Leaving his cousin Yrkoon sitting as regent upon the Ruby Throne of Melnibone, leaving his cousin Cymoril weeping for him and despairing of his ever returning, Elric sailed from Imrryr, the Dreaming City, and went to seek an unknown goal in the world of the Young Kingdoms where Melniboneans were at best, disliked.

In this second volume of the series, Emperor Elric of Melnibone takes leave of his kingdom to discover the nature of the upstart human world that lies beyond his ancient Dragon Isle. But instead the Lords of Chaos offer him a less common odyssey: a journey upon the “seas of fate” that border other planes, other times and wash up on the shores of his own particular destiny.

Elric has three distinct adventures: 1) “Sailing to the Future,” in which—together with three other incarnations of the Eternal Champion—battles a pair of brother-and sister sorcerers bent on destroying the worlds, 2) “Sailing to the Present,” in which he and his companion Count Smiorgan Baldhead find themselves entangled in the obsession of Saxif D’an, a legendary Melnibonean sorcerer compelled to reenact his tale of ancient passion on a small imaginary isle, and 3) “Sailing into the Past,” in which he travels with the amiable explorer Duke Avan Astran to the ruined city of R’lin K’ren A’a—fabled origin of the Melbonean race—to retrieve the jewels known as the Jade Man’s Eyes. 

This is a superb series of adventures. Sure, they are obviously three novellas—each different in tone and mood--repackaged in a new form, but the structure works for me. The magical sea upon which Elric sails offers experiences—disjointed from plane and time—arbitrarily, when it chooses. This jagged sort of journey is a fitting fate for a man who accepts the Lord of Chaos as his guides.