Fire Sea was a wonderful book - I enjoyed it immensely! Dragon Wing (the first Death Gate book) was kind of slow, but if you can get past it, get ready for some great fantasy adventure! Elven Star and Fire Sea will blow you out of the water and leave you begging for more! Fire Sea is an extremely serious book - morbid, bloody, depressing - all of these words describe it well. Fire Sea is also one of the most important books in the Death Gate Cycle because Haplo and Alfred discover that there IS a higher power in the universe. If it wasn't for this important discovery, the war might have been lost. I'll stop there, so I don't give anything away! You should read it

I read this book, and the rest of The Death Gate Cycle when it first came out and I was about 14 years old. (About 10 years ago I think). Back then, I thought it was the best series ever, etc etc. I've written reviews for the previous books in this series, so if you look for them, you'll find them.

Fire Sea, the third book in this seven book series, is fantastic. I literally read it in one 24-hour period because I was so into it. It's been a week since I finished now, but I still remember how fantastic it was.

I won't go into too much plot because other reviewers nicely summarize it. The book reunites Haplo and Alfred, the two main characters in the series. Alfred was not in the second book, and it's good to see him back. They are reluctant companions in a journey to an underground world where everything is dead. The world's source of heat and light is dying, and the once peaceful Sartan have become fragile shells of the once great people they were. Their magic has turned to necromancy, and anybody who dies is brought back to life as a walking zombie.

This book succeeds for three reasons. First are the contrasting relationships in the book. Alfred and Haplo, ancient enemies by birth, need to learn lessons from the other, but don't think they do. Their survival however, depends on it. We see Haplo begin to doubt his Lord's motives, and we see Alfred begin to doubt his people. Jonathan and his wife are the epitome of the young, loving couple. The sheer emotion put into their story is worth your time alone.

Secondly, there's almost no way you can predict what's going to happen. Unlikely characters become major players and do things you'd never expect, and small things mentioned early in the book become extremely important. Lastly, the back-story is finally told! At last, after three books, I was thrilled to be told at last how the Sartan and the Patryns came to be, of their Great War, and what the Chamber of the Damned was used for. Read those chapters carefully: there is stuff in there that I think isn't supposed to make a lot of sense now, but in the final books is absolutely essential.

My only complaint for this book is that some of it, like many of the things in the series, is a little too contrived and is never explained very well. You never really figure our in the beginning how Alfred managed to get onto Haplo's ship. I get the impression the authors just wanted to get to the point and didn't bother explaining that, and a few other things.

The ending to this book is simply amazing. Very few books I've read have the sort of suspense and drama that were in this one. Like The Empire Strikes Back, the good guys don't win and they only manage to escape. The last chapter and the epilogue ends everything perfectly. After reading the last sentence of the book, and finally understanding it's meaning, I was covered in chills.

This could quite possibly end up as the best book in the series. I'll move onto the fourth book, and see if it can compare.

Travelling to Abbarach, the World of Stone, Haplo the Patryn and Alfred the Sartan must join together to survive as they discover both the secrets of a dying world as well as learning to trust each other. Book Three takes a morbid, terrifying look at death and continues the upbeat pace that the first two novels kept. A must read for any reader of the Death Gate Cycle. CAUTION : DUE TO MATURE CONTENT, THIS BOOK NOT SUGGESTED FOR READERS UNDER THE AGE OF 13

These two authors never cease to amaze me. They are great! Death Gate was one of their earlier works together and even then they put together a great story.

ON Serpent Mage...

Serpent Mage is where the series really starts getting good. We finally get some important information on whats going on..a lot of information of the Sundering....why the hell Alfred's even in these books, we even get a sneak peak at the Sartan who started all this crap.
I personally think this is the best book so far in the series. I havent read the last three yet but this book was great. I was kinda wondering if I was going to finish the series after Fire SEA because it didn't seem MW and TH were giving their best but Serpent Mage has renewed my interest in Death's Gate. I cant really say anything else being that I would give away the story but this another job well done by these two great authors:)!

This is book four in the series...
Book 1 was pretty good : Book 2 was pretty good as well : Book 3 was really slow

But all three books were laying important ground work.

