Book Review: Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist

It’s been a while since I’ve gone back to my roots and read a fantasy novel, but what a way to break back into it! Magician: Apprentice is the first book in the Riftwar Saga, an epic sci-fi/fantasy adventure by Raymond E. Feist. The two main characters are Pug and Tomas, young boys in the medieval land of Midkemia. They dream of greatness: Tomas, as the strongest warrior in the kingdom, and Pug, as the most powerful magician. As war comes unbidden to their land from another planet, Tomas and Pug are caught up in a larger and more dangerous journey than they ever could have imagined. Aided by princes, elves, dwarves, pirates, sorcerers, and thieves, Pug and Tomas become integral players in the battle to save their planet - and the very fabric of their universe.

This is a creative, fast-paced story, with plenty of surprises, battle scenes, and compellingly flawed characters. The dark times of war are balanced by the endearing camaraderie of friends and family. But be forewarned: Feist has no qualms about killing his characters, or about moving time forward by leaps and bounds when it suits the story. I have to say, this story just keeps on unfolding in new and interesting ways: I’m in the middle of the fourth book right now!

I’d recommend this book to teens and adults. Racy moments aren't shown, but they are alluded to, and there are a couple of battle scenes that could be a little grisly for younger readers. I think teen readers could easily identify with the main characters, and older readers will get caught up in the strategy and intrigue.

 Read-alikes:

• Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series if you like your fantasy on an even more epic (and 20,000 page) scale (start with: Eye of the World) 
• George R. R. Martin, if you like dark, political intrigue (start with: A Game of Thrones)
• Piers Anthony's Xanth series, for those who want to keep the humor and skip the sadness (start with: A Spell for Chameleon)
• And of course, J.R.R. Tolkien, for the classic fantasy adventure lover (start with: the Hobbit or Fellowship of the Ring)