ˈælɡɪz bˈʌdɹiz, fˈaɪndɪŋ ðə nˈɑːvəl "dʒˈɛnjuːɪnli mˈɑːv ˈɪŋ" dᵻspˈaɪt bˌiːɪŋ ɪndˈɪfɹəntli kɹˈæftᵻd, kəŋklˈuːdᵻd ðˌɐɾɪt səksˈiːdᵻd bɪkˈʌz "ðə vˈɛɹi bˈɛst pˈɑːɹts ʌv ðɪs bˈʊk ɑːɹ ðɪ ʌnɹˈɪʔn̩ wˌʌnz,  ðə wˈʌnz ðæt plˈeɪ ɔnðə ɡˈʊd ˈoʊld hˈæfbˈɛɹid fˈɪɹz ænd lˈɔŋɪŋz, ðə lˈʌvdˈɛθ pˈʊʃmpˈʊlɪˌuː ðæt dɹˈaɪvz mˈɛn ɪnðɪ ˈoʊld, ˈoʊld kwˈɛst hˌuːz bˈaɪpɹədˌʌkt ɪz pˈaʊɚ."
Algis Budrys, finding the novel "genuinely mov[ing]" despite being indifferently crafted, concluded that it succeeded because "the very best parts of this book are the unwritten ones,  the ones that play on the good old half-buried fears and longings, the love-death pushme-pullyou that drives men in the old, old quest whose byproduct is power."