Silverthorn

Raymond E. Feist

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

Silverthorn - The second volume of Raymond E. Feist's great epic of heroic fantasy.

For nearly a year peace reigned in the enchanted kingdom of Rillanon. But new challenges awaited Arutha the Prince of Krondor when Jimmy the Hand - youngest thief in the Guild of Mockers - came upon a sinister Nighthawk poised to assassinate him.

What evil power raises the dead and makes corpses do battle with the living at the behest of the Guild of Death? And what high magic can defeat it? The new King of Midkemia is threatened - and a life-or-death quest must be undertaken for an antidote to a poison that fells a beautiful Princess on her wedding day.

Review by Chrissi (270900) Rating (8/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 8/10
Arutha is to marry his beautiful Princess Anita in Krondor, and our beloved characters are joined by a rogue, Jimmy, a thief, but foul plots are taking shape and after a failed assassination attempt, Anita lies close to death from a poisoned arrow. The source of the poison is also the cure and the plant must be found.

Unfortunately this is all a treacherous plot to get Arutha to a place where he may be killed. Jimmy becomes indispensable and Arutha leads his band of people to a horrible place where they face the Dark Brotherhood, Elves who follow a different path, with their leader the Legendary Murmandamus, (not a nice guy, this).

The plot becomes complicated with the realisation that the agency behind all of this is common to both Tsurani history and Midkemia, and an ancient Enemy is trying once again to come back to power. Jimmy is a great character, with both humour and a great ability in his make-up. I can't help but feel that Arutha needed Jimmy to show him in a better light. But it works very well, and you want them to win through.

The sequel is every bit as good as Magician. (How come you only gave it 8/10 then? Ed.)
Chrissi (27th September 2000)