Just a couple short comments, which add really nothing of consequence but may contain slight spoilers:
The LibraryThing reviewers who dislike this book all offer legitimate critiques. Perhaps half of the book is devoted to Mendoza’s family, and it’s both slow and occasionally annoying. And the climax–as Joseph’s epilogue complains–is pretty darn tidy. Mendoza and Joseph are mere shadows of themselves in this book, and the reincarnations of Nicholas continue to be unbearable (even after they come to their senses, methinks). And, yes, there’s too much California and London for a book that supposedly discusses world domination salvation.
But the last half of the book is just wonderful, with Budu’s army of massive tenors and countertenors, Victor’s absolutely perfect revenge on his masters, Lewis’s escape from his fate, and all the threads converging on Avalon on The Day of Silence. Captain Morgan’s schemes actually work. There are obvious jokes, jokes that assume you read carefully, and jokes that assume you’re well-read. Gosh this is fun.
This review was originally published on LibraryThing.