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"Intelligent and exceedingly well written, this adventure adroitly uses the
baggage of fantasy to fresh and original advantage. An enjoyable and fast-moving read.
"
Stan Nicholls, The Dark Side
"Last month CC did a "long take" on MSR's The Gates of Noon, not
leaving me much to analyse, but I do have a few additional comments. In a time when all
too many fantasies are settling into rigid subgenres like bones fossilizing in neat
strata, Rohan's ongoing trilogy (yes!) is a breath of fresh air, infused with the energies
of the classic adventure novels, and - in this middle book - the exotica of Asian cultures
still little known in the West.
True, this sort of thing could become generic in its turn, but so far Rohan has kept it
lively and supplied it with great characters - several new ones this time, including a
love interest for Stephen Fisher, both an interesting woman in her own right and one very
sexy lady, in certain circumstances. (Though it's not central to the book, Rohan deals
with sex better than almost any well-known fantasy writers. He neither gelds it nor wraps
it in perfumed clouds of Romance. Bravo!)
...I eagerly await Stephen Fisher's next adventures in strange ports and far, exploring
further mysteries of the Spiral."
Faren Miller, Locus
"Awash in the mystique of the Orient, mixing myth and archetype with the steel and
concrete of near-future Asia and Indonesia... a magical excursion through Thailand and the
islands of Indonesia. Characters from Steve’s first voyage... reappear for cameo
appearances; this adventure stands alone... Strong images and some great (and weird) sea
battles keep the plot moving, while the concept of sailing in and out of myth remains
compelling... the huge battles at the end are on an epic scale...a romping mix of
contemporary fantasy, ancient myth and old-fashioned sea story that I recommend
highly."
Carolyn Cushman, Locus
"East of the Sun and West of the Moon..."
...you may find a freighter carrying ivory to Huy Braseal, mammoth tusks to Tartessos
and Ashkelon, spices from Cathay to Lyonesse. Another world, of infinite strangeness and
adventure. Round a corner, through a door into a harbourside inn, and you may find
yourself there, in the realm of shifting shadows, myth incarnate and living legend, the
domain of terrifying archetypes that surrounds our own - the Spiral.
Steve Fisher, an ordinary shipping agent, had taken that way once, had sailed the cloud
archipelagoes on a desperate quest to Hispaniola. Or had he? Was it only a dream? The
memories have faded.... But now Steve is being blocked in every attempt to send vital
life-saving technology to the beleaguered island paradise of Bali. When he investigates,
he finds himself catapulted back through the eerie gates of the Spiral, and into terrible
danger. Something wants him stopped, at any cost. But that makes Steve all the more
determined to use the Spiral for his own purposes.
Entangled by old loves and ancient hatreds, pursued by vengeful priests and seductive
witches, Steve must find help wherever he can - from Ape the warlock, the mighty Maori
warrior (and sheep expert) Te Kiore, and the ancient but piratical Batang Sen, as well as
the lovely but suspicious Jacquie. Pursued by weird beasts, dacoits, dwarfish demons and
the original Bogeymen, Steve fights to reconcile past and present in an epic battle which
leads him from deserted railway yards to the sleazy sex bars of Bangkok and the
mist-shrouded islands of the South Seas... and rescue the soul of an endangered people.
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