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9 Tales of Raffalon
In an age of wizards and walled cities, Raffalon is a journeyman member of the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors. In other words, a thief.
His skills allow him to scale walls, tickle locks, defeat magical wards. He lifts treasures and trinkets, and spends the proceeds on ale and sausages in taverns where a wise thief sits with his back to the wall.
But somehow things often go the way they shouldn’t and then Raffalon has to rely upon his wits and a well calibrated sense of daring.
Here are nine tales that take our enterprising thief into the Underworld and Overworld, and pit him against prideful thaumaturges, grasping magnates, crooked guild masters, ghosts, spies, ogres, and a talented amateur assassin.
Includes “Inn of the Seven Blessings,” from the bestselling anthology, ROGUES, and “Sternutative Sortilege,” which appears only in this collection.
His skills allow him to scale walls, tickle locks, defeat magical wards. He lifts treasures and trinkets, and spends the proceeds on ale and sausages in taverns where a wise thief sits with his back to the wall.
But somehow things often go the way they shouldn’t and then Raffalon has to rely upon his wits and a well calibrated sense of daring.
Here are nine tales that take our enterprising thief into the Underworld and Overworld, and pit him against prideful thaumaturges, grasping magnates, crooked guild masters, ghosts, spies, ogres, and a talented amateur assassin.
Includes “Inn of the Seven Blessings,” from the bestselling anthology, ROGUES, and “Sternutative Sortilege,” which appears only in this collection.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2017
About the author
Matthew Hughes
204 books287 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 29, 2020
Supremely clever and amusing collection. I love the Dying Earth setting, Hugh's boundless wit, and of course his clever use of language and obscure vocabulary. Many of these stories are loosely connected, so that if read in order there are some threads of cohesion that give the collection the feel of something larger. That's something I really enjoyed, as often a collection of random stories become tedious if consumed en masse.
Highlights for me were the first three stories (Wearaway and Flambeau, Stones and Glass, Avianca's Bezel) and the very last, The Inn of the Seven Blessings, which was featured in the excellent anthology Rogues put together by George R.R. Martin.
Highlights for me were the first three stories (Wearaway and Flambeau, Stones and Glass, Avianca's Bezel) and the very last, The Inn of the Seven Blessings, which was featured in the excellent anthology Rogues put together by George R.R. Martin.
July 3, 2017
This is my favourite collection of Hughes short stories so far—which is saying something, because his collections have all been quite wonderful. Seven of these stories originally appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine (a significant guarantor of quality), one in a Gardner Dozios anthology (likewise, a good sign), and one is original to this volume—and frankly, a new Raffalon story is itself worth the price of admission.
The tales of Raffalon the Thief are not so much about thievery as they are about Raffalon extricating himself from one impossible predicament after another, often revolving around his involuntary involvement with various wizards. The stories in this volume fit together almost seamlessly, the characters or situations carrying over from one to the next, as we follow Raffalon's escapades to a surprisingly satisfying ending in "The Inn of the Seven Blessings".
The individual stories are engaging mysteries, heists, or escapes set against Hughes' ongoing universe/magical system, and the characterization of Raffalon is delightfully twisted. Raffalon's ethical deficiencies seem entirely reasonable given the even worse characters against which he is pitted, and an age in which crime has been amusingly bureaucratized through the Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors.
It is, however, the dialog—and more especially, Raffalon's interior reflections—that sets Hughes apart from all others. "Droll" doesn't begin to cover it, because it is not merely witty, but reflects a worldview just completely off kilter. It all makes complete sense in the eccentric universe of Hughes' distant future, but one is left wishing both that people actually talked like that, and profoundly thankful that no one actually thinks that way.
Hughes' brand of dark humour is completely unique. A comparison with Jack Vance is often evoked to describe Hughes' work, but entirely misses that Hughes is often, as here, wincingly funny. I cannot recommend 9 Tales of Raffalon highly enough, to both long time fans and those not yet familiar with this grand master of the genre.
