Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4) 
The deeper entrenched into this story I get, the more impressed I become with how the authors have managed to create such a fantastic tale. With every book it gets more and more complicated while still never losing sight of the few, basic, simple themes at its core. This book is just as fantastic as the previous 3, and anyone who likes a great story with amazingly complex characters needs to read this series.
Almost as enjoyable as the previous two, with some of the best Alfred and Haplo stuff in the series so far. But the Chelestra natives' narrative is largely uneventful and (view spoiler)[isn't even resolved on-screen. Actually, not much is resolved at the end of this one. (hide spoiler)] I was hoping all of the first four books would stand on their own, and Serpent Mage is the first one that doesn't (really). Still a good read, and recommended if you liked any of the first three.

This installment of the death gate cycle had some heavy and fantastic character development for both Alfred and Haplo. Chelestra, the world of water, is fascinatingly built and thought up, what I expect from Hickman and Weis. Alfred unites with his people as he has desired but does he desire it? Haplo is near his goal of stirring destruction in all four worlds but is there an even greater enemy in the four realms? Is the One something they can believe in? Can a Patryn and a Sartan be allies?
Here we go, into the meat of the thing. Not only the point where I'm less familiar with the story (having read the whole cycle only once, but the first three books several times), but also Haplo's journey to the fourth and last of the sundered worlds. From here on in, we're in endgame territory. Haplo and Alfred's relationship shifts again, we get more of a sense of there being more to this world than the Patryn/Sartan showdown, there's some great characters (who doesn't love Grundle?) and
I started this book in 2016 stopped five chapters in. Restarted from the beginning in 2018 read three chapters gave up. Started back up from the beginning in 2019, halfway through the book and just flat out gave up. Too much build-up. Chapter after chapter of building and the building is boring. I just couldn't take it anymore. I read all, The Death Gate Cycle books up to #3, but #4 made me lose interest. I'm 100% done with The Death Gate Cycle and done giving Serpent Mage #4 book a chance.
You know, whenever I'm lucky enough to find a reasonably literate person who has read some fantasy novels, I'm always surprised by the fact that - as far as I can recall - none of them have read The Death Gate Cycle. Granted, I had some holdover nostalgia from the Dragonlance Chronicles for Weis and Hickman, and so I probably had more cause to read them than most, but, even solely on their own merits, these are really excellent books. They're filled with interesting and nuanced characters - Hugh
Margaret Weis
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 414 pages Rating: 4.07 | 20330 Users | 166 Reviews

Point Regarding Books Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4)
| Title | : | Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4) |
| Author | : | Margaret Weis |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 414 pages |
| Published | : | April 1993 by Spectra (first published January 1st 1992) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Fiction. Epic Fantasy. Science Fiction Fantasy. High Fantasy |
Explanation As Books Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4)
After the four worlds Alfred has at last found his people on Chelstra, the realm of sea. But his travels have taught him to be cautious... and Alfred soon realizes his caution is justified, even among his own kind. The one person Alfred can trust is, strangely, Haplo the Patryn. But Haplo's lord has decreed all Sartan to be the enemy, and Haplo dares not go against his lord. Now the companions have arrived in a land where humans, elves, and dwarves have learned to live in peace. Unaware of an even greater threat to all the realms, it is Sartan and Patryn who will disrupt this alliance of the lesser races in their struggle to gain control of all four worlds. Only Alfred and Haplo realize that they have a much older -- and more powerful -- enemy than each other...Define Books Concering Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4)
| Original Title: | Serpent Mage |
| ISBN: | 0553561405 (ISBN13: 9780553561401) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Death Gate Cycle #4 |
Rating Regarding Books Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4)
Ratings: 4.07 From 20330 Users | 166 ReviewsWrite-Up Regarding Books Serpent Mage (The Death Gate Cycle #4)
The series definitely reached its highest point so far in this volume, for me, and I found myself drawn deeply into the story once again. The originality of this series really makes it stand out, and the amount of planning that must have gone into it is astounding. With each volume, mysteries are being revealed while more are coming to light, pushing me to keep reading just a few more pages. This is what epic fantasy is really meant to be.The deeper entrenched into this story I get, the more impressed I become with how the authors have managed to create such a fantastic tale. With every book it gets more and more complicated while still never losing sight of the few, basic, simple themes at its core. This book is just as fantastic as the previous 3, and anyone who likes a great story with amazingly complex characters needs to read this series.
Almost as enjoyable as the previous two, with some of the best Alfred and Haplo stuff in the series so far. But the Chelestra natives' narrative is largely uneventful and (view spoiler)[isn't even resolved on-screen. Actually, not much is resolved at the end of this one. (hide spoiler)] I was hoping all of the first four books would stand on their own, and Serpent Mage is the first one that doesn't (really). Still a good read, and recommended if you liked any of the first three.

This installment of the death gate cycle had some heavy and fantastic character development for both Alfred and Haplo. Chelestra, the world of water, is fascinatingly built and thought up, what I expect from Hickman and Weis. Alfred unites with his people as he has desired but does he desire it? Haplo is near his goal of stirring destruction in all four worlds but is there an even greater enemy in the four realms? Is the One something they can believe in? Can a Patryn and a Sartan be allies?
Here we go, into the meat of the thing. Not only the point where I'm less familiar with the story (having read the whole cycle only once, but the first three books several times), but also Haplo's journey to the fourth and last of the sundered worlds. From here on in, we're in endgame territory. Haplo and Alfred's relationship shifts again, we get more of a sense of there being more to this world than the Patryn/Sartan showdown, there's some great characters (who doesn't love Grundle?) and
I started this book in 2016 stopped five chapters in. Restarted from the beginning in 2018 read three chapters gave up. Started back up from the beginning in 2019, halfway through the book and just flat out gave up. Too much build-up. Chapter after chapter of building and the building is boring. I just couldn't take it anymore. I read all, The Death Gate Cycle books up to #3, but #4 made me lose interest. I'm 100% done with The Death Gate Cycle and done giving Serpent Mage #4 book a chance.
You know, whenever I'm lucky enough to find a reasonably literate person who has read some fantasy novels, I'm always surprised by the fact that - as far as I can recall - none of them have read The Death Gate Cycle. Granted, I had some holdover nostalgia from the Dragonlance Chronicles for Weis and Hickman, and so I probably had more cause to read them than most, but, even solely on their own merits, these are really excellent books. They're filled with interesting and nuanced characters - Hugh


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