Editors Reads Verdict
The payoff for Magician: Apprentice — Pug's transformation into Milamber is satisfying, and the dual-world resolution allows Feist to explore the cultural collision he set up in the first half with more depth.
What We Loved
- The Tsurani world sections are the series' most original contribution — a society with genuinely different values from the Kingdom
- The resolution of the Riftwar manages to avoid the obvious endings
- Thomas's transformation arc reaches a genuinely satisfying conclusion
Minor Drawbacks
- Some readers find the book less compelling than the first half, which had the advantage of discovery
- The magical system remains somewhat undefined
Key Takeaways
- → Transformation changes not just capability but identity — Pug becoming Milamber is not an upgrade but a change of self
- → Peace between cultures is harder to achieve than military victory, and requires more imagination
- → The role of the exceptionally powerful individual in geopolitics is always ambivalent — power of that kind cannot be simply used without becoming the thing it was meant to oppose
| Author | Raymond E. Feist |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Bantam Spectra |
| Pages | 419 |
| Published | January 1, 1982 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Epic Fantasy |
Magician: Master Review
Magician: Master is the second half of Raymond Feist’s original Magician novel, completing the story begun in Apprentice. The division was made for paperback publication, and readers who encounter the combined volume will experience it as a single, unified work — but the two halves have distinct qualities, and Master is in some ways the more interesting of the two.
Pug, the kitchen boy who discovered he had a different relationship to magic than any in the Kingdom’s tradition, has been captured and taken to Kelewan — the Tsurani homeworld. In captivity, under the tutelage of a Tsurani magician, he undergoes a transformation that allows him to access the full scope of his power. He becomes Milamber, a great magician of the Assembly, and the question of where his loyalties lie — to the Kingdom of his birth, or to the world that trained him — is more complicated than either side would prefer.
Meanwhile, Thomas has been slowly transformed by the ancient armor he inherited from the Valheru — the ancient dragon lords — and is becoming something beyond human, leading the elves of Elvandar with powers and instincts that are increasingly not his own. Thomas’s arc raises questions about identity and transformation that the novel handles with more subtlety than its adventure-fantasy frame might suggest.
The Riftwar’s resolution manages to avoid the obvious narrative choices. The war between the Kingdom and the Tsurani is concluded through political and magical means that reflect the genuine complexity of the cross-cultural situation Feist established in the first half. The solution is not simply a military victory but something requiring understanding on both sides, which is more interesting and more honest about how such conflicts actually resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Magician: Master" about?
The second half of the original Magician novel: Pug becomes the great magician Milamber in the Tsurani world while Thomas rises to lead the elves and becomes something more than human. The Riftwar reaches its climax as two worlds are drawn toward war or reconciliation.
What are the key takeaways from "Magician: Master"?
Transformation changes not just capability but identity — Pug becoming Milamber is not an upgrade but a change of self Peace between cultures is harder to achieve than military victory, and requires more imagination The role of the exceptionally powerful individual in geopolitics is always ambivalent — power of that kind cannot be simply used without becoming the thing it was meant to oppose
Is "Magician: Master" worth reading?
The payoff for Magician: Apprentice — Pug's transformation into Milamber is satisfying, and the dual-world resolution allows Feist to explore the cultural collision he set up in the first half with more depth.
Ready to Read Magician: Master?
Check the current price on Amazon.
Check Price on Amazon (paid link)Prices and availability are subject to change. See Amazon for current price.
Review last updated: