Silverthorn

Not nearly as good as Magician, the first of the trilogy, but Silverthorn stands up to its predecessor's standards pretty well. Silverthorn concentrates less on Pug and more on Arutha and Jimmy the Hand, fleshing out many of the characters introduced in the first novel (for example, Princess Carline goes from Magician's petulant adolescent to a rather more typical court princess). The...more

Not nearly as good as Magician, the first of the trilogy, but Silverthorn stands up to its predecessor's standards pretty well. Silverthorn concentrates less on Pug and more on Arutha and Jimmy the Hand, fleshing out many of the characters introduced in the first novel (for example, Princess Carline goes from Magician's petulant adolescent to a rather more typical court princess). The storyline isn't nearly as engrossing as Magician, nor as imaginative (it's pretty much a straight "injured loved one, only one cure, which is far away and heavily guarded" tale), but the narrative still drives the story on with poignant force, and the tempo is maintained throughout. Sideplots are everywhere. Still, as a standalone novel without due comparison to its predecessor, Silverthorn is a rollicking good read, with excitement and imagination in droves. Like the first of the trilogy, this novel is deeply addictive, so try not to ignore your friends and family too much when engaged in its enthralling pages.   hide

Jimmy the Hand is the best boy thief ever. The Riftwar series is well worth the read.

Probably my least favorite of the Riftwar series.... but I'd still read it any day... so that's really not saying much. I love them all, just not equally.

Keeps up wonderfully with its predecessors, and makes the reader fall even more in love with its characters. A must read for all literature lovers.