Questo è uno dei miei cicli fantasy preferiti. In sette libri viene creato un sistema di mondi coerente ed intrigante, in cui si muovono personaggi non sempre pienamente consapevoli delle loro azioni. Tutto è permeato da una sorta di patina fascinosa e magica, un'atmosfera avventurosa come se ne vedono poche. Dimenticatevi le piatte caratterizzazioni di DragonLance e la sua noia mortale: *questo* è vero fantasy.Tra i primi 4 libri, che sono una sorta di prologo per la vera guerra che si combatte negli ultimi 3, il migliore è IMHO il secondo ("La stella degli elfi"). Innanzitutto per la genialità della concezione di questo mondo; in secondo luogo per i personaggi particolarmente ispirati; ci sono anche ben due storie d'amore "incrociate", tra umani ed elfi (tranquilli, non è uno spoiler, se non siete ciechi ve ne accorgerete dopo una manciata di pagine ^_^ ).Nella seconda parte della storia, l'ultimo libro ("La settima porta") è sicuramente il più valido, anche perchè si tirano i fili di tutta la vicenda.Molto buona, a livello di narrazione, anche la seconda metà del sesto volume ("Nel labirinto"): io me la sono "bevuta" praticamente in una serata. Vengono risolti i destini di alcuni personaggi che erano rimasti in sospeso addirittura dal secondo volume.Vengono strette nuove alleanze, alcuni divengono consapevoli del proprio potere, si allacciano definitivamente amicizie, e vecchi accordi cadono, forse per sempre.Il terzo libro invece ("Mare di fuoco"), pur dando una scossa "dark" alla saga, è IMHO un poco fuori dal contesto. Non so, stride un pò con il resto del Ciclo, è un pò fuori dall'armonia del tutto.Chi vuole una costruzione perfetta, senza dettagli lasciati al caso, troverà quel che cerca in questo Ciclo. Gli autori hanno creato un mondo complesso senza mai perdersi per strada, esponendo ottimamente non solo la geografia dei quattro mondi, ma anche un background storico solido e credibile.Secondo me, come realizzazione di un mondo, siamo ai livelli di Tolkien.Sconsigliato a chi non apprezza il fantasy.
A fitting penultimate volume, setting us up for the final confrontation in Book 7. We start to leave the mensch worlds behind (except for too much time spent with the elves, humans, and dwarves of Pryan...not really a favorite group of characters of mine) and focus on Haplo, Alfred, and the newly-introduced Marit as they work to thwart the dragon-snakes. Also, there's plenty more of Hugh the Hand (who is as cool and tough as The Gunslinger, the Man with No Name, and Jason Bourne). He's become one of my favorite fictional characters after re-reading these books. There are a couple of points that detract from the story. For one, I've always wondered why Alfred was able to bring Hugh back to life without any of the issues discussed in Fire Sea (he's not a lazar with an echoing voice, or a regular corpse who's mindless). There's no explanation how this could be, but I think we can surmise that as the Serpent Mage, Alfred as powers far beyond those of other Sartan. The second is more of a wish than an issue, but I thought that the lazar on Abarrach were defeated too easily. A simple sentence is all that is used to explain their defeat. Still, I think this serves to describe how powerful Xar is compared to everyone else.I'll be very sorry when I close the cover on the last book, but this is a series that I will come back to someday. I do that with very few books, but this is one of the best.
What do You think about Into The Labyrinth (1994)?
(This review may contain spoilers).I felt that this book was quite intense, in many ways. There were more familiar characters here - and it was good to see Jonathan again, no matter how scary he is now as a lazar.Zifnab was as amusing as always, though I couldn't help feeling sorry for him as more about his history was revealed. The events on Pryan came through particularly well, I thought. And I liked the dragon - who probably isn't a true dragon at all, any more than the sea-serpents are true serpents.I wasn't able to emphasise with Xar as much in this book. He's become a villain as much as Haplo's become a hero.Speaking of Haplo... I like his friendship with Alfred and that he finally admitted they were friends. I didn't like Marit very much. She comes across as fairly naive in her own way.I was sorry to see what happened to Samah, even though he wasn't a very nice person. It sounded like he'd finally realised what the Sartan had done when trying to play gods.
—Sarah Briggs
More than liked it, but couldn't Really like it. First book in the series to really get even remotely business-like about advancing the overall plot.Really enjoyed it once we got to follow Haplo and crew Into the Labyrinth. (That's no spoiler, it's the name of the book.)(view spoiler)[Marit (hide spoiler)]
—Daniel Eggert
Six down, one to go, and frankly, at this point, I just want it to be over. Parts of this book were really good. I enjoyed the parts when they were in the Labyrinth. There, there was action, a certain degree of intrigue, and a general sense of unpredictability. It brings out certain things about certain characters that they might have been able to keep hidden in less strenuous settings, too, which was kinda cool.Unfortunately, that still left the first half of the book, which I basically don't even remember, if that gives you a clue, and the chapters between the ones in the Labyrinth. Those were set back on Pryan, which remains my least favourite world. It's like something about that world just sucks the interest out of absolutely everything that touches it. Four of the five characters there are completely lifeless and tiresome, and the fifth? Well, he almost gets something almost interesting going, but then... Let's just say he doesn't. Zifnab, of course, is back, and is just as much of a blithering, annoying idiot as ever. I think I sighed audibly every time I turned the page to a new chapter to see that we'd bounced back to the Realm of Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...I have slightly higher hopes for the last book. The reason for this is that I've observed that while Weis & Hickman are capable of writing decent beginnings, and there are some good endings throughout, their middles have been consistently weak. Logic therefore suggests that this last book, as the ending to their series, has the potential to be half-decent. Although I'm sure it will also contain many very long, drawn out, and dull parts.
—kingshearte
