Sword and sorcery, epic battles, kings and princes, blah blah blah. The Riftwar saga started reasonably well with 'Magician', but the sequels 'Silverthorn' and 'A Darkness at Sethanon' don't really add all that much. The destruction of the northern city booby-trapped with naptha is well-writen and captured, but really the whole book has left me feeling... so what? It doesn't help that 3 of the key protagonists are essentially immortal undefeatable magicians who can do anything the plot demands with no personal consequence. ( )

This book took longer to read that I would have liked, because I have been busy with other things. Its a good book though, and a fine conclusion to the Riftwar Series. I liked this book a lot, although I do think that Magician (Apprentice and Master) was a better book.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/Raymond_E... ( )

Although this series is a fairly typical fantasy story, it still manages to be engaging and interesting over multiple readings. A Darkness at Sethanon is still my favourite of the riftward saga; I love how this book builds all the previous events into a wonderful climax, while yet leaving some characters in a place of uncertainty--a situation perfectly leading to more stories told in the world. ( )

So this one ends what started in -Silverthorn-. It keeps up the pace and is loaded with "impending doom". I could do without the time-travel and other dimensional stuff but I did like the overall background plotting. My biggest problem is that none of the characters really stick out with unique personalities other than Amos Trask. At times it gets hard to remember the differences between some of the characters.

Overall this series was better than I thought it would be but I think it's time to move on to another author and another universe. I read too slow. But eventually I'll probably return to read the 5th book and it will bring back fond memories of the other books. ( )

Battle for the fate of everything.

With your good old Dark Lord type rising, it will require Arutha's sword, all of Pug the Magician's power and Jimmy the Hand's cunning and contacts to try and do something about it, as here in your classic high fantasy trilogy end the stakes get very high indeed.

In style and tone very much the same as the first two books, and that is a good thing.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/10... ( )