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A review by jwells
Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker
Enjoyable page turner with a wild setting. It reminds me a bit of [b:Titan|49838|Titan (Gaea, #1)|John Varley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388244043l/49838._SY75_.jpg|2777504], which also starts out clearly within the realm of science fiction, only to gradually develop the feel of a fantasy quest, with a small party on a great quest. (They both even feature centaurs. Were sexy female centaurs a fixation in the 70s?) People sometimes talk as if mixing sci fi and fantasy were a new innovation, but clearly folks have been doing it for a while. Maybe it's a trend that comes and goes.
I appreciate this book's decent (for its time) LGBT representation: It's not a major feature of the book, but it's progressive compared to some sf/f of its time.
Reading some of the other reviews here, I have to agree that
* the prose of this book is clunky. I stayed with the book mostly for the fabulous world.
* Chalker has a weird thing about pointing out vaginas in descriptions, and describing them weirdly. (A vagina doesn't typically look like a gaping hole or "cavity," Jack...? )
* I saw one big "reveal" coming miles away ( was pretty obvious) but I still kept reading because I wanted to see what Chalker's endless inventiveness would throw into the book next. I'm planning to read more of the series for the same reason.
* I hope if I ever go to the Well I end up as a centaur, or at least a mermaid, not a freaking GIANT BUG UGH
I appreciate this book's decent (for its time) LGBT representation:
Spoiler
Nathan casually says he was married to men as well as women in his past; WuJu mentions her same-sex attraction to her wife within her polyamorous centaur marriage, and later she wishes to be a man (and gets her wish!).Reading some of the other reviews here, I have to agree that
* the prose of this book is clunky. I stayed with the book mostly for the fabulous world.
* Chalker has a weird thing about pointing out vaginas in descriptions, and describing them weirdly. (A vagina doesn't typically look like a gaping hole or "cavity," Jack...? )
* I saw one big "reveal" coming miles away (
Spoiler
the identity of Cousin Bat* I hope if I ever go to the Well I end up as a centaur, or at least a mermaid, not a freaking GIANT BUG UGH