THE DEATH GATE CYCLE, By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

        The concluding novels reviewed by James Jillians

       5. Hand Of Chaos - published in paperback by Bantam
            6. Into The Labyrinth - also in paperback
          7. The Seventh Gate - Out in hardback œ14-99

I've already reviewed the first four books in this trilogy in a
previous edition of SynTax, but having just finished the recently
published final book (number 7 !?!) I want to sing the praises of
the series for a second time.  I should imagine that none of you
can remember what I said in my previous review, so here is a new
summary. Please forgive the long-windedness - it is really hard to
sum up 7 novels in the space of one review and still do justice to
the books.

The story is set in a universe that was created when great
magicians, called Sartan, sundered the Earth into four realms -
air, fire, stone and water. The Sartan's long-time enemy race,
the Patryns, were captured and imprisoned at the time of the
sundering in a huge prison called the Labyrinth. Human, dwarf and
elf races, known by the god-like Sartan as "mensch" races, were
placed on the four worlds to exist under the magicians' benign
dictatorship.

The story starts centuries after the sundering when Patryns begin
to find their way out of the Labyrinth and prepare to enter the
four realms for a new life of world domination. Many generations
of Patryns have become victims of the deadly Sartan prison and
they seek revenge on those responsible for their torment. A
Patryn called Haplo is sent by the by the Lord Xar on a scouting
mission through the inter-dimensional doorway, called Death Gate,
which links all the realms. His job is to investigate each of the
worlds and seek out signs of the Sartan and mensch.

The first four novels of the saga recount Haplo's journeys. He
discovers that the majestic scheme designed by the great
sorcerers, linking each realm to the others, has gone awry and
the Sartan have mysteriously disappeared, leaving the mensch to
run amok. Unattended, the Patryn's prison, instead of serving its
original purpose of rehabilitation, has become deadly.

On the world of air, Arianus, Haplo meets a Sartan called Alfred
who has woken up alone from a deep sleep of suspended animation
and knows as much about the disappearance of his race as Haplo.
Living among the mensch, hiding his magic powers, Alfred has
seemingly become weak and foolish. At first Haplo sees him as
an enemy but a feeling of kinship develops between the two as
they are forced to co-operate.

Eventually, Sartan are found on the world of stone. They are
raising the dead, and unwittingly draining life from the living.
On the world of water, Chelestra, an even bigger threat to life
is discovered - evil dragon-snakes, who are the embodiment of all
the evil and suffering in the universe at the time of the
sundering. These dragon-snakes can assume any form they wish and
feed from other creatures' fear.  Haplo realises through his
experiences the threat that the dragon-snakes pose but knows that
other Patryns, especially Lord Xar, will not believe that there is
a force more powerful than them in the universe that could
possibly be of harm.

Meanwhile, Alfred accidentally wakes up another group of Sartan
from suspended animation, the same ones responsible for sundering
the world. They open Death Gate to establish communication with
the other worlds. The dragon-snakes take this opportunity to
spread their web of deception throughout the rest of the sundered
realms.

This is where the fourth novel ends. For those who do not wish to
read all 7 novels the authors have included a handy "Story So
Far", a first for Weis and Hickman.

Book five, The Hand of Chaos, deals with Haplo's return to
Arianus, the world of air. The book is a fresh adventure with old
characters such as Limbeck the dwarf, the changeling Bane and
Hugh the human assassin (resurrected after book one by Alfred).
The dreaded dragon-snakes, now in mensch guise, have reached
Arianus and are fomenting chaos, trying to disrupt peace
negotiations between the warring dwarves, elves and humans. The
dragon-snakes are using the cunning and mischievous child, Bane,
to further their plans.

Haplo, who has fallen from his Patryn lord's favour, partially
due to the dragon-snakes, tries to stop the world of Arianus
falling into the hands of evil. However, it does not help when
he, Bane and the dwarf maid Jarre are captured. Hugh the Hand,
with the aid of the human sorceress Iridal, sets out on a daring
rescue mission in the hope that Haplo will be able to end the
curse that has been put on his life by his magical resurrection.

Book six, Into the Labyrinth, tells the story of Haplo's return
to the deadly Patryn prison to find his friend Alfred, who has
been banished there by the Sartan of the realm of water. He also
seeks out a child he fathered in the Labyrinth, lost when he
separated from his lover, Marit, to increase his chances of
survival. It comes as a great shock to him when Xar sends Marit
to spy on him and eventually kill him. Also hot on Haplo's trail
is the assassin Hugh, who has a contract to fulfil. Hugh's
magical Sartan weapon, The Accursed Blade, turns out to be more
than he bargains for.

The dragon-snakes are at work in the Labyrinth as well. Haplo,
with the reluctant help of his companions, must try to put an end
to their dastardly schemes. Book six also continues the story of
Book two, Elven Star, reuniting the reader with the mensch
characters of that book.

Book seven, The Seventh Gate, recounts the final struggle for
power between all parties introduced so far - the Sartan of
Chelestra, the escaped Patryns led by Lord Xar, the necromancers
of Abbarach, the dragon-snakes and both Patryns and Sartan from
within the Labyrinth. Haplo is the one to sort everything out but
to do this he needs the help of Alfred, who has been captured by
a dragon (not -snake this time) whilst wounded after a titanic
battle.

The key to power lies within the Seventh Gate, the room in which
the Sartan sundered the world. Everybody seeks to use its power,
especially Lord Xar - but will Haplo and Alfred be able to reach
it first?

Phew! And that's the end of the plot description.

The Death Gate books are fantasy adventures set in an intricately
designed worlds with complex history. Information on the realms
and events leading up to the sundering is released gradually
throughout the story and complements the action very nicely.

The realms have been extremely well thought out and how each
functions is logically explained. The technical side of things is
extremely interesting and for those that want to know more there
are appendices at the end of each book containing information
that is not vital to the storyline.

As always, Weis and Hickman rely heavily on their characters and
their interaction with one another. The characters' feelings are
emphasized and are transferred to the reader. The books can be
very emotive at times. Alfred and Haplo develop into stronger,
more likeable people as the story progresses, which is very
satisfying for the reader.

The first four novels, each set on one of the realms, are really
disaster stories depicting the failure of the Sartan's grand
plans. They set the scene for the final three novels which relate
what is done to right the wrongs and make the universe a better
place. Seven books is a lot to read, but it is worth every minute
because all the details of the complex plot fall into place
towards the end.

Although not of the "humour" genre the books are very funny in
places. They are extremely well written and a pleasure to read.
When all the books in the series had been published I re-read
them all. Once I was into the fourth book I was unable to stop
reading until I had finished.

The story can be very exciting in places especially the tense
second half of The Seventh Gate - where the final battle for
power is fought. There are moments of tragedy when everything
seems to be a disaster, but equal moments of joy when Haplo and
his companions triumph against evil.

Each book is a story in its own right but is part of one big
plot. They all come to their own minor conclusions, leaving the
reader satisfied after reading each one.

ROUND-UP

I whole-heartedly recommend that everybody reads the Death Gate
series. It is the best series from the authors yet, and combines
swash-buckling adventure with thought-provoking information about
the world and its history. The story comes to an excellent
conclusion which makes the days spent reading worth every second.

                       READ-RATING : 10/10



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