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Ray made a few postings over the weekend about the status of Krondor: The Assassins. This book covers events in Betrayal at Krondor not shown in Krondor the Betrayal, mainly the death of the Upright Man and the turmoil among the Mockers as the Crawler gains power in the Krondor sewers. Several months ago PC Gamer published the prologue and first chapter of the novel, and a summary can be found here. On to the current status of the novel:

I finished the epilogue about fifteen minutes ago and will start on rewriting the 1st 13 chapters in an hour. I should have the draft back (1st rewrite) by Friday.

Then it's wait for copyediting.

Also, here's some info on the publishing schedule for the novel:

It's going to be a 'crash,' i.e. they're going to push it through production fast as they can, but I believe it's been rescheduled for September in Oz, same as in the UK.

Jason Martin has added a Feist quiz to his website.

Steve Abram's has posted an interesting page all about his recent trip to Tahiti. Want to know how expensive it can be to have fun in a foreign land? Check it out under the What's New section.

The poll has been changed. Here are the results from the previous topic, 'Are you interested in a massively-multiplayer RPG set in Midkemia?'

55.4%
Yes, but I would not pay a monthly fee
41.3%
Yes, and I would pay a monthly fee
3.2%
No

The new poll involves the persistent rumor that there will be a Krondor television show, much like Hercules or Xena (Ray has admitted there have been some talks in the past, but there is nothing concrete... so don't pester him about it <g>).

Adam Manley posted this to the mailing list recently:

I thought some folks might find some sort of sad humour in this . . .

Our local newspaper gives a number of top 10 lists every week . . . Music, movies and paperbacks, I believe.

Well, no surprise, Shards of a Broken Crown has been ranked somewhere in the top 10 for new release paper backs since its release . . .

What really makes me wonder though . . . Let me quote the listing directly:

8. Shards of Broken Glass, Raymond E. Feist

Sometimes one just has to shake their head. Of course, it's a free newspaper . . .

Many readers, including myself, have been under the impression that the Krondor series was going to be a trilogy. However, Ray said today that 'There will be more than 3. Eventually.'

I have posted my review of the Original Soundtrack from Return to Krondor. My conclusion: it is a great CD.

Let me preface this review by stating that I am not a music person. I have never trained on any instrument or learned the intricacies of a musical score. I have not been exposed to any great variety of music, either - certainly nothing along the lines of Chuck Mitchell's score for Return to Krondor. That being said, allow me to present a non-technical perspective on the soundtrack CD.

Releasing an album of music from a computer game is not unprecedented. A few years ago, LucasArt's released a soundtrack CD for The Dig amid considerable hype (the game and CD never lived up to that hype). However, Voice of the Arts' work on Return to Krondor has elevated the concept of music in a PC game to a new level. Chuck Mitchell has proven that music is an intricate, exciting and necessary element in interactive media. I do not remember seeing a single review of Return to Krondor that did not heap praise upon the music and sound effects in the game. They were truly astonishing. Every element of the plot was carried along by the dramatic score. From the haunting opening theme to the fast-paced battle music, the game's beautiful graphics were accompanied by amazing audio.

The most recognizable influence on Chuck Mitchell's score is midieval, although several other musical styles are mixed in, recalling the diversity of the characters and locations in the game. As I listened to the fourteen tracks on the CD, I immediately remembered events from the game. 'Krondor Life' reminded me of the hours exploring the dark alleyways and lighted streets of the capital of the Western Realm. 'Evil Afar' and 'Dark Temple Revolt' hold true to their insidious overtones, inviting chillbumps and hinting of danger lurking around the corner. Some of the tracks are heroic, reminding one of a great epic poem. All told, the CD will take you through many emotions, many experiences, and it is all enjoyable.

My only complaint about the CD would be its length: approximately thirty-five minutes. However, this is easily overshadowed by the album's high quality. The Original Soundtrack from Return to Krondor is available for $14.95 (plus shipping and handling) from Voice of the Arts. See their website or call 1-888-AUDIO45 for ordering details. Chuck Mitchell and Voice of the Arts set a precedent for music in a computer game, and this album is a clear statement of their work. If you enjoyed Return to Krondor and want to further experience one of the elements that made it a great game, I highly encourage you to order the soundtrack CD.

Ever wondered how many publishing deals Ray has? Wonder no more: United States, United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Japan, Czech Republic, and Denmark. The rights to publish in Korea and Greece have been sold, but there are no contracts.

Chris Wright posted this to the mailing list:

I heard from a Sierra rep that you and Sinjin got along quite well, and that Sinjin has interest in making another Krondor sequel (although this was nothing more than speculation on her part).

Of course we know all this already, but a Sierra employee actually talking about it is kinda odd, and might have some meaning...

Until I can put together a more comprehensive review, let me just say that the Return to Krondor soundtrack is very good. I highly recommend it. More thoughts later...

The results of the most recent poll, 'Which Feist game is better?' Are as follows:

75%
Betrayal at Krondor
25%
Return to Krondor

Please vote in the new poll, 'Are you interested in a massively-multiplayer RPG set in Midkemia?' Rumors have been flying around lately, so lets show the bean counters that there is support for such a game.

Tossing aside the notion of timely game reviews, Gamespot UK has posted a positive review of Return to Krondor, giving it an 8.7 out of 10:

Overall, Return To Krondor is a decent game and I've enjoyed playing it a great deal. It may not be quite up there with Baldur's Gate in my affections, but the two are very different in style. As a Feist fan, this was something I'd looked forward to and I was not disappointed ­ a couple of smallish flaws kept it out of the classic zone but it's still a solid, and very enjoyable title.

Sadly, though, the Brits decided to toss in a bit of American bashing:

Krondor is located on the fictional world of Midkemia, so the characters could theoretically have any accent, real or otherwise, and that would be OK. In reality, though, it doesn't quite work that way. Most of the characters sound like Americans trying desperately hard to do regional British accents ­ and failing abysmally. There's the Dick Van Dyke school of Cockney, plus American-Irish, American-Scottish, American-West Country and, most bizarre of all, American-Lancashire. Since some characters do just speak vanilla American, why not all of them? At least American actors can manage their own accents!

Bloody hell!

I received my copy of the Return to Krondor Soundtrack today, so as soon as I can listen through it a few times I'll post some thoughts.

Voice of the Arts has released the Original Soundtrack CD for RtK. It contains 14 tracks by composer Chuck Mitchell, and costs $14.95 plus shipping and handling. See the VotA website for more details, including samples and a track listing. Here's some praise for the game's music:

'I was blown away when I first heard the music for Return To Krondor. Chuck Mitchell and Voice of the Arts has taken game music to a new plateau. It's a soundtrack in the tradition of the great adventure film scores from Captain Blood to Star Wars.' - Raymond E. Feist

Ranked 'Excellent' 'The music is wonderfully done...' - Gamer's Alliance

'...the music and SFX are first rate.' - Antagonist Games Network

'...and the sound and music are perfect.' - Alteredworlds

Ray posted that Krondor: The Assassins should be released in August.