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The Khaavren Romances #3.1
The Paths of the Dead: Book One of the Viscount of Adrilankha
Two hundred years ago, Adron's Disaster destroyed Dragaera City, killed the Emperor, and deprived the entire Dragaeran Empire of the ability to use sorcery.
It's been a rough Interregnum. The children of the great adventurers Khaavren, Aerich, Tazendra, and Pel are growing up in a seemingly diminished world. Like their elders, they're convinced that the age of adventures is over, and that nothing interesting will ever happen to any of them.
They are, of course, quite wrong….
The Khaavren Romances, set in the world of Vlad Taltos's
1. The Phoenix Guards
2. Five Hundred Years After
3. The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 1)
4. The Lord of Castle Black (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 2)
5. Sethra Lavode (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 3)
The Baron of Magister Valley [standalone]
It's been a rough Interregnum. The children of the great adventurers Khaavren, Aerich, Tazendra, and Pel are growing up in a seemingly diminished world. Like their elders, they're convinced that the age of adventures is over, and that nothing interesting will ever happen to any of them.
They are, of course, quite wrong….
The Khaavren Romances, set in the world of Vlad Taltos's
1. The Phoenix Guards
2. Five Hundred Years After
3. The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 1)
4. The Lord of Castle Black (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 2)
5. Sethra Lavode (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Vol. 3)
The Baron of Magister Valley [standalone]
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
77 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Steven Brust
99 books2,296 followersSteven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede, and also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 3, 2020
I'm torn about how to rate this one. It really is the first volume of a longer work, and ends rather abruptly, so I feel like I'd rate the overall story higher than each of its parts. So four stars makes sense, but it doesn't account for so much of what I love about the book.
For one thing, Khaavren isn't the central character anymore; that's his son Piro, the titular Viscount of Adrilankha. Khaavren has fallen on hard times after what he perceives as his failure to protect the Phoenix Emperor from assassination, and he's sort of gone to seed, which is sad. But he's enough in the background that it's easy not to think about that, which I chose to do.
Piro is like the young Khaavren of The Phoenix Guards, though not quite as ready to start fights. He's eager for adventure, and when adventure comes calling in the form of a summons to Dzur Mountain and the undead sorceress Sethra Lavode, he jumps at the chance. And from there the story gets exciting, and there's fighting and intrigue and everything I expect from this series.
But not much happens in this volume. A lot of it is spent maneuvering pieces into place. Brust is amazingly talented, and none of this is at all boring, but when I think back on the plot, very few outstanding moments spring to mind. There's the introduction to Zerika, the would-be Phoenix Empress, and I Vlad's perception is obviously going to be colored by the fact that he's human and therefore she considers him her inferior, but I'd forgotten how good Brust is at compartmentalizing knowledge through individual POVs.
Anyway, going on to the next book immediately seemed like a good idea.
For one thing, Khaavren isn't the central character anymore; that's his son Piro, the titular Viscount of Adrilankha. Khaavren has fallen on hard times after what he perceives as his failure to protect the Phoenix Emperor from assassination, and he's sort of gone to seed, which is sad. But he's enough in the background that it's easy not to think about that, which I chose to do.
Piro is like the young Khaavren of The Phoenix Guards, though not quite as ready to start fights. He's eager for adventure, and when adventure comes calling in the form of a summons to Dzur Mountain and the undead sorceress Sethra Lavode, he jumps at the chance. And from there the story gets exciting, and there's fighting and intrigue and everything I expect from this series.
But not much happens in this volume. A lot of it is spent maneuvering pieces into place. Brust is amazingly talented, and none of this is at all boring, but when I think back on the plot, very few outstanding moments spring to mind. There's the introduction to Zerika, the would-be Phoenix Empress, and I Vlad's perception is obviously going to be colored by the fact that he's human and therefore she considers him her inferior, but I'd forgotten how good Brust is at compartmentalizing knowledge through individual POVs.
Anyway, going on to the next book immediately seemed like a good idea.
February 5, 2009
This book is an overblown, wordy wasteland. Nothing happens except that characters are introduced and travel around a lot. The writing is self-indulgent and the characters bland. There are about three chapters of good material here, and the rest should have been slashed. When I gave this book to my husband, I circled the handful of pertinent passages and told him, “Just read these, then skip to the next book.” I wish someone had done the same for me.
March 19, 2021
Part 1 of 3 down.
Some Thoughts:
I know some people can't abide the voice in these, the pretentious narrator speaking directly to the reader, I personally can't stand movies or television breaking the fourth wall, but this is very much my sense of humor.
I never did read all of The Vicomte de Bragelonne (of which The Man in the Iron Mask is but a portion) and probably wouldn't remember enough if I had to mark all the parallels, but Brust does a very good Dumas in tone at the very least.
I am wondering if somewhere in the Vlad books beyond where I've read Brust directly addresses the very caste-based / classist / racist nature of the world he created in his books. I don't recall being particularly conscious of it back in the late 80's early 90's but bugs me now.
I've been debating whether to treat this trilogy as one book and go directly on to the next part, (generally not my standard practice), but I think at least a short break is in order, though not too long or I'll forget things.
Some Thoughts:
I know some people can't abide the voice in these, the pretentious narrator speaking directly to the reader, I personally can't stand movies or television breaking the fourth wall, but this is very much my sense of humor.
I never did read all of The Vicomte de Bragelonne (of which The Man in the Iron Mask is but a portion) and probably wouldn't remember enough if I had to mark all the parallels, but Brust does a very good Dumas in tone at the very least.
I am wondering if somewhere in the Vlad books beyond where I've read Brust directly addresses the very caste-based / classist / racist nature of the world he created in his books. I don't recall being particularly conscious of it back in the late 80's early 90's but bugs me now.
I've been debating whether to treat this trilogy as one book and go directly on to the next part, (generally not my standard practice), but I think at least a short break is in order, though not too long or I'll forget things.
November 13, 2012
This book, and for that matter the entire series, has elicited a wide range of critical responses, many of which, it startles me to say, included commentary that can be most accurately summarized as describing the book as too wordy. My counter to this line of thought is this: I disagree.
Now that this issue has finally been laid to rest, I'd like to point out that the series is fun and that the reason Señor Burst has used this type of flowery language is that he's trying (successfully) to evoke an era and place of sophisticated and elegant manners and gallantry. It might not be for everyone, but it's entertaining and fun, and that's never a bad thing.
