Favorite Fiction: Honored Enemy by Raymond E. Feist and William R. Forstchen

Honored Enemy was my first Raymond E. Feist novel and of his roughly 40 published works, I’m glad it was. Though this novel is the first in the Legends of Riftwar, the story itself falls near the end of a decade-long battle between two worlds, Kelewan and Midkemia. It opens with a group called the Marauders led by Captain Dennis Hartraft who are caught behind enemy lines. After losing many of his men and caring for several wounded, they set out for a border garrison called Brendan’s Stockade to settle down before winter arrives. It is unknown to Hartraft ​and his men that the Kingdom’s sworn enemy, the Tsuarni led by Force Leader Asayagsa are also attempting to occupy the same garrison.

When both groups arrive at the outpost, they find that it is already taken by a faction of dark elves called the Moredhel. Through a tentative agreement both forces work together to avoid thier own annihilation and temporarily band together to defeat thier common enemy. ​

“A shrieking battle cry echoed on the wind, a spine-tingling scream that sounded like the baying of the wolves closing in on their prey.”

Honored Enemy is a fantastic military fantasy with Feist and Forstchen setting you right into battle and right behind enemy lines in a world rich with danger, culturally unique races, and underlying family and political conflicts. The world is vast and expansive, even if this particular novel focuses less on the overarching riftwar and more on character relationships and the struggle of friendship through adversity. Can one truly trust their enemy when both need each other to survive?

“Old enemies must be friends when a greater evil looms.”

Feist’s and Forstchen's attempt to bring the characters to life through cultural differences is nothing short of brilliant and he does so with humor, sadness, and incredibly tense moments. Many instances brought me to tears and many made me laugh. If you are looking for an exciting, battle-heavy fantasy with lots of character-driven actions and personal depth all done with intensity and humor, then Honored Enemy is a must read.

“Now go. An actor should know when to leave the stage, a poet when the lay is finished, and a bard when it is time to put aside the lute.”

In the frozen Northlands of Midkemia, Captain Dennis Hartraft’s Marauders have just had a disastrous encounter with their sworn enemy, the Tsurani. Wounded and disheartened, the Mauraders set out for the shelter of a frontier garrison. They don’t know that a Tsurani patrol is sent to support an assault on that same garrison. Arriving simultaneously, the Marauders and Tsurani find the outpost already overrun by a dark enemy whose ferocity is legendary in Midkemia. In order to survive, the foes must band together and fight as one. As they make their way across the inhospitable climate, the two batallions struggle not only with the elements and their enemy, but also their consciences. Can their hatred for their mutual enemy overcome their distrust of each other? And, with both sides carrying painful scars from past wars, what is more important: one’s life or one’s honor?

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A.S. Hardin ​

Builder of worlds, creator of people, aspiring author or more realistically an avid reader and skilled procrastinator. From sci-fi to horror, I've explored it all. As of late, I find myself diving into the depths of rare and out-of-print sci-fi and fantasy. Join me on this literary journey!