When Corleu and his companions, including his beloved Tiel, are bespelled and trapped in a timeless swamp, his knowledge enables him to cross into the parallel world where the mythic figures exist and seek help.

The Ro clan works against the questers, aware that if the Gold King prevails and the Cygnet falls, the balance keeping peace among the holds will be upset, and all who live will be doomed.

Their efforts are continually countered by the wily king, and all the players gather for the endgame in a final confrontation at Ro Holding, Nyx's home.

"[2] Kirkus Reviews calls the novel "a subtle, well-crafted tale redolent of magic and mystery, in which mythic figures are made flesh, and mortals are conscripted for an otherworldly contest.

"[3] Jackie Cassada in Library Journal praises the book for its "imaginative worldbuilding, strong male and female characters, and an intense (though sometimes esoteric) style.

"[5] Barbara Rickards in Magill Book Reviews writes that "McKillip has created a world where passing time, real and imaginary, encircles itself, like the age rings of a tree.

"[6] Grace Baun in School Library Journal notes that the book "is not a simple novel" and that "[t]he intricately woven plot laced with surrealist qualities will appeal to mature fantasy lovers.