Shards of a Broken Crown
Warning, there may be spoilers in this post. Shards of a Broken Crown is not one of Feist’s best works. As the concluding book of the Serpentwar Saga, it has a host of parallel plots – more than any of the previous books. And, it turns out that all but one of these plots are inconsequential, save for the apparently meaningless deaths of high ranked characters that actually have little importance anyway. This in itself isn’t a big a problem as the fact that we know very early on that most of these plots are relatively unimportant. That doesn’t do wonders for maintaining interest. Yet, Feist spends so little time developing the “A-plot” involving Nakor and Pug. Actually, because he jumps between so many plots without really converging any, he has little time to really develop any single one. The story is somewhat anti-climatical, and as the book finishes, we leave a kingdom in tatters with a wrecked power structure in the West. There are no heroes left. Very few of those in command have much battle experience, and it looks as though political bickering will rule the day. It is an interesting development, such a bittersweet ending.
Chronologically, the Serpentwar saga is not Feist’s latest series, but in the history of Midkemia, it is the most recent one. I wonder what Feist will do with a kingdom without heroes?
11:04am (GMT +11.00) tomorrow from Work, Burwood
