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Krondor's Sons #2
The King's Buccaneer
The whole of the magnificent Riftwar Cycle by bestselling author Raymond E. Feist, master of magic and adventure, now available in ebook
In Amos Trask's ship, Prince Nicholas and Squire Harry set sail for a friendly visit to Uncle Martin in Crydee. But while the two are guests in Crydee, disaster strikes.
Nicholas, third son of Prince Arutha, is a gifted youngster, but sheltered by life at his father’s court in Krondor. To learn more of the world outside the palace walls, Nicholas and his squire, Harry, set sail for pastoral Crydee, where Arutha grew up.
Shortly after their arrival, Crydee is brutally attacked. The castle is reduced to ruins, the townspeople slaughtered and two young noblewomen – friends of Nicholas – are abducted.
As Nicholas ventures further from the familiar landmarks of his home in pursuit of the invaders, he learns that there is more at stake than the fate of his friends, more even than fate of the Kingdom of the Isles, for behind the murderous pirates stands a force that threatens the entire world of Midkemia, and only he is destined to confront this terrifying threat.
Set ten years after the events in Prince of Blood, The King’s Buccaneer returns to Feist’s best-loved world in this stand-alone novel.
In Amos Trask's ship, Prince Nicholas and Squire Harry set sail for a friendly visit to Uncle Martin in Crydee. But while the two are guests in Crydee, disaster strikes.
Nicholas, third son of Prince Arutha, is a gifted youngster, but sheltered by life at his father’s court in Krondor. To learn more of the world outside the palace walls, Nicholas and his squire, Harry, set sail for pastoral Crydee, where Arutha grew up.
Shortly after their arrival, Crydee is brutally attacked. The castle is reduced to ruins, the townspeople slaughtered and two young noblewomen – friends of Nicholas – are abducted.
As Nicholas ventures further from the familiar landmarks of his home in pursuit of the invaders, he learns that there is more at stake than the fate of his friends, more even than fate of the Kingdom of the Isles, for behind the murderous pirates stands a force that threatens the entire world of Midkemia, and only he is destined to confront this terrifying threat.
Set ten years after the events in Prince of Blood, The King’s Buccaneer returns to Feist’s best-loved world in this stand-alone novel.
543 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 1992
403 people are currently reading
4803 people want to read
About the author
Raymond E. Feist
289 books9,536 followersRaymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
February 13, 2019
This one is a surprisingly complicated plot with one of my new favorite characters in Feist-land. :)
Nicholas is forced to do a lot of growing, of course, but what's surprising is just how comprehensive the tragedy is compared to his reactions.
Simple puppy love evolves into survival, ideology, and duty. But the scope and the scale quickly flies beyond the initial and we travel across the world, new lands to explore or be horrified by, and above all, far-ranging effects.
This is definitely not the simple fantasy tale that I was expecting. :) And moreover, it is entertaining. It's also somewhat hard to stomach in some circumstances... after all, being captured by slavers and forced to endure some really bad things isn't meant to be easy.
All said, I really loved this book. Feist seems to have his finger on my pulse. :)
Nicholas is forced to do a lot of growing, of course, but what's surprising is just how comprehensive the tragedy is compared to his reactions.
Simple puppy love evolves into survival, ideology, and duty. But the scope and the scale quickly flies beyond the initial and we travel across the world, new lands to explore or be horrified by, and above all, far-ranging effects.
This is definitely not the simple fantasy tale that I was expecting. :) And moreover, it is entertaining. It's also somewhat hard to stomach in some circumstances... after all, being captured by slavers and forced to endure some really bad things isn't meant to be easy.
All said, I really loved this book. Feist seems to have his finger on my pulse. :)
May 19, 2014
I think I am running out of reviews for fantasy books that pretty much consist of "I liked but didn't love it." This is better written than most of the ones I've been writing about, and the plot at least takes the quest of a motley crew someplace reasonably new, but at its heart, it's another "unlikely companions go on a quest for something." Again, if I hadn't read so much fantasy recently, that would roll off my back.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
April 27, 2024
A mostly fast-paced adventure story. It did bog down considerably halfway through, but ended well. These two books in the "Krondor's Sons" duology feel like stand alones that are bridge novels between the Riftwar Saga and the Serpentwar Saga, and it was obvious there were things set up in this book in particular to lead into that series. All in all a book I really enjoyed.
December 12, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Definitely my favorite book of his since Magician if you exclude the Janny Wurts trilogy.
I really enjoy how Feist adds more main characters, lands, and worlds in every book. This book follows Nicholas, the youngest son of Arutha. He sends him off to his Uncle’s land to be his squire to hopefully make a man of him. While he’s in Crydee they get invaded by assassin’s and several slaves are taken. Nicholas and his crew must save them and in the process are introduced to a new island and an evil plot more serious than they could have imagined.
This book kind of ends on a cliffhanger to set up for the next series I assume. I really enjoyed Nick and he might be my favorite character so far. I’m also looking forward to what happens to him and his new lover.
Definitely my favorite book of his since Magician if you exclude the Janny Wurts trilogy.
I really enjoy how Feist adds more main characters, lands, and worlds in every book. This book follows Nicholas, the youngest son of Arutha. He sends him off to his Uncle’s land to be his squire to hopefully make a man of him. While he’s in Crydee they get invaded by assassin’s and several slaves are taken. Nicholas and his crew must save them and in the process are introduced to a new island and an evil plot more serious than they could have imagined.
This book kind of ends on a cliffhanger to set up for the next series I assume. I really enjoyed Nick and he might be my favorite character so far. I’m also looking forward to what happens to him and his new lover.
November 26, 2025
A tale of high adventure spanning the seas, forest, desert and river valley biomes. Nicholas is the youngest son of Prince Arutha, and this overcoming personal trials and coming of age tale is another well-crafted work from Ray Feist.
The returning characters are older and provide mentorship for the up and coming generation. The new characters are well-written and different enough not to feel like retreads of previous ones. The pacing is great and the plot elevates the stakes repeatedly. The world-building continues as a new continent (a small part of which was visited by Pug and Tomas in a prior book) is explored and added to Midkemia. Just another excellent tale. 4/5
The returning characters are older and provide mentorship for the up and coming generation. The new characters are well-written and different enough not to feel like retreads of previous ones. The pacing is great and the plot elevates the stakes repeatedly. The world-building continues as a new continent (a small part of which was visited by Pug and Tomas in a prior book) is explored and added to Midkemia. Just another excellent tale. 4/5
October 24, 2019
The King’s Buccaneer is the second and final book in the 3rd published subseries of Raymond E. Feist’s Riftwar Cycle. The story stands alone from the first book and takes place 9 years later. It has different main characters and a separate story, although we see some returning secondary characters. In some ways, this is more of a sequel to the first series than anything, but I guess this is an ongoing plot thread that we'll see throughout the various subseries.
