The Sorceress of Scath [Mass Market Paperback]

(This book is a sequel to The Armlet of the Gods, and the third book in the quadrilogy.) Compelled to return to the worlds of Lucifer, Alan MacDougall enters through the third gate, and finds himself on the Island of Scath. The island is divided in an eternal war between the sorceress Scathach and the god Amaraduk, and MacDougall is now caught in the middle. However, when a group of Celtic gods arrive, looking for revenge on MacDougall, things get really interesting!

This is another interesting book. This story is even more intense than the previous two, with Alan MacDougall learning more about himself, his friend the bard Taliesin, and the world that Lucifer created. Personally, I enjoyed the even more extensive use of the Sumerian pantheon in this book.

So, let me say that this is a very interesting book, one that I highly recommend!

Once again evil reaches out to force Alan MacDougall to unwillingly enter through the third gate into the world created by Lucifer. This time he finds himself on an island divided into the two territories of Scath and Marduk. Traveling first to Scath MacDougall soon meets its ruler, Scathach, a powerful sorceress who has an indomitable will and a cruel streak for punishing those who fail her. Scathach, though, seems inclined to show MacDougall every kindness for it seems that she wishes him to play a role in some plan she has devised. With all her charm, magic trickery and sheer force Scathach is determined that MacDougall will bend to her will. MacDougall faces an enemy more sinister than any of the Celtic 'gods' he met on previous visits. They at least were straightforward in their aggression. Compared to Scathach they seem almost like ill spoilt children putting on a temper tantrum. How can MacDougall escape Scathach? Is there hope of aid in the realm of Marduk, or is that kingdom, ruled by the Sumerian demon Amaruduk, just as bad or even worse?

This book is the third novel in Eshbach's THE GATES OF LUCIFER: Book (1) One: The Land Beyond the Gate; Book (2) Two: The series. It is a complete adventure in itself, but it builds upon the earlier events, thus I suggest that for the fullest enjoyment you read books one and two first. They are The Land Beyond the Gate and The Armlet of the Gods. The fourth book is The Scroll of Lucifer.

Once again Eshbach has written a tale full of invisibility, shape changing, telepathy, teleportation and illusion. In this novel, however, Eshbach departs from the formula, used in the first two books, of having MacDougall travel from place to place, meeting new amazing personalities and observing many strange sights of landscape and architecture. The bulk of the work concerns Scathach and she is indeed a character worthy of such attention. Forgive my political incorrectness and allow me to say that there seems something very alluring about a cunning female with a dark temper. Of course Scathach is a younger member of a line of such villainesses. There was first Rider Haggard's She (Oxford World's Classics), in the book of the same name, and then A. Merritt's Yolara, in The Moon Pool (Bison Frontiers of Imagination). Unfortunately compared to those two Scathach seems not quite as dangerous, but she is still a memorable character, and Eshbach's novel is certainly very worth reading.

In this novel, even more than the second, MacDougall becomes aware of the evil nature of the events he is caught up in. The reality of Lucifer, demons and pagan 'gods' is no light or casual matter. This religious theme adds to the books depth and the success of the work, although it is not overly stressed. Eshbach was a Christian, but I would not consider this an overly evangelic or preachy book.

As usual Eshbach writes in his amiable style, which jollies the reader on, carrying us from one incident to the next as the book builds to its climactic conclusion. Eshbach may not be a prize-winning novelist, but his work is competent and entertaining. If you enjoyed the first two books I think you will like this one even more.

Once again evil reaches out to force Alan MacDougall to unwillingly enter through the third gate into the world created by Lucifer. This time he finds himself on an island divided into the two territories of Scath and Marduk. Traveling first to Scath MacDougall soon meets its ruler, Scathach, a powerful sorceress who has an indomitable will and a cruel streak for punishing those who fail her. Scathach, though, seems inclined to show MacDougall every kindness for it seems that she wishes him to play a role in some plan she has devised. With all her charm, magic trickery and sheer force Scathach is determined that MacDougall will bend to her will. MacDougall faces an enemy more sinister than any of the Celtic 'gods' he met on previous visits. They at least were straightforward in their aggression. Compared to Scathach they seem almost like ill spoilt children putting on a temper tantrum. How can MacDougall escape Scathach? Is there hope of aid in the realm of Marduk, or is that kingdom, ruled by the Sumerian demon Amaruduk, just as bad or even worse?

This book is the third novel in Eshbach's THE GATES OF LUCIFER: Book (1) One: The Land Beyond the Gate; Book (2) Two: The series. It is a complete adventure in itself, but it builds upon the earlier events, thus I suggest that for the fullest enjoyment you read books one and two first. They are The Land Beyond the Gate and The Armlet of the Gods. The fourth book is The Scroll of Lucifer.

Once again Eshbach has written a tale full of invisibility, shape changing, telepathy, teleportation and illusion. In this novel, however, Eshbach departs from the formula, used in the first two books, of having MacDougall travel from place to place, meeting new amazing personalities and observing many strange sights of landscape and architecture. The bulk of the work concerns Scathach and she is indeed a character worthy of such attention. Forgive my political incorrectness and allow me to say that there seems something very alluring about a cunning female with a dark temper. Of course Scathach is a younger member of a line of such villainesses. There was first Rider Haggard's She (Oxford World's Classics), in the book of the same name, and then A. Merritt's Yolara, in The Moon Pool (Bison Frontiers of Imagination). Unfortunately compared to those two Scathach seems not quite as dangerous, but she is still a memorable character, and Eshbach's novel is certainly very worth reading.

In this novel, even more than the second, MacDougall becomes aware of the evil nature of the events he is caught up in. The reality of Lucifer, demons and pagan 'gods' is no light or casual matter. This religious theme adds to the books depth and the success of the work, although it is not overly stressed. Eshbach was a Christian, but I would not consider this an overly evangelic or preachy book.

As usual Eshbach writes in his amiable style, which jollies the reader on, carrying us from one incident to the next as the book builds to its climactic conclusion. Eshbach may not be a prize-winning novelist, but his work is competent and entertaining. If you enjoyed the first two books I think you will like this one even more.

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