From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Feist (Prince of the Blood) does an impressive job of developing numerous characters and elaborate social structures while holding true to established history in this fantasy page-turner set in Midkemia, the backdrop for his venerable Riftwar and Serpentwar sagas. As we follow Talon of the Silver Hawk through his adoption and training by members of the Conclave of Shadows (many of whom will be familiar to readers of earlier Midkemia books) and his quest for revenge after the slaughter of his tribe, places and people are fleshed out with neat thoroughness. The transformation of Talon, an innocent and untrained country mouse, into Talwin, an expert sword fighter, smooth seducer and faux nobleman, is extraordinary but completely believable, despite the compression or omission of a few years here and there, while the hints at the power and extent of the Conclave and its mission will leave readers hungry for more. Feist specializes in the careful and accurate portrayal of the thoughts and feelings of young men going through tumultuous life changes, and this effort is one of his best yet.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Only young Talon of the Silver Hawk survives the destruction of his nation, and in this series opener, he's out for revenge. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
A prolific purveyor of solid conventional fantasy launches a new Midkemia saga, Conclave of Shadows. Kieli, a young boy of the mountain-dwelling Orosini, is the sole survivor of a massacre of his people by ruthless mercenaries. From a bird that visits him when he thinks he is dying, he takes the name Talon of the Silver Hawk, and re-enters civilization with a vague notion of destiny and the grimly focused aspiration to avenge his people. As he matures, he is drawn into the arms of a good many women and even farther into the machinations of the sorcerers of the Shadow Conclave, headed by Pug and Miranda, old friends to fans of previous Midkemia sagas. Talon learns that he has both human and magical foes, and he becomes a deadly swordsman to function in the role of one of the conclave's agents. By the end of this book, he has achieved at least one of his goals but faces a whole new set of perils that begins with swearing allegiance to the formidable duke of Olasko. Further volumes in Talon's tale are to come from other accomplished fantasists, including S. M. Stirling and Joel Rosenberg, so the prognosis is highly favorable for continued good reading for dedicated Midkemians, many of whom could start with this book that stands well alone and is noticeably smoother reading than a goodly portion of Feist's other work. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Evil has come to a distant land high among the snow-capped mountains of Midkemia, as an exterminating army wearing the colors of the Duke of Olasko razes village after village, slaughtering men, women, and children without mercy. And when the carnage is done, only one survivor remains: a young boy named Kieli. A youth no longer, there is now but one road for him to travel: the path of vengeance. And he will not be alone. Under the tutelage of the rescuers who discovered him, Kieli will be molded into a sure and pitiless weapon. And he will accept the destiny that has been chosen for him ... as Talon of the Silver Hawk.

But the prey he so earnestly stalks is hunting him as well. And Talon must swear allegiance to a shadowy cause that already binds his mysterious benefactors -- or his mission, his honor, and his life will be lost forever.


Download Description
Young Kieli is the sole survivor of a murderous attack on Midkemia, and he's out for revenge. Under the tutelage of a wealthy man, a sorcerer, and a warrior, Kieli accepts his destiny as Talon of the Silver Hawk. But his benefactors have a secret agenda, and the prey he so desperately stalks is hunting him as well. Can Talon keep his people -- and his honor -- alive?

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
After many years of waiting, fans of Raymond E. Feist have been rewarded with Talon of the Silver Hawk, the brilliant first book in the Conclave of Shadows series from the author who penned classic fantasy series like the Riftwar, Riftwar Legacy, and Serpentwar sagas.

Talon is a teenage boy who has barely survived the slaughter of his people. When Robert de Lyis finds the bloodied boy and nurses him back to health, Talon vows to not only pay back Robert for saving his life but also to find out who murdered his entire village, hunt them down, and kill them. What Talon doesn't realize is that Robert is a member of a secret group called the Conclave of Shadows, headed by the infamous sorcerer Pug, whose mission is to battle the forces of evil that seek to spread chaos throughout Midkemia.

The legions of Feist fanatics out there are sure to devour this offering. The realm of Midkemia is arguably the most richly detailed and fully realized world in all of fantasy literature, comparable only to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and Robert Silverberg's Majipoor. And even though the setting will be familiar to Feist's fans, most of the characters and locations are new, and the plotline is definitely unlike anything the author has ever done before. Talon of the Silver Hawk is classic Feist. The conclusion of this novel will leave you begging for the next book in the series. Paul Goat Allen

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Evil has come to a distant land high among the snow-capped mountains of Midkemia. Razing village after village - slaughtering men, women, and children without mercy - an exterminating army wearing the colors of the Duke of Olasko puts a small nation to the sword. And when the carnage is done, one - and only one - survivor remains: a young boy named Kieli, who is a youth no longer." "A life has been eternally altered, and now there is but one road for Kieli to travel: the path of vengeance. He will not be alone on his mission. The rescuers who discovered him wounded and near death are sworn to aid Kieli's revenge: Robert de Lys, a man of wealth and authority; Magnus, a sorcerer of uncommon - and unsettling - abilities; and Caleb, who, though scarcely older than Kieli, is already a hunter and a warrior without peer. Under their tutelage, Kieli will be molded into a sure and pitiless weapon, and shed completely his former name and existence to accept the destiny that has been chosen for him as Talon of the Silver Hawk." But the prey he so earnestly stalks is hunting him as well, and their numbers are many. And his mysterious benefactors have a secret agenda, for their fates - and Talon's - are inextricably bound to the Conclave of Shadows, an inscrutable society of magicians, assassins, and spies. Now Talon must swear allegiance to the same mysterious cause, of which he knows little, for it is shrouded in the shadows of his name. If he falters he will be abandoned, left to battle his enemies alone. And his mission, his honor, and his life will be lost forever.

SYNOPSIS

Young Kieli is the sole survivor of a murderous attack on Midkemia, and he's out for revenge. Under the tutelage of a wealthy man, a sorcerer, and a warrior, Kieli accepts his destiny as Talon of the Silver Hawk. But his benefactors have a secret agenda, and the prey he so desperately stalks is hunting him as well.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Feist (Prince of the Blood) does an impressive job of developing numerous characters and elaborate social structures while holding true to established history in this fantasy page-turner set in Midkemia, the backdrop for his venerable Riftwar and Serpentwar sagas. As we follow Talon of the Silver Hawk through his adoption and training by members of the Conclave of Shadows (many of whom will be familiar to readers of earlier Midkemia books) and his quest for revenge after the slaughter of his tribe, places and people are fleshed out with neat thoroughness. The transformation of Talon, an innocent and untrained country mouse, into Talwin, an expert sword fighter, smooth seducer and faux nobleman, is extraordinary but completely believable, despite the compression or omission of a few years here and there, while the hints at the power and extent of the Conclave and its mission will leave readers hungry for more. Feist specializes in the careful and accurate portrayal of the thoughts and feelings of young men going through tumultuous life changes, and this effort is one of his best yet. (Apr. 20) Forecast: Conveniently for new readers and forgetful fans, the author's preferred editions of early Riftwar books have recently been released in paperback. A 10-city author tour will help lift this onto bestseller lists. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal