In contrast, Carol Ann Shine, writing for Library Journal, feels "Mr. de Camp has completely missed the mark in this story," which "moves slowly through stereotyped situations which would tax the imagination of the most gullible reader, and obvious and seemingly inappropriate philosophical discussions further delay the action."
In contrast, Carol Ann Shine, writing for Library Journal, believes "Mr. de Camp has entirely failed to hit the target in this story," which "moves slowly through clichéd situations that would bore even the most credulous reader, and obvious and seemingly irrelevant philosophical discussions further slow down the pace."