Flight of the Nighthawks
Encyclopedia
Flight of the Nighthawks is a fantasy novel by Raymond E. Feist
. It is the first book in the Darkwar Saga
and was published in 2005. It was followed by Into a Dark Realm
which was published in 2006.
magicians are studying a Talnoy and discover that is a beacon for a huge army of alien invaders. Meanwhile Kaspar, Talwin and Caleb have been sent to The Empire of Great Kesh
to uncover a nest of Night Hawks who are plotting to overthrow the government.
series by Feist. The book begins in the town of Stardock, where the two boys are still living at home. Marie, Tad's biological mother and Zane's surrogate mother (Zane's parents having died years earlier during an attack by trolls on the town) is concerned about the boys' tendency to get into trouble, and when her lover, Caleb (son of the magician Pug
), comes back to Stardock, she begs him to take the boys to be apprenticed. Caleb consents and travels with the boys to The Empire of Great Kesh
to find them an apprenticeship. Along the journey they are ambushed by bandits and Caleb is gravely wounded. The boys manage to bring Caleb to a friend, and unbeknownst to them, and agent of the Conclave. The Conclave is able to heal Caleb, and while they decide what to do with the boys, Caleb decides to formalize his long relationship with Marie and marries her, adopting the boys as well.
The Conclave becomes aware of trouble in the capital of Kesh, where nobles are being murdered, ostensibly as part of political maneuvering between two factions to establish the next emperor. The Conclave sends three sets of agents to investigate: Talwin Hawkins
and his assassin-turned-servant Petro Amafi, Kaspar and Pasko, and Caleb and the boys. During their time in the city, Tad and Zane are aided in a fight by a boy named Jommy who has been living in the streets, whom Caleb also takes into his care. The Conclave's agents discover that the necromancer, Leso Varen, has entrenched himself and intends to use the secret guild of assassins, the Nighthawks, to cause utter chaos in Great Kesh. Kaspar realizes that Varen has taken over the body of the Emperor, while Caleb falls into a trap set for them by the Nighthawks, and barely manages to escape alive. The Conclave agents regroup, and make plans to root out the nest of Nighthawks and foil Varen's plan. Pug and Magnus (his eldest son and Caleb's older brother) venture into the sewers to locate the Nighthawks' hideout, but both possible locations are empty. The Conclave realizes the Nighthawks have established themselves in the palace itself, and the entire royal family is in danger.
On the eve of Banapis, the midsummer celebration and the biggest festival of the year, Varen reveals himself and attempts to kill the members of the royal court. He is stopped by the Conclave, with Caleb and the boys stumbling into a Nighthawk staging area and assisting in its destruction, Kaspar managing to aid in securing the safety of the emperor's heirs, and Pug, Miranda, Nakor
, and Magnus opposing Varen's deadly magic. In the end, Varen's body is destroyed, but his soul manages to escape again through a rift into the world of Kelewan.
Note: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have the same release dates as the UK.
Raymond E. Feist
Raymond Elias Feist is an American author who primarily writes fantasy fiction. He is best known for The Riftwar Cycle series of novels and short stories. His books have been translated into multiple languages and have sold over 15 million copies.- Biography :Raymond E...
. It is the first book in the Darkwar Saga
Darkwar Saga
The Darkwar Saga is a series of fantasy novels by Raymond E. Feist.-Concept:In the fantasy novels of Feist, a Riftwar is war between two worlds that are connected by some sort of dimensionless gap . In Feist's invented history there are several riftwars. The first Riftwar between Midkemia and...
and was published in 2005. It was followed by Into a Dark Realm
Into a Dark Realm
Into a Dark Realm is a fantasy novel by Raymond E. Feist. It is the second book in the Darkwar Saga and was published in 2006. It was preceded by Flight of the Nighthawks and followed by the final book in the saga, Wrath of a Mad God....
which was published in 2006.
Plot introduction
Leso Varen is still at large and the Conclave of the Shadows must find a way to neutralize ten thousand magical warriors that are hidden in a cave on the other side of the world. In Kelewan, Magnus and the TsuraniTsurani
The Tsurani are a race of humans in the Empire Trilogy novels by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts. In the series, the feudal Empire of Tsuranuanni is located on the fictional world of Kelewan.- Geography :...
magicians are studying a Talnoy and discover that is a beacon for a huge army of alien invaders. Meanwhile Kaspar, Talwin and Caleb have been sent to The Empire of Great Kesh
The Empire of Great Kesh
The Empire of Great Kesh is a fictional nation on Midkemia, a world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist. It lies south of the Kingdom of the Isles and north of the Keshian Confederacy on the continent of Triagia...
to uncover a nest of Night Hawks who are plotting to overthrow the government.
Plot summary
Flight of the Nighthawks focuses primarily on the adventures of two young boys, Tad and Zane, and the organization they become involved with, the Conclave of Shadows. The story picks up shortly after the end of Exile's Return (2004), the final book in the preceding Conclave of ShadowsConclave of Shadows
Conclave of Shadows is a series of fantasy novels by Raymond E. Feist, part of The Riftwar Cycle. The series picks up events following The Serpentwar Saga, and deals with the secret titular organization formed by the great magician Pug, and its initial struggle against evil necromancer Leso Varen...
series by Feist. The book begins in the town of Stardock, where the two boys are still living at home. Marie, Tad's biological mother and Zane's surrogate mother (Zane's parents having died years earlier during an attack by trolls on the town) is concerned about the boys' tendency to get into trouble, and when her lover, Caleb (son of the magician Pug
Pug (fictional character)
Pug, also known as Milamber , is a fictional character appearing in the novels of Raymond E. Feist. He is the protagonist in Feist's first novel, and the first novel of the Riftwar Saga, Magician...
), comes back to Stardock, she begs him to take the boys to be apprenticed. Caleb consents and travels with the boys to The Empire of Great Kesh
The Empire of Great Kesh
The Empire of Great Kesh is a fictional nation on Midkemia, a world created by a fantasy role-playing group and popularized by Raymond E. Feist. It lies south of the Kingdom of the Isles and north of the Keshian Confederacy on the continent of Triagia...
to find them an apprenticeship. Along the journey they are ambushed by bandits and Caleb is gravely wounded. The boys manage to bring Caleb to a friend, and unbeknownst to them, and agent of the Conclave. The Conclave is able to heal Caleb, and while they decide what to do with the boys, Caleb decides to formalize his long relationship with Marie and marries her, adopting the boys as well.
The Conclave becomes aware of trouble in the capital of Kesh, where nobles are being murdered, ostensibly as part of political maneuvering between two factions to establish the next emperor. The Conclave sends three sets of agents to investigate: Talwin Hawkins
Talwin Hawkins
Talwin Hawkins is a character that features in the fantasy book series Conclave of Shadows and the Darkwar Saga, part of the Riftwar Cycle written by Raymond Feist.- Story :...
and his assassin-turned-servant Petro Amafi, Kaspar and Pasko, and Caleb and the boys. During their time in the city, Tad and Zane are aided in a fight by a boy named Jommy who has been living in the streets, whom Caleb also takes into his care. The Conclave's agents discover that the necromancer, Leso Varen, has entrenched himself and intends to use the secret guild of assassins, the Nighthawks, to cause utter chaos in Great Kesh. Kaspar realizes that Varen has taken over the body of the Emperor, while Caleb falls into a trap set for them by the Nighthawks, and barely manages to escape alive. The Conclave agents regroup, and make plans to root out the nest of Nighthawks and foil Varen's plan. Pug and Magnus (his eldest son and Caleb's older brother) venture into the sewers to locate the Nighthawks' hideout, but both possible locations are empty. The Conclave realizes the Nighthawks have established themselves in the palace itself, and the entire royal family is in danger.
On the eve of Banapis, the midsummer celebration and the biggest festival of the year, Varen reveals himself and attempts to kill the members of the royal court. He is stopped by the Conclave, with Caleb and the boys stumbling into a Nighthawk staging area and assisting in its destruction, Kaspar managing to aid in securing the safety of the emperor's heirs, and Pug, Miranda, Nakor
Nakor
Nakor is a fictional vagrant, magician and trickster appearing in the novels of Raymond E. Feist. He first appears in Prince of the Blood, and also appears in the Krondor's Son's Saga, the Serpentwar Saga, the Conclave of Shadows and the Darkwar Saga.-Backstory:Nakor is of the Isalani, a race of...
, and Magnus opposing Varen's deadly magic. In the end, Varen's body is destroyed, but his soul manages to escape again through a rift into the world of Kelewan.
Publication history
Since its release Flight of the Nighthawks has been published in over five countries and five languages.Note: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have the same release dates as the UK.
- 2005, NLDNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Luitingh Fantasy ISBN 9789024556298, Pub date October 2005, Hardback - 2005, UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, HarperCollins ISBN 000713374X, Pub date September 30, 2005, Hardback - 2006, CZECzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Wales ISBN 808693926X, Pub date September 7, 2006, Paperback - 2006, DEUGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Blanvalet ISBN 3442244064, Pub date May 2006, Paperback - 2006, HUNHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Beholder ISBN 9789638428325, Pub date July 21, 2006, Paperback - 2006, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0007133758, Pub date May 31, 2006, Trade paperback
- 2006, UK, HarperCollins ISBN 0007133766, Pub date September 4, 2006, Paperback
- 2006, USA, HarperCollins ISBN 0060792787, Pub date April 11, 2006, Hardback
- 2007, USA, HarperCollins ISBN 0060792795, Pub date March 27, 2007, Paperback