Masks of the Martyrs

The book was used, as advertised, but in great condition. Delivery wasn't as quick as hoped, but I did select standard delevery. Overall, I a pleased with the purchase and would buy from this source again.

I really enjoyed this series. I found it to be a fast fun space opera that's not too deep. However, it does delve into the whole "Man's inhumanity to man" idea quite a bit. It's reminds me of a mix of Star Wars, LOTR and Terminator. This is the first series by Chalker that I have read, and I can't wait to read more by him.

This series may not have the deepest writing or characters, but the plot over the 4-book series is intricate and sustained ingeniously throughout. This is one of the few series I've read where the final book is actually satisfying and a great conclusion. It's a little like Star Wars meets The Terminator, where the protagonists have to fight terrible odds against an evil artificial intelligence which has taken over Earth. Highly recommended!

The Rings of the Master books are the kind of science fiction that you like to read over and over again. They are not particularly original - after all, there have been countless books written about computers being in control of humankind. But they're fun to read, the characters are great, and the aliens are as weird as aliens can be. And I have to say, the code that the protagonists have to eventually figure out at the end is pretty genius - see if you can decipher it before they do! I give this series three stars for content, five stars for enjoyment. Don't bother with it if you're in the mood for something really deep and earthshaking, but I still number these four books among my favorites. Happy reading!