War of the Maelstrom

 

By Jack L. Chalker

Book Three of the Changewinds series. 

The book opens with Klittichorn and the Storm Princess plotting their attack against Boolean and Sam, the Storm Princess' identical twin. Sam is beginning to understand her power over the storm and is standing up successfully against the Storm Princess.

Crim/Kira is concerned about Sam's state of mind so he/she takes her to see Etanalon, a healer/shrink/sorcerer. She has Sam look into a magic mirror which helps the girl see herself clearly and she comes away more steady in her thinking and purpose. 

Klittichorn is again hunting for Charley and Boday, thinking to use them to against Sam. Halagar, the hunk Charley is smitten by, is supposed to guide them to Boolean, along with the third rank wizard, Dorion, who is in love with Charley. But Charley is with Halagar until her slaps her around one day. Halagar betrays them and joins Klittichorn's side, turning Charley into a camp whore, until Shadowcat tears his throat out, dying in the process but freeing Charley from her enslavement to Halagar. Charley escapes and is found by Dorion.

Sam gets sent to a plantation to do farm work again but then gets sent on to a penal colony to be wife to four convicts. Once again she under a spell than makes her willing and compliant. Klittichorn's agent and his gang is on her trail and Crim/Kira show up in time to warn Sam and fight off the attackers. Boolean finally makes an appearance and reveals the truth of his and Klittichorn's past. They also realize that Klittichorn's goal isn't mere conquest. What he is really after is attaining divinity and Boolean and company may have to die fighting him to prevent the madman from becoming a god.

This was an OK story. Sam and Charley both spend most of time under some kind of potion or spell that makes them meek and compliant. And naked most of the time. Really makes me wonder about the author's feelings about women. Most of the story is about the characters' struggles just to get somewhere. Anyway, happy ending. But Charley sure does get the short end of the stick. I won't say what happens to her, but in my opinion, it sucks.