This book picked up towards the end, but for much of it, it felt like Feist was mailing it in. It's the first of a trilogy, so we will see how it plays out. It was okay, could have been better.

Perhaps I’m reading them too fast, but at this point the lack of original storylines, or even just real resolution is frustrating. Go find evil here, dig out evil there, figure out part of this puzzle, big fight, evil loses and flees, repeat ad nauseam. We’ve read this book in several different scenarios previously. Even worse, there are endless recaps for people who perhaps haven’t read the previous books.

I’m ready for the end of the series. The final end. Or is that the point, that there won’t be a happily ever after and it’s a constant struggle between good and evil forever?

Side note: in the version of this book I read, it says clearly that Kasper was an only child (used a moment to indicate he could see brotherly love between the princes in contrast to the court ascension faction wars, the whole plot of this book hinges on this realisation). Is he? Because the whole last series he had a sister. She’s now on the throne of Olasko and married. Were we meant to forget that Natalia exists?!

I'm not sure how many more times I'll let Feist get away with the framework of "a young man (two in this case), through an unlikely set of circumstances, begin(s) training in a wide variety of skills - swordfighting, athletics, tracking, horseback-riding, gambling, etc. - and find themselves integral participants in battling evil with potentially world-spanning ramifications." But based on how much I enjoyed this book, apparently at least one more. Granted, in this instance that was just one of multiple intertwining plot threads, but it was certainly there nonetheless.

And what can I say? It continues to work for me. I really liked the characters introduced in the previous series - Talwin, Kaspar, and Amafi - returning to join the old favorites (Nakor remains one of my favorite characters in fantasy), as well as the few new to this book.

A fun start to a new trilogy, and I'm nearing the end of the Riftwar Cycle.

It's been a few years since I read the early Feist books, but I don't remember the characters being so one dimensional before. An ok addition to the series, for those keeping track at home, but certainly not among his best Pug novels.

Do you think it is crazy to jump into the series on book 24? Well, they don't call me madlad for no reason. (Nobody is actually calling me madlad- I'm just trying to reach today's youth.) I got his book as a gift from my dear wife as she is trying to expand my horizons. After last year's summer with Alastair Reynolds and Peter Hamilton, I was prepared for something different than sci-fi, and I got this book.
Flight of the nighthawks continues Feist's Riftwar saga, but it is still the first book in its own trilogy - The Darkwarsaga. Let me be honest; I was completely lost. There were about 20 main characters introduced, each with their own intricate backstory that they briefly hinted at before disappearing from the narrative. However, I still managed to finish the book and even enjoyed it - albeit with some difficulty.
Overall, I get why Raymond Feist is such a beloved author - "Flight of the Nighthawks" is a thrilling page-turner that kept me engaged until the end. I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy, hoping they'll give me some more context so I won't be so lost next time.

At this point I'm getting pretty tired of the Night Hawks as villains. Other than that though I quite enjoyed the introduction of a few new characters which help fill in some back story to some favorites. If it weren't for the Night Hawks I probably would've given this a 4 star.

This was a very good book all around. The mid-beginning completely broke away from my expectations. The characters were all good and well-rounded, and though it was a little difficult following all the characters and histories, it wasn't too bad breaking into it. I'll have to go back and read the other books this guy has written. The ending was a little predictable and fell short of my expectations, but Feist has added plenty of suspense for future books in this saga.