Blurb:
A poisoned bolt has struck down the Princess Anita on the day of her wedding to Prince Arutha of Krondor.
To save his beloved, Arutha sets out in search of the mytics herb called Silverthorn that only grows in the dark and forbidding land of the Spellweavers.
Accompanied by a mercenary, a minstrel, and a clever young thief, he wil confront an ancient evil and do battle with the dark powers that threaten the enchanted realm of Midkemia.
Review:
My re-read of Silverthorn was far more enjoyable this time around than when I read it over a decade ago. It felt much less like a middle book and more so an intriguing and essential continuation of the story. Feist narrows in on a few specific characters with a more intimate journey, while keeping the stakes high and the scope of events as vast as ever. Elements that were hinted at or simply introduced in Magician, we’ve begun to explore more thoroughly. In particular, the moredhel and their history in relation to elvenkind are quite fascinating.
The POV of the moredhel is something I had forgotten altogether, as well as the more prominent role of the Pantathians. Their use of undead warriors and the nature of their violent magic served to add a much darker tone to Silverthorn. Even a layer of horror was present with the warped flying creatures at Stardock. But despite the extra tense circumstances and events, there was one character I remember fondly that played a big role in this book: Jimmy the Hand! I highly enjoyed the opening in Krondor, following Jimmy and exploring more of the Poor Quarter and Krondor’s criminal underground. Who doesn’t love a good dose of fantasy thieves and assassins?
I had also forgotten just how much more of Midkemia is explored in Silverthorn. Feist did a fantastic job of deepening the lore and expanding the world-building, even going so far as to visit locations at the far edge of the map and beyond. Our introduction to the Keshians, who were briefly mentioned in Magician, is another of the many reasons I’m excited to continue the series. Surprisingly, our exploration goes beyond the world of Midkemia and leaves us with a twist ending that I was glad I had completely forgotten about, because it was fantastic.
Overall, Silverthorn was a far better read than I expected it to be this time around. It felt very much like Arutha and Jimmy’s story, and their quest was what I mainly remembered from my last read. The story delivered way more than I expected and served to enrich Feist’s universe immensely. Silverthorn continues the epic fantasy adventure of the Riftwar Saga and adds a new level of darkness and mystery that I found quite refreshing. The final book has been wonderfully set up to deliver a thrilling climax with the most epic events yet. I’ll be diving in immediately!
