Most helpful customer reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Everybody is too harsh on this one, Feb 20 2004
I really enjoyed this book, actually thought that it was better than the first two in the series. Hissune and the other princes on Castle Mount were realistic and cool, Faraataa was a really good (crazy as hell) bad guy, and the sea-dragons were finally revealed as the all-knowing god-like creatures that Silverberg intended for them to be the whole time. Like everybody else, I was disapointed that Valentine didn't toughen up a bit, but it would have changed his character too much and Silverberg's whole message was to promote the power of love, not hate, man! The descriptions and the detail of the world of Majipoor were excellent (and didn't drone on as much as the first book) and the immediate impact of the pestilences and plagues on society was realistically horrible. Something similar would not be out of the question of happening in our world and, unfortunately, I believe that the impact it would have on us would be similar. I look forward to reading the next installment of the Majipoor Saga, the Mountains of Majipoor.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Weak end to an otherwise decent trilogy..., Jan 9 2003
I hate to say it, but this series ended with more of a whimper than a bang. The first novel was good, a little strangely paced (took forever to get to the Isle, then -zip! the book was over), but still a good read. The second book was also good, probably the best of the three. But then this book takes a big dip in quality. Valentine comes off looking like a naive, almost[...]bumpkin, who insists on dealing with every situation with love and peace, even as it becomes more and more obvious that his enemies are out to destroy him. The book starts with him fainting because he has a premonition that Majipoor is in trouble, and he never really rallies from that experience. From there he bumbles from place to place, never quite sure what to do but determined to do it without force. And this guy leads 50 billion people?!As noted by other reviewers, many of the surrounding characters are not well drawn out and in many cases, hardly have any dialog. And the ending is almost preposterous. OK, I've painted a pretty bleak picture here. But the saving of this novel is Hissune, the young protege of Valentine who's up on Castle Mount learning how to become a Coronal. Training that apparently Valetine missed. Anyway, Hissune is a great strong character, and it is always a delight when he is the subject of a chapter. In the end, Silverberg makes some good points about governments and the governing process, but never brings this book up to the standard of the other two books. If you have read the other two books, then go ahead and read this, it is still decent. If you have never read Majipoor, then run away as fast as you can and go read the other two first, or you'll never pick up another Majipoor novel again!
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Silverberg's best work, Nov 12 2000
The war between Valentine and the shapeshifters continues to mount throughout the book, until it comes to a silly ending. Did Silverberg just get tired of writing? Complex problems seldom have such simple solutions.
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