Customer Reviews

The Steel Tsar (Daw UE1773)

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This is more of an explanation than a review. A previous reviewer complained about the lack of characterization of Una Perrson. Moorcock made a conscious effort to tie all of his books together in into one massive story. This can be very confusing to the reader of a single story. You almost have to have read all the stories, especially, Moorcock's book of Martyrs, to understand what is going on. There are several books featuring Una Perrson which explain the character.

The conclusion of Oswald Bastable's adventures associated with the Temple of the Future Buddha. The time he came back too is full of giant airship and other such fun. This book is really a couple of parts, and again, Una Persson is involved in the story in mysterious ways, as Oswald Bastable learns more about the nature of the universe, and has to face the supervillain of the piece.

The third and final adventure of Michael Moorcock's dimension hopping hero, Oswald Bastable, is a disjointed narrative in two parts. The opening sequence, featuring a group of disheartened and frightened men awaiting their fates on an island that has been forgotten in the world-wide conflict that is raging, is pretty suspenseful. The second part, featuring the villain of the title, is frequently entertaining as well. One scene, which features a battle between dirigibles and men on horseback, rises to the level of high adventure. Unfortunately, the character of Una Persson, another interdimensional traveler who makes brief appearances in all of the Bastable books and is well-developed in none of them, figures prominently in the climax. There is also some sketchy mumbo-jumbo about a council of people who have the power to travel between dimensions. Could have been better.