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Saga of the Well World #6
The Sea is Full of Stars
This exciting, action-packed novel marks Jack Chalker's triumphant return to his celebrated multivolume saga: The Well World. The Sea Is Full of Stars explores an unknown interstellar civilization, stars an all-new cast of characters, and reveals fresh secrets. But of course, The Well remains . . .
After three passengers--Ming, Ari, and Angel--embark on an elite starship journey into the Realm, they unwittingly become ensnared in one man's bloodthirsty vendetta that will alter their very beings. That man is Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He vows to destroy Josich Conqueror Hadun, the evil genius who has wreaked unspeakable havoc throughout the universe. It is an obsession that will take him to lands of demons and strange races--and into a deadly new cyberworld where humans are mere pawns of the godlike computers they have created.
But it is only after Kincaid and his unwitting fellow travelers enter Well World and discover the water hexes that he confronts the mad tyrant--and learns their universe is threatened by something far, far worse . . .
After three passengers--Ming, Ari, and Angel--embark on an elite starship journey into the Realm, they unwittingly become ensnared in one man's bloodthirsty vendetta that will alter their very beings. That man is Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He vows to destroy Josich Conqueror Hadun, the evil genius who has wreaked unspeakable havoc throughout the universe. It is an obsession that will take him to lands of demons and strange races--and into a deadly new cyberworld where humans are mere pawns of the godlike computers they have created.
But it is only after Kincaid and his unwitting fellow travelers enter Well World and discover the water hexes that he confronts the mad tyrant--and learns their universe is threatened by something far, far worse . . .
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 1999
37 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
About the author
Jack L. Chalker
132 books359 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 5, 2022
Many years ago I read and enjoyed the first five books in Jack L. Chalker's Well World series. The Well World (Hex World) is such a fascinating place. If you enter from the outside, your physiology is transformed depending what hex you land in. I loved the imagination of the series and the adventures. Later on Watchers at the Well trilogy. I don't remember enjoying it as much but it's probably because it had been a number of years since I'd enjoyed the first books. The Watcher books involved those that actually created the Well World(s). Recently I discovered that Chalker wrote two final books in the Well World series so I decided to finish the series off. The Sea is Full of Stars is the sixth and penultimate book in the series.
It does take about half the book to finally get to Well World. We start on a space voyage where a small group of people meet Jeremiah Wong Kincaid, a man hunting down a planetary mass murderer responsible for the murders of his family. The others get drawn into the hunt. The ship is taken over and Ming, Ari and Angel are kidnapped and find themselves on another planet where Ming and Angel become playthings for Ari's uncle, not a nice guy. The computer system on the planet incorporates itself into their very beings... At the halfway point roughly, the planet is invaded by interplanetary police forces and the group find themselves transported to the Well World, each with their own new bodies. This group is drawn into the schemes of Josich who wants to take over the Well World, destroying the peoples of the various hexes in the process.
It's a slow developing story and I found myself at times wanting to get to the Well World. But the initial character and story development is important as it sets up, I imagine, the finale of the 7th books. The action gets hot and heavy over the past quarter of the book as the endangered races of the Well World, especially the Ochoans, prepare for battle and maybe defeat by Josich's troops.
It was nice to get back to this series. The characters are definitely unique and the situations are well-crafted. I think it's worth being patient to see how everything is developed and worth waiting for everything to come out in the wash. Of course, now I do have to finish the final book and see if that ending will happily resolve itself. I'm looking forward to it with some trepidation. (3.5 stars)
It does take about half the book to finally get to Well World. We start on a space voyage where a small group of people meet Jeremiah Wong Kincaid, a man hunting down a planetary mass murderer responsible for the murders of his family. The others get drawn into the hunt. The ship is taken over and Ming, Ari and Angel are kidnapped and find themselves on another planet where Ming and Angel become playthings for Ari's uncle, not a nice guy. The computer system on the planet incorporates itself into their very beings... At the halfway point roughly, the planet is invaded by interplanetary police forces and the group find themselves transported to the Well World, each with their own new bodies. This group is drawn into the schemes of Josich who wants to take over the Well World, destroying the peoples of the various hexes in the process.
It's a slow developing story and I found myself at times wanting to get to the Well World. But the initial character and story development is important as it sets up, I imagine, the finale of the 7th books. The action gets hot and heavy over the past quarter of the book as the endangered races of the Well World, especially the Ochoans, prepare for battle and maybe defeat by Josich's troops.
It was nice to get back to this series. The characters are definitely unique and the situations are well-crafted. I think it's worth being patient to see how everything is developed and worth waiting for everything to come out in the wash. Of course, now I do have to finish the final book and see if that ending will happily resolve itself. I'm looking forward to it with some trepidation. (3.5 stars)
March 7, 2018
more guilty pleasure SF. bring it on!
Chalker knows how to write a page turner.
Chalker knows how to write a page turner.
Read
February 5, 2020MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NEXT ONE BEFORE YOU START THIS ONE. IT LEAVES YOU HANGING
April 23, 2026
The original Well World saga was one of my favorite Sci-Fi series that I read when I was a teen. I recently re-read it to see if it held up and it sure did. I still love it. I then read the 3 book Watchers of the Well series and really enjoyed those too. So finally I get to read this, Chalkers final ever Well World story. I'm sorry to say but I'm pretty disappointed with it. It's kind of boring. There are no carryover characters from previous books. In fact it seems to take place in an entirely different reality or timeline from the originals with the only common thing being the Well World itself. The first half of the book takes place in the Realm, which is a futuristic galaxy in which humans are just one of many different species. We get introduced to our new cast of characters. Unfortunately none of them are interesting, aside from one - Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He's a relentless, single-minded avenger driven above all by his need to kill Josich Hadun, the powerful but evil protagonist who is responsible for the death of Kincaids family. Unfortunately Kincaid is only in the book for a tiny part of it.
Many of the tropes of the Well World books are revisited here: Characters having their bodies physiologically changed while they are helpless to fight against it - Check. Characters having Amnesia - Check. Characters having their minds altered - Check. These themes have been revisited so many times now it almost seems like a fetish for Chalker.
We only actually get to the Well World in the second half of the book. This is where the book does shine. The best parts of the Well World books have always been about the characters waking up as their new randomly assigned species and trying to figure out what they are and what to do. This happens here as well.
One thing I really missed is that this book does not come with a hex map like the earlier books did. Much of the action happens to the East of the maps that are available, so it's hard to follow, when hexes are being referred to and we can't see the geographic layout.
All in all it's still the Well World - I love this place and it's great to be reading a story that takes place here, and Chalker is a very good writer, but it's definitely not up to the same standard as his earlier Well World novels.
Many of the tropes of the Well World books are revisited here: Characters having their bodies physiologically changed while they are helpless to fight against it - Check. Characters having Amnesia - Check. Characters having their minds altered - Check. These themes have been revisited so many times now it almost seems like a fetish for Chalker.
We only actually get to the Well World in the second half of the book. This is where the book does shine. The best parts of the Well World books have always been about the characters waking up as their new randomly assigned species and trying to figure out what they are and what to do. This happens here as well.
One thing I really missed is that this book does not come with a hex map like the earlier books did. Much of the action happens to the East of the maps that are available, so it's hard to follow, when hexes are being referred to and we can't see the geographic layout.
All in all it's still the Well World - I love this place and it's great to be reading a story that takes place here, and Chalker is a very good writer, but it's definitely not up to the same standard as his earlier Well World novels.
September 24, 2017
While this follows on the original Well World Series i found this book a little harder to get in to. I also had a few qualms where Chalker apparently slipped up and got a few things confused. The character Tann Nakitt is a Geldorian in the first part of the book but then talks about being a Ghoma after arriving in the Ochoa hex. That's just one of the slip ups I noticed and there were others. On the whole I liked this book and I'm enjoying the follow-on book as well - but it just doesn't feel quite the same without Mavra Chang and Nathan Brazil as characters in the story. It's kind of like a Doctor Who story - but without the Doctor.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2019
So the original 5 "Well of Souls" books are amongst my favorites, and some of my earliest sci-fi reads. Nathan Brazil (protagonist of most of them) is also my favorite central character.
That said, in this much later book 6 it feels like the author has forgotten some of his original story and character traits. It is fine, but just that. I wish I could rate it higher. If you do come across this book make sure you read the earlier ones first. It is not that connected to them, but they set up the world far better and are real page turners.
That said, in this much later book 6 it feels like the author has forgotten some of his original story and character traits. It is fine, but just that. I wish I could rate it higher. If you do come across this book make sure you read the earlier ones first. It is not that connected to them, but they set up the world far better and are real page turners.
July 10, 2023
The growth in writing style is evident here, with nearly two decades between the previous book in the 80s and this book. A darker tone and less of an adventure romp than the last books, but entertaining nonetheless and it's nice to see a different part of the Well World.
December 3, 2023
This book is the first Well World book without Nathan Brazil. It introduces new characters for the artificial planet, and their stories continue to the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2024
AN enjoyable return to the Well World. Except.... Haven't we always been told a large scale war is not possible here? Hmm...
March 6, 2026
Who would have thought that another Well World Novel would prove so exciting?
March 1, 2025
This exciting, action-packed novel marks Jack Chalker's triumphant return to his celebrated multivolume saga: The Well World. The Sea Is Full of Stars explores an unknown interstellar civilization, stars an all-new cast of characters, and reveals fresh secrets. But of course, The Well remains . . .
After three passengers--Ming, Ari, and Angel--embark on an elite starship journey into the Realm, they unwittingly become ensnared in one man's bloodthirsty vendetta that will alter their very beings. That man is Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He vows to destroy Josich Conqueror Hadun, the evil genius who has wreaked unspeakable havoc throughout the universe. It is an obsession that will take him to lands of demons and strange races--and into a deadly new cyberworld where humans are mere pawns of the godlike computers they have created.
But it is only after Kincaid and his unwitting fellow travelers enter Well World and discover the water hexes that he confronts the mad tyrant--and learns their universe is threatened by something far, far worse . . .
After three passengers--Ming, Ari, and Angel--embark on an elite starship journey into the Realm, they unwittingly become ensnared in one man's bloodthirsty vendetta that will alter their very beings. That man is Jeremiah Wong Kincaid. He vows to destroy Josich Conqueror Hadun, the evil genius who has wreaked unspeakable havoc throughout the universe. It is an obsession that will take him to lands of demons and strange races--and into a deadly new cyberworld where humans are mere pawns of the godlike computers they have created.
But it is only after Kincaid and his unwitting fellow travelers enter Well World and discover the water hexes that he confronts the mad tyrant--and learns their universe is threatened by something far, far worse . . .
July 26, 2020
[2020] So... I still have a Stephen Pinker book to finish and a few more heavies queued up, but I took time out for this one while on a short vacation. Long build up, yet another character in the vein of Antor Trelig, and something I never called attention to before, but when the cast finally gets to the Well World, an ambassador says something about there being 785 races in the Southern hemisphere...1560/2 is not 785. Could have been a typo except that it was mentioned again a few pages later. Anyway, the big stuff is yet to come in the conclusion. And yes, I skipped the trilogy for this one...I can reread Mavra and Nathan later.
[2013] Better the second time around. I found the very long (half the book) pre-Well World piece more interesting than when the characters got there. And like most Chalker multiple-volume stories, the set ups (pre- and in this case post-transition) overly long. Still, it's a good read.
[2013] Better the second time around. I found the very long (half the book) pre-Well World piece more interesting than when the characters got there. And like most Chalker multiple-volume stories, the set ups (pre- and in this case post-transition) overly long. Still, it's a good read.
February 28, 2009
All of the well of souls books explores the strong social problems of our own world in a tale of science fiction. Social injustice, prejudice, close-mindedness - all are some of the common problems that plauge the inhabitants of the strange worlds and cause their problems and lead to the wars between species. Its just like our own world, except instead of different species we have different races or nationalites. Chaulker, like Clarke, explores terrestrial human issues thru extrterrestrial worlds.
August 24, 2016
The is actually book 9 in the Well World series. It was written several year later, and lacks Nathan Brazil for the first time. To me it has less overall human engagement than the earlier ones, possibly because master criminals are so important in it, but the avenging Jeremiah Kincaid steals the show every time. Be sure to have GHOST OF THE WELL WORLD available to finish the story.
August 2, 2013
I have read most of the Well World books. I enjoyed this one a lot because it explores issues of survival. What happened to the two females is reprehensible. I would recommend this to anyone but it helps if you know the Well World.
September 6, 2008
Since I had ravenously read the previous Well World series of books, I thought I would be just as riveted by this one. It was alright, but did not hold my interest like the others.
July 21, 2013
IMO: The point where The Well World Series, jumps the metaphorical shark.
October 10, 2013
This is the setup book in a two book series. It has similarities with earlier books hence the lower rating. I'm waiting until I finish the next book before giving my full review.
Read
October 19, 2011very good but different then the rest of the well world saga. I love this author.
June 22, 2017
Different from the rest of the Well World, and somewhat disappointing.
March 17, 2015
Easy to read, but not really much of a plot.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews