What do you think?
Rate this book
Soul Rider #2
Empires of Flux and Anchor
It was a world slowly recovering from a battle between Titanic forces of good and evil. A grand alliance had been formed to fight humanity's battle. For good had not won the final victory. The Nine, rulers of hell, had formed their own empire and planned to invade the world, first subverting humans to their own unholy use.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
5 people are currently reading
266 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).
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
November 19, 2020
More "look at my deep thoughts on government now here's some porn that will really make you wonder what I was going through at the time because wow" trash. Look at the tropes for some idea of what you're getting into with the series: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
You'll see some spoilers, but they won't prepare you for the full experience anyway. It's that bad. Per my review of the first book, this is up there with the Gor series and some of the really bad moments in the Xanth series.
You'll see some spoilers, but they won't prepare you for the full experience anyway. It's that bad. Per my review of the first book, this is up there with the Gor series and some of the really bad moments in the Xanth series.
January 20, 2008
Chalker continues his attempt to mix (a) discussion of governments and power/coercion versus freedom, (b) magic fantasy, and (c) what I can only describe as soft porn. This book in the series focuses on (c) and it just ruins the whole book, if not the whole series. Yes, agreed, many men if given magic power would abuse it to makeover women as idealized sex slaves, but we don't have to go through it over and over and over again in detail.
February 1, 2023
In some ways better than the previous book, in others worse. Still suffering from bad writing mixed with unpleasant brutality, though to a lesser extant.
And while the first book was carried by the world building and exploration of some cool concepts, in this one it's not really developed any more.
The ending is better in principle, the "good side" realises they are just as bad (Suzl accepting the spell, Cass retiring from the church and her spell) and the bad side wins for that, even though the battle was lost for them they are set to win the war. However it was also poorly executed and written, like the rest of it.
There are some good elements to the story telling, Spirit's story has parallels to Cass's but isn't just a repeat and her choice at the end is one of the few things that were well written.
Overall the actual rating tends more to 2.5.
So now that I've read this one, since it's been on my shelf years (though of course read digitally now) I'm not sure I will continue with this series. :\
And while the first book was carried by the world building and exploration of some cool concepts, in this one it's not really developed any more.
The ending is better in principle, the "good side" realises they are just as bad (Suzl accepting the spell, Cass retiring from the church and her spell) and the bad side wins for that, even though the battle was lost for them they are set to win the war. However it was also poorly executed and written, like the rest of it.
There are some good elements to the story telling, Spirit's story has parallels to Cass's but isn't just a repeat and her choice at the end is one of the few things that were well written.
Overall the actual rating tends more to 2.5.
So now that I've read this one, since it's been on my shelf years (though of course read digitally now) I'm not sure I will continue with this series. :\
Read
October 20, 2019The second volume in Chalker's Flux and Anchor series, which analyses a strange world in which those with exceptional powers seem bent on turning the females of their species into virtual sex slaves. Mildly titillating at best, quite mysoginist at worst. Not really remembered except for the idea that all women had to wear tight, short shirts and excessively high heels.
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 ony mutant changelings and evil wizards, Flux was the soure 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.
September 10, 2017
Chalker tells some unique tales, but as I've written for some of his other books, I have to shake my head sometimes wondering why he had to 'go there' sometimes. Often the added bizarre sexual aspects of the story seem unnecessary.
On to book 3 to see what happens in Anchor Loch and the Flux.
On to book 3 to see what happens in Anchor Loch and the Flux.
August 7, 2015
I just don´t know what to say. Never read a book series like this one. And I´m not sure why it is so strange. Maybe because it was written in the 70-80 or bc the author is crazy. I will read the next one too and we will see what will happen. But a few turns in this books just are so paradox for me. And totally not understandable.
May 5, 2010
See Spirits of Flux and Anchor.
October 20, 2015
The second of this wonderful series.
January 9, 2012
Grade C-. Book Sr2, trilogy middle.
June 24, 2016
I do like the Western feel to this series, just stuck with feeling it was a chance to redo the Well of Souls.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews