John Clute critiqued the novel, writing: "No matter how many more fantasies Moorcock may compose in his actual life, Pyat is the terminus they will crash into. Pyat is, in a sense, Moorcock's Tempest. But he is more draconian here than Shakespeare.
John Clute analyzed the novel, noting that no matter how many more fantasies Moorcock may produce in reality, Pyat signifies their ultimate convergence. Pyat embodies a sense of Moorcock's Tempest. However, it surpasses Shakespeare's severity.