The Magic Labyrinth, book 5 4 of the Riverworld Series, by Philip Jose Farmer

Well, that’s over with. Actually, no it’s not.

So, spoilers here, because I’m going to complain.

The series is about a world where every human being who lived on Earth is resurrected at age 25 on a planet entirely composed of a single, enormously long river. All their needs are taken care of via “grailstones” spaced at regular intervals along the river. No one ages, there is no sickness, and if you die, you are resurrected somewhere else along the river. But no one knows why they are there.

So, basically, I think this was at most a 2 or 3 book series, stretched out into 5. Or, with a change in motivations of some characters and a few tweaks to the plotline, it could be justified at it’s 5 book length.

In particular, Mark Twain and his crew.

The biggest mystery in the history of humanity at his fingertips to solve, and he blows it all because he’s pissed at King John for stealing the riverboat they built together. So, he builds another, bigger, grander one to chase King John down and destroy him. If it had been a race to get to the headwaters of the river and get control of the world, well, maybe I could see it. Maybe. But that wasn’t it. Mark Twain was just pissed. For 30 years.

So I was subjected to two to three books worth of squabbling until I could get to the solution to the Great Mystery.

And I think it’s because Farmer just thought it’d be cool to have a dogfight and a battle between Riverboats in his novel. I’m not saying it wasn’t.

Actually, yes, I am saying that. It was boring. I skimmed through the 5 pages describing the aeronautic maneuvers during the dogfight, and most of the Riverboat battle.

I’m sure it would look great on film, though. Albeit, still pointless.

Other than that, the books are great.

ETA: I was confused.  This isn’t book 5, this is book 4.  There’s one more to go!