By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Out of fear, enemies are born.

Haplo returns full of doubts, and confesses all to his lord, who purifies Haplo through pain. Cold once more, Haplo is sent on to Chelestra, the last world; where he finds a vast ocean, where “sea moons” float in bubbles of air.

The story quickly switches to the mensch (dwarves, elves, and humans), who have managed to form a lasting peace. They are about to migrate to a new sea moon, until a new enemy appears, demanding a sacrifice to stay their hand.

The story continues the transition that began in Fire Sea, humanizing Haplo through a series of quick subplots as he struggles to reconcile who he is with who he thinks he should be. This brings the characters much closer, but also serves as a stalling tactic, postponing the main conflict until other plots have a chance to catch up. The story manages to create some touching moments, but ultimately proves anti-climactic, leaving characters and audiences waiting for the next installment.

+Strong Characters
+Strong Setting
*Weak main plot, strong subplots
*Some interesting ideas
-Anticlimactic Ending

3/5

Next Time…
Hand of Chaos-DGC 05
2016/08/11