Into a Dark Realm: Book Two of the Darkwar Saga

by Raymond E. Feist Narrated by Peter Joyce

Overview

The acclaimed master fantasist is back with more adventure, danger, magic, and intrigue in this second thrilling installment in The Darkwar Saga

The Conclave of Shadows has foiled the Nighthawks' attempt to plunge the Empire of Great Kesh into civil war and now has undertaken to stamp out the Guild of Assassins, root and branch. But as the brotherhood of murder is being obliterated, Pug and his allies are confronted with an even more dire question: where is Leso Varen? They discover that the mad sorcerer has taken refuge on the world of Kelewan, among the most powerful men and women of that empire, the Magicians of the Assembly. Pug also learns that the massive hordes of the Dasati-the most vicious group of assassins he has ever known-is poised to make a joint invasion of both Kelewan and Midkemia.

To save the future of both empires, Pug and the Conclave of Shadows must journey into another realm of reality, into the darkest realm they have ever encountered: the Dasati home world!

'Into a Dark Realm' is a thrilling addition to the 'Darkwar Saga' series, filled with magic, danger, and intrigue.

The epic fantasy novel takes readers on a journey to the world of Kelewan, where Pug and his allies must confront the powerful Magicians of the Assembly and the vicious Dasati assassins to save the future of both empires.

HarperCollins 2024

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
After more than two dozen fantasy novels based in his signature worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, Raymond E. Feist's Into a Dark Realm -- the second book in the Darkwar saga -- is arguably his most ambitious work to date, incorporating story lines from virtually every one of his previous Midkemia/Kelewan novels.

With the members of the Guild of Assassins being systematically tracked down and eradicated, Midkemia is, for the moment, relatively peaceful. But with insane necromancer Leso Varen hiding out somewhere in the world of Kelewan and unexplainable spacial rifts appearing throughout the realm, the magician Pug and the rest of the Conclave of Shadows know that something catastrophic could be looming on the horizon. That something is a Riftwar to end all Riftwars -- and in order to stop the annihilation of hundreds of thousands of innocents, Pug and a small group of allies must travel to the homeworld of the Dasati, a race of cold-blooded killers whose nightmarish realm has been described as Hell itself.

Since the release of Magician in 1982, Feist's ongoing Midkemia sequence has consistently been one of the highest-quality fantasy sagas around -- not only in terms of pure entertainment value but specifically concerning character development, world-building, narrative scope, and thematic complexity. When all is said and done, Feist's realm of Midkemia -- and all of its peripheral realities -- will be remembered as one of the most historied and richly described fantasy realms ever imagined: comparable to Tolkien's Middle-earth, Silverberg's Majipoor, and Brooks's Shannara. Fantasy fans who have yet to experience the majestic magic and mayhem of Midkemia should do so soon: As far as epic fantasy story lines go, this is the crème de la crème. Paul Goat Allen

Publishers Weekly

Feist's competent but uninventive second installment to his Darkwar Saga (after 2006's Flight of the Nighthawks) follows Pug the wizard and his grandsons—Jommy, Tad and Zane, now of military age—on their various magic-enhanced and bloody military quests to defy evil. Pug's search for the renegade sorcerer Leso Varen takes him from the land of Midkemia into the realm of the bloodthirsty Dasati, who are planning a war on behalf of their Dark God. Feist's narrative also follows the coming-of-age of the young Dasati warrior Valko, whose eventual enlightenment makes him an ally for Pug. Meanwhile, Pug's grandsons go to the University of Roldem, take commissions in its embattled army and prove themselves formidable soldiers. The author's depictions of battles, torture and the Social Darwinism of the ruthless Dasati society may not be suited to fantasy readers of all ages, but Feist's fans will look forward to the saga's final episode. (Apr.)

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

The magician Pug and his Conclave of Shadows has beaten back the threat of civil war stemming from the terrorist actions of the Nighthawks, but another, darker threat arises that stems not from the world of Midkemia but from another realm, home of the murderous Dasati warriors. To save his world, Pug, his son Magnus, and two other companions must find a way to enter the world of the Dasati, an action that might mean their deaths. The author of Magician, Flight of the Nighthawks, and numerous other novels set in the world of Midkemia now introduces a new dimension to his universe and added new depth to recurring characters while creating fascinating new heroes and villains. With a fast pace and clean, crisp storytelling, this fantasy saga belongs in most libraries.

—Jackie Cassada

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173277237
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Series:	Riftwar Cycle: The Darkwar Saga Series , #2
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	896,871

Read an Excerpt

Into a Dark Realm

Book Two of the Darkwar Saga

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By Raymond E. Feist

Eos

Copyright © 2007 Raymond E. Feist
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-06-079280-0

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Chapter One

Two and a half years later

"There you are, Aunt Sophie!- Entering the drawing room of the Society for the Enrichment and Learning of Females, Tess Linowes, Lady Golding, smiled.

