While Foster's work is prolific, this particular beginning of a series was wondrous to me as a teen hitting puberty. JonTom is a bit wimpy and whiney but solid enough to merit a youngster's fantasies. The concept of a bard switching universes and having magic powers is good and has some of the feel of any of the Xanth novels to it. I just hope the sequels will be available electronically as well since this novel does leave you hanging at the end...but then, most of Alan Dean Foster's writing does leave you wanting at the end so he could write more, publish more, and get paid more. He is as mercenary as Bob Aspirin was. Doesn't mean the work isn't good...just that there is no closure.