This is the second book of the “Legends of the Riftwar” set, a collection of tales told within the Midkemia mythos but written by other authors. These books were originally written during the same period as the atypically poor “Riftwar Legecy” books, a time when Feist was dealing with personal strife. That makes it very difficult to determine where Feist and his ideas end and Rosenberg’s influence begins. In fact, the three main characters are transplanted out of Rosenberg’s original fiction into Feist’s world, which makes it an unusual hybrid akin to professional fan fiction.
The end result is hard to quantify. On the one hand, this is a completely different kind of Riftwar novel, detailing the political maneuvering at a council in LaMut during one particular winter, while the battle against the Tsurani was at a lull. Several barons and lords vie with each other, with the three mercenaries at the heart of the story trying to stay alive and out of the whole mess. That novelty is one of the best aspects of the book.
Unfortunately, it’s also very dense material, and Rosenberg’s writing style can be difficult. If nothing else, Feist keeps the story moving and his prose tends to flow nicely. Rosenberg’s work requires a lot of plodding, especially at the beginning. Add to that a story that contains very little action, and it can be a battle to get from chapter to chapter.
Rating: 6/10
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