Customer Reviews

The Warlock's Last Ride

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It was a very long time ago when I first started reading this series with "The Warlock in Spite of Himself", "Escape Velocity", and "King Kobold", and if you haven't some if not most of the early stories in the series you definitely don't want to start with this one. If you have been fortunate to have already discovered the Gallowglass family, you really do not want to miss this book.

I can't say that the plot itself is really great or gripping - I mean that from the standpoint of the villains that the Gallowglass family are faced with in the story. SPITE and VETO - the agents from the future are back as the antagonists, and they've got back the lead agents from the earliest books - the Mocker and Durer. However the big "fights" seem to be a side note to the story. What really drives this book is the story of Rod, Gwen and his children. This book is basically about saying farewell to a really beloved friend as we lose some of the main characters who have been in the story from the beginning.

As other reviewers have noted there have been a ton of books in this series, but all good things must end. Rod and Gwen have four capable and now grown up children and it was time to pass the mantle.

It's kind of a bittersweet story, and long time fans will be saddened as you read this book, but at the same time you'll feel a sense of completion.

I kind of fell away from the series about 4 or 5 novels into the Magnus (Gar Pike) off-shoot series as they felt very repetitive, but this one was definitely worth coming back for.

After reading the other reviews I bought the book and put it on the shelf without reading it because I expected the book to be sad and depressing.

When I finally read the book I found that it was refreshing and reminded me of his first books such as The Warlock in Spite of Himself rather than his later books which were more and more predicable. I don't want to spoil the story so all I will say is that while there are parts that made me sad the way they were written also made me very happy at the same time. I found the book very enjoyable - the plot was not predicable - there was a lot of variety, and the book had a pleasant and satisfying ending. If you have read the series then you will want to read this book.

I started reading the Warlock series about 15 years ago, got distracted with other things for many years, and rediscovered the series -- along with the Rogue Wizard series and the Warlock's Heirs books -- two years ago. I've enjoyed every one, though some are better than others, and I was counting down the days till this final book came out.

It is worth the wait. It must have been a difficult task to tie up all the loose ends of Gwen and Rod, the three younger sibs and their spouses, Magnus and Alea, and Gramarye itself, but Stasheff pulls it off. (I admit I was less interetested in the VETO/SPITE political intrigue than in the family dynamics and the final stages of Magnus and Alea's courtship, but by now we all know the Gallowglasses can handle their foes without breaking a sweat.) But Stasheff's dialogue, description, and pacing is better and fresher than it has been in the last few books; it feels like he took great care to get this one right, and I think he did it. (My only quibble -- when did Alea become blonde? She was always described as having chestnut hair!)

I hope that those who've followed the series find this ending as satisfying as I did. Thanks for all 20+ books, Mr. Stasheff! If you decide to come back to the Gallowglasses and Gramarye at any point in their timeline, we readers will be waiting!

Since I graduated from reading Nancy Drew mysteries in grade four I've been reading the Warlock books. I started with the first book and never looked back. Rod, Gwen, their children, as well as Fess have been freinds and now I can't expect to hear (well, read) of their new adventures.
So its a fond and sad farewell for me.
Mr. Stasheff brings together all the threads of his many tales over the years with skill. After so long you'd expect there to be more inconsistencies in this last book from the first. Unlike many other authors, he managed to avoid the mistakes that readers always catch. Especially after such a long lived series.
A wonderful final adventure as Rod and Fess go off in to the sunset and find Gwen again.

Other reviewers have commented favorably on the book, and I must agree. If for nothing else other than nostalgia, anyone who has read Mr. Stasheff's previous novels would have to read this one.

"The Warlock's Last Ride" is a bittersweet one, as we see beloved characters die and others operate through their grief. Writing is, as someone else pointed out, fresh, and seeing a number of plot strings introduced at various parts of the series brings a strong sense of closure. Moreover, since this is a Stasheff novel, the closure is logically presented, and consistent within the science of the series.

Kudos to Mr. Stasheff, and should you read this review, I would like to say that from book 1 to this one, it has been a very long, but very companionable, ride.

The Warlock's Last Ride was a fitting finale to the series. I am very disappointed that there will be no more...Christopher Stasheff was as fabulous with his last book in the series as every other book.

Not totally unpredictable but still superbly written and leaving you with still unanswered questions. Stasheff has appropriately closed Ron's story, at least for now.

A beautifully written book, and a solid conclusion to the series. Shasheff ties everything up with a return of some familiar villans and a reunion of the Gallowglasses. The high emotional moments are, as usual, very well written and very moving. A must-read for Warlock and wizard fans.