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Title: The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0-441-74863-5 Publisher: Berkley Pub Group Pub. Date: November, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.46 (13 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: 2 of 6: Now a word from our sponsor, the Eternal Champion.
Comment: Michael Moorcock, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (DAW, 1974)
The second novel of the Elric series picks up where the first left off. (There is one major detail regarding Elric's betrothed, Cymoril, that seems to have shifted back in time, but Moorcock resolves it later; still, it seems to have been something of a gaffe.) Here we are introduced, for those who have never read any of Moorcock's other fantasy series, to the idea of the Eternal Champion, and that many of Moorcock's heroes and antiheroes are facets of the same personality throughout time and space. Moorcock meets up with three other incarnations of the Eternal Champion-Corum, Hawkmoon, and Erekose. (Excellent advertising for the other series, whether intended that way or not.) Things get confusing here, as some of the others mention events that haven't happened yet in the Elric series, but just ride with it. It'll all come clear eventually. Needless to say, having read (or reading just after the Elric books) the Hawkoon, Corum, and Erekose series will deepen one's appreciation for this part of the Elric series.
The main complaint I have about Moorcock's writing, while not to be found solely in this novel, is most notable here. Moorcock's action scenes, for all that they are some of the book's turning points, are often described minimally, even sparely. The climax of a battle is often given one sentence, as is the death of a companion, no matter how long that companion has known the characters in the story. (I have made mention many times of what I call characters who enter stories with "kill me now" tattooed on their foreheads. This is the opposite extreme-Moorcock will sometimes spend chapters building up a character, only to treat him as if he did have "kill me now" tattooed on his forehead. It can be disconcerting, to say the least.)
Still, the originalities in the premise, the unique take on the antihero along with the whole concept of the Eternal Champion, coupled with the simple readability of the series, make them all worth picking up. Each can be gotten through in a single afternoon, for most people. ****
Rating: 2
Summary: A poor sequel for a great character
Comment: As much as I love Elric and the Melnibonean mythology, SAILER ON THE SEAS OF FATE is a disappointing follow up to ELRIC OF MELNIBONE.
The book starts with Elric finding himself in a strange land. He boards a mysterious ship and sails off to the first of three unrelated, convenient adventures which do little to progress the overall saga. The stories serve more to explain the whole ETERNAL CHAMPION concept, along with giving details of MELNIBONE'S history and the interaction of all the planes of existence. And ultimately, after 160 pages, nothing really happens.
Though the book is about Elric and his adventures, I found myself really wishing to hear news of Melnibone and the characters who Elric left behind. They are all as much a part of the fun and adventure in the first volume as is Elric. They should have been given some attention.
Rating: 4
Summary: Three stories in one.
Comment: This book is devided into three sections with three different plots. While they are loosely related to each other they could stand alone (I have a feeling Moorcock published them seperately). This is an observation not a criticism. The first and last are excelent. The middle one drags a bit. The first is interesting since Elric teams with three other incarnations of the Eternal Champion (Erekose, Corum, and Hawkmoon). The last fleshes out the multiverse more.
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Title: Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0441203981 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: September, 1996 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Vanishing Tower by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0425064069 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Pub. Date: November, 1983 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
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Title: Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0425065596 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Pub. Date: March, 1984 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
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Title: The Bane of the Black Sword (Elric Saga, Book 5) by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0441048854 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: May, 1994 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Elric at the End of Time by Michael Moorcock ISBN: 0886770408 Publisher: Daw Books Pub. Date: May, 1985 List Price(USD): $2.95 |
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