NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Matt Godfrey flawlessly delivers Roger Zelazny’s last—and possibly best—fantasy novel. Listeners meet Victorian characters who gather only when the full moon occurs on Halloween—3-4 times per century. They play the Game, in which Players battle to end the world or begin a new era of slaughter and slavery. Godfrey masterfully distinguishes the Players; for example, The Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes, and The Doctor and his experiment, Frankenstein. Each Player has a suitably voiced nonhuman companion. The standouts are Jack the Ripper’s incomparable dog, Snuff, and Graymalk, a literary cat. The London setting, compelling conversations, and graphic descriptions offer irresistible listening that is unique among horror, fantasy, and mystery stories. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Leaving his ever-popular and ever-expanding Amber series behind for the nonce, Zelazny delivers a cheerful, witty, well-crafted fantasy narrated by Snuff, dog-companion to Jack the Ripper. It seems that Jack is in fact a sorcerer and his gruesome exploits were perpetrated in the service of his magic. But the Ripper's killings are tangential to the tale of an upcoming struggle between magical personages. In a rare occurrence, the cosmic forces are in alignment, permitting an opening for the Elder Gods to return to Earth. ``Openers'' are contending with ``closers,'' who want to keep the Elder Gods shut out. Snuff recounts the day-by-day preparations as players size up the competition, gather their magical arsenals and make and break alliances. Snuff himself maneuvers among other familiars (a cat named Graymalk, a snake called Quicklime, etc.). An instantly recognizable gothic compliment of characters includes a mad doctor trying to reanimate a patchwork corpse with lightning, a werewolf named Larry Talbot and a ``Great Detective'' who haunts the sidelines. Zelazny handles this material with a charm few can match, and while this novel does not approach the depth of his best work like Lord of Light , its deft, understated good humor and spare, poetic prose reaffirm Zelazny as one of fantasy's most skilled practitioners. (Aug.)
Kirkus Reviews
After years of unprepossessing folderol—the wearisome Nine Princes in Amber retreads are depressingly typical—Zelazny bursts forth with, well, "Victorian light supernatural fantasy" just about covers it. Narrator Snuff, a guard dog who performs complex thaumaturgical calculations in his head, has many duties: to keep various Things firmly trapped in mirrors, wardrobes, and steamer trunks; to accompany his master, Jack—he of the magical blade—on weird collecting expeditions into the graveyards and slums of Victorian London; and—for a single hour each night—discuss the day's goings-on in human speech. Snuff's neighbors include: Jill the witch and her familiar, Graymalk the cat, with whom Snuff forms a friendly alliance; Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, a werewolf, and a satanic vicar. The witches, detectives, doctors, vampires, etc., along with their equally industrious familiars, trade information and scheme for advantage as the full moon of Halloween approaches; at that time, a magical showdown to decide the fate of the Earth will occur. Some of the characters are "openers," determined to open a magical doorway allowing the Old Gods to reoccupy the Earth; others are "closers," equally resolved to keep the magical door nailed shut; and a few are involved yet stand outside the Game altogether. Snuff's problem is to discover who is which. Sparkling, witty, delightful: Zelazny's best for ages, perhaps his best ever.
From the Publisher
The last great novel by one of the giants of the genre” — George R.R. Martin
NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
Matt Godfrey flawlessly delivers Roger Zelazny’s last—and possibly best—fantasy novel. Listeners meet Victorian characters who gather only when the full moon occurs on Halloween—3-4 times per century. They play the Game, in which Players battle to end the world or begin a new era of slaughter and slavery. Godfrey masterfully distinguishes the Players; for example, The Great Detective, Sherlock Holmes, and The Doctor and his experiment, Frankenstein. Each Player has a suitably voiced nonhuman companion. The standouts are Jack the Ripper’s incomparable dog, Snuff, and Graymalk, a literary cat. The London setting, compelling conversations, and graphic descriptions offer irresistible listening that is unique among horror, fantasy, and mystery stories. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
