names are strongly reminiscent of lord of the Rings.

What I guess is supposed to be a cliff hanger encouraging me to read the next book in the series instead leave me with the fear of ever reading anything by this author again.

This book did not bore me for a second. It has every element needed in creating a true fantasy novel. Maybe not on the same page as Tol, but as I finish up the series of four books, it will be nipping at his heals. The author has such original ideas that are expressed in his great writing ability. I highly reccomend this if you enjoy good fantasy alongside really good writing.

What can I say?
After reading this title I was absolutely blown away! I had only ever read Tolkien in the Fantasy realm of literature before and it didn't succeed in hooking me totally. However, after reading Magician (around 1990) I can honestly say that ever since I have gained a substantial library of Fantasy/Magic books, not reading much of anything else. The characters Feist has created are so life like that I was dreaming about them the first night I started the book (after I eventually put it down and went to bed). Since then I have re-read the entire series eight times, enjoying every twist and turn of the story just as much as the first.
I avidly await the continuance of his series of books and wholeheartedly recommend this or any other of this exceptional author's books to anyone who enjoys a good, epic read.

I get mad at people who say that this book is bad and dull. If they actually are trying to compare ANY BOOK to Tolkien then they will be saying its bad. No one can write like Tolkien obviously but Fiest can conjure up a world just as good as middle-earth. I read Terry Goodkind's Wizards First Rule and it was very character driven and I did not really get lost in the scenery because it was basically not explained well. But Fiest created a world of fantasy that shines. His characters are well developed and his story is excellent. Would you think that wierd creatures and magic were the crux of the book (it is) but have you ever thought of "Alien" invaders from another world invading this fantasy world. I think its as original as can be and if ever made into a movie would be just as good as Lord of the Rings. Your classic unsuspecting hero is brought forth again but with a twist. BRILLIANT BOOK!!!!

My coming across this book is purely accidental. One of my English teachers recommended Magician: Apprentice to another student to do a book report on it. Based on what I heard from the report, this sounded like a pretty good book. Of course, I was wrong. This was an excellent book.

The story takes place in the Kingdom of the Isles and the town of Crydee, where the main characters of the story, Pug and Tomas, grow up. Pug is an orphan, and Tomas' family adopted Pug, so they are more of brothers than friends. When Pug comes under the apprenticeship of the magician, Kulgan, he becomes depressed, because he cannot learn to control his magical powers. Throughout the war with the Tsurani, a race entering the world through a magical rift, Pug tries to understand where he fits in life.

I've read J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and Frank Herbert's "Dune", and have loved them both. But now, I have a new one on my all-time favorites list, "Magician: Apprentice", Raymond E. Feist's sure-fire masterpiece.

If I could only read three books for the rest of my life, they would be (in no particular order): The Lord of the Rings, Magician (parts 1 and 2) and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I am a huge Tolkien fan and I just cannot understand how anyone who likes LotR could not like this book. Sure it borrows much from Tolkien, but Feist makes it seem fresh and different. Feist was by no means the first writer to capitalize on Tolkien's opening the door to other fantasy writers and he definitely won't be the last. To people who think that Feist merely "copies" Tolkien: I say that ALL fantasy novels copy Tolkien or else they CEASE TO BE FANTASY! I guess my point is that in order to be considered a fantasy novel, a book must contain at least some of Tolkien's trademarks. Feist certainly borrows from Tolkien and I for one am very glad he did indeed! David Ober

I bought this book based on all the good reviews. At first it was promising (though you were waiting for the characters to grow up from their teens for the book to gain some substance, which it didn't really). I have to say that I am 38 so maybe this is a great book for teens. But in my opinion this is not Tolkien, The Wheel of Time (TWOT), Fire&Ice, Name of the Wind or any other great fantasy book (I am a big fan of those as you can see). This can help you pass the time if you can't find anything else to read. When I was a beggining of the book it seemed like it could be quite good and since I couldn't wait to order the last book of TWOT, I went ahead and ordered the next 2 books of the Riftwar Saga. And now that I've finished The Magician I don't feel like reading them at all.

This book is alright as youth fiction; it's not entirely dissimilar to a Heinlein youth novel. The kids in the book drink beer, so it's got that against it, but other than that, it's spot-on for teen fantasy.

But the reviews don't paint it as such.

From the *incredibly* cliche dialogue to the entire scene and setting, it's sort of like Feist quit making cartoons for Hanna-Barbera in the mid-80's, and then went on to write this book.

Meanwhile, it's enormously derivative of Tolkien. It's entirely Tolkien's world that the characters inhabit. The only twist is the parallel world, but they don't see much of that in this book at all.

3-stars, if you like predictable pulp fantasy with dialogue cliche enough to be youth fiction. 2-stars, otherwise.

I can't wait to read the sequel! Raymond E. Feist's spellbinding tale of a hapless teenage misfit that blossoms from being a virtually "useless" servant to a trusted member of the royal court is artfully rendered.
By its very nature, nothing about fantasy fiction is factual. However, Pug and the company of characters that surround him are portrayed with such understated warmth that the entire surreal world of Midkemia seems not only plausible... But, inviting. If such a world existed, I would be the first one in line for a prolonged visit.
Unfortunately, I will have to content myself with a few hours here and there as I joyfully read my way through Magician: Master. If it is half as good as the original, I am in for a real treat!

