"...science had its perversions, while magic had its laws. A definite ritual was needed in either case, whether you built an airplane or a flying carpet." (p. 66)
This comparison prefigures Operation Otherworld.
"...Roland had tried to break Durindal (scroll down), in his last hour at Roncesvalles..." (ibid.)
"In Holger's home world, physical forces were strong and well understood, mental-magical forces weak and unmanageable. In this universe, the opposite held true." (pp. 66-67)
And the goetic universe is one where people can choose to use either set of forces?
"As for the force which made [the worlds] so parallel, the ultimate oneness itself, he supposed he would have to break down and call it God." (p. 67)
Oh no, he does not have to. That word, "God," is like a card trick. It can be used either literally or metaphorically. It can mean either a personal being or an impersonal unity. So a paragraph or a conversation can start with one meaning and end with the other. Either do not use that word or be very clear what you mean by it.
One of my Philosophy tutors, Colin Lyas, said that, when students told him, "By 'God,' I mean (fill in the blank)," he replied, "You want the comfort of that word without the responsibilities."
