I used to love Feist’s fantasy novels.
When I read Magician in the early eighties, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. It remains one of my favourite fantasy novels, along with the rest of the Riftwar Saga books and the Empire Saga, co-authored by Janny Wurts. I was expecting something similar from Krondor: The Betrayal.
However, my anticipation was met with disappointment when I discovered that the Krondor series was based on a video game. The writing style, which I found to be subpar, was a stark contrast to what I had come to expect from Feist. This was further echoed in the one-star reviews on Amazon, which shared my disappointment. It’s not often that I consult Amazon reviews before reading a book, but in this case, perhaps I should have.
With my background in the video game industry, I could envision how the architects might have initially designed Krondor using storyboards with itemised lines of text—possibly resembling a bullet list. This design seems to have seeped into the supposed manuscript. The story lacks flow, and the short paragraphs appear as though they could have been a bullet list that was then given some polishing to make them more substantial. It’s regrettable that the resulting “novel” was published without the necessary editing or professional refinement, as it could have been so much more.
The end result is a narrative that feels rigid and devoid of depth, akin to a preteen’s English assignment. While Krondor might be suitable as a video game, it falls short of the immersive and engaging experience one expects from a fantasy novel. Coupled with the disappointing writing, I can confidently say this is one of the most underwhelming books I’ve encountered.
Recommendation
My rating for Krondor: The Betrayal is 1 out of 5 stars.
Given these observations, I cannot recommend this book. If you’re new to fantasy novels, you might have a better experience starting with Feist’s earlier works.
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