Reviews

The Hand of Chaos by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

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reading_ryn's review

adventurous medium-paced

4.5

I love that Hugh is brought back in this book. I never really felt that his character was fully built in #1. I don't mind not marking that as a spoiler as it is very near the begining and also on the jacket. I do get frustrated at how much he gets used throughout and wish we could see what kind of a person he is without a contract. I want to know the real Hugh. I also very much enjoy the evolution that Haplo takes on as the plot continues to unfold.

bucketsjen's review

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adventurous funny inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Multiple magical systems, characters that grow slowly, and general lore that all start off with numerous lovely but individual strands... which then weave together more and more, tighter and tighter, until they're all so skillfully linked that it's startling to remember that the first few books were mistaken as so standalone, and you're looking at a completed tapestry which is a beautiful and heart touching fantasy epic.

Zifnab, Fizban, Zanfib, my buddy, my pal, our eternal savior and pain in the ass... you are the ultimate goat. May you always find your hat.

billymac1962's review

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2.0

Oh, too bad. Not even halfway through this and I hit the wall big time.

I enjoyed the first four books a lot. It was so fun and interesting learning about each world and getting a glimpse of how they all interrelate. But, at the point I'm at now, it seems the focus is more on the turmoil between the powers that be, and frankly, I'm not all that interested in that. The world building here is very imaginative, and the storyline up until now has been enough to drive me through about 1500 pages.
But now we're at the point where the storyline and characters need to drive the interest along, and mine is waning. I've read enough reviews of the final two books to decide that the payoff is a little thin, but recommended for those who have come this far. But there are way too many lukewarm reviews to keep me in this for the long haul, and my reading list continues to grow with novels I'm much more excited about. So, I'm out. No regrets, though.

cayeman's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

tani's review

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3.0

I missed Alfred so much in this one. The interactions between Haplo and Alfred were one of the things that was making this series for me, and it was sorely missed. I guess this book was meant to grow Haplo a little, but I felt like he just spent a lot of time sitting around, not knowing what to do. I am very much looking forward to the next book, though!

adimazig's review

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

mnyberg's review

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4.0

Many of book one's characters are brought back in book 5 of the series and one of the two main characters is given a break from the action. A good followup to book 4.