The previous book focused on the twin sons of . This book focuses on his third and youngest son who is sent off on what is supposed to be a simple journey to visit family and gain some experience, but of course he gets caught up in unexpected and dangerous events. The familiar and beloved characters from previous books are mostly absent, but we do see a few:
This book was published around the same time as the final book in the Empire trilogy that he co-wrote with Janny Wurts. I may be reading too much into that timing, but it seems to me like he learned some things from that collaboration experience. He did allude to that a bit in his notes at the end of the book, although without any specifics. This is the first of his solo books in this series in which I thought he wrote some good female characters. They aren’t as prominent as his male characters, and that’s fine, but some of them had more strength of character and were more interesting to read about instead of only existing to support or spur the actions of the men. On the other hand, . This book is also less insta-lovey. There was some insta-attraction, but I’m perfectly fine with that and consider that realistic. Happily, he didn’t spend a ton of time dwelling on the relationships as they developed, but at least there was some actual sense of development happening in the background as the story progressed.
I liked the story, but for some reason it didn’t always hold my interest well. My interest came and went, and I really don’t know why. I liked the main characters, but I didn’t feel as much investment in them as I did for the main characters in previous books. There were still plenty of exciting parts and funny parts and other great moments, though.
The previous book focused on the twin sons of . This book focuses on his third and youngest son who is sent off on what is supposed to be a simple journey to visit family and gain some experience, but of course he gets caught up in unexpected and dangerous events. The familiar and beloved characters from previous books are mostly absent, but we do see a few:
This book was published around the same time as the final book in the Empire trilogy that he co-wrote with Janny Wurts. I may be reading too much into that timing, but it seems to me like he learned some things from that collaboration experience. He did allude to that a bit in his notes at the end of the book, although without any specifics. This is the first of his solo books in this series in which I thought he wrote some good female characters. They aren’t as prominent as his male characters, and that’s fine, but some of them had more strength of character and were more interesting to read about instead of only existing to support or spur the actions of the men. On the other hand, . This book is also less insta-lovey. There was some insta-attraction, but I’m perfectly fine with that and consider that realistic. Happily, he didn’t spend a ton of time dwelling on the relationships as they developed, but at least there was some actual sense of development happening in the background as the story progressed.
I liked the story, but for some reason it didn’t always hold my interest well. My interest came and went, and I really don’t know why. I liked the main characters, but I didn’t feel as much investment in them as I did for the main characters in previous books. There were still plenty of exciting parts and funny parts and other great moments, though.
August 8, 2021
Another fun read from Feist. It started out a bit too YA for me, but then I got I latched on to the characters, and Feist writes them well.
The youngest Prince of Kondor is sent to his uncle's Dutchy to experience life away from Court, where things will not be so easy on him. Chaos ensues when the Dutchy is attacked by unknowns, and Prince Nicholas' cousin is kidnapped. Nicky and his Squire Harry set off with Admiral Amos across the great Seas to the other side of the world. Lots of action and a few new characters. Ticking off another series in the Feist Catalog.
The youngest Prince of Kondor is sent to his uncle's Dutchy to experience life away from Court, where things will not be so easy on him. Chaos ensues when the Dutchy is attacked by unknowns, and Prince Nicholas' cousin is kidnapped. Nicky and his Squire Harry set off with Admiral Amos across the great Seas to the other side of the world. Lots of action and a few new characters. Ticking off another series in the Feist Catalog.
April 5, 2022
Borba za Kapiju Svetova je zavrsena, ali stari junaci podpomognuti novima imaju da preguraju jos koju avanturu preko glave. Princ Krvi i Kraljev Bukanir su odlicni primeri kako treba oraspoloziti fanove time sto cete ih vratiti u univerzum koji toliko vole. Novi kontinenti, nove nacije, novi likovi, nove avanture i stari neprijatelj!
December 17, 2023
A Prince has his third and youngest son (16or 17) sent to another kingdom, stripped of his title. He is to learn to be a man and not entitled to things. Quite a bit of this book takes place aboard ships and the writing kept me entertained.
July 29, 2017
Δεύτερο μέρος αυτής της διαφορετικής διλογίας του Raymond E. Feist, ένα βιβλίο που μπορώ να το θεωρήσω ως τον καθρέφτη του πρώτου μέρους. Σε αυτό έχουμε ξανά μία ιστορία ενηλικίωσης, με φόντο μία περιπέτεια που οδηγεί τους ήρωές μας σε ένα εξωτικό μέρος, με περίεργα ήθη και έθιμα και ταραγμένη πολιτική κατάσταση. Υπάρχει φυσικά κάποια διαφοροποίηση σε πολλές λεπτομέρειες αλλά σε γενικές γραμμές το βιβλίο κινείται στα ίδια μονοπάτια με το προηγούμενο. Είναι φυσικά και αυτό ενδιαφέρον, με αρκετή δράση και ακόμα περισσότερο χιούμορ αλλά... ως εκεί.
July 23, 2023
Another excellent spin off from "The Riftwars." Yet another son of the Duke of the West finds his way to maturity battling the darkest of enemies with the help of "tricks" and an old sea dog. Fun fantasy with wooden ships of sail and iron men. Feist certainly knows how to tie up loose ends at the end of a tale. I'll be staying with Feist and his co-authors a bit longer.
July 17, 2013
The King's Buccaneer, the fifth book in the Riftwar Cycle, is another largely standalone story. Having read the previous books definitely enriches the experience, but it can certainly be read on its own. I have a soft spot for Nicholas, the protagonist of this book. His overwhelming need to be good enough, to get his father's approval, was something I strongly identified as a teen when I first read the book and my sympathy for Nicky has never left me, even if like Nicky, I mostly grew out of having to have my father's approval to feel I was a good person. Add to that the fact that they pretend to be pirates in the story and how could I not like it?
So, pirates! Funnily enough, despite all I thought I remembered about this novel, there is a lot less sailing than I'd expected. I do love the time they spend on board their ship the Raptor and their stay in Freeport. We discover a lot of new ground in this book, mostly on the faraway continent of Novindus. To be honest, I found the first quarter or so before the raid a little slow – slow enough I even had a bit of a break at about a fifth in due to other blog reading, though I jumped back in with no problem – but once the raid happens and they set sail, I kept turning pages and I got pulled into the rescue story and following the characters on their quest.
The King's Buccaneer has some lovely characters. Nicholas is an intriguing protagonist and I love his arc from insecure, bashful youth to a confident and competent adult. I'm conflicted about how his clubfoot was treated however, because on the one hand the fact that it was a symbol of Nicky's fears and insecurities which couldn't be completely cured unless he overcame them was a lovely metaphor, on the other hand why couldn't he have succeeded with the clubfoot? He seemed to be doing well enough for himself before Pug helped him cure himself. Still, as mentioned before, Nicky has a soft spot in my heart and I loved his story. I loved the interaction between Marcus and Nicholas, as they are the perfect illustration of the old adage "Sometimes the people who are most annoying to us are those who resemble us most closely". The slow move from obvious dislike and distrust to wary alliance and later true comradeship was great to read and it shows that Feist is not only able to write great friendly duo's such as Jimmy and Locky, Nicky and Harry, and Erik and Roo, but less likely friendships as well.
The narrative has great secondary characters in Nakor, Ghuda, Amos, Calis, and Harry. The latter is rather reminiscent of Locky; he has the same exuberant and loyal nature and a similar eye for the ladies. It was great to reunite with the three older men and the chance to see more of Tomas and Aglaranna's son Calis was interesting too. In Margaret we finally get a female character that never lacks agency. Whatever happens to the girls – and even if, in the end, they are rescued by our rescuing party – Margaret never gives up and keeps trying to discover a way to escape her captors. This impression is strengthened by the contrast with Abigail, which is a bit disappointing, as where Margaret is described as handsome, not conventionally pretty, Abigail is and while her function as foil for the competent Margaret works, it's too bad that the beautiful, blonde girl has to be a helpless wretch when push comes to shove. So it's two steps forward one step back in that regard.
The key question in this reread series for every book is: has it held up? In the case of The King's Buccaneer I have to conclude that yes, so far I think it's held up the best of all of them. Not only are we finally moving towards some competent, agency-wielding women, we also have an interesting protagonist who has an interesting internal struggle to conquer in addition to the horrific plot the raiders have hatched that he and his companions need to foil. Despite the reservations I still have regarding some of the authorial choices made, especially concerning Nicky's foot, The King's Buccaneer remains a wonderful read and one that still leaves me closing the book on the last page with a satisfied smile.
This review is part of my Midkemia Reread, in which I read all the books Raymond E. Feist wrote, set in the world of Midkemia. For more on the why and how of this series of reviews, check out Midkemia Reread: An Introduction.
So, pirates! Funnily enough, despite all I thought I remembered about this novel, there is a lot less sailing than I'd expected. I do love the time they spend on board their ship the Raptor and their stay in Freeport. We discover a lot of new ground in this book, mostly on the faraway continent of Novindus. To be honest, I found the first quarter or so before the raid a little slow – slow enough I even had a bit of a break at about a fifth in due to other blog reading, though I jumped back in with no problem – but once the raid happens and they set sail, I kept turning pages and I got pulled into the rescue story and following the characters on their quest.
The King's Buccaneer has some lovely characters. Nicholas is an intriguing protagonist and I love his arc from insecure, bashful youth to a confident and competent adult. I'm conflicted about how his clubfoot was treated however, because on the one hand the fact that it was a symbol of Nicky's fears and insecurities which couldn't be completely cured unless he overcame them was a lovely metaphor, on the other hand why couldn't he have succeeded with the clubfoot? He seemed to be doing well enough for himself before Pug helped him cure himself. Still, as mentioned before, Nicky has a soft spot in my heart and I loved his story. I loved the interaction between Marcus and Nicholas, as they are the perfect illustration of the old adage "Sometimes the people who are most annoying to us are those who resemble us most closely". The slow move from obvious dislike and distrust to wary alliance and later true comradeship was great to read and it shows that Feist is not only able to write great friendly duo's such as Jimmy and Locky, Nicky and Harry, and Erik and Roo, but less likely friendships as well.
The narrative has great secondary characters in Nakor, Ghuda, Amos, Calis, and Harry. The latter is rather reminiscent of Locky; he has the same exuberant and loyal nature and a similar eye for the ladies. It was great to reunite with the three older men and the chance to see more of Tomas and Aglaranna's son Calis was interesting too. In Margaret we finally get a female character that never lacks agency. Whatever happens to the girls – and even if, in the end, they are rescued by our rescuing party – Margaret never gives up and keeps trying to discover a way to escape her captors. This impression is strengthened by the contrast with Abigail, which is a bit disappointing, as where Margaret is described as handsome, not conventionally pretty, Abigail is and while her function as foil for the competent Margaret works, it's too bad that the beautiful, blonde girl has to be a helpless wretch when push comes to shove. So it's two steps forward one step back in that regard.
The key question in this reread series for every book is: has it held up? In the case of The King's Buccaneer I have to conclude that yes, so far I think it's held up the best of all of them. Not only are we finally moving towards some competent, agency-wielding women, we also have an interesting protagonist who has an interesting internal struggle to conquer in addition to the horrific plot the raiders have hatched that he and his companions need to foil. Despite the reservations I still have regarding some of the authorial choices made, especially concerning Nicky's foot, The King's Buccaneer remains a wonderful read and one that still leaves me closing the book on the last page with a satisfied smile.
***
This review is part of my Midkemia Reread, in which I read all the books Raymond E. Feist wrote, set in the world of Midkemia. For more on the why and how of this series of reviews, check out Midkemia Reread: An Introduction.
August 9, 2021
Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were some slow parts, but Feist has a way to bring you out of those quickly to get you back into the story. While reading this book, I was worried that the story line would not be completed, but it was wrapped up nicely. The characters that were introduced in this book were enjoyable! I will keep reading on in this world that Feist has created with the next series!
February 10, 2019
This book was bloody brilliant a swashbuckling pirating adventure with some great companionship and friendships. The story was fast paced and entertaining. The main character nicholas starts off bumbling and unsure of himself and grows into a man over the course of the story. There was some interesting magic and discoveries that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would highly recommend this book and I'm really glad I carried on with my feist reading.
October 20, 2021
I enjoyed this much more than the previous book in this duology, Prince of the Blood. A fun adventure with some characters that grew on me (Nakor is my second favorite Feist character, after only Mara).
Keeping this short, this checks all the marks for a good swords-and-sorcery novel. An evil death cult of serpent priests, ship battles and piracy, thrilling sword battles, questionable unsavory allies, strange foreign cities, and the like.
It has the accompanying issues that swords-and-sorcery often do - women are sidelined compared to men (also, a scene near the end where one of the four younger male lead characters mentions how neatly things worked out, with each of them ending up paired with one of the four women, had me groaning a bit), and there's certainly a bit of the Western protagonists gaping at the barbaric ways of the foreign city they find themselves in - but I didn't find myself cringing nearly as much as I did with Prince of the Blood.
I thought this was a good continuation of the larger plot that Feist started in the prior books, whereas most of Prince of the Blood felt pretty standalone. I've had to get used to the way that Feist will jump forward years in between books, resulting in side characters dying of old age and former protagonists growing older and fading to the background.
Keeping this short, this checks all the marks for a good swords-and-sorcery novel. An evil death cult of serpent priests, ship battles and piracy, thrilling sword battles, questionable unsavory allies, strange foreign cities, and the like.
It has the accompanying issues that swords-and-sorcery often do - women are sidelined compared to men (also, a scene near the end where one of the four younger male lead characters mentions how neatly things worked out, with each of them ending up paired with one of the four women, had me groaning a bit), and there's certainly a bit of the Western protagonists gaping at the barbaric ways of the foreign city they find themselves in - but I didn't find myself cringing nearly as much as I did with Prince of the Blood.
I thought this was a good continuation of the larger plot that Feist started in the prior books, whereas most of Prince of the Blood felt pretty standalone. I've had to get used to the way that Feist will jump forward years in between books, resulting in side characters dying of old age and former protagonists growing older and fading to the background.
January 21, 2022
This book was always one of my favourite Raymond E Feist books, and I remember why.
I so absolutely enjoyed this series, and its not just because its me reliving my youth!! Hahaha!!!
Its full of adventure, there is always a twist in a Feist book, always new ways to manipulate magic or stuff if you believe Nakor!! the Chracters are believable and very real you simply love them!!
Onto next series!!!!!
I so absolutely enjoyed this series, and its not just because its me reliving my youth!! Hahaha!!!
Its full of adventure, there is always a twist in a Feist book, always new ways to manipulate magic or stuff if you believe Nakor!! the Chracters are believable and very real you simply love them!!
Onto next series!!!!!
August 3, 2019
Another very enjoyable read.
September 27, 2015
This was a good read. It's well written, but fairly standard stuff. I thought it was a significant step above Prince of the Blood. It follows Nicholas, the youngest son of Arutha of Krondor. He has a deformed foot from birth, and has always felt inadequate as a result. His father sends him to his uncle in the rougher backwater of Crydee for some seasoning. After some brief hardship as his uncle's squire, the town is raided and two of the royal women are kidnapped. They go on a quest across the world to rescue the girls, and along the way Nicholas learns to assert himself. As I said, pretty standard, but Nicholas is a well-drawn, likable character. And some of the supporting characters have their moments as well.
To my tastes, the villainous forces here are too abstract. There is no believable face of evil in this book (nor in the last). Its also marred by a Pug ex machina, which is telegraphed from almost the very beginning, and still manages to be annoying and a trifle anti-climactic when it occurs. But there is a lot to like in this book, including several women in the book who manage to have personalities and not merely be objects for rescue or romantic interests (though they do fill those roles as well).
As with the first series, I have liked the last two books, but still find myself doubting whether I want to continue. I guess someday I will go on to one of the early series. It looks like there are three groups of books to choose from for a next step. But I don't feel in any rush to do so.
To my tastes, the villainous forces here are too abstract. There is no believable face of evil in this book (nor in the last). Its also marred by a Pug ex machina, which is telegraphed from almost the very beginning, and still manages to be annoying and a trifle anti-climactic when it occurs. But there is a lot to like in this book, including several women in the book who manage to have personalities and not merely be objects for rescue or romantic interests (though they do fill those roles as well).
As with the first series, I have liked the last two books, but still find myself doubting whether I want to continue. I guess someday I will go on to one of the early series. It looks like there are three groups of books to choose from for a next step. But I don't feel in any rush to do so.
July 31, 2011
Dit verhaal leest als een proloog voor een veel groter verhaal, maar dan wel een zeer aangename proloog. Prins Valentijn als hoofdfiguur vind ik veel sympathieker dan zijn tweelingbroers in het vorige boek. Boekanier des Konings was een echte page-turner voor me en ik heb het Feist-virus nu eindelijk te pakken. Voor ik aan de Slangenoorlog begin duik ik eerst nog even terug in de tijd met de Keizerrijk Trilogie.
June 26, 2015
Another good Feist book! He can spin a great tale of fantasy adventure and I have yet to grow tried of the characters in this series' universe.
If you were a fan of Amos Trask in the earlier novels, this is the book for you!
If you were a fan of Amos Trask in the earlier novels, this is the book for you!
February 5, 2023
3,5 Sterne
May 21, 2022
Early on in the book I had the thought that it might be amusing to have a short story around what was happening with the source of the oranges that Nakor the Annoying keeps producing from his limited bag of holding. I imagined tbe owner of an orchard gradually realizing that a human hand kept appearing out of the nothing to grab the largest and ripest of his fruit, and trying to figure out a way to stop it. Perhaps by setting up some kind of trap around choice fruits, and maybe Nakor reaching into his bag and then finding his hand caught in a snare, or maybe even pulling back a bloody stump if this idea were to go in a horrific direction.
And then half-way into the book, I find out that I'm essentially correct. He's stealing the oranges from a remote warehouse (somehow they've never stored any thing else at the location of the mini-rift, so apparanetly those oranges are in-season all year round).
Page 336 - No more oranges, he gets an apple. Feist gets a point back for that.
Nakor the Obnoxious spews so may false profundities. He is basically a walking deepity machine, like the Deepok Chopra of this fantasy world, for example when the sailors are dying of starvation and exposure he says they will die because "some spirits love life while others grow fatigued." What fucking bullshit. I hate him so much.
Feist is still unable to give his female characters any real agency (with the exception of the 3 novels that were written in collaboration with Kanny Wurts, who I now give all the credit for making the difference). All four main named female characters exist primarily as love interests and learning points for the men. Even Brisa who is introduced as a tough, street-smart survivor is essentially reduced to lust support, especially in one scene in particular.
NIcholas is a much more interesting character than the brothers from the previous novel of this arc, althgouh I dislike the "you'll only heal if you really want to" bullshit around his deformed foot, which does in fact finally get healed.
There is more magic in this book than the previous which made it more fun as fantasy, and I have to admit I really quite enjoyed all the sea voyage stuff, whether or not it had even the slightest realism to it at all. The lengthy and slow pursuits were nicely drawn out.
So despite all the problems I enjoyed the book, and it is better than the previous book. I've already got the next arc in the Riftwar Saga, so I'm committed to reading those.
And then half-way into the book, I find out that I'm essentially correct. He's stealing the oranges from a remote warehouse (somehow they've never stored any thing else at the location of the mini-rift, so apparanetly those oranges are in-season all year round).
Page 336 - No more oranges, he gets an apple. Feist gets a point back for that.
Nakor the Obnoxious spews so may false profundities. He is basically a walking deepity machine, like the Deepok Chopra of this fantasy world, for example when the sailors are dying of starvation and exposure he says they will die because "some spirits love life while others grow fatigued." What fucking bullshit. I hate him so much.
Feist is still unable to give his female characters any real agency (with the exception of the 3 novels that were written in collaboration with Kanny Wurts, who I now give all the credit for making the difference). All four main named female characters exist primarily as love interests and learning points for the men. Even Brisa who is introduced as a tough, street-smart survivor is essentially reduced to lust support, especially in one scene in particular.
NIcholas is a much more interesting character than the brothers from the previous novel of this arc, althgouh I dislike the "you'll only heal if you really want to" bullshit around his deformed foot, which does in fact finally get healed.
There is more magic in this book than the previous which made it more fun as fantasy, and I have to admit I really quite enjoyed all the sea voyage stuff, whether or not it had even the slightest realism to it at all. The lengthy and slow pursuits were nicely drawn out.
