Raymond E. Feist, Flight of the Night Hawks

Flight of the Night Hawks

Raymond E. Feist

Eos, Apr 2006, $25.95

ISBN 0060792787

In Midkemia, Pug the sorcerer is sleeping with his beloved wife Miranda when the nightmare awakens him. He envisions the deadly soldiers of Dasarti, but this time they attack him, seemingly successful unlike what happened years ago in real life. Miranda as always provides him comfort, as she knows her Pug has lived through lifetimes of tragedies and traumas cleaning up the calamities of others. Still very concerned with what he saw in his dream, Pug convenes the Conclave of Shadows to meet on Sorcerer's Isle ASAP, to interpret what this means and prepare for the worst that he anticipates is coming.

At the same time two teenagers, Tad and Zane, due to some misadventures, arrive at the Isle too. Though untrained, they are now part of the sorcerers led by Pug preparing for unknown strife against an unknown adversary. However, as Nakor and Magnus interpret things, including scrolls from the future sent back by Pug to Pug, they realize the enemy is the lethal Nighthawk assassins, accompanied by Pug's life long enemy the evil wizard Sidi who Pug thought was dead, but is back as Leso Varen. To the victors goes Midkemia.

Two years have passed since Pug's last save the world adventure (see EXILE'S RETURN), but this time the opening tale of the Dark War saga seems more like a transition tale, even with Sidi back (one time too often) as a personal adversary to the tired beleaguered hero. The storyline is action packed, and introduces two new teen heroes, who to them Pug seems like ancient history. Though well written and exciting, FLIGHT OF THE NIGHT HAWKS is clearly for those who have followed Pug from his juvenile days (see MAGICIAN), as he appears off kilter and seemingly (speculation on my part) set to pass the mantle to the next generation, though he is in the middle of the fray.