Book 4 was a good read (I probably read it the fastest of the books so far). Without going into specifics, Book 4 "Serpent Mage" started to give us some of the really important background information that had been missing. A very elaborate job has been done in painting a picture of some key characters and expanding even more on previously introduced characters. Plus, depending on the twists and turns that MW & TH have instore for the readers, we can start to see a picture of the future story line that will be covered in the final three books. I am really looking forward to them.

This is the fourth book of the Death Gate series and final book of the Death Gate Cycle and takes place on the Realm of Water, Chelestra. Alfred emerges from the Death Gate (having just fled Haplo's ship) find's himself in a Sartan chamber similar to the one on the Realm of Air. This chamber is filled with living Sartan which Alfred awakes. He soon discoveres that these are the original Sartan who sundered the world but for some reason can not bring himself to trust them.

Meanwhile Haplo attempt to go to Chelestra without meeting with his lord, Xar. Xar has other plans and manages to get the information about necromancy and the possibility of a higher power out of Haplo. Xar punishes Haplo for his considering the possibility of a higher power as well as punishing him for allowing Alfred to escape. Once his punishment is done, Xar notes with satisfaction that Haplo's mysterious dog is now missing.

On Chelestra, Alfred is surprised by Haplo's dogs appearance at his side. He is also concerned that the Sartan leader refuses to believe there is a higher power and his attempts to hide the truth from Alfred. Haplo makes his way into this world of water when he is shocked to discover that the oceans negate ALL of his magic. Haplo is rescued by a human, elf, and dwarf child who are captives of the powerful and mysterious Dragon-Snakes.

As Haplo learns the truth about the Dragon-Snakes, Alfred learns the truth behind the Sundering. The Dragon-Snakes lead Haplo, the humans, elves, and dwarves to the Sartan and the Sartan leader reacts by threatening to destroy these 'invaders.' As the Dragon-Snakes flood the Sartan city with the rune magic negating ocean water, the leader of the Sartan opens the Death Gate and allows the Dragon-Snakes into the other realms.

This book makes it clear that not all Sartan are good and not all Patryn are evil. Learning more about the past and the fight over whether God (the higher power) really exist proves more interesting than I've made it sound. Fear and arrogance seems to rule both the Patryn leader and the Sartan leader. An excellent read!

I bought this some time ago, read a few pages, and put it down. Then, about a year later, I was pressed for something to read, so I gave it another shot. I am very glad that I did. This book is the first of seven, and those seven quickly became the most favored books of my collection.

The vastness of these sundered worlds is amazing. The great thing about this book, and the series, is the immersion into the world. The humor of the Gegs (dwarves) is unrivaled because of its innocence. The wars between elven and human are colorful, because the war is for water. A nice irony, since there is ice above the elves and humans (beyond their reach), and the Gegs below are constantly wracked by fierce thunderstorms.

The plot is excellent because so many lines are running at once. And then, too, there are mysteries that are resolved, and others that are carried over. (Example: We learn what the Kicksey-Winsey is designed for, but we aren't told exactly how it operates.)

If you liked Dragonlance, you MUST read this book. The reason, you ask? There is this strange befuddled old man in mouse colored robes in the second book. Let's see, what was his name? . . . Oh yes! It's Zifnab!

DRAGON WING marks the beginning to THE DEATH GATE CYCLE, a series where the first four novels are stand-alones and the action takes place on four seperate worlds. In DRAGON WING we are introduced to the great many races of creatures used in the cycle. There are elves, dwarves, sartyn, and patryn; each race is thouroghly introduced and there is a large aray of characters from each race that grace the story. I liked this book because it managed to go in depth into the minds of the characters, and to create a fast paced, action filled story line all at the same time. There is so much going on in this novel, with it's large and heavily detailed world, that I cannot even begin to synopsize it. All I will say is that anyone who is a fan of fantasy should pick up this book and give it a try. I'm sure you'll be satisfied

Read this book! I read all the seven books and I recommended you read all the Death Gate Cycle. The first book of the series, "Dragon Wing", it's good (in my opinion it's a little slow, but interesting), the other six especially the last four are amazing and very exciting, the story changes in its entirety in the latest books and you don't expect the end. The story is full of magic and imagination and the way that the authors conceive how does it act it's totally new.

