What do you think?
Rate this book
Soul Rider #3
Masters of Flux and Anchor
The time of danger is at hand.
Mervyn, wizard and Fluxlord, leader of the Nine Who Guard, faces the ultimate threat of the opposing Seven Who Wait: the opening of the Hellgates of the World. Closed more than two thousand years ago, they are portals to unknowable danger and, perhaps, great power.
Mervyn must gather the shattered forces of guardianship, dispersed and reeling after the battle with Coydt:
Cassie, once the powerful saint and crusader, now the brainwashed slave of an oppressive male dictatorship.
Spirit, her daughter, controlled by her mysterious Soul Rider.
Jeff, Spirit's son.
Matson: he will lead the entire force of the Stringers Guild to war, if need be.
But all of them are doomed to death unless they can become MASTERS OF FLUX AND ANCHOR
Mervyn, wizard and Fluxlord, leader of the Nine Who Guard, faces the ultimate threat of the opposing Seven Who Wait: the opening of the Hellgates of the World. Closed more than two thousand years ago, they are portals to unknowable danger and, perhaps, great power.
Mervyn must gather the shattered forces of guardianship, dispersed and reeling after the battle with Coydt:
Cassie, once the powerful saint and crusader, now the brainwashed slave of an oppressive male dictatorship.
Spirit, her daughter, controlled by her mysterious Soul Rider.
Jeff, Spirit's son.
Matson: he will lead the entire force of the Stringers Guild to war, if need be.
But all of them are doomed to death unless they can become MASTERS OF FLUX AND ANCHOR
429 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
4 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Jack L. Chalker
131 books353 followersBesides being a science fiction author, Jack Laurence Chalker was a Baltimore City Schools history teacher in Maryland for a time, a member of the Washington Science Fiction Association, and was involved in the founding of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Some of his books said that he was born in Norfolk, Virginia although he later claimed that was a mistake.
He attended all but one of the World Science Fiction Conventions from 1965 until 2004. He published an amateur SF journal, Mirage, from 1960 to 1971 (a Hugo nominee in 1963 for Best Fanzine).
Chalker was married in 1978 and had two sons.
His stated hobbies included esoteric audio, travel, and working on science-fiction convention committees. He had a great interest in ferryboats, and, at his wife's suggestion, their marriage was performed on the Roaring Bull Ferry.
Chalker's awards included the Daedalus Award (1983), The Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of Books (1984), Skylark Award (1985), Hamilton-Brackett Memorial Award (1979), as well as others of varying prestige. He was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award twice and for the Hugo Award twice. He was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award by the Southern Fandom Confederation on April 9, 2005.
On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, Chalker passed out and was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis of a heart attack. He was later released, but was severely weakened. On December 6, 2004, he was again rushed to hospital with breathing problems and disorientation, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and a collapsed lung. Chalker was hospitalized in critical condition, then upgraded to stable on December 9, though he didn't regain consciousness until December 15. After several more weeks in deteriorating condition and in a persistent vegetative state, with several transfers to different hospitals, he died on February 11, 2005 of kidney failure and sepsis in Bon Secours of Baltimore, Maryland.
Chalker is perhaps best known for his Well World series of novels, the first of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls (Well World, #1).
He attended all but one of the World Science Fiction Conventions from 1965 until 2004. He published an amateur SF journal, Mirage, from 1960 to 1971 (a Hugo nominee in 1963 for Best Fanzine).
Chalker was married in 1978 and had two sons.
His stated hobbies included esoteric audio, travel, and working on science-fiction convention committees. He had a great interest in ferryboats, and, at his wife's suggestion, their marriage was performed on the Roaring Bull Ferry.
Chalker's awards included the Daedalus Award (1983), The Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of Books (1984), Skylark Award (1985), Hamilton-Brackett Memorial Award (1979), as well as others of varying prestige. He was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award twice and for the Hugo Award twice. He was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award by the Southern Fandom Confederation on April 9, 2005.
On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, Chalker passed out and was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis of a heart attack. He was later released, but was severely weakened. On December 6, 2004, he was again rushed to hospital with breathing problems and disorientation, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and a collapsed lung. Chalker was hospitalized in critical condition, then upgraded to stable on December 9, though he didn't regain consciousness until December 15. After several more weeks in deteriorating condition and in a persistent vegetative state, with several transfers to different hospitals, he died on February 11, 2005 of kidney failure and sepsis in Bon Secours of Baltimore, Maryland.
Chalker is perhaps best known for his Well World series of novels, the first of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls (Well World, #1).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 15, 2018
What happens in a world where there is endless magic that is able to create an infinite amount of gender identities.
Takes a hell of an imagination, which is what Chalker had.
This is the second trilogy I've read from Chalker. I liked Changewinds much more, while the body changing aspect are in both, Soul Rider takes it to a whole new level.
Also has a deep look at religion and government in this series, especially in terms of abuse of power. Still quite relevant 30 years after it was written.
Takes a hell of an imagination, which is what Chalker had.
This is the second trilogy I've read from Chalker. I liked Changewinds much more, while the body changing aspect are in both, Soul Rider takes it to a whole new level.
Also has a deep look at religion and government in this series, especially in terms of abuse of power. Still quite relevant 30 years after it was written.
Read
October 24, 2019The third volume in the Soul Rider series, involving the struggle between the wizard Mervyn and the leader of the Nine Who Guard Fluxlord against the Seven Who Wait over the opening of the Hellgates, which have been closed for over two thousand years. Opening them may lead to great new powers, but also to great dangers. Not remembered at all.
June 1, 2018
see #1 and #2 of the series (as the writer explains, the three are actually one novel spread over three books)
September 28, 2018
I thought I remembered it all, but I was still caught surprised by the actual events.
Read
October 23, 2025Masters of Flux
August 12, 2013
An interesting concept justifying a kind of magic growing from forgotten science. This is the third in the series, and the only one I've read. I think this book would benefit from having read the previous ones, though enough back story is provided to keep up. This would give the reader more investment and history on the large number of major players in the book. The book reads well enough, but the end kind of peters out, and forces the moral of the story there.
January 20, 2008
A bland conclusion to the trilogy. See my review of book 2, basically the titillation quotient overwhelms what should have been a good story about power and politics.
May 5, 2010
See Spirits of Flux and Anchor.
October 20, 2015
Just keeps getting better and harder to put down.
June 27, 2016
Not as many reveals as I was hoping for. Characters staying the same?
January 9, 2012
Grade C. Book Sr3, trilogy end.
Read
April 30, 2019I have the german edition: Der Fluch der Hoellentore
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews