Customer Reviews

The Seventh Gate (Death Gate Cycle)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

While I loved the first six books in the series, I was really disappointed by the ending- it seems to rely on many, many Deus Ex Machina additions to resolve the conflicts set up in the first six books... In particular, I didn't like the circumstances of Haplo's reappearance ("Just kidding, everybody! Group hug!"), and was very disappointed at the circumstances of Sang-drax's destruction.

Honestly, it seemed to me as if Wies and Hickman didn't really know how to end the series, so they just threw something together at the last minute. There are at least one or two major plot holes in this one. While I'd like to stress that it's not a BAD book, it's also definitley not the best in the series.

I just finished this book about 10 minutes ago and I am extremely miffed that it ended the way it did. I cannot understand how a book series can go from being extremely detailed to just nothing at the end. What was the point of dragging the series on for 7 books if it was going to be ended with a dull moan. There was so much room for detail and if the book had another 10 chapters I believe it would have been much better. The ending of Hugh the Hand was a EXTREME letdown...he was just gone, very anticlimatic.

Problems I had with it...SPOILER ALERT

1) Became much to sappy towards the end

2) Hugh the Hand dies without a parting word

3) Haplos daughter never makes a entrance

4) The final outcome of the two races was never discussed

5) Who the heck was Zifnab

6) The whole book just seemed rushed to be over with

7) Inconsistencies throughout the book

8) Just left with a sad feeling of "THATS ALL???"

I am glad I finished the series but in truth it was a major letdown.

Having just finished reading the entire Death Gate Cycle, I can say I have to agree with the other reviewers who said this book was just not up to par. The most disappointing thing about it is not the actual events of the plot, but the inferior writing style it exhibits. This book lacks the immersive language and attention to detail that really made the series shine. The whole book just feels like a skeleton with no flesh. (Consider the fact that this book is about 150 pages shorter than all the others and uses embarassingly large, spaced-out print). It's like they whipped something up just to beat a deadline. It also lacked the subtlety of the earlier books: instead of planting seeds of wonder in the reader's mind, this one just beats you over the head with its main moral (i.e. can't we all just get along?). Not that it's bad enough to ruin the whole series. Death Gate is still a quality series and this book has its share of moments, like when Haplo confronts Xar before the entrance to Death's Gate. That image gave me chills. Some plot issues seem unresolved, like the dog (OK, I get it, it's Haplo's soul. But that doesn't explain why Alfred trips over it in Death's Gate, or how it gave Ramu an incurable wound.) Also somebody pointed out that Alfred's past is not completely resolved. So basically, a disappointing ending to a fabulous fantasy series.

So. After getting through Tolkien's incredibly complex and epic Lord of the Rings, here I am, right back in the upper middle of the proverbial chain of fantasy novel quality. Not that this series is at all mediocre -- it is actually a very, very top notch piece of work. True, Tolkien's novels were better thought out and written with a deeper and more deliberate use of language, but it's just so nice to instead read something that's a little more comprehensible, a series that makes excellent use of simpler language and contains quite a bit of modern humor.

But I gotta stop here. Unlike many, I won't even attempt to compare The Death Gate Cycle with Tolkien's masterpiece; not because one is distinctly better than the other, but because the two are completely different entities from different time periods.

I absolutely loved the Death Gate Cycle. I loved it. The series was exciting, original, and completely satisfied my fantasy fix. It had the right balance of everything that makes a story truly epic and unforgettable -- action, suspence, love, tragedy, comic relief, great characters, equally great character development, and finally the ability to get into your mind and leave you dying to dish out some cash and get your hands on the next novel. ^__^

I'll admit, however, that the first and last books in the series were... iffy. The start -- Dragon Wing -- was much too slow for anyone with a short attention span. The ending -- The Seventh Gate -- was too forced. Not BAD, mind you, just hurried and at times confusing. Weis and Hickman could have easily added about 100 more pages to the last book and truly concluded the series.

Fortunately, the start and fin are the only major down points in the Death Gate Cycle. The five novels in between are more than worth your time and money (Serpent Mage and Into the Labyrinth are probably my favorites among them). Each character in the series is distinctive, well-developed, memorable, and overall enjoyable. The worlds are very well-conceived (How do Weis and Hickman do it? It boggles the mind...), and the plotline is almost always smooth and flowing.

My advice? Whether or not you like fantasy, get the first two novels of the Death Gate Cycle and give them a try. If you find you like them (and you probably will), you'll thank me. If you don't, then hey, you're only down a couple of bucks.

I loved the series. However I was sorely disappointed in the Kindle version due to the enormous amount of typos. How does this happen? This is not a reflection on the authors, but the publishers. I have enjoyed many, many paper based novels from Tracy and Margaret and will again in the future. I will probably not buy anymore Kindle books because of this.
Steve Shulze

As this entire series ties in together and reads almost as a continual book, I'll only review the final one.

The series is about a young Patryn named Haplo, a man from a race of demi-gods that were cast into a magical prison by their counterparts, the Sartan. Haplo and a few hundred of his race have escaped their prison, the Labyrinth, and are seeking revenge on the ancient enemy. He is ordered by his lord to go and explore the four worlds of the universe, reporting back all he finds and watching for signs of the Sartan's presence.

This is the way the story begins, but along the way, Haplo is subjected to hard questions about morality and prejudice that he was not expecting.

While each of the books offer a good read on their own, the series must be read from beginning to end to fully appreciate it, as the strength of the series is the changes that Haplo goes through along his journeys. When he sets out in book one, he is leaning towards being the bad guy of the series. There is a cliche wizard who wants to take over the world to fill that role in book one, but we see that Haplo is a man without pity who looks down on the "mensch" races - human, elves, and dwarves - as lesser beings of little import.

As he travels, his position changes. It is written beautifully and handled realistically. Haplo is reluctant to change, but after being locked up onboard a ship with a handful of mensch and being saved by others, he can no longer write them off. He begins to care about their individual personalities and their fate, and we see a gradual softening of a man who was hardened by hate.

More than that, these books deal with learned hatred and old prejudices between the Sartan and the Patryns. We are shown how easily our own ideas are influenced. In the beginning, Weis and Hickman introduce the Sartan as the good guys and the Patryns as the bad guys. As the story progresses, we also learn to see them as individuals and judge them according to their actions.

Each book offers new intriguing characters, who are all brought together in what is really a three-book climax.

I found this entire series to be a wonderful read, thought-provoking, funny is some places, sad in others, and filled with a sense of adventure.

Many reviewers have complained about the lack of magic in the Labyrinth, stating that the Patryns lives could be easier. I respectfully disagree. We are shown in Fire Sea that their magic is not unlimited. Haplo even explains to Hugh the Hand that as it is a land of constant danger, they have to reserve their power for things like staying alive.

My only complaint is a love story between Haplo and the Patryn woman Merit. After putting so much work into writing a beautiful story about hatred and healing, I felt that Merit was a character who exhibited absolutely no good qualities and learns nothing, just suddenly changes her mind when she realizes she still loves Haplo.

All in all, it is a worth-while read, and I strongly suggest that anyone who picks up this series starts with book one to enjoy the ride.

The whole entire series was really good. And in spite of it being the shorter of all the books, Seventh Gate had actually started fairly good. It was action packed throughout the entire novel, had its moments of intense suspense, and I was eager to finally complete the final book in this complexed tale.

But then the ending came, some things happened, and I was left thinking "That's it?" There should have been more closure. For example, I would have liked to have seen something more of the dragon snakes demise. Even if they cannot be fully defeated, this "higher" power, whether it be Alfred or Zifnab or whoever, should have been able to imprison it in a more confined area than just the labyrinth. And then there is Hugh, who happens to leave the story without so much as a peep; next you know, he's dead in the Labyrinth, supposedly killed off defending the Haplo's people. it would have been nice to have seen the fight, to see him die, to discover if he was finally at peace, or if he had any regrets. And what of Marit's and Haplo's child- Is she alive? Is she dead? Wasn't that one of the reasons Haplo wanted to go back into the Labyrinth? I don't know. Even the Appendix was vague on this.

And then the inconsistencies. As others have stated prior, the Labyrinth just did not have the feel of being a deadly maze. Wait, there really wasn't much of a maze. I mean, there is some terrain, some deadly enemies, and next you know they're fighting to save the Final Gate. It's possible that once the Final Gate is discovered, it's easier to cross the Labyrinth a second time, but by the way Haplo was describing it in the earlier novels, I would have thought it would still take a few years, at least.

And also, what about the dragons? Are they truly bound to the Labyrinth? If the "mensch" can discover space travel to get to the other worlds, why can't the evil dragons fly to the other worlds?

And then the magic of teleportation. It was earlier stated you had to have been to a specific area to transfer to it. Yet, Marit seemed to be able to transfer to people she knew all the same, regardless if she had been in a specific area before or not. If it were that simple, and people were being attacked in the Labyrinth, why couldn't they teleport themselves away from the enemy, even if it did take them back to where they started? Marit made the comment that she could transport to the Final Gate, but couldn't take Alfred or Hugh. Did this mean she couldn't use her magic to take them? That doesn't add up since Haplo used his transfer magic to resuce Jarre and earlier Alfred was able to transport Hugh to the ship. Did this mean that Marit didn't want Alfred and Hugh to come along, in case of an uproar from her people? That doesn't add up either because then she would have prevented them from going to the Final Gate on the back of the good dragons of Pryan.

Oh well, as I said, good story, certainly not great, and by the time I was finished I was just glad it was over.

Following the ancient war of the Patryn and Sartan throughout the books, among conflicts "of the lesser races" was facinating as well as exploring the various sundered worlds.
The main characters, Haplo, Alfred, Hugh all keep you interested throughout the books.

I hope indeed that this is the end...I agree with one reveiwer that 7 books was a bit much but I think the story unfolded well and ended well. I was carried along on Haplo's adventure and rooted for him when he would find reasons to care about someone or something, hoping that despite the harshness of his world he would somehow find inner peace, even love. I was touched when he actually found a friend in Alfred and could call himself Alfred's friend, as well. This was a story about the conflict between the Patryns and the Sartans and their sundered world but I found the personal smaller story of Haplo's awakening, inner conflicts and ultimate victories with himself and those around him most appealing.

Good, solid story-telling.