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Myth Adventures #19
Myth-Fortunes
Immortality -- it sounded like a great idea! Aahz falls for the offer of a piece of the rock, literally, when he invests in a scheme to build pyramids. He is so enthusiastic about the concept that he ropes in everyone else he knows to invest -- in tombs lower down than his, of course. But all is not perfect: along with the prospect of being remembered for eternity and the best view in the valley of Zyx comes a run of unbelievable bad luck! It's up to Skeeve to figure out why the deal is running sour even before the ink's dry on the papyrus.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2008
13 people are currently reading
1189 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lynn Asprin
224 books1,067 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 34 reviews
February 19, 2021
Ah, well. I enjoyed the run with the original author, even if it was co-written in the last few books.
I won't say this was the absolute best way to send off the author or the series, but it IS appropriate with the whole Pyramid Pyramid scheme. I can grin at the ideas even if they're really light on the humor. It's an easygoing series. Familiar characters, familiar situations, and very buddy-buddy.
Nostalgia isn't a bad thing, after all.
And here is where I stop the series. It was an okay run.
I won't say this was the absolute best way to send off the author or the series, but it IS appropriate with the whole Pyramid Pyramid scheme. I can grin at the ideas even if they're really light on the humor. It's an easygoing series. Familiar characters, familiar situations, and very buddy-buddy.
Nostalgia isn't a bad thing, after all.
And here is where I stop the series. It was an okay run.
October 13, 2018
This was just a nostalgia read, coming back to a humorous series that I'd last been reading decades ago. It's pretty bad: dumb jokes, too-obvious wordplay, overly sentimental with really unconvincing moralism, strange sexism. But it doesn't aim high, and for all that it is fun in a dumb way. What surprised me was that, although the previous book I'd read was nine books earlier in the series, and written 14 years earlier, the characters don't seem to have grown one bit. I had expected the plot to be the same, but did not expect that the characters and their interrelationships would still be exactly the same. I imagine it takes some effort to put your characters in stasis over such a long period, so the authors should be recognized for that.
August 21, 2009
Ironically, I stopped reading Dave Barry because he was too ephemeral, and moved on to the 19th volume of the (decidedly trivial) Myth Adventures series. But Asprin's dead, so I will probably not read any more. In the afterword, Nye announces her ownership of the series, but I've been on the fence about reading them for a while...
This one was better than some, but didn't even try for 'very good'. They get involved in a literal pyramid scheme, with a curse, and have to sort things out again. The gang all pitches in, but is really just there to add extra dialects. The antagonist is hardly even present.
This one was better than some, but didn't even try for 'very good'. They get involved in a literal pyramid scheme, with a curse, and have to sort things out again. The gang all pitches in, but is really just there to add extra dialects. The antagonist is hardly even present.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2018
This book was okey, not among their best collaborations, but funny at some points and an easy read :) about Egypt and pyramids and curses. Nice things, best part was the dating, that was so hilarious.
December 22, 2016
The gang is back together! That's a sign of hope, isn't it? I mean, the series has continued to spiral down in quality, and I've tried to chalk that up to the dispersal of the corporation and the books focusing on individual characters. Surely Myth-fortunes, the last book Asprin was involved in writing, could bring it back from that decline, right?
The answer is yes, though it's still not up to the level of the earliest books. We're back to a group effort with Skeeve front and center, with no extra chapters told from another character's point of view. This time, the crew is given an assignment in an Egyptian dimension to determine the source of recurring accidents on the build site of a pyramid. Of course, the pyramid is being built by personal funds, with the folks reserving the higher bricks on the pyramid recruiting people to purchase the lower bricks. The more folks one can get in on the lower bricks, the less the higher bricks cost. Yes, this is a pyramid scheme pyramid.
Ba-dum-ksh.
So, the sense of humor is back, but in some places it's strained. The dimension is called Ghord, which is so named to work its way up to a Gordian knot pun, but the walk to get there is so long as to hardly make it worthwhile. Everything about this novel is long, which is one of my complaints about the entire second half of the series. The first books were mostly less than 200 pages, just enough for the plot and some character development and little else. These all hover around 300 pages, and it seems like the stories ramble in more than one place along the way. Strangely, the end of the book rushes in like air filling a vacuum, though that's also a throwback to the original, Asprin-only books.
It's hard to believe there are two books left in this series. Already it feels like the series is straining to maintain its character, and I dread to see what the books will be like without any input from Asprin. We'll see, though, since I'll be reading those, too.
The answer is yes, though it's still not up to the level of the earliest books. We're back to a group effort with Skeeve front and center, with no extra chapters told from another character's point of view. This time, the crew is given an assignment in an Egyptian dimension to determine the source of recurring accidents on the build site of a pyramid. Of course, the pyramid is being built by personal funds, with the folks reserving the higher bricks on the pyramid recruiting people to purchase the lower bricks. The more folks one can get in on the lower bricks, the less the higher bricks cost. Yes, this is a pyramid scheme pyramid.
Ba-dum-ksh.
So, the sense of humor is back, but in some places it's strained. The dimension is called Ghord, which is so named to work its way up to a Gordian knot pun, but the walk to get there is so long as to hardly make it worthwhile. Everything about this novel is long, which is one of my complaints about the entire second half of the series. The first books were mostly less than 200 pages, just enough for the plot and some character development and little else. These all hover around 300 pages, and it seems like the stories ramble in more than one place along the way. Strangely, the end of the book rushes in like air filling a vacuum, though that's also a throwback to the original, Asprin-only books.
It's hard to believe there are two books left in this series. Already it feels like the series is straining to maintain its character, and I dread to see what the books will be like without any input from Asprin. We'll see, though, since I'll be reading those, too.
November 6, 2013
When Bob Asprin returned to writing after a long hiatus in the 90s I don't think he was ever quite able to get back that feel. The gap had been too long and his personal and financial troubles changed his mindset. I was ecstatic when he began to write more Myth novels but they never felt as fun as they'd been before the hiatus.
Myth-Fortunes is certainly an improvement on books like Myth-Ion Improbable but the puns seem very forced even now (and some of them are hard enough to work out without an American drawl, let alone lack of context).
I enjoyed the Egyptian flavoured context for the setting and the whole "pyramid scheme" plot, though sad that Phil Foglio wasn't illustrating again.
Fun but not great.
Myth-Fortunes is certainly an improvement on books like Myth-Ion Improbable but the puns seem very forced even now (and some of them are hard enough to work out without an American drawl, let alone lack of context).
I enjoyed the Egyptian flavoured context for the setting and the whole "pyramid scheme" plot, though sad that Phil Foglio wasn't illustrating again.
Fun but not great.
December 9, 2015
Although this was an improvement on earlier books in the series, it is still not a patch on the originals. Sadly this was the final book written before Robert Asprin's untimely passing. Even though it was co-written with Jody Lynn Nye, will she be able to continue the series on her own, or is it a case that it is time for the series to have a well earned rest? Personally for me I think it is time to call it a day, before I become too disillusioned with it all.
October 24, 2013
It's good to have Skeeve and Aahz back together again. This time they're involved in a real pyramid scheme with sly winks at the texting phenomenon (sending glyphs, of all things). The MYTH gang is all together and dealing with a cursed building site with the usual (and unusual) complications. This one is good fun with good pacing.
August 13, 2014
Almost, but not quite the same. This was the first 'post Asprin' book in the series - which itself had already suffered from years of Asprin's writing block/financial woes/rights issues. It is solid, and more of the same, but it feels like Nye hasn't given herself permission to own the characters yet. They feel as if they are slightly puppetized, frozen in time.
March 7, 2021
"Is this the end?"
F. Buehler
F. Buehler
June 13, 2023
Received it and books 20 & 21 as a gift 6 years ago. Since then I've /tried/ to read it twice, but I kept getting bored and giving up.
I'm in a mental slump this week, so I finally sat down to read it... and although I enjoyed the relationships, the plot just felt boring. Footnotes pointing out references to past books in the series was funny at first, then "oh right", and then annoying :(
I loved the original series, so I'm sad that I didn't enjoy this one more. Will give book 20 a brief try, and then donate the lot if the plot doesn't improve.
I'm in a mental slump this week, so I finally sat down to read it... and although I enjoyed the relationships, the plot just felt boring. Footnotes pointing out references to past books in the series was funny at first, then "oh right", and then annoying :(
I loved the original series, so I'm sad that I didn't enjoy this one more. Will give book 20 a brief try, and then donate the lot if the plot doesn't improve.
June 7, 2024
Asprin's last book... sigh. It's not as good as the early ones, that's been clear for a while. Nice to see Skeeve moving on a bit and growing up a bit. It just doesn't have the fun panic stuff that the previous books had. There is a sense that this is the characters playing at adventures, not being forced to by circumstances.
I'm planning to go back and look at Thieve's world next...
I'm planning to go back and look at Thieve's world next...
January 16, 2018
The stories aren't as good, the longer this series continues. That said, this one was fun enough.
January 1, 2019
Same as the other myth books
May 12, 2019
This series has remained consistently good, not great and not terrible. The final dedication to Robert Asprin is also heart warming.
January 12, 2023
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not complete it
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not complete it
August 5, 2025
The biggest thing is that’s it’s rather boring
September 5, 2023
Ugh.
Things Skeeve Doesn’t Know:
Bulldog
Pyramids
Scale model
Hobbits
Sheep
Random things that annoyed me:
Skeeve “makes a mental note” to add a the charge of one silver piece to the bill for the guy he’s working for. Cmon dude. You’re rich enough already. Don’t be a dick about it.
Aahz curses and “Pervect cursing crested its own miasma” and all the plants in the room die. Really? Since fucking when?
Why is Tananda wearing a green shirt? She has green skin. That’d look stupid. Did they forget they made her green in their retconning/lazy writing?
Skeeve isn’t even doing spells now. They just have him doing things “with magic.”
“I had resisted the impulse to wear my favorite shoes, the ones with the toes that curled over twice before culminating in tiny bells.” Why are you not wearing the cool shoes? Why are you going on a date in khakis? Why are you curbing your natural impulses? I bet those shoes make you happy when you wear them. Fucking wear what makes you happy. Yes I’m projecting.
Skeeve takes Tananda out on a practice date but doesn’t think to tell her she’s his practice girl, which gets a little awkward. He gets her a corsage. Is that still a thing? It’s kind of adorable. I really want to hate him but this whole “they were my mom’s favorite flowers and she had them growing outside our farmhouse growing up” tidbit is just too cute. Damn him.
I hate that they have computers.
Is Bunny over Skeeve? She’s giving him dating tips. He keeps citing being too busy as a reason for being a dateless virgin. He works like one month out of the year. Doesn’t he get horny? Like wtf.
Gus isn’t acting at all like Gus. I hate the way Nye fucks with the characters. Why is Gus suddenly acting like a fuckboi? “Who’s yer daddy?” Seriously?
Doctor Webb, MD, who dispatches free medical advice. Stop it. Just stop it.
Chumley’s character is off, too.
The way these characters fawn over Skeeve is ridiculous. He gets into a little accident and Tananda and bunny are literally holding his hands and sobbing?
Skeeve overhears a conversation about Aahz fucking his secretary in the broom closet. Of course Skeeve blushes. Why is he such a fucking prude? At least it ends with him going on a date. Shit, at least it ends.
The afterword by Nye says that when Asprin died his publisher was just about to offer him “new lucrative contracts” for more Myth books. How lucky for her that they let her take over said contract to mangle his characters. I’m calling this great re-read challenge done bc I’m not subjecting myself to more badly written fan fiction.
Things Skeeve Doesn’t Know:
Bulldog
Pyramids
Scale model
Hobbits
Sheep
Random things that annoyed me:
Skeeve “makes a mental note” to add a the charge of one silver piece to the bill for the guy he’s working for. Cmon dude. You’re rich enough already. Don’t be a dick about it.
Aahz curses and “Pervect cursing crested its own miasma” and all the plants in the room die. Really? Since fucking when?
Why is Tananda wearing a green shirt? She has green skin. That’d look stupid. Did they forget they made her green in their retconning/lazy writing?
Skeeve isn’t even doing spells now. They just have him doing things “with magic.”
“I had resisted the impulse to wear my favorite shoes, the ones with the toes that curled over twice before culminating in tiny bells.” Why are you not wearing the cool shoes? Why are you going on a date in khakis? Why are you curbing your natural impulses? I bet those shoes make you happy when you wear them. Fucking wear what makes you happy. Yes I’m projecting.
Skeeve takes Tananda out on a practice date but doesn’t think to tell her she’s his practice girl, which gets a little awkward. He gets her a corsage. Is that still a thing? It’s kind of adorable. I really want to hate him but this whole “they were my mom’s favorite flowers and she had them growing outside our farmhouse growing up” tidbit is just too cute. Damn him.
I hate that they have computers.
Is Bunny over Skeeve? She’s giving him dating tips. He keeps citing being too busy as a reason for being a dateless virgin. He works like one month out of the year. Doesn’t he get horny? Like wtf.
Gus isn’t acting at all like Gus. I hate the way Nye fucks with the characters. Why is Gus suddenly acting like a fuckboi? “Who’s yer daddy?” Seriously?
Doctor Webb, MD, who dispatches free medical advice. Stop it. Just stop it.
Chumley’s character is off, too.
The way these characters fawn over Skeeve is ridiculous. He gets into a little accident and Tananda and bunny are literally holding his hands and sobbing?
Skeeve overhears a conversation about Aahz fucking his secretary in the broom closet. Of course Skeeve blushes. Why is he such a fucking prude? At least it ends with him going on a date. Shit, at least it ends.
The afterword by Nye says that when Asprin died his publisher was just about to offer him “new lucrative contracts” for more Myth books. How lucky for her that they let her take over said contract to mangle his characters. I’m calling this great re-read challenge done bc I’m not subjecting myself to more badly written fan fiction.
December 17, 2016
Yay, these are getting better.
This one was a heavy satire of pyramid schemes, in this case a literal pyramid scheme where Aahz is convinced to buy piece of the pyramid and in turn convince his friends and acquaintances to buy in as well, all in the name of profit.
Meanwhile, Skeeve is trying to figure out how to go on a successful date. A bit awkwardly and ineptly, but his friends try to help.
Overall, good story. I'd recommend it to folks who like puns, magic and scheming. It's a light read, not too serious.
I received this as a gift.
This one was a heavy satire of pyramid schemes, in this case a literal pyramid scheme where Aahz is convinced to buy piece of the pyramid and in turn convince his friends and acquaintances to buy in as well, all in the name of profit.
Meanwhile, Skeeve is trying to figure out how to go on a successful date. A bit awkwardly and ineptly, but his friends try to help.
Overall, good story. I'd recommend it to folks who like puns, magic and scheming. It's a light read, not too serious.
I received this as a gift.
December 29, 2008
Wonderfully funny series. The books are always packed with all sorts of pop culture references, a lot of which I'm sure I missed.
Skeeve and Aahz get involved in a pyramid scheme, a big pyramid with blocks sold to beings as a final resting place when the time comes. Each level up is higher priced and Aahz wants the point, the highest priced. Notoriously tight with a gold coin, the way he reduces his cost is bringing in more customers for the lower levels, getting a discount for each sale.
Skeeve and Aahz get involved in a pyramid scheme, a big pyramid with blocks sold to beings as a final resting place when the time comes. Each level up is higher priced and Aahz wants the point, the highest priced. Notoriously tight with a gold coin, the way he reduces his cost is bringing in more customers for the lower levels, getting a discount for each sale.
March 22, 2009
From the fallout of "Myth-Chief", the Myth INC crew have landed in their new adventure with their new staff alignment. It's all about tombs and an Imp is ready to draw Aahz in for all it may be worth! Is there something wrong with Aahz?! Faster than you can say "oh-no!", the crew lands in a pyramid scheme to top all pyramid schemes! This is the last Myth book before Asprin died and it goes out with a bang...from now on, it'll be Nye's show.
June 10, 2014
Nu tā, Mītu sērija ir veiksmīgi piebeigta. Beigas bija diezgan nekādas, tomēr tas nemazina manu sajūsmu par sēriju kopumā, tās brīnišķīgo pasauli un humora izjūtu.
Par šīs sērijas vienīgo mīnusu var nosaukt to, ka apstāties būtu vajadzējis jau pirms dažām grāmatām, bet nevarētu apgalvot, ka pēdējās grāmatas man pagalam riebās. Bija patīkami pakavēt laiku kopā ar Skīvu un viņa draugiem un apceļot mītu iedvesmotās dimensijas.
Par šīs sērijas vienīgo mīnusu var nosaukt to, ka apstāties būtu vajadzējis jau pirms dažām grāmatām, bet nevarētu apgalvot, ka pēdējās grāmatas man pagalam riebās. Bija patīkami pakavēt laiku kopā ar Skīvu un viņa draugiem un apceļot mītu iedvesmotās dimensijas.
July 4, 2011
For a while the Myth series had produced some mediocre books. This time, the gang is back together with a refreshing blend of comedy, magic, and originality. There are so many puns involving pyramid schemes that one has to chuckle at them. The blending of ancient history, magic, and extra dimensions makes this one of the best books in the myth series.
April 26, 2014
A solid adventure in the world of Skeeve and Aaz. It's actually not one of my favorites. I felt like I wasn't seeing enough of everyone else but it was strong in many areas.
I read the afterward and learned that Robert Aspirin died in 2008. Sad to hear that. I was a big fan of the Myth series as well as the Phule one.
I read the afterward and learned that Robert Aspirin died in 2008. Sad to hear that. I was a big fan of the Myth series as well as the Phule one.
May 2, 2009
Very readable. Funny and warm. I have read Asprin's books with my kids since they were little. We still all enjoy them as adults. Nye seems capable of keeping the franchise alive for that kind of audience. Which is good.
September 3, 2011
OK enough, but there were some disconnected parts which jarred: Skeeve and the secretary shifted stories in particular. The puns seemed much more forced, but it’s still an improvement over the last couple of Myth books.
July 19, 2013
Skeeve and Aahz involved in a cursed but literal pyramid scheme. I have read and loved the Myth series for years and this comes close to but does not quite meet the expectations set in Aspirin's original books.
October 1, 2009
The last Myth book finished just before Robert Asprin's untimley passing. We will miss him. This was a great way to go out.
April 7, 2010
This was about as high a three as I could give it before it became a four. I just didn't think I could go there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews