Home :: Books :: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Seventh Gate : A Death Gate Novel, Volume 7

The Seventh Gate : A Death Gate Novel, Volume 7

List Price: $7.50
Your Price: $6.75
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 >>

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: not as good as I expected from this series
Review: Having just finished reading the entire Death Gate Cycle, I can say I have to agree with the other reviewers who said this book was just not up to par. The most disappointing thing about it is not the actual events of the plot, but the inferior writing style it exhibits. This book lacks the immersive language and attention to detail that really made the series shine. The whole book just feels like a skeleton with no flesh. (Consider the fact that this book is about 150 pages shorter than all the others and uses embarassingly large, spaced-out print). It's like they whipped something up just to beat a deadline. It also lacked the subtlety of the earlier books: instead of planting seeds of wonder in the reader's mind, this one just beats you over the head with its main moral (i.e. can't we all just get along?). Not that it's bad enough to ruin the whole series. Death Gate is still a quality series and this book has its share of moments, like when Haplo confronts Xar before the entrance to Death's Gate. That image gave me chills. Some plot issues seem unresolved, like the dog (OK, I get it, it's Haplo's soul. But that doesn't explain why Alfred trips over it in Death's Gate, or how it gave Ramu an incurable wound.) Also somebody pointed out that Alfred's past is not completely resolved. So basically, a disappointing ending to a fabulous fantasy series.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A disappointing end to a great tale
Review: Having read the first books of the Death Gate Cycle, I expected something truly grand and magnificent for conclusion. However, I was deeply disappointed to find that the book was, seemingly, written in a hurry and without any of the depth or conviction of the earlier books in the series.
Haplo, the main character, having gone through a convincing change from dark antihero to beginning self-awareness and struggle for truth, suddenly seems to loose all depth and become stereotype and almost boring. His actions, and those of the other important characters are obvious and predictable, as is the plot. Some things, such as Haplo's incarnation in Dog rather than letting him follow his destiny, is directly illogical and disturbing to the flow of the story. The ending itself is a disappointment - the tale of the sundered worlds deserves a more convincing and better described conclusion.
All in all, the book lacks the vivid visions and enthralling story and language of the rest of the Cycle. It feels as if the authors have lost their feeling and enthusiasm for the tale they have been telling - which is truly a shame.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: In a Series of Greats, This was Good
Review: However much I felt that this book was not on par with the other books of the series, I must say that I felt that they wrapped up the series nicely, with minimal holes in plot. In fact, in reading the last book I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, and that is hard to do. I recommend reading the entire series in order. I'll bet you'll want to go back and read it again. In short: same fabulous cast of characters with a number of new emotional outpourings in the least expected places.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A definate page turner
Review: I absolutly loved this book! I have read it so many times that the cover in almost falling off. I think that the authors did a very good job on Alfred and Haplo. This is the perfact book for people who love the works of Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A weak ending to an otherwise magnificant series . . .
Review: I can't understand what happened with this book. The previous six (im my mind) were tremendous. The build up for this book left the writers with so many paths they could take . . . but in the end, they left us with nothing. Descriptions were non-existent, and the action was full of gaps and lifeless. The end of the book was utterly ridiculous. It just felt like the writers were either sick of the series or felt like they had no idea how to end it. Now, don't get me wrong, you MUST read the first six books (all deserving of five stars), and naturally after that you'll want to read this one. Just keep in mind that this book does not touch the quality of the first six. Very disappointing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The conclusion of an exciting adventure
Review: I have the read this book four times, I have read the entire cycle four times. I think is super, the seventh gate is the conclusion of an exciting adventure, that started long ago and I will remember it forever.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This whole series was amazing
Review: I hope indeed that this is the end...I agree with one reveiwer that 7 books was a bit much but I think the story unfolded well and ended well. I was carried along on Haplo's adventure and rooted for him when he would find reasons to care about someone or something, hoping that despite the harshness of his world he would somehow find inner peace, even love. I was touched when he actually found a friend in Alfred and could call himself Alfred's friend, as well. This was a story about the conflict between the Patryns and the Sartans and their sundered world but I found the personal smaller story of Haplo's awakening, inner conflicts and ultimate victories with himself and those around him most appealing.

Good, solid story-telling.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Good Ending to a Fine Series
Review: I hope indeed that this is the end...I agree with one reveiwer that 7 books was a bit much but I think the story unfolded well and ended well. I was carried along on Haplo's adventure and rooted for him when he would find reasons to care about someone or something, hoping that despite the harshness of his world he would somehow find inner peace, even love. I was touched when he actually found a friend in Alfred and could call himself Alfred's friend, as well. This was a story about the conflict between the Patryns and the Sartans and their sundered world but I found the personal smaller story of Haplo's awakening, inner conflicts and ultimate victories with himself and those around him most appealing.

Good, solid story-telling.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Speechless.
Review: I just finished this series, and is second, in my mind, only to Weis's own Star of the Guardians series. Weis is easily my favorite author.

The series, however, is one I found completely enthralling. The characters are created in great depth, the world in which it is set has no peer.

The one thing I can remember that worried me about the series was the crazy wizard Zifnab making refrences to other literature characters, like Gandalf, James Bond, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Of course, it all comes together in this book, and then it's quite funny (it is when he's introduced in Elven Star as well).

This book is a fitting and emotional, yet not overly, end to this incredible series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fine bloody fantasic
Review: I love the Cylce. I've read it 2 times, and I'm going to keep reading it over and over again. It's my favorite novel and that's high praise. C'est supe


<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates