Status
Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
HarperTorch (2005), 378 pages
Description
A sweeping new epic fantasy series from worldwide bestselling author Raymond E Feist, marking the 20th year since the first publication of his first novel, Magician. Featuring one of the most fascinating characters and scenarios ever created in the genre, The Conclave of Shadows promises to become one of the great all-time classics in the field. Among the Orosini tribe, every boy must undergo the traditional manhood ritual in order to understand his place in the universe and discover his manhood name. Kielianapuna must survive on the remote mountain peak of Shatana Higo until the gods grant him his vision. But Kieli has already waited for four days and nights, and now he is cold, lonely, despairing, and very, very tired When he is woken by the terrifying sensation of sharp claws piercing his skin and finds a rare silver hawk upon his arm, it is such a disorientating moment that he is not sure whether it has even happened, or whether it was a vision. Returning to his home, nameless and still a child, Kieli stumbles upon devastation. His village is being burned, his people slaughtered. Although it means certain death, Kieli throws himself into the battle Against all the odds, he survives, alone of all the Orosini, who have been cut down where they stand: every last man, woman and child. A distant voice echoes in his mind: Rise up and be a talon for your people The visitation of the bird on Shatana Higo was indeed his naming vision. He is a boy called Kielianapuna no more. Now he is Talon of the Silver Hawk, a man who must avenge the murder of his people, whatever that may take… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Start of the conclave of Shadows Trilogy (well either a duology or a quartet), set in Midkemia, the same world as the famous Riftwar series, and featuring some of the same characters as earlier books, but also quite readable as a standalone novel with no prior background.
Talon is a child of the
His new master has a plan for him, and slowly talon realises his vengance may have to take second place to a more serious issue.
The story is light and easilly read, knowing some background to Midkemia helps, but the descriptions and action are very clear. Enjoyable but nothing particularly special in it's genre it is good enough to ty the rest of the trilogy.
Talon is a child of the
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Orisini people who live a simple life hunting from their villages high in the mountain ranges. He cermony of manhood at sixteen is to wait alone on the mountain peak until the gods reveal his name. If they haven't spoken by the end of the third day he can pick one of his choice. Descending he finds his village under attack and valiently he tries to defend his poeple only to recieve a cricital wound. he awakes in the care of some passing traders to find not just his village but his whole people have been destroyed. He swears vengance but first must pay off his life-debt to the traders. They teach him to become a gentleman of the cities and slowly he realises the world is far more complicated than he had previously credited. His new master has a plan for him, and slowly talon realises his vengance may have to take second place to a more serious issue.
The story is light and easilly read, knowing some background to Midkemia helps, but the descriptions and action are very clear. Enjoyable but nothing particularly special in it's genre it is good enough to ty the rest of the trilogy.
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LibraryThing member nakmeister
Note - First book in Conclave of Shadows, a 3 book series.
Talon returns to his home after completing his manhood ritual, to find his family and all of the Orosini mountain tribe, the only people he’s ever known, being attacked by ruthless mercenaries. He tries to help them, but is knocked
This is Raymond E. Feist at his best, or certainly damn close to it. It’s book one in a series, and as such lacks the overall complexity and scope of his first book Magician, but then it is only introducing the characters and the story. It’s so much better than many of Feist’s recent books, marking a return to the form of the Riftwar and Serpentwar saga. When reading this book, I felt transported into the world, living each moment within the pages of the book. It is a feeling that has been all too rare of late. Highly recommended.
Talon returns to his home after completing his manhood ritual, to find his family and all of the Orosini mountain tribe, the only people he’s ever known, being attacked by ruthless mercenaries. He tries to help them, but is knocked
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unconscious and left for dead. He is saved by a mysterious man named Robert and put to work in a tavern that Robert is staying at. This however is just a test, and once he is considered worthy, he begins his training. The training lasts several years, before his allowed to to swear allegiance to the Conclave of Shadows…This is Raymond E. Feist at his best, or certainly damn close to it. It’s book one in a series, and as such lacks the overall complexity and scope of his first book Magician, but then it is only introducing the characters and the story. It’s so much better than many of Feist’s recent books, marking a return to the form of the Riftwar and Serpentwar saga. When reading this book, I felt transported into the world, living each moment within the pages of the book. It is a feeling that has been all too rare of late. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member lorelorn_2007
Raymond Feist chooses to set this trilogy away from the Kingdom of the Isles, whcih is good. The first book of the trilogy sees Talon, the last of his people, fall in with a powerful group while he tries to avenge the murder of his nation.
This book does not have the same grip as Feist's Magician,
This book does not have the same grip as Feist's Magician,
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but it's a good enough fantasy story to pass the time. Show Less
LibraryThing member AZ_Dude
Talon, believed to be the last of his tribe, joins to fight against the evil man that destroyed his tribe.
LibraryThing member TadAD
I picked this up on a trip. I seemed pretty bland fantasy. I'm not tempted to buy the rest of the trilogy right now. Perhaps I just need to have read more of Feist's previous books in this world for it to come alive for me.
LibraryThing member JudithProctor
Although well written, this book failed to grab me. It felt more like a quest to develop the perfect D+D character. The background of the world never felt deep enough - the history felt more like an RPG abstract rather than having depth and flavour.
I got to the end, but have no urge to read further
I got to the end, but have no urge to read further
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books in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member lithicbee
Rather than focusing on the broad sweep of the fight against the Mad God, Feist chooses instead to focus on one young man, the eponymous Talon of the Silver Hawk, who, it is hinted, has a larger role to play in the world-spanning fight of good vs evil. This is the story of Talon's growth from a
Like many Feist protagonists, Talon is a bit too perfect, and when he does fail, someone is always there to save him. My suggestion (to myself): don't think so much, just enjoy the novel like the super-spy vengeance romp it is.
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barbarian boy to a James Bond-esque fantasy-world secret agent. It moves along pretty well even though at times it feels more like an orientation training for the reader than for Talon, such as when we get to read about him serving tables, learning to cook, learning to paint, etc. Much of that information could probably have been covered in a few paragraphs but instead it makes up the first two thirds of the book. The amazing thing is that it still flows smoothly and it does not take long at all to get to the meatier, action-oriented final third of the novel.Like many Feist protagonists, Talon is a bit too perfect, and when he does fail, someone is always there to save him. My suggestion (to myself): don't think so much, just enjoy the novel like the super-spy vengeance romp it is.
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LibraryThing member Karlstar
I really liked this book. This is the start of a new trilogy, and it brought me back to the days of Feist's first books about Midkemia. By starting out with a new generation of heroes, and specifically a new hero, he starts off fresh. He also moves out of the Kingdom of the Isles into new
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countries, developing fresh parts of Midkemia. This book has his usual good personalities, good plotting, and excellent use of standard fantasy elements, but not to excess. Good stuff. Show Less
LibraryThing member liehtzu
Feist can do this in his sleep - and in this one I think he did. Nonetheless, a rattling good yarn for the plane or the beach - when you don't want to tax yourself to much. Big boys rule!
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Not as good as some of his others but quite readable, I read this in one sitting.
LibraryThing member Neilsantos
It's really strange how books I liked have managed to become children's books. I can't really say it was good or bad. It is actually a very simple story though, I think Feist has exhausted his world and imagination. I don't actually like children's books (making me the only person in the western
My new theory is that there are some genres that are written exclusively towards children, teens and young adults, rather than adults. The level of the maturity of the reader is determined by the level of maturity of the subject. Science Fiction is my test case.
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hemisphere who hasn't read a Harry Potter book), so I'm actually engrossed at comparing Feist against my memory of Feist.My new theory is that there are some genres that are written exclusively towards children, teens and young adults, rather than adults. The level of the maturity of the reader is determined by the level of maturity of the subject. Science Fiction is my test case.
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LibraryThing member mausergem
This is the story of Talon whose family was massacred when he was just a boy. He is found by Robert who is a part of the Conclave of Shadows and brought up. Talon learns many things from cooking to sword play and is finally unleashed upon his enemies.
A quick entertaining read.
A quick entertaining read.
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
A great new character in Tal. I believe this book started my tradition of buying each new release on the day it dropped.
LibraryThing member brakketh
This book was just what I was in the mood for, the training and preparation of Talon for revenge on the murderers of his people.
LibraryThing member JohnFair
Talon starts off in a totally different area of Midkemia than the earlier books set on that planet, though still on the same continent as the one where the Kingdom of the Isles is based. Talon, the eponymous hero of this tale, is a young boy just entering adulthood as the story opens as he goes on
As is traditional in this type of book, the story goes through various aspects of Talon's training, first as a server in the inn then gentleman of the world and finally master swordsman as he works on his revenge on those who'd killed his village, along the way finding that he quite genuinely liked the Duke in charge.
This is a pretty standard fantasy quest story especially as Talon finds himself gaining various different character improvements but the story itself is reasonably engaging and easily readable
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a vision quest in the mountains surrounding his village. Talon does actually see his vision animal, the fabled Silver Hawk but the weather's hot and the water's low as he makes his way back to his village so it takes a while to realise something's up - invaders have come to his remote mountain home and are busy putting it to the torch. Too woozy from the quest, Talon takes on the invaders with nearly the inevitable results but he doesn't die from his wounds being found by a band of traders 'just passing through'. Taken back to their base, a defended inn, it doesn't take long for even the naïve Talon to realise that there is something a bit unusual about these people as he is nursed back to health and inducted into the mysteries of this outpost of the Conclave of Shadows.As is traditional in this type of book, the story goes through various aspects of Talon's training, first as a server in the inn then gentleman of the world and finally master swordsman as he works on his revenge on those who'd killed his village, along the way finding that he quite genuinely liked the Duke in charge.
This is a pretty standard fantasy quest story especially as Talon finds himself gaining various different character improvements but the story itself is reasonably engaging and easily readable
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LibraryThing member readafew
This is the 1st book in the Conclave of Shadows trilogy by Raymond Feist. We meet a new boy from the opposite end of the Northern continent from which most of the previous stories have originated, near the Island kingdom of Roldem. This boy goes through a life changing experience on the day he is
Overall a decent read and Feist has backed off quit a bit from the blatant philosophical arguments that he got into in the end of the Serpent War Saga. He throws "sometimes one has to do evil to ultimately do good' a couple times but hasn't yet gone into it. This one also did not have the lightheartedness of most of the other Midkemia novels. That seems to have died with Jimmy.
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to complete his right of passage to manhood.Overall a decent read and Feist has backed off quit a bit from the blatant philosophical arguments that he got into in the end of the Serpent War Saga. He throws "sometimes one has to do evil to ultimately do good' a couple times but hasn't yet gone into it. This one also did not have the lightheartedness of most of the other Midkemia novels. That seems to have died with Jimmy.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I found this enjoyable enough I could see looking up the two other books in this trilogy, although I'm not in a hurry, and in that in line with how I felt about the other Feist book I've read, Magician: Apprentice also set in this universe. I believe that other book was among the first Feist ever
This particular book is built around the classic revenge plot--the book opens as Talon's people are destroyed--for which he vows revenge. I felt too much of Part One: Orphan was set-up about Talon's training to become a spy. Part Two: Mercenary was more involving to me as Talon finally was put into play as an agent.
I did like Talon. Nevertheless, I was left feeling distanced from him. Maybe it's a girl thing. Women are pretty much only bed-warmers in this novel. Even in terms of just friendship, with Talon's family all gone from the beginning, he never really relates to anyone with deep emotion. Pretty much everyone around him, even the "good guys" (as they keep insisting they are) just uses Talon, ruthlessly honing him into a weapon. So there's no leavening romance or friendship or comradeship here--not really. I think that's why I'm in no hurry to pick up the next book even though this tale was a pleasant ride.
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wrote, and I do find Talon a better, smoother read than I remember that book being. The setting is fairly routine in fantasy--reminiscent of medieval/renaissance Europe, although there are hints of a science-fiction gloss and even mentions of other worlds and alien beings. This particular book is built around the classic revenge plot--the book opens as Talon's people are destroyed--for which he vows revenge. I felt too much of Part One: Orphan was set-up about Talon's training to become a spy. Part Two: Mercenary was more involving to me as Talon finally was put into play as an agent.
I did like Talon. Nevertheless, I was left feeling distanced from him. Maybe it's a girl thing. Women are pretty much only bed-warmers in this novel. Even in terms of just friendship, with Talon's family all gone from the beginning, he never really relates to anyone with deep emotion. Pretty much everyone around him, even the "good guys" (as they keep insisting they are) just uses Talon, ruthlessly honing him into a weapon. So there's no leavening romance or friendship or comradeship here--not really. I think that's why I'm in no hurry to pick up the next book even though this tale was a pleasant ride.
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
I forgot how much I enjoyed the Conclave series!
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003
Physical description
378 p.; 4.25 x 1 inches
ISBN
0380803240 / 9780380803248