The Magic Labyrinth

The Magic Labyrinth

Philip José Farmer

The fourth novel in the Riverworld series weaves together the various character threads from the first three books toward a conclusion. It follows parallel storylines of King John aboard his riverboat the Rex Grandissimus and Samuel Clemens aboard the Not for Hire, as both head upriver after decades of travel in an attempt to reach the headwaters, meet the mysterious Ethicals, and unravel the secrets of Riverworld. Richard Burton and his companions also press on toward the end of the river and the Dark Tower first encountered in the previous volume. A final confrontation between John and Clemens brings much destruction, after which the survivors make their way upstream, culminating in a large-scale battle between two enormous riverboats that have long quested along the River.