Story Line: 6
Puzzles: 2
Pictures: 6
Endings: 6
Writing Style: 3
Story Line:Pretty iffy. There's this demon called Jeearr--a quadruple-amputee Cheshire Cat--who consistently tells Bivotar and Juranda how to get out of scrapes. If they'd thought of a way to tell when he was joking, it'd be different. Basically Biv and Juran have to find the Helm of Zork, which allows someone to impersonate anyone else; Grawl has injured Syovar(but died in the process) and Syovar must attend the Conquest of Quendor. It is the difference between lasting peace and a long war. Since Syovar can't, Logrumethar will try to. But first Bivotar and Juranda must find the Helm.
Puzzles:The puzzles are pretty straightforward if you follow Jeearr's advice. Many relate interestingly to Zork and getting the Helm of Zork is pretty cool. There's variety in what you need to do, but the puzzles are just too easy with Jeearr's hints.
Pictures:First, there are several pages with pictures on the reverse, so you can't see the picture with the page. That seems to happen in every book, though. There just isn't the variety of pictures as in the other books.
Endings:The endings are very nice. Some where they don't die right away, some where they do, and even one where things work out, more or less, but... however, there is one where Juranda throws the Helm of Zork at Jeearr even though she and Bivotar are frustrated about not finding it.
Writing Style:There are a few holes in the style. The omnipresent cheater's trap does not quite work, and I've already said enough about Jeearr. When Biv and Juran "remember" the story in English class, that seems a bit forced. However, it's cool to see Biv and Juran doing something in "real life" for once. Although I don't like books with Social Implications, this one's okay because it has enough magic to balance it out, and it hits quite a few neat Zork puzzles. And it's neat to see Max, Fred, and Logrumethar again; it gives a real continuity to the series. But the peace treaty leaves it with nowhere to go.
Links to ZORK: Jeearr popping up randomly is a lot like the ineffectual wizard in Zork II. Many of this seems to presage(love that word) Beyond Zork. The Helm of Zork is a critical item there. The balloon puzzle is from Zork II. So is the key-in-the-lock puzzle(to get the blue sphere). Cerberus also appears in Zork II although you need a collar to tame him there. The rainbow bridge and sceptre appear in Zork I in a puzzle where you must act similarly, too.
| Pages | Side choices | Puzzle | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-9-10-12-13 | 17-18 | Find a silver spoon. | 1 |
| 14-16 | 26 | Stairs or messenger nymph? | 1 |
| 19-21-23-24-25 | 28 | "Help" Syovar against Grawl, or flee? | 2 |
| 30-31-32-33-34-35-36 | 41-42 | Search for the Helm of Zork or stay with Syovar? | 1 |
| 37-39-40 | 45-56, 46-47 | Rainbow, river, and buoy. Which one to explore first? | 2 |
| 43-45-48-49-50-52 | 53 | Return to castle or try to get by Cerberus? | 1 |
| 58-59-60 | 61-63 | Look in art studio? | 0 |
| 63-64 | 65-67:68-73-75, 70 | Platinum bar in side passage. | 2 |
| 70-72 | 53 | Stay in room with wooden walls or return to Zork? | 1 |
| 75-76-77-79 | 53, 86 | Climb out of volcano, return to castle, or...? | 1 |
| 80-82 | 88 | Continue on in the balloon? | 1 |
| 83-85 | 90, 92 | Drawbridge, moat, or search canvas sack? | 1 |
| 94 | 90, 92 | Drawbridge, moat, or read spell on scroll? | 1 |
| 96-97-99 | 101-103, 108, 110-111, 112-113-114 | How to get Helm of Zork? | 3 |
| 104-106-107 | 68, 114 | Trapped in the tower! How to get out? | 2 |
| 116-117-119 | 120-121 | Experimental treatment for Syovar? | 1 |
| 122-124-125-127 | The end! |