Serpent Mage

This article is about the novel by Weis and Hickman. For the novel by Greg Bear, see Serpent Mage (Greg Bear).

Serpent Mage is a fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, the fourth book in The Death Gate Cycle series. It was released in 1992.

Serpent Mage

Authors	Margaret Weis Tracy Hickman
Language	English
Series	The Death Gate Cycle
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Bantam Spectra
Publication date	1992
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	450 (paperback)
ISBN	0-553-56140-5
OCLC	27773124
Preceded by	Fire Sea
Followed by	The Hand of Chaos

Plot summary

After the four worlds Alfred has at last found his people on Chelstra, the realm of sea. But his travels have taught him to be cautious... and Alfred soon realizes his caution is justified, even among his own kind. The one person Alfred can trust is, strangely, Haplo the Patryn. But Haplo's lord has decreed all Sartan to be the enemy, and Haplo dares not go against his lord. Now the companions have arrived in a land where humans, elves, and dwarves have learned to live in peace. Unaware of an even greater threat to all the realms, it is Sartan and Patryn who will disrupt this alliance of the lesser races in their struggle to gain control of all four worlds. Only Alfred and Haplo realize that they have a much older—and more powerful—enemy than each other, Samah, the nominal leader of all Sartan. Samah defeats them, and Alfred goes into exile, with Haplo imprisoned.

Criticism and praise

The book hit the bestseller lists for Locus, Waldenbooks, and B. Dalton.