“I will name him Mordred, said she.”

Susannah and a certain woman named Mia is right in the middle of events in the next-to-last volume. The ka-tet is about to be scattered, and all its smaller constellations will have to work separately to confront the many dangers to the beams, the rose and the universe.

This may be seen as a “part-way” book without a clear cut theme of its own – unless one is to focus on the presentation of a new but very familiar character. Still, essential reading of course, and often very entertaining at that.