Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Grafton (1991)
Description
"A sweeping drama unveiling a tale of love, hate and sacrifice against the panorama of an alien yet familiar society."--Publishers Weekly. "Uncommonly satisfying."--Locus
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Continuing the tales of Mara house Acoma in Kelewan. Boyed by her sucess against her enemies, Mara has gained enough time to consolodate her holdings and gain enough resources to continue the fight.
However her heart is also under siege, in the process of looking for cheap labour, Mara bought some
Much of the book concentrates on Kevin's teaching to Mara of the alternative forms of honour that exist - is dying honourably ever preferable to not dying at all?. Kevin's points of view provide interesting counterpoints to the Tsuarmi of Mara and her advisors. However we also see a few moments form her enemies most guarded councils. These excerts are odd, they are few and far between, but aren't always insights that Mara could have gained through her spys so they make little narrtive sense. However they do help to explain some of the forthcoming ploys.
The politics becomes very intricate, and unlike the rpevious volume does implicte some of the events featured at the end of Magician - that would make very little sense if you have not read this! Eventually the Emporer himself takes part in the great game of the Council with wide reaching consequences.
This book is very long, perhaps too long, but generally very enjoyable, full of intregue, excellant action scenes and insights into a foreign culture.
However her heart is also under siege, in the process of looking for cheap labour, Mara bought some
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Midekanian captives, one of which is the handsome Kevin, who quickly gains more than a slave can ever expect. However plotting and the deceits of her enemys means she can never let her guard down. Much of the book concentrates on Kevin's teaching to Mara of the alternative forms of honour that exist - is dying honourably ever preferable to not dying at all?. Kevin's points of view provide interesting counterpoints to the Tsuarmi of Mara and her advisors. However we also see a few moments form her enemies most guarded councils. These excerts are odd, they are few and far between, but aren't always insights that Mara could have gained through her spys so they make little narrtive sense. However they do help to explain some of the forthcoming ploys.
The politics becomes very intricate, and unlike the rpevious volume does implicte some of the events featured at the end of Magician - that would make very little sense if you have not read this! Eventually the Emporer himself takes part in the great game of the Council with wide reaching consequences.
This book is very long, perhaps too long, but generally very enjoyable, full of intregue, excellant action scenes and insights into a foreign culture.
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LibraryThing member amberwitch
Awful, overdramatic narration and language. Mary Sue'ish protagonist whose decisions are always right, and whose plans always succeed in face of all opposition and disapproval. I've read and enjoyed Magician by Raymond Feist, so I must assume that it is Janny Wurts that have provided the purple
I didn't think the second book could be worse than the first, but the amount of exposition about the events of books one, convinced me otherwise. This is a trilogy, not a series of loosely connected novels. It should be possible to expect the reader to have read the previous novel, and thereby avoid boring her with recapping the entire storyline.
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prose. In fact, the story is so weak, and lacking in comparison to Magician, that it seems as if Feist have made a rough outline of the trilogy, and handed it over to Wurts who has then made a wish fullfilment story. I didn't think the second book could be worse than the first, but the amount of exposition about the events of books one, convinced me otherwise. This is a trilogy, not a series of loosely connected novels. It should be possible to expect the reader to have read the previous novel, and thereby avoid boring her with recapping the entire storyline.
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LibraryThing member readafew
The saga of Mara of the Acoma continues. Mara still spends much of her tume dealing with Minwanabi plots to bring her life to an abrupt end. Along the way she finds new and interesting thoughts and ideas being laid before her by one of her Midkimian slaves.
Mara finds herself learning that the Nail
Mara finds herself learning that the Nail
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the stands up gets the hammer. Mara does an excellent job avoiding that hammer with the help of her loyal advisors. Show Less
LibraryThing member ashooles
Apart from the last 50-60 pages, I found this book rather dull and a bit too long. I felt as if most parts dragged on for too long. There were ocassional parts where I would want to keep reading, but for most of it, my eyes became tired and I found my mind wandering. It was a bit too much to get my
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head around. However, the ideas and the storyline I still found interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member willowcove
This trilogy, while set in the 'other' universe, is a wonderful addition to the Riftwar series
LibraryThing member puttocklibrary
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mara is an amazing character, extremely complex, sympathetic and human. She grows and changes a great deal throughout this book, and I was especially interested in her relationship with the "barbarian" Kevin, who refuses to be a slave, and her continuing fascination
I particularly enjoyed the occassional cross-over moments to the Riftwar Saga books, which I first read many many years ago, and still love. Learning what was happening among the Tsurani people during the events of the Riftwar from their own perspective has given me a much greater understanding of their culture and attitudes than was ever made apparent in those books.
If you read the Riftwar books, and found them a bit too simple in story structure, these books should whet your appetite with war, feuds, and complex politics galore. An excellent book!
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and respect for Hokanu of the Shinazawai.I particularly enjoyed the occassional cross-over moments to the Riftwar Saga books, which I first read many many years ago, and still love. Learning what was happening among the Tsurani people during the events of the Riftwar from their own perspective has given me a much greater understanding of their culture and attitudes than was ever made apparent in those books.
If you read the Riftwar books, and found them a bit too simple in story structure, these books should whet your appetite with war, feuds, and complex politics galore. An excellent book!
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
The Empire books took Feist's Riftwar novels in a different direction, exploring the world of Kelewan. Though they were a bit of a diversion from the main story, the Feist/Wurts Empire series are really some of the best of the whole collection. While they aren't required reading, they really add to
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the series as a whole. Well written, good action and excellent characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member CarsonKicklighter
I couldn’t finish this sequel because I found it slow, predictable, and boring.
One hundred pages into its predecessor, Daughter of the Empire, Mara had survived an assassination attempt, saved the life of a trusted family retainer, and pulled off a plan to recruit gray warriors to her house. By
I also got tired of the author(s) telling me exactly how every character was feeling. There’s no room for me to participate in the story if I’m told exactly what everyone’s actions mean. Imagine playing a game of checkers where your friend moves both his pieces and yours, because he doesn’t trust you to make good moves. It’s boring and demeaning.
What really killed the story for me, though, were the long scenes spent with Mara’s enemy, the Minwanabi. None of the Minwanabi characters were particularly interesting, and knowing exactly what the enemy was planning took away all the suspense. There was some dramatic irony as Mara wondered what they were up to, but that wasn’t enough to fuel my interest.
If only Feist and Wurts had kept up the tempo from their previous book!
One hundred pages into its predecessor, Daughter of the Empire, Mara had survived an assassination attempt, saved the life of a trusted family retainer, and pulled off a plan to recruit gray warriors to her house. By
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the same point in this book, however, Mara has just kind of shuffled around the house and fell in love with a barbarian slave. I saw the romance coming from the very first scene, where Mara purchases him, and it progresses predictably.I also got tired of the author(s) telling me exactly how every character was feeling. There’s no room for me to participate in the story if I’m told exactly what everyone’s actions mean. Imagine playing a game of checkers where your friend moves both his pieces and yours, because he doesn’t trust you to make good moves. It’s boring and demeaning.
What really killed the story for me, though, were the long scenes spent with Mara’s enemy, the Minwanabi. None of the Minwanabi characters were particularly interesting, and knowing exactly what the enemy was planning took away all the suspense. There was some dramatic irony as Mara wondered what they were up to, but that wasn’t enough to fuel my interest.
If only Feist and Wurts had kept up the tempo from their previous book!
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LibraryThing member Razinha
Jeez...long book in my Year of Feist. And the third is even longer! (That "Year" might be a wee longer than a calendar year...)
Too often, middle books in trilogies are fillers, bridges to get the author and reader to the objective denouement of the third book. Not this one. Well, okay, part of the
Too often, middle books in trilogies are fillers, bridges to get the author and reader to the objective denouement of the third book. Not this one. Well, okay, part of the
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first third was just typing, but Feist and Wurts wove an engaging story that I'd not read before. On to the last of this segment of the Midkemia/Kellewan canon... Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnFair
Having survived her first major test, Mara has come to the attention of the great and good of the empire. Not necessarily a good thing - the Minwanabi in particular were forced to re-evaluate the power of someone they had though an inexperienced girl.
Having proved herself on the filed of politics,
This was a really good entry in the series and the Midkemia books as a whole, with a wide variety of scenes and types of action to keep everyone engaged.
Having proved herself on the filed of politics,
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Mara finds herself commanded to fight in the deserts across the oceans where Tsuranami are fighting the desert tribes. As well as new soldiers, Mara has brought in new slaves to her estates and amongst them were a group from the barbarian world of Midkemia with their alien ways and beliefs. Mara finds their leader, Kevin, particularly intriguing - not only in his defiance of authority but in the intense attraction she felt for him - the only other relation with men had been with her late husband. As Kevin grows closer to Mara she finds her perspectives on her people's ways changing in ways that would have horrified the other Lords had they been fully aware of those changes. When the Warlord threw a celebration for the Emperor and the Games pitted a group of Thuril prisoners against Midkemian prisoners and they refused to fight, many in the audience began rioting but it was the intervention of the barbarian Great One Milander that rocked Tsuranni society to its roots as the Warlord is executed in the most dishonourable way possible With political turmoil at home and military defeat on Midkemia, things look bleak for the stability of the empire but Mara and her (surviving) allies find a way to turn the empire to a new path.This was a really good entry in the series and the Midkemia books as a whole, with a wide variety of scenes and types of action to keep everyone engaged.
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LibraryThing member Vinjii
4.5 Stars.
Mara is a fantastic heroine and probably one of my favourite female fantasy protagonists. The second book in the series has none of the lull so many sequels suffer from and instead packs plot for at least two books into one.
What I enjoyed most, for once (and it did come as a surprise) was
Every characters gets to grow and is developed further. The world building continues to be rich and intricate, and I can't wait to read the conclusion. There is no reason not to like this one if you enjoyed Daughter of the Empire.
Mara is a fantastic heroine and probably one of my favourite female fantasy protagonists. The second book in the series has none of the lull so many sequels suffer from and instead packs plot for at least two books into one.
What I enjoyed most, for once (and it did come as a surprise) was
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the romantic element. I really loved Kevin as a character and found his relationship with Mara to be one of the best aspects of this book.Every characters gets to grow and is developed further. The world building continues to be rich and intricate, and I can't wait to read the conclusion. There is no reason not to like this one if you enjoyed Daughter of the Empire.
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LibraryThing member jcrben
I didn't like this nearly as much as the first one, particularly due to its emphasis on sentimental scenes. But it's still a rousing good story of strategy.
LibraryThing member Eclipse777
Not as good as the First book in the trilogy, In my opinion Kevin was a mistake to bring in to the story.
LibraryThing member jklugman
This is quite good. Feist and Wurts have a compelling heroine, an aristocrat slave-owner who survives through her wits by the skin of her teeth. The sudden societal changes she instigates (which coincidentally makes her society more aligned with 20th century values) seems a bit wish-fulfillment,
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but I can overlook that. Show Less
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
One of the couple Feist books I hadn't read (along with #3 in this series) but am reading in this massive re-read. I really missed out the first time around!
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1990-10
Physical description
6.8 inches
ISBN
0586203818 / 9780586203811