Amazon.com (ISBN 0380795272, Mass Market Paperback)

The video game industry has always drawn upon works of fiction for inspiration--sooner or later, the process had to reverse itself. Krondor the Betrayal began its life as the bestselling role-playing video game of all time, written by Raymond E. Feist for Dynamix Inc. Feist, whose Serpentwar Saga has sold millions of copies and established him as one of the most popular fantasy authors of modern times, also wrote this novelization which places the action of the game in the context of his fully-realized fantasy setting, Midkemia.

Feist's fans are legion. Longtime readers will be delighted at the return of popular characters Pug the Wizard, Squire Locklear, and others, as they face the menace of a marauding elf war-chieftain and a mysterious cabal of wizards. But first-time Feist readers may find Krondor the Betrayal baffling and tiresome--without the momentum of the larger series, much of the story's effect is diminished. The video game influence in this book is unmistakable--as evidenced by an encumbrance of sword fights, multilevel conspiracy, and two-dimensional characters. Anyone who enjoys reading about Midkemia will be thrilled to play the demonstration version of the CD-ROM game (included with the book). --Brendan J. LaSalle