Customer Reviews

The Unforsaken Hiero (Panther Books)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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I first read "Hiero's Journey" back in '79. My parents gave each of us kids a reading project to finish prior to the end of summer vacation. Then in '83 my dad sent me the hard back "Unforsaken Hiero" to read after he finished it. I have been waiting since then for the third installment. Mr. Lanier, if you care one wit about the sanity of your fans, please, PLEASE, hurry and finish the story. You can't just leave us hanging like this!!

The heroic Hiero; lovely and brave Luchare; placid Gorm; loyal Klootz; the aged and witty Brother Aldo; the fiery Abbot Demero; the seafaring Captain Gimp, and the curious and powerful Solitaire are all waiting for us in the wonderful world you created. Standing stalwartly by their sides are the fellow Per's, the hulking Edard Maluin and humble archer Cart Sagenay; the coldly efficient Mantan twins, Geor and Reyn; and the swift and proud Children of the Wind.

"Unforsaken Hiero" is proof that a sequel can be as wonderful and original as the first story. Hiero is again put through his paces as he learns the Unclean has left him for dead, stranded out in the radiation blighted desert. Worse, they stripped him of the weapon they fear most: his hard won and powerful mental abilities. Now he must survive not only the harsh heat and deadly radiation, but he must also face the viscious and cunning creatures spawned by the nuclear holocaust 5,000 years past known as The Death. Little does he know that his trek of survival is really a subtle mental lure lain by a powerful mind.

Whatta story, Mr. Lanier. Come back to us.

I first read this book about ten years ago and the MOST delightful Hiero's Journey a short time before that. There is no doubt we are all in agreement that a third book would be welcomed with open arms. Hiero's Journey and the just as wonderful Unforsaken Hiero rank in the top 3 of my favorite books of all time. My mother introduced me to these books and I would love to be able to share them with others but that's not an easy thing since they are so hard to find (I can't trust them with just anybody). I've never had any luck finding another copy of either, but I'm still looking. The ones I've read belong to my mother and I'd really like a copy of both for myself. Aside from that, hers are so old and well read that they are falling apart. So, if the people or persons with the publishing rights to these two books are listening, please republish these books ! These are the kind of books we want to be able to share with others and pass down to future generations. These books should never be forgotten and they are so hard to find now that in five years they will be all but extinct (they practically are now). How completely sad that would be. Mr. Lanier, if you are out there, we implore you to write number three. If you are not able to, maybe you could collaborate on the project with someone who can. I'm sure any of the top novelists in the sci-fi genre would be proud to be a part of such a timeless and amazing piece of literature. Anybody out there who hasn't read these books and comes across the opportunity to do so, I recommend them highly, even without the long awaited and painfully anticipated number three.

Why I am new to the world of non-fiction, Sterling Lanier has enraptured me. The book's exquisite description and excellent character developement have made a a fan of his, and Hiero's. I'd also like to say that I recently read Lanier's works on the suggestion of his sister, whom I met on a train ride from Munich, Germany to Vienna, Austria. She did not go without mentioning to me that her brother has passed, that she missed him very much, and that Hiero's adventures could not continue for this reason. For all of the Sterling Lanier fans out there, enjoy what you have, for the saga of Hiero will not continue.

Like the reviewer "Catfish," I keep coming back to this book and it's predecessor "Hiero's Journey." This work is also on my top ten list of all time bests. I am always a bit surprised that more have not read them. The story line is almost flawless and the character development is acute. Lanier's smooth prose just tops it off. This is one of those works which I reread every year or so. There is something about the story that sort of keep drawing you back. I of course would like to see the series completed but am fearful that another author could not do it justice and would hate to see a wonderful work ruined. Would recommend this book to anyone wanting a page turner with some classic writing thrown in for good measure. If you can find a copy buy it (actually, buy several copies...I keep loaning my copies to others and for some reason they never come back home!)

I first read Hiero's Journey, and the sequel, years ago and they remain on my top ten list. Why? A great set of characters - of all species!! The post apocalyptic world is seething with all kinds of new life, some good, some bad, some just plain unknown. The good folks are really good, and the bad are totally evil - how can you beat a story in which the bad guys are "The Unclean"? This story has a similar appeal as Vance's "Exploration Team", in which a man and the animals he mentally communicates with explore new planets. Hiero maneuvers through his world, constantly exploring, and the reader gets to explore with him. As a consequence, adventures are just as much a surprise to the reader as they are to Hiero! Lanier does a matchless job of pacing the story. These two books are on a par with any science fiction written at any time and deserve to be savored again and again.

I love the Hiero books but alas there will never be a third book

Mr Lanier suffered a stroke before he could write the third book and the story vanished in his mind. Enjoy what we have. There wil not be any more :(

I wrote a letter to Mr. Lanier back in the early 90's and received a response letter from him. He informed me that on the third book he has quote, "a title (Mobilis in Mobili), one bad chapter and a lot of brooding." He was 65 years old at the time and the response letter was postmarked in Florida. According to him he occupies at lot of his time scuplting. He even has a few pieces in the Smithsonian Institute. He was working on figures of characters from "The Lord of the Rings" at the time of the letter, but said he could not sell them because of copyrights from that dreadful animation by Ralph Bashki. His own words. I implored him to complete the trilogy in my letter, and that I was not alone in my anticipation of it. Perhaps if more people contacted him and expressed their desire for him to finish the novel, he will. Write your letter to him through Ballantine Books in New York. They will forward it to him. Hopefully Hiero will ride again on Klootz!

I have read these books many times and continue to go back to them. They are at the top of the genra. It seems Mr. Lanier has been in ill health for some years, and is unable to write.
It would be wonderful if someone could continue the saga. I have to order more books, as my other ones have worn out from too many readings.
I highly recommend all 3 of his books.

The 2 Hiero books are WONDERFUl. I have read them dozens of times and love reading them every time. Be warned if you have not read these books. The triology is unfinished and it seems will never be, so you will enjoy reading them but will be left with an empty feeling not knowing what happens to everyone.

This was an excellent book and one that I would highly recommend. If anyone knows anything about Mr. Lanier, please post it. Perhaps enough of us can convince him to conclude the series.