Rating:  Summary: A Shoddy Mess of Subplots Review: As I trudged my way through the overwhelmingly long and tedious mess of pointless subplots that is the Death Gate Cycle I became more and more convinced that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman were out to kill me. The main plot of the story, when all the numerous other, often pointless, subplots are boiled away is a rather weak attempt at depth. While there are many unique and interesting fantasy concepts in the story that often make one say "whoa man, that's cool," the way they are put together remind me of a man going into a junkyard and attempting to build a Jaguar using only a roll of duct tape. The result is a mishmash of formula fantasy stories piled together in a confusing pile of dime-novel quality writing that leaves the reader crying "GET ON WITH THE PLOT!" Where previous reviewers praise the complexity of the characters, I disparage their simplicity. They are simply caricatures put into difficult situations. For those seeking inspiration for tabletop roleplaying, I recommend this pile of concepts. For those seeking epic fantasy in the vein of Tolkien and Lewis, avoid Weis and Hickman.
Rating:  Summary: Totally spellbinding Review: Having read all of Weis and Hickmans books I was expectig a lot out of The Death Gate Cycle. And boy did I get it! Into the Labyrinth was probably my favorite of the series, that and Serpent Mage. It was well written, action filled. All in all it was quite a book I would recomend it to ANYONE. If you have not read the series yet, READ IT. And if you have, read it again. Books as good as these deserve to be read again and again. My favorite part was the battle of abri and the "Coren" part. For what it is worth I think it was one of Weis and Hickmans best, and one of the best ever writen!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Great Plot Twists to be Found in the Labyrinth Review: I enjoyed this book in the series because it let me see inside Haplo more than any of the others. This is the book where real changes were happening to him...where he finally was letting go of his hatred of the dreaded Sartan enemy that had forced his people into the Labyrinth. Here he found Sartan AND Patryns living and fighting the Labyrinth together, a startling revelation for Haplo and me both! Here gentle, sweet, bumbling Alfred found courage, letting go of the guilt that had plagued him since he had awoken from his deep sleep. Here, too, we meet up again with the giant serpents that saw a real opportunity in closing off and trapping everyone within the Labyrinth, forever feeding on the fear, hatred and hopeless that the Labyrinth pounded into its victims. Xar, Haplo's mentor and "father", had already been convinced by lies that Haplo was a trader which was just what the serpents wanted...a divided people meant a weakened army and an easier foe to conquer on the battlefield. From here on the book focuses on the war with the serpents and Xar's belated realization that he has been fooled. Exciting story-telling!
Rating:  Summary: Great Plot Twists to be Found in the Labyrinth Review: I enjoyed this book in the series because it let me see inside Haplo more than any of the others. This is the book where real changes were happening to him...where he finally was letting go of his hatred of the dreaded Sartan enemy that had forced his people into the Labyrinth. Here he found Sartan AND Patryns living and fighting the Labyrinth together, a startling revelation for Haplo and me both! Here gentle, sweet, bumbling Alfred found courage, letting go of the guilt that had plagued him since he had awoken from his deep sleep. Here, too, we meet up again with the giant serpents that saw a real opportunity in closing off and trapping everyone within the Labyrinth, forever feeding on the fear, hatred and hopeless that the Labyrinth pounded into its victims. Xar, Haplo's mentor and "father", had already been convinced by lies that Haplo was a trader which was just what the serpents wanted...a divided people meant a weakened army and an easier foe to conquer on the battlefield. From here on the book focuses on the war with the serpents and Xar's belated realization that he has been fooled. Exciting story-telling!
Rating:  Summary: Superb fantasy/adventure Review: I find this book, and the entire Death Gate series, awesome. Great characters, intricate plots, dark humour, suspense, all here; better than any other fantasy book/series I've read, except Tolkien. Each book is filled with tons of imaginative dialog, plot twists, action, and the fantasy worlds are just way detailed and fantastic. The writing style perfectly fits the dark fantasy/adventure theme. And its true you must read all the books in the series to understand it. A must read for anyone who likes imaginative things.
Rating:  Summary: 5 stars, the minimum you can give a Deathgate Cycle book. Review: I have never been very much into reviews, but some books just call for it, and Deathgate Cycle's just one of those series. I of course, give Into the Labyrinth five stars for many reasons, other than plot and character development which are always strong throughout the series. As the sixth book of the series, Ino the Labyrinth still manages to surprise the reader and make the "answer" to the story even more confusing than it previously was. And of course, the presence of Zifnab is a plus, as I maintain he is the best character in the entire series. And for those who don't appreciate his references to James Bond and other characters, let me remind you that the four worlds of the Deathgate Cycle were sundered from the Earth which is the world that WE live in now, though it was sundered in a futuristic era. To back this up without having to quote deeply into the book, just let me remind you that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman indicate that the name "Xar" is derived from "Czar" and ultimately, Caesar from ancient Roman times. But in any case, one thing for sure is: Throughout all of Into the Labyrinth, you'll be wondering how the hell the heroes can possibly save the worlds from the chaos that the Sartans and Patryns created, with the help of the Dragon-Snakes.
Rating:  Summary: Into the Labyrinth : A Death Gate Novel (The Death Gate Cycl Review: I have yet to read this book, but I noticed that you say it is out of print. However, just yesterday, I purchased a brand new copy from B. Dalton bookstores at the same price as each of the other novels, 5.99. I just thopught I would let you know so you can remove your out of print status. Thanks.
Rating:  Summary: Oh it was Good! Review: I loved this book. For all of you Haplo and Alfred fans, this is the book. It was very interesting and pretty funny. But if you are one of those"Oh no there is trouble, scandle and violence. Oh what shall I do?" kind of person then this book is not for you. But if you like the gothic, yet funny, kind of fantasy, then you will love it. Thats all I have to say about that. ~Liya
Rating:  Summary: Good, well written Review: I started reading Into the Laberinth when I was 10 years old, and I can tell you, that's too young of an age to be reading this book. It's a young adult book, and I think that the best age to be reading this book would be from about 13+.
Rating:  Summary: Four Stars! This is a good book! Review: I've read all of the books in the Death Gate Cycle and this series is one of the best I've read. A big fan of fantasy and science fiction, I think that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have done a marvelous job of weaving this tale--although for me "Into the Labyrinth" went a little slower than some of the other books in the series. All of the elements in the story start to come together and a lot of previously unanswered questions are answered in this book, but if you haven't read the first five books in this series I suggest that you read those before you read this one. You'll have a better understanding of what is happening and I think that you will enjoy the book more.
|