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Soul Rider #1
Spirits of Flux and Anchor
Cassie did not feel the soul rider enter her body...but suddenly she knew that Anchor was corrupt, and that, far from being a formless void from which could issue only mutant changelings and evil wizards, Flux was the source of Anchor's very existence.
The price of her knew knowledge is exile, yet Cassie and the Rider of her soul are the only hope for the redemption of both Flux and Anchor.
The price of her knew knowledge is exile, yet Cassie and the Rider of her soul are the only hope for the redemption of both Flux and Anchor.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 28, 1984
16 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Jack L. Chalker
132 books355 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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 1, 2025
I got two volumes of this for $6 at Hornby Bookstore, because it's a bloody nightmare to get my mitts on retro SF in Christchurch. I can say without a doubt that this is the most fetishistic thing I've seen on paper.
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. It had a lot of potential, and the worldbuilding and characters were a lot of fun. I will say the setting and the tone of the book is unapologetically Moorcockian, given the influences of fantasy at the time, with the duality being order and chaos, represented by the Anchors and the Fluxlands. I would not be surprised to see Elric of Melnibone or another incarnation of the Eternal Champion make an appearance on World. Yes, that's what the setting is called. World. Ambiguity is a great tool at making things sound mysterious and vague, which was how William Hope Hodgson maintained the dark atmosphere of The Night Land. It jarred me a few times, but seeing how Exalted's setting is called Creation, I have no right to complain.
The anchors are antimagical, mundane zones where everyone has equal power over their surroundings, and influence is dictated by existing societal structures, for instance the church. The second is a perpetually warping and unstable zone called the flux, where certain people called wizards can shape reality with their minds, therefore they are the ones who determine what the world is to everyone else. The ones who cannot change the world with flux power are instead changed by the world around them. They become mutants known as "duggers". They represent a philosophical theme I haven't thought much about: you can think of yourself as the product of your surroundings, and that our every action is caused by our biochemistry, which is in turn shaped by external stimuli. This would reinforce the idea of determinism: "God" wouldn't be involved directly in making things happen, but instead be the one who set everything in to action, and just kept it going. With no free will and everything being the result of another action, all tracing back to the creation of the universe, all actions would be predetermined from the moment of creation.
Wizards are the inversion of this idea: free will certainly exists, and the body is subject to the mind. They rule over fluxlands, regions of relative stability whose appearances are dictated by their own mental power, the ruling wizard's personality and mental state reflecting over their fluxland. It's like a stand from JJBA, except if it was a whole country.
The thing I like about a lot of eighties fiction is that it really doesn't care what tone it has: it gets all dark and dystopian at some points, full on high fantasy at others, and then when we get to Globbus it gets all zany and wacky. It lacks self awareness in a strangely charming way. If it were written today, there'd be snide remarks about every single "weird" aspect in the book, but Spirits of Flux and Anchor lets its freak flag fly like you wouldn't believe. You have to read it to believe it. I'll admit this would make for a great underground comix.
It is like a 12 year old boy discovering deviantart for the first time. It is so depraved and juvenile I couldn't stop but admire how this existed before the internet: today, we would easily recognize it as full of fetish bait, but back then it must have just been thought of as "weird". There's cuntboys and futanari, furries and what have you. And that's just in the first hundred pages. It gets worse from there, and gets outright shameless by the time Cassie and Co. go to Globbus and visit the transformation salon. Jeez Louise, it gets peak DeviantArt at that point. Guess there's no dysphoria of any kind in Globbus as long you have enough money.
I'm frankly surprised Jack L. Chalker wasn't a furry.
It occurred to me that he had wrote the fluxlands and the "malleability" of matter as in the context of being able to transform it from matter to energy and back again was Jack's excuse for putting all his fetishes to paper. The thing about creative people is that they're prone to becoming weirdoes, neurotics or perverts, or all three at the same time. That's the cost of eccentricity, but without any of that the world would be one boring place to live in.
I had thought this transformation fetish shit originated from deviantart, or even the furry fandom... but I suppose weird sci fi authors like him put them on paper way before them, bleeding through the nebulous layers of time into what we have today. Fate's a curious thing, really. It's surreal to think that the dreamings of one socially maladjusted weirdo half a century ago played a part in the tastes of thousands of anonymous internet posters.
TF artists, you owe this man your careers.
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. It had a lot of potential, and the worldbuilding and characters were a lot of fun. I will say the setting and the tone of the book is unapologetically Moorcockian, given the influences of fantasy at the time, with the duality being order and chaos, represented by the Anchors and the Fluxlands. I would not be surprised to see Elric of Melnibone or another incarnation of the Eternal Champion make an appearance on World. Yes, that's what the setting is called. World. Ambiguity is a great tool at making things sound mysterious and vague, which was how William Hope Hodgson maintained the dark atmosphere of The Night Land. It jarred me a few times, but seeing how Exalted's setting is called Creation, I have no right to complain.
The anchors are antimagical, mundane zones where everyone has equal power over their surroundings, and influence is dictated by existing societal structures, for instance the church. The second is a perpetually warping and unstable zone called the flux, where certain people called wizards can shape reality with their minds, therefore they are the ones who determine what the world is to everyone else. The ones who cannot change the world with flux power are instead changed by the world around them. They become mutants known as "duggers". They represent a philosophical theme I haven't thought much about: you can think of yourself as the product of your surroundings, and that our every action is caused by our biochemistry, which is in turn shaped by external stimuli. This would reinforce the idea of determinism: "God" wouldn't be involved directly in making things happen, but instead be the one who set everything in to action, and just kept it going. With no free will and everything being the result of another action, all tracing back to the creation of the universe, all actions would be predetermined from the moment of creation.
Wizards are the inversion of this idea: free will certainly exists, and the body is subject to the mind. They rule over fluxlands, regions of relative stability whose appearances are dictated by their own mental power, the ruling wizard's personality and mental state reflecting over their fluxland. It's like a stand from JJBA, except if it was a whole country.
The thing I like about a lot of eighties fiction is that it really doesn't care what tone it has: it gets all dark and dystopian at some points, full on high fantasy at others, and then when we get to Globbus it gets all zany and wacky. It lacks self awareness in a strangely charming way. If it were written today, there'd be snide remarks about every single "weird" aspect in the book, but Spirits of Flux and Anchor lets its freak flag fly like you wouldn't believe. You have to read it to believe it. I'll admit this would make for a great underground comix.
It is like a 12 year old boy discovering deviantart for the first time. It is so depraved and juvenile I couldn't stop but admire how this existed before the internet: today, we would easily recognize it as full of fetish bait, but back then it must have just been thought of as "weird". There's cuntboys and futanari, furries and what have you. And that's just in the first hundred pages. It gets worse from there, and gets outright shameless by the time Cassie and Co. go to Globbus and visit the transformation salon. Jeez Louise, it gets peak DeviantArt at that point. Guess there's no dysphoria of any kind in Globbus as long you have enough money.
I'm frankly surprised Jack L. Chalker wasn't a furry.
It occurred to me that he had wrote the fluxlands and the "malleability" of matter as in the context of being able to transform it from matter to energy and back again was Jack's excuse for putting all his fetishes to paper. The thing about creative people is that they're prone to becoming weirdoes, neurotics or perverts, or all three at the same time. That's the cost of eccentricity, but without any of that the world would be one boring place to live in.
I had thought this transformation fetish shit originated from deviantart, or even the furry fandom... but I suppose weird sci fi authors like him put them on paper way before them, bleeding through the nebulous layers of time into what we have today. Fate's a curious thing, really. It's surreal to think that the dreamings of one socially maladjusted weirdo half a century ago played a part in the tastes of thousands of anonymous internet posters.
TF artists, you owe this man your careers.
May 1, 2011
I read this series when I was in high school, and I still recommend it today to lovers of both fantasy and science fiction. The first couple read very much as fantasy, although you know that behind the scenes there is a sci-fi explanation for all of the magic and wizardry. The characters don't know it, though, and so the first few don't have a specifically sci-fi feel to them. Later books embrace and explain the sci-fi background of the series, and still never seem to lose that high-fantasy feel. I've been a fan of Chalker's work since the Well of Souls books, and the Soul Rider series is definitely my favorite of his.
December 31, 2007
"World" is composed of Anchors, places of stability, and Flux, places of chaos. Those with the talent can make anything they can conceive out of Flux. Outside of "World" seeking entry are demons. This series is about the struggle of those wanting to let in the demon and those who want to keep them out.
This book has all the usual shape shifting, gender changing, mental and physical slavery, etc of a Jack Chalker book. This first book flirts with discussing power/politics/religion but doesn't really go anywhere with it beyond a standard adventure.
This book has all the usual shape shifting, gender changing, mental and physical slavery, etc of a Jack Chalker book. This first book flirts with discussing power/politics/religion but doesn't really go anywhere with it beyond a standard adventure.
November 8, 2011
Next to the well world series, this is my favorite Chalker series.
May 5, 2010
Almost embarrassed to say, but I love this series. My 3rd favorite Chalker, it's the one with the most magic (of my favorites). So many flaws, but such a fun world, and story concept.
October 20, 2015
A friend first turned me on to this author and this has to be the best of all his series.
May 10, 2012
Classic sci-fi weirdness; what's not to love?
August 27, 2012
I reread this series every year or so. All of the books are eminently rereadable.
March 27, 2017
A fantasy novel which turns out to also be a science fiction novel eventually. The world it's set in consists of many "Anchors", isolated city-states of normalcy surrounded by a sea of Flux, in which magic operates and a wizard with a powerful enough will can dominate everyone around them and create their own city-states out of nothing. Also, within Flux are seven locked and sealed Gates to Hell; the denizens of Hell (probably another dimension, although it's never really clarified) want to come through, and have agents in the world who are trying to open the gates for them.
I've only read two Chalker books at this point (the other: Midnight at the Well of Souls), but I can already identify a number of themes that consistently reappear in his work, including (but not limited to):
-Physical transformations of characters
-Dimestore sexual psychology
-Aversion to authority structures
-Heavy-handed, rather abrupt, moralizing endings
-Ancient machines, still running even though no longer tended, set up thousands of years earlier to keep everything in order
Many things are still unexplained at the end of the book; that it's only the first book of a series is clear enough. If I'm going to criticize the book for anything (besides the preachy ending), it's that the storyline feels rushed. The main character flies from "slave" to "powerful wizard" so quickly, it feels a bit off. Also, it's not very obvious how the villain's plan of action would have actually accomplished his goals (although he's still alive and at large at the end of the book, so Chalker may have withheld some information there for future volumes). But those are only minor complaints. Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot, and would recommend it to fantasy fans looking for something unusual.
I've only read two Chalker books at this point (the other: Midnight at the Well of Souls), but I can already identify a number of themes that consistently reappear in his work, including (but not limited to):
-Physical transformations of characters
-Dimestore sexual psychology
-Aversion to authority structures
-Heavy-handed, rather abrupt, moralizing endings
-Ancient machines, still running even though no longer tended, set up thousands of years earlier to keep everything in order
Many things are still unexplained at the end of the book; that it's only the first book of a series is clear enough. If I'm going to criticize the book for anything (besides the preachy ending), it's that the storyline feels rushed. The main character flies from "slave" to "powerful wizard" so quickly, it feels a bit off. Also, it's not very obvious how the villain's plan of action would have actually accomplished his goals (although he's still alive and at large at the end of the book, so Chalker may have withheld some information there for future volumes). But those are only minor complaints. Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot, and would recommend it to fantasy fans looking for something unusual.
January 11, 2023
The writing is not great (at times even bad), but the world building is ambitious and the plot generally ok and event driven.
For quite a bit of the first half of the book all the torture stuff really doesn't sit well with me. It also contrasts weirdly with some of the book feels close to the cliché of a teen girl protagonist young-adult style, but then it's also brutal in its style. Luckily the torture part clears out by the second half of the book and it moves to a more comfortable plot line. Hopefully it leaves both of these behind, as I plan to continue in the series.
Some of it is a classical fantasy world, wizards on the one hand and people living like peasants in the middle ages on the other. But then strangely it also incorporates some modern tech here and there electricity and guns etc.
The concept of the world being divided into wizardry flux realm and the "normality" or anchor realm is a cool idea. As well as for the flux to be endless potential energy, it's a small cliché plot-device but it works well in this case.
It ends on a cliff hanger and leaves open many questions yet to be answered such as: how does hell play into this flux and anchor duality of the world.
Started reading this due to having the second book in the series on my shelf for many years. It will stay there as I'll read it digitally when I continue with this series. :)
For quite a bit of the first half of the book all the torture stuff really doesn't sit well with me. It also contrasts weirdly with some of the book feels close to the cliché of a teen girl protagonist young-adult style, but then it's also brutal in its style. Luckily the torture part clears out by the second half of the book and it moves to a more comfortable plot line. Hopefully it leaves both of these behind, as I plan to continue in the series.
Some of it is a classical fantasy world, wizards on the one hand and people living like peasants in the middle ages on the other. But then strangely it also incorporates some modern tech here and there electricity and guns etc.
The concept of the world being divided into wizardry flux realm and the "normality" or anchor realm is a cool idea. As well as for the flux to be endless potential energy, it's a small cliché plot-device but it works well in this case.
It ends on a cliff hanger and leaves open many questions yet to be answered such as: how does hell play into this flux and anchor duality of the world.
Started reading this due to having the second book in the series on my shelf for many years. It will stay there as I'll read it digitally when I continue with this series. :)
November 7, 2020
It's the usual 1980's era misogynistic science fiction/fantasy. Not particularly well written, and from the era when you could just have a "big idea" and then put words on a page and sell it to a publisher. If you're really into the sex crime parts of Xanth or Gor and want more of that, it might work well for you. Otherwise, I would recommend taking a pass.
Read
October 23, 2025Cassie did not feel the soul rider enter her body...but suddenly she knew that Anchor was corrupt, and that, far from being a formless void from which could issue only mutant changelings and evil wizards, Flux was the source of Anchor's very existence. The price of her new knowledge is exile, yet Cassie and the Rider of her soul are the only hope for the redemption of both Flux and Anchor.
Read
October 18, 2019A fantasy/sci-fi story, the first in a series involving the attempt to reform a society into a relatively mysoginistic version of reality. Or at least, that's what I remember of it now, about thirty years after I read it.
May 7, 2018
The premise was fun, but I'm not compelled to see where the story goes.
September 28, 2018
My third time of reading this series, I find I'm a bit more critical, but it's still worth reading.
August 20, 2024
La redaccion es fluida, pero la trama no lleva a querer leer mas, explora temas con superficialidad y no llega como a ninguna conclusion. No veo razon para leerlo
June 2, 2018
Page turner guilty pleasure fantasy. I did like the ideas exposed in e.g. the Well world novels better, but it's entertaining enough to start with the next one in the series.
(after reading those):
#2 and #3 form one novel with #1. What stands out is the exploration of political systems and revolutions, which I consider a nice bonus.
(after reading those):
#2 and #3 form one novel with #1. What stands out is the exploration of political systems and revolutions, which I consider a nice bonus.
April 17, 2014
Jack L. Chalker is a writer I discovered in my late teens and have enjoyed since than. Though I think he is also one of those writers who might be very reflective of a time and place. That is had I come to his books as an adult, I'm not sure I'd have the same appreciation.
The main other series of his I've read is the Changewinds, and this book shares many similarities with it. Both books deal with strange, otherworldly cosmologies, often run by wizards, and wizards whose entire world centres around math. It features a female protagonist, and a world in which transformation of mind and body can be routine, be it through magic, drugs, or what else.
The world is a bit complex, yet interesting; it features 'anchors' pools of stability surrounded by an aetheric 'Flux', which is sort of an ocean of possibility. Within the Anchors reality is 'set', yet in Flux, those with will and talent can shape it, and others, to their desire. Learning how to do so makes one a 'wizard'. There are guided paths between the Anchors, and the strange 'Fluxlands' which are basically little tiny demi-planes crafted by 'Gods' who are in fact just super-powerful wizards.
There is more to it than that; including the titular soul-riders, being who can be more powerful than Wizards but who seem to attach themselves to humans and guide them through arcane influence in a batter against hell.
Chalker does seem to have a few focuses he enjoys returning to; as I said, transformation, mind control, and byzantine plots in which you can't figure if the feint is also a feint within a feint...
His characters are interesting, but the dialogue tends to be both dated and on occasion stilted. He spends alot of time 'telling' us things, and exposition can eat up a chunk of a chapter. Still the twists and turns of the book, and the things that happen in it are fascinating; he enjoys playing with the possibilities of the world he has established.
A decent enough book by fantasy standards, and I'll put the sequel on my reading list as well as look out for his other works.
The main other series of his I've read is the Changewinds, and this book shares many similarities with it. Both books deal with strange, otherworldly cosmologies, often run by wizards, and wizards whose entire world centres around math. It features a female protagonist, and a world in which transformation of mind and body can be routine, be it through magic, drugs, or what else.
The world is a bit complex, yet interesting; it features 'anchors' pools of stability surrounded by an aetheric 'Flux', which is sort of an ocean of possibility. Within the Anchors reality is 'set', yet in Flux, those with will and talent can shape it, and others, to their desire. Learning how to do so makes one a 'wizard'. There are guided paths between the Anchors, and the strange 'Fluxlands' which are basically little tiny demi-planes crafted by 'Gods' who are in fact just super-powerful wizards.
There is more to it than that; including the titular soul-riders, being who can be more powerful than Wizards but who seem to attach themselves to humans and guide them through arcane influence in a batter against hell.
Chalker does seem to have a few focuses he enjoys returning to; as I said, transformation, mind control, and byzantine plots in which you can't figure if the feint is also a feint within a feint...
His characters are interesting, but the dialogue tends to be both dated and on occasion stilted. He spends alot of time 'telling' us things, and exposition can eat up a chunk of a chapter. Still the twists and turns of the book, and the things that happen in it are fascinating; he enjoys playing with the possibilities of the world he has established.
A decent enough book by fantasy standards, and I'll put the sequel on my reading list as well as look out for his other works.
April 14, 2022
Ok, so when I started reading books in high school, I would not allow myself, no matter how much I wanted to, to call myself an avid book reader until I could find and read a book published by a respected publisher that I enjoyed and most other book readers probably haven't heard of. It was a challenge I set for myself and this was that book! It certainly was not anywhere near the best book I've ever read, but I absolutely love this very uniquely built world.
This is a dark and gritty fantasy book with magic that is often used in disturbing ways, so I don't expect this book is for everyone. It is definitely not for children. However, if you enjoy dark and gritty and don't mind slightly disturbing themes, and you're looking for a new fantasy book to read, I recommend this one. I would give a summary of the book, but I find myself either writing a summary that reveals much about the world I think you're better off discovering in your first read through, or if I exclude those details, I find my summary to be so broad, it sounds like the summary of any other fantasy book and this is not any other fantasy book.
