Pirates of the Thunder (Rings of the Master, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jack L. Chalker (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rings of the Master, Book 2 | Publication Date: February 12, 1987

Hawks had refused to help the ambitious Lazlo Chen in his quest to find the five gold rings that could break Master System's hold over humankind -- and that refusal had landed him on the deadly prison planet Melchior.

But when Hawks and some fellow prisoners engineered a bold escape, it seemed almost too easy. Hawks guessed that Chen was pulling the strings, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was another, greater power involved. And that scared him.

Now the stakes were rising, and Hawks was more determined than ever to find the gold rings. But Master System was out to capture him, and Chen was trying to follow him -- and the only place his small band of rebels could hide was smack in the middle of pirate territory...

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Hawks had refused to help the ambitious Lazlo Chen in his quest to find the five gold rings that could break Master System's hold over humankind -- and that refusal had landed him on the deadly prison planet Melchior.

But when Hawks and some fellow prisoners engineered a bold escape, it seemed almost too easy. Hawks guessed that Chen was pulling the strings, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was another, greater power involved. And that scared him.

Now the stakes were rising, and Hawks was more determined than ever to find the gold rings. But Master System was out to capture him, and Chen was trying to follow him -- and the only place his small band of rebels could hide was smack in the middle of pirate territory...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (February 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345325613
• ISBN-13: 978-0345325617
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars galactic swashbuckling escape, June 4, 2008

By 

M-I-K-E 2theD "2theD" (The Big Mango, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pirates of the Thunder (Rings of the Master, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Let's start off by saying the Book 1 of Rings of the Master was a fine novel, indeed. It was packed with speculative fiction, science fiction, heavy character introductions and development, plot thickening and escape. Now, we come to Book 2 of the series and find, firstly, that this book is about half as long as the first book. However, charcter development (a key in this series) is still be explored to a high degree. Just as well since the cast find theselvs getting deeper and deeper in the uncharted escape from earth. Adventure is shifted into high gear. Besides te disappointed length of the book, it's a great follow-up!

5.0 out of 5 stars Plot twists galore!, May 8, 2006

By 

M. J. Keel (Somewhere in the Far East) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Pirates of the Thunder (Rings of the Master, Book 2) (Hardcover)

If you like swashbucklers, science fiction, stories rich in culture clash, and novels that make you examine morality anew you will love Pirates of the Thunder. Follow Hawks and his crew of unlikely revolutionaries as they figure out interstellar travel in a 14 km long starship all the while being chased by Master Systems minions who will stop at nothing to silence them once and for all before they find and use the Five Rings of the Masters.

Chalker is ingenious at taking the plot places that you would never suspect all the while keeping his characters interesting and more than one dimensional. I am pretty good at guessing where plots of movies and books are going, but there were at least two times while reading this where I gasped at a plot twist. This is not literature but is one of the funnest books I have read in a long tmie. Highly recommended!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely good reading, March 18, 2002

By 

jupiter (San Pablo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pirates of the Thunder (Rings of the Master, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

It took me a while to get into the first book but once I read it I wanted to read all the remaining book in the series. It took me a while to track all four of them down. NOw I can't put it down. Definitely kept me interested the whole time. I took it on my trip to London and during the 9 hrs flight time I only got up once to use the restroom. I was totally hooked. The characters are starting to develop more and become more likeable.