He spends a lot of time on the prose on this one. If memory serves, this and the next two volumes are the source of several "Masterclass" quotes that Dave Langford posts on Ansible as examples of "WTF?" writing.

While I agree with some of what he's saying, it seems the characters never appeal to him as much as they fleetingly did for me around the time I first read this book, back in November 1997. But perhaps there is a lack of focus to this book, considering the divergent paths the characters take - what unifies their journeys/quests? What Roberts didn't say (and perhaps he is waiting for another volume to say it) is that beginning with this volume, some threads at least have no resolution; within the next few volumes, none of them have full resolutions.

But doubtless, opinions will vary, since this is one of the more well-liked volumes in the series. What are others' takes on the "unfocused" argument? The prose qualities?