June 13, 2017
Raffalon is a thief of extraordinary skill and equally extraordinary bad luck. But Raffalon’s misfortunes are the reader’s gain as they accompany him on his adventures and misadventures, as he talks himself into and out of trouble. Matthew Hughes combines action and humor as skillfully as Raffalon picks a lock. He also doesn't allow his work to be too bogged down with serious ideas, taking pleasure in light fantasy that fans of Zelazny and Robert Lyn Asprin will easily enjoy. This anthology consists of 9 of Raffalon’s most thrilling adventures. Although it can be enjoyed in one long sitting. (The adventures are neither formulaic nor repetitive), the stories pair well with a morning cup of coffee or a relaxing afternoon tea. If you are looking for a fun, lighthearted fantasy romp, look no further. 9 Tales of Raffalon is the book for you.
5 / 5
I received a copy of 9 Tales of Raffalon from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
5 / 5
I received a copy of 9 Tales of Raffalon from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
September 18, 2022
The setting of these stories is distinctly Vanceian. It's a kind of Dying Earth— where magic reigns. Raffalon, our protagonist, is an extraordinary thief with a bad luck that's almost magical. This book contains his (and his companions') nine capers. They are~
1. Wearaway and Flambeau;
2. Stones and Glass;
3. Avianca's Bezel;
4. Prisoner of Pandarius;
5. Curse of the Myrmelon;
6. Telltale;
7. The Vindicator;
8. Sternutative Sortilege;
9. The Inn of the Seven Blessings.
The tales have a repititive nature, not helped by one recurring character whom I found rather tiresome. But flashes of humour, occasional ribald touches, and somewhat sweet ending provided by the last story made this collection worth reading.
1. Wearaway and Flambeau;
2. Stones and Glass;
3. Avianca's Bezel;
4. Prisoner of Pandarius;
5. Curse of the Myrmelon;
6. Telltale;
7. The Vindicator;
8. Sternutative Sortilege;
9. The Inn of the Seven Blessings.
The tales have a repititive nature, not helped by one recurring character whom I found rather tiresome. But flashes of humour, occasional ribald touches, and somewhat sweet ending provided by the last story made this collection worth reading.
October 4, 2022
Like many others, I first encountered the writing of Matthew Hughes in the pages of F&SF Magazine. I've since read several of his books, including this collection of stories about his thief named Raffalon. This review is for the audiobook edition of this book.
Raffalon did not graduate at the top of his class in his efforts to become a member of the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors. Given the nature of the escapades described in these stories, I suspect he was hurried through the program to prevent any further destruction to the premises where the training took place. The stores follow his career sometime after he has established himself through to a charming end.
These stories do not deal so much with the practice of the techniques for tickling locks or defeating magical wards as they do with the events that transpire when things go off script. Raffalon finds himself in predicaments brought on by his attempts to redistribute items from one place to another without bothering the current owner for permission to do so. Current owners, being what they are, frown upon such doings and take steps to protect their items. These steps often lead Raffalon into unpleasantness from which he must extricate himself. The stories deal with his efforts at removing himself from the consequences of his profession.
One of the hallmarks of a good thief is being able to enter and leave a location without leaving a trace. Unfortunately for Raffalon, his exits are often characterized by some disturbances. Assuming that things like buildings falling down, people being eaten or cities being destroyed qualify as disturbances. If ever you hear the phrase, “Raffalon has left the building!” it is probably too late to start running.
Fortunately for you, the stories can be safely read as we get to witness these events from a safe distance. These stories were a lot of fun to listen to. I suspect the author had a lot of fun writing them. Highly recommended.
Raffalon did not graduate at the top of his class in his efforts to become a member of the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors. Given the nature of the escapades described in these stories, I suspect he was hurried through the program to prevent any further destruction to the premises where the training took place. The stores follow his career sometime after he has established himself through to a charming end.
These stories do not deal so much with the practice of the techniques for tickling locks or defeating magical wards as they do with the events that transpire when things go off script. Raffalon finds himself in predicaments brought on by his attempts to redistribute items from one place to another without bothering the current owner for permission to do so. Current owners, being what they are, frown upon such doings and take steps to protect their items. These steps often lead Raffalon into unpleasantness from which he must extricate himself. The stories deal with his efforts at removing himself from the consequences of his profession.
One of the hallmarks of a good thief is being able to enter and leave a location without leaving a trace. Unfortunately for Raffalon, his exits are often characterized by some disturbances. Assuming that things like buildings falling down, people being eaten or cities being destroyed qualify as disturbances. If ever you hear the phrase, “Raffalon has left the building!” it is probably too late to start running.
