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bhaines's review against another edition
All caps fantasy this guy's a goof. Really goes for it myth and play and poem and everything.
The prince who was a thousand, the steel general, the thing that cries in the night. Carnival on blis, marachek the oldest city that one place under the ocean.
Feels like there are Themes but why is do you have to have sex with a robot to learn the future? Is that a Theme.
The prince who was a thousand, the steel general, the thing that cries in the night. Carnival on blis, marachek the oldest city that one place under the ocean.
Feels like there are Themes but why is do you have to have sex with a robot to learn the future? Is that a Theme.
mimirtells's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 Stars (%80/100)
The story revolves mainly around the man called Wakim, the servant of Anubis whom he trained for a thousand years. Wakim's quest is to slay the mysterious man known as the Prince Who Was a Thousand. The House of the Dead, then, sends forth its emissary while the House of Life, led by Osiris, also sends its emissary, Horus, for the same task.
I really liked the characters even though the story was quite confusing to follow and sometimes tedious. The characters are brilliantly written especially Wakim. (before we learn his true identity.) I also liked Vramin the Mad Poet.
The characters and the story change drastically towards the end of the book. There are many revelations and the theme regarding identity is present from the beginning till the end just like other books of Zelazny.
Zelazny, once again, did a great job combining certain mythological characters and events into a science-fictional novel/novella. I loved Lord of Light and also quite enjoyed This Immortal. Since I am particularly interested in Egyptian mythology, the book was perfect for me.
The only problem with the book for me was the language. Since it is published in 1969, some conversation between certain characters are quite difficult to understand. (I am not talking about the parts Zelazny deliberately made it difficult.) Other than that, I don't really have any problems with the book.
The story revolves mainly around the man called Wakim, the servant of Anubis whom he trained for a thousand years. Wakim's quest is to slay the mysterious man known as the Prince Who Was a Thousand. The House of the Dead, then, sends forth its emissary while the House of Life, led by Osiris, also sends its emissary, Horus, for the same task.
I really liked the characters even though the story was quite confusing to follow and sometimes tedious. The characters are brilliantly written especially Wakim. (before we learn his true identity.) I also liked Vramin the Mad Poet.
The characters and the story change drastically towards the end of the book. There are many revelations and the theme regarding identity is present from the beginning till the end just like other books of Zelazny.
Zelazny, once again, did a great job combining certain mythological characters and events into a science-fictional novel/novella. I loved Lord of Light and also quite enjoyed This Immortal. Since I am particularly interested in Egyptian mythology, the book was perfect for me.
The only problem with the book for me was the language. Since it is published in 1969, some conversation between certain characters are quite difficult to understand. (I am not talking about the parts Zelazny deliberately made it difficult.) Other than that, I don't really have any problems with the book.
gubernator's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
5.0
Po raz kolejny Zelazny przeplata mitologię z science fiction i ja to kocham całym sercem. To, w jaki sposób prowadzi narrację, jakiego języka używa żeby to wszystko opisać jest pięknym podkreśleniem dla jego pomysłów, ale też czymś niesamowitym samo w sobie.
Naprawdę polecam i nowelę i autora, to była cudowna opowieść.
Naprawdę polecam i nowelę i autora, to była cudowna opowieść.
crowfood's review against another edition
2.0
"We are here, sir, because we are not elsewhere," says Vramin. "and the table contains two men and a toad - all of whom, I should say, are your betters."
This was a strange read, which made slightly more sense after I found that it was originally just a writing exercise for Zelazny to try out different writing styles. He didn't originally intend to publish it as a novel.
So, yes, novel it is not. It has some elements similar to his earlier Lord of Light that I enjoyed, and some of his usual clever dialogue. But I couldn't say I recommend it, and instead you should go read the much more enjoyable (and meant to be a novel) Lord of Light.
This was a strange read, which made slightly more sense after I found that it was originally just a writing exercise for Zelazny to try out different writing styles. He didn't originally intend to publish it as a novel.
So, yes, novel it is not. It has some elements similar to his earlier Lord of Light that I enjoyed, and some of his usual clever dialogue. But I couldn't say I recommend it, and instead you should go read the much more enjoyable (and meant to be a novel) Lord of Light.
termith's review against another edition
5.0
После неудачного опыта с Тедом Чангом захотелось проверенной фантастики почитать. И пусть это все же не фантастика, а, скорее фэнтези - с магией, древнеегипетскими богами и прочим, но все же прекрасное чтение.
fictionista's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I would have given this two stars.
While I generally like Zelazny's storylines (they tend to all feel like chess match- Amber was a medieval chess set, this was an ancient Egyptian set), this one felt so much more muddled than the Amber series I read previously.
The female characters, rather than just being dynamic bitches, were prop pieces, at best. Which didn't give me a lot the relate to.
The world creations and general descriptions were incredible and lush, and I enjoyed several non-sequiter chapters, but by and large, I probably wouldn't read this again- unlike the Amber series.
The third star designation was for three amazing pieces of writing hidden in this otherwise standard fantasy novel.
1. There is a fantastically apathetic Last Rites given to a character. I want it said at my death bed.
2. There are characters, called the Norns, who he describes in one paragraph as essentially American. Which made me laugh audibly.
3. A chapter is devoted to a sect that worships shoes. That was hilarious.
While I generally like Zelazny's storylines (they tend to all feel like chess match- Amber was a medieval chess set, this was an ancient Egyptian set), this one felt so much more muddled than the Amber series I read previously.
The female characters, rather than just being dynamic bitches, were prop pieces, at best. Which didn't give me a lot the relate to.
The world creations and general descriptions were incredible and lush, and I enjoyed several non-sequiter chapters, but by and large, I probably wouldn't read this again- unlike the Amber series.
The third star designation was for three amazing pieces of writing hidden in this otherwise standard fantasy novel.
1. There is a fantastically apathetic Last Rites given to a character. I want it said at my death bed.
2. There are characters, called the Norns, who he describes in one paragraph as essentially American. Which made me laugh audibly.
3. A chapter is devoted to a sect that worships shoes. That was hilarious.
valhecka's review against another edition
2.0
Okay....
Liked: a handful of lines, use of mixed formats, Vramin, the prologue
Disliked: Really, we're in the far future with the Egyptian pantheon and a human society that has transcended death and we're still saying things like "I shall not lose to a woman"? Also, weird inconsistent use of "thou" form
Really big shrug: Aside from names and in some cases appearances, the entire Egyptian pantheon bit is fragmented and feels like a cheap way to raise the stakes of the conflict, and also it just kinda sucks
Liked: a handful of lines, use of mixed formats, Vramin, the prologue
Disliked: Really, we're in the far future with the Egyptian pantheon and a human society that has transcended death and we're still saying things like "I shall not lose to a woman"? Also, weird inconsistent use of "thou" form
Really big shrug: Aside from names and in some cases appearances, the entire Egyptian pantheon bit is fragmented and feels like a cheap way to raise the stakes of the conflict, and also it just kinda sucks
rixx's review against another edition
3.0
Very Zelazny – I had hoped, after liking Lord of Light a lot, that something similar would work equally well. And it's somewhat similar, superficially. Egypt religion instead of Indian, but regardless, high-powered gods with their own agendas, all that stuff.
But in a way, it's more like **Nine Princes in Amber**, which I didn't get on with: there's nobody to like, and the story is sufficiently abstract that it could go in any direction at any moment, at the author's whim. With Lord of Light, I felt like there was a degree of internal consistency enforced by the story that the reader could rely on – not so here. And when everything feels arbitrary, I'm just not terribly interested.
It **is** pretty well-written, though, and I enjoyed the style and mysticism. If any of the characters had been sympathetic in any way, I would have overlooked any arbitrary (and literal) dei ex machina.
Also, absolute bonus points for the terrifying, terribly cyberpunk addition of women, who out of economic despair lease their bodies to companies, to be joined into machines that are human only from the waist down, and that will answer any question as long as they are kept aroused by the client for the duration of the required computation.
But in a way, it's more like **Nine Princes in Amber**, which I didn't get on with: there's nobody to like, and the story is sufficiently abstract that it could go in any direction at any moment, at the author's whim. With Lord of Light, I felt like there was a degree of internal consistency enforced by the story that the reader could rely on – not so here. And when everything feels arbitrary, I'm just not terribly interested.
It **is** pretty well-written, though, and I enjoyed the style and mysticism. If any of the characters had been sympathetic in any way, I would have overlooked any arbitrary (and literal) dei ex machina.
Also, absolute bonus points for the terrifying, terribly cyberpunk addition of women, who out of economic despair lease their bodies to companies, to be joined into machines that are human only from the waist down, and that will answer any question as long as they are kept aroused by the client for the duration of the required computation.