The novel is different in some respects, than many I've read - in particular, it seems to be something more of a romantic fantasy than what I normally read. The main character is bisexual, with the two loves of his life so far being a lost prince and an androgynous fire elemental. He also makes love to a type of earth-mother goddess, who originally created the world and is doing what she can to correct the mistake of Death which crept in while she wasn't paying attention. I'm not sure what all the love-making has to do with the end goal of the series, other than to convey that love and joy are what temporarily halts Death in this universe, and shouldn't be scorned or thrown away.
The Door Into Fire appears to be Duane's first published work, and while I don't believe I will be pursuing the rest of the series, I will continue to look for her works in other genres. In particular, I highly recommend her Star Trek works for their excellent plotlines and finely drawn characters.