Fortunately for you, the stories can be safely read as we get to witness these events from a safe distance. These stories were a lot of fun to listen to. I suspect the author had a lot of fun writing them. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2022
9 tales means 9 times the fun
August 29, 2021
More Vancian-flavored tales from Matthew Hughes. These fun little stories are like candy: you know exactly what you're going to get and you don't mind the empty calories because they're great while you're savoring them, even if shortly afterwards you've mostly forgotten them.
For example, the final story in this collection (also the best, IMHO) is also the final story in the main character's arc and I had already read and enjoyed it in Martin and Dozois' _Rogues_ collection. But I remembered nothing of the story (besides enjoying it), so reading it again was still a pleasure. This collection is great because having all the stories in one volume you see the proper sequence they were intended to be read in.
Recommended if you are at all a Jack Vance fan. Matthew Hughes...keep on truckin'!
For example, the final story in this collection (also the best, IMHO) is also the final story in the main character's arc and I had already read and enjoyed it in Martin and Dozois' _Rogues_ collection. But I remembered nothing of the story (besides enjoying it), so reading it again was still a pleasure. This collection is great because having all the stories in one volume you see the proper sequence they were intended to be read in.
Recommended if you are at all a Jack Vance fan. Matthew Hughes...keep on truckin'!
November 28, 2022
This book took me away from some of my normal magical tales, although there was magic within each story. I immediately felt like I was reading a Charles Dickens type of novel.
At first I found the old world names hard to remember and I had a tough time keeping the wizards and theif characters straight. With each new story (each chapter is a story) I found myself more curious about these characters though. By the final tale, I was fully vested and was sad it was done. Raffalon is kind of hard to care about but by the end I was rooting for him.
I read this with Audible so I have to say that the narration was great at setting the tone of the characters. The very old English accent went far to bring to me the picture of muddy streets filled with beggers, theives and homeless urchins.
Even though the book cover does not beg reading, for me, after finishing this book, it feels just right for the kind of stories "9 Tales of Raffalon" are about.
I think that people who like stories along the lines of A Tale Of Two Cities would find this read very entertaining.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and would be pleased to read another story of Raffalon just to see what he's up to next!
At first I found the old world names hard to remember and I had a tough time keeping the wizards and theif characters straight. With each new story (each chapter is a story) I found myself more curious about these characters though. By the final tale, I was fully vested and was sad it was done. Raffalon is kind of hard to care about but by the end I was rooting for him.
I read this with Audible so I have to say that the narration was great at setting the tone of the characters. The very old English accent went far to bring to me the picture of muddy streets filled with beggers, theives and homeless urchins.
Even though the book cover does not beg reading, for me, after finishing this book, it feels just right for the kind of stories "9 Tales of Raffalon" are about.
I think that people who like stories along the lines of A Tale Of Two Cities would find this read very entertaining.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and would be pleased to read another story of Raffalon just to see what he's up to next!
November 13, 2022
“9 Tales of Raffalon” contains one story commissioned for the volume Rogues, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, seven stories previously published in F&SF and one new to this volume. Matthew Hughes is known for his stories set in Jack Vance’s Dying Earth, and Raffalon is one of its denizens - in his case, a thief and a member in (usually) good standing of the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors. The stories tend to involve Raffalon’s unfortunate encounters with wizards and other unsavory people, and the difficulties involved in successfully stealing items either from or for them; fortunately, Raffalon is uncommonly quick-witted and generally able to escape with his life (if only just). The one new story in this volume is both hilarious and gross, and the others are all old favorites of mine that it was fun to re-visit. Raffalon isn’t my favorite character created by Mr. Hughes (that would be Baldemar the henchman), but he is definitely worth getting to know and this volume collects all of his adventures to date; recommended!
May 31, 2017
This little ebook is (as of this writing) available at the author's website for 99 cents. It is well worth the price of admission. The stories within present a chronology of Raffalon's career as a thief.
"Things did not go according to plan," is a good summary for most of his undertakings. However, Raffalon is nothing if not resourceful, even if only by accident. Try as he might to stay out of the affairs of mages, he seems to unerringly end up caught in the games mages play. Somehow, when the debris settles, or the conflagration is extinguished, Raffalon seems to have come out on the other side more or less unscathed, if not quite as wealthy as he might have hoped.
This collection of tales is a great deal of fun to read. Highly recommended.
