Krondor: The Betrayal | |||||
Raymond E. Feist | |||||
Avon EOS Books, 376 pages | |||||
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A review by Wayne MacLaurin
In 1994, a computer gaming company called Dynamix released a
CRPG (computer-based role-playing game) based on the world of
Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Saga. (Actually, for
those of you who are sticklers for detail, the game was
first previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1993, but
was not officially released until 1994.) Betrayal At Krondor became
a major bestseller and has often been reviewed as the best CRPG ever created.
Krondor: The Betrayal is a novel based on that game. It is
not a novelization, but the core plot and characters are the basically the same.
As Raymond Feist himself puts it
OK... enough plot. I'll let you read it and discover the marvels that
Feist has put to paper for yourself. But first, a couple more hints
at what lies waiting between the pages...
Feist constantly amazes me with his ability to create great casts of
characters. This time out, Squire James, Squire Locklear, Pug and
Arutha return to the stage but are joined by an apprentice magician
named Owyn and a renegade moredhel name Gorath. Jimmy the Hand
has always been a favourite of mine and that's probably why, for me, he seems
to be the strongest character this time out too. However, Gorath
is particularly well written. It's not a simple case of a dark
elf who finally "got it" and put on a white hat.
Gorath's character is complex and, at times, completely
unsympathetic. His motivations have very little to do with
helping mankind and he makes no apologies for what or who he is. It's a
refreshing change from some of the stereotypes out there.
Considering Feist has only barely mentioned this "chapter" before
(about mid-way through Shards of a Broken Crown), he does a great
job of weaving in "history" without affecting that which six other books have
defined as the past. Given the limitations with which Feist had to work,
the intricate plot that he weaves is all the more effective. Between
the dark elves, a criminal uprising in Krondor, and Pug's other-plane
adventures, Feist takes the reader on a merry trip before the threads
of the plot start to come together in a suitably "Feistonian" manner.
So, whether you are new to Feist's work or simply crave more,
Krondor: The Betrayal will supply it. To make things even better,
the game sequel, Return to Krondor, is due out from Sierra Studios
shortly and the novel associated with it should be next year's gift to us from Feist and Avon!
Wayne MacLaurin is a regular SF Site reviewer. More of his opinions are available on our Book Reviews pages. |
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