The Hand of Chaos (The Death Gate Cycle, V. 5)

by Margaret Weis

Hardcover, 1993

Status

Available

Call number

813

Publication

Spectra (1993), Edition: First, 463 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Chaos is everywhere as the Lord of the Nexus orders his servant Haplo and the human child known as Bane to further their master's work on Arianus, the realm of air. But their one time companion Alfred has been cast into the deadly Labyrinth. And somehow the assassin Hugh the Hand has been resurrected to complete his dark mission. More important, the evil force that Haplo and Alfred discovered on Arianus has escaped. As Haplo's doubts about his master grow deeper, he must decide whether to obey the Lord of the Nexus or betray the powerful Patryn...and endeavor to bring peace to the universe. From the Paperback edition..

User reviews

LibraryThing member reading_fox

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

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5 more

LibraryThing member tursach_anam

This is the first fantasy book I've read in many years (after switching over to SF). I read the 4th book in the series about 14 years ago and thought I'd have trouble picking up where I'd left off. Happy to say that there is enough recounting of past events (but not too much!) that brought

everything back. It's a very good story. It does get a little slow at times, but there's something about the overall feel of the book that I really enjoy. It was a little odd starting out from the perspective of Haplo and after I get engrossed in his story switch over to Hugh the Hand for about half the book and then changing back. It wasn't hard to follow, but just a little disjointed there. Anyway, if you enjoyed the first four, you'll obviously enjoy this one. Looking forward to finish the last two in the (reasonably) near-future.

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LibraryThing member weedge507

I've only read a little so far but for now it is quite intense.

LibraryThing member SonicQuack

With the various Gates explored, it is time for Haplo to head back through the original Gate, with Bane in tow. In no time at all Haplo and Bane find themselves embroiled in a Race war and the vague plot sprawls across half the book, continuously adding more cast members, until eventually settling

down. That half is hard going, where not much really happens, however the latter half of The Hand of Chaos produces a decent plot and welcomes back an old character to spice things up. Definitely a drawn out middle book, which is worth the slog to see through the second half, however it remains very much a set up for the next chapter of the Cycle.

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LibraryThing member coffeesucker

Another great book in this series!

LibraryThing member TheCrow2

In this book of the Death Gate cycle Haplo travels back to the very first plane he visited, Arianus, palne of the air. Of coure he arrives in the middle of chaos and war partly raged by the mysterious serpent-drakes. Not the best book by far but the latter half (third) was great....

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