Customer Reviews

Xena: The Empty Throne

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I found this book marvelous and well-written. The story-line was flowing, and the characters were true to the story. For those who complain that many of the characters mentioned do not show up in the myths and legends of ancient Greece: NEWS FLASH! XENA doesn't appear in any old legends either. And by the way, most of the background characters don't even appear in most legends anyway. I mean, did you ever hear what the prince's name was in Snow White, for gosh sakes, even in the Bible, they never mention any of Noah's or his son's wives, do they? Anyway, back to the story. Xena, Joxer, and Gabriel continue on their quest to find Helen, and beat the other warlords sent to get her as well. Joxer is his usual goofy self, Gabriel is, as always, a little bland, and Xena is the cool, calm warrior. Lots of Mythical Surprises, lots of references, and plenty of plain old fun. By the way, for those of you curious, yes, there is a section of the book with a sea monster. TWO in fact. And, beleive it or not, Joxer's right in the thick of it (surprise, suprise).

As a fan of both the series X:WP and Ru Emerson, I naturally looked forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, my expectations were disappointed.

Not only does Go Quest Young Man prominently feature the series' least effective and most unpopular character (the ratings fall for episodes featuring him, which should have told someone something) but its most powerful draw, the friendship between the two leading characters, is virtually ignored.

In fact the novel seems designed to be as unappealing to dyed-in-the-wool Xenites as possible. The wretched Joxer's name appears virtually everywhere, while Xena and Gabrielle are kept apart for all but 28 pages - and Gabrielle is presented for much of the time as a bitchy brat with pms!

I hope the next book shows a closer acquaintance with the series and some appreciation of its true strengths. It has a devoted, long-term audience, but this offering is not likely to satisfy many of them.

Inga

You would think that one who carries the screen name XenaBard would at least have a working knowledge of the program about which she writes. Ru, however, makes glaring errors that have continued from the first books she's written. Why the publisher continues to allow her to have a contract is beyond my ken. At least in this book, Argo has returned to her natural state as a mare. But Ru, if you read this, the word is CHAKRAM, not chakrum. The story is lame, character development sorely lacking, and those things that make Xena such a wonderful show are not there. The majority of fan fiction available on the web is better than this book.

I should of known better, but I decided to get this book anyway, my hope being that Ru Emerson would be able to do a better job with a three-book plot line than her earlier books.

I was wrong. Xena and Gabrielle seem to be different people. Joxer seems to be right out of the second season and has not been allowed to show his development at all. Even Draco seemed to be slightly off.

Will somebody ask Ru Emerson to watch the shows or at least talk to somebody on the show?

I thought this book was very good. It deals with Joxer thinking he's on a mission to save Helen and Xena and Gabrielle are trying to stop him and everything they do doesn't stop him from accepting the mission. I normally am not a Ru Emerson fan but I thought this book was really good and if your a Xena fan you shouldn't be without this book.

I have a few words to say directly to all of the morons who said that this book is bad because of Joxer. For your information, Joxer is an amazing character and one of the truest on television today. He longs to be a brave warrior, and although it seems to everyone that he is a bumbling idiot, he really is a brave warrior. He is noble and good. Just look at his bravery in "Fallen Angel." He knew that Xena and Gabrielle wanted to be buried in Greece, so he was determined to grant this wish. He has such a good heart. I challenge any one of you to tell me differently. And as for that crap about ratings dropping when Joxer is on, from the "fan from England," I'd have to tell you that I have been a die-hard Xena fan for the past five years. I know everything about the show. I am constantly updated about every aspect. I am in the fan club. In short, I know more about this show than you will ever know about tea and crumpets. And for your information, that garbage about ratings dropping when Joxer is on is simply not true. Plain and simple. You made up that point to illustrate your extremely weak argument. As a matter of fact, ever since "For Him the Bell Tolls," most Joxer-haters out there turned around and love him now. And anothe thing...Ted Raimi, who plays Joxer, was originally signed up for one episode. After "Callisto," there were literally millions of letters and e-mails written to the show asking to bring him back. And that's a fact. Don't challenge a true Xena fan, or you'll end up being stung.

Ru Emereson did a great job with this book. Maybe alittle too much Joxer but hey no is perfect. It keeps your attention and you can barely put it down. I finished it in an afternoon. Great book!

I found this book as entertaining as the tv series and the presence of the very popular Joxer could only be considered a plus. The inclusion of the tounge-in-cheek humor that makes Xena one of the more popular syndicated tv shows means that I will definitely be looking forward to the next book.

Menelaus and his scheming priest Avicus have a scam going. They want young men to believe they are going on a hero's quest, when all Menelaus wants to do is get Helen back.

Joxer is dumb enough to fall for this, and given the priest knows who he is, and that he can manipulate Xena through him, he takes full advance. Xena's old lay Draco, the warlord, and a young Bellerophon are also involved.

As the first of a trilogy, it ends with the travelling three on a ship travelling further towards where Menelaus wants them to be.

I Just finished reading the first two books based on Hercules and Xena. BY THE SWORD by Timothy Boggs was the better of the two. THE EMPTY THRONE by Ru Emerson was not quite as enjoyable.

Having seen Xena rescue the arc of the Covenant, Defend Troy, save Helen and meet Homer, Xena goes to Ithaca and gets involved in the Odyssey (Homer is still a young boy and has never met any of the heroes). Unfortunately it lacked the fun and silliness that runs throughout the series. Although I do like the way Homer was in diapers at the start of the Trojan war. Really.

I had hoped that books based on the series would get better with time (like they did with Star Trek) but there were only a few and now the series has ended. Oh, well. If you really liked the show, you should probably skip this one. Ru Emerson is a talented writer but the nuances of are just not her style.