On other forums I have read that Word's master document feature has some serious problems. Here is a quote:

John McGhie put it succinctly when he said that "there are two kinds of Master Documents: Those that are corrupt and those that will be corrupt soon." It was reported fixed in Word 2007, but "The jury is in: The Master Document feature in Word 2010 remains word processing's answer to Conan the Destroyer. Use it only if you enjoy pain and frustration." Microsoft Word 2010 Bible by Herb Tyson, MVP. "Since its inception, the Master Documents feature has been a bit quirky and buggy, and that fact hasn't changed with Word 2010, unfortunately." Microsoft Word 2010 In Depth by Faithe Wempen, p. 681

(a) Since this quote applies to Word 2010, I wonder if it applies to 2013?

(b) More generally, how would users with experience with master documents assess its functionality?

Mike