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197th out of 835 books
—
1,184 voters
The Phoenix Guards (The Khaavren Romances #1)
by
Steven Brust (Goodreads Author)
A thousand years before the birth of Vlad Taltos, the Dragaeran Empire is a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, and intrigue. For those who would be heroes, it is a delightful time to be alive--and an easy place to die.
Khaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and "tolerably well acquainted with its...more
Khaavren of the House of Tiassa is a son of landless nobility, possessor of a good sword and "tolerably well acquainted with its...more
Paperback, 491 pages
Published
June 15th 1992
by Tor Books
(first published 1991)
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Apr 11, 2013
Carol
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of epic fantasy, comrades-in-arms
Recommended to Carol by:
me. Good job, me!
Swashbuckling adventure! Sinister plots against the Empire! Will good friends, honor and friendliness prevail?
In all reviewer honesty, I've had this book for a number of years now (fine; since I bought the paperback release in 1992. Yes, Grasshopper, I'm that old) and have re-read it more than a few times since. I'm re-reading it now with Fantasy Aficionados, so it's time to trumpet its virtues.
Apparently in the style of The Three Musketeers (which I have not read), Brust goes one better by sett...more
In all reviewer honesty, I've had this book for a number of years now (fine; since I bought the paperback release in 1992. Yes, Grasshopper, I'm that old) and have re-read it more than a few times since. I'm re-reading it now with Fantasy Aficionados, so it's time to trumpet its virtues.
Apparently in the style of The Three Musketeers (which I have not read), Brust goes one better by sett...more
Well, that was good stuff.
Steven Brust's extremely specific ode to The Three Musketeers dances very close to the line of taking its gimmick too far many times, but never quite crosses it. What we get, therefore, is an extremely fun, in which the characters are familiar and likable, but not straight-up derivative, and in which the flowery language and verbose descriptions help to set the scene at the beginning of many chapters, but thankfully peter off soon after, letting the reader enjoy the eve...more
Steven Brust's extremely specific ode to The Three Musketeers dances very close to the line of taking its gimmick too far many times, but never quite crosses it. What we get, therefore, is an extremely fun, in which the characters are familiar and likable, but not straight-up derivative, and in which the flowery language and verbose descriptions help to set the scene at the beginning of many chapters, but thankfully peter off soon after, letting the reader enjoy the eve...more
5 likes · like · see review
Join the Guard! Make new friends! Stumble on to Political Schemes! Have your life threatened! Find love! Experience Betrayal! All while experiencing the roundabout, verbose, inventive prose!
This book is a treat to anyone with a language fetish. Brust was bemoaning the fact that there were no authors in modern times who wrote as Dumas did. And so, he decided to write a version of the Three Musketeers in the style of Dumas, but in his own world of Dragera. This is a fun adventure involving swords,...more
This book is a treat to anyone with a language fetish. Brust was bemoaning the fact that there were no authors in modern times who wrote as Dumas did. And so, he decided to write a version of the Three Musketeers in the style of Dumas, but in his own world of Dragera. This is a fun adventure involving swords,...more
The first time I read this book, I hated it. I couldn't get past the style.
Then a friend pointed out that the florid, long-winded, purple style was part of the joke. I reread it with that in mind and quite enjoyed it!
It's a delightful comedy of manners, politics, intrigue, and honor in the world of Jhereg, set hundreds of years before Vlad Taltos comes on the scene. I doubt it would work for people coming to that world cold: not that you need to know any specific information from those books, b...more
Then a friend pointed out that the florid, long-winded, purple style was part of the joke. I reread it with that in mind and quite enjoyed it!
It's a delightful comedy of manners, politics, intrigue, and honor in the world of Jhereg, set hundreds of years before Vlad Taltos comes on the scene. I doubt it would work for people coming to that world cold: not that you need to know any specific information from those books, b...more
Thus far, I am enjoying the writing style. Certainly those familiar with Alexandre Dumas will appreciate the heroics, downright haughtiness of some characters, and the way Brust plays with words like a mad scientist. If the tales of the Musketeers were placed in a high fantasy setting (not that their actions and renown don't do that themselves), the result would be The Phoenix Guards.
Yet, as I've been reading and discussing this books (in fact, the entire series of which this is but one part), I...more
Yet, as I've been reading and discussing this books (in fact, the entire series of which this is but one part), I...more
Well, it is amazing.
Some years back, I came into possession, quite by accident, of The Paths of the Dead. I'm still somewhat confused (but not seeking any answer) about how that book falls in with this specific series. I know it's included, always, as a "part" of The Viscount of Adrilankha. But, in all areas, I have deduced that this book is the first in the series, and since that's what I've just read, I shall endeavor to stick to this.
It's been years since I've read Dumas, and I've never read...more
Some years back, I came into possession, quite by accident, of The Paths of the Dead. I'm still somewhat confused (but not seeking any answer) about how that book falls in with this specific series. I know it's included, always, as a "part" of The Viscount of Adrilankha. But, in all areas, I have deduced that this book is the first in the series, and since that's what I've just read, I shall endeavor to stick to this.
It's been years since I've read Dumas, and I've never read...more
This swashbuckling fantasy is a delightful pastiche of The Three Musketeers, a loving tribute to Dumas' era of romance. Brust succeeds, amazingly, in capturing the atmosphere, the Dumas style, and the four characters in thinly disguised form (Porthos is a female!); but far more admirable, he manages to contrive a convoluted, original plot that reveals itself in tantalizing fits and starts which would make the master proud. At the same time, his detailed world and the mannerisms of the characters...more
I think I read this book for the first time right after I finished Advanced Individual Training and had started working in my old Army unit, Bravo Company, 63rd Signal Battalion, Fort Gordon, Georgia. This would put it about July or August of 1992. Brust has long been a favorite author of mine, at first recommended to me because people compared him to Roger Zelazny. I have since read this book at least four or five more times.
The characters are fairly standard fantasy fare, but Brust's storytell...more
The characters are fairly standard fantasy fare, but Brust's storytell...more
UGH. This book does not deserve any stars. I devoutly hope that his writing improved *GREATLY* after this story considering how many books he has published. I didn't get past the first few chapters. Not only was the writing stilted and flat, it was like reading a gaming session and a bad one at that. The MC arrives in town, goes to a bar. Forms an immediate connection with two other people after exchanging a sentence or two of conversation. At the end of the last chapter I read, they head off in...more
“The Phoenix Guards” (Orb, $14.95, 330 pages) is at the other end of the fantasy spectrum from the bloody works that dominate shelves today, as it is light, basically blood-free and focuses on fun rather than dismal visions of the future. This is also the first of Steven Brust’s five-volume Khaavren Romances, which have a direct stylistic connection to Alexander Dumas, who was paid by the word and thus extended conversations, which Brust does in a relatively amusing manner. (I try to stick to r...more
As far as I am concerned this is the best Steven Brust's book I have read so far, ever. I like his Vlad Taltos' books well enough, but since I never quite warmed up to Vlad himself, I could not enjoy the books as much as I would have liked to. This one however? OMG, I so love. Of course Three Musketeers is the book I have read and reread no less than 30 times over the course of fifteen twenty years. I first read it when I was very young, hehe.
And this one is the best remake of Three musketeers....more
And this one is the best remake of Three musketeers....more
I absolutely love Brust's Khaavren Romances.
This and "Five Hundred Years After" rate among my most favorite books. Brust's love letter to Dumas is unceasingly charming, hilarious and exciting. The language here is fabulously turgid, an intentional send-up of "paid by the word" authors.
Yes, it is a complete lift of "The 3 Musketeers" but so what? I think these stories improve on the formula of the original. Athos, Porthos and Aramis would happily throw down and duel with anyone who besmirched the...more
This and "Five Hundred Years After" rate among my most favorite books. Brust's love letter to Dumas is unceasingly charming, hilarious and exciting. The language here is fabulously turgid, an intentional send-up of "paid by the word" authors.
Yes, it is a complete lift of "The 3 Musketeers" but so what? I think these stories improve on the formula of the original. Athos, Porthos and Aramis would happily throw down and duel with anyone who besmirched the...more
Dang it, I still love this stupid book. I read a hojillion times as a little girl (it was my go-to fat book), and in the process of trying to cull my books, I read it again just recently. I have to keep it. It's just a goofy little swashbuckling doo-hickey, but it's mine and you can't take it from me, so there.
I did also reread the first (and second?) book(s?) in the Vlad Taltos series and I now know that for most of this book, you are supposed to be nodding your head knowingly, but I think it s...more
I did also reread the first (and second?) book(s?) in the Vlad Taltos series and I now know that for most of this book, you are supposed to be nodding your head knowingly, but I think it s...more
Brust nails it with this Dumas pastiche. Goddamn he does voice well.
The story is set in Dragaera, 1000 years before the Vlad novels. It's told us by Paarfi of Roundwood, a dry and pompous historian who wouldn't know brevity if it shot him in the face with a flashstone. Took me a couple chapters to get into it, but it's a lot of fun, and the style leaves plenty of room for Brust's deadpan humor.
The story is what you'd expect. Swashes are buckled, ladies are wooed, intrigues are foiled. Ambuscades...more
The story is set in Dragaera, 1000 years before the Vlad novels. It's told us by Paarfi of Roundwood, a dry and pompous historian who wouldn't know brevity if it shot him in the face with a flashstone. Took me a couple chapters to get into it, but it's a lot of fun, and the style leaves plenty of room for Brust's deadpan humor.
The story is what you'd expect. Swashes are buckled, ladies are wooed, intrigues are foiled. Ambuscades...more
Well, well, well, let's see here. Fantasy author creates long-winded historian character who writes a historical romance within said fantasy author's established world much in the style of our own world's classical historical romances and yet, somehow, the whole thing is enjoyable.
There are some rather fun moments in this book, but one does have to put up with quite a bit of redundant dialog, as well as characters who (in the idealized view of the fictional historian author) act in often unreali...more
There are some rather fun moments in this book, but one does have to put up with quite a bit of redundant dialog, as well as characters who (in the idealized view of the fictional historian author) act in often unreali...more
While I am a fan of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series, I wasn't as happy with this book.
"Why is that?"
I will tell you.
"I hope you do."
I certainly will.
"Then please continue."
Thank you, I will.
"You are welcome."
So it is this, then... Steven Brust wrote this in hopes of creating something of his own in a style similar to that of Alexandre Dumas ("The Three Musketeers", "Count of Monte Cristo"). And he did a good job at that. But the book comes off as unnecessarily wordy, with lots of annoying int...more
"Why is that?"
I will tell you.
"I hope you do."
I certainly will.
"Then please continue."
Thank you, I will.
"You are welcome."
So it is this, then... Steven Brust wrote this in hopes of creating something of his own in a style similar to that of Alexandre Dumas ("The Three Musketeers", "Count of Monte Cristo"). And he did a good job at that. But the book comes off as unnecessarily wordy, with lots of annoying int...more
Dans ce roman, on suit les aventures de Khaavren et de ses potes rencontrés dans une auberge, qui souhaitent se mettre au service de l'Empire et se couvrir de gloire (mais pas forcément dans cet ordre).
Si la mise au service de l'Empire arrive assez rapidement (engagez-vous, rengagez-vous qu'ils disaient, la partie "se couvrir de gloire" est atteinte plus difficilement. C'est d'ailleurs, en fait, le thème principal de ce roman : comment se couvrir de gloire lors d'une époque politiquement trouble...more
Si la mise au service de l'Empire arrive assez rapidement (engagez-vous, rengagez-vous qu'ils disaient, la partie "se couvrir de gloire" est atteinte plus difficilement. C'est d'ailleurs, en fait, le thème principal de ce roman : comment se couvrir de gloire lors d'une époque politiquement trouble...more
It was more that this book just wasn't for me rather than it being bad. I just could not get over the writing style, to the point where I thought it must be perhaps a translation, and looked the author up. I was happy to find this isn't his regular style and he is merely adopting the style of Dumas. The second thing I disliked was the idiot dueling. Hard for me to identify with characters who would kill for honor. Again, this pathetic tendency towards duels is reminiscent of D'artagnan. I didn't...more
This homage to Dumas was an absolute joy to read. The "author," Paarfi of Roundwood, narrates events with a pedantic insistence. His longwinded style does not slow the pacing of the work, oddly enough. The tales of chivalry and courtly behavior, intrigue and romance, that form the basis for this great story leap off the page. You'll be quoting from this book for some time to come.
"Well, you perceive how, in practicing, he strikes only at the air."
"That is not unusual, when preparing for a conte...more
"Well, you perceive how, in practicing, he strikes only at the air."
"That is not unusual, when preparing for a conte...more
Hoo boy.
This is my first Brust novel and first in the Drageara world he created. Reading some of the other reviews, I gathered that this might not have been the best place to start, but I still enjoyed the book.
Well, mostly. The style that he uses threw me off at first. I got very frustrated, wishing that the characters would just "get to the point already." I got used to it after a time, though, even started to enjoy it. Again, reading the other reviews, I can see how it was meant to be a joke...more
This is my first Brust novel and first in the Drageara world he created. Reading some of the other reviews, I gathered that this might not have been the best place to start, but I still enjoyed the book.
Well, mostly. The style that he uses threw me off at first. I got very frustrated, wishing that the characters would just "get to the point already." I got used to it after a time, though, even started to enjoy it. Again, reading the other reviews, I can see how it was meant to be a joke...more
Sort of a spin-off from the Taltos series; describes one of the key events in his world. Unfettered by the need to keep continuity with Vlad's life, Brust's plotting really shines. This book is notable for its unique narrative style which I gather is based on the Three Musketeers series.
This books spawned several sequels along the lines of "this is what happened to those characters next"; each of them was a little less interesting than the previous. I wish Brust would quit doing that and just ch...more
This books spawned several sequels along the lines of "this is what happened to those characters next"; each of them was a little less interesting than the previous. I wish Brust would quit doing that and just ch...more
If you love the Dragaera books/Vlad Taltos books, and especially if you haven't read "Tiassa" yet, you should definitely pick up the Khaavren Romances (a few of the characters from this series show up in that one). Also, numerous references are made to events that take place in this series, as well as characters who come up here. We finally learn about Aliera's backstory, the story behind Adron's disaster, the Empress' backstory, Morrolan's backstory, Morrolan's castle's backstory and really not...more
Review, The Phoenix Guards
In which it is shown that Meredith apparently does not understand whatever it was Burst was trying to do.
"While we are not familiar with this concept of truth as you may know it, it appears you have some opinion on the matter. Come now, tell us what this truth is."
"You are asking me what I thought of The Phoenix Guards. While I fear this endeavor is beyond my meager capabilities I will indeed make this attempt on your behalf."
"Well, you may tell us. You have said tha...more
In which it is shown that Meredith apparently does not understand whatever it was Burst was trying to do.
"While we are not familiar with this concept of truth as you may know it, it appears you have some opinion on the matter. Come now, tell us what this truth is."
"You are asking me what I thought of The Phoenix Guards. While I fear this endeavor is beyond my meager capabilities I will indeed make this attempt on your behalf."
"Well, you may tell us. You have said tha...more
You could call this book The Three Musketeers with magic, with a narrator who manages to be simultaneously more overblown than Dumas or Dickens and more to the point. You should know within the first chapter whether the narrative voice makes you laugh or cringe. (I laughed.) If you like the narrator, the historian Paarfi of Roundwood, and you like duels, clever escapes, witty repartee, and a novel that is willing to let characters be larger than life, you'll like the book.
It's worth noting that,...more
It's worth noting that,...more
Steven Brust's The Phoenix Guards is a beautifully, wonderfully written mash-up between Brust's own Dragarea books and the florid writing style of Dumas' The Three Musketeers.
Set approximately 1,000 years before the Vlad Taltos books, the story follows a young Tiassa named Khaavren and his friends as they seek fame and fortune by joining the Imperial Phoenix Guards. From there, they become involved in intrigue, plotting, and oh so many duels and fracas.
When I first read the book, when it was ne...more
Set approximately 1,000 years before the Vlad Taltos books, the story follows a young Tiassa named Khaavren and his friends as they seek fame and fortune by joining the Imperial Phoenix Guards. From there, they become involved in intrigue, plotting, and oh so many duels and fracas.
When I first read the book, when it was ne...more
This was my first Steven Brust book, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The overly verbose (though entirely appropriate) language took a bit to get into, but once I did, I was happy to remain there. The humor is dead pan, the language is intelligent, the characters are wonderfully drawn, and the plot is paced nicely. I wasn't tense at any point with worry over a character, but neither was I apathetic: if I put the book down, I didn't have to convince myself to go back to it.
I tried to read this book because I love the Vlad Taltos series by this author, but I just could not get through it. He changed his writing style to be very High-Victorian-England style of proper english and grammar, but to me, it's just dry. It's so hard to get through the words that all of the action and humor is completely lost to me. I was sad, because I think the story idea is great one and I was really excited about this book! Now I'm just mad.
This book takes place in the same world as the Vlad novels, but a few hundred years earlier. It’s intended to be a fantasy version of the Three Musketeers, and it works as such. It’s a light-hearted romp with over-the-top action and characters. It’s a lot of fun as long as you don’t try to take it too seriously. One warning, though: the book is written in a very elaborate, wordy style that I found amusing, but many readers might find grating.
Nov 12, 2012
Rich
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People with a little swashbuckle in their soul
Recommended to Rich by:
Me
Shelves:
fantasy-swords-sorcery
I just got my hands on the newest Vlad Taltos book, and since it's been more than a couple of years since the last one came out, I thought that perhaps it might be a good idea if I read the entire series from start to finish.
First and foremost, The Phoenix Guards is a fun book to read. Really. I defy you to read it without smiling. Some of the reviews seemed to have a hangup with the style of language Mr. Brust was using, but that was half of the fun! If you can't enjoy two people having to use...more
First and foremost, The Phoenix Guards is a fun book to read. Really. I defy you to read it without smiling. Some of the reviews seemed to have a hangup with the style of language Mr. Brust was using, but that was half of the fun! If you can't enjoy two people having to use...more
I really enjoyed the book, as I have virtually all of Brusts works I have managed to pick up. As noted by some, the dialogue style can grate a little ("I have a question for you, may I ask it?", "please, do go ahead, I await your inquiry", "then I shall ask it henceforth", "my breath is still in anticipation, do go on", "I will delay no longer then", etc etc, until the question is finally posed, interupted a couple of times, and then answered....).
Even that could not cast a shadow over this book...more
Even that could not cast a shadow over this book...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Aficionados: April 2013 Epic Read: The Phoenix Guards: Here there be spoilers! | 22 | 58 | May 08, 2013 08:32pm | |
| Fantasy Aficionados: April 2013 Epic Read: The Phoenix Guards: roll call/impressions | 20 | 65 | Apr 21, 2013 05:54am |
Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede, and also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
More about Steven Brust...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
(Photo by David Dyer-Bennet)
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“The others followed, and found themselves in a small, stuffy basement, which would have been damp, smelly, close, and dark, were it not, in fact, well-lit, which prevented it from being dark.”
—
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