Customer Reviews

Priam's Lens

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read most of Chalkers works, and this is one of my favorites. Del Rey should have allowed this to be the trilogy it was intended to be. I would have loved to read all that Chalker wanted to say regarding The Titans. The world and the characters of this world enthralled me. I could not put this book down.

It is a shame that Del Rey has no interest in promoting Chalker's books. They are deliberately doing nothing at all to promote the book with the idea of being able to blame him for its poor sales so to be considered as no longer commercial. This is punishment for Chalker's unwillingness to let them get out of their contract.

The publishing industry, is now controlled entirely by Wall Street MBAs with short term profit the only criteria for success. They do not take chances nor do they believe in long term results such as series and developing new writers and projects. Since distirbutors won't keep books on the shelves longer than 90 days, nor bring back on the shelves earlier parts of a series when a new one comes out, series aren't selling as well and they have decided, looking only at their spreadsheets that series aren't profitable (unless, of course, it's a movie series like STAR WARS). It's sad. Many of authors are going broke and some are totally ruined, or worse.

I found this book--sans transformation-- to be an intriguing and thought provoking look at the nature of humanity and the true randomness of our society. We have never faced an enemy so extreme that it would be unfathomable to think our society could crumble, yet it could and I'm sure--will-- happen someday. These themes pervade Chalker's books, and anyone reading them will gain a strong sende of identity and where they live within our society.

My only objections were a few craft points--he tended to become too introspective in many places, and the description and history sections became long and involved at times. I would bet big money this was supposed to ba a much larger novel, or maybe even a series of novels where CHalker could fully explore this Universe, and I would also bet that due to publisher demands he was unable to extend this into the larger project that it deserved. Any publisher reading this--plase give Chalker a chance to run with what he invents, we love to read it!

I am an avid SciFi/Fantasy fan and enjoyed Chalker's Well of Souls series immensely. I was immediately drawn into this book because of the fascinating mystery that was set up from the beginning. You will be disappointed to know that in the end, you recieve no answers to the questions that the entire story is premised upon. It is well and good to have bizarre things happening without reason and leave the reader to wonder how they tie together, but to then abandon them all in the end without any real explanation and meaning makes them entirely pointless, as is the case in this book. The story in itself, while an interesting concept, proceeds in a completely linear fashion without any twists, real character conflict, or unpredictable occurrences. It can be summarized in one sentence without missing too much of the plot: Bad aliens beat up mankind, mankind magically finds a weapon to beat them with, a team isassembeled to find the weapon, they find it, they beat up aliens. End of story. BOOO! This type of SciFi-lite might be fit for a SciFi Channel made-for-TV movie, but not a novel by one of fantasy's most thoughtful authors.
This might be a good one for the kids but not for anyone looking for a story with depth and intrigue. I would recommend passing on this one.

I am not a huge science-fiction fan, though I have enjoyed a lot of fantasy/sci-fi books and movies. Jack Chalker, however, present science fiction with such real characters, who drink, swear, and are generally believable. You won't be overwhelmed with sci-fi mumbo jumbo (the problem I have with "Star Trek"), and everything is based on at least SOME scientific reasoning. The book itself is a great collection of characters with a very engaging story line. Easy to read, compelling, it has all the elements of a good right-before-bed read.

I have been reading science fiction for over 20 years now and have read most Hugo winners as well as just about everything Jack L. Chalker has ever published. Chalker writes thought provoking material that is fun to read. Great storyline written in an engaging form. Recommended for sci-fi fans and highly recommended for Chalker fans! Jack does not disappoint!

It's a shame when corporate business mixes with creativity. Shelf time and statistics never could estimate the value of an art. Unfortunately, it appears publisher's interest lies whether a book sales or not and yet how can it when they don't even promote it. Frankly I found this book quiet by accident.
Priam's lens in my opinion, out shines Chalker's previous works by far. Well-developed characters and story line add excitement to this gem. Jack L. Chalker fans every where can only wish this book should have been a series as intended.

Since reading "Midnight at the Well of Souls" when it was first released, Jack L.Chalker has always been an author I have enjoyed reading. This latest effort, like the more recent Well World novels, is not as good as his older stuff. Perhaps if it was the trilogy he originally intended...

If you have enjoyed everything else Mr Chalker has written, then you will want to read this too; just don't expect the novel of a lifetime.

This book is a true rarity. Never before has a piece of literature captivated me so completely. Hats off to you Mr. Chalker, you have contributed a masterpiece to western society. I hope to see your works more actively publicized and I look forward to rereading this title on the Kindle.

Not much more to say but this is a totally great book with great ideas and characters. I've read it over and over again and I just love it.

Chalker doesn't even bother to create alien life. He just makes them magical. If humans don't have any idea how their science works, Chalker doesn't have to bother writing anything. The characters themselves all have one dimension and no personality. They are stereotypes. The average of what we think a certain type "should be." The cops are all cops. The prehistoric man is a prehistoric man.

Storyline development is lousy. Character development is nonexistent because there never were characters just Styrofoam. In the end, you don't get what you were looking for.

Don't bother unless you are an avid Chalker fan. If you are, you'll clearly give this book 5 stars for no conceivable reason.