From Publishers Weekly
This collaboration between adventure SF writer Zelazny (the Amber series) and humorist Sheckley ( Immortality Inc. ) is in the Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams mode. Demon Azzie Elbub is representing Evil in the Millennial contest in the year 1000 to see who will control humanity's destiny for the next thousand years. Azzie's entry is a recreation of the Sleeping Beauty story in which Evil triumphs when the princess kills the prince whose kiss awakens her. Azzie is aided by hunchback Frike and witch Ylith, and is observed by Good's representative, the angel Babriel. There are allusions to the Cinderella story, the movie Frankenstein and Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's classic SF novel Inferno , as well as very P. G. Wodehouse-like multiple digressions and old plot elements resurfacing at inconvenient moments. While the premise shows some promise, the execution falters, never becoming as funny as it might. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Frankenstein meets Sleeping Beauty at the end of the millennium as the forces of Good and Evil vie for dominance over the next thousand years of history in this comic effort by two veteran sf/fantasy authors. The plot--in which an ambitious devil attempts to prove that fairy tales don't always have happy endings--is negligible, serving as an excuse for jibes against bureaucracy (the real hell), Santa Claus, and the civilized world. The humor is forced and vaguely second-hand in this less-than-successful collaboration. Not recommended.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
On the face of it, this collaborative novel sounds perfect: Zelazny has always had one of the most inventive imaginations in the genre, and in his prime Sheckley was a brilliant humorist and one of sf's finest short-story writers. But Zelazny has been indulging himself in his lucrative but tired Amber series for the past few years, and Sheckley's recent work has shown little of his former panache. This joint effort has moments that recall the best of Zelazny and Sheckley, but like most of their recent solo work, it lacks depth. Azzie, an ambitious demon, decides to advance his career of wrongdoing by entering the Millennial competition between the Forces of Light and Dark for control of mankind's destiny. Azzie plans to stage a classic fairy-tale quest, sending a handsome prince out to rescue an enchanted princess with a kiss, but by judiciously preparing the players, Azzie expects it to end badly, thus proving that given free rein evil will win out in the human spirit. Azzie's preparations occupy most of the book, and we meet a hunchbacked servant, an alluring witch, a dim-witted dwarf, an aged dragon, and other unlikely creatures by the bushelful. The fast-moving story is dotted with moments of good fun and good gags, but most often it is merely amusing, and many of the jokes have been done better elsewhere. A pleasant diversion and some laughs, but this collaboration is not the equal of either author's best work. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
A riotous new fantasy series that will challenge the funniest the field has to offer--from the creator of the bestselling Amber series and one of the genre's legendary humorists. Azzy Elbub, demon, has his sights set on the Millenial Evil Deeds Award, given to the being whose acts do the most toward reshaping the world. But his evil plans go far astray. . . .

ANNOTATION

A Locus #1 bestseller from Hugo Award-winner Zelazny and legendary SF humorist Robert Sheckley. The authors suggest this premise is true, only nobody notices--except the forces of good and evil who vie for control of the universe every thousand years.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This collaboration between adventure SF writer Zelazny (the Amber series) and humorist Sheckley ( Immortality Inc. ) is in the Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams mode. Demon Azzie Elbub is representing Evil in the Millennial contest in the year 1000 to see who will control humanity's destiny for the next thousand years. Azzie's entry is a recreation of the Sleeping Beauty story in which Evil triumphs when the princess kills the prince whose kiss awakens her. Azzie is aided by hunchback Frike and witch Ylith, and is observed by Good's representative, the angel Babriel. There are allusions to the Cinderella story, the movie Frankenstein and Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's classic SF novel Inferno , as well as very P. G. Wodehouse-like multiple digressions and old plot elements resurfacing at inconvenient moments. While the premise shows some promise, the execution falters, never becoming as funny as it might. (Nov.)

Library Journal