Online Store
Online StoreSilverthorn by Raymond E Feist
This is the second volume in Raymond E. Feist’s trilogy The Riftwar Saga. Silverthorn begins a year after the events of Magician and Prince Arutha’s reign has been peaceful. Jimmy the Hand, a young thief, uncovers a plot to assassinate him and the young King now faces new challenges.
The first attempt on the King’s life is unsuccessful but another attempts ends with his bride, Anita, being struck by a poisoned arrow on their wedding day. The cure lies with the plant Silverthorn and this can only be found within Dark Elf capital of Sar Sargoth.
Arutha, with the aid of Jimmy the Hand must find the antidote and discover the truth behind the power that can raise the dead.
Silverthorn, being the sequel to Raymond E. Feist’s majestic Magician, had an extremely tough act to follow. It doesn’t manage it but the magnitude of the task is similar in stature to asking Professor Tolkien to write a sequel to the Lord of the Rings that was more impressive. This is not easily achieved.
The book takes quite a long time to get started but is worth the wait. Silverthorn centres on Arutha, the young King of Rillanon and Jimmy the Hand from the Guild of Mockers. There are excellent twists and turns throughout the story and the action is more intense than in Magician. This leads to a completely different “feel” than to that of its predecessor and perhaps this may be why few would regard this as an “epic”.
Silverthorn, as already mentioned, is a sequel but can be classed a stand-alone novel in it’s own right. There are familiar characters in the form of Pug, Tomas, Laurie, Carline and Marcos the Black but you need not have read Magician to follow the storyline here. The book begins with a discussion between Laurie and Carline as to the best time to get married!
This addition to the Riftwar Saga is an enjoyable read without, understandably, reaching the heights of its predecessor. The characters are many, varied and full of life and you will happily join them on the road to the Dark Elf capital but you will not be left breathless as you were with the original. All in all, a worthwhile read without pushing out any boundaries.
You may also like...
Submit your own mini-review
Let people know what you think about Silverthorn. You can write your own mini-review and give the book the rating that you think it deserves. Your reviews will go towards giving Silverthorn its overall rating that will decide where Silverthorn finishes in the top 100 fantasy books of all time.
