Class Dis-Mythed [Mass Market Paperback]

Returning to the setting of Robert Asprin's MYTH stories is usually a welcome turn. However, the last few books in MYTH and his other series, Phule's Company, have been lacking the former magic that made them so fun to read. Maybe it's the co-authors but I'm gearing towards it's probably just me outgrowing the series. They are becoming more Piers Anthony Xanth-like in which they are too formulaic. None-the-less, I actually liked this offering much more than other recent additions.

Short version, Skeeve takes on six apprentices at one time when they are pawned off on him by his friends. He must teach them some practical magik, how to be quick thinkers, and look for alternate routes around problems as well as how to make friends and delegate duties. After graduation, the six apprentices turn up on a game show which is why they were in training to begin with (unbeknownst to Skeeve). It's highly predictable but I enjoyed it anyway and it's much better than the last few I've read.

Why would three young Pervects approach Aahz in a pub and demand to talk to him? As we all know (from reading the Myth series, of course), there is nothing more frightening in the known universes than female Pervects! In this case, the trio wear matching pastel power suits and have just graduated from the Magikal Institute of Perv and approached Aahv in the Bazaar in Deveel to ask for his help. They were sent to Aahz by Aahz's mother who instructed them to use Aahz to get Skeeve to train them in practical magic. Skeeve, of course, being the Great Skeeve - the most well-known and amazing sorcerer known in all the dimensions of all the known universes.

If you are familiar with this series of books by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye, then the above paragraph made sense to you and reminded you of several books you read previously. If not, then I suggest you go and put this book down for later reading and get some of the earlier books in the series and start there. Not that this book cannot be read alone - it can; it's just that many of the jokes and references to earlier events make a lot more sense - and reading the book is a lot more fun - if you have that background.

In this book, Skeeve ends up as a teacher of practical magic. However, his class grows from the three female Pervects presented in the first paragraph and pictured on the cover of the book, to six total students who come from various worlds and dimensions. Most of the storyline is of how Skeeve figures out how to become a teacher and how to mold the individual students in to a team. However, it pretty quickly becomes apparent that there is another storyline hidden here. Strange events start taking place and odd occurrences filter into the story that make you start sniffing out a different storyline. Ultimately all is resolved satisfactorily and we see how everything fit together.

In the classic sense of this whole series, this book is a fun read and several times I was laughing out loud at some of the situations and escapades described. There is humor here on all levels: from the low humor of a being who hurls lightning bolts out of his nether regions, to the subtle humor being poked at the craziness and stupidity of the various game shows that populate television. There are themes of growth and learning and the advantages of teambuilding presented here as well, all wrapped in the zany adventures of various beings. As I mentioned earlier, many of the characters and situations that were discussed in previous books are presented here and although none of the major story lines were advanced as far as the series goes, the overall presentation is fun to read and I highly enjoyed this book. It is unfortunate that Robert Asprin has passed away and therefore we will read no more of the fun adventures of Skeeve, Aahz and the rest of the Myth characters.

I wasn't really happy with some of the recent Myth books, the one told in a different voice, featuring/written by some of the lesser Skeeve/Aahz followers. They were OK, but they just didn't have the old magic of the earlier books of the series. This one does, it follows perfectly in the footsteps of the first 6 or so books in the series. The only sad note is that there is so little Aahz.

This book has the Great Skeeve being roped into taking on a group of three Perverts...err Pervects as students. Once the word gets out, he gets more "interesting" students foisted upon him by some friend or acquaintance.

Hilarious at times, with some interesting puzzles and tricks being pulled by both the students and the teacher. Of course, nearly every series regular makes at least a brief cameo appearance.

Class Dis-Mythed has been released with at least two covers I know of, be sure you're not buying another copy of a title you already own.

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