Three Issues

[Vertigo]

I have a Polish aquaintance who spells it Tomasz but essentially pronounces it Tomas. The only difference seems to be with Tomas(z) the emphasis is on the last syllable and with Thomas the emphasis is on the first. Or at least that's how I figure it. However I suspect that placing of emphasis is more down the national pronounciations rather than spelling.

It seems to me that the Americans can't take long books (OK OK OK I apologise now before anyone tells me off ). It's just that I have seen so many long books published in a single volume here (UK) and multiple volumes in the States.

As to the content of his other books - I can't yet comment having only recently finished my first Feist book .

[Koopa]

Huh, it's not written in the books as Thomas? Dang.

[fingy773]

Pronunciation | The Official Raymond E. Feist Website

this shows that tomas is pronounced TOM-us. which is just like thomas. (unless im reading it wrong of course)

[Morvai_]

Originally Posted by Conan

1. Magician has two parts, Magician:Apprentice the Magician:Master. In aus its Pug and Tomas, then Milamber and the Valheru (I like this one better). What the hell Why

2. Why do heaps of people spell Tomas like "Thomas" Its wrong!

3. Exiles Return. In my opinion one of feists best, it up there with Rage etc. So why didn't anyone like it?

1. has been answered by others but when you consider the sub titles included to the Book 1 and Book 2's in the combined edition book 1 is called Pug and Tomas (the boys who we begin with) book two is called Milamber and the Valheru (Who Pug becomes and what Tomas learns to live with as part of himself)

2. Answered by other poster.

3. I thought Exiles return was a well written book, it fits with quite a few other stories Feist has told of characters tho its rare he takes anyone quite as dark in personality as Kaspar was during Talon and King of Foxe's and redeems him. I think one of the main reasons people didnt like it was because it made us after a while start rooting for the villian (something we dont tend to do) But that said even Talon/Talwin likes Kaspar even knowing he hates the man he sees things within him he cant help but like.

[Hekateras]

I liked Exile's Return, but I absolutely loathe the character of Talwin Hawkins. He's a boy from some rustic tribe there whom the Conclave picks up and he just easily, within a few years, masters a dozen foreign languages, painting and musical instruments and chess and fencing and hunting and everything else in the world? That's not just ridiculous and boring (it would've been more interesting to read about a less competent Talwin who had to persuade the Conclave to let him avenge his tribe even though he's not the best one for the job), that cheapens and does a disservice to the characters who were uniquely good at some of those things (Jimmy in espionage, Arutha in fencing, Martin in hunting, etc.).

[Morvai_]

Ah but tal had things the others only had from time to time constantly :P

Arutha became a different person during silverthorn ruthless and hotheaded in places where normally he was cautious, Jimmy was driven to succeed at something then he was driven by his loyalty and respect for Arutha and the kingdom as a whole.

Tal was driven by revenge, his desire to punish those who destroyed his clan, his home, his whole life in general, if your that driven by a goal you can master anything IMHO

[Hekateras]

It's not a matter of opinion, though. It's biology. Genetic predisposition is a thing. Too much of what one can achieve is a matter of how one's brain is wired, of genetics - not just of motivation and effort. Driven or not, it takes a very rare person to be talented enough to master many languages during a few years. It takes a very rare person to be able to hunt so skillfully. It takes a very rare person to be able to paint realistically. (How many people do you know who could draw a life-like portrait of someone from scratch?) It takes a very rare person to be able to fence on an international master level, or get the hang of economics and strategy easily, or all those other things Tal does.

Tal is all of those things - even though, as someone from some rustic tribe who grew to maturity without being even introduced to most of those things, is the least likely person to be predisposed to them. Talent and ability are shaped very strongly by nurture, as well, not just genetics - but that doesn't help us, because none of Tal's nurture accounts for his talents, either. (Except the hunting thing, obviously.) Crucially, if I'm not mistaken, he grew up without learning a foreign language (and if he did deal with neighbouring tribes or something, their language would still be similar to his), and that right there should severely stunt any hope of him effectively learning a foreign language in his adult years.

And all that is one-in-a-million rare. It doesn't matter how good your motivation is, it's still staggeringly implausible and cheap, for no good reason - struggle and effort is generally more interesting to read about than flawless mastery.