Customer Reviews

Chorus Skating

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Chorus Skating" is the eighth and final volume in the Spellsinger adventure about Jon-Tom and colleague Mudge.

Back cover of book:

We're talking 'bout - bad, BAD, BAD BAD VIBRATIONS!

Spellsinger Jon-Tom is not in search of the Lost Chord; he's found it; living notes adrift from some extradimensional chorus line, fugitive from an otherworldly unfinished symphony. And the errant air wants Jon-Tom to follow it - right off a clef, into deadly peril.

For a minor key adventure turns major as Jon-Tom, his otter pal Mudge, and the schizo scherzo rescue a gaggle of spoiled princesses, battle the compulsions of a bizarre bazaar, wage war on a guerrilla gorilla, are sucked into a mocking maelstrom - and are trapped by an evil alien band who plan the ultimate musical rip-off, plunging the universe into the sounds of silence. Now, unless Jon-Tom's magic can conquer the airwaves, the hills will be alive with the sounds of an evil wizard who writes the songs that make the whole world?

Scream!

End back cover of book.

Sadly when Jon-Tom has begun to truly master his magical music, the series ends. I thoroughly enjoyed the novels for their creativity and humor. As far as final volumes go, the book finishes strong and is better than I remember. The return of Jon-Tom and Mudge is a huge relief and doesn't fail to entertain. Unfortunately, the back cover gives away too many of the obstacles encountered during the story.

As a fan of the classical, rock, and heavy metal music genres, I find the magic Jon-Tom creates with his duar exciting since I believe a well-constructed song can affect people with its intensity and power in a primal aspect.

Thank you.

The Spellsinger series started out very strong. While the first two volumes (covering a single story) fell squarely into the trek-across-dangerous-weird-terrain category, the Wizard's World was fun, entertaining, and very believable. It was also surprisingly dark for a furry world, and touched on issues like racism and poverty. All said, it was a masterpiece. Day of the Dissonance was similar.

Moment of the Magician and Paths of the Perambulator were closer to being standard light fantasy. Both seemed built around a handful of set-pieces and jokes instead of a plotline, but since the set-pieces were cool and the jokes were funny this was OK.

Since that time the series has fallen more towards repetition, gag endings to serious problems, and the formerly solid barrier between the Wizard's World and Earth being about as solid as a sponge. The last three books in the series get a Piers Anthonyish vibe, with the introduction of unappealing one-note characters, situations set up just for the sake of a single pun, and -- worst of all -- total lack of exploitation of the possibilities of the world.

Time of the Transference was still readable, even if the characters themselves kept complaining about the lack of originality in the plot. Son of Spellsinger was unrelievedly horrible, with an unappealing substitute lead, a pointless quest, a bad supporting cast and a shaggy-dog-story ending.

Then we come to Chorus Skating. Thankfully, we're back to the duo of Jon-Tom and Mudge, with Buncan and his cohort shipped off to boarding school. Unfortunately, their adventure will consist into bumbling from situation to situation, exploring the usual mundane "fantastic lands," and finally confronting a villain who comes out of nowhere and is only a personified dumb joke.

I lost my entire library a couple of years ago. I've gone to great lengths to replace the first six books in the series (I didn't like Time, but it did give the series closure). There's no way I'm replacing the last two. I'd rather personally believe that Foster recognized that the series was going downhill during the writing of #6 and chose to end it on a satisfying note ... the last two books are just going through the motions, and badly at that.

I'm not exactly certain why this book is so reviled by even the most ardent fans of the Spellsinger series, because it really is, for all extents and purposes, an absolutely stunning adventure, wrought with concise care. It plunges our beloved heroes, Jon-Tom and Mudge, into a topsy-turvy adventure on par with any book in the original sextet. Wonderful, silly, and an all-around good read.

This book is the second book in the Son of Spellsinger series by Alan Dean Foster. It is the first book of his that I had ever read but it has made me a fan of his books for life. The book has distinct undertones of social commentary; but its most distinctive feature is its ability to make the reader laugh. For any Fantasy fans who are ready for just plain old fashioned fun, this book is a delightful read.