on - ha unted ▁desert ▁of ▁Lux our , ▁whose ▁sl umber ing ▁den iz ens ▁Dra ken ▁seems ▁intent ▁on ▁aw ak ening . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁C ath y ▁Ch au v ette ▁in ▁School ▁Library ▁Journal ▁notes ▁that , ▁"[ a ] s ▁she ▁did ▁in ▁The ▁R idd lem aster ▁of ▁Hed ▁... ▁and ▁The ▁F org ot ten ▁Be asts ▁of ▁E ld ▁... , ▁McK ill ip ▁we aves ▁a ▁magic ▁spell ▁of ▁words ▁almost ▁as ▁into xic ating ▁as ▁a ▁drug . ▁The ▁result ▁will ▁depend ▁on ▁readers ; ▁some ▁will ▁find ▁its ▁effect ▁add ict ive , ▁while ▁others ▁will ▁be ▁confused ▁and ▁long ▁for ▁a ▁breath ▁of ▁fresh ▁air . ▁... ▁The ▁language , ▁though , ▁is ▁either ▁the ▁glory ▁or ▁the ▁cur se ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁For ▁those ▁who ▁enjoy ▁sm ok y ▁mis direction ▁and ▁brilliant ▁word ▁pictures , ▁this ▁book ▁will ▁be ▁a ▁fe ast . ▁All ▁others , ▁be ▁w ary ." ▁ ▁Sy bil ▁S . ▁Stein berg ▁in ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly ▁finds ▁the ▁book ▁an ▁" ade qu ate ▁but ▁lack l uster ▁follow - up ▁to ▁The ▁Sor cer ess ▁and ▁the ▁C yg net , ▁[ with ▁an ] ▁often ▁ted ious ▁plot ▁[ that ] ▁has ▁too ▁much ▁purs uit ▁and ▁discussion , ▁and ▁not ▁enough ▁direct ▁conflict ▁and ▁dram atic ▁t ension . ▁Despite ▁an ▁atmos pher ic ▁setting , ▁intr igu ing ▁characters ▁and ▁some ▁interesting ▁mag ical ▁ideas , ▁this