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Phule's Company #3
A Phule and His Money
Captain Willard Phule has whipped his troops into shape. That's how he turned Phule's Company from the laughingstock of the Legion into... a crack team of casino security guards.
Now his company is deployed to help an underdeveloped planet. And what better way to utilize their major area of expertise – goofing off – than to turn it into the biggest intergalactic playground ever?
Now his company is deployed to help an underdeveloped planet. And what better way to utilize their major area of expertise – goofing off – than to turn it into the biggest intergalactic playground ever?
277 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
138 people are currently reading
765 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 89 reviews
July 16, 2021
Notes:
#3 had too much going on to be appreciated. I've come to enjoy the mix of dialogue & active scenes that drive the plot in the series. However, that wasn't as well done in this installment. Too much going on and not enough time spent on them to make them really work within the story world. It made the humor dry as sandpaper and clever sequences come off as cheesy events.
#3 had too much going on to be appreciated. I've come to enjoy the mix of dialogue & active scenes that drive the plot in the series. However, that wasn't as well done in this installment. Too much going on and not enough time spent on them to make them really work within the story world. It made the humor dry as sandpaper and clever sequences come off as cheesy events.
November 29, 2023
This was a weaker entry in the Phules Company books but it was still fun. The first parts were a blast but the last third or so just sorta dragged. Still fun and the characters are always interesting.
Fun light entertainment, but this is not a standalone book, you need to read the others first.
Fun light entertainment, but this is not a standalone book, you need to read the others first.
November 23, 2024
Robert Asprin books must be read for their fun factor and not for well reasoned story telling. For example, in the prior book in this series Captain Phule and company were ordered to guard a casino, resulting in Capt. Phule being taken hostage. In spite of this lesson in personal security this book begins with a suspected spy and possible assassin getting to Phule even though Phule is in the most secure part of a casino surrounded by 100 trained legionnaires.
Every story line is developed until the author gets tired of them and then they are retired in the most convenient way possible. For example (and small SPOILER) a rival casino owner is doing everything in her power to make Phule's life miserable, including siccing the IRS on him. 50 pages later the IRS shows up at the rival casino owner's doorstep conveniently arresting her without any indication that Phule even pointed them at the competitor.
These books also haven't aged well. For example, an obnoxious government guy is described in such a way that the reader is supposed to picture Fidel Castro, but this is never made clear and the further we get from 1991 the less such obscure references will translate. Plus all the discussion of the wonders of capitalism are pretty naive given things like the wealthy funding the supposedly grass-roots Tea Party to reduce their own taxes.
Bottom line: This book was more fun than dumb so I don't regret reading but it was dumb enough that I won't re-read it.
Every story line is developed until the author gets tired of them and then they are retired in the most convenient way possible. For example (and small SPOILER) a rival casino owner is doing everything in her power to make Phule's life miserable, including siccing the IRS on him. 50 pages later the IRS shows up at the rival casino owner's doorstep conveniently arresting her without any indication that Phule even pointed them at the competitor.
These books also haven't aged well. For example, an obnoxious government guy is described in such a way that the reader is supposed to picture Fidel Castro, but this is never made clear and the further we get from 1991 the less such obscure references will translate. Plus all the discussion of the wonders of capitalism are pretty naive given things like the wealthy funding the supposedly grass-roots Tea Party to reduce their own taxes.
Bottom line: This book was more fun than dumb so I don't regret reading but it was dumb enough that I won't re-read it.
April 11, 2015
This book takes up where Phule's Paradise left off. And it hits the ground running with several problems heaped upon Cpt. Jester's head at once. Not only that, but Gen. Blitzkrieg is still trying to destroy him and the company is shipped off to another world with more problems waiting for them.
By this time, most series start to taper off as the author runs out of ideas, but Asprin and Heck seem immune to that problem. The quality and fun are still there and I enjoyed it immensely.
By this time, most series start to taper off as the author runs out of ideas, but Asprin and Heck seem immune to that problem. The quality and fun are still there and I enjoyed it immensely.
December 22, 2021
This schtick got old fast...
March 13, 2020
I read book one and really enjoyed the Phule character and is use of money to fix all problems. Actually the way he used it to circumvent the system that tried to keep a decent man down. I also like how even if the story concludes at the end of the book they don’t just jump to the next adventure without some wrap up of the last book. It’s a welcome change from many books and it is done well here. These stories are just a lot of fun to read with some enjoyable characters.
September 30, 2024
Starting to think this trope is only good for 2 books. how are there 6 of these
Audible narrator was good though
Audible narrator was good though
December 19, 2024
I wouldn’t recommend these books to anyone but I I personally enjoy their strangeness and found family, heartfelt vibes.
