Erik and his crew go in search of “the land where the sun goes at night.” Along the way they encounter the Old Man of the Sea, whom they outwit three times, a dragon, a magic sword, enchanters, assorted monsters and mythical beasts, and even Death. They are tested in various ways, go over the edge of the world and beneath the bottom of the sea, and fight inner demons as well as outer, until they find the land they seek and discover it is not for them. By turns adventurous, humorous, and philosophical, this is a sort of melancholic Odyssey where they seek to “sail beyond the sunset,” but unlike Odysseus, they are sure at every step that they are doomed. Despite their pessimism, they manage great and heroic deeds, which are dazzlingly illustrated by Foreman. Most of the chapters are complete in themselves and can be read as a series of related short stories. An enjoyable volume. (Fiction. 8-12)