Lady Braxton looked up from the tome lying open on the desk before her. Her dove gray eyes were filled with delight. "Tess! What a pleasant surprise. How are you?-

"I went to your house and your butler directed me here,-Tess explained, setting a kiss on her aunt's cheek.

"I find my house a bit too quiet for comfort these days.- Aunt Sophie's moon-pale face was melancholy as she set her place with a band and closed the book. She'd lost her husband of twenty-five years to a lung ailment last summer, and Tess could hardly imagine her grief. Her aunt's already graying hair had completely turned slate, as if washed in a cloud of her sorrow.

"I like it here.- Aunt Sophie sighed. "The Society for the Enrichment and Learning of Females has been a salvation for me. I wonder that you don't utilize your membership at the society more frequently, since there is such a premium placed on books and learning.-

Tess busied herself with her gloves, unable to explain that if she associated much with the society's members, she'd be duty bound to spy on them for her supervisor at the Foreign Office, Mr. Tristram Wheaton, atask she'd been putting off for months. Wheaton had insisted that Tess join the society since he was worried that it was a potential vessel for discord.

Tess had joined, but had quickly concluded that the members represented what was best about English society and were simply seeking a refuge to study and enjoy each other's company. She could hardly imagine the founding members, Lady Janelle Blankett, Lady Edwina Devane, and Lady Genevieve Ensley, being traitorous in any way. Thus far, Tess had seen no reason to impose on their privacy, and she prayed that it remained so.

Adjusting her cambric blue gown, Aunt Sophie stood. "Shall I call for tea?-

"That would be wonderful.-

After speaking to the footman, Aunt Sophie reclined into one of the armchairs by the low-burning hearth, and Tess dropped into the seat facing her. Aunt Sophie's eyes seemed sad and her lips were pinched.

Tess reached over and squeezed her aunt's hand. "Are you having a difficult day?-

"A bit.-

"His birthday?-

"This is about the time when I would start planning the festivities.- Staring into the fire, her smile was bitter-sweet. "Chocolate layered cake. A pheasant. Fine brandy ... -

"I think ... -Tess bit her lip.-"that we should still have the party.-

Aunt Sophie's brow furrowed. "You do?-

"Uncle Jack liked nothing better than a good party. What better way to celebrate his wonderful life?-

Aunt Sophie's eyes grew shiny with unshed tears. "A party for Jack.- After a long moment, she nodded. "He would like that.-

"Although we must make it smaller. No Uncle Hayden. Or Cousin Christopher. He's a sweetheart but he always has the most atrocious flatulence.-

Aunt Sophie's lips lifted. "You're dreadful, Tess.-

She smiled, glad to see the light in her aunt's gaze.

"True or not?-

"True.-

"And he doesn't seem embarrassed by it in the least.-

"True again.- Aunt Sophie sighed. "Thank you, Tess. I think it's a brilliant idea. I'll start planning right away. Will you help me?-

"Of course. Though I am dearly looking forward to that chocolate cake and brandy, I don't give a fig about the rest.-

As she tilted her head, Aunt Sophie's gaze was admiring. "You're always so-oh, I don't know-industrious. You always have a plan or an idea. I'm so envious of your ability to strike out with such confidence, Tess.-

Tess thought about her nightmares, the sleepless nights, the days when her insides felt so twisted with anxiety that she feared being too far afield from a chamber pot. She stared into the fire. "I have my moments, just like everyone else.-

"From the way you act, one would never know it. You have this air of resiliency, of-Aunt Sophie shrugged-"I don't know ... perseverance about you. And you're always so cool. I remember when Jack died and my world was falling apart, you were like an anchor steadying me. I knew that if you were around I would be taken care of.-

Tess lifted a shoulder, uneasy with the praise. "I'm glad that I was able to help.-

"But it's not supposed to be like that. I'm older. Your mother's sister. I'm the one supposed to be helping you.- "You do help me.- Aunt Sophie's look was disbelieving. "I can't recall the last time you allowed someone to help you. And I have no idea where this independence comes from, certainly not my side of the family.- "Talking to you is an inordinate help to me. It keeps me sane when I'm feeling less than rational. Aunt, niece, it doesn't matter, what I like about our relationship is that it transcends assumptions. The best of family.- "Indeed we're family, yet somehow I don't feel toward any of my other nieces or nephews the way I feel about you. Perhaps it's because none is nearly as nice to me as you are.- Tess had nothing to say in her family members' defense; often she understood them as well as she understood the whims of "fashion- that called for new colors and new lines every season. As if everyone had extra gold lying around just waiting to be spent on a new wardrobe.

Aunt Sophie's lips pursed and her eyes were amused. "You've courted favor with the wrong aunt, Tess. Aunt Matilda is the one with the large bank account, not me. As your sister Vivian has made inordinately clear.-

Tess had some choice words for her opportunistic sister, but didn't see the point in giving them air. "Vivian doesn't mean to be so ...-

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Into a Dark Realm by Raymond E. Feist Copyright © 2007 by Raymond E. Feist. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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