Now that this issue has finally been laid to rest, I'd like to point out that the series is fun and that the reason Señor Burst has used this type of flowery language is that he's trying (successfully) to evoke an era and place of sophisticated and elegant manners and gallantry. It might not be for everyone, but it's entertaining and fun, and that's never a bad thing.
Read
March 22, 2025I picked this one up somewhat on a lark based on the blurb, and found it wasn’t quite as expected. The book was written with classic sounding language, which might come as a bit of a shock if you’re used to more straightforward contemporary prose. Basically, the *prose* is the point of the story, rather than characters and plot. If you can get into the way it’s written, it’s fun to read, and the round-about way dialog and description are handled add to the enjoyment. But if you’re there for the plot and characters, you may be frustrated.
What do I mean by round-about? A typical contemporary fantasy novel might have the following exchange:
A rider approached the gate, “I bring news.”
The guard responded, “What news?”
“Bandits gather at the north bridge!”
In this book that exchange would be more like:
A rider approached the gate, “I bring news.”
The guard responded, “Indeed you do?”
“It is as I said, for I am forthright in such things.”
“That is an admirable trait indeed.”
“Thank you for your assessment, my good sir.”
“And do you intend to tell us this news?”
“You have, in fact, ascertained the purpose of my visit.”
“Excellent, than I shall await the telling with much anticipation.”
“And I appreciate your anticipation, for as a courier, such things bring great satisfaction to me.”
“Splendid, now what is this news?”
“Bandits gather at the north bridge!”
This isn’t an exaggeration. If anything, it’s an understatement. So if you’re itching to hear what the news is, you might be frustrated. But if you’re able to delight in the prose, then the more roundabout things are, the better.
What do I mean by round-about? A typical contemporary fantasy novel might have the following exchange:
A rider approached the gate, “I bring news.”
The guard responded, “What news?”
“Bandits gather at the north bridge!”
In this book that exchange would be more like:
A rider approached the gate, “I bring news.”
The guard responded, “Indeed you do?”
“It is as I said, for I am forthright in such things.”
“That is an admirable trait indeed.”
“Thank you for your assessment, my good sir.”
“And do you intend to tell us this news?”
“You have, in fact, ascertained the purpose of my visit.”
“Excellent, than I shall await the telling with much anticipation.”
“And I appreciate your anticipation, for as a courier, such things bring great satisfaction to me.”
“Splendid, now what is this news?”
“Bandits gather at the north bridge!”
This isn’t an exaggeration. If anything, it’s an understatement. So if you’re itching to hear what the news is, you might be frustrated. But if you’re able to delight in the prose, then the more roundabout things are, the better.
Read
August 9, 2023I can't swear I finished it. I loved the first two books of the Khaavren series, especially the second (enough to re-read it, which was rare for me with fantasy by the mid 1990s). But I remember almost nothing about this sequel other than finding it dense and dull. In a weird way, that's appropriate. This series is an explicit homage to The D'Artagnan Romances by Alexandre Dumas. The corresponding volume, The Vicomte of Bragelonne, was dense and dull too. Dumas did redeem his series with a strong finish: The Man In The Iron Mask. Perhaps Brust redeemed the Khaavren series too. I hope so. But I'm unlikely to ever find out.
January 31, 2014
Orb is re-releasing the final three books of the Khaavren Romances by one of my favorite authors, Steven Brust. “The Paths of the Dead” (Orb, $15.99, 399 pages) and “The Lord of Castle Black” (Orb, $17.99, 397 pages) continue the saga of a fantasy world that’s, yes, pre-industrial and has magic, but Brust’s style is completely at odds with the 21st century emphasis on gritty realism, suffering and negativity.
In fact, Brust harkens back to the work of Victor Hugo, which proceeded at a most deliberate pace because Hugo, and his 19th century contemporaries, were often paid by the word. So conversations among Brust’s characters take some time to get to the point, but it doesn’t take long for his variations on that theme to become interesting in and of themselves – at least to me.
The plot involves the restoration of the Empire and would have been greatly enhanced by a map (Brust does explain why he won’t do a synopsis, at least). Still, the various political maneuverings and factions are carefully constructed and though there’s a little bit of deus ex machina floating around, all in all, both of these books are worthy successors to the first three (which were set several hundred years earlier). The final book, “Sethra Lavode” is on tap, and the only bad thing about that is that it’s the last of the Khaavren Romances.
In fact, Brust harkens back to the work of Victor Hugo, which proceeded at a most deliberate pace because Hugo, and his 19th century contemporaries, were often paid by the word. So conversations among Brust’s characters take some time to get to the point, but it doesn’t take long for his variations on that theme to become interesting in and of themselves – at least to me.
The plot involves the restoration of the Empire and would have been greatly enhanced by a map (Brust does explain why he won’t do a synopsis, at least). Still, the various political maneuverings and factions are carefully constructed and though there’s a little bit of deus ex machina floating around, all in all, both of these books are worthy successors to the first three (which were set several hundred years earlier). The final book, “Sethra Lavode” is on tap, and the only bad thing about that is that it’s the last of the Khaavren Romances.
January 1, 2015
(REREAD) The weakest of the Khaavren Romances, largely because it is a time lacking in (for the moment) adventure, a Dragaeran world diminished by the Interregnum, and all the more mundane for all of that. The final three KR novels are, clearly, a single tale, broken up for either financial or time commitment reasons, and the ending of this volume -- which is mostly setting the stage for the next two -- is exceedingly abrupt. Still, it's fun to see the gang, even diminished and off at the far corners of the empire, as well as meeting Morrolan for the first time ...
December 8, 2014
A wordy "Book within a book" style bunch of facts and figures that end up going nowhere. Listened to the audiobook for close to two hours and still didn't know what was going on.
February 23, 2015
Another amazing book in the Vlad Taltos universe. I really don't have much to say since I really liked it.
June 24, 2019
The joy of a Steven Brust novel lies in two equal parts: one, the story itself, and the other one, how the story is written.
We wrote the above statement, and already the clamoring chorus of malcontents and complainants has crescendoed. "Dare you say," they chirrup, "that we all must find joy the novels of Steven Brust? And furthermore," they warble, "that, should we find such alleged joy in his written works, that joy needs must be divided in two? Can we not," they splutter, blubber, and keen, "find multiple points of joy, beyond the narrow dichotomy which you, in your arrogance, profess?"
Before we continue with this review of The Paths of the Dead, Brust's excellent and, yes, joyous historical romance, allow us to clarify: those that have not read a Steven Brust novel may, indeed, wonder about the effusiveness of this reviewer, however the remedy is easily applied. I beg you, nameless masses of joyless slogs, to read a novel by the inimitable Brust (inimitable, though many try to imitate, and, in their attempt, must necessarily fail, for few possess the finely tuned sense of clarity and style that is a mark of Brust's oeuvre, and thus, also, a mark of his success) and you shall see for yourselves the joy of which we speak. Though we do take your other critique to heart, and, as objectivity and the willingness to admit one's failings is a boon for the humble writer, we amend our previous statement to say that Steven Brust's novels provide many joys, large and small, as various and subtle as each individual reader, their own intelligence and opinion coloring their experience of the novel, and their joy forthwith.
Now, to return to our original point, for this review cannot move forward until we have fully explicated the (admittedly false) dichotomy present in the opening sentence of this review.
(among) The joy(s) of a Steven Brust novel lies in two equal parts: one, the story itself, and the (an)other one, how the story is written.
So now, to the story, which we shall endeavor to summarize, free of the pernicious spoiler, with precision, yet also with economy, which the reviewer acknowledges is foremost the reader's mind, for, given the many demands upon the reader's time, and that time itself is not infinite, should the reader wish to have a fully detailed understanding of the plot, they would rather (and this reviewer does so encourage) read the novel itself. Furthermore, the reviewer, possessing of an acute sensitivity for the embattled reader, does not wish to tax their attention with unnecessary verbiage, and so moves forward, with alacrity, into the summary of the plot with the reader's best interests firmly...
(From the Police Inspector, Violent Mysterious Crimes Division): At this point, the reviewer was interrupted. According to the evidence, a large group of violent protesters infiltrated his office and attacked him. The cause of the attack is unclear, though a clue, perhaps, lies in the fact that they shredded his thesaurus and grammatical style guide. Surely this is an indication of their extreme frustration with and antagonism toward said reviewer. For further information about Steven Brust's novel The Paths of the Dead I suggest you read it for yourself... I glanced at the copy that was left on the reviewer's desk and was immediately drawn in by the story, and yea, also by the way in which the story was written. We beg your indulgence, please allow this humble public servant a moment to explicate the above statement, which we agree is worth further investigation, and once fully parsed, the reader may concur with the statement, also, verily, shall we...
We wrote the above statement, and already the clamoring chorus of malcontents and complainants has crescendoed. "Dare you say," they chirrup, "that we all must find joy the novels of Steven Brust? And furthermore," they warble, "that, should we find such alleged joy in his written works, that joy needs must be divided in two? Can we not," they splutter, blubber, and keen, "find multiple points of joy, beyond the narrow dichotomy which you, in your arrogance, profess?"
Before we continue with this review of The Paths of the Dead, Brust's excellent and, yes, joyous historical romance, allow us to clarify: those that have not read a Steven Brust novel may, indeed, wonder about the effusiveness of this reviewer, however the remedy is easily applied. I beg you, nameless masses of joyless slogs, to read a novel by the inimitable Brust (inimitable, though many try to imitate, and, in their attempt, must necessarily fail, for few possess the finely tuned sense of clarity and style that is a mark of Brust's oeuvre, and thus, also, a mark of his success) and you shall see for yourselves the joy of which we speak. Though we do take your other critique to heart, and, as objectivity and the willingness to admit one's failings is a boon for the humble writer, we amend our previous statement to say that Steven Brust's novels provide many joys, large and small, as various and subtle as each individual reader, their own intelligence and opinion coloring their experience of the novel, and their joy forthwith.
Now, to return to our original point, for this review cannot move forward until we have fully explicated the (admittedly false) dichotomy present in the opening sentence of this review.
(among) The joy(s) of a Steven Brust novel lie
So now, to the story, which we shall endeavor to summarize, free of the pernicious spoiler, with precision, yet also with economy, which the reviewer acknowledges is foremost the reader's mind, for, given the many demands upon the reader's time, and that time itself is not infinite, should the reader wish to have a fully detailed understanding of the plot, they would rather (and this reviewer does so encourage) read the novel itself. Furthermore, the reviewer, possessing of an acute sensitivity for the embattled reader, does not wish to tax their attention with unnecessary verbiage, and so moves forward, with alacrity, into the summary of the plot with the reader's best interests firmly...
(From the Police Inspector, Violent Mysterious Crimes Division): At this point, the reviewer was interrupted. According to the evidence, a large group of violent protesters infiltrated his office and attacked him. The cause of the attack is unclear, though a clue, perhaps, lies in the fact that they shredded his thesaurus and grammatical style guide. Surely this is an indication of their extreme frustration with and antagonism toward said reviewer. For further information about Steven Brust's novel The Paths of the Dead I suggest you read it for yourself... I glanced at the copy that was left on the reviewer's desk and was immediately drawn in by the story, and yea, also by the way in which the story was written. We beg your indulgence, please allow this humble public servant a moment to explicate the above statement, which we agree is worth further investigation, and once fully parsed, the reader may concur with the statement, also, verily, shall we...
November 12, 2023
If the reader will permit me to say two words about the process of reviewing these books...
I'm questioning why I feel the compulsion to say so much about Brust's Paarfi books, rather than just leave a star rating and moving on as I usually do on here.
In the first place it feels like an inefficient use of my time as exceedingly few, if indeed any, people are ever likely to read these reviews let alone derive any value from them.
And in the second place, I am beginning to feel as though these reviews are as much about vainly stretching out the frisson these books bring me, as they are an attempt to somehow defend them from an audience I perceive as skeptical or even critical.
To be sure, I write this after my third or perhaps re-read of Brust's entire canon and if I stretch back, I remember my first experience encountering Paarfi was a bit more challenging than I find it now. I always thought his style was exciting and funny and admirable, but I do remember struggling to always follow the point. That's an experience that I can understand being unpleasant for some, but I think it can also generate some unfair criticisms.
Paarfi is not *needlessly* wordy or long winded. In fact, through his voice Brust expertly manages the pace of storytelling. When something momentous is about to happen, he draws out the buildup before relieving the tension, and in the process injects some truly excellent wordplay. The anachronistoc dialogue is several meta layers removed from "reality" (it is Brust "translating" Paarfi, who is affecting the style of an in-universe anonymous play, which in turn apes the style of court language from the distant past). But it is truly deliciously gorgeous, and if you are unable to enjoy it either from lack of patience or because you are poisoned by modern far inferior "cringe" stereotypes, then I truly feel bad for you.
I'm not sure I'll "review" the next few books. If you're a fan of the Vlad Taltos stories you ought to enjoy this romantic depiction of the not so distant history he references often and which necessarily had an immense impact on the characters he associates with, many of who lived through these times. And you really ought to enjoy listening to any story told the way Paarfi tells these. It's just so damn fun.
I'm questioning why I feel the compulsion to say so much about Brust's Paarfi books, rather than just leave a star rating and moving on as I usually do on here.
In the first place it feels like an inefficient use of my time as exceedingly few, if indeed any, people are ever likely to read these reviews let alone derive any value from them.
And in the second place, I am beginning to feel as though these reviews are as much about vainly stretching out the frisson these books bring me, as they are an attempt to somehow defend them from an audience I perceive as skeptical or even critical.
To be sure, I write this after my third or perhaps re-read of Brust's entire canon and if I stretch back, I remember my first experience encountering Paarfi was a bit more challenging than I find it now. I always thought his style was exciting and funny and admirable, but I do remember struggling to always follow the point. That's an experience that I can understand being unpleasant for some, but I think it can also generate some unfair criticisms.
Paarfi is not *needlessly* wordy or long winded. In fact, through his voice Brust expertly manages the pace of storytelling. When something momentous is about to happen, he draws out the buildup before relieving the tension, and in the process injects some truly excellent wordplay. The anachronistoc dialogue is several meta layers removed from "reality" (it is Brust "translating" Paarfi, who is affecting the style of an in-universe anonymous play, which in turn apes the style of court language from the distant past). But it is truly deliciously gorgeous, and if you are unable to enjoy it either from lack of patience or because you are poisoned by modern far inferior "cringe" stereotypes, then I truly feel bad for you.
I'm not sure I'll "review" the next few books. If you're a fan of the Vlad Taltos stories you ought to enjoy this romantic depiction of the not so distant history he references often and which necessarily had an immense impact on the characters he associates with, many of who lived through these times. And you really ought to enjoy listening to any story told the way Paarfi tells these. It's just so damn fun.
March 31, 2022
Where The Phoenix Guard and Five Hundred Years After are like The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After, respectively, with Khaavren, Aerich, Tazendra, and Pel resembling D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis (again, respectively, unless I've screwed up), The Paths of the Dead (book one of The Viscount of Adrilankha) corresponds to the first book in The Vicomte Bragelonne. Like that novel, it deals with the aging original heroes and a new generation of heroes coming up behind them. The connections are increasingly tenuous, with the plot having little in common with those novels, but the echoes of Dumas's romances are everywhere.
The most obvious connection, and the most fun to me, is the over-the-top language. It's sort of a joke, but one I never tire of. The rhetorical excess doesn't work for everyone (I see by sampling some other reviews) but it makes me laugh. (I guess I'm simple that way?) Much of the dialogue goes like this:
A lot of the verbosity (and direct addresses to the reader) is blamed on the fictitious historian telling the story, and it's a device that I approve of.
I found the plot less direct than in the previous novels, and it made the earlier parts of the story less compelling, but I'm willing to go along with the author because I'm still having so much fun. The empire was shattered hundreds of years earlier, in the second book, and forces are gathering to put it back together in this and the following novels, which is cool, though I'm not tracking the various POV characters very well. I hope it comes together more in the middle book of the trilogy. This all feels like setting the stage, so I suspect it picks up and stories come together. Fingers crossed.
I would read this for the language alone, so it's all good. Looking forward to the next book.
The most obvious connection, and the most fun to me, is the over-the-top language. It's sort of a joke, but one I never tire of. The rhetorical excess doesn't work for everyone (I see by sampling some other reviews) but it makes me laugh. (I guess I'm simple that way?) Much of the dialogue goes like this:
"Ah, does Your Lordship wish me to explain?"
"Yes, that is it exactly. I wish you to explain."
"I will then."
"I am listening."
A lot of the verbosity (and direct addresses to the reader) is blamed on the fictitious historian telling the story, and it's a device that I approve of.
I found the plot less direct than in the previous novels, and it made the earlier parts of the story less compelling, but I'm willing to go along with the author because I'm still having so much fun. The empire was shattered hundreds of years earlier, in the second book, and forces are gathering to put it back together in this and the following novels, which is cool, though I'm not tracking the various POV characters very well. I hope it comes together more in the middle book of the trilogy. This all feels like setting the stage, so I suspect it picks up and stories come together. Fingers crossed.
I would read this for the language alone, so it's all good. Looking forward to the next book.
May 9, 2024
Strange that the gap between this book and the one before it is about half the time as between that book and the one before it, yet it feels like a longer gap, presumably since so much has changed in the setting of the book. Knowing that the next book in the story/series is titled The Lord of Castle Black I was surprised to see this volume start with Morrolan. And in particular it feels strange to see him here, since he is most familiar from his role in the Vlad Taltos series which has a very different style and voice than the deliberately ornate and archaic writing in these books. Though this is actually something I had noted somewhat with Aliera's presence in Five Hundred Years After. Another thing relevant in both of these books: according to the metafiction placing this story as an in-universe composition, we learn that Norathar has indeed succeeded to the imperial throne, the earlier book set a few years into her reign, this one much later (Paarfi is not a particularly fast writer, evidently). Of course, this leaves one to wonder how long Zerika's reign was; I believe a note at the end of The Phoenix Guards said that it would have been roughly contemporaneous with Vlad's time, though I don't recall the regnal year in the intro.
Anyway, metafictional musings aside, this was an enjoyable enough story but it didn't quite work for me as well as the previous books in the series did. Maybe because it lacked some spark, or just because it is not a complete story itself but only the first part, or some other reason. Not that I disliked it per se; and I in fact immediately started reading the sequel after completing this work.
Anyway, metafictional musings aside, this was an enjoyable enough story but it didn't quite work for me as well as the previous books in the series did. Maybe because it lacked some spark, or just because it is not a complete story itself but only the first part, or some other reason. Not that I disliked it per se; and I in fact immediately started reading the sequel after completing this work.
Read
February 1, 2021Review written 2003
The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Book 1)I've enjoyed most of what Mr. Brust has written over the years, and I'd hoped that this was another novel in the Vlad Taltos series, but it turned out to be set in an earlier period of the Dragaeran Empire. Ah, well. A few years ago, he wrote The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After. This one could have been called 150 Years After, as it takes place that much past FHYA.
In this novel, we get to learn a lot of things about the characters we came to love in The Phoenix Guards and also some things about characters from the Taltos series. We find out how Morrolan got his name, came to study eastern sorcery, and met the Lady Teldra. We also learn more about the Empress Zerika, and how she came into possession of the Orb (the artifact that holds the empire together).
Sethra Lavode, Sethra the Younger, and the Sorceress in Green figure prominently, as do Tazendra, Aerich, Pel and Khaavren.
It's a bit slow in spots, and Brust writes in the mildly irritating conversation style of Parfi the historian, as he did in his earlier works about these characters. I much prefer the style he used in the Taltos novels, but it was still a good read.
As the story begins, the empire is in ruins after Adron's Disaster, and we follow about a half dozen different plot threads, as people try to put things back in order. Some are trying to put things back together by force, while others use subterfuge.
This book is just part one of the series subtitled The Viscount of Adrilanka, and I eagerly await the sequel(s).
The Paths of the Dead (The Viscount of Adrilankha, Book 1)I've enjoyed most of what Mr. Brust has written over the years, and I'd hoped that this was another novel in the Vlad Taltos series, but it turned out to be set in an earlier period of the Dragaeran Empire. Ah, well. A few years ago, he wrote The Phoenix Guards and Five Hundred Years After. This one could have been called 150 Years After, as it takes place that much past FHYA.
In this novel, we get to learn a lot of things about the characters we came to love in The Phoenix Guards and also some things about characters from the Taltos series. We find out how Morrolan got his name, came to study eastern sorcery, and met the Lady Teldra. We also learn more about the Empress Zerika, and how she came into possession of the Orb (the artifact that holds the empire together).
Sethra Lavode, Sethra the Younger, and the Sorceress in Green figure prominently, as do Tazendra, Aerich, Pel and Khaavren.
It's a bit slow in spots, and Brust writes in the mildly irritating conversation style of Parfi the historian, as he did in his earlier works about these characters. I much prefer the style he used in the Taltos novels, but it was still a good read.
As the story begins, the empire is in ruins after Adron's Disaster, and we follow about a half dozen different plot threads, as people try to put things back in order. Some are trying to put things back together by force, while others use subterfuge.
This book is just part one of the series subtitled The Viscount of Adrilanka, and I eagerly await the sequel(s).
September 12, 2017
Overall this sort of style doesn't work for Burst's world. If I hadn't read other books in the series I would have no idea of what was going on. I appreciated the look at the world before Taltos, but even as a lifelong fan of Dumas it was a slog to finish, and felt like it was mostly introductions. The concept of it being a historical novel in universe does not make this more interesting either, since most of the participants are still alive by the main series, yet we learn little about them at all.
March 13, 2024
How everyone got together
Ooof, I think these are getting longer! This one begins the story of how everyone in the Vlad books met each other and got together, and how Zerika re-formed the empire.
Ooof, I think these are getting longer! This one begins the story of how everyone in the Vlad books met each other and got together, and how Zerika re-formed the empire.
March 22, 2024
A good start to the trilogy
Excellent character building, as per usual from Brust. It may lack the near constant action of his books featuring Vlad but the often humorous wordplay and banter make for a nice change of pace, in my opinion.
Excellent character building, as per usual from Brust. It may lack the near constant action of his books featuring Vlad but the often humorous wordplay and banter make for a nice change of pace, in my opinion.
November 25, 2022
Took a while to get used to the writing style but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great world and characters and a fun filled adventure.
January 26, 2020
looking forward to the second half.
December 3, 2016
The country has changed much since Adron's Disaster banished the Orb and collapsed the Empire. Khaavren, formerly Captain of the Phoenix Guards, has sunk into a deep depression. But his son, Piro, and others born during the Interregnum, look to the future with more hope. They long for adventure. And when Piro receives a mysterious summons, it looks like adventure has finally found him.
The first and most important thing to know about this book is that it is (as the introduction mentions briefly) basically the first chunk of a longer work. Don't look at this like a standalone book, because then all the loose ends and unimportant threads will just be frustrating.
So in that light I almost don't want to review this until I've read the others. I like Morrolan's segments, since I know him from the Vlad Taltos books, and it's really funny to see Morrolan as a youngster, ignorant of so many of the things he'd later be famous for. But in terms of this book, his plot segments are built up initially as important (given he's the first character of the book), but then the book as a whole mostly ignores him, and it doesn't even provide a resolution to the minor plot point for the Easterners he wants to kill.
Similarly, the two girls traveling to Adrilankha have even less impact on the story as a whole, although they look to be important perhaps in the next book.
Piro's journey to the titular Paths of the Dead is (eventually) the main plotline. The Orb Sethra hid in the Paths of the Dead in the previous book (Five Hundred Years After) needs to be brought out again, and once the Orb is safe, then the Empire can be rebuilt. Although a certain Dragonlord has decided to attempt that rebuilding himself.
The humor is still pretty good. Below is one of my favorite exchanges in the book, a conversation between Sethra and Sethra the Younger:
All in all, I would suggest only reading this if you want to commit to the entire trilogy, as they're basically just one book. If you're new to Brust, you may want to back up and start at The Phoenix Guards or even Five Hundred Years After, to get more context for this book. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
The first and most important thing to know about this book is that it is (as the introduction mentions briefly) basically the first chunk of a longer work. Don't look at this like a standalone book, because then all the loose ends and unimportant threads will just be frustrating.
So in that light I almost don't want to review this until I've read the others. I like Morrolan's segments, since I know him from the Vlad Taltos books, and it's really funny to see Morrolan as a youngster, ignorant of so many of the things he'd later be famous for. But in terms of this book, his plot segments are built up initially as important (given he's the first character of the book), but then the book as a whole mostly ignores him, and it doesn't even provide a resolution to the minor plot point for the Easterners he wants to kill.
Similarly, the two girls traveling to Adrilankha have even less impact on the story as a whole, although they look to be important perhaps in the next book.
Piro's journey to the titular Paths of the Dead is (eventually) the main plotline. The Orb Sethra hid in the Paths of the Dead in the previous book (Five Hundred Years After) needs to be brought out again, and once the Orb is safe, then the Empire can be rebuilt. Although a certain Dragonlord has decided to attempt that rebuilding himself.
The humor is still pretty good. Below is one of my favorite exchanges in the book, a conversation between Sethra and Sethra the Younger:
"I mean that our friend," here she indicated the necromancer, "treats as matters of simple practicality what others consider as most abstruse theory."
"I do not understand what you do the honor to tell me, Sethra."
"Well, then, Sethra, permit me to explain."
"I will be delighted if you would do so."
"I am about to."
"I am listening."
The Enchantress then turned to the necromancer and said, "Have you observed that I am undead?"
The necromancer shrugged as if it was of no importance and said, "Of course."
"Well, what then is your opinion of death?"
"It is the limitation of one's ability to reach certain phases of reality."
"And then?"
"It can sometimes be inconvenient."
All in all, I would suggest only reading this if you want to commit to the entire trilogy, as they're basically just one book. If you're new to Brust, you may want to back up and start at The Phoenix Guards or even Five Hundred Years After, to get more context for this book. I rate this book Recommended.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
December 9, 2015
Paths of the Dead was the first book in this series that I didn't like. If you've read this far, you should have either accepted or learned to enjoy the style of dialogue and narration. If that overly-flowery and needlessly complex style isn't your cup of tea, I'm wagering you'll have been turned off from this series a while back.
My dislike of this particular novel is somewhat hard to pin down to a specific set of reasons. Rather, the overall conclusion based on the sum of the individual parts is that it's just a lackluster book. I felt with 500 Years After that the energy and fun of the first novel was missing. Granted, it's a story which ends in disaster, so it's appropriate in some ways to have such a dramatic shift in tone. The feeling of lacking fun and the "spark" of the original novel is even more pronounced in Paths of the Dead. Overall, it just doesn't "click" for me as much as the previous novels did.
Now, I know that this is not a terribly specific review. I haven't really identified any particular aspect of the book which I find lacking. In an effort to provide some of these specific criticisms, I will say that the pacing feels off. I don't think Brust did a good job managing the simultaneous plot lines of the latter third of the book. Characters feel forgotten as they journey across hundreds of miles. The style of writing where a group of characters is traveling from Point A to Point B is one which echoes very strongly the plot of The Phoenix Guard. The key difference here is that rather than following one group of adventurers, we now follow multiple. Storylines don't come together well. If Brust was a juggler, I would say some of the pieces were dropped along the way.
I also want to say that the characters introduced in this novel don't leap off the page for me as the original four heroes did. We spent so much time adventuring with those original four that their characteristics and personalities made sense. Maybe it's because there are more characters doing a wider variety of things in this book, but I don't get that same sense of connection to the new characters.
So, overall, this was not an enjoyable book to read. I loved Phoenix Guard, liked 500 Years After, and did not like Paths of the Dead. It serves as a stepping stone to further adventures, so I'm not writing off the books which follow this one. (Note: as of the time I'm writing this, I'm 100 pages into the next novel in the series). Maybe my feelings on this book will change over time when I will inevitably reread it. But my first impression is that it's just not a good book. Don't let it be the reason to give up on the series, but be prepared for a bit of a slog.
My dislike of this particular novel is somewhat hard to pin down to a specific set of reasons. Rather, the overall conclusion based on the sum of the individual parts is that it's just a lackluster book. I felt with 500 Years After that the energy and fun of the first novel was missing. Granted, it's a story which ends in disaster, so it's appropriate in some ways to have such a dramatic shift in tone. The feeling of lacking fun and the "spark" of the original novel is even more pronounced in Paths of the Dead. Overall, it just doesn't "click" for me as much as the previous novels did.
Now, I know that this is not a terribly specific review. I haven't really identified any particular aspect of the book which I find lacking. In an effort to provide some of these specific criticisms, I will say that the pacing feels off. I don't think Brust did a good job managing the simultaneous plot lines of the latter third of the book. Characters feel forgotten as they journey across hundreds of miles. The style of writing where a group of characters is traveling from Point A to Point B is one which echoes very strongly the plot of The Phoenix Guard. The key difference here is that rather than following one group of adventurers, we now follow multiple. Storylines don't come together well. If Brust was a juggler, I would say some of the pieces were dropped along the way.
I also want to say that the characters introduced in this novel don't leap off the page for me as the original four heroes did. We spent so much time adventuring with those original four that their characteristics and personalities made sense. Maybe it's because there are more characters doing a wider variety of things in this book, but I don't get that same sense of connection to the new characters.
So, overall, this was not an enjoyable book to read. I loved Phoenix Guard, liked 500 Years After, and did not like Paths of the Dead. It serves as a stepping stone to further adventures, so I'm not writing off the books which follow this one. (Note: as of the time I'm writing this, I'm 100 pages into the next novel in the series). Maybe my feelings on this book will change over time when I will inevitably reread it. But my first impression is that it's just not a good book. Don't let it be the reason to give up on the series, but be prepared for a bit of a slog.
September 27, 2022
An aside before I begin my justification of a 4-star review: similar to the order in which I read Dumas’ D’Artagnan Romances, I did not first read these Khaavren Romances in the correct order, and, in the case of each, I enjoyed every entry mightily.
Now, on this occasion of my first reread of Book One of the Viscount of Adrilankha, I must say that, yes, of course these Paarfi novels are glib. How astute of so many negative reviews to have utterly missed the point and failed to lean in to the fun! At a running leap over a gap that does not exist, one might even suggest that taking into account the idea that reading something that doesn’t tell a story in the way that you expect isn’t automatically the worst thing except if you don’t bother to find out what the story is, I offer you my copy of The Paths of the Dead as I trip over my own feet.
I love these books. They’re hilarious, and the opportunity to have such a detailed series of adventures and hijinks unfold in my hands instead of a bland, exposition-laden rehashing of imaginary historical events in the world of Vlad Taltos is an opportunity I thank Steven Brust for every time I see his name on my bookshelves. I have fun reading these, and the fact that these are an homage to Dumas is not something one should take lightly going into the Paarfi novels. The idea is to have fun in a way, say, The Silmarillion or other epic fantasy stories won’t offer you as a means to get backstory and creative new prequel opportunities for established fantasy series.
