I enjoyed this book, but it reminded me a lot of Barry Hughart's books, with a very similar setting and similar characters, and the same fantasy detective theme. Even so, this was a nice departure from Rosenberg's usual novels and a good one. ( )

my first book by this author and i'll look for more. i like this subgenre anyway, but this one's nicely executed: the world-building was elaborate, the characters sprightly, and the puzzles actually qualified as well-constructed mysteries. ( )

Joel Rosenberg does it once again: Hour of the Octopus was a fun read. While I still prefer his Guardians of the Flame series, both this book and D'Shai have kept me very well entertained. I especially loved the prologue. It was extraordinarily well-written.