Fourth and final installment in the
Otherland series of books, written by
Tad Williams. Released in April
2001, it concludes the story that features an
artificial intelligence gone
berzerk, bizarre (
virtual) creatures, a
multitude of main characters, and a lot of bloody, violent action. The work reads like a cross between
fantasy and
science-fiction, incorporating elements from both while adding references to
cyberpunk,
alternate realities, and
nursery rhymes. It all makes for a compelling read, with a (very) slowly unfolding story with a lot of surprising twists.
Although each of the books in the Otherland series contains a good
synopsis of its
prequels, I recommend reading the books in the correct order. See
Works of Tad Williams for a list of all the books.