You wanna have fun reading a book that rereads well (because, again, the humor and the length of these books offers much by way of returning to them), well then borrow or find a copy of your own, go brew some coffee (klava would take as long as it takes to read this), and get ready to have a riotous time with old friends and new! Spoilers? Sure. Read the Vicomte de Bragellone. Lots of people have done that. Just be sure to stick a bunch of elves in there. And throw in some magic. Lots of people have done that too, in their own ways.
Now, on this occasion of my first reread of Book One of the Viscount of Adrilankha, I must say that, yes, of course these Paarfi novels are glib. How astute of so many negative reviews to have utterly missed the point and failed to lean in to the fun! At a running leap over a gap that does not exist, one might even suggest that taking into account the idea that reading something that doesn’t tell a story in the way that you expect isn’t automatically the worst thing except if you don’t bother to find out what the story is, I offer you my copy of The Paths of the Dead as I trip over my own feet.
I love these books. They’re hilarious, and the opportunity to have such a detailed series of adventures and hijinks unfold in my hands instead of a bland, exposition-laden rehashing of imaginary historical events in the world of Vlad Taltos is an opportunity I thank Steven Brust for every time I see his name on my bookshelves. I have fun reading these, and the fact that these are an homage to Dumas is not something one should take lightly going into the Paarfi novels. The idea is to have fun in a way, say, The Silmarillion or other epic fantasy stories won’t offer you as a means to get backstory and creative new prequel opportunities for established fantasy series.
You wanna have fun reading a book that rereads well (because, again, the humor and the length of these books offers much by way of returning to them), well then borrow or find a copy of your own, go brew some coffee (klava would take as long as it takes to read this), and get ready to have a riotous time with old friends and new! Spoilers? Sure. Read the Vicomte de Bragellone. Lots of people have done that. Just be sure to stick a bunch of elves in there. And throw in some magic. Lots of people have done that too, in their own ways.
July 24, 2011
The Paths of the Dead continues the Khaavren Romances series of Steven Brust. Depending on your point of view, it is either the third book of five or the first third of the third book of three. Unlike the first two books, this one definitely ends more abruptly with much of the story untold so Brust's contention that it is really just the first part of a longer book and should not be considered a book in its own right makes some sense.
The style is whatever the extreme opposite of terse is. As with the previous books, it is an over-the-top parody of The Three Musketeer's style of writing where nothing should ever be said in one sentence if it can be said in fifteen (see my review of the previous volume for a limited invented example). If you've read the previous volumes are want to continue on, you won't likely find this any more irritating than those earlier novels. If you haven't read them yet, you probably don't want to jump into this without reading them first, and if you do, be prepared for a potentially hair-pulling style which Brust has developed essentially to taunt his readers.
As for the story, it is a bit more focused on some newer and younger characters (including some who have much more prominence in the Vlad Taltos books, such as a very young Morrolan), although the four guardsmen are present and look to perhaps be more active in future books. This book covers the beginning of the revival of the empire/end of the interregum. The story is fine, but the book is more about style than anything else.
The style is whatever the extreme opposite of terse is. As with the previous books, it is an over-the-top parody of The Three Musketeer's style of writing where nothing should ever be said in one sentence if it can be said in fifteen (see my review of the previous volume for a limited invented example). If you've read the previous volumes are want to continue on, you won't likely find this any more irritating than those earlier novels. If you haven't read them yet, you probably don't want to jump into this without reading them first, and if you do, be prepared for a potentially hair-pulling style which Brust has developed essentially to taunt his readers.
As for the story, it is a bit more focused on some newer and younger characters (including some who have much more prominence in the Vlad Taltos books, such as a very young Morrolan), although the four guardsmen are present and look to perhaps be more active in future books. This book covers the beginning of the revival of the empire/end of the interregum. The story is fine, but the book is more about style than anything else.
January 18, 2013
This was a re-read (in preparation for Tiassa). I hate to say it, but as much as I enjoyed the Khaavren romances, I didn't enjoy this one. Somehow it fell completely flat. The Morrolan segments felt very skippable and, well, boring.
Re-read in January 2013. I'd picked up The Phoenix Guards to re-read and continued on to Five Hundred Years After, and it seemed natural to continue on to this, which is either the start of a trilogy or a three-volume novel or one novel split into three books, depending on how you want to look at it.
I didn't enjoy this or its sequels very much, though Sethra Lavode had its moments. Too much serious Paarfi-style writing and straight-up adventure storytelling, not enough parody or other humor. But I did realize how much you need the mytharc bits doled out in previous books to understand some of what's going on. From that standpoint, it's interesting, but only to people who have read the Vlad Taltos series at least once. It would be a terrible place to start reading the works in this setting.
Re-read in January 2013. I'd picked up The Phoenix Guards to re-read and continued on to Five Hundred Years After, and it seemed natural to continue on to this, which is either the start of a trilogy or a three-volume novel or one novel split into three books, depending on how you want to look at it.
I didn't enjoy this or its sequels very much, though Sethra Lavode had its moments. Too much serious Paarfi-style writing and straight-up adventure storytelling, not enough parody or other humor. But I did realize how much you need the mytharc bits doled out in previous books to understand some of what's going on. From that standpoint, it's interesting, but only to people who have read the Vlad Taltos series at least once. It would be a terrible place to start reading the works in this setting.
Read
January 7, 2013Very, very frustrating. I love most of Brust's work, especially the entire Vlad Taltos series.
And both the Khaavren and Viscount series cover events earlier in the history of the same mythos that I'm very interested in.
But Brust chose to write them in the same style as Dumas and other writers of that period.
"And pray tell, what is the problem there?"
"It drives me crazy!"
"How, crazy?"
"Most certainly!"
"In what way?"
"Do you want to know?"
"I am nearly certain I do, perceive, I did just inquire."
"Indeed, that is so. Then I shall tell you."
"Excellent, for I am listening."
"It is like this. Every single conversation starts exactly like that. The characters spend three, four, or more paragraphs talking about starting to talk about something."
And that simply drives me nuts. I could stand the florid, wordy, overblown style of speech, and I recognize that it's parodying (quite accurately) the style of Dumas and his contemporaries, because I've tried to read both The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask, and they are just as bad.
But I can't stand it. I keep wanting to yell at the characters to just get to the freakin' point! And when I realize that I don't WANT to listen to them any more, then there's just no point in continuing.
I'd love to read the stories of Adron's Disaster and the reestablishment of the Empire, but not if I have to wade through that style.
And both the Khaavren and Viscount series cover events earlier in the history of the same mythos that I'm very interested in.
But Brust chose to write them in the same style as Dumas and other writers of that period.
"And pray tell, what is the problem there?"
"It drives me crazy!"
"How, crazy?"
"Most certainly!"
"In what way?"
"Do you want to know?"
"I am nearly certain I do, perceive, I did just inquire."
"Indeed, that is so. Then I shall tell you."
"Excellent, for I am listening."
"It is like this. Every single conversation starts exactly like that. The characters spend three, four, or more paragraphs talking about starting to talk about something."
And that simply drives me nuts. I could stand the florid, wordy, overblown style of speech, and I recognize that it's parodying (quite accurately) the style of Dumas and his contemporaries, because I've tried to read both The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask, and they are just as bad.
But I can't stand it. I keep wanting to yell at the characters to just get to the freakin' point! And when I realize that I don't WANT to listen to them any more, then there's just no point in continuing.
I'd love to read the stories of Adron's Disaster and the reestablishment of the Empire, but not if I have to wade through that style.
January 11, 2013
As I previously mentioned, the story itself is good, being a prequel to the Vlad Taltos collection where we are introduced to characters whose origins were previously unknown to us. However, the book is a somewhat bitter-sweet experience, offset by the unusual writing Brust chose to incorporate into this installment of the Khavreen Romances. As one person puts it, it is narrated "..with a distinctive voice that satirizes the flowery and verbose style of Alexandre Dumas and his contemporaries." Not only does the reader feel like they belong in the environs of a medieval court, but quite often the narration stops in order to defend their reasoning for either bringing up something that wouldn't make any difference in the final outcome, but also to explain why he chose to introduce a character, subject, or literary technique the way he did, forcing the reader to accompany him as he describes to other methods that were also at his disposal. Unlike the Taltos series, Brust takes on the roles as storyteller AND historian, bringing attention to every rock that has the misfortune to be overturned by our band of motley heroes. The story and the fact you get insight into the development of the world is, as I have stated, a joy to behold, but the flowery technique is almost a deal breaker.
June 9, 2015
Re-reading this series straight through since the first time I read it, I read with the gaps caused by publication and a large one in the last volume since I waited until it was in paperback. I recall that each book got less enjoyable - while still good - which is understandable since the first two are *so* good - it is really not possible to write 5 books at that same level. But I'm willing to believe (at least for the time it takes me to re-read) that it was only my perception caused by the publication gaps. So, giving it another whirl.
This (as it probably quite clear) is book 1 of a three book continuous story and roughly corresponds to the 3rd book in Dumas' Musketeer novels, although those similarities grow less and less with each volume. At this point, the connection is tenuous at best.
The empire has fallen and our heroes have almost been supplanted by the next generation who are striving to bring back the Empire. As the title suggests, this includes a trip to the Paths of the Dead to retrieve the item necessary to restore the empire. Great start to the 3 books - hopefully I don't get lost in the next one.
This (as it probably quite clear) is book 1 of a three book continuous story and roughly corresponds to the 3rd book in Dumas' Musketeer novels, although those similarities grow less and less with each volume. At this point, the connection is tenuous at best.
The empire has fallen and our heroes have almost been supplanted by the next generation who are striving to bring back the Empire. As the title suggests, this includes a trip to the Paths of the Dead to retrieve the item necessary to restore the empire. Great start to the 3 books - hopefully I don't get lost in the next one.
May 19, 2014
The star rating given reflects my opinion within ‘the official goodreads rating system’. (Notice the two important words... OPINION and RATING)
1 star: Didn’t Like it
2 stars: It’s Okay
3 stars: Liked it
4 stars: Really Liked it
5 stars: It Was Amazing
I don’t really give a rat-fuck that there are some who think I ‘owe’ an explanation for my opinion. Nope, nada, and not sorry about it.
Sometimes I may add notes to explain what my opinions are based on, and sometimes I don’t. I do this for me, on my books, in my library and I don’t ‘owe’ any special snowflakes a thing. Fuck off if you don’t like it and stop reading my shit.
Particularly given the ‘modifications’ to reader’s personal content going on (and outright censorship), unless particularly motivated I will not comment in detail.
It would help if GR was forthcoming in the new ‘appropriate’ and would make a site-wide announcement delineating the new focus from a reader-centric site to one that is now for authors and selling.
1 star: Didn’t Like it
2 stars: It’s Okay
3 stars: Liked it
4 stars: Really Liked it
5 stars: It Was Amazing
I don’t really give a rat-fuck that there are some who think I ‘owe’ an explanation for my opinion. Nope, nada, and not sorry about it.
Sometimes I may add notes to explain what my opinions are based on, and sometimes I don’t. I do this for me, on my books, in my library and I don’t ‘owe’ any special snowflakes a thing. Fuck off if you don’t like it and stop reading my shit.
Particularly given the ‘modifications’ to reader’s personal content going on (and outright censorship), unless particularly motivated I will not comment in detail.
It would help if GR was forthcoming in the new ‘appropriate’ and would make a site-wide announcement delineating the new focus from a reader-centric site to one that is now for authors and selling.
November 11, 2009
Brust continues to spoof Dumas style, following the model of the Viscount of Bragelonne to add depth and breadth to his fictional world. In this case it works less well than usual because as it is clearly part of a bigger work rather than a book expected to stand by itself, he does little more than present some characters, set some plots in motion, and present in an overworded way the setting.
It is this overlap between verbosity and lack of resolutions what sets this book worse than others of the same author. There is little risk, little emotion, as the biggest feat presented was underwhelming once the author presents that the gods want the character to succeed. A good way to reduce the sense of achievement.
It feels more like a series of youngsters playing at being heroes, than real heroism.
It is this overlap between verbosity and lack of resolutions what sets this book worse than others of the same author. There is little risk, little emotion, as the biggest feat presented was underwhelming once the author presents that the gods want the character to succeed. A good way to reduce the sense of achievement.
It feels more like a series of youngsters playing at being heroes, than real heroism.
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