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5.0étoiles sur 5
Annoying, but great fun nonetheless, Fév 10 2003
For anyone who is a fan of the Vlad Taltos series, there is no need to read this or any other review. The Khaavren Romance, which opens with The Phoenix Guards, present a history of the Dragaeran empire prior to and including Adron's Disaster (which is the subject of the sequel to the Phoenix Guards, Five Hundred Years After), and leads up to the Empire that Vlad inhabits.Those who have not read Vlad Taltos (beginning with "Jhereg") ought to start there, to stoke your interest in the Dragaera universe. Of course, starting here is not a bad idea either, as this is an excellent read. It is at first, however, tedious and annoying, because the narrator is intrusive, verbose, and overly descriptive. The character of the narrator, however, is part of the fun, as the reader will realize after getting through most of the book - and that adds a new dimension of interest to the novel. The storyline is fresh, and while not fast-paced, contains enough intrigue, suspense, and action to keep the reader hooked through all of the narrator's ridiculous verbosities. The dialogue is witty, in its own way, and very enjoyable. You will also build a large and impressive vocabulary, which is always a plus.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Witty, well-written, and impossible to put down., Janv. 18 2003
The Phoenix Guards is a witty, skillfully-written novel chock full of adventure and intrigue. Author Steven Brust is a chameleon when it comes to writing styles, and the style most people compare this novel to is that of the old French romantics, and more specifically, that of Alexandre Dumas. While there are certainly stylistic similarities (Brust himself notes this in the afterword), The Phoenix Guards is not without a distinct style of its own, and this is one of many reasons why this novel is such a great read.The plot is this: Khaavren of the House of Tiassa and three friends travel to Dragaera City to join the Phoenix Guards, an elite squad of highly-skilled guardsmen charged with protecting the Emperor and the interests of the Dragaeran Empire. No sooner have they joined the guard than they find themselves embroiled in a blossoming intrigue; it seems that the artist, Baroness Kathana e'Marish'Chala of Kaluma, has killed the Marquis of Pepperfield for insulting her latest masterpiece, causing the Emperor to order her arrest. Khaavren, meanwhile, has fallen in love with a charming young woman named Illista, who reveals to him that the Baroness is her friend. Khaavren promises to find her and ensure her safety, which raises an interesting conflict because Khaavren, being a Phoenix Guard, has also sworn an oath to obey the Emperor. Thus, Khaavren and his friends set out to find the Baroness without knowing for sure whether they plan to arrest her or protect her. Meanwhile, certain high-ranking members of the Emperor's staff have other plans, and the four friends find themselves ambushed at every turn. One of the reasons I like Steven Brust so much is that he has a flair for writing distinct characters. With some authors, it seems like every character is either a stereotype or a one-dimensional conglomeration of attributes, which results in everyone seeming like the same person. Brust's characters, on the other hand, seem real. Each character has a personality, a way of thinking, a style of speech, and good reasons for all of them. In addition to the solid characters, this novel has a plot that just doesn't stop once it gets going. This was a book I didn't want to put down, and when I finally did have to put it down, I spent most of the time that I wasn't reading it wishing that I was. In short: read it.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
For a certain type of reader..., Déc 17 2002
For me, this book and the sequel, 500 Years After, were a blast. I've long been fond of the Vlad Taltos series for a light evening read, and these did not disappoint as another angle on that world. That said, the appeal will be for a certain type of reader, one who reads fast enough to make the long-winded passages breeze by quickly - quickly enough to enjoy their wit. If you read slowly, and expect to squeeze meat from every juxtaposition of words, these books will drive you nuts. An example: a long passage about the origin of a place name (Bengloarafurd Ford) that, when the layers of different languages are peeled back, translates to something like "ford ford ford ford ford". Read quickly, and the wit comes fast. Read slowly, and it will be like somebody explaining away a joke. Great fun, but not to everyone's taste. Very much to mine.
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