Welcome, Traveller!
You have found The Riftwar Saga Encyclopaedia, the internet's most comprehensive fan resource
for Raymond E. Feist's epic fantasy series set in the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan.
This site has been lovingly maintained since 1998, when a young webmaster first picked up
Magician: Apprentice and fell headlong through the rift into Feist's extraordinary universe.
Whether you're a first-time reader or a veteran who's been with us since Pug was still called "Boy,"
welcome home.
⚠ WARNING: This site contains SPOILERS for the entire Riftwar Cycle.
You have been warned!!! NEW! Character profiles updated!
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I
Magician (Apprentice & Master)
1982 (split into two volumes 1986)
Where it all begins. An orphan boy named Pug becomes apprentice to the magician Kulgan in the frontier
duchy of Crydee. When invaders from another world — the Tsurani of Kelewan — come through interdimensional
rifts, Pug's life is changed forever. The original is one unbroken novel; the US publisher split it into
Apprentice and Master. The "Author's Preferred Edition" (1992) restores the complete text.
This is THE starting point. Read the complete edition if you can find it.
II
Silverthorn
1985
A poisoned princess. A quest for the legendary Silverthorn plant. Arutha conDoin races against time through
the dangerous Northlands while darker forces move in the shadows. Introduces Gorath's people and the
mordhel threat that echoes through the entire cycle.
III
A Darkness at Sethanon
1986
The epic conclusion. Murmandamus marches on Sethanon with an army of dark elves and goblins, seeking the
Lifestone buried beneath the city. Everything — the Riftwar, the Valheru, the fate of two worlds — comes
to a shattering climax. One of the great fantasy finales.
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Co-written with Janny Wurts. Set on Kelewan during the Riftwar. Many fans consider this the best work in the entire cycle.
I
Daughter of the Empire
1987
Mara of the Acoma inherits a dying house at seventeen and must outmaneuver ruthless political enemies
in the lethal Game of the Council. Think Dune's political intrigue meets feudal Japan. Mara is one
of fantasy's greatest protagonists. Period.
II
Servant of the Empire
1990
Mara acquires a Midkemian slave named Kevin who challenges everything she knows about her world.
The culture clash between Kelewan and Midkemia — honor vs. freedom, duty vs. love — is masterful.
The heart of the trilogy.
III
Mistress of the Empire
1992
Mara takes on the most powerful forces in the Empire itself — the magicians of the Assembly and the
Warlord's faction. The conclusion is breathtaking in scope. This trilogy alone would cement Feist
(and Wurts) in the fantasy canon.
"In the Game of the Council, one does not merely survive — one must be willing to sacrifice everything
to prevail, and even then, the gods may laugh."
— Nacoya, First Adviser to Lady Mara of the Acoma
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Pug / Milamber
"The Boy" • Magician of Two Worlds
Orphan kitchen boy at Castle Crydee. Apprentice to Kulgan. Captured by the Tsurani and becomes
the most powerful magician either world has known. Takes the name Milamber on Kelewan. His journey
from "Boy" to the man who tears open the heavens is the spine of the entire cycle.
Tomas
Warleader of the Elves • Heir of Ashen-Shugar
Pug's childhood best friend who finds ancient Valheru armor in the mines of Mac Mordain Cadal.
Slowly transforms into something more than human — or perhaps less. His struggle between his
humanity and the Dragon Lord's power is one of the series' great arcs.
Arutha conDoin
Prince of Krondor • The Grey Warrior
Second son of Duke Borric. The strategist, the warrior, the man who holds the Western Realm
together through sheer force of will. Quieter than his brother Lyam but twice as dangerous.
Commands Silverthorn and Darkness at Sethanon.
Mara of the Acoma
Lady of the Acoma • Servant of the Empire
Seventeen years old and inheritor of a doomed house. Through brilliance, ruthlessness, and
a willingness to break every rule of the Great Game, she rises from near-extinction to become
the most powerful woman in the Empire. The best character Feist ever created.
Jimmy the Hand
James • Duke of Rillanon (later)
Young thief from the Mockers of Krondor who becomes Arutha's most trusted agent. Grows from
street urchin to one of the most important men in the Kingdom. His grandchildren carry the
story forward in later series.
Macros the Black
The Black Sorcerer of Stardock
The mysterious sorcerer who manipulates events from behind the scenes. Is he puppet or
puppetmaster? The answer keeps changing. His island off the coast of Crydee is one of fantasy's
great mysterious locations.
Hokanu of the Shinzawai
Lord of the Shinzawai
Honorable, intelligent, and genuinely good in a world that punishes goodness. His house's
treatment of Midkemian prisoners opens the first crack in the Tsurani worldview. A worthy
match for Mara — and that's saying everything.
Murmandamus
The False Murmandamus • Pantathian Serpent Priest
The Big Bad of the original saga. Commands the armies of the North — dark elves, goblins,
and worse — in a march toward Sethanon. What he actually is proves far worse than what he
appears to be. The reveal is a gut punch.
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Midkemia
The World of the Kingdom
A classic high-fantasy world — but one with unusual depth. The Kingdom of the Isles
is the primary human nation, with its capital at Rillanon and the western stronghold
of Krondor. Elves (eledhel, moredhel, glamredhel) inhabit the ancient forests.
Dwarves mine the mountains. The world originated as a D&D/tabletop RPG campaign setting,
and it shows — in the best possible way.
- Crydee — frontier duchy, where it begins
- Krondor — western capital, city of intrigue
- Elvandar — elven forest kingdom
- Stardock — island academy of magicians
- Sethanon — city hiding ancient secrets
- The Northlands — homeland of the moredhel
Kelewan
World of the Tsurani Empire
An alien world with no metal deposits, where civilization built itself from wood, hide, and
magic. The Tsurani Empire is a rigid feudal society inspired by elements of feudal Japan,
Korea, and Mesoamerica. The Great Game of the Council — political maneuvering between
noble houses — defines all of Tsurani life. Honor is everything. Failure means death.
- Kentosani — Holy City, seat of the Emperor
- The Great Game — political warfare
- The Assembly — magicians above the law
- Cho-ja — insectoid alien allies
- Thuril Confederation — southern rivals
- No metal — all weapons are laminated wood
"There is no magic more powerful than a human heart that refuses to surrender."
— Attributed to Pug of Stardock
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🔮
The Lesser Path
Midkemian magic. Individual spellcraft drawing on personal power.
Kulgan's tradition. Think classic D&D-style wizardry — fireballs,
scrying, enchantments. Limited but versatile.
⚡
The Greater Path
Tsurani magic. Drawing power from the very fabric of reality itself.
The Assembly's tradition. Vastly more powerful but rigidly controlled.
This is what Pug/Milamber masters on Kelewan.
🐉
Valheru Magic
The ancient power of the Dragon Lords who ruled before the gods.
Nearly limitless. This is what transforms Tomas. The Lifestone
contains their combined essence. Terrifying stuff.
🌀
Rift Magic
The ability to tear holes between worlds. What the Tsurani used
to invade Midkemia. What Pug eventually masters as a magician
of both paths. The heart of the entire saga's cosmology.
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30+ books spanning 1982–2013. Here is the full publication timeline:
1982–1986
The Riftwar Saga
Magician, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon
1987–1992
The Empire Trilogy (with Janny Wurts)
Daughter, Servant, Mistress of the Empire
1988–1990
Krondor's Sons
Prince of the Blood, The King's Buccaneer
1994–2000
The Serpentwar Saga
Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King, Shards of a Broken Crown
1998–2001
The Riftwar Legacy
Krondor: The Betrayal, The Assassins, Tear of the Gods
2002–2005
Legends of the Riftwar
Honoured Enemy, Murder in LaMut, Jimmy the Hand
2005–2008
The Darkwar Saga / Conclave of Shadows
Talon of the Silver Hawk through Wrath of a Mad God
2010–2012
The Demonwar Saga
Rides a Dread Legion, At the Gates of Darkness
2012–2013
The Chaoswar Saga
A Kingdom Besieged, A Crown Imperilled, Magician's End
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Q: Where do I start?
Magician (the complete Author's Preferred Edition if possible, or Magician: Apprentice + Magician: Master).
This is non-negotiable. Everything builds from here.
Q: When should I read the Empire Trilogy?
After Magician, before or alongside Silverthorn. The Empire books run parallel to the Riftwar
on the Kelewan side. Some fans alternate chapters, but honestly — read the Empire Trilogy straight through.
It's that good. You'll appreciate Silverthorn and Darkness at Sethanon more with the Kelewan context.
Q: Do I need to read ALL 30+ books?
No. The essential core is: Riftwar Saga (3 books) + Empire Trilogy (3 books) +
Serpentwar Saga (4 books). That's 10 books and the best of Feist. The later series
(Conclave, Darkwar, Demonwar, Chaoswar) are more uneven — completionists will want them,
but casual readers can stop after Serpentwar and be satisfied.
Q: What about the Krondor video games?
Betrayal at Krondor (1993) is a genuinely great RPG that Feist later novelized.
Return to Krondor (1998) is decent. The novels based on them (Riftwar Legacy) are
solid but not essential. If you played BaK back in the day, the nostalgia hit is real.
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📖 Sign Our Guestbook! 📖
(Guestbook powered by Lpage™ — 2,341 entries since 1998!)
~*DarkElf_Gorath*~
02/08/2026
Great site!!! Mara is the BEST character in all of fantasy, fight me. The Empire trilogy doesn't get enough love. Keep up the awesome work!!! 🗡️
CrydeeDuke99
01/22/2026
Just re-read Magician for the 5th time. The scene where Milamber breaks free at the arena still gives me chills. Anyone else think the Author's Preferred Edition is the ONLY way to read it?
Tsurani_Warlord
01/15/2026
Found this site from the Midkemia webring!! Been looking for a good Feist site since the old ones went down. This one is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Bookmarked!!!
~LadyAcoma~
12/30/2025
Does anyone know if there will ever be a TV adaptation? The Empire Trilogy would make an AMAZING HBO series. Someone make this happen!!!