A Crown Imperilled

By: Raymond E. Feist

Narrated by: John Meagher

The penultimate volume of the mighty Riftwar Cycle

War rages in Midkemia but behind the chaos there is disquieting evidence of dark forces at work.

Jim Dasher’s usually infallible intelligence network has been cleverly dismantled; nowhere is safe. He feels that the world is coming apart at the seams and is helpless to protect his nation.

Quiet palace coups are underway in Roldem and Rillanon; and King Gregory of the Isles has yet to produce an heir. In each kingdom a single petty noble has risen from obscurity to threaten the throne.

Lord Hal of Crydee and his great friend Ty Hawkins, champion swordsman of the Masters’ Court, are entrusted with the task of smuggling Princess Stephané and her lady-in-waiting, the lovely but mysterious Lady Gabriella, out of Roldem to a place of greater safety. But is there any safe haven to be found?

Meanwhile, Hal’s younger brothers Martin and Brendan are attempting to hold the strategic city of Ylith against an onslaught of Keshian Dog Soldiers, and a mysterious force from beneath the sea. The Kingdom might lose Crydee and recover; but if Ylith falls, all is lost.

An unknown player appears to orchestrating these conflicts. Can Pug and the Conclave of Shadows track down this source before Midkemia is destroyed?

Critic reviews

Praise for Raymond E. Feist:

‘File under guilty pleasure’ Guardian

‘Get in at the start of a master’s new series’ Daily Sport

‘Well-written and distinctly above average… intelligent… intriguing’ Publishers Weekly

‘ Epic scope…vivid imagination…a significant contribution to the growth of the field of fantasy’ Washington Post

Pity about the change in narrator

After the entire series read by Peter Joyce why change to an American narrator?? Was very very frustrating.

Why change

Why change narrator on book 30....didn't enjoy that book fully due to that change I'm afraid

What an amazing imagination - you have to love it!

Epic scope, amazing characters, filled with many unexpected and pleasant surprises - a must read!

Nothing against John but...

After some 14 books to change narrator really made a difference. i used to know who was talking just by the sound of a voice...

Fantastic Story, Frustrating Narrator

I really struggled with the narrator on this one. He reads so quickly that it feels like a race from beginning to end. Even when there is a clear section break or a shift to a new character or scene, there is barely any pause before he launches straight into the next part, making the pacing feel rushed and difficult to follow.

What makes it even more confusing is that Peter Joyce — who is absolutely fantastic — narrated 23 out of the 24 Riftwar Cycle books, only for a different narrator to be used on the second-last book. That decision makes no sense to me at all and really disrupts the continuity of such a long series.

That said, aside from the narration, the book itself is excellent. As always, Raymond Feist delivers a fantastic story.