From Amazon.com
On the parallel world of Nextdoor, the Filoby Testament predicts the coming of D'ward the Liberator, who is to bring death to Zath, God of Death. Edward Exeter has done all he can to dodge the prophecy, but it is inescapable: he must become the Liberator or the world he has come to love will be despoiled. Fortunately, Edward has been reared to meet challenges and to lead, and so, growing more powerful every day with mana from his followers, he sets out to confront Zath. Although the people of Nextdoor welcome the Liberator, Edward's friends from Earth have mixed feelings about him, and the other gods of Nextdoor aren't pleased about his rivalry. Can Edward bring down an entire pantheon? And what will he put up in its place?
Dave Duncan's writing could be fuelled by mana from his growing numbers of fans; this trilogy is a satisfying, entertaining fantasy.
From Booklist
The conclusion of the trilogy The Great Game resembles its predecessors,
Past Imperative (1995) and
Present Tense (1996), in being tightly written, intelligent, and original. Edward Exeter reaches the climax of his quest to be the liberator who will slay Zath, the self-appointed god of death. As often in tales of prophets and heroes, the supporting cast accounts for more than half the story's interest; it includes, among others, the progressively less naive Julian Smedley, the lusty Amazon Ursula Newton, Eleal Singer, and Dommni Houseboy, with his engaging Anglo-Indian speech patterns. Duncan also works out many of the implications of the previous volumes, makes the logistics of a crusade come alive, and draws on what is clearly extensive knowledge of history, folklore, and comparative religion. The Great Game, though not Duncan's most accessible work, may prove to be his most durable. This volume provides a decisive and satisfactory end to it.
Roland Green
