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Myth Adventures #9
M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action
Guido and Nunzio may not be the brightest bodyguards in the world - but they certainly are faithful. When Skeeve "the Great" asks them to join the army of Possiltum, the two thugs volunteer without question...
Except: Whose side are they on?
Queen Hemlock's? The Mob's Fairy Godfather's? Skeeve's? The two baffled bodyguards barely have time to figure it all out - they've been handed government-issue crossbows, armored with leather skirts, and given combat orders by the dreaded drill sergeant Smiley!
With war heroes like these...who needs enemies?
208 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
45 people are currently reading
1231 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lynn Asprin
224 books1,069 followersRobert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he wrote some stand alone novels such as The Cold Cash War, Tambu, and The Bug Wars and also the Duncan & Mallory Illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series fantasy, such as the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve, the Phule's Company novels, and the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves' World anthology series with Lynn Abbey. Other collaborations include License Invoked (set in the French Quarter of New Orleans) and several Myth Adventures novels, all written with Jody Lynn Nye.
Bob's final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.
Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.
Bob's final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.
Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
January 2, 2021
Lite humor is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered. In this case, there are very few of the MCs to be seen but that's perfectly okay.
A little mob action is just fine. Indeed, it's more like Catch-22 mob-in-the-military action and it's just as absurd as you might think. And it's just as fun.
I did say this was lite, no? It's feather-lite. Even forgettable, but while I'm reading it, I'm chortling, so it does its job well.
A little mob action is just fine. Indeed, it's more like Catch-22 mob-in-the-military action and it's just as absurd as you might think. And it's just as fun.
I did say this was lite, no? It's feather-lite. Even forgettable, but while I'm reading it, I'm chortling, so it does its job well.
September 26, 2011
I finally start seeing this thing I have been warned about - that Robert Asprin is writing not as well as before. Of course, it all was due to hectic writing schedule because of the specific contract he signed, but oh well, I must admit that this book did not amuse me as the previous ones. The first thing that threw me off was that all of it was written in Guido's POV. Yes, in one of the previous ones he juggled other characters' POVs, but that was fun, and it was chapter by chapter - now it's the whole book and what's more, it's Guido, one of least interesting characters to have as the main one. Secondly, there is no Skeeve [only in the few pages in the end] and Aahz. Okay, I can write this one off to the plot circumstances. But there was surely way too little of Tananda. She's one of the most interesting and cool characters in this book and all she gets is being a prostitute and beaten up. At least the ending was enough of a cliff hanger for me to keep waiting of what would be next - Queen Hemlock seemed to be a nice one for a very short while.
December 14, 2022
Guido takes over as our POV narrator which means an inordinate amount of "Knowwhaddimeans?" and "The situationals" but I confess I enjoy the big lug and the narrator's Sly Stallone-meets-Guys-and-Dolls take on him was decent throughout.
One can tell, however, that the author wasn't entirely enamoured of the series or the characters at this point in his career and the stock characters and scams felt a little pro forma. I'm very hopeful, however, that Sweet Myth-Tery of Life will represent a return to form.
One can tell, however, that the author wasn't entirely enamoured of the series or the characters at this point in his career and the stock characters and scams felt a little pro forma. I'm very hopeful, however, that Sweet Myth-Tery of Life will represent a return to form.
October 20, 2011
The story held my attention, and it was good to see some opposing viewpoints (e.g. the drill sergeant's view's on killing). However, nothing really got resolved, so it feels incomplete. I don't mind books being part of an ongoing series, but it's better if each one can also stand alone. There are also some odd glitches, e.g.
With any first person narrative, it raises the question of what we're actually reading. For instance, is this supposed to be someone's daily diary entries, or an autobiography that they're writing later in life? This can create problems, since you know that the narrator can't die, otherwise they wouldn't be able to tell this story (unless it's some kind of ghost story). Similarly, would the characters really want to publish confidential information in a book like this?
The best option can be to avoid thinking about it too much. However, you can't do that when the narrator actually starts referring to the printed books! Even then, I could understand it if we assume that they're using dimensional travel and only publishing these books in worlds that they don't do business in. However, that falls down when you get an author's note inserted into the middle of the narrative (chapter 9) and the narrator is aware of it! How does that possibly work? Basically, Asprin is breaking the 4th wall for no good reason. It would be far better to save his comments for footnotes, introductions, or afterwords.
With any first person narrative, it raises the question of what we're actually reading. For instance, is this supposed to be someone's daily diary entries, or an autobiography that they're writing later in life? This can create problems, since you know that the narrator can't die, otherwise they wouldn't be able to tell this story (unless it's some kind of ghost story). Similarly, would the characters really want to publish confidential information in a book like this?
The best option can be to avoid thinking about it too much. However, you can't do that when the narrator actually starts referring to the printed books! Even then, I could understand it if we assume that they're using dimensional travel and only publishing these books in worlds that they don't do business in. However, that falls down when you get an author's note inserted into the middle of the narrative (chapter 9) and the narrator is aware of it! How does that possibly work? Basically, Asprin is breaking the 4th wall for no good reason. It would be far better to save his comments for footnotes, introductions, or afterwords.
November 18, 2021
I don't hate Guido and Nunzio, but they are best in small doses...very small doses. However, this is their story. Other characters filter in and out and those scenes were my favorite, but they are few and far between, especially at the beginning.
The narration is from Guido and his speech pattern is just too grating for 240 pages. Think Fat Tony:
Overall nothing much happened in this one until the last two chapters which made it all the more frustrating.
The narration is from Guido and his speech pattern is just too grating for 240 pages. Think Fat Tony:
Overall nothing much happened in this one until the last two chapters which made it all the more frustrating.
April 25, 2018
I was hoping for something closer to a collection of short stories like the last M.Y.T.H. book, rather than this one entirely from Guido’s perspective. The first third is a Basic Training book. Then we get into sketchy scam gambits, all of which seem to fail upwards. I also can’t figure out why the cover art has the M.Y.T.H. team meeting Aahz’s mother, who doesn’t make an appearance in this book. I really hope the series can be turned around, as I look hesitantly towards the three or so books in this series sitting unread on the shelf that I committed myself to reading this year.
November 28, 2016
The One About the Army
To say that I wasn't thrilled about returning to another M.Y.T.H. Inc. novel is an understatement. I wasn't looking forward to another mish-mash of a story with alternating points of view and multiple plots, but it turns out that Asprin wisely chose to focus on just one other character than four, as he had done with M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link. Of course, focusing on Guido means we get a full novel of his Runyonesque style of speaking, which takes some time to get accustomed to.
The plot involves Guido and Nunzio joining the Possiltum army as a means to slow down its efforts to take over the world. The previous book had ended with Skeeve and crew getting a severed finger in the mail, the ring on said finger being a giveaway that Queen Hemlock was up to something. The two bodyguards hope to bungle the army's efforts, and the story is about how they adapt to basic training with a crew of questionable recruits.
The story is a let-down, not just because it doesn't involve Aahz or Skeeve. Poised over the entire story is the threat of Queen Hemlock, and the ending resolves that problem by saying that it was never a problem at all. It was frustrating, not just because it felt like a cheat, but also because that threat was the whole reason for the novel. Why spend so much time with the story if it just winds up being pointless? Some of the other books in the series had endings that were cop-outs, but none were as egregious as this one.
The problem is that it's not feasible to skip over this book unless you find a good summary of it elsewhere, since the events of this story happen at the same time as Sweet Myth-tery of Life, which follows this book (and then there's Something M.Y.T.H. Inc., which takes place at the same time as both of those). I had heard that the books get worse the further into the series one goes, but I didn't expect them to be this bad. The only thing that kept this book at three stars was my nostalgia, and even then, I was being generous.
To say that I wasn't thrilled about returning to another M.Y.T.H. Inc. novel is an understatement. I wasn't looking forward to another mish-mash of a story with alternating points of view and multiple plots, but it turns out that Asprin wisely chose to focus on just one other character than four, as he had done with M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link. Of course, focusing on Guido means we get a full novel of his Runyonesque style of speaking, which takes some time to get accustomed to.
The plot involves Guido and Nunzio joining the Possiltum army as a means to slow down its efforts to take over the world. The previous book had ended with Skeeve and crew getting a severed finger in the mail, the ring on said finger being a giveaway that Queen Hemlock was up to something. The two bodyguards hope to bungle the army's efforts, and the story is about how they adapt to basic training with a crew of questionable recruits.
The story is a let-down, not just because it doesn't involve Aahz or Skeeve. Poised over the entire story is the threat of Queen Hemlock, and the ending resolves that problem by saying that it was never a problem at all. It was frustrating, not just because it felt like a cheat, but also because that threat was the whole reason for the novel. Why spend so much time with the story if it just winds up being pointless? Some of the other books in the series had endings that were cop-outs, but none were as egregious as this one.
The problem is that it's not feasible to skip over this book unless you find a good summary of it elsewhere, since the events of this story happen at the same time as Sweet Myth-tery of Life, which follows this book (and then there's Something M.Y.T.H. Inc., which takes place at the same time as both of those). I had heard that the books get worse the further into the series one goes, but I didn't expect them to be this bad. The only thing that kept this book at three stars was my nostalgia, and even then, I was being generous.
January 16, 2021
I like many of the books in the Myth Adventures series, but this was not Robert Asprin's best work. It's written entirely from Guido's point of view, using his style of speech, which is somewhat annoying. I spent the whole book thinking that the characters were wasting their time. It has an ending that launches right into the plot of the next book, which also annoys me.
I haven't read the previous two books in years, and my library didn't have them, so I don't remember exactly what's going on in the Myth Adventures world, and it was explained in a very confusing way. Maybe being more up-to-date on the series would have helped me enjoy this more.
I haven't read the previous two books in years, and my library didn't have them, so I don't remember exactly what's going on in the Myth Adventures world, and it was explained in a very confusing way. Maybe being more up-to-date on the series would have helped me enjoy this more.
August 3, 2022
MYTH INC and Me
A million years back, my older brother picked up a fantasy comedy novel, one that he heard was pretty good, and in typical fashion right after he finished it, I picked it up, and then our younger brother. Our parents loved when we did this, and then discussed and debated the books endlessly. This kept on with this one series until years later, when the writer kinda went into more depressing territory and the books became less fun, more of a chore.
