Rating: Summary: Ah, yes... Review: Not that Tolkien was a bad writer, but his influence, I feel, was a very bad thing. Before he rose to fame, you had Michael Moorcock, you had Fritz Leiber, you had whatsisface (the Conan guy)--all of them wrote epic fantasy, and none of their works had much in common. AFTER Tolkien came to power--well, you have Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, Tad Williams, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, ad nauseum, all writing epic fantasy that bares a striking resemblance to ol' JRR. So now not virtually every book in the genre supersaturated in Tolkienisms, which is all very well for some, I suppose--but pity those of us who thirst for some *original* fantasy in the epic tradition. That's what's so great about the Deathgate Cycle: it's epic fantasy, and it owes absolutely nothing to Tolkien beyond the elves and dwarves. It's long, but not bloated--no verbose Homeresque descriptions--and the worlds are stunningly original and well-thought-out--more than any others since, dare I say it, Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings is really epic poetry in novel form, and thus it follows that the characters fit rather neatly into simple archetypes--not so here; W&H's characters are people, and it's oh-so-refreshing. Battle scenes are thankfully sparse, and, thank the gods, none of them are choreographed in excrutiating, Salvatore-like detail. In all, the series is truly amazing. Unfortunately, this, it would seem, was it--I don't know if the effort involved in writing these seven books caused them to burn out or what, but Weis and Hickman have produced nothing of note since. Sigh...oh well...be sure to check out the equally-gripping Rose of the Prophet if you dig this, and if you're up for it, hell, go ahead and read the good-if-not-great Darksword trilogy, and the duo's appealingly raw and unpolished Dragonlance novels. That's all I have to say.
Rating: Summary: This book has it all Review: The best thing I like about this book is that the reader is as shocked about who is in control as the characters are. The entrance of Hugh is great as well as the progression between chapters. You mean to put it down, but there's always a hook out there to keep you interested. The series is great too, though The Hand of Chaos was more of a transition book to lead into the last two than it was an actual story. Limbeck makes for the perfect idealist while Haplo's standoffishness (yes I know that this isn't a word) makes the reader wonder what he's hiding. A good book!!!
Rating: Summary: Great book! Review: I really liked this book, and it's a pity, that only one of the later books in the series can reach as high. Haplo, Alfred and Bane were all great characters, but I didn't like Hugh the Hand - he was too much like Haplo. Whatever people say, this book shows that Weis & Hickman can do really good fantasy books!
Rating: Summary: Best fantasy book I've read Review: This book was great. I loved how all the characters seemed to change at the end. My favorite character was Haplo. Just the fact that he could do anything he wanted with his magic was cool. I kind of wish that there were more magic in it though. I'm now reading Elven Star and am planning on reading the whole series. I can't wait to see what happens in the other realms. I would highly recomend this series and especially this book.
Rating: Summary: Anything by these two authors creates a supurb novel!!! Review: Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman have written a highly inventive and exciting novel that, even after my fourth time reading it, I could'nt put it down. I love the subtle way that each character's separate perspective is shown. Haplo is highly interesting, and his aloof attitude toward everybody is what kept me reading, other than the supurb storyline. In the further novels of the series, Haplo and Alfred's progressing relationship is incredibly engrossing. Keep up the good work! Return to the "Dragonlance" series soon!
Rating: Summary: Great Fantasy!!! Review: This book was great. It had much to do with politics but was also mixed with great action scenes. Some parts were confusing, but came clear later when you read. I didn't like prince Bane, but loved Hugh the Hand and thought Haplo was Okay. I am now reading Elven Star and I can tell that I am going to like it!
Rating: Summary: This Book is great.It has adventure and action Review: This fantasy book is the best I've ever read. It has exciting action and adventure.It's mystical because theres, magic, enchanted artifacts, and different kinds of races.The thing that attracted me to this book was It's setting, It's set in a time where there was kings, dragons, and elves.If You're looking for a fantasy book, read Dragon Wing.
Rating: Summary: THE book that got me started on the fantasy-genre ! Review: This was the first fantasy book I read. I read it in Dutch, which is my native language. When I finished it I knew I wanted to read all of Death-gate cycle books in English.
Rating: Summary: Excellent read!! Review: This was an awesome book that dealt with different races of beings for domination of the others. I loved Hugh the Hand and actually cried when he was killed...that stupid kid Bane should have gotten the sting.
Rating: Summary: Great start of a great series! Review: I don't think too many other series had such an exciting premier novel as this one. The introduction of Haplo, "dog", and Alfred was done in a truly magnificent way. Definately a great book to read.
|