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  • Jimmy the Hand

Jimmy the Hand

Legends of the Riftwar #3 / 3
by Raymond E. Feist, S. M. Stirling
Jimmy the Hand (Legends of the Riftwar #3) by Raymond E. Feist, S. M. Stirling
★ 6.64 / 11
1231415362748910

From the endlessly inventive mind of one of fantasy's all time greats, comes a spellbinding new adventure of high magic, treachery and bloody war.

This time in conjunction with master of alternative US history, Steve Stirling, Feist returns to tell the full tale of one of his fans' favourite most colourful Riftwar characters, pickpocket, montebank and confidence trickster Jimmy the Hand.

Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, lived in the shadows of the city. The sewers were his byways and a flea-ridden, rat infested cellar his home. Gifted beyond his peers, he was still but a nimble street urchin, a pickpocket with potential. Until the day he met Prince Arutha.

Aiding the Prince in his rescue of Princess Anita from imprisonment by Duke Guy du Bas-Tyra, Jimmy ran afoul of Black Guy's secret police.

Fearing reprisal and seeking an opportunity to advance his place in life, Jimmy fled the city and ventured north to the relatively safe haven of Sarth. Suspecting the rural villagers had never encountered a lad with his talent and nose for finding wealth – other people's wealth, Jimmy was unprepared for what greeted him.

For Sarth was home to others who trod the dodgy path, and more, to a darker secret, a dangerous presence unknown to even the local thieves and smugglers. Jimmy's youthful bravado and courage plunge him deep into the maw of chaos and death.

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FantasyEpic FantasyHigh Fantasy
Release date: July 2003
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Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist

In a genre where worlds are often born from maps and ancient bloodlines, Raymond E. Feist did something different—he began with a game. What started as a Dungeons & Dragons-style campaign with friends at the University of California, San Diego eventually evolved into Midkemia, a richly imagined realm that would become the backdrop for one of epic fantasy’s most enduring sagas. But it wasn’t just the magic, battles, or sprawling kingdoms that drew readers in—it was Feist’s uncanny ability to make the fate of the world hinge on the journey of a kitchen boy named Pug.

Read more ...

Published in 1982, Magician wasn’t just Feist’s debut—it was the foundation of an entire literary universe that would grow into the Riftwar Cycle, spanning over 30 novels and several generations of characters. His work blends the grandeur of classic high fantasy with the pacing and clarity of a born storyteller. While his contemporaries often leaned into lyrical abstraction or moral ambiguity, Feist kept his stories grounded in emotion and character. Readers returned not just for the epic wars and dimensional rifts, but for the friendships, betrayals, and choices that shaped them.

Born in Los Angeles in 1945 and raised in Southern California, Feist’s path to writing wasn’t paved with early literary ambitions. He studied communication arts and took an interest in fantasy almost by accident, sparked more by his participation in world-building games than by a formal desire to become a novelist. That informal start gave his storytelling a natural, almost conversational quality—inviting rather than lofty, immersive without requiring a glossary.

The success of Magician and its sequels brought Feist a loyal global readership, especially in the UK and Europe, where his books often topped fantasy charts. But despite his commercial success, he’s remained refreshingly approachable, often crediting his readers and fellow gamers for shaping the world of Midkemia. “I didn’t invent the world alone,” he’s admitted in interviews. “It was something that came alive around a table with friends.”

Feist’s work continues to influence fantasy writers and game designers alike, proving that you don’t need dragons on every page to create magic—just a world worth caring about and characters who grow with it. In a literary landscape constantly seeking the next big saga, his Riftwar Cycle still feels timeless—because it never lost sight of the human stories at its core.

Whether you’re a newcomer to fantasy or someone who grew up with Pug, Tomas, and Arutha, diving into Feist’s universe is less like opening a book and more like returning to an old, familiar world—one where the stakes are high, the friendships run deep, and the magic still feels real.

Legends of the Riftwar

A part of the larger Riftwar Cycle of Raymond Feist, this series gives insight into events during key parts of the Riftwar, away from the main storyline.

These books were co-written with various authors.

Legends of the Riftwar consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Main series The Riftwar Cycle

Honoured Enemy (Legends of the Riftwar #1)
★ 7.66 / 12
Murder in LaMut (Legends of the Riftwar #2)
★ 7.40 / 10
Jimmy the Hand (Legends of the Riftwar #3)
★ 6.64 / 11

Reviews and Comments

07/26/2012
JPS avatar
JPS
13 books, 3 reviews
★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ 4 / 10

I was expecting a lot from this book, since Jimmy is my favorite character from his books. I was very disappointed. This book is the only book that i didn't fully read from him after i started one. For one third of the book, i just read the events, browsing through the pages. the book is boring. Nothing really happens and characters are dull. Luckily all of the other books I've read from him are better.

11/25/2007
Seregil of Rhiminee avatar
Seregil of Rhiminee
3707 books, 260 reviews, 15 posts
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ 6 / 10

Jimmy the Hand is the third book of Legends of the Riftwar series. Jimmy the Hand is a good fantasy book, but not as good as some of the other Midkemia books. I guess I could say that's it's good, but not excellent. If you like Raymond E. Feist's books, you should read this book.

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