So despite all the problems I enjoyed the book, and it is better than the previous book. I've already got the next arc in the Riftwar Saga, so I'm committed to reading those.
January 3, 2021
Like many of this author's books this takes a while to get moving but once it does, somewhere between the events in Crydee and the arrival in Novindus the story picks up and doesn't slow down. The action and intrigue are well written and believable. There's very little alternate story lines. Some few "meanwhile" moments with the captive girls but for the most part this follows the main plot from beginning to end. A very good tale!
My first book of 2021 and last started in 2020.
My first book of 2021 and last started in 2020.
June 9, 2025
4.75 - Stars
What a tale this duology was. Even though I struggle with younger characters and coming of age tales, I really had a blast with both books in the Krondor's Sons series.
I also found it nice to see the third son of this family had very different struggles on his coming of age tale. I was afraid it would end up being more of the same from his older brothers but all three had very different paths.
Full review to follow.
What a tale this duology was. Even though I struggle with younger characters and coming of age tales, I really had a blast with both books in the Krondor's Sons series.
I also found it nice to see the third son of this family had very different struggles on his coming of age tale. I was afraid it would end up being more of the same from his older brothers but all three had very different paths.
Full review to follow.
August 29, 2013
Depois de ler "Príncipe Herdeiro", tinha de ler "O Corsário do Rei".
Tendo em conta os quatro outros livros de O Mago, e como já referi na review de "Príncipe Herdeiro", não fiquei muito arrebatada pelo Príncipe e por isso estava com um pouco de receio de também não o ser pelo Corsário, uma vez que gostei bastante dos livros de O Mago e gosto de reviver boas histórias, onde me sinta arrebatada pelas personagens e pelo enredo, algo essencial para o gosto pelo livro em questão.
Pois bem, posso afirmar que, sem dúvida! Este é melhor do que o anterior. Gostei muito mais deste do que do Príncipe. Em "O Corsário do Rei" é possível assistir ao amadurecimento da personagem principal, o filho mais novo de Arutha, Príncipe de Krondor (e uma das minhas personagens favoritas das sagas de Feist): Nicholas, de seu nome, é enviado pelo pai para Crydee, para se juntar ao seu tio Martin (que aparece em O Mago) para ser seu Escudeiro, de modo a crescer em bravura. Nicholas tem um problema e isso faz com que ele tenha alguns cuidados e que outros os tenham com ele, o que Arutha teme que o prejudique na vida adulta. Nicholas nasceu com uma deficiência no pé esquerdo (não se formou totalmente) e vive constrangido em sociedade, sendo vítima das atrozes bisbilhotices e "bocas" de outros jovens e da compaixão e pena dos adultos (nunca em público, mas pela calada). Arutha dá assim uma oportunidade ao filho para melhorar a sua auto-estima e também o seu desenvolvimento enquanto homem, junto de outros homens e num ambiente mais campestre e rústico, também para conhecer outras realidades que não só a de Krondor (mais rica e citadina). O que Arutha não imaginava é que ia enviar o seu filho para o centro de uma nova estratégia dos Pantathianos, o povo da serpente e adorador de Alma-Lodaka, uma das Valheru, e que já antes tinham aparecido em "Trevas em Sethanon". Sendo assim, Nicholas vê-se numa jornada pelo Mar Azul, rumo a um destino que desconhece mas que tem de enfrentar para seu bem e de todo o Reino de Midkemia, uma vez que as forças obscuras que assolaram Midkemia há uns anos atrás estão de volta e só um dos herdeiros da Luz do Ocidente pode por fim aos seus planos.
O que me fez gostar mesmo mais deste livro é o facto de estar repleto de aventuras, de amadurecimento das personagens, de introspecção das mesmas sobre as suas ideias, atitudes e ambições e do reviver de acontecimentos, locais e personagens da saga de O Mago. Tendo em conta o meu apreço pelo terceiro e quarto livro de O Mago, era de estranhar se não ficasse rendida a este volume, que volta a retomar a trama desses dois volumes. Para mim este livro tem o que falta ao Príncipe. Além da intriga que existe em ambos, este tem os ingredientes que já mencionei nas linhas anteriores, bem como mais ação e magia. Pug regressa e com ele muitos atos interessantes para com Nicholas e para com outros. Há conversas muito interessantes entre Pug e várias personagens, como Nicholas e Nakor. Nakor é deveras uma personagem muito interessante! Gostaria mesmo de saber mais sobre ele e de saber se certas afirmações que ele fez a uma certa personagem são verdadeiras! Voltamos a ver a Ilha do Feiticeiro, local que eu acho fantástico. Ficamos a saber o destino de várias personagens que encontrámos em O Mago e ficamos a conhecer novas personagens bem interessantes!, como é o caso de Anthony, jovem mago ao serviço de Martin, e Calis, filho de Tomas e Aglaranna, a rainha de Elvandar.
Feist consegue retomar os enredos terminados em Sethanon de um modo muito interessante, pois não é cansativo nem rebuscado, mas sim curioso e que nos faz querer saber mais sobre o mundo de Midkemia (e os mundos que existem neste Universo, pois são imensos e ricos em história).
Um dos aspetos que mais relevo me apresenta ao ler livros de Fantasia é o facto da história por detrás dos acontecimentos principais ser ou não rica. Feist mostra-nos que a sua História é rica em factos: temos os Valheru, as Guerras do Caos, os Panthatianos, o Reino, Novindos, os Eldar e todas as outras raças. Temos um Universo com background e não algo oco. Tokien também nos dá esse background e de que maneira! E Martin, em As Crónicas de Gelo e Fogo e, claro, Robin Hobb. Isto em termos de Universos que não existem.
É por isso que gostei tanto deste livro: é uma História, bem narrada e bem pormenorizada, onde é possível encontrar factos sobre este Universo e é isso que faltou no livro anterior e que talvez não tenha conseguido logo perceber o que lhe faltava de mais necessário. Pug, Tomas (não entra neste, mas está bem presente) e Arutha sempre foi o que mais me fascinou e toda a história de Feist, bem como os locais e lendas e histórias. E aqui, pude reviver esses momentos. Muito bom.
Recomendo a todos os fãs de Feist. Diz na contracapa que é possível ler o livro sem ter lido os anteriores, mas não o façam...vão perder grande parte da magia da leitura se o fizerem, pois saber algo pela metade não é saber o todo e mais vale lerem a saga do Mago. É mesmo boa e assim ficam com um background muito mais forte para lerem este. Força! Vão para Midkemia e divirtam-se =) !!!
Tendo em conta os quatro outros livros de O Mago, e como já referi na review de "Príncipe Herdeiro", não fiquei muito arrebatada pelo Príncipe e por isso estava com um pouco de receio de também não o ser pelo Corsário, uma vez que gostei bastante dos livros de O Mago e gosto de reviver boas histórias, onde me sinta arrebatada pelas personagens e pelo enredo, algo essencial para o gosto pelo livro em questão.
Pois bem, posso afirmar que, sem dúvida! Este é melhor do que o anterior. Gostei muito mais deste do que do Príncipe. Em "O Corsário do Rei" é possível assistir ao amadurecimento da personagem principal, o filho mais novo de Arutha, Príncipe de Krondor (e uma das minhas personagens favoritas das sagas de Feist): Nicholas, de seu nome, é enviado pelo pai para Crydee, para se juntar ao seu tio Martin (que aparece em O Mago) para ser seu Escudeiro, de modo a crescer em bravura. Nicholas tem um problema e isso faz com que ele tenha alguns cuidados e que outros os tenham com ele, o que Arutha teme que o prejudique na vida adulta. Nicholas nasceu com uma deficiência no pé esquerdo (não se formou totalmente) e vive constrangido em sociedade, sendo vítima das atrozes bisbilhotices e "bocas" de outros jovens e da compaixão e pena dos adultos (nunca em público, mas pela calada). Arutha dá assim uma oportunidade ao filho para melhorar a sua auto-estima e também o seu desenvolvimento enquanto homem, junto de outros homens e num ambiente mais campestre e rústico, também para conhecer outras realidades que não só a de Krondor (mais rica e citadina). O que Arutha não imaginava é que ia enviar o seu filho para o centro de uma nova estratégia dos Pantathianos, o povo da serpente e adorador de Alma-Lodaka, uma das Valheru, e que já antes tinham aparecido em "Trevas em Sethanon". Sendo assim, Nicholas vê-se numa jornada pelo Mar Azul, rumo a um destino que desconhece mas que tem de enfrentar para seu bem e de todo o Reino de Midkemia, uma vez que as forças obscuras que assolaram Midkemia há uns anos atrás estão de volta e só um dos herdeiros da Luz do Ocidente pode por fim aos seus planos.
O que me fez gostar mesmo mais deste livro é o facto de estar repleto de aventuras, de amadurecimento das personagens, de introspecção das mesmas sobre as suas ideias, atitudes e ambições e do reviver de acontecimentos, locais e personagens da saga de O Mago. Tendo em conta o meu apreço pelo terceiro e quarto livro de O Mago, era de estranhar se não ficasse rendida a este volume, que volta a retomar a trama desses dois volumes. Para mim este livro tem o que falta ao Príncipe. Além da intriga que existe em ambos, este tem os ingredientes que já mencionei nas linhas anteriores, bem como mais ação e magia. Pug regressa e com ele muitos atos interessantes para com Nicholas e para com outros. Há conversas muito interessantes entre Pug e várias personagens, como Nicholas e Nakor. Nakor é deveras uma personagem muito interessante! Gostaria mesmo de saber mais sobre ele e de saber se certas afirmações que ele fez a uma certa personagem são verdadeiras! Voltamos a ver a Ilha do Feiticeiro, local que eu acho fantástico. Ficamos a saber o destino de várias personagens que encontrámos em O Mago e ficamos a conhecer novas personagens bem interessantes!, como é o caso de Anthony, jovem mago ao serviço de Martin, e Calis, filho de Tomas e Aglaranna, a rainha de Elvandar.
Feist consegue retomar os enredos terminados em Sethanon de um modo muito interessante, pois não é cansativo nem rebuscado, mas sim curioso e que nos faz querer saber mais sobre o mundo de Midkemia (e os mundos que existem neste Universo, pois são imensos e ricos em história).
Um dos aspetos que mais relevo me apresenta ao ler livros de Fantasia é o facto da história por detrás dos acontecimentos principais ser ou não rica. Feist mostra-nos que a sua História é rica em factos: temos os Valheru, as Guerras do Caos, os Panthatianos, o Reino, Novindos, os Eldar e todas as outras raças. Temos um Universo com background e não algo oco. Tokien também nos dá esse background e de que maneira! E Martin, em As Crónicas de Gelo e Fogo e, claro, Robin Hobb. Isto em termos de Universos que não existem.
É por isso que gostei tanto deste livro: é uma História, bem narrada e bem pormenorizada, onde é possível encontrar factos sobre este Universo e é isso que faltou no livro anterior e que talvez não tenha conseguido logo perceber o que lhe faltava de mais necessário. Pug, Tomas (não entra neste, mas está bem presente) e Arutha sempre foi o que mais me fascinou e toda a história de Feist, bem como os locais e lendas e histórias. E aqui, pude reviver esses momentos. Muito bom.
Recomendo a todos os fãs de Feist. Diz na contracapa que é possível ler o livro sem ter lido os anteriores, mas não o façam...vão perder grande parte da magia da leitura se o fizerem, pois saber algo pela metade não é saber o todo e mais vale lerem a saga do Mago. É mesmo boa e assim ficam com um background muito mais forte para lerem este. Força! Vão para Midkemia e divirtam-se =) !!!
July 22, 2025
Great ending of the series and setup for the next. Hasn’t been a book from Feist I haven’t loved
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2019
Jammer dat er weer minstens 10 jaar zit tussen dit boek en het vorige.
Dit boek voelt als een (lange) proloog voor een volgende serie. De prins kwam mij sympathieker over dan zijn broers Borric en Erland. Heerlijk boek om te lezen. Echt een eentje waarvan je al gauw denkt 'nog maar een hoofdstuk lezen'.
Op naar het volgende deel Het verraad.
Dit boek voelt als een (lange) proloog voor een volgende serie. De prins kwam mij sympathieker over dan zijn broers Borric en Erland. Heerlijk boek om te lezen. Echt een eentje waarvan je al gauw denkt 'nog maar een hoofdstuk lezen'.
Op naar het volgende deel Het verraad.
October 21, 2013
After the difficulties experienced in Prince of the Blood, The King's Buccaneer represents more of a return to form for Feist. While at first glance it might have been a bit worrying that he was resurrecting some characters (Amos in particular) when it would have been reasonable to assume they'd either retired or shuffled off the Midkemian Coil altogether, they are good characters and they made a welcome addition to a fantasy adventure tale that was pretty decent for the most part.
Sure, certain character types come to feel terribly familiar the more you read Feist; like the Ranjana for example. Fiery brat girls seem to be a bit of a trend in Feist's work, and that's no bad thing. I'd much prefer that to simpering maidens, but sometimes it can get a little weird. And there is also a trend of childhood infatuation giving way to the reality of life in his work, and that resurfaces here with Nicholas' obsession with Abigail giving way to an apparently 'more mature' relationship with the Ranjana. If you replace the names Nicholas, Abigail and the Ranjana with Pug, Carline and Katala(if memory serves?) - it's the same! And again, towards the end of the book, there seems to be just the right amount of ladies for the right amount of guys so that everyone ends up happy. It's a bit...oh for goodness sake, really; hasn't this all panned out delightfully for all involved. But that's me, I guess. I don't like completely happy endings, somehow they flatten the characters for me. And how Nick loses interest in Abigail once they have rescued them is a little odd too. I guess it meant he didn't have to fight his cousin, but it's too convenient.
As for the cousin, Marcus as a character never really develops much. He's more a foil for Nick that his own character. He plays the part of the broody git well, but never moves on from that really. It all means that, when they finally rescue the princess and her friend, it's something of an anticlimax.
And then we have the Pug-Factor. Remember, Pug is something of an unstoppable force in the world, and traditionally a force for good. He's not amoral, like Macros was. His arrival at the end of the book is tediously predictable. Even riding the dragon that was introduced without obvious reason at the start is predictable for that fact.
BUT! It sounds like I didn't like it; I did! It's a straight forward adventure yarn. It loses its way when they hit the Novindus desert, and the entire end of the book feels like it got away from Feist a bit, but the time in the Pirate Port and the attacks on the Far Coast cities are great. It's just a shame that all they found in Novindus was an empty desert, a trading stop and a tribal city. The City of the Serpent River had real potential that was never fully explored. The introduction of an entire continent in the middle of a book is tricky to do while still maintaining the pace of the story, and perhaps this is why the middle of the book seems to bog down somewhat. But there are real highlights in this book too: I think Brisa is brilliant and deserved a greater part; Ghuda and Nakor are much better utilized here, instead of feeling like lexical tools (see PotB); our first sighting of Calis gives a foreshadow of what will come to be one of Feist's best ever characters.
As a standalone, this is a good book. The language is far from brilliant; for example how many times in two chapters can something be described as 'rude'? I get that everything is rudimentary in design or construction, but we go from rude hut to rude shelter to rude ship to rude alley to rude this and rude that! Thesaurus dude! But I fall foul of that myself quite often. During my own first book, no one ever crouched; they hunkered! Everyone bloody hunkered! So I'm far from perfect myself. :) And then there's the curious moment in Crydee wherein Harry spins off some list or other in comedic fashion, creating a brief moment of levity seemingly out of the blue. It isn't remarked upon as being out of place; but they are all surrounded by charred bodies of their friends and family! It feels way out of place at that moment, and I think the editor might have done well to take a knife to that.
The King's Buccaneer is well worth a read, but there are far better books to follow, with some truly brilliant characters. Speaking of which, the next four books which introduce the likes of Erik von Darkmoor and Roo Avery are next!
Sure, certain character types come to feel terribly familiar the more you read Feist; like the Ranjana for example. Fiery brat girls seem to be a bit of a trend in Feist's work, and that's no bad thing. I'd much prefer that to simpering maidens, but sometimes it can get a little weird. And there is also a trend of childhood infatuation giving way to the reality of life in his work, and that resurfaces here with Nicholas' obsession with Abigail giving way to an apparently 'more mature' relationship with the Ranjana. If you replace the names Nicholas, Abigail and the Ranjana with Pug, Carline and Katala(if memory serves?) - it's the same! And again, towards the end of the book, there seems to be just the right amount of ladies for the right amount of guys so that everyone ends up happy. It's a bit...oh for goodness sake, really; hasn't this all panned out delightfully for all involved. But that's me, I guess. I don't like completely happy endings, somehow they flatten the characters for me. And how Nick loses interest in Abigail once they have rescued them is a little odd too. I guess it meant he didn't have to fight his cousin, but it's too convenient.
As for the cousin, Marcus as a character never really develops much. He's more a foil for Nick that his own character. He plays the part of the broody git well, but never moves on from that really. It all means that, when they finally rescue the princess and her friend, it's something of an anticlimax.
And then we have the Pug-Factor. Remember, Pug is something of an unstoppable force in the world, and traditionally a force for good. He's not amoral, like Macros was. His arrival at the end of the book is tediously predictable. Even riding the dragon that was introduced without obvious reason at the start is predictable for that fact.
BUT! It sounds like I didn't like it; I did! It's a straight forward adventure yarn. It loses its way when they hit the Novindus desert, and the entire end of the book feels like it got away from Feist a bit, but the time in the Pirate Port and the attacks on the Far Coast cities are great. It's just a shame that all they found in Novindus was an empty desert, a trading stop and a tribal city. The City of the Serpent River had real potential that was never fully explored. The introduction of an entire continent in the middle of a book is tricky to do while still maintaining the pace of the story, and perhaps this is why the middle of the book seems to bog down somewhat. But there are real highlights in this book too: I think Brisa is brilliant and deserved a greater part; Ghuda and Nakor are much better utilized here, instead of feeling like lexical tools (see PotB); our first sighting of Calis gives a foreshadow of what will come to be one of Feist's best ever characters.
As a standalone, this is a good book. The language is far from brilliant; for example how many times in two chapters can something be described as 'rude'? I get that everything is rudimentary in design or construction, but we go from rude hut to rude shelter to rude ship to rude alley to rude this and rude that! Thesaurus dude! But I fall foul of that myself quite often. During my own first book, no one ever crouched; they hunkered! Everyone bloody hunkered! So I'm far from perfect myself. :) And then there's the curious moment in Crydee wherein Harry spins off some list or other in comedic fashion, creating a brief moment of levity seemingly out of the blue. It isn't remarked upon as being out of place; but they are all surrounded by charred bodies of their friends and family! It feels way out of place at that moment, and I think the editor might have done well to take a knife to that.
The King's Buccaneer is well worth a read, but there are far better books to follow, with some truly brilliant characters. Speaking of which, the next four books which introduce the likes of Erik von Darkmoor and Roo Avery are next!
October 26, 2019
The King’s Buccaneer, written by Raymond Feist.
ISBN 0-586-20322–2 and published by Voyager (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) in 1995.
Cover illustration by Geoff Taylor
This adventure is set 10 years after the events recounted in Prince of the Blood and tells the events of Nicolas, the third son of Arutha and Anita conDoin.
Nicolas and his squire Harry are sent to Crydee where Nicolas is to learn more about the day-to-day life at the frontier. Nicolas is expected to act as the squire of Duke Martin conDoin and Harry as squire of the Duke’s son, Marcus (Nicolas’ nephew).
Crydee is attacked from sea and completely destructed during the night. Several townspeople and members of the court are abducted and taken away, including the Duke’s daughter Margaret and her companion Abigail. Here starts the long and dangerous journey to rescue the noblewomen. During the journey it becomes clear to Nicolas that more is at stake than the lives of those who were captured.
A fantastic book again by Raymond Feist! Start and don’t stop reading this book which is, according to my opinion, better than the previous book about Borric and Erland.
Feist gives most of the characters of the previous books a (key) role in this adventure and at the same time adding new characters. The interaction between the characters in a complete new part of Midkemia (the isle Novinous) makes this page-turner.
A summary of the main characters of this book (and I’ve surely forgotten several):
Ghuda Bulé, former mercenary and now owner of the Inn, The Dented Helmet.
Nakor, Isalani monk.
Amos Trask, Admiral of the Prince’s fleet of the Kingdom Navy.
Lawrence, the assistant pilot.
Nicolas, youngest Son of the Prince of Krondor.
Harry, Son of the Earl of Ludland and Prince Nicolas’ squire.
Arutha conDion, Prince of Krondor.
Anita his wife.
Geoffrey, the Duke of Krondor.
Prelate Graham, bishop of the Order of Dala.
Princess Alicia, Anita’s mother.
William, Knight Marshal of Krondor.
Baron Jerome, Master of Ceremony.
Mr. Rhodes, First Mate of the Royal Eagle.
Pug, The Magician.
Gathis, seneschal of Pug’s estate.
Solunk, porter of Pug’s estate.
Lady Ryana, guest at Pug’s estate.
Duke Martin of Crydee and his wife the Duchess Briana.
Marcus and Margaret, son and daughter of Martin and Briana.
The Lady Abigail, daughter of Baron Bellemy of Carse and companion of Margaret.
Swordmaster Charles.
Horsemaster Faxon.
Housecarl Samual.
Anthony, Magician.
Mastercook Megar and his wife Magya Tomas’ parents.
Rulf, the senior stableman and his sons Tom and Sam.
Vasarius, a merchant in fine silks and perfume.
Huntmaster Garret.
Calis, son of Tomas and Aglaranna.
Robin, a page working for the housecarl.
Captain Render.
Little Harold, one of Captain Render’s band.
Patrick of Duncastle, Sheriff of Freeport.
William Swallow, head of the Captains.
Peter Dread, one of the seven Captains.
James Scarlett, also one of the seven Captains.
Brisa, odd girl at Freeport.
Arjuna Svadjian and Saji interviewing Abigail and Margaret.
Mikola, Hetmen of the Zakosha Riders.
Tuka, wagoneer.
Prajichetas and Vajasiah, two mercenaries.
Dubas Nebu, Captain of the Second Company of his Radiance’s Own.
Keeler, owner of a hostel in The City of the Serpent River.
Anward Nogosh Pata, merceant.
Vaslaw Nacoyen, Chieftan of the Lion Clan.
The Lady Clovis, formally Jorna.
Iasha, the Rajana of Kilbar.
Pickens, acting First Mate on the Royal Eagle.
Gregory, acting bosun’s mate.
ISBN 0-586-20322–2 and published by Voyager (An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers) in 1995.
Cover illustration by Geoff Taylor
This adventure is set 10 years after the events recounted in Prince of the Blood and tells the events of Nicolas, the third son of Arutha and Anita conDoin.
Nicolas and his squire Harry are sent to Crydee where Nicolas is to learn more about the day-to-day life at the frontier. Nicolas is expected to act as the squire of Duke Martin conDoin and Harry as squire of the Duke’s son, Marcus (Nicolas’ nephew).
Crydee is attacked from sea and completely destructed during the night. Several townspeople and members of the court are abducted and taken away, including the Duke’s daughter Margaret and her companion Abigail. Here starts the long and dangerous journey to rescue the noblewomen. During the journey it becomes clear to Nicolas that more is at stake than the lives of those who were captured.
A fantastic book again by Raymond Feist! Start and don’t stop reading this book which is, according to my opinion, better than the previous book about Borric and Erland.
Feist gives most of the characters of the previous books a (key) role in this adventure and at the same time adding new characters. The interaction between the characters in a complete new part of Midkemia (the isle Novinous) makes this page-turner.
A summary of the main characters of this book (and I’ve surely forgotten several):
Ghuda Bulé, former mercenary and now owner of the Inn, The Dented Helmet.
Nakor, Isalani monk.
Amos Trask, Admiral of the Prince’s fleet of the Kingdom Navy.
Lawrence, the assistant pilot.
Nicolas, youngest Son of the Prince of Krondor.
Harry, Son of the Earl of Ludland and Prince Nicolas’ squire.
Arutha conDion, Prince of Krondor.
Anita his wife.
Geoffrey, the Duke of Krondor.
Prelate Graham, bishop of the Order of Dala.
Princess Alicia, Anita’s mother.
William, Knight Marshal of Krondor.
Baron Jerome, Master of Ceremony.
Mr. Rhodes, First Mate of the Royal Eagle.
Pug, The Magician.
Gathis, seneschal of Pug’s estate.
Solunk, porter of Pug’s estate.
Lady Ryana, guest at Pug’s estate.
Duke Martin of Crydee and his wife the Duchess Briana.
Marcus and Margaret, son and daughter of Martin and Briana.
The Lady Abigail, daughter of Baron Bellemy of Carse and companion of Margaret.
Swordmaster Charles.
Horsemaster Faxon.
Housecarl Samual.
Anthony, Magician.
Mastercook Megar and his wife Magya Tomas’ parents.
Rulf, the senior stableman and his sons Tom and Sam.
Vasarius, a merchant in fine silks and perfume.
Huntmaster Garret.
Calis, son of Tomas and Aglaranna.
Robin, a page working for the housecarl.
Captain Render.
Little Harold, one of Captain Render’s band.
Patrick of Duncastle, Sheriff of Freeport.
William Swallow, head of the Captains.
Peter Dread, one of the seven Captains.
James Scarlett, also one of the seven Captains.
Brisa, odd girl at Freeport.
Arjuna Svadjian and Saji interviewing Abigail and Margaret.
Mikola, Hetmen of the Zakosha Riders.
Tuka, wagoneer.
Prajichetas and Vajasiah, two mercenaries.
Dubas Nebu, Captain of the Second Company of his Radiance’s Own.
Keeler, owner of a hostel in The City of the Serpent River.
Anward Nogosh Pata, merceant.
Vaslaw Nacoyen, Chieftan of the Lion Clan.
The Lady Clovis, formally Jorna.
Iasha, the Rajana of Kilbar.
Pickens, acting First Mate on the Royal Eagle.
Gregory, acting bosun’s mate.
October 8, 2009
Hmm... I have mixed feelings about this book. Taken alone, the plot is ok - although it sometimes feel like a teenage boy's kind of story, where the guys get to save the girls, and while the girls are the intelligent and strong kind, they still need boys to rescue them. It starts off well, and in Feist's great style of character development. Unfortunately, a third into the book, and things start to get very cliched - including the almost classical bad-but-not-evil pirate archetype. Still, there are still parts that are golden, the action is good, and the pacing of the story is still excellent. Taken in the context of the Riftwar Saga, with incredibly powerful characters like Pug and Tomas, their absence felt very shabbily explained away, and the whole plot, from start to finish felt a little like a rehash of A Darkness at Sethanon - the overall events took the same path. All in all, it's an ok read if you want to fill in the gaps of Midkemia's history, but if you're expecting Feist to be in form, then you'll be disappointed.
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