August 21, 2020
Bleh. I don't know who these characters are, but they're not Phule's Company. You can definitely tell the co-writer Heck had far too much to do with this. NONE of the established characters sound or act like themselves -- seriously, who the hell is the guy calling himself "Escrima"?? The Escrima of the first two books does not talk like that and does not act like that. And the new character "Rev" is a one-joke piece of cardboard whose joke is old & outdated before he's officially introduced -- hell, the joke was old and outdated decades before the book was published. Seriously, why would any future people care about a dead pop star from a few hundred years ago? Why would anyone take that so-called priest *seriously*?? Both Elvis-mania and Beatle-mania have died down and out as their psychotic fans finally aged & died, and that's just within my lifetime. This book and its sequels prove the hard lesson: SF/F writers should avoid dated references and pop culture references, unless your tale is actually set within said time period.
It's easy to tell Asprin's writing from Heck's. Asprin's humor mostly avoided the unfunny dated BS; his original two Phule books and MythAdventures are still fun reads today. Heck revels in dated unfunny shit, and he ruined the Phule series because of it.
Pass this one up.
It's easy to tell Asprin's writing from Heck's. Asprin's humor mostly avoided the unfunny dated BS; his original two Phule books and MythAdventures are still fun reads today. Heck revels in dated unfunny shit, and he ruined the Phule series because of it.
Pass this one up.
January 24, 2016
I started reading Aspin's fantasy comedy series and was surprised to find he had branched out into SiFi. I wasn't disappointed in the least. Still a laugh all the way through the book no matter what area he writes in. Highly recommended
March 16, 2024
This is the third book in the series and what I wrote in my review of the first book goes for this one as well. The story is absolutely ludicrous but it is a fun read with a good deal of humor, some action and a bit of suspense.
October 29, 2019
Between the publication of Phule's Paradise and A Phule and His Money were apparently 7 years and a brutal bout of writer's block. You can tell, because things have changed.
First, the good. The overly "ethnic" voices for the PoC characters are gone. Sergeant Escrima no longer speaks in broken English. Sushi talks like a regular guy. Chocolate Harry talks exactly like the other bikers we meet. So whatever happened there, whether it was the changing times, time enough for Asprin to change his tune, or a co-writer talking a little sense to him. Who knows? It's a good thing, and good for Asprin.
Next, the bad. The book doesn't quite feel the same. This could be that the books were written 7 years apart, or (far more likely), I read the first two as a pre-critical kid, and this one 27 years later as a hyper-critical adult. I'm a different person now, so no wonder the books feel different.
The structure problems that were evident in the first book are back this time and they brought friends. The first half-and-change of the book is sort of cleaning up after the last one, as the villain from that book unleashes a variety of gambits to bring Phule and his people down. That's more than enough for one book, had it been handled right. The Legion is known for its recruits having checkered pasts. Had each of the major characters gotten one problem, we'd have a whole book. As it is, Phule, CH, and Sushi all have something to deal with, and as is usual for these books, it's resolved pretty easily.
Then we head to a planet to put down a rebellion. It's refreshing that this ends up being a struggle between rival amusement parks, but this is only for two chapters and again, it's resolved without any real cleverness on the part of the protagonists. And then there's a coda chapter in which all the lingering problems magically go away.
That's a huge problem with these books. Lower stakes can be fun, and are often appropriate for comedies, which this allegedly is. The laughs in this installment are few and far between, so that doesn't justify it. The issue is, I never get the impression that anything is really on the line for these characters. Whenever they come up against a jam, Phule's limitless wealth bails everyone out. This book wisely put that into question (in the final 2 chapters, but still), but then threw it out the window. The point is, this needed to be funnier to justify the low stakes.
My rating is taking account my lingering affection for the first two books in the series. I'm beginning to think that *gasp* these were written for the age I was when I read the first two and not the age I am now. So with that in mind, these are good for middle schoolers, as long as you let them know that generous billionaire weapons-manufacturers are a myth.
First, the good. The overly "ethnic" voices for the PoC characters are gone. Sergeant Escrima no longer speaks in broken English. Sushi talks like a regular guy. Chocolate Harry talks exactly like the other bikers we meet. So whatever happened there, whether it was the changing times, time enough for Asprin to change his tune, or a co-writer talking a little sense to him. Who knows? It's a good thing, and good for Asprin.
Next, the bad. The book doesn't quite feel the same. This could be that the books were written 7 years apart, or (far more likely), I read the first two as a pre-critical kid, and this one 27 years later as a hyper-critical adult. I'm a different person now, so no wonder the books feel different.
The structure problems that were evident in the first book are back this time and they brought friends. The first half-and-change of the book is sort of cleaning up after the last one, as the villain from that book unleashes a variety of gambits to bring Phule and his people down. That's more than enough for one book, had it been handled right. The Legion is known for its recruits having checkered pasts. Had each of the major characters gotten one problem, we'd have a whole book. As it is, Phule, CH, and Sushi all have something to deal with, and as is usual for these books, it's resolved pretty easily.
Then we head to a planet to put down a rebellion. It's refreshing that this ends up being a struggle between rival amusement parks, but this is only for two chapters and again, it's resolved without any real cleverness on the part of the protagonists. And then there's a coda chapter in which all the lingering problems magically go away.
That's a huge problem with these books. Lower stakes can be fun, and are often appropriate for comedies, which this allegedly is. The laughs in this installment are few and far between, so that doesn't justify it. The issue is, I never get the impression that anything is really on the line for these characters. Whenever they come up against a jam, Phule's limitless wealth bails everyone out. This book wisely put that into question (in the final 2 chapters, but still), but then threw it out the window. The point is, this needed to be funnier to justify the low stakes.
My rating is taking account my lingering affection for the first two books in the series. I'm beginning to think that *gasp* these were written for the age I was when I read the first two and not the age I am now. So with that in mind, these are good for middle schoolers, as long as you let them know that generous billionaire weapons-manufacturers are a myth.
October 8, 2023
_A Phule and His Money_ by Robert Lynn Aspirin receives three stars from me. While this series continues to enjoy this one had some issues for me.
The reader--Noah Michael Levine--excellent reading. I enjoyed his interpretation of the characters. His narrator voice is masculine and fits this book well. He is recommended.
The book
Ok, so the characters are much the same in this novel so no major changes. What we enjoy about them in the previous novels we still enjoy in this one. Characters seem consistent to me.
What I didn't like. I felt that there were two parts to the novel. Them on the first planet and then reassigned to the next. For me, the book focused on too much on the first planet, so it couldn't develop the second more important story more fully. I found the solution was too easy.
Theme--There was a section where I thought--oh now this is interesting. It seems that the author is going to discuss how tourism isn't the great benefit of the common man that people think it is. I've never gone to a place that "depends on tourism" and found a thriving middle class working in tourism. I've seen low wage jobs being filled by people over worked who have trouble making ends meet. I thought he started going down that path, but he didn't develop it at all. So this seems like I read that into that one scene.
Recommended: yes, I like these books and this one is really ok and good fun.
The reader--Noah Michael Levine--excellent reading. I enjoyed his interpretation of the characters. His narrator voice is masculine and fits this book well. He is recommended.
The book
Ok, so the characters are much the same in this novel so no major changes. What we enjoy about them in the previous novels we still enjoy in this one. Characters seem consistent to me.
What I didn't like. I felt that there were two parts to the novel. Them on the first planet and then reassigned to the next. For me, the book focused on too much on the first planet, so it couldn't develop the second more important story more fully. I found the solution was too easy.
Theme--There was a section where I thought--oh now this is interesting. It seems that the author is going to discuss how tourism isn't the great benefit of the common man that people think it is. I've never gone to a place that "depends on tourism" and found a thriving middle class working in tourism. I've seen low wage jobs being filled by people over worked who have trouble making ends meet. I thought he started going down that path, but he didn't develop it at all. So this seems like I read that into that one scene.
Recommended: yes, I like these books and this one is really ok and good fun.
December 4, 2024
This will be my last Phule as the last one wasn't as engaging and this one was more of the same only not as good in plot. Two plots that are divided in the middle of the book, which were very weak. At least the 2nd book had a stronger plot but it still had the same characters so not as fun. This one had the same characters with a new species added but other than they are much faster, stronger, etc.. and still loose to the working together Phule company. Well it was kind of same as all the ones before so nothing new. I like Phule and company and this was more like 2 novellas put together and not really anything new. The answers are all, "it's fixed by " So fell flat. I almost didn't read through this, I stopped and could have never come back. I did but I won't read on. If you love the characters, this would be great as it is more of the characters and more of the same.
3 stars solid good but not constantly engaging.
May 17, 2024
Robert Asprin's A Phule and His Money was a very fun book. It follows the story of Willard Phule, who is the captain of a group of people in the space legion. It follows their adventures through a variety of different situations. This book is not structured like a typical novel, it instead feels like a collection of short stories with the same characters. Despite this, it was still very enjoyable to read. It was very funny at times, but I often had to look closely to fully enjoy it. I give this 5 stars because it was very enjoyable and lighthearted. I think that most people who want a fun science-fiction type story will enjoy this book.