So I stopped reading them, while my brothers kept going, and I had no clue how many books were coming out. But a year or so back I grabbed most of the rest of the series from them and plunged back in.
Now this was an experience.
So what I am babbling about is The Myth Inc Series by the late author Robert Asprin, a fantasy comedy which starts off a medieval place called Klahd, which is pronounced Clod, and a young man named Skeeve who is being trained as a magician. His master pulls a trick, and is then promptly assassinated, and suddenly Skeeve is left to deal with a green scaly demon man his master conjured up. Turns out, he is an old friend of the wizard, and has been left powerless by the trick. Aahz, which is pronounced Oz and is no relation, agrees to team up as Master and Apprentice with Skeeve.
Thus begins an interesting partnership, as Skeeve and Aahz get a pet dragon, fight a war for a kingdom, join the mob but do no moblike stuff, hop from dimension to dimension, meet vampires, play dragon poker, and meet a ton of new allies who fast become friends. We get the sexy Tanda the assassin, her brother Chumley the troll, Guido and Nunzio Skeeve’s mob bodyguards, and even more and more as the series progresses. And we get pun filled titles like Myth Conceptions and Little Myth Marker. By the time we reach M.Y.T.H. Inc Link, Asprin decides to switch the narrator from Skeeve to all sorts of the rest of the cast. It is a nice switch up for the series, but could not stop the mountains of subplots spinning everywhere and how stuff had become depressing in some places.
However one thread that was a bright spot all along was the occasional cartoon, showing scenes from the story, in the trade paperbacks by Phil Foglio, who also did the comics adaptation of the first book.
Where I exactly left off from decades ago was my first challenge, and a reread of M.Y.T.H. Inc In Action reveals I left this one two chapters short of finishing. The re-invasion of the kingdom has been settled, largely thanks to Guido and Nunzio joining the army and sabotaging it from the inside.
With a whole bunch of subplots resolved, we move into my first completely new read of the series this century, Sweet Myth-tery of Life, where Skeeve has brought Aahz back from his dimension of Perv after they had a big falling out. Now Skeeve has received a marriage proposal from Queen Hemlock and goes back to wondering about love. Oh, and he needs to fix the kingdoms finances. And more subplots get resolved. But it is also gets kinda repetitive.
Which leads to Something M.Y.T.H. Inc, where the multiple narrator shtick is back as the kingdom is in rebellion against the tyrant who raised taxes, that evil one time Court Magician Skeeve! The Myth gang set out to quell the insurrections, who are remarkedly like Zorro and Robin Hood, and not let Skeeve know what is going on. This one takes place at the same time as the last one. And this one starts off really really good, then falls apart. And all the subplots get figured out and Skeeve moves into a new place in life, so that the series can rebuild, which leads to….
Myth-Ion Improbable, a flashback tale to Skeeve and Aahz and Tanda going on a treasure hunt in a far off dimension. It is cute at best. And the big relaunch happens with….
Myth-Told Tales. Or not. Asprin gets an official co-writer here with Jody Lynn Nye, and the many narrators idea is back, but it is really just short stories. It is a mixed bag, like any collection, and still like treading water until whatever the new reality is. Methinks Asprin and Nye may not have hit it off right away, and this format was a compromise just to keep the Myth series going. Nye has a track record as a writer before this book, and I believe a real affection for these characters, so I kinda wish Asprin would just hand the series over to her, since he seems not so into it.
Myth Alliances is a Skeeve without Aahz book, where Skeeve and Bunny, his sexy and super smart assistant, have to free the dimension of Wuhses from a group of Perv business women who have become dictators. Or have they? This one starts very promising, then keeps going on and on, but still gives a pretty spectacular ending.
This leads to the Aahz centered book Myth-Taken Identity, where he finds out someone has stolen Skeeve’s id and is wrecking his good name in the mall dimension. No one does that to his former apprentice and good friend! This one is just like the last one, starts off well, meanders quite abit, then finishes strong.
It feels like Nye takes over more with Class Dis-Mythed, where Skeeve is asked by various people to teach a whole bunch of apprentices in magic. It is a learning curve for Skeeve, and one for the students, and we get a whole bunch of cameos from other characters from the series, some being very very surprising. Their is a secret the students are keeping through, which leads to the surprise ending chapters. I really dig the new characters and hope they make reappearances in future books.
So it seems like whatever Asprin and Nye got working, is really working, and Myth-Gotten Gains is proof of that. Aahz finds a magic talking sword in a bazaar and is promised money AND getting his powers back if he helps find his family of magical objects. Turns out they are The Golden Hoard, an ancient and all powerful group who don’t really get along. Aahz and Tanda travel all over, find the Flute and the Purse and the Book and the Crystal Ball. And Aahz and Tanda are completely driven crazy by the Hoard’s constant bickering and insults and attitude. I loved these new additions and their banter read in my head like a Monty Python skit.
This new groove moves us into Myth-Chief, where Skeeve comes back to adventuring and his Myth Inc aren’t all happy. So eventually Skeeve and Aahz have a contest with two competing but not so competing goals, to save a kingdom from financial ruin. Unfortunately, this one backslides to being too long, unfocused, and only one part of the ending making sense. Their is hope, since the new dynamic of Myth n Inc is finally in place here.
This is also the last one my brothers got, but Asprin and Nye gave us one more with Myth-Fortunes, and then suddenly Asprin passed away. Nye continued on with Myth-Quoted and Myth-Fits. I have no idea what happens in these volumes, or how these go generally with Nye fully in charge.
Even with the mixed results of this catchup, I am still glad I did it. It was nice to see how these old friends were doing, and seeing that they were in good hands with Nye. I think Asprin would be happy. And my brothers and I can debate this endlessly as well.
Scoopriches
A million years back, my older brother picked up a fantasy comedy novel, one that he heard was pretty good, and in typical fashion right after he finished it, I picked it up, and then our younger brother. Our parents loved when we did this, and then discussed and debated the books endlessly. This kept on with this one series until years later, when the writer kinda went into more depressing territory and the books became less fun, more of a chore.
So I stopped reading them, while my brothers kept going, and I had no clue how many books were coming out. But a year or so back I grabbed most of the rest of the series from them and plunged back in.
Now this was an experience.
So what I am babbling about is The Myth Inc Series by the late author Robert Asprin, a fantasy comedy which starts off a medieval place called Klahd, which is pronounced Clod, and a young man named Skeeve who is being trained as a magician. His master pulls a trick, and is then promptly assassinated, and suddenly Skeeve is left to deal with a green scaly demon man his master conjured up. Turns out, he is an old friend of the wizard, and has been left powerless by the trick. Aahz, which is pronounced Oz and is no relation, agrees to team up as Master and Apprentice with Skeeve.
Thus begins an interesting partnership, as Skeeve and Aahz get a pet dragon, fight a war for a kingdom, join the mob but do no moblike stuff, hop from dimension to dimension, meet vampires, play dragon poker, and meet a ton of new allies who fast become friends. We get the sexy Tanda the assassin, her brother Chumley the troll, Guido and Nunzio Skeeve’s mob bodyguards, and even more and more as the series progresses. And we get pun filled titles like Myth Conceptions and Little Myth Marker. By the time we reach M.Y.T.H. Inc Link, Asprin decides to switch the narrator from Skeeve to all sorts of the rest of the cast. It is a nice switch up for the series, but could not stop the mountains of subplots spinning everywhere and how stuff had become depressing in some places.
However one thread that was a bright spot all along was the occasional cartoon, showing scenes from the story, in the trade paperbacks by Phil Foglio, who also did the comics adaptation of the first book.
Where I exactly left off from decades ago was my first challenge, and a reread of M.Y.T.H. Inc In Action reveals I left this one two chapters short of finishing. The re-invasion of the kingdom has been settled, largely thanks to Guido and Nunzio joining the army and sabotaging it from the inside.
With a whole bunch of subplots resolved, we move into my first completely new read of the series this century, Sweet Myth-tery of Life, where Skeeve has brought Aahz back from his dimension of Perv after they had a big falling out. Now Skeeve has received a marriage proposal from Queen Hemlock and goes back to wondering about love. Oh, and he needs to fix the kingdoms finances. And more subplots get resolved. But it is also gets kinda repetitive.
Which leads to Something M.Y.T.H. Inc, where the multiple narrator shtick is back as the kingdom is in rebellion against the tyrant who raised taxes, that evil one time Court Magician Skeeve! The Myth gang set out to quell the insurrections, who are remarkedly like Zorro and Robin Hood, and not let Skeeve know what is going on. This one takes place at the same time as the last one. And this one starts off really really good, then falls apart. And all the subplots get figured out and Skeeve moves into a new place in life, so that the series can rebuild, which leads to….
Myth-Ion Improbable, a flashback tale to Skeeve and Aahz and Tanda going on a treasure hunt in a far off dimension. It is cute at best. And the big relaunch happens with….
Myth-Told Tales. Or not. Asprin gets an official co-writer here with Jody Lynn Nye, and the many narrators idea is back, but it is really just short stories. It is a mixed bag, like any collection, and still like treading water until whatever the new reality is. Methinks Asprin and Nye may not have hit it off right away, and this format was a compromise just to keep the Myth series going. Nye has a track record as a writer before this book, and I believe a real affection for these characters, so I kinda wish Asprin would just hand the series over to her, since he seems not so into it.
Myth Alliances is a Skeeve without Aahz book, where Skeeve and Bunny, his sexy and super smart assistant, have to free the dimension of Wuhses from a group of Perv business women who have become dictators. Or have they? This one starts very promising, then keeps going on and on, but still gives a pretty spectacular ending.
This leads to the Aahz centered book Myth-Taken Identity, where he finds out someone has stolen Skeeve’s id and is wrecking his good name in the mall dimension. No one does that to his former apprentice and good friend! This one is just like the last one, starts off well, meanders quite abit, then finishes strong.
It feels like Nye takes over more with Class Dis-Mythed, where Skeeve is asked by various people to teach a whole bunch of apprentices in magic. It is a learning curve for Skeeve, and one for the students, and we get a whole bunch of cameos from other characters from the series, some being very very surprising. Their is a secret the students are keeping through, which leads to the surprise ending chapters. I really dig the new characters and hope they make reappearances in future books.
So it seems like whatever Asprin and Nye got working, is really working, and Myth-Gotten Gains is proof of that. Aahz finds a magic talking sword in a bazaar and is promised money AND getting his powers back if he helps find his family of magical objects. Turns out they are The Golden Hoard, an ancient and all powerful group who don’t really get along. Aahz and Tanda travel all over, find the Flute and the Purse and the Book and the Crystal Ball. And Aahz and Tanda are completely driven crazy by the Hoard’s constant bickering and insults and attitude. I loved these new additions and their banter read in my head like a Monty Python skit.
This new groove moves us into Myth-Chief, where Skeeve comes back to adventuring and his Myth Inc aren’t all happy. So eventually Skeeve and Aahz have a contest with two competing but not so competing goals, to save a kingdom from financial ruin. Unfortunately, this one backslides to being too long, unfocused, and only one part of the ending making sense. Their is hope, since the new dynamic of Myth n Inc is finally in place here.
This is also the last one my brothers got, but Asprin and Nye gave us one more with Myth-Fortunes, and then suddenly Asprin passed away. Nye continued on with Myth-Quoted and Myth-Fits. I have no idea what happens in these volumes, or how these go generally with Nye fully in charge.
Even with the mixed results of this catchup, I am still glad I did it. It was nice to see how these old friends were doing, and seeing that they were in good hands with Nye. I think Asprin would be happy. And my brothers and I can debate this endlessly as well.
Scoopriches
April 27, 2023
Welp, this certainly was a book i read.
It's been a while since i read my last book in the myth series. I took a breather because i really didn't enjoy the last "Myth inc" Side story and knew this would be another one. Thankfully, this one wasn't as bad as the other one. Still though, that doesn't make it great.
This book is pretty much entirely from the point of view of Skeeve's 2 bodyguards Guido and Nunzio. It takes place during the events of the last book. However, unlike the last "Myth inc" book, this one is just one story, not a bunch of little ones. Which makes it lucky that this story wasn't terrible like a few of the last myth inc book had.
Short version is the two bodyguards try to infiltrate an army to try to create discontent and take it down from the inside. So it's their adventures through going through basic training, being posted at different places etc. Not a great story, but not terrible either.
I assume maybe Robert thought people liked the short story in the previous myth inc book where the two bodyguards worked from the inside to help a union and he thought people would like an entire book like that? i don't know, but it didn't seem like a book anybody was clamoring for.
*Spoiler warning*
Especially because, at the end, it turns out that all their work amounted to nothing and nothing came of it*
*End spoiler warning*
The weird thing was, this was the longest one of these i've read so far. I know 240 pages doesn't SEEM like a long book, but when the average Myth book is 175-200 pages, it's weird to see that the longest one so far is the side story with two tertiary characters.
The language was still funny and i enjoyed the characters well enough, but i couldn't get the whole idea that this book was unnecessary, and, having finished it, like i said, it didn't really amount to anything to further the story, except for the last 2 chapters, which, by that point, already wrapped up these two guy's story.
I didn't DISlike this book, and it definitely was better than the previous Myth inc book, but that isn't saying much. I can't wait to go back to a Skeeve book where the plot actually moves forward. A weird little side trip that Asprin decided to do. As long as you understand walking in that this book doesn't really have a bearing on the plot except for the last 15 pages, then you'll have an okay time.
3.5 out of 5, rounded down to a 3.
It's been a while since i read my last book in the myth series. I took a breather because i really didn't enjoy the last "Myth inc" Side story and knew this would be another one. Thankfully, this one wasn't as bad as the other one. Still though, that doesn't make it great.
This book is pretty much entirely from the point of view of Skeeve's 2 bodyguards Guido and Nunzio. It takes place during the events of the last book. However, unlike the last "Myth inc" book, this one is just one story, not a bunch of little ones. Which makes it lucky that this story wasn't terrible like a few of the last myth inc book had.
Short version is the two bodyguards try to infiltrate an army to try to create discontent and take it down from the inside. So it's their adventures through going through basic training, being posted at different places etc. Not a great story, but not terrible either.
I assume maybe Robert thought people liked the short story in the previous myth inc book where the two bodyguards worked from the inside to help a union and he thought people would like an entire book like that? i don't know, but it didn't seem like a book anybody was clamoring for.
*Spoiler warning*
Especially because, at the end, it turns out that all their work amounted to nothing and nothing came of it*
*End spoiler warning*
The weird thing was, this was the longest one of these i've read so far. I know 240 pages doesn't SEEM like a long book, but when the average Myth book is 175-200 pages, it's weird to see that the longest one so far is the side story with two tertiary characters.
The language was still funny and i enjoyed the characters well enough, but i couldn't get the whole idea that this book was unnecessary, and, having finished it, like i said, it didn't really amount to anything to further the story, except for the last 2 chapters, which, by that point, already wrapped up these two guy's story.
I didn't DISlike this book, and it definitely was better than the previous Myth inc book, but that isn't saying much. I can't wait to go back to a Skeeve book where the plot actually moves forward. A weird little side trip that Asprin decided to do. As long as you understand walking in that this book doesn't really have a bearing on the plot except for the last 15 pages, then you'll have an okay time.
3.5 out of 5, rounded down to a 3.
September 13, 2015
I wonder what was going through Robert Asprin's head as he got to this part of the series. It was probably, "Hey, what can I do to make more money?" I am a fan of the series (and one of the early fans: I saw the paperback for Book One when I was a young teen at the local public library my parents took me to -- man, I loved going to the library), so I gave this rating a bonus star. But don't start here because you will be totally lost!
This book made no real effort to bring new readers up to speed, and I found that distracting because I have not read a MYTH book in several months and would have appreciated a reminder of some people and situations. This is like a side-story to the main series, like some lengthy fan fiction someone might have created ... you know, that's it exactly. This is a book like Asprin said, "I bet I can make more money by writing a fanfic of my own series."
Like he could have posted this in parts on his website (or however that would have worked before the Internet). At one point, the first-person narrator refers to actual books that exist earlier in the series. "You might have read that in the fourth book," and he gives the actual title.
Earlier books were clever and somewhat satirical; they were fun. This one was kind of fun, and part of me liked the Guido adventure, but - yeah - it was fan fiction.
On the plus side, however, the audiobook narrator is incredible. This sounds like a full-cast presentation but is just one guy. I don't like his Tananda voice, but everything else is really well done.
This book made no real effort to bring new readers up to speed, and I found that distracting because I have not read a MYTH book in several months and would have appreciated a reminder of some people and situations. This is like a side-story to the main series, like some lengthy fan fiction someone might have created ... you know, that's it exactly. This is a book like Asprin said, "I bet I can make more money by writing a fanfic of my own series."
Like he could have posted this in parts on his website (or however that would have worked before the Internet). At one point, the first-person narrator refers to actual books that exist earlier in the series. "You might have read that in the fourth book," and he gives the actual title.
Earlier books were clever and somewhat satirical; they were fun. This one was kind of fun, and part of me liked the Guido adventure, but - yeah - it was fan fiction.
On the plus side, however, the audiobook narrator is incredible. This sounds like a full-cast presentation but is just one guy. I don't like his Tananda voice, but everything else is really well done.
December 17, 2011
The ninth in the Myth Adventures series. Narrated by Guido, this volume occurs concurrently with the previous, Myth-Nomers And Im-Pervections. Without Skeeve, the gang is on Klah, trying to slow or sabotage Queen Hemlock’s power in various ways. His two gangster bodyguards enlist in her enormous army and get into scrapes of various kinds, but keep getting inadvertently promoted for creative thinking and efficiency.
Apart from Guido being portrayed as an utter dolt here when it comes to plotting, which is irritating to the reader who is capable of drawing a line between points one and two, this is an enjoyable adventure. Setting all the action on Klah, a low-magic dimension, helps Asprin, who is no Frank Herbert when it comes to understanding the practical aspects and ramifications of a fantasy world, keep the story grounded. With lots of physical humor and puns, and not much in the way of plot twists, it’s a fun read. The ending is a bit of a let-down, as it looks as if some Actual Action might break out in the last few pages, until it fizzles into the absolute worst cliffhanger ever, as Skeeve is given an ultimatum by someone who has zero power over him.
[read twice]
Apart from Guido being portrayed as an utter dolt here when it comes to plotting, which is irritating to the reader who is capable of drawing a line between points one and two, this is an enjoyable adventure. Setting all the action on Klah, a low-magic dimension, helps Asprin, who is no Frank Herbert when it comes to understanding the practical aspects and ramifications of a fantasy world, keep the story grounded. With lots of physical humor and puns, and not much in the way of plot twists, it’s a fun read. The ending is a bit of a let-down, as it looks as if some Actual Action might break out in the last few pages, until it fizzles into the absolute worst cliffhanger ever, as Skeeve is given an ultimatum by someone who has zero power over him.
[read twice]
November 18, 2015
This was book 9 in the Myth Adventure series, but actually follows on from book 7 (MYTH Inc Link). It is not as illogical as it sounds as it runs parallel to book 8 (MYTH Nomers and Impervections). Book 8 dealt with Skeeve in the Dimension of Perv, where he had gone to search for Aahz. Aahz going missing was only one of the crisis which happened, the other being Queen Hemlock's expansion plans in the Dimension of Klah. So when Skeeve goes one way, he sends the rest of the team to Klah to see what they can do.
Much of it is told from Guido's point of view, as he and Nunzio have been persuaded to enlist in the Possiltum Army, with the hopes of throwing a spanner in the works. The other team members are almost bit players in this. I didn't find as much humour in this book, but perhaps Guido's speech patterns didn't help. There were a few threads left hanging, but previously similar events have been dealt with in subsequent books.
Much of it is told from Guido's point of view, as he and Nunzio have been persuaded to enlist in the Possiltum Army, with the hopes of throwing a spanner in the works. The other team members are almost bit players in this. I didn't find as much humour in this book, but perhaps Guido's speech patterns didn't help. There were a few threads left hanging, but previously similar events have been dealt with in subsequent books.
July 29, 2018
This story was mostly about Guido and Nunzio. This book made a same plot twist as the one with Gleep (7th) . It made reader realize, these two are more intelligent, than he before expected, but only trained in different skills.
It took that aspect from real life- that we tend to assume things are more complicated than they are and people are mostly lazy to do things properly. This realization I have made myself some time ago- don't do what people don't expect of you- they will want more (in some parts of life), so it was amusing to go through it with Guido and Nunzio.
This story was fun to read, since for the first time, other companions of M.Y.T.H. Inc. were less successful than bodyguard duo.
It took that aspect from real life- that we tend to assume things are more complicated than they are and people are mostly lazy to do things properly. This realization I have made myself some time ago- don't do what people don't expect of you- they will want more (in some parts of life), so it was amusing to go through it with Guido and Nunzio.
This story was fun to read, since for the first time, other companions of M.Y.T.H. Inc. were less successful than bodyguard duo.
May 2, 2020
This book is told from the point of view of Guido, who talkes exactly like the stereotype of a mobster. This, of course, is intended -- and works pretty well. His and Nunzio's mission is to disrupt the army's takeover of as many countries as possible. They try various schemes, with typical Myth success.
In keeping with the continuity established in the series since Myth Inc. Link, these events tie into everything that happened in the last few books. The end is also a "To be Continued". Unfortunately this is the last Myth book I have bought, so I don't know what happens next... Should I buy the rest of the books?
In keeping with the continuity established in the series since Myth Inc. Link, these events tie into everything that happened in the last few books. The end is also a "To be Continued". Unfortunately this is the last Myth book I have bought, so I don't know what happens next... Should I buy the rest of the books?
August 2, 2018
Still enjoyable, humorous, but I like the books centered on Skeeve more. The M.Y.T.H. Inc. books branch out to the rest of the team.
September 16, 2022
It’s never a good sign when the book starts with an introduction explaining the book. Asprin admits he bit off more than he could chew when he made a deal with his publisher to write one short, light hearted book per year. Basically he was under pressure to do the thing he had agreed to do and freaked out and threw shit together just to meet his previously agreed upon deadline.
I hate this one. The way Guido talks makes zero sense for someone who has a masters degree. I think it says somewhere he’s talked like that since a high school production of Guys and Dolls or something. Which, first of all, is stupid, and second of all, was the whole Mob in that production bc they all talk like that except Don Bruce, who’s gay and therefore wears lots of purple (?).
The stupid plot in this one is that Queen Hemlock is trying to take over Klah and Skeeve gives a shit for some reason even though he doesn’t live there anymore and doesn’t seem too attached to it in any way except to say he’s from there if anyone asks. So he makes his team go try and fight her while he goes to Perv to try to track down Aahz, who left in the last book after Skeeve started acting like a douchebag. So Guido and Nunzio try to infiltrate the army or something and meanwhile Tananda gets half her hair fried off by Gleep, who is apparently secretly super smart and a bit of a sociopath? Definitely not crazy about that characterization.
So after a whole book of not funny at all military humor, (bc who doesn’t pick up a fantasy humor book hoping for a satire of army life), the very last chapter has them all in the throne room and then Skeeve appears and the entire kingdom loses its shit “Ooh it’s the Great Skeeve! It’s the court magician!! Oooh!” He hasn’t been there in years; he’s not the court magician anymore. Did they not get a new one? I mean wtf. So then Hemlock tells Skeeve she’s going to abdicate unless he marries her. So? Who gives a shit? How is that Skeeve’s problem? More importantly, why is he making it everyone else’s problem??? If something awful was happening on Trollia, Chumley and Tananda would probably not even tell their precious little baby. Ugh.
Reading these again and all in order makes the authors personal issues super obvious. He clearly struggled to write this one and I’m gonna assume a lot of it is similar to Phule’s Company. I’m not going to say he’s not a very good writer; IIRC that’s gonna be pretty transparent in the next book.
I hate this one. The way Guido talks makes zero sense for someone who has a masters degree. I think it says somewhere he’s talked like that since a high school production of Guys and Dolls or something. Which, first of all, is stupid, and second of all, was the whole Mob in that production bc they all talk like that except Don Bruce, who’s gay and therefore wears lots of purple (?).
The stupid plot in this one is that Queen Hemlock is trying to take over Klah and Skeeve gives a shit for some reason even though he doesn’t live there anymore and doesn’t seem too attached to it in any way except to say he’s from there if anyone asks. So he makes his team go try and fight her while he goes to Perv to try to track down Aahz, who left in the last book after Skeeve started acting like a douchebag. So Guido and Nunzio try to infiltrate the army or something and meanwhile Tananda gets half her hair fried off by Gleep, who is apparently secretly super smart and a bit of a sociopath? Definitely not crazy about that characterization.
So after a whole book of not funny at all military humor, (bc who doesn’t pick up a fantasy humor book hoping for a satire of army life), the very last chapter has them all in the throne room and then Skeeve appears and the entire kingdom loses its shit “Ooh it’s the Great Skeeve! It’s the court magician!! Oooh!” He hasn’t been there in years; he’s not the court magician anymore. Did they not get a new one? I mean wtf. So then Hemlock tells Skeeve she’s going to abdicate unless he marries her. So? Who gives a shit? How is that Skeeve’s problem? More importantly, why is he making it everyone else’s problem??? If something awful was happening on Trollia, Chumley and Tananda would probably not even tell their precious little baby. Ugh.
