The Pool of Fire

Rating:
Summary: If you loved these books, watch the series
Review: I want to begin this review with a disclaimer. I only read one book in this trilogy. That book was The Pool of Fire. It recaps the events of the last two books. Will Parker, his cousin, Henry, a German named Fritz, and a French boy, real name Jean-Paul, nicknamed Beanpole, because he's tall and thin, fight the mysterious invaders known only as the Masters. The Masters want to take over Earth and turn it into their new home. Will and Henry were sent to the City of Gold and Lead to spy on them. TPOF is set months after the events of TCOGL. The Masters still want to take over Earth. It's only a matter of time. To stop them, Will and his friends must be willing to pay the ultimate price. One of them does. Hint, hint, if you want to know who it is, read this book. If you loved these books, watch the series. Back in the '80s, there was a series called The Tripods on Channel 11 in Durham, New Hampshire. It was an Australian series distributed by Lionheart Television, the U.S. distributor for the BBC's programs.

Rating:
Summary: POOLS OF FIRE IS SWIMMINGLY RICH
Review: I was immediately drawn in by J.Christopher's excellent use of thought-evoking descriptiveness. I felt like such a part of what was going on,it was too personal. But it was moving right along,so you didn't have time to get too close. The one-track kind of mission and the mixture of the boys' emotions is an awsome reflection in itself. Congrats and Thanks to Mr. Christopher for his timely stories that give a rich,vibrant feeling of defending personal freedom for all at a time of such dire circumstances in the world.
(Oct 31,2001)

Rating:
Summary: The saga concludes
Review: In the exciting conclusion of the Tripods series, the resistance movement has finally reached the point where they are prepared to take decisive action to foil the alien Masters' final plan to claim the Earth. Will, Beanpole, Henry and Fritz, the boys who have figured prominently in the previous two novels, are destined to have pivotal roles in this final struggle as well. The strengths and weaknesses of the other books are evident here, too. John Christopher has devised a great story with a satisfying ending, as our central characters rededicate themselves to the challenges confronting a post-Masters Earth. However, Christopher's story is really too big for the minimalist style he has adopted. Years pass in the course of a few pages and I was left with the feeling that I was being allowed only a glimpse of what could have been a richly detailed, fascinating world. Of course, this book was written with young readers in mind, so brevity was a natural concern. Christopher's Tripod books follow the primary adage of show business: always leave them wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Story
Review: My favorite part was when they had shut down the power source and couldn't get out but they had to before their oxygen supply ran out.

Rating:
Summary: Now we fight back!
Review: The exciting conclusion to the White Mountains series does not disappoint the reader.

Will and Fritz have escaped the City of Gold and Lead and return to the White Mountains. They begin a journey to recruit young boys into their resistance, taking a long journey across Europe and the Middle East and back.

After they capture a Tripod and a Master named Ruki, they inadvertantly discover the Masters' weakness to alcohol. And Fritz and Will lead a team back to the city.

The book ends full circle from the beginning, and still leaves questions in the end.

This is an excellent read and an excellent conclusion to an excellent series!

Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Ending
Review: The Pool of Fire is the last of The Tripods Trilogy. In this novel the reader enters the fascinating world where humans no longer are in control of the planet, but are enslaved by the ruling cast referred to as the masters. Will, Jean-Paul, Henry, and fritz are left with the challenge of aiding the rebellion in hope of destroying the Masters before it was too late. John Christopher has a wonderful style of capturing the readers and especially my attention in this novel. Of course there are some very important details that John Christopher could have done to improve the novel and to reach its full potential, such as the descriptions of many of the events and actions that were undertaken by Will and his companions. This left me with some sense of yearning and disappointment for more descriptions of the events that took place. Also it left me astonished that John Christopher did not attempt to mold the character of Will by the end of the story or even all three of the books that this character has been in. The ending was also vague and skipped many years in a short amount of pages. This left me wondering what happened between the time of the defeat of the Masters and the development of a space ship. This was disappointing considering that I was looking forward to reading this book and finding out that the ending was in all not that exciting or interesting. Considering that this is the last book of the Trilogy John Christopher should have taken more measures to see to it that the ending was more informative of the aftermath of the events. After the climax it just completely died and just left me. John Christopher also did not manage to say how the world recovered from the grip of the officious Masters. Yet despite these faults, there were many qualities that Christopher John managed to succeed. I was bonded into the world created which was filled with adventures and dangers, with John Christopher's style of writing. Another quality that makes this book worth reading is that John Christopher involved all four of the main characters to fit important roles that make the reader highly interested. Though the novel had some weak descriptions the overall flow of events were incredible and left me wanting more. Most of the book was upfront about the events, even though John Christopher could have elaborated more. The good thing about the ending was the situation that took place, which left me and probably many readers in complete awe. John Christopher also has the gift of surprising his readers by leading them onto a certain path and then completely turning the tables on them and knocking them off their feet. At least that's what happened to me. Not only did John Christopher entertain the reader but he also had some messages that could be interpreted there. This novel also teaches the importance of unity and the things that could be accomplished if man could work together in peace.

Rating:
Summary: Crammed Wrap-Up to the Tripods Trilogy
Review: This third, last installment of the Tripods Trilogy is definitely worth reading, but it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors.

This time around, the story concerns the various methods of bringing down the Masters' empire. First of all, with the seemingly "resurrected" Fritz, Will embarks on a long journey to win some kid converts down from Austria to the eastern shore of Italy, down through the Yugoslavic territories into Greece, across the Bosphorus and Turkey, and penetrating into Iraq to the Euphrates Valley, then up & around the Black Sea and up the Danube back to Austria. The whole thing takes up one chapter. High points are the Hungarian hunt and the culture clash in Muslimia.

Next the rebels head off to a castle by the sea (I'm not sure where) and decide to capture an alien for study. After a series of aggravating trial-and-error runs, they catch a Tripod (whew! Imagine doing that in "The White Mountains"). They now have a Master - with a name, Ruki - and Will is responsible for caring for him. And guess who his commander is? Ulf! Ha ha haha hahaha ha ha! Don't worry, he dies. Anyway, he accidently catalyzes the revolt by drunkenly pouring liquor in Ruki's food.

Now, armed with alcohol, the rebellers set out to conquer the Cities. Will & friends get the city at Essen they have previously been to. The end of the book is as enjoyable as the rest of the series, with a good ending involving world government.

So, in conclusion, it's necessary to read this novel if you've read the other Tripod books, but...... it's rather crammed - there's too much squeezed in one book (the aforementioned quest southeast, a second penetration of the German City and a trip out to the Panamanian City in nine chapters!) so J. Christopher would have done well to relax and make maybe three books out of this one. Be sure to read slowly. Oh, and here's the order of Master books, from best to least best: "The City of Gold and Lead", "The White Mountains", "The Pool of Fire (which refers to the City's deadly energy source; a pretty poor title)".

Rating:
Summary: The Pool of Fire was "COOL"
Review: This was and excellent book. If you are online trying to find a fast-paced action-adventure thriller, look no further. The book is amazing. I thought it was a great end to a marvelous series.

Will Parker and his friends have finally found the information that will free mankind from the ruthless ruling of the Masters. He starts off by going around the world earning new recruits to help fight the Masters. Then Will and Fritz and some other boys penetrate into the Master's City. The way to stop the Masters is found and excuted. But will it be enough? (Remember, they had a ship on the way with more materials so the Masters could turn the atmosphere into the kind that was on their planet!)

Through this great adventure, many moral lessons speak out. Impatience nearly keeps Will from being part of the squad to penetrate the city. Friendship is held in high regards. We see how bad humans can be, and the petty things we squabble over. Will has to learn to keep his impatience and head-strong qualities in check to be a help, rather than a hinderance, to the cause.

Very well written. John Christopher has an amazing way of adding details to paint the pictures in your head. Reading this book is fast and easy. But if you are like me, you will not be satisfied by the ending. I hope Mr. Christopher comes out with another book, that will let the end be the end.