Customer Reviews

The Hand of Chaos (Death Gate Cycle, Book 5)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just when I thought it was over, after the first four books (the Death Gate Cycle), it starts it all over again with Hand of Chaos. Haplo has now been to all 4 different worlds and had more than involved himself with the lowly "mensch". Haplo and his clumsy enemy, Alfred, must try to help spread the word of a power far greater than their own. I have enjoyed every Death Gate book because of it's intense storyline, fine characters, and very interesting "history" which is sprinkled for plot progression. These seven books have captived my time since more since Duncan's octology. I had read Darksword trilogy ten years ago when I was in high school, so I am familiar with their work. And this "septology?" has truly caught my imagination off guard, and I wish the rollercoaster had not stopped!

In all probability, people who read the first of the Death Gate Cycle books and like it, are going to want to read all of the books in the series (regardless of any flucutation in the individual books' ratings). Ditto for the reverse: if people don't like the first book, then they're probably not going to want to read any of the other books in the series. Thus, instead of individual book ratings, I've rated the whole series and given a short blurb on any specifics for each book.

Overall, this is a very good series. The authors were amazingly creative in coming up with this concept and the books are well-written, extremely interesting, and internally consistent (mostly -- see below for some exceptions). I highly recommend this series of books for everyone. My comments for the indidual books follow:

Vol. 1 -- Dragon Wing: This book covers the exploration of Arianus: the realm of Air. It introduces us to the two main characters (Haplo and Alfred) and many of the recurring characters throughout the series. It's a well-paced, well-written book that's an excellent reresentation of what to expect in most of the rest of the series. Essentially, if you like this book, you'll like the other six books. If you don't like this book, then there's no sense in reading any of the others.

Vol. 2 -- Elven Star: This book covers the exploration of Pryan: the realm of Fire. Alfred is entirely missing from this book, and Haplo isn't really the centerpiece. Instead, the book is mostly written from the perspective of the mensch and of the newly introduced (and recurring) Zifnab. The one possible weakness in the book is that Weis/Hickman wrote it such that the structure of Pryan itself is more of a mystery than Arianus was in the first book.

Vol. 3 -- Fire Sea: This book covers the exploration of Abarrach: the realm of Stone. Once again, both Haplo and Alfred are present. The characters and areas presented in this book are key elements for the entire series. An interesting book, but not a very happy one at all.

Vol. 4 -- Serpent Mage: This book covers the exploration of Chelestra: the realm of Water. Both Alfred and Haplo are on this world. But, for the most part, they follow separate plot lines. There's a lot of action taking place throughout the book and Weis/Hickman introduce some actual Sartan (besides Alfred). They also bring in an ancient evil to balance the ancient good introduced in the previous book. The most irritating thing about this book is that it ends in a cliff-hanger. The previous books tied up their worlds' activities fairly nicely. Not so in this book. It ends at a very inconvenient spot.

Vol. 5 -- Hand of Chaos: This book returns Haplo to Arianus and the people he met there earlier. Whereas the first four books of the series cover the exploration of the four realms, this book starts the synthesis of the various threads from those books into a movement towards closure. It's a good book, but, unfortunately, it doesn't do anything with Alfred. The previous book left Alfred heading towards a bad end. This book doesn't do anything with that. So, while reading the book, you constantly have this little voice in the back of your mind going "what's happening with Alfred?" Irritating.

Vol. 6 -- Into the Labyrinth: This book ranges across just about all of the worlds of the Death Gate. It brings all of the various threads from the other books to a head. Most importantly, it finally does something with Alfred. The unfortunate thing about this book is that it contains a lot of technical errors (or, more specifically, contradictions). For instance, in Dragon Wing, we're told that a person needs to be familiar with an area to use a transportation spell to get to that area. Yet, very close to the beginning of the book, one of the characters uses such a spell without ever having been to her target location. There are also several instances where the characters COULD have used such a spell, but don't. Likewise, there are problems with replication spells. In Fire Sea, Haplo and Alfred use such a spell to replicate enough food for a large group of people. Yet, in this book, no one seems to consider using a replication spell to produce more of some food. But, later on, those same people are using that same spell to replicate weapons. Plus, at one point, Xar uses a spell to just materialize both food and drink for a party. But, if such a thing is possible, why do the Patryns hunt and, apparently, farm in the Labyrinth? Also, the size of the Labyrinth seems wrong. From the previous books, it's taken hundreds (if not thousands) of years for various Patryns to traverse the hundreds of Gates in the Labryrinth. Yet, in this book, from the very beginning of the Labyrinth they can see the results of things happening at the Final Gate. There's also the problem of how people at the center of the Labyrinth would know anything about the Final Gate.

Vol. 7 -- Seventh Gate: This is the conclusion of the Death Gate series. Unforunately, I didn't much care for it. Basically, it comes across as being pretty sappy. All of a sudden, Haplo and Alfred are best buds and want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. Most of the various threads are tied up adequately (if not very satifyingly). But, the sudden push towards liberal "peace, love, and harmony" is trite. Of the seven books in this series, this one is the least good. Once again, I didn't much care for the tone of this book. But, since it adequatly ties up most everything that needed tying up, I'm not going to downgrade the whole series because of that.

This book, being the fifth in a series of seven, has the unlucky duty of acting as a "bridge". As such, it starts a little slow and never quite gets up to speed. The book also comes on the heels of a tough act to follow, Serpent Mage, volume four in the series, which is an outstanding book. Although much of 'The Hand of Chaos' is made up of "filler" material, there are some redeeming qualities. Hugh the Hand's character is revisited and developed, which in my opinion makes the book. Haplo's low-profile in the book, as well as the absence of Alfred the Sartan, leave the burden on Hugh. 'The Hand of Chaos' is a good book but it does not quite match up to the level of first four books in the series.

This is the 5th book in the Death Gate cycle and the one that changes the rest of the main characters lives. Haplo is sent to Arianus by Xar (his lord) who later plans to kill him because he thinks that he is a traitor. Xar tells a boy named Bane to kill him who later tries to take over everything for himself ( and we all know what happens when people try to do that....). Alfred is almost never mentioned in this book (they hold you suspended until the next one) but since he is purportedly in the Labyrinth, Haplo intends to disobey his lord, after his attempted murder, and go to the Labyrinth to get his long lost son. This book is really good and gives an excellent portrayal of the Lazar in Fire Sea by showing a good Lazar--Hugh the Hand. Have fun, folks

This book was wonderfully entertaining. But before I get into that...

Dear Xar,

I don't understand - you survived the Labyrinth, and you continue to go back in and do battle to save more of your race. You obviously are wise and insightful - when that Haplo character started being not entirely truthful with you, you were onto him from the start. But now when some creepy, red eyed Patryns who obviously aren't Patryns, come up to you and feed you lies, you're completely in the dark. Come on! You didn't survive so long just by letting your guard down around people who appear to kiss your ass.

All the best,
A random mensch


Okay and now unto the review.

This book is just fascinating. You've got several assassination plots going on, people coming back from the dead, and of course, serpents at every turn, spreading the chaos for which this book is named. My only complaint is I think Xar is too trusting of the serpents. Just because he wants to believe that these serpents are around to make his life easier, lessons from his past should have taught him better. No matter though - still an awesome book.

5 stars

In book five of The Death Gate Cycle series for the first time the reader peaks into all four worlds of a sundered world. The hatred within humans, elves, dwarves, Patryn and Sartan has fed the evil that has spread across the four worlds. There is war and malevolence everyone and, worse, for the first time it is free to spread its fangs with the barrier placed by the Sartan unwittingly gone. Evil can be defeated if the races can vanquish their fear and hatred, but old habits, time and the serpents are strong. The elves are divided, the human rulers maintain a dangerous game and the dwarves - lead by a bespectacled revolutionary leader with communalist slogans - have discovered aggression and resentment at the worst possible time. The Hand Of Chaos sheds light on the races past, origins and histories and wonders whether it is all too much for distrust to be surmounted.

Much of the action is back on the world of air Arianus, previously visited at the dawn of the series, given how for the first time in the cycle the book has not moved on to a new world. Chelestra, world of water, is the source of the unleashed hate, but the fomented doom is focused in the realms of sky.
Zifnab is back referencing ancient earth culture and now revealed as a powerful Sartan magus. Xar, the lord of the Patryn, is in Abarrach to learn necromancy and has dispatched Haplo to Arianus on a fool's errand that is meant to cost the latter man's life. Alfred is absent having offered no resistance to the missteps of his Sartan brethren. Hugh The Hand belongs to the Brotherhood and is a changed man. Prince Bane and his Mysteriarch mother are pivotal characters. Iridal does what no mother wants to do.

The Hand Of Chaos is the continuation of Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle, Vol 4) and followed by the sixth book of the series of seven, Into the Labyrinth (Death Gate Cycle). The action is unremitting and the travellers faced with tension wherever they go. Yet, it is the treachery and odium that engulf the book. Everything rests on whether the species can rise above ancient enmities.

The Hand of Chaos - Book Five of Seven in the Death Gate Cycle series. This book is another excellent addition to the series, and also necessary to read, no matter what other people say. It is very action packed, and brings back some of my favorite characters (Ex: Bane, Hugh the Hand (shocker...I know!)and Iridal). The book does have its shortcomings, but otherwise it is very good.

This installment starts off right where Serpent Mage ended, with Haplo trapped in the room and the water starting to flood the Sartan City. Haplo escapes (without magic) and heads through Death's Gate, but not before finding out that the evil dragon-snakes have also headed through. He heads to the Nexus, but is beaten there by the Dragon-Snakes, who have already found Xar and pledged their allegience to him. Xar says he is happy to have them on his side. Haplo comes and tries to convince Xar that they are evil, but Xar doesn't believe him. Haplo leaves for a walk as Bane (remember him from Dragon Wing?) walks in and begins chatting to his adopted "grandfather". Meanwhile, as Haplo accidentally meanders infront of the Final Gate, Zifnab comes. Zifnab, while rambling, tells Haplo that he is Sartan, and that his "wife" never died and is still in the Labyrinth, with his child. Haplo is startled by this news, but what is even more startling is that Bane overheard this all.He reports back to Xar, who tells Bane that he is sending him to Arianus with Haplo to continue stirring up unrest and to activate the Kicksey-Winsey. As soon as this task is accomplished, he is to kill Haplo. Bane agrees, and the both of them leave.

Thus the plot is set for The Hand of Chaos, along the way, Hugh the Hand comes back from the dead, We learn a LOT more about the Brotherhood of the Hand, and more about King Stephan's empire. This is a very good book, with only one major shortcoming, Alfred's disappearance. At the end of Serpent Mage, Alfred was being cast into the Labyrinth, yet in "Chaos", we have no news of what is going on with him. This is the only real shortcoming of the book, and it is an excellent, fast paced read. Pick up and read it now!

The Hand of Chaos brings readers back to Arianus, World of Air, as the Patryn Haplo must choose between obeying his master, the Lord of the Nexus, and fighting the evil dragon-snakes, who escaped from Chelestra, World of Water. Book Five also brings back Hugh the Hand, brought back from the dead, to complete the mission he failed to complete before, killing Bane, Lady Iridal's ill-fated son. Book Five also brings together the characters of the first four books as well as introducing new characters

I own all of these books in paperback and hardcover form and recently purchased The Hand of Chaos for my new Kindle. While I love the series, the Kindle version is rife with spelling and grammatical errors that are not present in the paperback (or hardcover) forms. I think that stinks, but I would buy it again.

I must say that reading Death Gate is a really pleasant experience, even though i would like to categorize the series as 'fantasy bouquet novels' (dunno if you american folks have bouquet, but hey, you know what i mean, right) Apart from that: it's only suitable the fantasy-minded! Beware the last book, by the way: it isn't all that...