Mistress of Empire

Mistress of Empire
Empire #3
Raymond Feist & Jannie Wurts
Fantasy
3 Stars
Epub, 656 pages

the conclusion to the Empire trilogy. Turns out the Black Robes are keeping the Empire stagnant so that they can do as they please. Mara loses her son, another child and her father in law to the machinations. Ends up going outside of Kelewan to other nations to find magic to combat the Assembly. Comes back, puts her son on the throne, [the Emperor had been killed by rivals], stares down the Assembly and gets on with her life. Has to separate from her husband for political reasons but Kevin comes back as an Ambassador and it is obvious they will comfort each other. 

This was almost ALL Wurts. Felt like Feist just rubberstamped his name on the cover. Very elaborate, flowing descriptions and we know how characters feel, not because we are shown, but because Wurts will spend a page in an indepth monologue detailing every little thing so the reader, no matter how dumb, CAN’T miss her point. Lots of descriptiveness of surroundings and feelings and everything. I doubt I’ll ever read anything by Wurts again.

I was glad that this was done. The “happy” ending tacked on at the end really didn’t fit with the Tsuranuanni world though. Mara should have been alone until her death, just like she was alone at the beginning. Kevin being dragged back into the storyline jarred.

Servant of the Empire

Servant of the Empire
Empire #2
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts
Fantasy
4 Stars
Epub, 627 Pages

Lady of the Acoma continues to survive the politics. Ends up with all the slaves being exchanged, the Minwanabi being outmaneuvered [and then all Minwanabi blood killed by the head of the Minwanabi in spite] and serious political changes on Kelewan. I suspect the next book will deal with the Assembly of the magicians. I enjoyed this, but not quite as much as Daughter of the Empire, mainly because things were a bit more complicated. And adding the slave Kevin to the mix just made things more emotional. Without being cool. Glad he is gone and I hope he stays gone.

I enjoyed this “almost” as much as the first. However, the inclusion of Kevin really didn’t work that well for me. I’m glad he was dealt with as he was at the end of the book.

Lots of politic’ing without nearly as much action as the first book. Other than that, it was cool to see how things played out after Milamber’s meddling…

Daughter of the Empire

Daughter of the Empire
Empire #1
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts
Fantasy
5 Stars
epub, 377 pages

FANTASTIC! I was expecting a trilogy about the Keshian Empire on Midkemia. Instead, we get a novel about Kelewan. How cool is that? Anyway, a family is betrayed, all members killed in battle on Midkemia, except one 16 year old girl. She becomes the head of her house, which is down to under 40 warriors, and has to play the Game of the Council to survive. It was written very well, with characters being alive and real and each success, or defeat, made you want to shout or groan. I think this is a great trilogy to stand by the Riftwar Saga. Characterizations, machinations, world building, all were done superbly and I look forward greatly [!] to the next 2 novels.