The Banned and the Banished
epic fantasy
Series · fantasy
Riftwar Legacy
The Riftwar Legacy series by Raymond E. Feist has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Krondor: The Betrayal (1998). Jimmy and the Crawler is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 4 known books (3 novels + 1 novella)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 1998
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
Start here: Krondor: The Betrayal (1998)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Krondor: The Betrayal
At 497 pages, Krondor: The Betrayal is the longest entry in Riftwar Legacy, appearing in 1998 as a direct novelization of Sierra's Betrayal at Krondor video game. It follows Squire James, better known as Jimmy the Hand, the former street thief from the original Riftwar Saga, into palace intrigue and a citywide conspiracy set between that trilogy and Krondor's Sons. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Krondor: The Betrayal - Book 2:
Krondor: The Assassins
Released in 1999, Krondor: The Assassins sits between Krondor: The Betrayal and Krondor: Tear of the Gods in the Riftwar Legacy reading order, continuing Jimmy the Hand's hunt for a lost artifact. Like the rest of the trilogy, it began life as a novelization of the Krondor video games, giving it a more plot-driven, puzzle-adventure feel than Feist's other Riftwar books. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Krondor: The Assassins - Book 3:
Krondor: Tear of the Gods
The third entry in the Riftwar Legacy series, Krondor: Tear of the Gods was published in 2000 and runs 383 pages, closing out the trilogy that novelized the Krondor video games. Jimmy the Hand's palace-intrigue adventure wraps up here, thirteen years before the closing novella Jimmy and the Crawler resolved its remaining loose threads. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Krondor: Tear of the Gods - Book 4:
Jimmy and the Crawler
Jimmy and the Crawler is a novella in the Riftwar Legacy series, released in 2013 (149 pages), more than a decade after the trilogy that precedes it. It closes out plot threads originally intended for two further Krondor novels that were never written, giving the video-game-based storyline a proper ending as a coda for readers who already know the earlier books. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Jimmy and the Crawler
Key facts about the Riftwar Legacy series
The Riftwar Legacy series has 4 books on our list. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today. 3 are novels, while the rest is a novella.
Start with Krondor: The Betrayal, since it opens the publication order in 1998. Krondor: The Assassins is book 2, from 1999. Krondor: Tear of the Gods is book 3, from 2000. Jimmy and the Crawler is book 4, from 2013.
Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions.
Jimmy and the Crawler is the latest book with a full release date, out on 23 February 2013. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.
The books came out between 1998 and 2013, while their length runs from 149 to 497 pages. That is a run of 15 years.
Raymond E. Feist has 35 books on our list. Additionally, they write Riftwar Saga, Empire Trilogy and Krondor's Sons, plus 8 more series. We shelve the books under fantasy.
About the Riftwar Legacy series
Set between the Riftwar Saga and the events of Krondor's Sons, the Riftwar Legacy follows Squire James -- better known as Jimmy the Hand, the former street thief introduced in the original trilogy -- as he's drawn into palace intrigue, a citywide conspiracy, and a hunt for a lost artifact. The trilogy began life as a direct novelization of the bestselling Krondor video games (Betrayal at Krondor and Return to Krondor), giving it a more plot-driven, puzzle-adventure feel than Feist's other Riftwar books, before Feist later closed out unresolved plot threads from that video-game connection with the standalone novella Jimmy and the Crawler.
Published across two distinct bursts -- the trilogy in 1998-2000, then the closing novella more than a decade later in 2013 -- the Riftwar Legacy sits slightly outside the Cycle's main line, functioning more as a Jimmy the Hand spotlight than a chapter in the war between worlds. It rewards readers who already enjoyed Jimmy as a supporting character in the Riftwar Saga and want to follow him into his own adventures, and the closing novella specifically resolves a plot hole that had been left dangling since two further planned Krondor novels were quietly shelved.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Riftwar Legacy?
Four: Krondor: The Betrayal (1998), Krondor: The Assassins (1999), Krondor: Tear of the Gods (2000), and the closing novella Jimmy and the Crawler (2013).
What order should I read the Riftwar Legacy in?
Publication order: the three Krondor novels, then Jimmy and the Crawler.
Is the Riftwar Legacy based on video games?
The first three novels began as novelizations of the Krondor computer games (Betrayal at Krondor and Return to Krondor).
Do I need to read the Riftwar Saga first?
Recommended -- the series follows Jimmy the Hand, a supporting character introduced there.
What is Jimmy and the Crawler?
A 2013 novella that wraps up plot threads left over from two further Krondor novels that were never completed, published as a standalone coda to the trilogy.
If you like the Riftwar Legacy series
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