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Rating: Summary: Buy it just to finish the series. Review: A little on the disappointing side. The previous five books were full of interesting scenes and characters. This book seems to be an effort to quickly wrap up all the loose ends and finish off the series. Buy the book only if you have read the other books and absolutely HAVE to know what happens to Teldin Moore.
Rating: Summary: Buy it just to finish the series. Review: After a 6 month search for this title, I finally found it in a used book store, on the 1/2 off shelves. Having read the entire series, I was anxious to learn what Teldin Moore would find on the Spelljammer. Needless to say it was not what I expected. Throughout the series I thought of the great ship as a ghost vessel wandering the universes. Imagine my surprise to find it populated by all manner of creatures and races. This final book was enjoyable in the sense that you know at last the end of the story, but I was disappointed in the end. The conclusion seemed quick and contrived, and not as fulfilling as I had thought it might be. I'm glad I found it and read it, and would recommend the entire series to fantasy/sci-fi fans.
Rating: Summary: Worth the search. Review: After a 6 month search for this title, I finally found it in a used book store, on the 1/2 off shelves. Having read the entire series, I was anxious to learn what Teldin Moore would find on the Spelljammer. Needless to say it was not what I expected. Throughout the series I thought of the great ship as a ghost vessel wandering the universes. Imagine my surprise to find it populated by all manner of creatures and races. This final book was enjoyable in the sense that you know at last the end of the story, but I was disappointed in the end. The conclusion seemed quick and contrived, and not as fulfilling as I had thought it might be. I'm glad I found it and read it, and would recommend the entire series to fantasy/sci-fi fans.
Rating: Summary: The Conclusion Review: Compared to any of the other books situated in the Dungeons and Dragons universes, I have enjoyed the Spelljammer stories quite thoroughly. I recommend this book highly to anyone that likes Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Darksun, Greyhawk, or Planescape.Though hard to find, if you've read the other 5 books in the series, you must read the conclusion.
Rating: Summary: cant get enough Review: i have read all of the cloakmaster cycle books and i just love them how ever there needs to be more to the hole than just 6 books if you look for more look up the card game got the books
Rating: Summary: Can anyone lend me this book? Review: I've been looking for this book for over 6 years, and I still can't find it!! If anyone has it, or knows where I can get a hold of a copy, I would be very to hear from them! Please contact me at SquidSurprise@hotmail.com. Thank you
Rating: Summary: Can anyone lend me this book? Review: I've been looking for this book for over 6 years, and I still can't find it!! If anyone has it, or knows where I can get a hold of a copy, I would be very to hear from them! Please contact me at SquidSurprise@hotmail.com. Thank you
Rating: Summary: An ignomious end to a promising series Review: The Cloak Master Cycle should not have ended like this. Why did the last installment have to be penned by Russ T. Howard and not by Roger Moore as had been announced? The main fault of this novel is a pomposity that must inevitably lead to disappointment. From the first page on, the author tries to develop a thrilling, cosmic finale to the cycle. He establishes so many characters, factions and intrigues that he simply loses control. Having written himself into the corner, he cannot deliver a satisfying solution. The characters remain extremely one-dimensional and the reader lays down the book in disappointment: Why did this tale have to end with such a whimper? I give this novel three stars only for the reason that, despite all, it retains some of the magic of its prequels and evolves around characters the reader has come to care about. This magic, however, is largely an achievement of Moore and Cunningham and, to a lesser degree, Cook and Findley. Howard borrowed it, but did not manage to live up to it.
Rating: Summary: Saving the Best for Last... Review: The Ultimate Helm is the sixth and last book in the Cloakmaster Cycle series. Picking up from where The Broken Sphere left off, the book sheds light on Teldin Moore during the last stretch of his quest, this time ABOARD the Spelljammer.
Teldin's changes have reached their peak; His close proximity to the Spelljammer has amplified/boosted the Cloak's powers, and subsequently Teldin emerges as a powerful fighter/wizard. He is now able to dispatch neogi, umber hulks, and illithids among others, with great ease all the while being able to cast powerful spells such as teleport spells.
The plot as a whole is EXCELLENT! The whole concept of the Citadel with its garrisons and its diverse populace is very original.
In addition, the book is so incredibly well written and presented that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Moreover, Russ Howard does a great job of presenting the distinct culture and civilization of the spacefaring peoples. He has done a great deal of research in order to provide such an accurate and lucid description of these people.
It's all here: Illithids, Neogi, Umber Hulks, Elves, Half-Elves, Gnomes, Kender, Arcane, Beholders, Orcs, Scro, Goblins, Dracons, Minotaurs, Ogres, Undead (banshees/zombies etc), Master Liches, Halflings, Dwarves, Gnolls, Gith, Hill Giants, Centaurs, Pirates, Tanar'ri, even the Shou.
Furthermore, there are some new and interesting races/creatures like the Kasharin (beholder-mummies), the guardian Shivaks, and the magnificent Spaakiil.
The story of the original forgotten Unhuman War involving the evil Sh'tarrgh, the Spaakiil, the Lovokei, the Kutalla, the Broul, and the Juna was BREATHTAKING!
What was also AMAZING was the material presented in Chapter 30 (pp245-252), describing such events as the destruction of the One Sphere, Ouiyan.
Other FASCINATING points included: the clash between The Alliance of the Cloak (Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, Gith, Elves) and The Beholder Alliance (Beholders, Ogres, Minotaurs, Hill Giants), the fact that the three-pointed star represents the sun-Aeyenna, the forgotten captains imprisoned in the Dark Tower-Jokarin, Theorx, and Miark, and many, many more...
History, magic, love, honor, duty, intrigue, betrayal, swordfights, and space battles are all about. This book has it all and more!
My only reservation was in relation to page 183, where the author talks about an elven guard with a "thick white mustache" (!!!). I believe elves do not have facial hair.
The Ultimate Helm provides more than a worthy conclusion to the series.
Everything comes full circle. All the loose ends are dealt with efficiently and successfully. In short, it is by far the BEST of the six books.
The Cloakmaster Cycle series would, without a doubt, make a GREAT set of films.
In addition, the books should be re-published and re-released as part of one large hardcover tome along the lines of the Cleric Quintet, the Drizzt saga or the Dragonlance trilogies.
In conclusion, the author establishes a GREAT cliffhanger for adding yet another book to the series, this time with the smalljammer.
Why did Russ Howard not write any more Spelljammer or even other TSR/WoTC books along the lines of the Ultimate Helm?
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