Learning more about Red Orc, one of my least favorite characters, through the eyes of a young psyche patient is the basic premise of the book. Not what I was reading for.Jim is a loser; poor, rebellious & has a crappy home life. He lands in a psyche ward where he undergoes 'tiersian therapy' - role playing through the World of Tiers series. This helps him work through his issues & become a better person. Through his interaction, we learn more about Red Orc's early life & why he is such a bastard. I didn't care for it. I don't particularly care why Red Orc is the way he is & the idea that this is a valid psychiatric method, as the afterword tells us, gives me the willies.Until I've read the next book, I don't know how necessary this book is to the series, but so far I think I could have skipped it. I'll try to update this after reading the 7th & last book. If not, look there for the answer. ( )

NIL