I'll say this, this world uses an extremely unique and creative soft magic system (I think the only other book series I've ever read with a soft magic system as uniquely creative as this book series is Kingkiller Chronicle). The creative magic of this book is deeply intertwined with the most unique and creative world I've ever read. It is the creative world coupled with the author's courage to write dark and disturbing tones that made me love this book. I'm currently half way through the second book. The plot and character development so far are good. To clarify, they are better than ok, but less than great. It contains very original plot devices, but isn't so compelling that I'd have continued into the second book without the wonderful world building and dark tones.
This is a dark and gritty fantasy book with magic that is often used in disturbing ways, so I don't expect this book is for everyone. It is definitely not for children. However, if you enjoy dark and gritty and don't mind slightly disturbing themes, and you're looking for a new fantasy book to read, I recommend this one. I would give a summary of the book, but I find myself either writing a summary that reveals much about the world I think you're better off discovering in your first read through, or if I exclude those details, I find my summary to be so broad, it sounds like the summary of any other fantasy book and this is not any other fantasy book.
I'll say this, this world uses an extremely unique and creative soft magic system (I think the only other book series I've ever read with a soft magic system as uniquely creative as this book series is Kingkiller Chronicle). The creative magic of this book is deeply intertwined with the most unique and creative world I've ever read. It is the creative world coupled with the author's courage to write dark and disturbing tones that made me love this book. I'm currently half way through the second book. The plot and character development so far are good. To clarify, they are better than ok, but less than great. It contains very original plot devices, but isn't so compelling that I'd have continued into the second book without the wonderful world building and dark tones.
December 27, 2016
Loved this series. Fell hard for main characters. Great development.
February 13, 2015
Chalker has a interesting viewpoint on power, sex and politics and uses his own mix of fantasy-scifi. Its definitely a fantasy books yet it has more in common with far future science fiction. To me it suffers greatly in comparison with the original dune books by f.herbert when it comes to politics.
Like most of chalkers books this has a large amount of gender switching and while its fascinating its also very repellant and i do believe this is a important part of why readers dislike and like chalker. Like how he does not try to be politically correct. Pretty sure chalker didn't write this book to ever top any bestselling list. Cant imagine this deviant a book even becoming a "potter" type of success still remember that economic book Capital by piketty just recently what do i know.
The main character is so young and naive like its normally the case in fantasy books yet since this is not a pure Good Vs Evil world this turns into quite the problem as the book goes on. Ill be interested in book 2 and 3 what happens to her ideals.
Like most of chalkers books this has a large amount of gender switching and while its fascinating its also very repellant and i do believe this is a important part of why readers dislike and like chalker. Like how he does not try to be politically correct. Pretty sure chalker didn't write this book to ever top any bestselling list. Cant imagine this deviant a book even becoming a "potter" type of success still remember that economic book Capital by piketty just recently what do i know.
The main character is so young and naive like its normally the case in fantasy books yet since this is not a pure Good Vs Evil world this turns into quite the problem as the book goes on. Ill be interested in book 2 and 3 what happens to her ideals.
July 2, 2020
2008: It was kind of sad; this book had great potential. It had an interesting world that was well thought out and not a bad message about the world. It had just the right amount of Mary Sue and romance. However, the characterization was terrible! I couldn't empathize with any of them or believe their actions. As a result, it was really hard to get into the book.
2020: Huh. According to Goodreads, I've read this book before. I honestly had no idea. I would still give it a 3 star review. It's much more solid than other books I read during my covid shelf-cleaning. Given that it was written in 1984 and my recent lack of success with some early-90s books, I expected it to be bad, but it wasn't terrible. There was even some pretty frank (if dated) exploration of gender and sexuality. I'm not going to seek out the rest of the series, but if I happen to stumble upon it when bored one day, I might check it out.
