A good novel.
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Prince of the Blood is a stand alone book in Feist's Midkemian series.
It's a very enjoyable and for the first time we are taken into the heart of Great Kesh in a story of murder and court intrigue. Don't expect any major battle scene's, Prince of the Blood is a much more subtle attempt from Feist. Its Set around 20 year's after the end of the Riftwar saga and feature's an older and mature squire James and Lockyear, the two princes Borric and Erland, and introduces charecter's such as the brilliant Nakor the Blue rider.
While it doesn't have the same magic as Magician and Darkness at Sethanon, it's still much better than the 'Krondor' series of book's.
Read it, enjoy it and then move on to King's Buccaneer and the Serpentwar which you're guaranteed to love!
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Astounding - The Riftwar Series Continues.
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If you are reading Feist in historical order rather than chronological order then 'Prince of the Blood' slots in just after the Riftwar Saga trilogy (Magician, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethannon), after the Empire trilogy co-authored with Janny Wurts (Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire and Mistress of the Empire) and just before 'The King's Buccaneer'. Arutha is where we left him at the end of 'Sethanon' in Krondor, surrounded by his two advisors and friends from the original story - Jimmy and Locklear; and his two sons, Erland and Borric on whom this story focuses, are forced into understanding their royal heritage rather sooner than any one expects.
The story telling is much more mature and developed than in the previous novels. The plot is beautifully crafted, filled with well conceived twists and turns whilst the characters are superbly drawn and allowed to flourish in interaction with each other. Everything is instantly believable - a hard feat in fantasy writing - and the figures of the Isalani and the mercenary who come to Borric's aid are good examples of Feist's skillful observation of difficult characters.
My one reservation is the ending; we are told in an afterward to this revised edition that Feist has revisited and rewritten the ending pages. It somehow feels like it, with too much being tied up in the final few pages. This doesn't spoil the book, the plot or the characters at all; but there is a sense that everything is 'tied off' and explained a little too neatly. A few loose ends don't hurt now and again, particularly when dealing with magic and the sheer depth of impressive imagination at work here!
Overall, this is beyond doubt the best in the series to date; full of passion, emotion it carries you along at a merry pace and leaves you wanting more at the end. Excellent.
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Its Feist - its brilliant.
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The revised edition is not in fact that much different to the original. Where in Magician and the other Riftwar books you build up rapour with the characters, the original Prince of The Blood didn't really do this for Prince Arutha's sons Borric and Erland - the revised edition definitely repairs this.This revised edition follows the movements of The royal princes on a vistit to Great Kesh. However, waylaid by a band of soldiers, Prince Borric, heir apparent to the Kingdom goes missing and is presumed dead. Borric is captured by slavers and taken to Durbin where he escapes with the help of Suli, a pathetic thief. He choses to continue on to Kesh, to warn his brother Erland of the plot to incite war between the Kingdom and Empire by a faction of the Keshian Court.Its an absolutely brilliant read, fans of Feist's previous works will definitely enjoy this, and those who aren't will do so too. Though, I still feel the same regarding both editions... Buy it - its great!
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I loved this book!
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In this sequel to A Darkness at Sethanon, author Raymond Feist takes us back to his magical world of Midkemia. Arutha's sons, Borric and Erland, are growing up to be wild; given to drinking, gambling and wenching. However, Borric is destined to be King of the Isles, with Erland being a mere step away from the throne. And so, the boys are packed off to the Empire of Great Kesh, to represent the Kingdom at the Empress's Diamond Jubilee. However, there is a conspiracy at work in Kesh, and one of its goals is the death of Borric conDoin! The twins are going to have to grow up, and quick, if they are to stay alive! This book is a decided step away from the Elves and Wizards theme that dominated Mr. Feist's early works. Instead, this book places the (non-magical) main characters in a situation where they must use their wits and abilities to succeed - a theme that dominates the rest of his Midkemia books. Overall, I must say that I loved this book! I really enjoyed the exotic setting, with the author mixing in familiar Earth cultures in an entirely unfamiliar arrangement. Also, even though I do like wizard characters, I thought that Mr. Feist still did a good job of using magic as an integral part of the story, even if it is not the central part. So, I would say that I liked the setting, I liked the characters (a very nice selection of different sorts, but working together in an entirely believable way), and I liked the story. As a matter of fact, I would say that if this is not my favorite Midkemia story, it is one of my top 2! I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to all fans of Fantasy literature!
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Prince of the Blood : A Refreshing Adventure
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This book is a nice jumping on point for Fantasy readers. For those of you who do not wish to buy the first book of a trilogy,but would like to try Feist's work, I would suggest either picking up this book or The King's Buccaneer. Both are stand alone stories that will give you an insight into Feist's world of Midkemia and help you make a decision whether you want to read Feist's trilogy work. ( I think you will!! )This book is a story of the coming of age of Young Princes' Borric and Erland as they learn what it means to be Royalty and the responsibilities that their positions entail. They leave the safety of the Royal Palace on a dangerous mission for the crown. Adventures are soon to follow!!
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