Into a Dark Realm

January 22, 2007
Feist's competent but uninventive second installment to his Darkwar Saga (after 2006's Flight of the Nighthawks
) follows Pug the wizard and his grandsons—Jommy, Tad and Zane, now of military age—on their various magic-enhanced and bloody military quests to defy evil. Pug's search for the renegade sorcerer Leso Varen takes him from the land of Midkemia into the realm of the bloodthirsty Dasati, who are planning a war on behalf of their Dark God. Feist's narrative also follows the coming-of-age of the young Dasati warrior Valko, whose eventual enlightenment makes him an ally for Pug. Meanwhile, Pug's grandsons go to the University of Roldem, take commissions in its embattled army and prove themselves formidable soldiers. The author's depictions of battles, torture and the Social Darwinism of the ruthless Dasati society may not be suited to fantasy readers of all ages, but Feist's fans will look forward to the saga's final episode.