May 14, 2025
Captain Phule and his Space Legion company are assigned as security to a casino-resort space station, where a crime faction invites various forms of trouble to come to them. Before they get all those problems resolved, they are reassigned as peace-keepers to an underdeveloped planet, where they keep the peace by helping the rebels go into the amusement park business.
The book was fun, but too predictable (especially relative to the earlier books in the series), some problem resolutions felt like they were more forced by the writer than driven by the characters, and the dialogue was uninspired.
The book was fun, but too predictable (especially relative to the earlier books in the series), some problem resolutions felt like they were more forced by the writer than driven by the characters, and the dialogue was uninspired.
January 6, 2025
Book 3 of Phule’s Company. The story deeps as Omega Company gets new recruits and another surprise. Overall a great read and nice to see some of the loose ends of the previous novel addressed and resolved. The story pulls you in and refuses to let go until you finish it. This is the most non military novel about military life you can find. Overall, new faces and old alike you will enjoy the adventures of Captain Willard Phule.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
February 24, 2019
Back to form. The "robot double" part is a little strained, but otherwise is just as fun as the first, with more complex characterization as the series has progressed. The solutions are creative as always, and the new Chaplain with his interestingly deep-pocketed religion adds some great color to it.
March 9, 2022
The Phule series is a bit better written than the Myth books, but still about the same. Sort of a generic comedy, with no real conflicts or consequences, where the good guys always come out ahead and everyone always manages to get along somehow. The characters are stereotypes and a little flat, the plots are very very thin...
But they are fun.
But they are fun.
May 28, 2022
"A Phule and his Money", third in the series, is one book too far for me.
This time Willard Phule/Captain Jester faces multiple problems and solves them all with his usual ease (and money).
It's fast, fun in parts, predictable and instantly forgettable.
I am taking a break, maybe I'll get back to the Phule series some Summer day when I need a light read.
2 Stars.
This time Willard Phule/Captain Jester faces multiple problems and solves them all with his usual ease (and money).
It's fast, fun in parts, predictable and instantly forgettable.
I am taking a break, maybe I'll get back to the Phule series some Summer day when I need a light read.
2 Stars.
August 2, 2017
Strange off beat sci-fi based series about a random company of misfit troops under a cmdr who is one of the richest men in the known galaxy that seem to always come out ahead in their missions to restore order through their basic criminal cons. Great long running joke.
August 12, 2017
Started out mildly amusing, but became increasingly dull. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one was very lackluster. I came very close to giving up on it, and to be honest, I don't think it was worth finishing.
November 29, 2017
Still fun
While not quite as good as previous entries in the series, (I spotted a few errors and the characters and pacing weren't quite in line with the first two book) I still found this an enjoyable read..
While not quite as good as previous entries in the series, (I spotted a few errors and the characters and pacing weren't quite in line with the first two book) I still found this an enjoyable read..
January 17, 2019
This book has two parts. The first half follows the formula of the other books but does not drive it. There is a franticness missing. The second half feels much more like a Phule book with things being handled with extravagance. I have to wonder how a co-author figured into that equation.
May 4, 2020
Not as good as book 2, but not so bad it's just 2 stars. Enjoyable as an extension of book 2, but somehow loses the pacing and enjoyment of quirkiness I got from of book 2. I think it lost tension. Don't think it requires reading prior books in the series to be read.
December 4, 2022
This is the third book in the series, and I liked the first two. However, I think the author ran out of GOOD ideas. This of sort of bumbles along with not too much happening - some amusing happenings but not enough to drive the book forward. Oh well.
December 24, 2022
The first part was boring, the writing style didn’t improve and the silly solutions got on my nerves. The second part had god premises but become building amusement parks. I rated this book because I finished it, but I skipped parts of it so I’m not sure that I will read the next book.
May 14, 2023
Fun but NOT as good as the prior two books. Too much happening and unless you are insane about rollercoasters, probably not as fun as it could have been.
The general is becoming a real pain. I am beginning to wish bad things for his future...
Worth reading, but no rush.
The general is becoming a real pain. I am beginning to wish bad things for his future...
Worth reading, but no rush.
December 17, 2024
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other two. It definitely felt like someone else wrote this one and a lot of the magic captured in the first book was gone. I like Phule and his company and I am willing to try the next book but my expectations are low. 3/5 stars.
July 16, 2025
Phule-ish indeed.
Captain Jester marches again through trials and tribulations from all sides. His solutions are wide ranging and unconventional. The IRS is even stymied for a time. Read this only if you want an entertaining read.
Captain Jester marches again through trials and tribulations from all sides. His solutions are wide ranging and unconventional. The IRS is even stymied for a time. Read this only if you want an entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews