Shadow of the Well of Souls (The Watchers at the Well, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jack L. Chalker (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Watchers at the Well, Book 2

Immortal, unchanging, the eternal survivor, Nathan Brazil had tired of his long duty as the guardian of the Well World and had enlisted Mavra Chang, space pilot and adventurer, as his companion and equal, sharing with her the godlike power to control the universe's destiny. Now the Well World is changing, and Brazil and Chang have drifted apart . . . but they must work together one more time to stop a new threat to the Well World -- the greatest threat of all . . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Chalker's popular "Well World" series continues (after a 15-year hiatus) as the guardians of the Well return to find their charge mysteriously altered.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Book two in a trilogy reviving Chalker's Well World resumes adventures begun in Echoes of the Well of Souls. Nathan Brazil, immortal guardian of the Well World computer that underlies the creation and evolution of the universe, continues his investigation of the unusual planetwide deviations that prompted his summons back through the Well Gate. Evidencing one of those deviations, many of the species he meets with have evolved along lines that should be impossible; attesting to another, both he and his counterpart, Mavra Chang, have met with inexplicable obstacles in accessing the Well computer, including Chang's subjugation by a former drug dealer from Earth. Meanwhile, unknown to both, the malevolent entity known as the Kraang watches and influences events from the sidelines, setting up a finale of universe-saving proportions. Without hindering the action, Chalker excels in providing richly imagined surroundings and anthropological detail for the Well World's many creatures. Trilogy followers well may anticipate a dramatic finish. Carl Hays --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (July 31, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345388461
• ISBN-13: 978-0345388469
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Please avoid; but don't miss the first series, May 1, 2000

By 

Shade_Jon "shade_jon" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow of the Well of Souls (The Watchers at the Well, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Jack Chalker's original Well of Souls series (Midnight, Echoes, Quest, Return, Twilight) are classics, possibly the finest science fiction series I have ever read. The three books in this series are horrid, and I don't just mean in relation to the originals. Like many other writers, his energy was spent after the first few series and books, and he has degenerated into rehashing formaulaic bad prose over and over. Where he used to "show" what was happening, he now spends endless pages "tell"ing in justification of the poor choices his characters make in far fetched plot. The outcome was thoroghly predictable. The plot was the most forced plot I can ever remember reading. The lectures at the end were insufferable. Please avoid. And please read the originals - not to be missed!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Readable but not much more, January 31, 2002

By 

Ronald Bingham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow of the Well of Souls (Paperback)

These three books are OK. The first sequence (midnight to twilight :) ) are the best and I'm not even going to bother with the other 'Well World' books after these.

My major problem with these is the author seems to have forgotten (or arbitrarily changed) things that happened in Echoes. In Echoes he has two of the entries (by inference Tony and the Colonel) going to specific hexes, but in the Shadow, suddenly Tony is a Dillian (when it was definitely stated only the girl went there in E) and the Colonel is a Leeming.

Also why have the inhabitants of Hakazit changed from the first series? They WERE giant armoured red-eyed lizards and now they are man sized mosquito's. Did Chalker re-read his old stuff?

That's the major problem. There's no consistency. And I've only pointed out a couple of the stuff up's.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Shadow of the original series, March 29, 2001

By 

"emeraldavatar" (Jersey City, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadow of the Well of Souls (The Watchers at the Well, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a pretty good yarn, and Chalker's gift of invention is displayed very well here - unlike in the first book of this series, which took place on Earth for the most part. Here we are back on the beloved Well World, and as usual, much of the enjoyment lies in discovering new alien races. Chalker's plot is not nearly as intense as the original Well series, though - the whole race to the Well seems forced and lacks urgency. Altogether an enjoyable read, but hardly a classic. Not even a pulpy, guilty-pleasure classic like the original series, which I highly recommend.