F/SF

De verdieping in de plot en in de karakters in "Toverslang" zet zich voort in dit deel. Dit is echt een serie die groeit naarmate het verhaal zich verder ontvouwt. Haplo keert in dit verhaal terug naar Arianus, waar de situatie enigszins anders is geworden. De Geggen noemen zich weer bij hun echte naam: de dwergen. Er is oorlog en er zijn overal conflicten. En die vreemde elfen, dwergen en mensen met een rode gloed over hun ogen stoken de boel nog eens lekker op. Ik heb echt genoten van dit boek. Het blijft vlot lezen, er is humor, er is meer diepgang in de karakters dan in het begin (kan nog meer naar mijn smaak, maar er zit echt een verbetering in) en het verhaal is spannend, hoewel hier en daar wat ongeloofwaardig. Wat wil een mens nog meer? ( )

This is book 5 of the Death Gate Cycle and won't make any sense unless you have read the previous 4. This book has many failings in terms of plot and repetitiveness, but it does continue the action packed adventures of Haplo, Jarre, Dog, Bane and the Serpents on Arianus, the realm of Air. ( )

Haplo's still in his lord's bad books, but needed to escort young Bane back to the world of stone where we began. Bane however has been trying to manipulate events so that he gets to keep Haplo's dog - and lthough we gain a few further clues about this odd creature, there's still a lot more that isn't clear. Meanwhile of course the serpents of evil have been busy. They're stoking fear in Lord Xar, and on Stone they're trying very hard to ensure that all three races of mensch go back to war. Haplo realises that Xar doesn't believe him regarding the mendacity of the serpents so he's unsure of his best course of action.

We actually get very little of Haplo in this book, because he spends most of his time in an Elven prison cell, not wanting to take a course of action that would further the serpents, or lead to any causes for War. The rebel elves are about to unite with the humans and make peace with the dwarfs. The serpents are less enamoured of this outcome.

Bane is not forgotten and one of Alfred's mysteries is explained as Hugh the Hand continues to his last contract.

TBC ( )

Hugh the Hand is back and makes sure Bane is killed. Haplo realizes the serpentsnakes are simply our own evilness phantasmagorized[?]. Deals with the elves and their magic system a bit more. Very interesting. ( )