True, it was a pretty awesome first line! And, I mean, even inferior Zelazny is good times in my book (plus, the women get a better deal this time around). But I just felt he explained and de-oozified his world to a crippling extent and generally lost control of tone and pacing to a ridiculous degree. But then I think his health may have been failing when it came to writing, or at least finishing off, the Merlin books, so I feel pretty churlish moaning about them. And they were fun, for sure.