Fortress Of Pearl (Paperback)

by Michael Moorcock (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The seventh installment in the prolific Moorcock's series about warrior Elric of Melnibone is set early in the warrior's career, opening as the Lord Gho Fhaazi seeks the principal seat on the ruling Council of Seven of the city of Quarzhasaat. He lures Elric into seeking the Pearl at the Heart of the World--the price of admission to the council--by addicting him to a slow-acting poison to which he, the Lord Gho, has the only antidote. Moorcock leads Elric over a course of monstrous and horrifying obstacles, pits him against the Sorcerer Adventurers, servants of Quarzhasatt's jaded rich, and then thrusts him into a dreamworld within the mind of an adoelscent girl. Trapped in a comatose state by the Sorcerer Adventurers, she is undergoing her own rite of passage into adulthood. Through the vast and turbulent landscape of the Dream Realm, guided by the Dreamthief Lady Oone, Elric seeks the Pearl. This is a superior adventure, colorful and exotic, well-paced and exciting.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Tricked into a deadly bargain by a greedy merchant in the decadent desert city of Quarzhasaata, Elric--the albino prince of Melnibone, and Chaos' Eternal Champion--voyages deep into the Dream Realms in search of the Pearl at the Heart of the World. Fans of the author's "Elric Saga" will welcome this return to the adventures of one of sword-and-sorcery's most popular heroes. Recommended.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Ace (December 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441248667
• ISBN-13: 978-0441248667
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 3.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #447,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite Elric Books, September 20, 2004

By	Norman Boyle (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fortress Of The Pearl (Hardcover)

Takes place back in time before Stormbringer killed a loved one. I would read it after the first or second Elric book personally. Elric's father's shade is introduced, and it also should be read before The Dreamthief's Daughter. I really need to reread the other books before making a judgement, but would probably rate this as my 3rd favorite Elric book. I like Moorcock's books because I can get thru them quickly, yet they are still magnificent works that are different than 90% of the fantasy out there. I like his writing style better than about every other fantasy/science fiction author except maybe George R.R. Martin. But I don't get that soap opera pull from Moorcock; I can leave his books for a while and know they will always be there when I need a new adventure to escape into. While Tolkien appeals to a wide range of readers, most Moorcock works wouldn't appeal to religious folk, or anyone who doesn't like reading about death. While Elric constantly tries to save humanity in his own way, his sustenance comes to him by sacrificing souls to his patron Duke of Hell - Arioch.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Elric Fans!, April 1, 2000

By	Robert Tanory (Baton Rouge, LA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fortress of the Pearl (Paperback)

I read this book as the seventh book, but it really is supposed to be read earlier, after the first or second. It fits in nicely after either one of those, really. But regardless of when you read it, it is a great book!

Elric has to go inside a girl's dreams to regain a pearl that the countryside is fighting for. It has "dreamcatchers" and stuff like that in it...really a lot like american-indian and african aborigine tribal stuff. I really liked it, and I hope that if you are an Elric fan you'll pick it up!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Moorcock's Finest , October 15, 2008

By	K. Michael Derby "College administrator and ... (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While Michael Moorcock has written scores of novels over the years, only in the past decade has his work met with approval outside of fantasy and sci-fi circles. While this recognition is belated to say the least, it has to be admitted that Moorcock's talents have continued to blossom as time has gone by. While "The Fortress of the Pearl" is in the heroic fantasy genre, it seems, much like the Von Bek series, to be a transitional work as Moorcock drifted from fantasy and sci-fi to his current literary works. As such, the book contains an excellent plot revealed by some of Moorcock's best writing.

Unlike some of the other books in the Elric series, "The Fortress of the Pearl" is a full novel, not a collection of short stories thrown together as a book. This does not pose a problem for Moorcock who is able to balance the story while offering great depth to some of his usual archtypes (the Eternal Champion, the Companion, etc). The story takes place between the first and second books of the Elric saga and Moorcock still seems to find new facets of his flagship character to explore and reveal. It's also one of the funnier and more through provoking books in the Elric series and, unlike some of his earlier works, Moorcock provides an excellent supporting cast to his main character. Any Moorcock fan and most lovers of heroic fantasy will enjoy "The Fortress of the Pearl" though those readers who are familiar with the other Elric books may take more out of it than others.