From Publishers Weekly
Bestselling fantasist Anthony teams up with another first-time author (as he did in Quest for the Fallen Star, Forecasts, June 8) for this story of a fairy tale world called Kafka, born of the dreams of humans known as "Creators." Nola is one of the Creators, a battered woman whose only solace is the beautiful, so-very-realistic sleep visions through which she travels with a black winged unicorn named Spirit. When Kafka is threatened by the cruel and "noxious" creatures known as the Fren, King Eric Edward sends his only son, Mitch, to find Nola and bring her to Kafka to help save the world. Together with Spirit and a cast of assorted creatures including Misty ("the resident friendly ghost"), lisping carnivorous worms, telepathic dogs, flighty wood nymphs and a "stareless" basilisk named Snort, Nola and Mitch set off on the dangerous journey to the land of the Fren, ruled by a king who will stop at nothing to destroy them. The story jumps awkwardly between Kafka and Earth, with little lift supplied by the cardboard characters and weak plotting. In spite of positive messages about self-esteem and self-reliance, the novel is a downer. Admirers of Anthony's popular Xanth novels will look in vain for the pun-laden humor so prevalent in those tales, while others will be put off by the haphazard execution and precious tone.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Retreating from the abuse and misery that characterize their everyday existence, Nola and Tina seek refuge in a world of lucid dreams only to find that their dream world lies in peril from those who would crush all hope. Veteran sf and fantasy author Anthony and first-time novelist Brady collaborate in this fantasy adventure that uses the quixotic nature of dreams as a background for a modern-day pilgrimage of hope. For large fantasy collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.