Product Description

The second book in Raymond Feist's super-selling quartet: The Serpentwar Saga. Triumphant but overconfident after his defeat of the reptilian Sauur army, Roo must resist a beguiling seductress who threatens to undo him and all of Midkemia. Roo Avery, recently returned from a harrowing brush with the armies of the Emerald Queen, is now free to choose his own destiny and his ultimate ambition is to become one of the richest and most powerful merchants in Midkemia. But nothing can prepare him for the dangers of the new life he has chosen, where the repayment of a debt can be as deadly as a knife in the shadows. Even those closest to him are suspect and as Roo struggles to build his financial empire, betrayal is always close at hand. But while Roo works towards achieving his goal, memories of the invasion haunt him still. For the war with the Emerald Queen is far from over and the inevitable confrontation will pose the biggest threat yet to his new found wealth and power.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2967 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Customer Reviews

Dangerous times at home and abroad!
One of the great things about Feist is that you never get two dimensional characters. One moment you are reading this book admiring Roo's merchant manouvers and at others nearly despising his total lack of interest in his family. You certainly believe that the driving force behind Rupert is entirely selfish, but his wit and humour and in the end his brotherly love for Erik show that Roo has the capability of being more. Whilst the story concentrates on Roo we do follow the 'Captain' and Erik to Novinous again and whilst this is a relativly small part of the book it is still able to grab you by the throat and you just won't be able to put the book down until you know the fate of all involved. A perfect second book that adds depth and colour to the story and sets the stage for the breath taking action found in the next book.

Gripping. A great book!
In this sequel to Shadow of a Dark Queen, author Raymond Feist takes us back to his magical world of Midkemia. Now that they have returned to the Kingdom of the Isles, Erik von Darkmoor has decided to reenlist in the fight against the dark powers that threaten his world, while Rupert Avery has decided to follow his original plan of marrying a rich merchant's ugly daughter and building a mercantile empire. But, life is going to prove interesting to both. Becoming a merchant prince is no cakewalk, and Roo will find his abilities taxed to the limit. And, the dark power rising in Novindus has not been deterred from its purpose.

Raymond Feist's Riftwar books were great, with epic adventure and magic, while his later books enjoyed a somewhat smaller scope. This book succeeds in walking on both sides of the street. While armies marshal and wizards weave great spells, we also follow the life of a man trying to build up his wealth and his personal life. And, I must say that it succeeds in doing both admirably.

I love stories of wizards and armies, and one gets a bunch of that here. But, I must say that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Mr. Feist's tale of Roo Avery. I was captivated by the choices he made, both for good and for ill.

I am surprised to say that I enjoyed this book as much as I did the Riftwar books and Shadow of a Dark Queen! The action is gripping, grabbing you right on the first page, and drawing you along. Yep, this is a great book, and a wonderful addition to my fantasy library. I loved to presence of Boldar Blood, and hope that Mr. Feist will consider writing a book that develops the Hall of Worlds more!

I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

Another page-turner from Feist
Despite focusing on Roo and his rise to the dizzying heights as the richest man in Krondor (if not the Kingdom), this is a worthy sequel to "Shadows of a Dark Queen" and continues to set the scene for the rest of the series.
As mentioned in other reviews, there are also episodes of Calis/Erik returning to Novidus, unravelling more of the mystery there which add blood-and-guts action to the mercantile battles facing Roo.
All in all, an excellent book, well worth reading if you're a fan of Feist.