Plenty of reviews on this wonderful novel already so I'll just cover some personal highlights (will avoid spoilers):
CONCEPT: Epic scope here. See two young boys in a backwater Duchy rise up in power as they help the lands from an alien invasion coming through a gateway. Lots of mystery with this alien race, which is a combination of Japanese, Korean and Chinese Kingdoms. Lots of wonder, exotic and mystical places as well as a real delving into the two different cultures. Excellent to superb characters. OVERALL FEELING: epic scope; wondrous; superbly woven characters
SCORING: Superb (A), Excellent (A-), Very good (B+), Good (B) Fairly Good (B-) Above Average (C+), Mediocre (C ), Barely Passable (C-) Pretty Bad (D+), Dismal (D), Waste of Time (D-), Into the Trash (F)
DIALOGUE: B+ STRUCTURE: A HISTORY SETTING: B CHARACTERS: A EVIL SETUP/ANTAGONISTS: A- EMOTIONAL IMPACT: A- SURPRISES: B+ MONSTERS: B PACING: B+ THE LITTLE THINGS: A OVERALL STYLE: A- FLOW OF WORDS: B+ CHOICE OF FOCUS: A TRANSITIONS/FLASHBACKS/POV: A- COMPLEXITY OF WORDS/SYMBOLISM/THEMES: A-
OVERALL GRADE: A-
CONCEPT: A beautiful epic fantasy whose true strength lies in the emotional details of its characters. Story focuses on the orphan pug who starts out as an apprentice to the wizard, Kulgan, and shows little promise. As events continue to progress, the nation faces a devastating war with the Tsurani, a warrior Asian race of beings who come through a rift from another world. In the meantime, each different character must deal with the war and its effects on their territories.
HISTORY: Good. Feist gets away with talking about only bits and pieces of the History. Also, one thing I appreciate about his History (unlike Robert Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME) is that he doesn't bombard it upon his readers. Instead, the History is incorporated into the storyline as it progresses. No stupid tangents where the novelist goes off talking about such things while the rest of us wait around for the details.
CHARACTERS: This is Feist's forte'. Just about every character, from the main character all the way down to the sub characters, are richly detailed. Just like a tapestry that entrances the eyes and you never get tired of looking at them day after day. While it's true that all novels allow you to get inside the heads of the characters, Feist goes further; especially with the two boys (who seem to be the main characters); Pug and Tomas. We especially are privileged to get into Pug's head where we read his conflicting emotions of confusion and infatuation for Carline, the princess of the Duchy. And, it doesn't just read that pug is crestfallen or something short. Feist develops the pain and worries of each character where it feels justified, logical and stirring. I noticed he did this to a lesser extent with Tomas when it came time for the young boy to decide if he was going to leave the dwarves for home during the various raids against the Tsurani. And, so too, we see Tomas' connection with some being of old who is long gone.
Each character has a clear and understandable motivation. Even better, these motivations overlap or come into conflict. For instance, there's a good deal of interplay between Pug and Carline in the beginning.
DIALOGUE: Medieval dialogue is difficult to write for starters. Feist does a very good job with it for the most part. Not too many contractions and usage of medieval words that tie into the dialogue ("He came straight away" "We both played to her tune."). In other words, medieval slang that added a sense of realism to the story.
The first 1/3 seems to be about Pug and his adjustments to the new challenges around him (i.e. dealing with Carline, becoming a squire, apprenticeship, the discovery of the Tsurani); the next 1/3 is Pug and allies going to Rillanon to warn the king of this new threat (this has two smaller categories when Tomas and Pug get separated; and we do both of their stories; this is also the biggest chunk of the three parts); and the last 1/3 is mostly focusing on Tomas and his magical armor but most of the focus goes back to Crydee where we concentrate on the siege, as well as Carline and Rolands' love blossoming. Again, I must STRESS that the excellent to fabulous characters enriched the structure here. There were a certain degree of cliff hangers here that leapt from one story to another in the novel, but not like a movie. Feist definitely wanted to bring us in slowly and in a world of instant gratification there's definitely something to be said for it.

This is easily one of the greatest fantasy series ever written. Ever since starting my sojourn into fantasy with the books of Tolkien (shame on you if you haven't read them yet) I have dispared of ever finding something even equaling them. In Feist's book, I believe the match for Tolkien may be found. A very catching and entertaining saga which developes into a fearsome clash between the forces of Good and Evil. The continuing saga only gets better and better.

I have read all of Rammond E Fiests books to date, including the series that takes place on Keelewan and can safley say that his first one, was one of the best. A great storyline, chatacters and plot were just a few of the things that made this book seem so real. If you like you books to come alive and keep you up till all hours in the morning this is the book for you. The worlds which are created here are ones which you may wish exsisted. And it must be said that with the amount of detail that goes into this book and the rest of the series it certainly seems to be possible. Anyway enough rambling on, if you want a great read to start you on a new serries then this is it. Even if you just read the first three books this is a great series. From [email protected]

I first read this book as a selection from the SciFi bookclub about 12 years ago...I still love it and go reread it about every 2-3 years. Feist
makes characters that you care about deeply,
which makes every page suck you into his
incredible worlds of Midkemia and Kelewen.
Well worth the price and definitely the effort!!

It is a well known fact that J.R.R. Tolkien's novels are some of the best fiction/fantasy books you can buy. They ARE the basis of all fantasy books. Tolkiens trilogy uses all of the basic fantasy elements, not to use the same fantastical elements as Tolkien would be practically impossible, all of the fantasy books i have read reviews on, at LEAST 2 or 3 people downgrade the book because it is "too much like tolkien" Well of course it is, if it werent, then it wouldnt be a good fantasy book.
In this novel, Feist has created his own race of fantastical creatures from a fantastical place, who stumble upon earth by his totally origonal reason. As all fantasy novels, this one does use some of the fantastical elements that Tolkien does, but he far from copies Tolkiens work. I very much recomend this book to any reader.

I won't use any spoilers like some of the reviews below mine. I will say that I rarely read Fantasy genre books, yet I still found this to be a very enjoyable read. I also enjoyed the little bits a humor. A lot of character developement? No. Simply an engaging tale.
At the end of the book,you are left with a million questions that draw you into getting the next book in the saga. Magician:Master. If you are going to buy this book, you might as well get the next one too, because you are going to want to read it.

How many books hold magic? Not many. Style, Plot, characters. Isle of books among the fantasy shelves and few full of magic. I must say I held Lord of the rings late at night and while reading knew I'd never again read it for the first time and made certain I would enjoy ever minute of it. The saddest part about a great book is you can never erase it and re-read it for the first time. So when the final chapter is done the memory of it prevails and gets better with time, but it's hard to re-read. Not until I picked up Magician did that magic rekindle. Of course, I enjoy Goodkind, Jordan and the like but I can't commit a whole lifetime to one author. The best thing I can say about Magician, It is a world I'd like to visit. Take a journey with Pug, and Thomas you'll be glad you did, for their you'll find magic...

When I first read magician 13 years ago I was blown away. Here was a story with the epicness and character depth of Lord of Rings, but as accessible as a reenn reader.

Not meaning that the writing is aimed low and everything is simplistic, oh no, but Feist has this quality that just keeps you turning page after page, and before you know it it's 3am.

If I have a criticism it's that the story isn't original, but what he did was take a standard fantasy plot and bend it to his sown will and style.

If anyone loves fantasy and hasn't read this book (which I'd duobt, but hey it happens) than you should read this now. If you're new to fantsay and want somewhere to start, I'd recommend Magician over any other book, yes even Lord of the Rings. If Tom Bombadil showed his face in Midkemia he'd have it torn off by a Saur before he could sing his first verse.

I bought this book because I noticed it on NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy books list (#66), and because a friend recommended it. Perhaps I have been spoiled by reading George R. R. Martin lately, but everything about Feist's book rang untrue: the plot devices, the character actions and dialog, the jarring names. There were a few too many similarities to Tolkien (dwarven mines, elven tree cities, a golden talking dragon). I wondered whether it was supposed to be young adult fiction, but even in that case the writing would have to be considered poor.

To be fair, the NPR list cites "The Riftwar Saga" and not this specific book, so maybe the author's writing improves in later books of the series. Unfortunately this book was not compelling enough for me to continue with the rest of the saga.

Being that there are so many excellent reviews for these books, I'll just add that I think this is one of the premier fantasy series ever written. Feist's deep exploration into the workings of his characters makes you feel you really know them on a personal level. While sometimes frustrated by Pug in the beginning, you'll love him by the end!

Durk Simmons

author "Strings of Connection: Book 1 of the Witches in America Series:

I really felt that this book was way too slow and really had nothing to do with being a Magician's Apprentice. As a matter of fact if you like novels with strong magic and decent amount of explanation read David Eddings as his books always had a fair amount of that although it is immature but then again this book is far more so.

The romances were horrible as ever as usual and sexist in many ways (like Eddings but way less entertaining). The characters are cookie cut and have no depth which makes this book bad. The sequel is just as bad if not worse in all the things I've mentioned.

I do remember later books getting better but it's been so long so I really don't remember how much better in reality.

When I first picked up Tolkein' s book The Hobbit and started to read it I craved for more. Then one of my friends showed me the video game for the PC called Betrayal at Krondor. After that I read the book Betrayal at Krondor and was hooked. I have read all his books. Feist is a A++++. Don't let other people tell you the Hero is better. No Way!

It's not often that I come across a book that I love so much I feel compelled to read more books so I can learn how everything is truly related. This was one of those rare occasions and one of the best books I have ever read. From the introduction of the main character to the background stories for each other character the story is rich with sub-plot and an amazing main theme. "Magician: Apprentice" has all of the normal Fantasy items, elves, dwarves, and dragons. But that is where the similarities end. With a threat that seems straight out of "Stargate" it is unique. The best way to describe this book is "must read". No other words can fairly describe this awesome novel.

Just finished Magician Apprentice (part1) of the Rift War Saga.
And I instantly fell in love with the story. The world is deep with mystery and magic. The plot is awesome.
Im glad I decided to red this book for sure

Id say its allmost as good as Lord of the Rings with a more modern form of writting.
It is a must for any fantasy reader looking for something new to get

This book is certainly a benchmark and one of the most important fantasy books of all time. Raymond Feist is an extremely talented writer, he develops his characters well and he certainly doesn't overdo the fantasy element. It has all the classic features of a tolkienesque tale - elves, dwarves, magic, and a dragon. Yes, in a way it is cliche and in later volumes his characters are perhaps a little over-developed in the sense that they become as gods, a kind of no-no in fantasy writing. However, if you pick up this book you will not put it down, nor will you have a bad thought about it as you read. The rest of the series is really, really good, and in this vein of fantasy Feist is quite unmatched. I hunted down a first ed. HB copy for my collection, and I have read and re-read it as well as the rest of the series. If you have any inclination towards classic fantasy, then look no further. The character development and a well woven plot will have you hooked.

First and foremost, this series would make one hell of a movie. Feist makes an incredible tale of epic proportions. I have never read a series that kept me reading like the Rift War Saga. I was not bombarded with useless dialog and narrative filler that meant nothing to the story except to add pages. Pug, Thomas, Princess Carline, Kulgan, Fantus ... minor and major characters that are memorable and lovable. If there is one series you should pick up, this is it, you won't regret it.

"Magician: Apprentice" and "Magician: Master" are the first two stories of Raymond Feist's epic Riftwar Saga, set in the interconnected worlds of Mikdemia and Kelewan. The narrative commences by introducing us to two boys enjoying their childhood and the relative peace of their rural setting: Pug, who is apprenticed to a master magician; and his warrior friend Tomas. But when the peace of their kingdom is threatened by alien invaders, both Pug and Tomas are drawn into the conflict, and each begins their own "coming-of-age" journey to a pinnacle of power. By the second book, Pug has become a slave in the Tsurani empire capital Kelewan, where the "Great Ones" have him commence intensive training after witnessing his potential in the art of magic. Meanwhile in the home world of Midkemia, Tomas begins wearing the armor of the Velheru and starts undergoing the transformation that will give him great power as a warrior.

Feist is a good writer, and his work has many fans for good reason. These books read like a gripping adventure story, and can be appreciated as such. But Feist's fantasy isn't going to be for everyone - this reader found that there was too much political intrigue and complexity for his liking; in addition, despite the fact that it's a world peopled by elves, dwarves, trolls, and dragons, the genre at times moved more in the direction of sci-fi rather than fantasy, the latter being my preferred choice. Moreover, I found that the portrayal of magic in these books was simply too weird at times (for example the whole notion of Tomas and the old gods, and even some of the magic powers employed by Pug). It's a fast story and an interesting world, but the political intrigue and strange brand of magic just didn't do it for me.

That is not to say that Feist has failed - legions of devoted fans would strongly argue otherwise. It just means that Feist isn't for everyone, myself included, even if he has created an epic saga much appreciated and beloved by many. -GODLY GADFLY

This book was GREAT! Unlike most novels that start off a little slow and build up to the climax this book starts off exciting. And the way the author portrays the way the main characters go through the changes in their lives is fantastic. Two thumbs up! }:0)

I was recommended Feist's book a couple of years ago, but at the time I was quite ready for them. I finally started to read the "Riftwar Saga" a couple of weeks ago, and I was immediately caught hook, line, and sinker. It's not that the book didn't deserve 5 stars, without the follow-up "Magician: Master" I doubt it could stand alone. I enjoyed it more than i enjoyed seeing "Lord of The Rings" at the movies. I look forward to re-entering Feist's realm, when I polish off the series with "A Darkness at Sethanon" and "Silverthorn". Well done Feist...! May your novels gace us with such pleasures as those who have come before you on the Big Screen...

When I was a young teenager, a doctor friend of mine let me borrow her books Magician, Silverthorn, and A Darkness at Sethanon. From the first page up to the last, I was hooked and drawn into the lives of the characters. I've always liked medieval stuff and by reading these books, it was the first time I've "lived" them. Ever since then, I've read the other classics and still remember fondly the Riftwar Saga series and still remains one of my favorites... even after reading through all the books more than 3 times already.

This was the first book I read outside of school when I was a kid, Magician opened my eyes to the excitement of literature.. FEIST grabs you from the start and does not let you go till the last page of A Darkness at Sethanon. Sierra made two video games based in the same riftwar time frame. I have read many other fantasy authors and my favorite top 5 book list(position #2 through #5) changes on a monthly basis; my #1 has been and will always be Magician.

I did not purchase this product from the store, I did, however, read this book. To start with, I would like to say this book has been the best book I have ever read over my life span, it is truly a masterwork of fantasy literature. In my opinion, it even topples the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which as you all know, is also a masterpiece. If you are even having the slightest doubt about buying this book, cast it away, for this book is brilliant, and you will love it undoubtedly.

One of my high school teachers introduced me to this book after discussing the other types of books that I love to read. That was nearly seven years ago. I have read this book about seven times over and have found new things to enlighten my imagination. The detail in which Feist describes seens from the open page to the last does entitle him to be named one of Tolkein's successors. I hadn't read Tolkein until after I had read Feist and am suprised on how similar their writing styles are. If you like Tolkein, you would love any of Feist's masterpieces. Apprentice gives the foundation to the other 18 books that have come after it.

