Rating: 
Summary: Series Keeps Getting Better !!
Review: If you are reading this review then I will assume that you have read the first two books. Being that you have read the first two then I assume that you realize that this series is not your average run-of-the-mill fantasy story. This is in fact something quite new to me as a reader, its a fantasy-mystery. This book follows the same guidlines that we see in the first two books. You have two mysteries. First, you have your main mystery, what happend to the Sartan. Second, each world is unique and has a mystery to be solved. In this book we focus much more on the Sartan and what happend to them. The world, in this book, does not have much mystery and its problems are pretty straight forward. Alferd and Haplo are back again, but this time we begin to see a slight change in their relationship. This is brought on by many shocking, emotional, and physical events that happen to them throughout this book. This book is done very well. Yes, as it has been stated earlier by other reviewers, there is not as much action. However, if you really want to see some of the Sartan mystery revealed then hurry and pick up this book!
Rating: 
Summary: 3rd Book in a Very Good Series
Review: In all probability, people who read the first of the Death Gate Cycle books and like it, are going to want to read all of the books in the series (regardless of any flucutation in the individual books' ratings). Ditto for the reverse: if people don't like the first book, then they're probably not going to want to read any of the other books in the series. Thus, instead of individual book ratings, I've rated the whole series and given a short blurb on any specifics for each book. Overall, this is a very good series. The authors were amazingly creative in coming up with this concept and the books are well-written, extremely interesting, and internally consistent (mostly -- see below for some exceptions). I highly recommend this series of books for everyone. My comments for the indidual books follow: Vol. 1 -- Dragon Wing: This book covers the exploration of Arianus: the realm of Air. It introduces us to the two main characters (Haplo and Alfred) and many of the recurring characters throughout the series. It's a well-paced, well-written book that's an excellent reresentation of what to expect in most of the rest of the series. Essentially, if you like this book, you'll like the other six books. If you don't like this book, then there's no sense in reading any of the others. Vol. 2 -- Elven Star: This book covers the exploration of Pryan: the realm of Fire. Alfred is entirely missing from this book, and Haplo isn't really the centerpiece. Instead, the book is mostly written from the perspective of the mensch and of the newly introduced (and recurring) Zifnab. The one possible weakness in the book is that Weis/Hickman wrote it such that the structure of Pryan itself is more of a mystery than Arianus was in the first book. Vol. 3 -- Fire Sea: This book covers the exploration of Abarrach: the realm of Stone. Once again, both Haplo and Alfred are present. The characters and areas presented in this book are key elements for the entire series. An interesting book, but not a very happy one at all. Vol. 4 -- Serpent Mage: This book covers the exploration of Chelestra: the realm of Water. Both Alfred and Haplo are on this world. But, for the most part, they follow separate plot lines. There's a lot of action taking place throughout the book and Weis/Hickman introduce some actual Sartan (besides Alfred). They also bring in an ancient evil to balance the ancient good introduced in the previous book. The most irritating thing about this book is that it ends in a cliff-hanger. The previous books tied up their worlds' activities fairly nicely. Not so in this book. It ends at a very inconvenient spot. Vol. 5 -- Hand of Chaos: This book returns Haplo to Arianus and the people he met there earlier. Whereas the first four books of the series cover the exploration of the four realms, this book starts the synthesis of the various threads from those books into a movement towards closure. It's a good book, but, unfortunately, it doesn't do anything with Alfred. The previous book left Alfred heading towards a bad end. This book doesn't do anything with that. So, while reading the book, you constantly have this little voice in the back of your mind going "what's happening with Alfred?" Irritating. Vol. 6 -- Into the Labyrinth: This book ranges across just about all of the worlds of the Death Gate. It brings all of the various threads from the other books to a head. Most importantly, it finally does something with Alfred. The unfortunate thing about this book is that it contains a lot of technical errors (or, more specifically, contradictions). For instance, in Dragon Wing, we're told that a person needs to be familiar with an area to use a transportation spell to get to that area. Yet, very close to the beginning of the book, one of the characters uses such a spell without ever having been to her target location. There are also several instances where the characters COULD have used such a spell, but don't. Likewise, there are problems with replication spells. In Fire Sea, Haplo and Alfred use such a spell to replicate enough food for a large group of people. Yet, in this book, no one seems to consider using a replication spell to produce more of some food. But, later on, those same people are using that same spell to replicate weapons. Plus, at one point, Xar uses a spell to just materialize both food and drink for a party. But, if such a thing is possible, why do the Patryns hunt and, apparently, farm in the Labyrinth? Also, the size of the Labyrinth seems wrong. From the previous books, it's taken hundreds (if not thousands) of years for various Patryns to traverse the hundreds of Gates in the Labryrinth. Yet, in this book, from the very beginning of the Labyrinth they can see the results of things happening at the Final Gate. There's also the problem of how people at the center of the Labyrinth would know anything about the Final Gate. Vol. 7 -- Seventh Gate: This is the conclusion of the Death Gate series. Unforunately, I didn't much care for it. Basically, it comes across as being pretty sappy. All of a sudden, Haplo and Alfred are best buds and want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Most of the various threads are tied up adequately (if not very satifyingly). But, the sudden push towards liberal "peace, love, and harmony" is trite. Of the seven books in this series, this one is the least good. Once again, I didn't much care for the tone of this book. But, since it adequatly ties up most everything that needed tying up, I'm not going to downgrade the whole series because of that.
Rating:
Summary: Death becomes them
Review: Of all the Death Gate Cycle books, this is the most macabre for it deals in the dead. Here, Haplo and Alfred go to the realm of stone, completely underground. The world is dying, the "lower" races having completely died out, leaving only a diminished and woefully lacking race of sartan who have used their magic only to keep themselves alive, and lost much of the rest of it. They can not even reactivate the failing glyphs throughout the caverns. To supplement the lack of servants found in the lower races they now use the undead, using necromancy, a magic that is expressly forbidden. In the end it is their undoing as a war breaks out between the dead and the living. Now Haplo and Alfred must fight their way free. Superbly written, awesome backdrop, and truly one of the best in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Death becomes them
Review: Of all the Death Gate Cycle books, this is the most macabre for it deals in the dead. Here, Haplo and Alfred go to the realm of stone, completely underground. The world is dying, the "lower" races having completely died out, leaving only a diminished and woefully lacking race of sartan who have used their magic only to keep themselves alive, and lost much of the rest of it. They can not even reactivate the failing glyphs throughout the caverns. To supplement the lack of servants found in the lower races they now use the undead, using necromancy, a magic that is expressly forbidden. In the end it is their undoing as a war breaks out between the dead and the living. Now Haplo and Alfred must fight their way free. Superbly written, awesome backdrop, and truly one of the best in this series.
Rating:
Summary: This book was nothing short of morbid. I loved it.
Review: Okay, generally I hate morbid books, but I loved this one. I was shocked when Alfred actually risked his life several times to help Haplo, who's his sworn mortal enemy from birth. Of course, Haplo's not amused or grateful to Alfred, but he does get a kick out of him when he swears a single time. I felt soooooo sorry for Alfred. He finally finds his people, but then realizes that they're not who he hoped them to be. After thinking he's alone for so long, he finds his people, but they've turned wrong and have actually started killing each other and raising the dead to make them undead spirits. I was both terrified by and compassionate to the lazars, even though they were killing people like crazy so that they could be free.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: One of my favourites in the Death Gate I really enjoyed it. I recomend it to any fantasy fan.
Rating:
Summary: Swimming the depths of Fire Sea
Review: Set on Abarrach, world of stone, Fire Sea delves into the arts of forbidden magic and the consequences of using it. The novel slowly unravels the mystery behind the Sartan disappearance from all the realms and forges a grudging bond between two demi-gods that are sworn enemies. The cover for Fire Sea caught my eye in one of my local bookstores, so I bought it, took it home and read it. I was fortunate that the beginning of the book gave a rough overview of the first two books, which I had not read at the time, so I was somewhat up to speed. Upon starting this book, I could not put it down. Page after page this book got more and more intense until I finished it well after midnight. Let me say that at home, alone, in the middle of the night might or might not be the best way for Fire Sea to be read, depending on how you enjoy a haunting novel. If you are the type who likes to engage yourself within the confines of a great book, then this is it. Fire Sea takes you in and makes you walk the aged and decrepit tunnels of Abarrach and lets you smell the acrid air that swirls throughout the dying land. Fire Sea holds hostage your attention and does not let loose until the story is through with you. The Death Gate Cycle is a magnificent accomplishment for fantasy, and is what fantasy and epic story telling is all about. The only question left unanswered after reading all of the books in the series is how will Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman ever top it?
Rating:
Summary: Very thought provoking...surely the best
Review: So far I have read up to Hand of Chaos, and I can tell you that the best book in the Death Gate series has to be Fire Sea, it allowed me to think. Usually, when I read books I can be distracted and sit down for a few minutes at a time and read them, but with this book, I had to make time, sit down and read it. I loved it
Rating:
Summary: Action Packed all the way through!
Review: The Fire Sea is a real eerie and evil chapter in the Death Gate Cycle. The poor undead and the tormented lazars send a shiver down your spine. The reluctant teamwork of Haplo and Alfred make this a complete novel.
Rating:
Summary: The best of an amazing series, one of the best ever.
Review: The third volume of the Death Gate Cycle just blew me away when I read it. The story takes a darker turn, looks at death and our perceptions of it, and becomes more depressing than the other books of the series, while maintaining the fast pace and enjoyability I have come to expect from Weis and Hickman. The cast of characters, again renovated, as in the first two, is by far superior to Dragon Wing and Elven Star. Living, dead, and undead, all the characters are made real by the vivid writing styles of the two authors. This book is disturbing, but also amazing. Even if you didn't like the first two, they're worth it just to get to this one. A couple warnings, though: first, this book contains some major violence, and I wouldn't recommend it for readers younger than, say 13. Another, on a different topic: make sure you have Serpent Mage handy when you finish this book, the ending is a direct lead-in to the fourth book. Amazingly enough, Weis and Hickman manage to keep the quality of the series nearly as high as this book for the last four volumes!
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