Here Be Monsters

Rating:
Summary: Still love them Warlock books...
Review: ... even after all this time.

This book is the continuing saga of the Gallowglass family and their continued defense of the land of Gramarye, a land of witches and warlocks ( also known as espers).

This time the threat is not so clear cut as the warring factions from the future, but a truly otherworldly menace that seems to have no ulterior motive, just the destruction and subjection of Gramarye. More time is spent on the individual encounters of each new creature, as well as an increase of the puns and double entendres in the dialogue... something he has been doing since the very beginning. Who can forget the "...bounds of Haskerville..." from Warlock Wandering. Stasheff seems fond of 'shaggy dog' tales. While not anywhere near the volume of Piers Anthony's Xanth Series for puns, they do come at quite a pace. This book seems more like the first step in a larger story, one I look forward to reading...

For those who are expecting a wedding at the end of this tale, they would appear to be right. Just not in this book. It seems as if Stasheff is going to draw out the reunion of Magnus(the Rogue Wizard) with his family, and the weddings of the three couples established in the previous Warlock's Heirs novels. Will the next book be a new start, or the conclusion of the Warlock/Wizard series? I hope for the former. The tale is obviously NOT done, and I will continue to pay for my next installment.

Thanks for keeping it coming Chris!

Rating:
Summary: Contrived Plot creates Boredom
Review: As an avid fan of the Warlock books for many years, and a reader of the Heirs to the Warlock series, I was excited about reading this book. However, it fell short of my expectations. As other reviewers have mentioned, the plot involves monsters coming out of mist to plague Gramarye. This comes across as very contrived, however, since it is only a way for the author to develop the relationships between the soon-to-be-related characters. (Alloutte must deal with the distrust of nearly everyone except her fiancee.) Bouts of fighting terrible monsters are interspersed with soul-searching conversations.

I found myself skipping huge portions of the book out of boredom. If you're a person who loves to read about fights against monsters, you'll love this book. For me, it got old fast. The end explanation behind the monsters was also, in my opinion, ridiculous. Obviously these are fantasy books, but nonetheless I had come to expect convincing plots from Christopher Stasheff. I was left with the sense that the events of this book hadn't _really_ happened to the characters.

The book does have its moments, though, in a few scenes that I enjoyed mostly because of the characterization. I liked the ending overall, but as I mentioned the final explanation left something to be desired. There is not much interaction between the engaged couples, and except for a few predictably wide-eyed peasants there are hardly any other characters (besides the 3 couples) significantly involved in the story. I did like the side plot in which Diarmand follows his brother (don't worrry, it's mentioned very near the beginning of the book; I'm not giving much away).

This story reminded my of "The Warlock Rock" because of its absurdity. I would say that this is not worth buying, but if you can get it from a library it provides some entertainment. Christopher Stasheff used to be my favorite author; this book is one of the reasons that he no longer is.

Rating:
Summary: A fine romantic fantasy
Review: Gregory Gallowglass and his finance Alouette are meditating in their own private chambers. She sees a thick mist near a river that is the gateway for men and monsters to enter and kill Gramarye's population. Gregory, a telepath as strong as Alouette, peeks into the mist and comes to the conclusion that she had a foreseeing. They make arrangements to find out what is going on and put a stop to it.

Gregory's brother Geoffrey and Prince Alain, the heir to the throne, follow them. Behind the latter duo are the fiancees of Geoffrey and Alain, Quicksilver and Cordelia Gallowglass. When Alouette gets separated from the group, she finds and teams up with Quicksilver and Cordelia who are following the men in case they need help. Both groups are beset every step of the way by supernatural creatures who try to harm them or scare them to death. Everyone agrees there are too many monsters in one small concentrated area. They believe somebody is creating them and that someone must be stopped if they can ever find him.

While the quest is a very serious undertaking, the characters other speak in puns, which constantly catches the reader off guard and leaves the audience off balance even when the approach is fully recognized. The tone of HERE BE MONSTER is akin to the Xanth books by Piers Anthony, making it a delightfully amusing fantasy romp.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Warlock Redux
Review: If you enjoy the Warlock series of books you should enjoy this. Personnally i think Stasheff stretched HERE BE MONSTERS from a good short story into a full book. While it promises the mass wedding of the Warlock children. All it really does, is deal with the latest crisis. With the wedding not even really happening. I thought this was going to be Excellent. But IMO it's nothing but another mediocre novel in the series. Stasheff is capable of great work. This is'nt one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Welcome back to Gramarye
Review: Once again Christopher Stasheff brings his faithful readers back to his magical world of Gramarye. The kingdom is imperiled by a monster-producing mysterious mist and the Gallowglass siblings must save the world. This time, however, the trio has their beloved fiancés to help. "Here be Monsters" is another excellent adventure, revealing that each sibling (and their lovers) can hold their own, but also work together towards a common aim. The book reads wonderfully, but I am disappointed in the continued absence of Magnus (the eldest son of the Gallowglass family), especially after the many hints that Stasheff has dropped throughout his latest Rogue Wizard adventure of his impending return.

Rating:
Summary: It was written, but why?
Review: This is indeed another of the Warlock series, but it doesn't advance anything. It was like reading about the time I went to the store to buy bread. It was an activity, but it did little to advance any of the characters. I picked it up as the latest in the Warlock series and I realised what I liked about the original books. The modern approach to mideval attitudes and lifestyles. I really got tired of wading through the ancient wording and turn of phrase.

If you like to read a manuscrpt written in old english, then you will love this. Otherwise, skip it.

Rating:
Summary: It was written, but why?
Review: This is indeed another of the Warlock series, but it doesn't advance anything. It was like reading about the time I went to the store to buy bread. It was an activity, but it did little to advance any of the characters. I picked it up as the latest in the Warlock series and I realised what I liked about the original books. The modern approach to mideval attitudes and lifestyles. I really got tired of wading through the ancient wording and turn of phrase.

If you like to read a manuscrpt written in old english, then you will love this. Otherwise, skip it.

Rating:
Summary: Pleasant but not essential
Review: When his fiancee sees a vision of a monster invasion, Gregory gathers his brother Geoffrey and their friend and future brother-in-law, Alain, Crown Prince of Gramarye to investigate. Their respective fiancees, however, are hardly the type to stay at home and worry. Alouette, Cordelia (sister to Gregory and Geoffrey), and Quicksilver set off to watch over their men and perform any rescues that may be needed.

Someone, or something, has launched a plague of monsters on Gramarye--a plague that seems to have some purpose beyond terrorizing the natives. As they confront and defeat each of the monsters, the two groups of travellers begins to gather hints of that purpose and of an intended invasion of their world. Defeating local monsters is one thing--defeating an extra-dimensional invasion is something else.

Author Christopher Stasheff was one of the originators of the funny fantasy with his wonderful THE WARLOCK IN SPITE OF HIMSELF--the first novel in this series. As with many continuing series, the Warlock series seems to consist of a mix of essential novels and novels that could be missed. HERE BE MONSTERS falls into the second category. It contains plenty of puns, a bit of character growth, particularly on the part of future king Alain, and your basic magic and sword fighting. Unlike the original WARLOCK or earlier novels in this HEIRS series (where each of the Warlock's children finds their mate), HERE BE MONSTERS lacks the real emotional impact that makes for a powerful book.

HERE BE MONSTERS is a pleasant light read. Fans of the series will want to read it. Fantasy fans who haven't discovered the series yet would do better to start with one of the other novels in the series.