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Book Impressions
---(Slight spoilers you could find on the back cover)---

This is quintessential fantasy. You want an orphan with hidden magical powers? How about wise elves in forests and stocky dwarves in underground mines? Throw in a kingdom being attacked by mysterious invaders?

I love it all.

Dimensional travel adds a freshness. But what sets this book apart is the storytelling. It is action packed, well paced, and has simple-yet-evocative emotional tones to it's scenes. It's just a good, comfortable story. It's coming of age fantasy done well, and I can safely regard it as a cornerstone of my fantasy bookshelf.

Easily recommendable for fans of fantasy along the lines of Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and Robin Hobb. It might not pique the interest of fantasy readers looking for George Martin grittiness. If you want gruesome scenes with lots of blood, and heart wrenching events that twist your mind then this book might not be for you, but if you're happy with dragons and magical powers then open it and take a look.

Personal Reflection

-----(Some Spoilers)-------

This flavor of fantasy is home base for me. I cut my fantasy teeth on it. My hunger for it was roused early and it can easily be stoked with a book like this. The magician discovering his powers type of story simply grabs me like no other.

I first read this book and it's sequel about a decade ago. I didn't remember the story in any great detail, but I have a very fond memory of being entranced by a particular part in the second book. I remember reading and then rereading that scene, and being emotionally awed and almost overwhelmed by it.

The reread hasn't been disappointing. The book sets the tone early with an entrancing first chapter. That first chapter is a promise, and it's enticed me into the story. The book is light and easy. Trolls, wraiths, dark elves, and castle battles. It's the kind of conflict that makes your heart race just a little bit, but in the fun way.

For the first chapter alone I am happy I reopened this book. Sometimes sometimes the promise of magic to come is as fulfilling as the actual magic. The sense of foretelling, a journey unseen, a door opening.

The reread of the story falls at a 4.25 out of five for me. The story did let up for me a little bit at times during the second half. I'm insatiable when it comes to magic, and although the political intrigue of the story was well told, I found myself longing for mystery and wonder. Maybe it's a reflection of the discomfort with politics I feel internally, but I wasn't as drawn into that part of the story compared to the rest.

The book still remains a 5 star book for me. It has holds a very fond memory in it's pages, and I hope to revisit Midkemia again someday.

Book Summary and Synopsis

------(Pretty much nothing but spoilers)------

The young Pug is an orphan living in the simple town of Crydee. He is doing alright in life, he has a friend, Tomas, who is like a brother to him. Together their lives are taking shape as they await their apprenticeships with the town's masters. One stormy day Pug finds himself in trouble and fighting for survival. He is saved by a wise magician, Kulgan, and his capable servant/companion, Meecham.

At the apprenticeship ceremony Pug isn't selected to be a swordsman, like his friend Tomas, as he had hoped. Rather the Magician Kulgan selects him and he undertakes his life as a magician in training. Life as a magician is full of comforts, books, and priveledges. But Pug is worried, not making the progress he wants, and unable to advance in cultivating his magical powers.

A twist of fate brings the Princess Carline into his life as a riding companion. When the two of them are attacked by trolls during an expedition alone, Pug is able to save the two of them by tapping into his magical abilities. Things seem to be turning around for the young Pug, he is rewarded by being raised to the station of Squire, and it seems like there is a blossoming romance between none other than the Princess Carline herself.

But destiny strikes again as Pug and Tomas find a mysterious ship capsized on the shores of Crydee. The wrecked ship’s contents, which include a badly wounded foreign inhabitatnt, are like nothing they have ever seen before. With the help of the Priest, Father Tully, they discover that the dying inhabitant is from a different dimension. With the realization that their dimensional neighbors have violent designs for Midkemia and it’s resources their world changes.

Duke Borric of Crydee, a competent experienced ruler, takes action. He aligns himself and gains the support of Crydee’s neighboring elven stronghold. Then he embarks east to entreaty the support of the Prince. With him he takes a retine of soldiers and advisors. Amoung them is his sharp younger son Aruth and Kulgan, accompanied by his excited young apprentice Pug.

Their journey is a long one beset by many obstacles. A battle with The Moredhel, dark cousins to the elves, leaves them hard pressed and on the run. They are rescued by dwarves, led by the sturdy Dolgan. Dolgan guides them on their only remaining route east- underground through ancient mines.

This route isn’t free of peril however, and the group is beset by a wraith. The encounter takes casualties, and in the fray Tomas is lost in the mines. The group leaves the mines, but Dolgan returns to look for the missing Tomas. He finds him deep in the mines in the company of an ancient Golden Dragon on the verge of passing from his life. The dragon gifts Dolgan a might hammer, and Tomas a magical set of armor.

The grief stricken Pug takes Tomas for dead as their group continues east to find support against the Tsurani. They journey takes them across the land, and they encounter the mysterious Macros at Sorcerer’s isle. Yet upon arriving at their destination in Krondor they find a kingdom in disarray and inner turmoil. The Prince is estranged from his father, and lacks the political power to offer the support Crydee needs. They continue further east to speak to the king himself in Rillanon. They find him in poor mental health, paranoid and delusional at times. Just when they worry that the King, influenced by the power hungry Guy De Bas Tyra, won’t offer them support they get word that the Tsurani has launched their first attack against the Kingdom.

Pug finds himself on a longer adventure from Crydee than he realized. He is swept up in the warfare, accompaniying Kulgan in the mission to discover the Tsurani’s intent. They surmise that the Tsurani are after Midkemia’s metals, not having any of their own. But to get more knowledge Kulgan leads an expedition into the heart of the Tsurani camp. They locate the interdimensional rift between the worlds, but their discovery comes at the price of Pug’s freedom. Captured, Pug uses his wits to avoid betraying information about his kingdom, but finds himself a Tsurani slave.

Tomas has his own journey he has been going through. His magical armor from the dragon turns out to be a gift with hidden properities. It gifts him battle prowess, and he finds himself leading the dwarves in battle against the Tsurani. Yet the more he kills the more he finds himself slowly transforming into something new. He is visited by visions of the past that include a conquerning Dragon Rider wearing his same armor. Tomas’s battles leave him near death, but he awakes in the company of elves and moves towards the tree city of Elvandar, which seems unusually comforting and natural to him.

Crydee hasn’t fared well over the years since the initial discovery of the Tsurani, and their town has been assaulted badly by the invaders. Arutha is frustrated with the current state of the war. He encounters and frees a Tsurani slave Tchakallachalla.. (Charles for short), and befriends the ambiguous Captain Amos, whos ship was destroyed by the Tsurani. Princess Carline has undergone deep mourning over the loss of Pug, who she presumes dead. But she finds budding love with her longtime friend Roland.

The stage becomes set for a major battle with the Tsurani. But Arutha finds himself baffled by the unusual battle tactics of the Tsurani, who seem to be throwing troops to die against the castle walls. The last minute discovery that the attacks are a diversion to allow a subset of troops to burrow underthe castles walls saves their lives. They are able to collapse the tunnel and the calvary arrives to reinforce the castle. The Tsurani general, reflecting on the inner politics of his home dimension, retreats for a time, but knows the conflict is far from over.