Reading these again and all in order makes the authors personal issues super obvious. He clearly struggled to write this one and I’m gonna assume a lot of it is similar to Phule’s Company. I’m not going to say he’s not a very good writer; IIRC that’s gonna be pretty transparent in the next book.
January 18, 2025
2.5 stars
An improvement over the previous volume but not much of one. We are kind of back in the caper territory and dealing with Queen Hemlock but still no Skeeve/Aahz to speak of and of the whole crew, we get stuck with Guido and Nunzio for 95% of the book. The mobster speak shtick is occasionally funny but in much smaller doses. The plot was kind of meaningless as the caper, such as it was, effectively failed and of course, the end of the book completely changes the nature of the problem anyway. There are enough glimmers of the original Myth Adventures style left for me to stick it out until the end of this story arc, at least, but I am not a fan of the Skeeve as a harem anime protagonist shtick or Asprin doubling down on the meta references as apparently, the books I've been reading exist in-universe.
An improvement over the previous volume but not much of one. We are kind of back in the caper territory and dealing with Queen Hemlock but still no Skeeve/Aahz to speak of and of the whole crew, we get stuck with Guido and Nunzio for 95% of the book. The mobster speak shtick is occasionally funny but in much smaller doses. The plot was kind of meaningless as the caper, such as it was, effectively failed and of course, the end of the book completely changes the nature of the problem anyway. There are enough glimmers of the original Myth Adventures style left for me to stick it out until the end of this story arc, at least, but I am not a fan of the Skeeve as a harem anime protagonist shtick or Asprin doubling down on the meta references as apparently, the books I've been reading exist in-universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2023
The Myth books are a light and entertaining fantasy series about a magician's apprentice who doesn't really know what he's doing, and his mentor, a demon who lost his magic powers due to a practical joke. I read them as a teen and just started to reread them.
The early books in the series are my favorites, funny and engaging stories that parody traditional fantasy novels, with adventures in multiple interesting worlds. The later books are disappointing, as the young protagonist becomes a bureaucrat and more and more elements of the real world get added in — mafia, graduate school, business development.
This one tried a new format, with multiple narrators, but this approach just muddled the story. All are a quick read — I reread this one in a few days.
The early books in the series are my favorites, funny and engaging stories that parody traditional fantasy novels, with adventures in multiple interesting worlds. The later books are disappointing, as the young protagonist becomes a bureaucrat and more and more elements of the real world get added in — mafia, graduate school, business development.
This one tried a new format, with multiple narrators, but this approach just muddled the story. All are a quick read — I reread this one in a few days.
Read
February 8, 2024I'm going to be honest. I read the first and last pages. When I put this in as currently reading I read the reviews. I had the same difficulties with the chapter in a previous book written in Guido's voice that other readers had and I just couldn't read an entire book like that. For the most part I don't think I missed anything, story wise, author Robert Asprin breaks the 4th wall often enough to make sure the reader is fully up to date going book to book. I hope I don't feel the need to do this with any other book in the series.
May 20, 2024
Book 9 of the Myth Adventures. We spend a lotof time with Guido and Nunzio in this one. The hilarity is the more they fail the greater the recognition they get. This is so apropos of what it always looks like when you see idiots getting promoted over and over. If you can get through this one with a straight face, you’re made of much different stuff than me. A great read that keeps us enjoying this series, it is nice to have a fun twist in the end.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
January 26, 2019
Pop sugar 2019 prompt Book containing an extinct or imaginary creature. All of the creatures are different, but specifically there is a dragon, trolls and devils.
I liked hearing the story from Guido's pov. It was a fun read and now has me wanting to get to the next one!!!
I liked hearing the story from Guido's pov. It was a fun read and now has me wanting to get to the next one!!!
September 18, 2019
Much better than the last M.Y.T.H. Inc book. Guido and Nunsio are ok, but the book looses something without Aahz and Skeeve in it.
The story moves along well and there are funny bits, like the other don's; Don Ho and Don Amichie, but I much prefer the normal books in the series.
The story moves along well and there are funny bits, like the other don's; Don Ho and Don Amichie, but I much prefer the normal books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2023
OK, I like the Myth books, but I admit that I find the figures of the Mafia guys some of the least funny of the side characters. It's got some fun in it, but it doesn't really work for me as the others did.
The ending readems things a bit.
The ending readems things a bit.
August 19, 2017
Another fun book in the Myth Adventures series. Several laugh out loud moments and as someone who was in the military I might have found things funnier than anyone who hasn't been in.
September 10, 2019
Fun romp as usual
October 1, 2019
Quite literally my favorite fantasy comedy series ever and this book is my favorite in the series. Love it 💕💕!
June 28, 2020
Crappy at best
Mobs view on army life?
Yeah, if I said this was horrible it would be too good to be true ...
Mobs view on army life?
Yeah, if I said this was horrible it would be too good to be true ...
November 16, 2020
That was the longest ever I read a 200 pages book. Ever :P
Although I liked it anyway, just it happened to me in a very busy period of life probably. Still a good way to relax.
Although I liked it anyway, just it happened to me in a very busy period of life probably. Still a good way to relax.
May 12, 2021
Bought it 25 years ago... u can tell. Must have red first few book at that time...ups, this is part 9.!
And Asprin died between ;( Ah......
And Asprin died between ;( Ah......
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