The Death Gate Cycle tells the story of seven realms formed by a powerful wizards, the sartans, with the purpose of take control of the mensch and to avoid the increase power of their ancient enemies, the patryns, another powerful race of wizards. The sartans secluded the patryns in a prison named The Labyrinth and then dissapeared mysteriously. But the patryns could conquer The Labyrinth and now they wish revenge and take control of the realms.

Dragon Wing, the first volume of the Cycle, tells the story of the realm of air, Arianus. Haplo, the patryn, is sent by Xar to this realm with the commission of search the sartans. Haplo at the begining, didn't find his ancestral enemy but he found a strange machine operated by the gegs and it's function still unknown.Besides, in this world humans and elves fight for water, the most precious element, because in this world it is scare. Haplo, after a while, knows the gegs Limbeck and Jarre, Bane a human prince who is taked care by Alfred (a strange fellow) and Hugh, another human that must kill Bane.

So, don't you think that at first sight, this story is predictable by only reading the first book. Read the complete series of books, you won't be disappointed.

This book, being the fifth in a series of seven, has the unlucky duty of acting as a "bridge". As such, it starts a little slow and never quite gets up to speed. The book also comes on the heels of a tough act to follow, Serpent Mage, volume four in the series, which is an outstanding book. Although much of 'The Hand of Chaos' is made up of "filler" material, there are some redeeming qualities. Hugh the Hand's character is revisited and developed, which in my opinion makes the book. Haplo's low-profile in the book, as well as the absence of Alfred the Sartan, leave the burden on Hugh. 'The Hand of Chaos' is a good book but it does not quite match up to the level of first four books in the series.

Just when I thought it was over, after the first four books (the Death Gate Cycle), it starts it all over again with Hand of Chaos. Haplo has now been to all 4 different worlds and had more than involved himself with the lowly "mensch". Haplo and his clumsy enemy, Alfred, must try to help spread the word of a power far greater than their own. I have enjoyed every Death Gate book because of it's intense storyline, fine characters, and very interesting "history" which is sprinkled for plot progression. These seven books have captived my time since more since Duncan's octology. I had read Darksword trilogy ten years ago when I was in high school, so I am familiar with their work. And this "septology?" has truly caught my imagination off guard, and I wish the rollercoaster had not stopped!

The Hand of Chaos brings readers back to Arianus, World of Air, as the Patryn Haplo must choose between obeying his master, the Lord of the Nexus, and fighting the evil dragon-snakes, who escaped from Chelestra, World of Water. Book Five also brings back Hugh the Hand, brought back from the dead, to complete the mission he failed to complete before, killing Bane, Lady Iridal's ill-fated son. Book Five also brings together the characters of the first four books as well as introducing new characters

I have never been very much into reviews, but some books just call for it, and Deathgate Cycle's just one of those series. I of course, give Into the Labyrinth five stars for many reasons, other than plot and character development which are always strong throughout the series. As the sixth book of the series, Ino the Labyrinth still manages to surprise the reader and make the "answer" to the story even more confusing than it previously was. And of course, the presence of Zifnab is a plus, as I maintain he is the best character in the entire series. And for those who don't appreciate his references to James Bond and other characters, let me remind you that the four worlds of the Deathgate Cycle were sundered from the Earth which is the world that WE live in now, though it was sundered in a futuristic era. To back this up without having to quote deeply into the book, just let me remind you that Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman indicate that the name "Xar" is derived from "Czar" and ultimately, Caesar from ancient Roman times. But in any case, one thing for sure is: Throughout all of Into the Labyrinth, you'll be wondering how the hell the heroes can possibly save the worlds from the chaos that the Sartans and Patryns created, with the help of the Dragon-Snakes.

This Series written by Weis and Hickman is the greatest work of fantasy literature that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This novel has everything you can ask for, action, answers to questions, and insights on new characters- Xar and Marit. This is the second to last book in the series and the last one is the best but this one is great too, If you havn't had a chance to read this series, you must do so for this is one of the greatest series of all time.

I find this book, and the entire Death Gate series, awesome. Great characters, intricate plots, dark humour, suspense, all here; better than any other fantasy book/series I've read, except Tolkien. Each book is filled with tons of imaginative dialog, plot twists, action, and the fantasy worlds are just way detailed and fantastic. The writing style perfectly fits the dark fantasy/adventure theme. And its true you must read all the books in the series to understand it. A must read for anyone who likes imaginative things.

This is the 2nd book of the Death Gate Cycle and has only one returning character from the first book "Dragon Wing" : the Patryn Haplo. The book starts out slow as we are introduced to the Realm of Fire, Pryan. This world stays lit constantly which has made the surface a massive jungle so high that only dwarves have ever seen the ground. The story starts with our introduction to an elf family who are in the weapons business. As the best in the trade, they are the richest in the land. They are selling a new shipment of magic weapons to a pair of human traders/smugglers who in turn are smuggling them to the dwarves. The dwarves are worried due to rumors that mythical Tytans are on the move and destroying everything in their path.

It is into this scene that Zifnab (Fizban for those who've read the Dragonlance series) makes a grand entrance fighting to control a huge dragon. After gaining control of the dragon, he predicts Haplo's coming and that the Patryn will be their savior.

So when Haplo does show up, he is surprised to see he has been expected and his arrival is none to soon. The mythical Tytans have proved to be all to real and are destroying everything in their path. Much to Haplo's surprise, these Tytans know crude Sartan magic which they use with the force of a mountain and nearly kill Haplo. Haplo and a few survivors barely escape with there lives and make for one of the "stars" in the sky. It is here that Haplo learns about the creation of the Tytans but is no closer to learning what happened to his enemies, the Sartans.

Learning about the political situation of Pryan is a tad slow in the begining but Zifnab makes great comic relief and the Tytans make for an interesting creature that (IMO) helps speed the book along. This book continues to slowly show us that Haplo is not pure evil just because he's a Patryn. All-in-all an excellent read!

Elven Star brings readers into Pryan, word of fire. Although it may not seem to have mutch in common with the first book, readers will see that it plays an important part later and is tied in with the rest of the story. It is a continuation of Haplo's journey through the four elemental worlds. New charictors are introduced and hummor and romance are added to the rather dark plot. A great book and I can't wait to read the entire series again.

Elven Star is a GREAT book,as captivating as the first. It's a bit slow at first,As others have said before me (like book 1, Dragon Wing), but once you read for a while it's hard to put it down.Yesterday I was up all night reading it and I just finished it today. "The Death Gate Cycle" series has been great so far(I've read two books), and I'm sure it will continue this way.

This is a great book. The Death Gate Cycle is a great series. However, there are too many gaps in the book so that they only way it fits is that it has the same characters. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and recommend it, but Weis and Hickman should have put a little more work into it.

The Series begins after years of Patryns trying to escape the Labrynith, taking over 20 years of Haplo's life and he was born in the middle of it, yet Haplo and the gang can go from the beginning to the end on in a day or 2?

That was a huge let-down for me so I can't give this book more than 3 stars...

Other than that it's great, and I loved the entire series and wish there were more, maybe a spin-off of Hugh the Hand's life prior to meeting Haplo.(My favorite character) It'd be great to learn more about the assassins

Haplo and Alfred are battling against forces on all four worlds and the dragon snakes are trying to destroy the Patryns and Sartan by starting a war in the Labyrinth, and then tricking them into fighting each other instead of the real enemy. Apparently there are only 4 intelligent people in the world, everyone else is hell bent on winning a war that can have no winner, and will not listen to anyone who tries to tell them the truth. Alfred and Haplo end up in the seventh gate along with Xar. Alfred tries to shut Deaths Gate so all the dragon snakes, Patryns, and Sartan are trapped in the same place, hoping that in time they will stop fighting. As usual, nothing goes as planned but in the end, there is tentative peace between everyone, which feels a little too neat.
Overall, the series is good, but it could have been told in five books instead of seven. The biggest weakness is that you never feel close to the characters, as you do in the best fantasy books, like those by Mercedes Lackey and Lynn Flewelling. You like the characters you're supposed to like, and you hate the characters you're supposed to hate, but you're not too tied up into what will happen to them. If you can ignore the flaws of the story, then it is an enjoyable read.

The final to the greatest series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, the team behind the fantastic Dragonlance series. This book is spellbounding, you can't stop. The authors have the ability to conjure up the most fantastical worlds, the Death-Gate being no exception. The Death-Gate is the portal between 4 worlds that were once together as one, each comprising of an element. This is the final tale of a powerful Patryn (human-godlike), who travelled the four worlds and sets out to fix what went wrong.