2020: Huh. According to Goodreads, I've read this book before. I honestly had no idea. I would still give it a 3 star review. It's much more solid than other books I read during my covid shelf-cleaning. Given that it was written in 1984 and my recent lack of success with some early-90s books, I expected it to be bad, but it wasn't terrible. There was even some pretty frank (if dated) exploration of gender and sexuality. I'm not going to seek out the rest of the series, but if I happen to stumble upon it when bored one day, I might check it out.
February 4, 2024
Pretty disappointed with this book. Chalker is a frustrating author. I read Chalker's original Well of Souls series thirty years ago, and I thought it was a good SF adventure. I then read The Messiah Choice which put me off Chalker. I actually owned most of Chalker's books at one time, but I sold them because I was so disappointed by The Messiah Choice. I recently repurchased the Soul Rider series on ebay because I was intrigued by the positive reviews on this site.
Now that I have read this book, I think I may give up on Chalker again. The idea for the worlds of Flux and Anchor with the wizards and stringers and church is intriguing, but Chalker never brings it to life. The book is just too underdeveloped. The descriptions, characterizations and plot are minimal, even though the book is over 300 pages. I also find the sexual elements in the novel almost juvenile. Chalker has certainly done better.
Now that I have read this book, I think I may give up on Chalker again. The idea for the worlds of Flux and Anchor with the wizards and stringers and church is intriguing, but Chalker never brings it to life. The book is just too underdeveloped. The descriptions, characterizations and plot are minimal, even though the book is over 300 pages. I also find the sexual elements in the novel almost juvenile. Chalker has certainly done better.
February 27, 2016
A colony in the middle of terraforming their new World is cut off from the rest of humanity by an impending alien invasion. The Flux Gates are closed and the process of flooding World with Flux energy to hardcode into reality is halted, leaving World covered in Flux with only a handful of city-like Anchors. Generations pass and those with the ability to control Flux have become powerful god-like wizards. Cassie is just a country girl living in Anchor, but when she is thrown into Flux, she will discover her incredible talents. She will also come head-to-head with an even more powerful wizard who has discovered an ancient computer program that will change the balance of power between Flux and Anchor forever. And there are those that want to re-open the Gates to see what's waiting on the other side...
March 12, 2015
Finally finished listening to the audiobook of the first book in the Soul Rider series. I really liked Cassie a whole lot. I discovered these books last night and already want to read/listen to the next book because it was pretty damn good. Despite was most reviewers are saying I actually enjoyed it.
I started listening to the audiobook and once I started I couldn't stop. I just needed to know what would happen next. Can't wait to get to the second book in the series.
I started listening to the audiobook and once I started I couldn't stop. I just needed to know what would happen next. Can't wait to get to the second book in the series.
September 3, 2022
I read this back in the early 80s when I was being introduced to fantasy and had not yet come across science fiction. Rereading it now, I see what I like has changed considerably and won't remain in my collection.
It has some interesting concepts around the creation of reality, and it interestingly is well ahead of its time in exploring sexual identity! However there's something about the ?maturity? of the writing that doesn't compare to the books I love to reread.
It has some interesting concepts around the creation of reality, and it interestingly is well ahead of its time in exploring sexual identity! However there's something about the ?maturity? of the writing that doesn't compare to the books I love to reread.
July 2, 2013
Decided to re-read this after many years. Not quite as good as I remember (I originally read it as a teenager, I think), but still very good. Still one of the more interesting and unique world-building concepts out there even after all this time.
May 16, 2016
A very elaborate alternative universe. A little too "magical" to really grab me. A bit Terry Pratchett but at times it wants to be serious? I may read a second book and see how the series develops.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2016
Similar to the Well of Souls series, but less so in a few aspects: feels more rural than globular and more about sexual reorientation than physical boundaries. Again, the power of a woman is dominant.
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August 23, 2008Science fiction with lots of nudity and smart ideas; yum ;)
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