Magician
At the age of eleven, after reading Lord of the Rings, my sister decided to lend me an old tattered novel. Thinking the blurb looked dull I thought my sister was having a laugh, however I was shocked to discover my sister had given me one of the most magical books, and long lasting sagas, I would ever read and after seven years I still have not found a fantasy novel to better it.
The novel opens with an introduction to one of the novels main characters, an orphaned kitchen boy by the name of Pug who resides at the Duke’s Keep in Crydee. Whilst collecting food items from the rock pools at the beach Pug is caught up in a terrible storm which results in him meeting Kulgan, the Duke’s magician. It is this meeting that decides Pug’s fate as on the day of choosing he is chosen as the Magician's apprentice whilst his life long best friend, Tomas is drafted as a soldier.
Time passes in Crydee and events involving Pug saving the Duke’s daughter, Princess Carline from a pair of trolls see Pug become a Squire in the Duke’s court, a boyish rivalry for Carlines affections between Pug and another Squire named Roland and when a mysterious ship is crashed onto the rocks near Crydee, Tomas and Pug ever curious discover the invading alien race, the Tsurani of Kelewan and from then on their destinies change dramatically.
Though a slow story, Magician is most definitely worth pushing oneself through, the plot is rich and filled with memorable characters and plot twists. Though the thing that makes the novel what it is are the characters and how realistic they seem in this fictional world.
Prince Arutha, whilst brave, daring, skilled with sword and handsome has the same dark moments all brooding teenagers and young men have, his love for Princess Anita is simply adorable. Martin, the outcast of men and his insecurities about himself and his heritage reflect the insecurities everyone faces. The friendship between Tomas and Pug is adorable and the romance between Carline and Roland is literally heart-wrenching. Even the boy thief, Jimmy the Hand is completely lovable, as well as the foul-mouthed pirate Amos Trask.
Magician, however is just one story of the Riftwar cycle, the others though seem to never beat this long, incredible adventure between two worlds with its romance, politics, battles, murders, plotting, treachery and magic. Raymond E. Feist is an absolute genius.
