Trovato in casa purtroppo senza i capitoli precedenti e successivi.
Per quanto ho letto, il worldbuilding non mi ha entusiasmato e temo non sia invecchiato benissimo come libro.
La lettura è scorrevole ma poco appassionante, non mi ha fatto venire voglia di continuare a leggere il ciclo di Death Gate purtroppo.

This book is part of a series. The majority of this book can be read as a stand alone but there are parts that a reader would be totally lost. In this one, Haplo and Alfred travel to the world of stone. This world is dying and the residents have little hope of survival.

How could this be a bad book when we have hordes of the dead, a world dying, and a dragon that resides in a sea of fire? I enjoyed this book so much and at this point, it is the best book of the series. Right away I was drawn into the setting where there is little hope and the king that has no answers. It was a dark, gloomy setting and the authors executed it perfectly. I also loved we get more exploration of the characters of Haplo and Alfred. These books are set up as a mystery and each book ties into each other and slowly reveals the mystery. This one Haplo and Alfred shine. Sometime during the read, this book turns into a horror fantasy book and this book turned into a four star rating to a five star rating. The pace was relentless as our heroes were trapped in a desperate situation and on the run. I believe there were several instances where I was holding my breath.

I am enjoying this series and this one just adds to my enjoyment. I like the idea of each book in the series being its own story but adding to the overall arc. This one was terrific with its setting, its genre, and the overall characterization of the minor and major characters. Plus, the character of the dog steals the show and puts a smile on my face.

I'm puzzled. Immense W&H fan here, enjoyed their writing styles and presentations.
But was this a 5 -star book? Not by any metric, in my view. Hence the puzzlement as to all of the exuberant reviews that gave me a false excitement for this entry of the series of seven.

Granted this is book #3 of the Death Gate Cycle, there are several planets from one, aka the Sundering, therefore each gets a book to development the scene, flesh out this newly unique and original universe to support the overarching plot and strategy of the Lord of the Nexus.

I enjoyed Dragon Wing, the first book of DGC, and name of Hugh the Hand's aircraft, not the elven vessel later in the story, which was erroneously missed named as such in Elven Star.

I found Elven Star a suitable addition to the narrative, believed W&H newest characters that populated this planet, and held on for the duration (and explanation of planetary arrangements necessary to make Pryan viable.) Poor dwarf is solo in that new world, wonder how that turns out? Read Elven Star to understand that question.

So, Fire Sea was expected to be another brand-new elemental planet, with its own set of problems, contributing to the DGC. Along with new character players to help the story unfold for the hero
emissary, Haplo, to engaging with, while furthering the..., now far-fetched and unrealistic, grand scheme of Nexie, Lord of the Nexus. And it was boring following a dying race march to their doom, while our viewing vessels of Haplo and Albert are along for the ride.

Sure, we get more back story on the pair and their Patryns/Sartans feud and budding friendship (that I surmise as being the solution to overcoming the lame Nexie), a little on the Death Gate, not much on the Labryinth, and a last line of snark from Nexie at the end. But this story was about the underdeveloped, stereotypical monarch and the dirt planet from episode one of Lava World, never how it fits into the Sundering and sister-world support, nor what chaos could be drummed up that would invite Nexie to become their saviour.

I understand the heavy exposition required to world build, magic system describe (times two), while leading to the main story which will probably drop in book 6 or 7. Unfortunately, this turns into a buddy cop movie, that marries the working stiffs (yes, I said it) of the Walking Dead with Downton Abbey, and doesn't pull it off.

Zombies are many things, but gardeners, cooks, security guards and soldiers all seem to be the last things expected. No crave for brains horror action, just residual memories of the former life (which shouldn't remain if the soul/spirit departs) and yet it is preferred to kill someone, instead of feeding and paying them, just to have a servant to plow the fields, wtf?!

While W&H butcher necromancy for wage labor, they hint at an inside thought of resurrecting one person from their death, costing a random someone else an unexpected, early demise. Although, this isn't explored or backed with any sound reasoning, just hinted upon as to why necromancy is "bad".

Then the finale dumps the "why wait three days?" gimmick for immediate resurrection to create "lazars" short for Lazarus, (get it, three days?), which tethers the spirit into a dying corpse. All this because the dead should be free??

Never once after the Fire Dragon ate people as a toll charge, did I care what happened to anyone in this story, and that was a shame. I already knew Haplo and Albert were going to make it, as well as Haplo's dog (although I truly felt there should have been something more to messing with his dog in that moment.) And just as in the previous two entries, those citizens are/were doomed to their fate, which begs the question of what remains for Nexie to dominate? How can revenge be achieved against a dead race of people?

I'm in for the long haul/series so on to book 4.
Not recommended as a standalone read, perhaps the series will be worth it in the end.

Thanks for reading.

The third book in the Death Gate cycle, and it's finally starting to resemble the series that I remember. More philosophy in this book, and we learn more about the Sartran.

It was nice to have the return of Alfred, though I grew a little tired of reading about him tripping over his own feet every other page. Hopefully that will lessen, a bit, as the series progresses since it's tied into his confidence, and hopefully he'll be getting some more of that.

I also really liked watching the growing friendship between Haplo and Alfred, even if it's less than wanted on, really, either of their parts.