I really like the way this series begins and I am looking forward to all of the books in this series - I am a huge fan of Sagas, and the goods ones are the ones that follow you forever - I picked up the first book after looking for it for months, and I couldn't put it down - that is a great beginning to a great series in my opinion.

You meet all the main people in this bok as its the start to a long saga of books that Raymond writes. Wel the people are Pug, Thomas, Kulgan, Martin Longbow and Artuha the price of Isle at the time. Well the stort gies that Pug becomes a magician..under Kulgan and Thomas becomes a solider. While toe two friends went differnt way there fate was never change in the fact they were always together. Well as the book comes to end the stange magic of Pug lures a world bent on destorying his home world. So a great fight must happen like in all books of this kind, but who will the victor be...guess you have to read the next book to find out.

I cannot fathom why the book went wrong for me. Initially, it seemed like it had all the makings of a fascinating read. The writing was excellent, the characters were not bad, the descriptions ... descriptive and the book was page turning. But after the first one third of the book, the story gets too slow. There is a little character development but most of it seems pointless. As a reader I could not grow to love any of the characters, which I believe is the most important aspect of a fantasy novel. The story of the main character stops abruptly mid way thought the book and then you start reading about the side characters who never meant much to begin with. I just lost focus and kept waiting for parts where the book would become more exciting but it never happened. The author introduces some romance but it is very flaky and feels stupid. There is none of the grandiose I associate with a fantasy novel and the book's ending if anything left me disappointed.

A most worthy read. For any of you who like fantasy, this is the book to read. I have read every single one of Feist's books (the only exception being Krondor: The Assassins). This one is by far the best. Right from the start, it hooks you. The plot is incredibly deep and intricate. The characters are like the plot; intricate and extremely well thought out. Each one has a distinct personality. This, and the rest of the Midkemian books (even the Tsurani ones too) are worth it to read! But, be sure to order Apprentice and Master at the same time, or you will die waiting for the next book to come in.

The author's preferred edition gives you even more insight to Pug and Thomas. It really made a difference to re-reading the other books in the series with the added information. You find out so much earlier about the changes the golden armor makes in Thomas. You also read more about the links between Pug and Mara in Feist's related series. Pug's final magicians trial is also so much more informative, more pieces fall into place. The role of Marcos is more evident in the preferred edition. It has become one of my very favorite books, inspiring my imagination. Feist is a marvel at weaving a very detailed story, keeping the reader very involved.

When I first picked up this book 4 years ago I was bored and hoping to find a book that could hold my interest for more that 15 minutes. I didn't put it down until i was finished. I was hooked from the first page. The characters were amazing. I felt like I knew them personally, they held my affection and loyalty. I loved the plot, the setting, the magic, and the adventure. From this book I went on to the next 3 in this series which were just as good, and the other 7 books by this author that are set in the world of Midkemia. I highly recommend this book for people who love adventure!

This book is the best book I have ever read. But remember this is just half of the book. It was meant to be read as a whole, but when he re-visioned the book, he split it in two. Tale is completley entraling, the plot cant be beat. and when your done, you are completly set up for the next part. The riftwar saga is realy two saga's, Magition, and silverthorn and darkness at sethanon. this first book realy sets up the next one and you never want to stop reading it. if you have read the serpentwar saga and don't like it, then you should defantly read this. i think everyone should read this book

I approached this book with, well, great expectations. A few minutes after finishing it I said "Well! Wow!". However, as time goes by, I cannot stop thinking that actually the book is not so good. It is rather like a first attempt of the author to write fantasy. Not only is it full of stereotypes (maybe this is a book who generated these stereotypes, I don't know). The characters are so thin that after a few weeks I have forgotten all of them. They are far from having the precise contours of Tolkien's heroes. They are far from having the depth of Ursula le Guin's characters. Even in the Wheel of Time cycle one could find heroes that are better realised than these ones. The story itself? Well, not big deal. Again, the stereotype of a stranger that tries to invade, and intestine plottings to add some (watery) thrill. A lot of scenes are there only to help the book growing thick. All in all, an easy book: easy to read and easy to forget.

After having read the "author's preferred edition" Magician:Apprentice, I feel as though I were the victim of some cruel prank. Where is the unparalleled work of literary puissance that so many other reviewers seem to have read? It certainly was not to be found among these pages.

Could the "author's preferred edition" be some tragic mis-step on Feist's part, mangling beyond recognition what was once a perfectly readable story? That seems possible, as many of the reviewers here allude to having read it decades ago. I wish I understood the disparity, because like so many of them, I too grew up reading magnificent works of fantasy and science fiction. This book was not worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as any of them.

-Character development is forced, trite, and unbelievable. Much time is spent describing thoughts and conversations that are unconvincing, irrelevant, and which simply don't ring true to human experience.
-The narrative manages to be both tedious and omissive, alternating between agonizingly dull narrations of trivial events and years of skipped but seemingly relevant history. It seems reasonable to infer from this that the tedious filler represents that which Feist's editors successfully cut the first time around. Would that they had been as successful later.
-Magician:Apprentice is neither about magic nor an apprenticeship. The fault may be as simple as the book's title, but as others have pointed out, this is not a book for one interested in the travails and accomplishments of a budding wielder of magic. A few tantalizing hints are dropped about the protagonist's mystical potential, but then promptly ignored for the remainder of the book.
-Finally, there is at least one scale on which Feist can never be compared favorably to Tolkien, and that's the development of realistic constructed languages. Almost every proper noun in Magician:Apprentice seems to have been pulled from a random syllable generator. (Crydee? Midkemia? LaMut?) Perhaps it's unfair to expect the linguistic mastery of Tolkien, but Feist's awkward names are jarring enough to break the fiction and reflect the haphazard manner of the overall storycraft.

In short, stay far away from the author's preferred (two-volume) edition. This was a book that cried out for serious editing. If you're determined to read the initial volume of the Riftwar saga (and I wouldn't blame you, based on the average review), at least seek out the original edition, titled simply, "Magician." It can't be worse than the one I read, and may in fact resemble the work of literary excellence most of the other reviewers seem to have read.

I started reading this series with one of my friend's advice..I do not want to be overly critical but I just did not like the first two books, then quit reading the series. the main problem about the book is the storytelling. the dialogues are dull and childish, the storyline is sooooo much predictable. on every page of this book someone makes some silly mistake and apologise for it..the whole story is based on mistakes and apologizes. also there are no bad guy until the tsuranis come into scene. there are many many better books..get some salvatore or weiss&hickman!!! they are far greater than this!

If you haven't read Magician before - why not? One of the best books by one of the best fantasy authors - great scope, convincing characters, and development of these characters and relationships in a consistent and careful manner. If you HAVE read Magician before, in the other edition, it's well worth buying this edition. The additions are not instantly obvious - because they fit so well.

If your a lover of magic and legends, this is a book you just can't miss. Right from the start it captures your imagination, and you really find yourself reading for hours. The characters have such depth, the plot is so unpredictable, and the world of Midkemia is as intricate as Tolkiens Middle-Earth. Even if you've read the old edition of Magician, the authors preferred edition is still unmissable. It looks deeper into the characters and the plot lines become even more interesting. And what is even better for new Feist readers, it is only the start. Enjoy!

I want to thank the previous reviewers of Feist's "Magicians:Apprentice". Without them I never would have entered this fantastic, heartwarming, and brave world. Because of the author you care so much about the characters you begin to live in their world. I don't think I have ever had this experience reading a series of books before. I thank you the reviewers, and Raymond Feist for a wonderful adventure. It is one of those series of books where I envy the person reading them for the first time. Enjoy!

This is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. The follow sequels of Silverthorn are even better.

Magician does start of slowly to be honest. Young magician finding his way in the world etc etc. It picks up pace quickly after the first 200 pages. The final book of the trilogy is probably the best of the three.

I rate this right up there with the Eddings books. Perhaps not the same poise and delivery that those series' have (The Mallorean and can't remember the other) but well worth picking up.

The thought that Feist was simply copying Tolkein is absurd. While Feist does use the same stereotypes of many of the fantasy creatures that Tolkein does, the characters and plots are unique. I suggest that anyone who enjoys fantasy read it.

I would like to thank R. Feist for providing such a great addition to both my bookshelf and my life with the Riftwar and Serpentwar sagas.

I have read a lot of Fantasy novels/sagas over the last 15 years, including the Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, etc. but this one clearly stands out as my favourite.

Great characters, a dynamic world that seems alive and full of mysteries, a compelling story told at good pace... and guess what, it gets better and better with every book.

Give this one a try and you will not regret it.

I This summer I read the full version of Magician. It was like on helluva dinner; rich, exciting, suprising... The book spans over the 10 years the riftwar takes place between the two worlds Midkemia (protagonist) and Kelewan (antagonist). The only, but very small, drawback I can see in reading the full version of Magician is the length of the two sequels. "The brick" simply spoiled me with the concept of "never-ending" stories. ;-

I love Feist's books - all of them. I re-read them about once a year. If you haven't tried any of his books, start with this one, and you won't want to stop. As soon as I finish one, I immediately research to find out when the next one will be out.

Based around a young keep boy called pug, this story follows his journey through his apprentiship to the magician Kulgan. When I started to read this book I fell in love with the characters right away, you end up sympathising with them, laughing with them and crying with them. This book was one of the first fantasy novels I read and I loved it, the story has realism, adventure and heart ache rolled into one a must for first time fantasy readers. Enjoy the book folks I certainly did!

Now before I begin, let me start by saying that I've been around the block when it comes to epic fantasy, knowing that the genre can provide an array of story types. Maybe you want something action-packed and fun like a Brandon Sanderson book, or maybe you want a story deeply thought provoking and character driven like something by Robin Hobb. Even if you don't like either of those authors the point I'm attempting to make here is that you can't definitively claim that one type of story is better than the other, because everyone has there preference and it often changes based on your mood. What I can definitively say is that I think Magician: Apprentice is a terrible excuse for a book and a literary crime (maybe not that bad, but still pretty horrible). I want to make it clear that I began this book not expecting much at all. This isn't because of some poor reviews much like the one I'm writing now, because it's obvious that this book somehow received great numbers of glowing reviews. I wanted a fun and quick read, which based on the story title, synopsis, and reviews, I expected it to provide. Instead I ended up reading a book about a boy with a really stupid name that had no personality surrounded by other wooden characters doing whatever the plot demands in an ill defined and exceedingly boring world with an even more poorly defined magic system under attack by Asian people from a different dimension.
Before we begin trashing all over this "story", I want to say that it did begin fairly promising. The writing wasn't half bad and I was somewhat excited to see where the story was going. Now let the trashing commence. The main character and protagonist, Pug (wait... what? Pug? Are you serious...) Anyway, Pug is a young orphan boy and soon to be magician apprentice. The book really gets going once you reach the Choosing, an event where all the 14 year old boys in town are lined up before the royal court and selected as apprentices by those who are masters of a certain trade (eg: blacksmith, ship master, sword master). Those who aren't apprenticed by a master are doomed to life as a lowly farmer. It isn't any surprise when Pug is the only boy left un-selected by a master, only to apprenticed by the king master magician, Kulgan. This is where the book just loses all sense of direction and potential for being anything you expected. It jumps ahead 14 months, quickly destroying any hope we had for following along with young Pug's magical education. Pug ends up being a cardboard cut out of a character given to fits of whining and brooding. We discover that after 14 months of magical study, Pug can't do jack, and he's angry that he can't make things combust or levitate. This coming from a boy that previously thought magic a myth. As for the magic, rather than try to explain it or create a system, the author doesn't ever even come close to approaching its most basic mechanics, and instead describes Pug's very rare feats of magic something like this. "Pug saw that the goblins were now only a few feet away, and at the last second a bright flash of white light appeared." (btw, Pug uses magic like three or four time total in the book). So anyway, Pug and friends have to adventure across continent to warn the king of some other dimensional invaders because of reasons, a trek that felt suspiciously like a bad re-write of the fellowship of the ring. Kulgan, the master magician ends up being a crack addict that has powers that extend to being able to make fog and predict the weather, and only a few pages ago levitating objects was Bush league magic. Borric, the duke they're traveling with is Bor-ing. He is a typical Ned Stark type of lord, but without a personality or having believable character. Most of the other characters are to boring to even mention by name. All in all the characters suck. I think this story suffered so much because the author glazed over or quickly summarized things that prove challenging for new authors like characters or engaging dialogue.
Some other issues I have:
-In a story called Magician: Apprentice there isn't one moment where Kulgan is teaching something to Pug or is it explained what knowledge Pug is gaining from all the books he loves and reads so often.
-The magicians can't do magic
-The setting is unoriginal.
-Something about Pug makes him and his magic special, according to Kulgan and every other powerful figure.
-Every person of station or power is showering Pug with praise for something like his intelligence, bravery, or pragmatism for unknown reasons and are entirely too familiar with people of lower station for no reason other than to trick us into believing that the main character is a likable person. I actually don't know if Pug is any of these things because I learn nothing about him over the course of the story.
-Too much is coincidence or the product of prophecy.
- Too much is explained with "MAGIC!"
-Too much is solved with "MAGIC!" (this is only a problem because it isn't explained)
-There is hardly any "MAGIC!"
-Chalk full of cliches
-The story switches POV at really odd moments
-You feel like you're reading an instruction manual, listing a list actions done by robots, instead of real writing.

Yeah...this book sucked.

This is an excellent book. The characters are well developed, the plot is excellent, the world is well developed. This is the kind of book you read many, many times. I know I have. The riftwar saga, of which this is a member, was the second really good fantasy series I read. The first one got me interested in fantasy, but this one really got me hooked. If you don't like this book, there's something terribly wrong with you.

Feist has the ability to create a world and characters so real you could really believe them to exist. From the start he captures your sympathy for Pug, and the plot is superb. Also, the book steers away from stereotypical endings and happenings, so you're frequently suprised! Really, do read this book. It was his first and, I really think, his best.

When I was a teenager I read Magician and I thought I was going to drive everyone nuts because I would not stop talking about this book! I remember practically cheering out loud at the climax of this book. Feist is a great fantasy writer. If you saw the Lord of the Rings and even sort of liked it, read this - it will be fun!

My first fantasy novel picked up after playing a 1994 PC Game "Betrayal at Krondor" that had invovled Feist. This is truly one of the best novel I have read. The characters are alive in Midkemia. The history, plot and fantasy world is such created that the reader could really live and breath in them. Midkemia is such a fascination! If you even played the game, they come even more alive as you get to interact with Pug and James too. Definitely a must-read!

This is a really good book, and if I were counting the "nostalgia" factor, I'd give it a 5 out of 5. I haven't read it for awhile, but I remember that it wasn't quite as good as Magician: Master. It was just a little slow, but again, still a good book, and best of all it sets up a great series.

I have ready this book on a number of occasions and every time I do I get more out of it. The plot is intriguing without being overcomplicated and the characters are witty and real. I love the relationships that develop between the key characters, I have laughed out loud at some circumstances, and cried at others. Love it love it love it.

First off, I'll be reviewing Magician: Apprentice and Master as one book because they were originally one book and still function as such. Also, I'd like to point out that I would recommend this book to very young fantasy readers and those readers who want something extremely light with no real substance. Nevertheless, for those experienced readers who were looking for an epic yarn to sink your teeth into, this is honestly not that book. I found myself annoyed many times throughout the novel with many aspects of the story.

Plot/Story: 5/10
The premise behind the story is a workable one if traditional, a young orphan boy named Pug with no real promise for any skill or talent in all the traditional areas of his home of Crydee is discovered to have possible talent in magic and is apprenticed to a magician. Pug finds that while he has promise for great powers he cannot access them unless he is in an incredibly dire situation for reasons unknown (by the way, only one of these dire situations occurs in Apprentice thus involving only two uses of magic all throughout that part). Essentially, this is not a `How Pug learns to control his magical powers' type of novel though it advertises itself as such.
However, the major annoyance for me with this story was that there were many subplots and points of view that were completely unessential (made more so by the characters themselves). For example, there's a love triangle side-plot with a princess that doesn't go anywhere. I don't think Pug could be any less convincing in his interest for her outside of being sexually attracted unless he tried (and hey, she's a beautiful princess so what guy wouldn't be attracted?) and the princess in question is not important.
Then there are battle scenes that don't seem to depict anything except that the Tsurani have superior numbers and are good fighters, which could be accomplished with one well written action scene. Besides that, the action is not nearly as entertaining as the action seen in the Dresden Files or even Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.
After a while, the real plot decides to say hello and we are introduced to the first glimpse of the Tsurani. A group of alien men who strike confusion and concern in everyone. Not much later this leads to an expedition to garner military assistance because it is highly suspected the Tsurani are not only from a different world, but mean to take over everything on this world through war.
Yet this book is not really about the quest for military help either. Frankly, I don't know what the main plot was about. I couldn't sum it up in a nutshell if I tried, and that's not because it's an epic, complex tale. It's not a quest or a coming of age story, it's not a story of great friendship nor love. To be sure it has pieces of all these but it never focuses on anything and ultimately never brings any real depth to anything.

Characters 2/10:
Who are these people and why should I like them at all? This is the question that runs through a readers mind consciously or subconsciously at some point in a novel. Characters make or break a story so its important that we come to understand, like, and ultimately get to know them. Magician was terrible at this. The story jumps over almost every opportunity for development (for example, Pug's first struggles with magic and training are dismissed), years are skipped over that are crucial to how the characters are changing. Without spoiling anything, I can honestly say that between part one and two of magician, the main character will not really be recognizable as he goes from awkward youth, to cynical teen to `oh wondrous, mysterious wise one' with hardly any of the book devoted to these drastic character changes. The same thing happens to his friend who is also a main character, awkward endearing youth to hardened, blood-thirsty warrior. What the heck? Good works of fiction don't skip over the crucial moments in a characters arc. Maybe this was too hard for the author to write? Apparently this is one of his first novels...
Another thought that passed through my mind was `I wonder if some of the boring, minor characters will die off and more attention can be paid to our main characters?' I don't expect many readers to care whether the VAST majority of other characters in this book live or die. We just don't get enough time with them and so they aren't interesting, and in some cases they aren't important to the plot at all.
All in all, the last time I experienced such crappy character development I was reading Twilight. Let that thought linger for a moment.

Dialogue: 3/10
Very simplistic and not convincing as real conversation (A good portion of it sounded like a teenagers attempts at a fanfiction story, need I say more?).

Pacing: 2/10
Just...bizarre. The story will jump ahead a few months frequently, sometimes up to four years and skip over important events. The interesting ones too...(Minor spoilers: I wanted to see how one character's enslavement at the hands of the enemies changed him. I'm pretty sure being enslaved is a life transforming experience and probably would have been interesting to read...but Feist just skips over it all.)

All in all, a disappointment for anyone with moderate experience in the fantasy genre. If you haven't already read it, read the Belgariad by David Eddings. It's a much better coming of age novel (with magic!) and it has endearing characters.

It is a good fantasy book, but still several points in the book bother me.

The first thing is that the book looks like it's taken from a D&D rule book.

Wizards, clerics, dwarfs, elves and so on. In fact, I almost expected at several points to read something like "Pug gained 300 EXP and gained a level".

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating by a bit, after all this book was written long before all those things became a cliche.

But there comes the second problem which does not depend on time: the lack of imagination when describing a non-human culture.

The humans have at least two empires, and even in the empire, there is a noticeable difference between north and south.

In the non humans however, a dwarven clan is just another bunch of dwarfs and elves are just elves no matter where they come from.

Even the great enemy, the Tsurani, are just one culture (even if they ARE interesting).

But judging from the last chapter, at least that is going to be solved in the next book.

I read this book and was hooked, it's thrilling and I couldn't put it down. This book has adventure, romance and has been the start of a great many hours of entertainment as I read all the others to follow...

I haven't read this particular version of the book. I'm basing this off the original one, released in 1982 (in case there are any differences).

My main problem with this book (I haven't read the whole series yet) is that, it's strictly mediocre. It didn't do anything spectacularly. It has good pacing, but the characters are almost all static, cardboard cut-outs. The only character I really felt attached to by the end was Pug...

Which brings me to another point; the last third or so of the book has no Pug. We don't even really know what happened to him firsthand, we only know that he got captured by the enemy. Why the writer would leave out the main character for such a large chunk of the book confuses, and, since I only liked Pug, angers me. Still, with all these problems, I'd give it 3-stars.

But for one thing: The forced, pointless Pug-Carline-Roland love triangle. Not only is it disjointed, random, and incoherent, it's so.... artificial. You don't get a sense of any real feelings from any of them... That, to me, merits a loss of a star. Hopefully, Magician: Master will be better...

Feist has created a world that dominates other fantasy authors, in my eyes. The characters are real enough, and the plots are really intriguing. I'm up to my tenth book in the land of Midkemia and they have ALL been fascinating. Even when the books becomes clogged with less appealing characters than the ones in Magician: Apprentice, the quality and feel never leave. Feist is, as the Spanish would say, "el mejor."

Feist has the ability to create a world and characters so real you could really believe them to exist. From the start he captures your sympathy for Pug, and the plot is superb. Also, the book steers away from stereotypical endings and happenings, so you're frequently suprised! Really, do read this book. It was his first and, I really think, his best.

When I was a teenager I read Magician and I thought I was going to drive everyone nuts because I would not stop talking about this book! I remember practically cheering out loud at the climax of this book. Feist is a great fantasy writer. If you saw the Lord of the Rings and even sort of liked it, read this - it will be fun!

My first fantasy novel picked up after playing a 1994 PC Game "Betrayal at Krondor" that had invovled Feist. This is truly one of the best novel I have read. The characters are alive in Midkemia. The history, plot and fantasy world is such created that the reader could really live and breath in them. Midkemia is such a fascination! If you even played the game, they come even more alive as you get to interact with Pug and James too. Definitely a must-read!

This is a really good book, and if I were counting the "nostalgia" factor, I'd give it a 5 out of 5. I haven't read it for awhile, but I remember that it wasn't quite as good as Magician: Master. It was just a little slow, but again, still a good book, and best of all it sets up a great series.

I have ready this book on a number of occasions and every time I do I get more out of it. The plot is intriguing without being overcomplicated and the characters are witty and real. I love the relationships that develop between the key characters, I have laughed out loud at some circumstances, and cried at others. Love it love it love it.

First off, I'll be reviewing Magician: Apprentice and Master as one book because they were originally one book and still function as such. Also, I'd like to point out that I would recommend this book to very young fantasy readers and those readers who want something extremely light with no real substance. Nevertheless, for those experienced readers who were looking for an epic yarn to sink your teeth into, this is honestly not that book. I found myself annoyed many times throughout the novel with many aspects of the story.

Plot/Story: 5/10
The premise behind the story is a workable one if traditional, a young orphan boy named Pug with no real promise for any skill or talent in all the traditional areas of his home of Crydee is discovered to have possible talent in magic and is apprenticed to a magician. Pug finds that while he has promise for great powers he cannot access them unless he is in an incredibly dire situation for reasons unknown (by the way, only one of these dire situations occurs in Apprentice thus involving only two uses of magic all throughout that part). Essentially, this is not a `How Pug learns to control his magical powers' type of novel though it advertises itself as such.
However, the major annoyance for me with this story was that there were many subplots and points of view that were completely unessential (made more so by the characters themselves). For example, there's a love triangle side-plot with a princess that doesn't go anywhere. I don't think Pug could be any less convincing in his interest for her outside of being sexually attracted unless he tried (and hey, she's a beautiful princess so what guy wouldn't be attracted?) and the princess in question is not important.
Then there are battle scenes that don't seem to depict anything except that the Tsurani have superior numbers and are good fighters, which could be accomplished with one well written action scene. Besides that, the action is not nearly as entertaining as the action seen in the Dresden Files or even Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind.
After a while, the real plot decides to say hello and we are introduced to the first glimpse of the Tsurani. A group of alien men who strike confusion and concern in everyone. Not much later this leads to an expedition to garner military assistance because it is highly suspected the Tsurani are not only from a different world, but mean to take over everything on this world through war.
Yet this book is not really about the quest for military help either. Frankly, I don't know what the main plot was about. I couldn't sum it up in a nutshell if I tried, and that's not because it's an epic, complex tale. It's not a quest or a coming of age story, it's not a story of great friendship nor love. To be sure it has pieces of all these but it never focuses on anything and ultimately never brings any real depth to anything.

Characters 2/10:
Who are these people and why should I like them at all? This is the question that runs through a readers mind consciously or subconsciously at some point in a novel. Characters make or break a story so its important that we come to understand, like, and ultimately get to know them. Magician was terrible at this. The story jumps over almost every opportunity for development (for example, Pug's first struggles with magic and training are dismissed), years are skipped over that are crucial to how the characters are changing. Without spoiling anything, I can honestly say that between part one and two of magician, the main character will not really be recognizable as he goes from awkward youth, to cynical teen to `oh wondrous, mysterious wise one' with hardly any of the book devoted to these drastic character changes. The same thing happens to his friend who is also a main character, awkward endearing youth to hardened, blood-thirsty warrior. What the heck? Good works of fiction don't skip over the crucial moments in a characters arc. Maybe this was too hard for the author to write? Apparently this is one of his first novels...
Another thought that passed through my mind was `I wonder if some of the boring, minor characters will die off and more attention can be paid to our main characters?' I don't expect many readers to care whether the VAST majority of other characters in this book live or die. We just don't get enough time with them and so they aren't interesting, and in some cases they aren't important to the plot at all.
All in all, the last time I experienced such crappy character development I was reading Twilight. Let that thought linger for a moment.

Dialogue: 3/10
Very simplistic and not convincing as real conversation (A good portion of it sounded like a teenagers attempts at a fanfiction story, need I say more?).

Pacing: 2/10
Just...bizarre. The story will jump ahead a few months frequently, sometimes up to four years and skip over important events. The interesting ones too...(Minor spoilers: I wanted to see how one character's enslavement at the hands of the enemies changed him. I'm pretty sure being enslaved is a life transforming experience and probably would have been interesting to read...but Feist just skips over it all.)

All in all, a disappointment for anyone with moderate experience in the fantasy genre. If you haven't already read it, read the Belgariad by David Eddings. It's a much better coming of age novel (with magic!) and it has endearing characters.

It is a good fantasy book, but still several points in the book bother me.

The first thing is that the book looks like it's taken from a D&D rule book.

Wizards, clerics, dwarfs, elves and so on. In fact, I almost expected at several points to read something like "Pug gained 300 EXP and gained a level".

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating by a bit, after all this book was written long before all those things became a cliche.

But there comes the second problem which does not depend on time: the lack of imagination when describing a non-human culture.

The humans have at least two empires, and even in the empire, there is a noticeable difference between north and south.

In the non humans however, a dwarven clan is just another bunch of dwarfs and elves are just elves no matter where they come from.

Even the great enemy, the Tsurani, are just one culture (even if they ARE interesting).

But judging from the last chapter, at least that is going to be solved in the next book.

I read this book and was hooked, it's thrilling and I couldn't put it down. This book has adventure, romance and has been the start of a great many hours of entertainment as I read all the others to follow...

I haven't read this particular version of the book. I'm basing this off the original one, released in 1982 (in case there are any differences).

My main problem with this book (I haven't read the whole series yet) is that, it's strictly mediocre. It didn't do anything spectacularly. It has good pacing, but the characters are almost all static, cardboard cut-outs. The only character I really felt attached to by the end was Pug...

Which brings me to another point; the last third or so of the book has no Pug. We don't even really know what happened to him firsthand, we only know that he got captured by the enemy. Why the writer would leave out the main character for such a large chunk of the book confuses, and, since I only liked Pug, angers me. Still, with all these problems, I'd give it 3-stars.

But for one thing: The forced, pointless Pug-Carline-Roland love triangle. Not only is it disjointed, random, and incoherent, it's so.... artificial. You don't get a sense of any real feelings from any of them... That, to me, merits a loss of a star. Hopefully, Magician: Master will be better...

Feist has created a world that dominates other fantasy authors, in my eyes. The characters are real enough, and the plots are really intriguing. I'm up to my tenth book in the land of Midkemia and they have ALL been fascinating. Even when the books becomes clogged with less appealing characters than the ones in Magician: Apprentice, the quality and feel never leave. Feist is, as the Spanish would say, "el mejor."

Great writing.
I love fantasy and sci-fi. But, sometimes the simplicity in the writing sort of makes it a struggle to get through some of the books out there. When I find one that is written well and has a great storyline...needless to say I'm thrilled.
This was gripping pretty much all the way through. Entertainment from beginning to end.

I actually give this book 4.75 stars, but five will do. This book is excellent to start. It is well written, and is a good tale to read, and continues well with its sequels. I recommend the entire series.

This book was simply amazing. At times it felt like I was reading one of the Lord of the Rings books but besides that everything seemed creative and original. Feist threw many very good ideas together in the book. He did a good job in making everything nice and understandable. While I was reading the book I felt like I was actually connecting with the characters. If you like fiction books then picking this up would be no mistake.

The first book to a great saga. Pug, a clumsy orphan boy, ends up under the wing of the Magician Kulgan. Kulgan finds that pug has a hidden ability for the arcane but not sure how to use it. A must read for any fan who enjoys fantasy adventure.

As the author states in the introduction, this book is not as good as people made it :-)
the story may be compelling, but there are many faults in this book that make the reading boring and exhausting:
Despite the fact that the story walks with the main character from childhood to adulthood the book fails to portray it as a real person, which results in lack of proper complexity that each one of us have. This goes for all characters of the book. The author touches each one briefly and unsatisfactory.
The dialogs are short and sometimes childish.
There is an irritating inconsistency in point-of-view where one sentence starts with one character point of view and 2 sentences afterwards you see it through another's character point of view.
The story is slow and when I was half way through the book I was wondering when will the autor ever get to the point.
I am sure this book at the time was considered better and maybe even innovative, but today after reading many good fantasy books, it just doesn't cut it.

I have read this book a number of times over the past few years and still find it a great read. Feist is a brilliant writer and has a fantastic imagination which he uses to draw the reader into. The story and characters set the scene for the books that follow which are a joy to resd

This is a book with all the aspects of a good fantasy franchise. The world is enough like ours as to be a part of our history, and the characters are complete and lacking in few respects. The story flows from beginning to end with no lags in continuity, and Feist does a good job of incorporating warfare, strategy, and magic on a level any reader can understand and appreciate. A good read for anyone.

Feist creates a world full of splendor, rich descriptions, great characters, and interesting happenings. His skillfull storytellings enthralls the reader and draws them into the book, making it nearly impossible to the put the book down. The story of Pug, an apprentice magician with troubles and an extrondiary ability, and the invasion of the Tsurani is a riviting tale you won't soon forget.

This book is an unbelievably spectacular conglomeration of words into beautiful prose. Every scene has perfect images, it's like you're there when they're eating meat pies and getting drunk on ale, and also you can Pug's horror when he meets the crazy king Rodric and Tomas' internal struggle is commendable. I enjoyed reading about the beatiful women in their lives: Carline and Aglaranna.

One of the best novels I've read in a long time. It takes you into the life of Pug, an ordinary orphan from Crydee, and shows how he will make a difference in the fate of two worlds. I almost always read Sci-Fi, being engulfed in the multiple plot lines an so on, and ignoring all fantasy thinking it to be too dull for me. This book changes everything. And I would recommend it to anyone.

Magician: Apprentice ranks up there as one of the top books I've read all time. Fiest creates not one, but two different worlds that go to war in a magical and bloody war. All the mythical creatures - Dwarves, Elves - are used to enhance the depth of the book. Fiest puts together a wonderful story of romance, mystery, kings, princes, magicians, and bloody conflict for land.

Magician:Apprentice is a fantastic fantasy novel. Mr. Deists does use some clinches but uses them so well you won't care. First time reading a Raymond E. Feist novel and I have to say.. I really enjoy his writing style. Pug is a good underdog protagonist. Interesting rift concept. Good read.

THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY, INDISPUTABLY GREAT. I READ IT AS MUCH AS I COULD. (INCLUDING DOING MY BEST TO READ IN THE DARK!) THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTE ONCEIN A LIFETIME MARVEL.I WOULD HAVE PREFFERED IF THE BOOK HAD MOVED AT A FASTER PACE. ALL IN ALL, I RECOMEND IT IF YOU CAN'T GET IT AT THE LIBRARY.

This book is great. Feist really makes a unique fantasy world of his own, and solidifies him as one of the best creators in the fantasy genre. I'm definitely excited about delving into the rest of the series.

I had been looking for a series of good fantasy fiction since I had lost some interest in the Wheel of Time books. After trying one or two other series, I came across Feist and the Riftwar. Finally a story I could sink my teeth into. Great characters, exciting adventures and a wonderful setting (not just one world but two). Now on to the rest of the series.

Magician is a wonderful beginning to a most enjoyable series. Throughout the book, and indeed the series, Mr. Feist creates a captivating world of high adventure with truely likable characters. I found the book difficult to put down as I followed the two boyhood friends throughout their adventures. A must for Fantasy/Sci-Fi readers.

I first read this book when I was thirteen, and have loved it ever since. The friendship between Tomas and Pug, as well as the relationship between Pug and Caroline, serve as a terrific counterpoint to the action-filled backdrop of Midkemia.

From page one to the last page of his last book, you cannot put it down. I never really enjoyed fantasy, but since a friend introduced me to his work, I haven't bought anything else. Feist writes in a language that I understand, and not something that died out with my great great great grandfather. He is the best!

This was the first fantasy book I ever read, and have now lost count the number of times I have the entire Midkemia/Kelewan series. Each time I read it I find the same enjoyment I had when I read it the first time. The way Feist has build the characters/worlds in my mind surpasses the works by Tolkien.

the first time i read this book i was taken into a world of magic and hierarchies, but now that i reread it i relize that this whole book is about BSDM. Like when Kulgan keeps Pug in his dungeon. Or when we hear about thomas running away with princess carline. He comes back with his "sword" all covered with gew and princess carline can't a that grin off her face.