The Well of Darkness

Gandalara Cycle #4

by Randall Garrett, Vicki Ann Heydron

1st Bantam edition paperback good

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction

Paperback

First published March 28, 1984

About the author

Randall Garrett's full name was Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett. For more information about him see https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?239

He was married to Vicki Ann Heydron

His pseudonyms include: Gordon Randall Garrett, Gordon Aghill, Grandal Barretton, Alexander Blade, Ralph Burke, Gordon Garrett, David Gordon, Richard Greer, Ivar Jorgenson, Darrel T. Langart, Blake MacKenzie, Jonathan Blake MacKenzie, Seaton Mckettrig, Clyde (T.) Mitchell, Mark Phillips (with Laurence Janifer), Robert Randall, Leonard G. Spencer, S.M. Tenneshaw, Gerald Vance.

Reviews

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginning to the 2nd story arc in the series. Nice entertaining and quick read. Recommended

[Nate Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sucks. Don't bother.

[AmbushPredator · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one's a hard read, for many reasons - Rikardon and Tarani are beset by enemies on all sides, deprived of friends and partners and betrayed again and again. They both act out of character (though as we learn in the last few chapters, there's a good reason for this).

The book does end on a hopeful note, though, and leads into the next in the saga with renewed purpose.

[James]

mass market paperback book

[Jonathan Palfrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a bad trip. The Well of Darkness is the name of a Gandalaran geographical feature; but it also turns out to be a forewarning of what you’re in for here.

Things keep going badly wrong for our hero, and in addition he starts behaving strangely and badly from time to time. There turns out to be an explanation for this, but meanwhile he fails to engage the sympathy of the reader; in fact, it’s hard to understand how his girlfriend puts up with him.

I was tempted to give the book one star, because I didn’t enjoy it. On the other hand, it’s not an incompetent book, it’s just not enjoyable; and, after a good deal of messing about, it advances the plot of the series in a somewhat constructive direction.

However, if I ever read through this series again, I think I’d prefer to read a condensed summary of this particular episode than to struggle through it all in full.

[Dantegideon · Rating 3 out of 5]

They wander pointlessly about for a whole book. And still it manages to finish on an anti-climax. I don't know if I'll bother with the rest, as they sound quite similar.

Update: I liked it a little better on the second read-through. Hope the next one takes a turn for the better, though.

[bluetyson]

isbn,original

[Angela Randall]

We own the omnibus of books 4-6: Gandalara Cycle Omnibus #2: Books 4-6

[Il Futuro è tornato]

Ne abbiamo parlato sul blog nell'articolo sul planetary romance:

http://wp.me/p29Hyy-2w

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

lol

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm definitely sure I read this book, but I remembered, as before, almost nothing about the actual story -- just some of the things that happened.

Enjoyable, 100%.