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Thraxas #3
Thraxas at the Races
It's not been a good morning for Thraxas. A vindictive judge has just fined him every guran he has, and two old enemies have threatened his life. And to cap it all, the rainy season has started and it's as wet as a mermaid's blanket in the magical city of Turai.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Martin Scott
137 books81 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
A pen name of Martin Millar.
A pen name of Martin Millar.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 16, 2008
Thraxas just rules!
December 29, 2013
This was my least favorite of the Thraxas novels, but it was still great fun.
January 10, 2014
Martin Scott's books are not easy to track down but i'm loving this collection about the magical city of Turai, the mayhem and murder that goes on around Thraxas
June 1, 2025
After a string of disappointing reads I turned to Thraxas hoping for a guaranteed decent read. Thraxas is the kind of book that is never highbrow but also pretty committed to being "entertaining" in a middle-brow weekly television show kind of way.
So I was doubly disappointed with this one, the worst of the three Thraxas books I've read so far. Disappointed simply because it wasn't very good but then doubly disappointed because my expectations -- not especially high to begin with! -- weren't met.
Like other Thraxas books there are a lot of moving pieces -- almost too many for the reader to keep track of to be honest -- all of which kind of come together in the end. The root of my disappointment is that Thraxas hits a dead end in his investigation -- not uncommon in this kind of book -- and then just...kind of flails for days (weeks) on end. It felt like the entire second half of the book was "still don't have any leads", "still haven't made any progress", "still don't have any clues". It got repetitive and just kind of boring. It doesn't help that one of the main plot points relied on Thraxas being somewhat uncharacteristically stupid, repeatedly, over a period of weeks.
All of which overwhelms the several actually good points of the book. Scott does a good job of incrementally building on the relationships of the many secondary characters introduced in previous books -- always a tricky balance in a casual series like this. He expands the world slightly with the Orcs & Elves. Thraxas manages to save the day and be a hero in an understated but believable way for someone who is mostly a lazy, oafish loser.
I'll still read more of the series from time to time but this one was a disappointment.
So I was doubly disappointed with this one, the worst of the three Thraxas books I've read so far. Disappointed simply because it wasn't very good but then doubly disappointed because my expectations -- not especially high to begin with! -- weren't met.
Like other Thraxas books there are a lot of moving pieces -- almost too many for the reader to keep track of to be honest -- all of which kind of come together in the end. The root of my disappointment is that Thraxas hits a dead end in his investigation -- not uncommon in this kind of book -- and then just...kind of flails for days (weeks) on end. It felt like the entire second half of the book was "still don't have any leads", "still haven't made any progress", "still don't have any clues". It got repetitive and just kind of boring. It doesn't help that one of the main plot points relied on Thraxas being somewhat uncharacteristically stupid, repeatedly, over a period of weeks.
All of which overwhelms the several actually good points of the book. Scott does a good job of incrementally building on the relationships of the many secondary characters introduced in previous books -- always a tricky balance in a casual series like this. He expands the world slightly with the Orcs & Elves. Thraxas manages to save the day and be a hero in an understated but believable way for someone who is mostly a lazy, oafish loser.
I'll still read more of the series from time to time but this one was a disappointment.
March 5, 2024
Траксас нарича Макри орк! В голяма беля е, дали ще успее да се отплете?
Историята се развива в дъждовния сезон, когато вали постоянно, всички са кисели и единственото забавление са спортните залагания. Някой е натопил Траксас за убийство. Читателят може да гадае кой по следи, подхвърлени тук-таме, като в книга на Агата Кристи.
Историята се развива в дъждовния сезон, когато вали постоянно, всички са кисели и единственото забавление са спортните залагания. Някой е натопил Траксас за убийство. Читателят може да гадае кой по следи, подхвърлени тук-таме, като в книга на Агата Кристи.
October 6, 2024
Another great book of this adorable series, with relatable and funny characters. Author utilizes some super cute slang phrases that stick: wet as a Nojan whore, 'happy as an elf on a tree', 'I will jump on your neck like an evil curse' etc... and the most important life advice of all, always bring flowers to the ladies.
June 30, 2020
Another entertaining and amusing tale from Martin Scott about the adventures of PI Thraxas. Great characters, fun dialogue and plenty of twists in the plot.
I hope someone makes a TV series of this set of books.
I hope someone makes a TV series of this set of books.
February 1, 2018
Good solid story with lots of twists to the mystery. I loved the introduction of the Orcs as more than just vague enemies in the past.
February 3, 2013
I think they grow on you but after three I decided I needed a break.
March 16, 2013
Better than the first two; Makri is the real focus, the whole elvish/orcish thing is takes some interesting aspects.
February 16, 2014
Net zoals het 1e en 2e boekje van Traxas is ook deze 3e gewoon leuk om te lezen.
November 30, 2014
Fantasy-noir with a sense of humour and an unlikely (but, despite his flaws, likable) main character. Lightweight but enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews