it really is difficult! I cannot read this one without thinking about the previous books about zamonia. especially of course Rumo and City of dreaming books.

now: Hildegunst travels to an island to cure some problems, ever the hypochondriac, in a health spa. we take part as he is struggling with the harsh conditions on the island as well as the meager and odd cultural life here. and by the time he takes part in a fight against an evil power, which threatens whole Zamonia.

So what is the problem? all the satire is fine and sometimes hilarious. all the details about life on the island, all the new miniatures about life forms in Zamonia are really cool. but the novel as a whole seems to me just a reconfiguring of the bestsellers, a huge fanservice as you may call episode 7 (tfa) as well. ... and I really disliked the footnotes. Sometimes Hildegunst refers to some events in the previous book City of the dreaming books and a footnote appears. but it's not a funny or interesting remark, but only a dry page number. maybe it is a hidden joke and I was way to boring actually looking up, what is written there. instead I was constantly angered by the thought: what a lame try