"Things did not go according to plan," is a good summary for most of his undertakings. However, Raffalon is nothing if not resourceful, even if only by accident. Try as he might to stay out of the affairs of mages, he seems to unerringly end up caught in the games mages play. Somehow, when the debris settles, or the conflagration is extinguished, Raffalon seems to have come out on the other side more or less unscathed, if not quite as wealthy as he might have hoped.
This collection of tales is a great deal of fun to read. Highly recommended.
August 20, 2018
Riveting, spellbinding, delightful.
Raffalon, whose name gives me a subconscious impression of rascal and vagabond, is a sometimes honourable thief, fully accredited, who often lands on the bad side of luck.
The world he inhabits is beautifully, creatively, descriptively revealed, with colourful and extremely imaginative detail, in every story in this collection.
The author is gifted at using unusual words worth looking up (sternutative comes to mind) and inventing names that are original and just plain fun to read. "Izzizitz's Matchless Latch" and "Azerablaz's Innocuous Gloss"! How satisfying to repeat these out loud, a number of times.
This is one of my favourite books of the year. I will be picking up more of Matthew Hughes's fantasy fiction, easily found on amazon.
Raffalon, whose name gives me a subconscious impression of rascal and vagabond, is a sometimes honourable thief, fully accredited, who often lands on the bad side of luck.
The world he inhabits is beautifully, creatively, descriptively revealed, with colourful and extremely imaginative detail, in every story in this collection.
The author is gifted at using unusual words worth looking up (sternutative comes to mind) and inventing names that are original and just plain fun to read. "Izzizitz's Matchless Latch" and "Azerablaz's Innocuous Gloss"! How satisfying to repeat these out loud, a number of times.
This is one of my favourite books of the year. I will be picking up more of Matthew Hughes's fantasy fiction, easily found on amazon.
March 2, 2019
Matthew Hughes is the primary author I know writing "Vancian" fiction (if you know of any others, leave a comment!) If you've already read the relevant Vance (particularly the four-volume Dying Earth omnibus), and the tribute book "Songs of the Dying Earth", I think Hughes' work is a great place to get your fix.
The main character is Raffalon, who's a thief character. I actually found him more likable than Cugel (the obvious Vance model); Raffalon seems to be maybe a couple steps up the virtue scale?
The Hughes books are all about equally good, and they're basically all an easy four stars.
The main character is Raffalon, who's a thief character. I actually found him more likable than Cugel (the obvious Vance model); Raffalon seems to be maybe a couple steps up the virtue scale?
The Hughes books are all about equally good, and they're basically all an easy four stars.
September 3, 2017
My lands, you haven't read Matthew Hughes yet? His intricately plotted, vivacious and richly imaginative stories have been appearing in F&SF, the Dozois-Martin Rogues and elsewhere for several years. I immediately buy anything in which Hughes appears.
This particular character is a bit more roguish than the others, and his exploits are about as much fun as fantasy can be. He does not always prevail, nor should he. But in at least one case he does get the girl. Don't call that a spoiler!
This particular character is a bit more roguish than the others, and his exploits are about as much fun as fantasy can be. He does not always prevail, nor should he. But in at least one case he does get the girl. Don't call that a spoiler!
April 5, 2018
Raffalon is a guildsman in the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Purloiners and Purveyors, i.e., a thief and Vancian antihero. He really should learn to avoid wizards at all costs, but in the majority of these stories finds himself in predicaments occasioned by wizardly encounters. Some of the stories are very very good, but I found by the end of these stories that I had overdosed on wizards and Dying-Earthesque plot twists. Matthew Hughes is a great author, but I think I would have enjoyed these stories more if I had spread them out by reading other stories or books in between them.
April 15, 2022
I got goosebumps after finishing the last story. To me a sign that five stars is a good choice here.
I am getting more used to seeing the writing of Matthew Hughes as an entity on its own and not a sidekick from Vance's writing although the universe where it plays, is the same. If Cugel had a brother it must have been Raffalon. The style of both shares a same upbringing. But the Raffalon stories have more. There is also some detectiving it it, so a sniff of Miro Hetzel is added and I think he was influenced by some of the Discworld characteristics.
All in all, a very entertaining read.
I am getting more used to seeing the writing of Matthew Hughes as an entity on its own and not a sidekick from Vance's writing although the universe where it plays, is the same. If Cugel had a brother it must have been Raffalon. The style of both shares a same upbringing. But the Raffalon stories have more. There is also some detectiving it it, so a sniff of Miro Hetzel is added and I think he was influenced by some of the Discworld characteristics.
All in all, a very entertaining read.
October 15, 2017
The first thing I did after reading 'The Inn of Seven Blessings' from 'Rogues' anthology was wishing to know more about the character Raffalon. In the About the Author section of 'Rogues', there was nothing to suggest that Hughes has written more about Raffalon. But looking up the author in Goodreads, I was delighted to find about this book. I immediately bought the Kindle version and finished reading them. Especially loved the world and narrative style. I hope to read more from this author.
November 2, 2021
Very enjoyable. As stated, very reminiscent of Jack Vance's Dying Earth stories (also said to be the inspiration for the Dungeons and Dragons magic system). The names, the spells, the magic and the writing itself all carry the same otherworldly feel, and the stories are all enjoyable.
August 24, 2017
Enjoyable!
August 30, 2017
Found the first tale a little complex, but by the second I had got the rhythm of the tale and the rest I simply enjoyed. Entertaining and enjoyable. Well worth reading.
June 1, 2021
Love the Raffalon stories.
September 1, 2018
A really fun read
A fantasy set of stories in a marvellous world, amusing and cynical and fun to read. I laughed a few times and enjoyed all the stories equally. Excellent read for relaxing in the evening.
A fantasy set of stories in a marvellous world, amusing and cynical and fun to read. I laughed a few times and enjoyed all the stories equally. Excellent read for relaxing in the evening.
July 20, 2023
"In a world where capitalism is but a fantasy, wizards, assassins, accountants and other artisans control everything through their guilds. Can a thief and a private detective make a life for themselves despite the roadblocks their guilds place in front of them?"
-or-
"He's a thief with a weakness for wine, women, and song. His partner is a private dick with a not-quite-legal penchant for magic."
Raffalon is a fair-to-passable thief with a tendency to get in over his head--a mash-up of Lupin and Pépé le Moko. Cascor is a private detective who likes to use a little magic which the Wizard's Guild is not too happy about. They make a reluctant, yet effective pair in most of these nine novellas and novelettes.
Seven of the stories appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The seed story is from an anthology and one tale is original to this volume.
Fun and fast reads.
-or-
"He's a thief with a weakness for wine, women, and song. His partner is a private dick with a not-quite-legal penchant for magic."
Raffalon is a fair-to-passable thief with a tendency to get in over his head--a mash-up of Lupin and Pépé le Moko. Cascor is a private detective who likes to use a little magic which the Wizard's Guild is not too happy about. They make a reluctant, yet effective pair in most of these nine novellas and novelettes.
Seven of the stories appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The seed story is from an anthology and one tale is original to this volume.
Fun and fast reads.
November 30, 2017
A delightful treat of fantasy stories
I first read Matthews short story in SF&F and later recalling my delight at the story intended to search for the author's name only to find him again in SF&F years later so I sought out his books. Also delighted to learn that he self publishes and keeps the price modest -- thank you. I'm hooked on the genre and tales and also appreciate the vocabulary building feature -- where to find these words?!
I first read Matthews short story in SF&F and later recalling my delight at the story intended to search for the author's name only to find him again in SF&F years later so I sought out his books. Also delighted to learn that he self publishes and keeps the price modest -- thank you. I'm hooked on the genre and tales and also appreciate the vocabulary building feature -- where to find these words?!
July 19, 2018
Tales you don't want to end.
I first came across this author in SF&F magazine and I loved his stories. Raffalon is the type of character that is flawed yet still very likable. Though part of me is sad to see the storyline end, I am comforted by knowing I can revisit this book as many times as I want.
I first came across this author in SF&F magazine and I loved his stories. Raffalon is the type of character that is flawed yet still very likable. Though part of me is sad to see the storyline end, I am comforted by knowing I can revisit this book as many times as I want.
July 21, 2018
Great fun
I've read Hughes before in fantasy & science fiction magazine and he never disappoints. I love his tongue-in-cheek humor and the way he plays fast and loose with fantasy tropes. This collection is delightful and hilarious.
I've read Hughes before in fantasy & science fiction magazine and he never disappoints. I love his tongue-in-cheek humor and the way he plays fast and loose with fantasy tropes. This collection is delightful and hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews