The Brave Free Men

Durdane #2

by Jack Vance

The Faceless Man is a prisoner in his own palace. His power over the people of Durdane is in the hands of Gastel Etzwane, a youth whose thirst for vengeance against the dreaded Rogushkhoi would be slaked only by oceans of their blood. For these invincible foes who threatened Durdane had taken and killed his mother and sister.

To destroy the Rogushkhoi Gastel would have to unite a world that survived only through its separateness. It was more than dangerous, but he had no choice. If they were to fight the people must regain control of their own lives. Only then could Gastel recruit an elite corps of the liberated--the Brave Free Men--to fling against the Rogushkhoi and fight to the death...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, American, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Aka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.

The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second installment in the Durdane trilogy picks up right were The Anome left off; makes sense as the entire trilogy was first serialized in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. Gastel Etzwane, having captured the Anome at the end of the last book, now assumes his role, stating he is acting as the point man for the Anome. As one reviewer put it, TBFM is really a heroic account of bureaucratic restructuring! Gastel needs to defend the Shant against the Roguskhoi barbarians. The Roguskhoi are terrible foes-- almost impervious to arrows and such, they take any women they can find and kill anyone who opposes their 'lusty ways'. It seems the Roguskhoi can breed with human women, but they then spawn up to 12 'imps', or baby Roguskhoi, who then mature in less than a year. Further, the women, in the process, are rendered sterile.

So, we follow Gastel around the Shant as he tries to mobilize an army in a nation that has known peace for generations. He must mobilize arms manufacture, coordinate the resistance, among other needed duties and has to learn much of this from scratch. While the entire book is basically about the battle between the Shant and the Roguskhoi, there is a scant amount of actual fighting; rather, this installment is more about uncovering the mystery of the origin of the Roguskhoi and their objectives. Unlike the previous volume, this one reaches a satisfying conclusion. 3.5 stars rounding up!

[David McGrogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second instalment of the Durdane confirms the series's status as being at the lower end of Vance's oeuvre. This is breathlessly written and strangely off kilter (I'm not sure whether the main character is even very likeable, and the entire plot comes across as basically implausible), and mostly lacking in Vance's signature wit. There is enough going on to keep the reader entertained, though, and there are still strikingly brilliant passages and typically wonderful emergent worldbuilding to savour.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume II in Vance's Durdane series, consisting of three interconnected novels, written over a period, between 1971 and 1973.

The Durdane trilogy comprising THE FACELESS MAN (a.k.a. THE ANOME), THE BRAVE FREE MEN, and THE ASUTRA.

[Rog Petersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An heroic tale of bureaucratic administration restructuring.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10 en 2011.
Segunda parte de la saga, no mejora. De lo peor que he leído de Vance.

[Jiří Pavlovský · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jak čtu Vanceho krátce po Moorcockovi, tak mi přijde, že to jsou naprosté solární protipóly. Oba mají bizarní a v reálu neudržitelné dekadentní světy, ovšem jeden z nich k nim přistupuje s přístupem stárnoucího patologa. Jeden sází na emoce, druhý je zcela ignoruje. A zatímco jeden má hrdiny zmítané osudem, hrdinové druhého jdou za svým, bez ohledu na to co či kdo jim stojí v cestě… a jak moc stupidní je to, za čím jdou.

Ano, Vance je ten druhý (a taky starší) z těch dvou autorů, a je celkem logické, že mi sedne víc (a je celkem jasné, že čtenářům ne). The Brave Free Man je přímé pokračování románu Anome, ve kterém se hrdina na konci dostal k moci (respektive k možnosti nechávat lidem vybuchovat hlavy) a teď je rozhodnutý ji využít k tomu, aby splnil svůj hlavní cíl – vyhladit rasu, která napadá obyvatele a unáší jim manželky. A to i za cenu, že bude muset totálně rozvrátit celý společenský systém a riskovat vyvolání chaosu.

V tomhle je to trochu naivní, ale Vance scifárny v sobě mají něco z pohádek a lidé v jednotlivých říších jsou všichni ideově jednotní a nebouří se proti svým normám. Nejsou to jedinci, jsou to zástupci systému. A i když tady je v centru válka, víc se o ní lidé baví, než že by bojovali. Víc se kniha soustředí na řešení byrokratických problémů, na diplomatické kontakty a rozpory mezi hrdiny, než na popisování ztečí.

Vztahy tady nejsou (jedinou výraznější ženskou postavu z minulého dílu hrdina zastřelí hned začátku knihy), a hrdina je spíš účelný než sympatický (což ale k Vancemu taky patří). Je to příběhově jednodušší, nějaké emoce by přece jen neškodily, a rozhodně to není autorovo vrcholné dílo. Ale stejně je to Vance. Jeho věci jsou v SF žánru tak svébytné a odlišné (a úmyslně archaické), že už jen proto stojí za přečtení.

[John Gossman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book comes from the peak Vance period when he was still writing short novels but had fully developed his style. It's beautifully written, though at some points his style becomes almost baroque in its descriptions.
The first book jn this series did most of the world-building, so this entry is mostly plot and character driven. The plot is brisk, but ultimately it's about the hero taking over the government, reforming it, and saving the world.
Vance's best characters are actually anti-heroes like Cugel. Kirth Girsen of the Demon Princes books and Adam Reith of Tschai are much more generic, omni-competent stereotypes, but have their limits. Gastel Etzwane, hero is this series, is almost a Mary Sue. He's a talented musician (the book contains several extended scenes describing musical improvisation) who at the end of book 1 becomes Anome, the world's dictator. He turns out to be perfectly suited for this job and once he's swept aside the bureaucrats who impede progress goes from victory to victory. It's kinda sickening, like a child's "if I were king..." fantasy. His top lieutenant is a much more flawed and interesting character, otherwise I'd drop this book another star.

Overall, not Vance's best plot or character, but has the great color and amusing dialogue of his peak writing.

[Ivan Stoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

God dang Jack Vance is good. Who else could casually throw in a really worthwhile interchange about individuality vs. traditionalism like this?

Dystar said: "Without my torc I would be mad with joy."

Mialambre seemed astounded both by the .concept and by Dystar's response. "How can this be? The torc is your representation, the signal of your responsibility to society."

"I recognize no such responsibility," said Dystar. "Responsibility is the debt of people who take. I do not take, I give. Thereafter my responsibility is gone."

"Not so," exclaimed Mialambre. "This is an egotistical fallacy! Every man alive owes a vast debt to millions—to the folk around him who provide a human ambience, to the dead heroes who gave him his thoughts, his language, his music; to the technists who built the spaceships which brought him to Durdane. The past is a precious tapestry; each man is a new thread in the continuing weave; a thread by itself is without meaning or worth."

Dystar gave generous acquiescence. "What you say is truth. I am at fault. Nonetheless, my torc is unwelcome; it coerces me to the life I would prefer to live by my own free will."

[Jonathan Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vance manages to produce epic SF in around 60,000 words. Ahead of his time and still immensely readable

[beaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where the first book in this series felt unpolished, the similar qualities of this book instead felt experimental to me, which is similar to "unpolished" except with a positive bent. A lot of interesting threads have been laid out here, and I hope the third book provides a satisfying resolution. Like the first book, some of the events and characters' reaction to them seemed a bit too neat and tidy for the situation. Also like the first book, this work does not stand alone, but is really the middle section of what should be one long book encompassing the trilogy.

The first book and the beginning of this book cast the protagonist in a texture of dappled shade; at the conclusion of the first book I wondered if his development would take him outside the mold of the prototypical Vance hero. I felt like Etzwane was threatening to become a ruthless fascist, and I was interested in the possibilities that would create. Unfortunately, as soon as this book re-introduces the character of Finnerack, the budding dark side of Etzwane is carved away from his character and lumped onto the unfortunate Finnerack in the form of a run-of-the-mill "ends justify the means" attitude. By the end of this book, Finnerack is dead and the story is right back in the mold of the average Gaean Reach story. That said, this book felt more polished than the first and has plenty of fun moments. I appreciated the depictions of the music of Durdane.

[David Meiklejohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Durdane series, and Gastel Etzwane has tracked down the elusive Anome, the Faceless Man who controls the continent of Shant by sending out proclamations and the threat of explosive torcs which keep citizens in line. The Anome refuses to deal with the marauding monsters known as the roguskhoi, so Gastel takes over and starts putting together an army that will remove the enemy, the Brave Free Men of the title. But someone close to him seems to be trying to sabotage his work.
That’s the story and it’s engaging enough but what makes a Vance book so readable is the language and the world building. There is a whole chapter in this book where Gastel travels around the various cantons of Shant and encounters a huge variety of peoples and habits, described in detail by Vance for no other reason than the fun of it. He also frequently mentions the colours worn by people or used to decorate, which have detailed meanings in their society.
Always a joy to read, and there’s another in the series to come.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tale of Gastel Etzwane continues. The Roguskhoi begin to overrun Shant and the Anome refuses to act. Etzwane, acting in the name of the Anome, tries to muster the diverse culture of Shant to fight the enemy. He recruits old friends and acquaintances in this effort. But, who is behind the Roguskhoi, and how have they managed to anticipate Etzwane's plans? All very typical Vance and very fun.

[Almielag · Rating 2 out of 5]

Similarly to "The Faceless Man", Vance seems to hurry through is own story in order to get to the end. This sequel has less of the hustling, double crossing, and mischief that characterizes his best work, replaced by a roughly sketched military campaign.

[Arthur B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent continuation of the SF adventure, in which matters prove to be less simple to resolve than the protagonist expected after usurping the rulership of his world. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...

[Martin Haas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterly writing.

Jack Vance unveils his plot inch by inch and this reader didn't foresee where it was leading but enjoyed the imaginative display. Interesting conflicts, characters. A totally enjoyable read.

[Federico Kereki · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enemy is vanquished, another enemy pops up, and you must keep reading on!

[Ricardo Mattolini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leí pensando que tenía más de ciencia ficción, terminó siendo fantasía, aunque transcurra en un futuro lejano.

[Arturo Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

más orientado a la acción y la ciencia ficción, y con el ritmo mejor ajustado que el primer libro. una lectura fascinante

[Augments · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naruto and Sasuke

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

AKA: Durdane Book 2
The Brave Free Men was first published in 1972 in digest form in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Released in 1973 as a novel, this is the second book in the three volume Durdane Chronicles. It is a continuation of the story begun in The Anome and should be read after that book and not as a stand alone novel. This is the second time I have read this series and I liked each of the books even better after rereading. Although the three books are not the very finest Vance has written, I found them fascinating, easy to read and entertaining and recommended them to all Vance fans.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...

The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.

In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.

A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimters so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.

Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.

The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brave Free Men was first published in 1972 in digest form in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Its draft title was Palasedra. Released in 1973 as a novel, this is the second book in the three volume Durdane Chronicles. It is a continuation of the story begun in The Anome and should be read after that book and not as a stand alone novel. This is the third time I have read this series and I liked each of the books even better after rereading. Although the three books are not the very finest Vance has written, I found them fascinating, easy to read and entertaining and recommended them to all Vance fans.
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...

The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.

In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.

A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimitars so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.

Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.

The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”

[Hunnapuh Xbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los dos primeros libros de la trilogía en realidad se leen como una sola narración. De hecho, El Anomo no termina, sino que se detiene casi a mitad de escena.
Resulta un viaje fascinante seguir las peripecias de los protagonistas de Vance por los extraños mundos que recrea, sus gestas son dignas de los grandes viajes de los personajes de Verne, o de Arthur Conan Doyle en "El mundo perdido" por ejemplo.
Uno de los elementos más sorprendentes del ciclo de Durdane es que en su literatura crea elementos del steampunk. El subgénero no reconocido en el momento en que Vance escribía, sus elementos son sin embargo evidentes. Habiendo vuelto la vida al rusticismo después de que la humanidad dominara las estrellas, entre los pocos avances técnicos del pueblo de Etwane están los carros tirados por caballos, la tecnología básica de radio y el armamento primitivo. Así, lo que distingue a Durdane como un texto steampunk ejemplar son los dirigibles. Vance, conocido por sus extraños dispositivos de transporte, los globos de Durdane son de los más singulares. Esencialmente globos de aire caliente unidos por vías con ruedas, los dispositivos flotantes transportan a los pasajeros a las principales áreas urbanas de Durdane a lo largo de una red muy parecida a un sistema de trenes y billetes. Añadiendo carácter a la trama, la imaginación de Vance una vez más demuestra ser una delicia.


Los valerosos hombres libres continúa precisamente donde El Anomo terminó , y es la historia de la defensa de la patria de Etwane contra el mal sin sentido, el Rogushkoi. Mientras tanto, Etzwane tiene que trabajar duro para defender la tierra y evitar ser asesinado por los miopes habitantes de la capital, Garwiy. La cultura y la filosofía de los torcs se cuestionan abiertamente, sus vidas dependen de un soplo de aire fresco. Al final un gran giro de la trama que ata la novela, otra puerta se abre de par en par, la historia no está terminada.
En el siguiente tercio busca su fortuna como músico viajero mientras ahorra el dinero para pagar la libertad de su madre, según las instrucciones del Anome. Cuando regresa a Bashon, sin embargo, se encuentra con que los habitantes han sido masacrados por los furiosos Roguskhoi, hombres bestia que han estado arrasando en Shant desde el norte. Le pide al Anomo que luchen contra este azote, pero se le niega. Etzwane, indignado, se dispone a despertar a la gente de Shant contra el Anome, y esto, y la lucha contra los roguskhoi, toma la acción hasta el final del volumen dos, Los valientes hombres libres.

Convertido en Anomo, Gastel decide crear un ejercito de hombres libres, es decir, sin collar, rompiendo totalmente el esquema de gobierno de Shant. Sin embargo, al final de "Los valientes hombres libres", esta historia se termina y se establece el nuevo gobierno de Shant. Los roguskhoi han sido rastreados hasta su fuente (el Asutra, alienígenas araña-caliente que pueden infiltrarse en el cuerpo de un ser humano y controlar sus acciones) y expulsados de Durdane.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for a weird subgenre of story- those about someone organizing and leading a small, unlikely army and overthrowing one or another long-held societal arrangement. Bonus points if it’s ideologically simpatico — a revolutionary people’s army, say — but I’ll take it even if it’s just private kingdom building. What can I say, I like a good story about delegation! Usually the prose is disappointing in these stories and the dorks who write them — often frustrated wannabe (or actual) military officers — can’t restrain themselves from going on at tedious length about maneuvers across imaginary, indifferently-related maps. But I’ll still give them a look when I see them.

The second installment of Jack Vance’s “Durdane” series finds our hero, Gastel, organizing just such a force, the titular “Brave Free Men,” to repel a rapacious horde of not-quite-orcs, the Roguskhoi, from destroying Shant. He has his work cut out for him. Shant has plenty of aristocrats (and killers) but no military tradition. The descendants of religious and ideological enthusiasts dumped onto a colony planet millennia ago, the inhabitants of its Shant’s various cantons concern themselves with maintaining their various arbitrary cult rules and general societal stasis.

Anyone familiar with midcentury scifi knows much of what happens next. Gastel and the few men he can trust have to overcome the hokum and conservatism of their backward culture. They do this largely by freeing indentured servants and enlisting them in the titular army. There are various technical challenges to overcome, betrayals both suspected and real, people telling them Shant can’t change and the heroes telling them it has to, etc.

What distinguishes Vance’s take on this plot is skepticism of the enterprise. In the end, the mobilized people of Shant beat back the hordes. Gastel sets up a new government with a parliament (but with no house apportioned by population, I noticed!). But the big reveal in the end — where the Roguskhoi came from — reframes the whole existence of Shant. Without giving too much away, it’s revealed that the hordes that almost destroyed the planet were somewhere between a joke and a speculative venture by powers much bigger and colder than anything Gastel can conjure up. If Shant is nothing but a dumping ground or playpen for amoral interstellar empires, then what larger purpose does change serve? Well, presumably we’ll get some kind of answer in the third and last book. ****’

https://toomuchberard.wordpress.com/2...

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sparsely told tale is the sequel to The Faceless Man (AKA The Anome) and the second book of the Durdane trilogy. The books are no longer in print but Kindle editions can still be purchased. The copy I have (shown here http://dlmorrese.wordpress.com/2012/0...) is a limited hardcover edition published in 1983 that I found at my local library. Apparently, they are quite rare.
This book continues the adventures of Gatzel Etzwane as he tries to defend his country, Shant, from the mutant Roguskhoi. Unfortunately, the culture and government of Shant, as they currently exist, are ill equipped to address the situation, so Etzwane must first take control of the government, revamp society, restructure the bureaucracy, develop new technology, and oust the Roguskhoi -- and he has only 251 pages to do so. Vance manages to have him pull it off believably, which is quite an accomplishment.
The way he does it may not appeal to some modern readers, though. He summarizes much of what happens, ‘telling’ the story rather than ‘showing’ it. He restricts the point of view to a single character, Etzwane, and therefore relates much of what occurs in either narrative or exposition.
The plot is interesting, and the setting and characters are imaginative and well conceived. I recommend it.

[mkfs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more enjoyable than the first book in the trilogy, due largely to the exposure of the protagonist to many new cultures and races. This is the sort of thing Vance excels out, and here he tosses aside one-page encounters with curious societies that a lesser author might spend an entire novel on.

Of course, some of the flaws in science fiction writing of the period are well in evidence here, in particular the notion that a young man of good character can do anything he sets his mind to. In this case, we have an uneducated musician who somehow designs a parliamentary government from scratch. Also a balloon-tender/lifelong-prisoner who trains an entire military in tactics. Where did they learn this stuff? Why does nobody else seem to know it?

The finale of the book is a huge departure from how things started out. I've seen this before in Vance's work: a provincial, often rural beginning that then thrusts the characters onto the international (or, more generally, interplanetary) stage. I think it is necessary, as the zero-to-hero story starts to sag a little on its own. In this case, it sets up the third book of the series nicely, which is a good thing because I was considering chucking the trilogy entirely after the first one.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9⭐ Another tale of a richly described fantastical world, told in Vance's unique, baroque style. This is the second volume in his Durdane trilogy, taking place in an isolated human colony, long cut off from Earth. It's a vividly imagined culture, like Vance's other worlds, governed by complex manners and rituals. You have to like the style, which is vaguely like watching 'The Tudors', set on another planet.
The first book deals with the life story of our hero, who as a boy escapes from a tyrannical cult to become a skilled musician. The second describes his adventures after falling in with a cultural observer (and sometime secret agent) from Earth and their effort to stop a mysterious invasion. The third installment sees our heros tracing the origins of the invasion and the greater threat posed to humanity. All are quick and easy reads,again, if you enjoy Vance's style. I certainly do.

[Goutham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Vance book (that honor goes to Eyes of the Overworld), not by a long shot but it shares so many characteristics that make Vance's books such a joy to read. Every Jack Vance book I've read demonstrate such fantastic knowledge about so many aspects of the world and this book is no exception. You need only read Vance's descriptions of the kind of music his characters play or the kind of dishes available at the many inns to get a glimpse of how much you might be missing out on in this world. The behavior, motivations and reactions of each of his characters are explained so concisely and masterfully that I dont think anything can be added/subtracted to make it better. I dont know of any author who is better at analyzing the range of human emotions than JV.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem I'm having with this series is that the quality of Vance's imagination seems to outstrip the quality of his prose. Shant is a fascinating set-up, the use of colour and the alternative semantics that go with it is a huge consideration. As is the government of the Anome and the alternatives posited. The mix of technologies, lost secrets along sied glass and crystal craft, the genetically engineered monsters of the Rugoshki and even the musical instruments described. In fact, there's way too much to fit into so short a book. Everything is rushed, to the points of heavy exposition at points, and major shifts in ideology are adopted for too quickly for plausibility. It's a shame, because the ideas, the stories being told here, are great.

[Unsung Stories · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem I'm having with this series is that the quality of Vance's imagination seems to outstrip the quality of his prose. Shant is a fascinating set-up, the use of colour and the alternative semantics that go with it is a huge consideration. As is the government of the Anome and the alternatives posited. The mix of technologies, lost secrets along sied glass and crystal craft, the genetically engineered monsters of the Rugoshki and even the musical instruments described. In fact, there's way too much to fit into so short a book. Everything is rushed, to the points of heavy exposition at points, and major shifts in ideology are adopted for too quickly for plausibility. It's a shame, because the ideas, the stories being told here, are great.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brave Free Men stands as a libel against oppression and it is when Gastel Etzwane is solidified as either a hero and a wise leader. It tells the story of Gastel Etzwane to either free Durdane of bizarre man-like alien beings Roguskhoi threat and its ascension as a leader and reformer. The premise discussed by Vance is admirable: what could lead the people of Durdane to victory against these alien beings is the sense of freedom which catalyzes the individual actions previously hampered by the oppressive power of the Anome.